seemed to be portrayed in the space described by these stellar objects. The divisions of the heavens designated, to some extent, the seasons of the year, and hence the origin of the signs of the zodiac. In the days of Hipparchus, the month of January was denoted by Aquarius, or the water-bearer, because it was observed that when the sun entered this constellation, it was usually a wintry and wet season of the year. Thus it was represented under the figure of a man pouring out water from

an urn.

JANUARY, our first month (so called from Janus, an ancient king of Italy, who was deified after his death), is derived from the Latin word Januarius. Janus was reputed to preside over the gate of heaven, the name of the month is indicative of its being at the opening of the New Year. Janus was represented with two faces, looking in opposite directions: one old, the other youthful, representing the old and the new era. He held a key in his hand, on which were the numbers 365, the number of days in a year which he unlocked and presided over. The temple in Rome, erected to his memory, was quadrangular, having one door and three windows on each side. It stood upon the Janiculum Hill, and was always kept open in time of It was closed only three times during the lapse of seven hundred years. It was closed at the time of the birth of Christ, for then the whole world was at peace. Our Saxon ancestors called January, Wolf-monat, or “Wolf-month," on account of the famished wolves which invaded their villages; they also styled it Aeften Yala, or after Christmas.

war.

Prince, the peasant poet, thus apostrophises the initial month;

"He cometh! the elder born child of the year,
With a turbulent voice, and a visage austere ;
But his cold, callous hand, and his boreal breath,
Prepare for new life, the low relics of death;

A changeling in temper, but ever sublime,

Is this moody, mad offspring of stern winter time."

The advent of the New Year has been from time immemorial kept as a day of rejoicing. By the Greeks it was a solemn

festival: by the Romans one of feasting and congratulation. Throughout Christendom it is kept as a holiday. Bells are rung at midnight to celebrate the exit of the old, and the advent of the new year.

The commencement of the year, has at different times been assigned to the 25th of December, or Christmas day, the 1st of January, or the day of Circumcision, and the 25th of March, or Easter day, commemorative of the Resurrection.

Despite its icy breath and frigid aspect, rugged winter seems to be prophetic of a joyous new existence, as those who have become frosted with age appear for the time to have acquired a spirit of rejuvenescence. It forms a sort of resting-place in the progress of life's journey, from which we all persuade ourselves, however we may deprecate the past, that the future is gilded with Iris hopes of happiness. If the external aspect of nature appear cheerless and chilly, the scene is but the more heightened by the contrast of the sunny smiles and generous hospitalities of the happy fireside of kindred and friends. There is something picturesque as well as grateful in this timehonoured custom of commemorating the nativity of the year, by acts of beneficence and votive offerings to friendship.

Friendly interchange of visits, congratulations and the presentation of gifts, seem to have been in Vogue in every age. The ancient Druids were accustomed to cut the sacred mistletoe, with a golden knife, in a forest dedicated to the gods, and to distribute its branches with much ceremony, as new year's gifts to the people.

Of the special holidays and festivals of this month, the first in order is that of Circumcision—a festival of the Romish church, and adopted also by the Episcopacy since the year 1550. The next festival in the calendar is that styled Epiphany, or Twelfth-day-indicating the manifestation of Christ to the Gentile world, which event is ascribed to this date. This holiday used to be characterised in Saxon times by the wassail-bowl-a spiced decoction, deriving its name from wœshael (be healthy), the toast the sturdy old Saxons adopted on the occasion of their libations.

N

The second, and briefest of the family of months—February, derives its name from Februo, to purify; hence Februarius, the appellation assigned by the Komans to the expiatory sacrifices they were accustomed to offer at this season. Pisces, the constellation over which Neptune was supposed to preside, was regarded by the ancients as the last of the winter signs, and was represented under the figure of two fishes; but at present it is the first in order of the stellar groups of the zodiac, presiding over the vernal equinox.

The Saxon name for this month was sprout-kele, also salmonath, or pancake month, from their custom of offering cakes to the sun, for his increasing power.

Midway in this month comes the festival of St. Valentine. All we know of him is, that he was canonised in consequence of his having suffered martyrdom in the third century, under the emperor Claudius.* Some have conjectured that the custom of devoting this day to Cupid is traceable to the ancient Romans, whose festivals, called Lupercalia, were celebrated about this time. On these occasions, amidst a variety of ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by a band of devotees, as chance directed.

The practical joking which prevails so universally on the day in question, the love of fun and caricature with Cupid, is of comparatively modern date. Formerly, love-making among our sober progenitors wore a much more grave and demure aspect it was not a matter to be trifled with, that of linking hearts and hands, with the joint fortunes or misfortunes of life.

:

* "St. Valentine was a holy priest of Rome, who, with St. Marius and his family, assisted the martyrs in the persecution under Claudius II. He was apprehended, and sent by the Emperor to the Prefect of Rome, who, on finding all his efforts to make him renounce his faith ineffectual, commanded him to be beaten with clubs, and afterwards beheaded; and this occurred on the 14th. About the year 270, Pope Julius is said to have built a church near Ponte Mole, to his memory, which for a long time gave name to the gate afterwards called Porta del Populo. The greatest part of his relics are preserved in the Church of St. Praxedes.

"Oh love! how potent is thy sway;

Thou'rt terrible, indeed, to most men !
But once a year there comes a day

When thou tormentest chiefly postmen.
Oh hard indeed the lot must be

Of him who wears thy galling fetters!
But e'en more miserable he

Who must go round with all thy letters."

Without pretending to estimate the obligations of many of the devotees to Hymen to this worthy saint's influence, the festival, occurring half-way in this most inclement and unpopular month, certainly tends to beguile many of its objectionable accompaniments-snow, sleet, and that worst of all kinds of weather-a penetrating thaw, against which even a suit of mail may be said to be scarcely impervious. Shrove-Tuesday and Ash-Wednesday occur in this month, both being initiatory days to the season of Lent; the religious observance of which originated with the Romish church.

Shrove Tuesday regulates most of the moveable feasts. It is the next after the first new moon in the month of February, and follows the first Sunday in Lent. Formerly, the people were expected to prepare themselves for Lent by confessing themselves, hence the word shrove.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, supposed to have been so called from a custom in the Church of sprinkling ashes that day on the heads of the penitents.

MARCH is so called from Mars, the reputed father of Romulus, and god of war. It was, as already intimated, placed as the first month by some of the ancients, and by others as the third, fourth, or fifth, and even the tenth month of the year.

The SAXONS called it lenct monath, or length month, because the days then begin in length to exceed the nights. Lenct, now called Lent, means spring; hence March was the spring month. The Saxons also called it Hlyd monath, from hlyd, which means stormy, and in this sense March was the stormy month.

March is a rude, and sometimes boisterous month, possessing

many of the characteristics of winter, yet awakening sensations more pleasant than the two following months, for it gives us the first announcement and taste of spring. What can equal the delight of the heart at the very first glimpse of springthe first peeping of buds and green herbs? It is like a new life infused into our bosoms. A spirit of tenderness-a burst of freshness and luxury of feeling possesses us: and though fifty springs have broken upon us, their joy, unlike many joys of time, is not an atom impaired.

True it is that blustering, rude Boreas causes boisterous excitement about this time, as if seeking to awaken nature from her long sleep of winter; while dusty particles scorn all local habitation, performing fantastic gyrations in the air, to the serious discomfiture of our physical organs, especially the optical and olfactory.

The dry winds of lusty March, however they may be deprecated for their personal incivilities, are nevertheless useful to the purposes of agriculture. Its zodiacal sign, Aries, was assigned to this, originally the first month of the year, because the ancients considered the ram as the father of the fleecy flock which afforded them both food and raiment.

St. David's Day is celebrated by the Welsh as commemorative of their patron saint: it occurs on the first of the month.

We now come to the festival held in honour of the tutelar Saint of Ould Ireland-Saint Patrick-who, according to ancient lore, in the year of grace 433 landed near Wicklow, having, it is said, been born at Kilpatrick, Scotland. His glorious memory is mnemonised by the well-known Shamrock. The real name of this notable apostle of the Irish was Maenwyn. Pope Celestine gave him his ecclesiastical patronymic of Patricus, when he consecrated him as bishop to Ireland in 433, A.D. Originally there was a dispute, according to Lover, as to the true 'anniversary of this renowned saint, some supposing the eighth and others the ninth to be the correct date: the humourist, however, represents a priest as settling the difficulty as follows: