THIS month is clothed by Peacham (p. 419) in a mantle of dark grasse green, upon his head a garland of bents, king-cups, and maidens' hair; in his left hand an angle [eagle?]; in his right, the sign Cancer; upon his arm, a basket of the fruits of his season.' The Saxons called June. weyd-monat, because their beasts did then weyd in the meddowes, that is to say, goe to feed there, and hereof a meddow is also in the Teutonicke called a weyd; and of weyd we yet retaine our word wade, which we understand of going thorow watry places, such as meddowes are wont to be.' (Verstegan, p. 61.) O JUNE! prime season of the annual round, Though hot thy suns-they luscious fruits mature; Remarkable Days. 1.-NICOMEde. NICOMEDE was a pupil of St. Peter, and was discovered to be a Christian by his burying Felicula, a martyr, in a very honourable manner. He was beaten to death with leaden plummets, on account of his religion, in the reign of Domitian. 4.-KING GEORGE III BORN. 5.-TRINITY SUNDAY. Stephen, Bishop of Liege, first drew up an office in commemoration of the Holy Trinity, about the year 920; but the festival was not formally admitted into the Romish church till the fourteenth century, under the pontificate of John XXII. Among the churchwardens' accounts for Lambeth, are the following curious items: 1519. Item, for garlonds and drynk for the chyl- 7. S. d. derne on Trenyte Even 0 0 vi -To Spryngwell and Smyth for syngyng with at ixd the onse 5.-SAINT BONIFACE. Boniface was a Saxon presbyter, born in England, and at first called Winfrid. He was sent as a missionary by Pope Gregory II into Germany, where he made so many converts, that he was distinguished by the title of the German Apostle. He was created Bishop of Mentz in the year 145. Boniface was one of the first priests of his day, and was also a great friend and admirer of the Venerable Bede. He was murdered in a barbarous manner by the populace near Utrecht, while preaching the Christian religion. 9.-CORPUS CHRISTI. This festival, the body of Christ,' was ap pointed in honour of the Eucharist; and always falls on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. In Roman Catholic countries, this day is celebrated with music and lights; flowers are strewed along the streets, and the richest tapestry is hung upon the walls. In some parts of Wales, the inhabitants strew green herbs and flowers before their doors on Corpus Christi Eve. 11.-SAINT BARNABAS. Our saint's proper name was Joses; he was descended of the tribe of Levi, and born at Cyprus. His parents being rich, had him educated at Jerusalem, under the care of Gamaliel, a learned Jew; and, after his conversion, he preached the Gospel with Paul, in various countries, for fourteen years. Barnabas suffered martyrdom at Salamis, in his native island ;-being shut up all night in the synagogue by some Jews, he was, the next morning, cruelly tortured, and afterwards stoned to death. The Epistle which he wrote is considered genuine, though not admitted into the canon of the church. In the abbey churchyard at Glastonbury, there was formerly a miraculous walnut-tree, which never budded till St. Barnabas's day; this curiosity was much sought after by Queen Anne, King James, and many of the nobility. A walnut-tree of the common sort now occupies its place. 17.-SAINT ALBAN. St. Alban, the first Christian martyr in this island, suffered in 303. He was converted to Christianity by Amphialus, a priest of Caerleon in Monmouthshire, who, flying from persecution, was hospitably entertained by St. Alban, at Verulam, in Hertfordshire, now called, from him, St. Albans. Amphialus being closely pursued, made his escape, dressed in St. Alban's clothes. This, however, being soon discovered, exposed St. Alban to the fury of the Pagans; and our saint refusing to perform the sacri Q fice to their gods, was first miserably tortured, and then put to death. 20.-TRANSLATION OF EDWARD, King of the West Saxons. Edward, being barbarously murdered by his motherin-law, was first buried at Warham, without any solemnity; but, after three years, was carried by Duke Alferus to the minster of Shrewsbury, and there interred with great pomp. 21.-LONGEST DAY. This day is, in London, 16 h. 34 m. 5s., allowing 9 m. 16 s. for refraction. 24.-SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST, and MIDSUMMER DAY. The nativity of Saint John the Baptist is celebrated by the Christian church on this day, because he was the Forerunner of our blessed Lord, and, by preaching the doctrine of repentance, prepared the way for the Gospel. His birth was foretold by an angel; and his peculiar office of Harbinger of Christ was predicted by the prophets. He passed an ascetic life, and, until the time of his preaching, retired into a wilderness, subsisting upon locusts and wild honey: his apparel was suitable to his hermitical life, being only a rough garment of camel's hair, tied with a leathern girdle. He was imprisoned by Herod for preaching against his marriage with his brother's wife, and was afterwards beheaded by the arts of that enraged woman. This festival is first noticed by Maximus Tauricensis, who lived about the year 400. On the eve of St. John the Baptist, commonly called Midsummer Eve (observes Mr. Bourne), it is usual in most country places, and also here and there in towns and cities, for both old and young to meet together, and be merry over a large fire, which is made in the open street. Over this they frequently leap and play at various games, such as running, wrestling, dancing, &c. But this is generally the exercise of the younger sort; as the older ones, for the most part, sit by as spectators, and enjoy themselves and their bottle. And thus they spend the time till midnight, and sometimes till cock-crow. Stow, in his Survey of London, tells us, that on the Vigil of St. John Baptist every man's door being shadowed with green birch, long fennel, St, John's wort, orpin, white lilies, and such like, garnished upon with garlands of beautiful flowers, had also lamps of glass, with oil burning in them all the night some hung out branches of iron, curiously wrought, containing hundreds of lamps lighted at once. He mentions also the bone-fires in the streets, every man bestowing wood or labour towards them. Some Midsummer-eve rites are thus noticed by Gay, in his Fourth Pastoral: At eve last Midsummer no sleep I sought, In the Connoisseur, No. 56, other curious ceremonies are noticed. I and my two sisters tried the dumb-cake together: you must know, two must make it, two bake it, two break it, and the third put it under each of their pillows, (but you must not speak a word all the time,) and then you will dream of the man you are to have. This we did: and to be sure I did nothing all night but dream of Mr. Blossom. Ilikewise stuck up two Midsummer Men, one for myself and one for him. Now, if his had died away, we should never have come together, but I assure you his blowed and turned to mine. maid Betty tells me, that if I go backwards, without speaking a word, into the garden upon Midsummer * Our |