MARCH.

"Sturdy March with brows full sternly bent
And armed strongly, rode upon a ram;
The same which over Hellespontus swam;
Yet in his hand a spade he also hent,

And in a bag all sorts of weeds ysame,
Which on the earth he strewed as he went,

And fill'd her womb with fruitful hope of nourishment."

Spenser.

March is the third month of the year; with the ancients it was the first: according to Mr. Leigh Hunt, from Ovid, the Romans named it Mars, the god of war, because he was the father of their first prince. As to the deity's nature, March has certainly nothing in common with it; for though it affects to be very rough, it is one of the bestnatured months in the year, drying up the superabundant mixture of winter with its fierce winds, and thus restoring us our paths through the fields, and piping before the flowers like a Bachanal.

APRIL.

"Next came fresh April, full of lustyhed,
And wanton as a kid whose horne new buds;
Upon a bull he rode; the same which led
Europa floating through th' Argolick fluds:
His horns were gilden all with golden studs,
And garnished with garlands goodly dight,
Of all the fairest flowers and freshest buds

Which th' earth brings forth; and wet he seem'd in sight
With wars, through which he waded for his love's delight."

Spenser.

This is the fourth month of the year. Its Latin name is Aprilis, from Aperio, to open or set forth. The Saxons called it Oster, or 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.

"Then came fair May, the fayrest mayd on ground,
Deckt all with dainties of her season's pryde,
And throwing flow'res out of her lap around:
Upon two brethren's shoulders she did ride,
The twinnes of Leda; which on either side
Supported her, like to their soveraine queene.

Lord! how all creatures laught, when her they spide,
And leapt and daunc't as they had ravisht beene!
And Cupid selfe about her fluttred all in greene.'

Spenser.

So hath divinest Spenser represented the fifth month of the year, in the grand pageant which, to all who have seen it, is still present; for neither laureate' office, nor the poet's art, hath devised a spectacle more gorgeous. Castor and Pollux, "the twinnes of Leda," who appeared to sailors in storms, with lambent fires on their heads, mythologists have constellated in the firmament, and made still pro

* Sayer's Disquisitions.

pitious to the mariner. Maia, the brightest of the Pleiades, from whom some say this month derived its name, is fabled to have been the daughter of Atlas, the supporter of the world, and Pleione, a sea-nymph.

Others ascribe its name to its having been dedicated by Romulus to the Majores, or Roman senators. Verstegan affirms of the AngloSaxons, that "the pleasant moneth of May, they termed by the name of Trimilki, because they then milked their kine three times in the day."

JUNE.

"And after her came jolly June array'd

All in green leaves, as he a player were;

Yet in his time he wrought as well as play'd,

That by his plough-irons mote right well appeare.

Upon a crab he rode, that him did bare,

With crooked crawling steps an uncouth pase,

And backward-yode, as bargemen wont to fare
Bending their force contrary to their face;

Like that ungracious crew which faines demurest grace."

Spenser.

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. He says, it is now complete summer:

Our Saxon ancestors called it Weyd-monat, because their beasts then did weyd in the meadows. Verstigan says, the Teutonicke weyd signifies "wade, which we understand of going through watrie places, such as medows are wont to be."

JULY.

"Then came hot July, boiling like a fire,
That all his garments he had cast away.

Upon a lyon raging yet with ire

He boldly rode, and made him to obey:
(It was the beast that whilom did forray
The Nemean forest, till the Amphitrionide
Him slew, and with his hide did him array :)
Behind his backe a sythe, and by his side
Under his belt he bore a sickle circling wide."
Spenser.

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 Cains 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.*

AUGUST.

"The eighth, was August, being rich array'd

In garmente all of gold downe to the ground:
Yet rode he not, but led a lovely mayd

Forth by the lily hand, the which was crown'd
With eares of corne, and full her hand was found.
That was the righteous virgin, which of old
Liv'd here on earth, and plenty made abound;
But after wrong was lov'd, and justice solde,
She left th' unrighteous world, and was to heav'n extoll'd.”

Spenser. 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-moneth) intending thereby the then filling of their barnes with corne.

SEPTEMBER.

"Next him September marched eke on foot;
Yet he was heavy laden with the spoyle
Of harvest's riches, which he made his boot,
And him enriched with bounty of the soyle;
In his one hand, as fit for harvest's toyle,
He held a knife-hook; and th' other hand
A pair of weights, with which he did assoyle
Both more and lesse, where it in doubt did stand,
And equal gave to each as justice duly scanned.

Spenser.

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.

"Then came October, full of merry glee,
For yet his noule was totty of the must,
Which he was treading, in the wine-fat's see,
And of the joyous oyle, whose gentle gust

Made him so frollick, and so full of lust:
Upon a dreadful Scorpion he did ride,

The same which by Dianaes doom unjust
Slew great Orion; and eeke by his side

He had his plough-share, and coulter ready tyde."

Spenser.

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 very doubtful.

NOVEMBER.

"Next was November; he full grown and fat

As fed with lard, and that right well might seeme;
For he had been fatting hogs of late,

That yet his browes with sweat did reek and steam;
And yet the season was full sharp and breem;

In planting eeke he took no small delight,
Whereon he rode, not easie was to deeme;
For it a dreadful Centaure was in sight,

The seed of Saturn and fair Nais, Chiron hight.

Spenser.

This, which is the eleventh month of the year, was called by our Saxon ancestors Wint-monat, to wit, Wind-moneth, whereby wee 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 sea. faring, (notwithstanding the littleness of their then used voyages) nor till blustring 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.

"And after him came next the chill December;
Yet he through merry feasting which he made
And great bonfires, did not the cold remember;
His aviour's birth so much his mind did glad.
Upon a shaggy bearded goat he rode,

The same wherewith dan Jove in tender years,
They say was nourisht, by the Idæan mayd;

And in his band a broad deepe bowle he beares,
Of which he freely drinks an health to all his peers."
Spenser.

By our ancestors, December had his due appellation given him in the name of Winter-monat, to wit, Winter-moneth; but after the Saxons received Christianity, they then, of devotion to the birthtime of Christ, termed it by the name of heligh-monat, that is to say, holy-moneth. 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 decemviir.T

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

* Verstegan.

§ Verstegan.

+ Verstegan.
Dr. F. Sayers,,

Dr. F. Sayer.
I See August.

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.

Monday was a day which the Romans devoted to alms-giving; Maund signifying a gift, hence the term Maundy or Monday. Again, for instance, we have our Maundy Thursday,* a day on which alms is given to the poor. Some construe Maund, a basket, into which bread or other victuals were deposited for the poor.

Tuesday has more obscurity about it; it is necessary, however. to observe, that the names of the days have been derived from the three parties who have, in their turns, had possession of this island. Hence, it has been supposed that Tuesday has been derived from Tofte, the brother of Harold, who joined the Danes in their last efforts against this island; but this is scarcely probable, for although he was of immense stature, and performed prodigies of valour, he was not deified.

Wednesday is more clear, being derived from Woden, a celebrated god of the Saxons, whom they supposed presided over the destinies of war; hence it was Woden's-day, now corrupted into Wednesday,

Thursday is derived from another Saxon god, Thor, whom they also supposed to preside over the destinies of war, but particularly over the elements, thunder, lightning, &c.; and from Thor's-day came our denomination of Thursday.

Friday,

"Friday! quoth'e, a dismal day,
+Childermass this year was Friday!"

Sir John Oldcastle.

This "unlucky day," as it is termed, is wrapt in equal if not more obscurity than Tuesday, but is supposed to have a Danish origin, and derived, it is said (although somewhat loosely), from Freidholm, a Danish chief; but this is scarcely to be depended upon.

Saturday, derives its appellation from the Saturnalia of the Romans, being a day which they dedicated to feasting and lasciviousness.

Sunday, a day which is set apart by the Christian world as one of rest and prayer, derives its name from that typical representation of the deity-the sun,

"That orb, whose glories shine resplendent,
Above this nether world."

MAY DAY.

"Woods and groves were of May's dressing,
Hill and dale did boast its blessing."

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;

• See Maundy Thursday.

+ See Innocent's Day.

+ Some historians call him Tosti.