very rough, it is one of the best-natured months in the year, drying up the superabundant moisture of winter with its fierce winds, and thus restoring us our paths through the fields, and piping before the flowers like a Bacchanal. APRIL. Its Latin This is the fourth month of the year. name is Aprilis, from Apcrio, 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. 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 Majorcs, 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 Teutonic 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 month. 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. 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 *Dr. F. Sayers. 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 from the Latin word novem, nine, this month having been the ninth month with the Romans, who formerly began the year in March. A foggy November day has been admirably described by the late Thomas Hood, in the following lines : "No sun-no moon! No morn-no noon No dawn-no dusk-no proper time of day— No distance looking blue— No road-no street-no 't'other side the way'- No indications where the crescents go No top to any steeple No recognition of familiar people— No courtesies for showing 'em! No knowin' 'em! |