BILLS OF MORTALITY. Bills of mortality took rise (says Pennant) in 1592; in which year began a great pestilence, which continued till the 18th of December, 1595. During this period they were kept, in order to ascertain the number of persons who died; but when the plague ceased, the bills were discontinued. They were resumed again in 1603. At the original institution there were only 109 parishes; others were gradually added, and by the year 1681, the number was 132. Since that time 14 more have been added, so that the whole amounts to 146, viz.: 97 Within the walls. 16 Without the walls. 23 Out Parishes in Middlesex and Surrey. 10 In the City and Liberties of Westminster. DIVORCES. ""Twas Parisian aspect which upset old Troy, And founded Doctors' Commons; I have conn'd The Jewish Law of Divorce is founded on the directions given in the 24th chapter of Deuteronomy. In Greece, in ancient times, the practice of divorce seems to have been varied in different States. Our Saviour's declaration to the Pharisee, in the 19th chapter of St. Matthew, became the foundation of the law on this subject in Christian countries, and divorces were consequently allowed in one particular case only. In England, divorce on the ground of adultery can only be obtained by Act of Parliament. JUDGES' BOUQUETS. The practice of judges having a nosegay placed before them, is not, as is generally imagined, a mere preservation against the close air of a crowded court, but is the relic of a primitive and ancient custom of the judge holding the bough, or sceptre of justice, in his hand; it was formerly called a bouquet, or little bough, whence the French took their word bouquet for a nosegay. ERA, MONTHS, WEEKS, DAYS, &c. SUMMER. The word Summer is derived from Sun, or rather from its prevalence at the season of the year so named. It was originally Sun-ner, or Sun-mer; the latter syllable, as in many other instances, being introduced for the sake of harmony. WINTER. The word Winter is derived from the Wind, i. e., the time of year when the wind is most prevalent or boisterous; the t having taken place of the d; and the er being merely added to harmonize the word. MONTH. This term, as applied to the twelve divisions of the year, is derived from our Saxon ancestors, who called it Monat or Monath. It is so called from its being the period of the moon's revolution round the earth. WEEK. A period of seven days, of uncertain origin, but which has been used from time immemorial in eastern countries. By some writers, the use of weeks is supposed to be a remnant of the tradition of the creation; while others refer its origin to the seven planets known in ancient time. JANUARY. This is the first, and generally the coldest, month in the year, says Hone, in his "Every Day Book." It derives its name from Janus, a deity represented by the Romans with two faces, because he was acquainted with past and future events. FEBRUARY. This month hath Pisces, or the fishes, for its zodiacal sign. Numa, who was chosen by the Roman people to succeed Romulus as their king, and became their legislator, placed it the second in the year, as it remains with us, and dedicated it to Neptune, the lord of waters. Its name is from Februa or Feralia, sacrifices offered to the gods at this season. MARCH. 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 best-natured 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 Bacchanal. APRIL. 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. 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 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. * 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 berley 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: Brumaire AUTUMN. Frimaire Nivose WINTER. Pluviose Jan. 19. Vindémaire (Vintage Month)...Sept. 22, to Oct. 21. Ventose SPRING. Germinal Messidor SUMMER. (Harvest Month)...June 19, April 19. May 19. June 18. July 18. وو وو Fervidor, or Thermidor (Hot Month) July 19, Aug. 17. To complete the 365 days of the Common Year, five Jours Complémentaires, which were considered festivals, were added. Primidi, dedicated to Virtue, September 17. The late George Ellis ridiculed this newfangled method of registering time, by the following ludicrous, but happy translation: |