Eastermonath, in which month the feast of the Saxon goddess Eastre, Easter, or Eoster, is said to have been celebrated. April, with us, is sometimes represented as a girl clothed in green, with a garland of myrtle and hawthorn buds; holding in one hand primroses and violets, and in the other the zodiacal sign Taurus, or the bull, into which constellation the sun enters during this month.

MAY.

The fifth month of the year, but the third of the Roman. The name is supposed by some to be derived from Maia, the month of Mercury, to whom the Romans offered sacrifices on the first day of the month. Others ascribe its name to its having been dedicated by Romulus to the Majores, or Roman senators. Verstegan affirms of the Anglo-Saxons, that "the pleasant month of May, they termed by the name of Trimitki, because they then milked their kine three times in the day."

JUNE.

Mr. Leigh Hunt observes, in his "Months," that the name of June, and indeed that of May, gave rise to various etymologies; but the most probable one derives it from Juno, in honour of whom a festival was celebrated at the beginning of the month.

Our Saxon ancestors called it Weydmonat, because their beasts then did weyd in the meadows. Verstegan says, the Teutonick weyd signifies "wade, which we understand of going through watrie places, such as meadows are wont to be." This month consisted originally of twenty-six days, to which Romulus is said to have added four. Numa afterwards deprived it of one day, which, however, was again restored by Julius Cæsar, and it has ever since remained unaltered.

JULY.

This is the seventh month of the year. According to ancient reckoning it was the fifth, and called Quintilis until Mark Antony denominated it July, in compliment to Caius Cæsar, the Roman dictator, whose name was Julius, who improved the calendar, and was born in this month.

July was called by the Saxons henmonath, which probably expressed the meaning of the German word hain, signifying wood, or trees; and hence henmonath might mean foliage mouth. They likewise called it heymonath, or haymonth; "because," says Verstegan," therein they usually mowed and made their hay harvest;" and they also denominated it Lida-aftera, meaning the second Lida, or second month after the sun's descent.* The dog-days are supposed to commence on the third of this month.

* Dr. F. Sayers.

AUGUST.

August is the eighth month of the year. It was called Sextilis by the Romans, from its being the sixth month in their calendar, until the senate complimented the emperor Augustus, by naming it after him, and through them it is by us denominated August. Our Saxon ancestors, according to Verstegan, called it Arn-monat, (more rightly barn-monath) intending thereby the then filling of their barns with corn.

SEPTEMBER.

This, which is the ninth month of the year, was anciently the seventh, as its name imports, which is a compound of Septem, seven, and imber, a shower of rain, from the rainy season usually commencing at this period of the year.

Our Saxon ancestors called this month Gerst-monat, "for that barley which that moneth commonly yeelded was antiently called gerst, the name of barley being given to it by reason of the drinke therewith made, called beere, and from beerlegh it came to be berlegh, and from berleg to barley.":

OCTOBER.

This, which is the tenth month of the year, was called by our Saxon ancestors Wyn monat, wyn signifying wine; "and albeit, they had not anciently wines made in Germany, yet in this season had they them from divers countries adjoining. The derivation of the word October, is by some supposed to have originally been from Octavius Cæsar; but this is very doubtful.

NOVEMBER.

This, which is the eleventh month of the year, was called by our Saxon ancestors Wint-monat, to wit, Wind-moneth, whereby we may see, that our ancestors were in this season of the yeare made acquainted with blustering Boreas; and it was the antient custome for shipmen then to shroud themselves at home, and to give over seafaring (notwithstanding the littleness of their then used voyages), nor till blustering March had bidden them well to fare. They likewise called it Blot-monath. In the Saxon, blot means blood; and in this month they killed great abundance of cattle for winter-store, or, according to some, for purposes of sacrifice to their deities.§ The derivation of November is seemingly lost.

DECEMBER.

By our ancestors, December had his due appellation given him in the name of Winter-monat, to wit, Winter-moneth; but after

* Verstegan.

+ Ibid.

Ibid.

§ Dr. F. Sayers.

the Saxons received Christianity, they then, of devotion to the birth-time of Christ, termed it by the name of heligh-monat, that is to say, holy-monath.* They also called it mid-winter-monath, and guilerra, which means the former or first guil. The feast of Thor, which was celebrated at the winter solstice, was guil, from iol or ol, which signified ale, and is now corrupted into yule. This festival appears to have been continued throughout part of January. The term December seems to have been given to this month at the period of the alteration of the calendar by the Romans, and is derived from the decemviri.

FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY CALENDAR.

In September, 1793, the French nation resolved that the republic should form a new era, and that a calendar should be adopted, on what are termed philosophical principles; that the common era should be abolished in all civil affairs; and that the new era should date from the foundation of the republic, 22nd September, 1792. The months and festivals were as follow:

Vindémaire (Vintage Month)...Sept. 22, to Oct. 21,
(Foggy Month) ...Oct. 22, Nov. 20.
(Sleety Month)......Nov. 21,

AUTUMN.

Brumaire

Frimaire

Messidor

SUMMER.

Dec. 20.

:

(Harvest Month)...June 19,,, July 18. Fervidor, or Thermidor (Hot Month) July 19, Aug. 17. Fructidor (Fruit Month). ..Aug. 18,,, Sept. 16.

To complete the 365 days of the Common Year, five Jours Complémentaires, which were considered festivals, were added.

The late George Ellis ridiculed this newfangled method of registering time, by the following ludicrous, but happy translation:

DAYS OF THE WEEK.

"Name the day."

The division of time has been very ably and satisfactorily accounted for by several able writers, but they either totally neglect the derivation of their terms, or treat them in a slovenly manner. The days of the week have been particularly neglected; for, although some obscurity may envelope the origin of their cognomens, yet surely some light may be thrown on the matter. Sunday, the first day of the week, is said to derive its name from the Saxons, who consecrated it to the Sun in heathen times. It was not set apart as a day of cessation from labour before the reign of Constantine. By a decree of that Emperor (A.D. 321), public business and military exercises were suspended. The council of Laodicea (A.D. 360) forbade labour in general terms, and the laws of Theodosius (A.D. 420) sanctioned this interdiction by civil penalties.

Monday, the second day of the week, is so called and means literally the day of the moon.

Tuesday, the third day of the week, was named after Tuisco, the Saxon god of war, whence the astronomical symbol is the same as for the planet Mars.

Wednesday, the fourth day of the week, is named after Woden, a Saxon Deity, whose functions corresponded to those of Mercury in the Greek and Roman mythology; hence it was Wodensday, now corrupted into Wednesday.

Thursday, the fifth day of the week, is derived from another Saxon god, Thor; whom they supposed to preside over the elements, thunder, lightning, &c., and who corresponded to the Jupiter of the ancients, to whom this day was also consecrated, and from Thorsday came our denomination of Thursday.

Friday, the sixth day of the week, derives its name from Freya, or Friga, a Saxon goddess; this is termed the "unlucky day." Saturday, the seventh day of the week, and the Jewish sabbath, derives its name from the god Saturn, to whom it was dedicated by the Romans.

MAY DAY.

Our usages on this day retain the character of their ancient origin. The Romans commenced the festival of Flora on the 28th of April, and continued it through several days in May. Ovid records the mythological attributes and dedication of the season to that goddess:

"Fair Flora! now attend thy sportful feast,

Of which some days I with design have past;-
A part in April and a part in May

Thou claim'st, and both command my tuneful lay;

And as the confines of two months are thine,
To sing of both the double task be mine.
Circus and stage are open now and free--
Goddess! again thy feast my theme must be.
Since new opinions oft delusive are,
Do thou, O Flora, who thou art declare;
Why should thy poet on conjectures dwell?
Thy name and attributes thou best can tell.
Thus I-to which she ready answer made,
And rosy sweets attended what she said;
Though, now corrupted, Flora be my name,
From the Greek Chloris that corruption came:-
In fields where happy mortals whilome stray'd,
Chloris my name, I was a rural maid;

To praise herself a modest nymph will shun,
But yet a god was by my beauty won."

Flora then relates, that Zephyr became enamoured of her as Boreas had been, that " by just marriage to his bed" she was united to Zephyr, who assigned her the dominion over Spring, and that she strews the earth with flowers and presides over gardens. She further says, as the deity of flowers,

"I also rule the plains.

When the crops flourish in the golden field;
The harvest will undoubted plenty yield;
If purple clusters flourish on the vine,

The presses will abound with racy wine;

The flowering olive makes a beauteous year,

And how can bloomless trees ripe apples bear?
The flower destroy'd, of vetches, beans, and peas,
You must expect but small or no increase;
The gift of honey's mine, the painful bees,
That gather sweets from flowers or blooming trees,
To scented shrubs and violets I invite,

In which I know they take the most delight;
A flower an emblem of young years is seen,
With all its leaves around it fresh and green;
So youth appears, when health the body sways,
And gladness in the mind luxuriant plays."

From these allegorical ascriptions the Roman people worshipped Flora, and celebrated her festivals by ceremonies and rejoicings, and offerings of spring flowers, and the branches of trees in bloom. The earliest notice of the celebration of May day may be traced to the Druids, who on May eve were accustomed to light large fires on eminences in gratitude and joy for the return of Spring. At a later period this day seems to have been observed by all classes. Chaucer in his Court of Love says, that on this day" forth goeth all the Court, most and least, to fetch the flowers fresh, and branch and bloom," and it is well known that Henry VIII. and Katherine, and all their Court, partook in the diversion. The May-pole, which is still visible in many English villages, and Jack in the Green, are still relics of this custom.