beheaded; the gridiron against 10th August, the feast of St. Lawrence, who suffered martyrdom on one; a wheel on the 25th of November, for St. Catherine, and a decussated cross on the last of that month, for St. Andrew, who are said also to have suffered death by such instruments. Of the 3rd kind, are the star on the 6th of January, to denote the Epiphany; a true-lover's knot against the 14th of February, for Valentine's-day; a bough against the 2nd of March, for St. Ceadda, who lived a hermit's life in the woods near Lichfield; a bough on the 1st of May, for the May-bush, then usually set up with great solemnity; and a rake on the 11th of June, St. Barnabas'-day, importing that it is then hay-harvest. The pot is set against the 23rd of November, for the feast of St. Clement, from the ancient custom of going about that night to beg drink to make merry with: for the purification, annunciation, and all other feasts of our lady, there is always the figure of a heart; and lastly, for 25th December, or Christmas-day, a horn, the ancient vessel in which the Danes use to wassail, or drink healths; signifying to us, that this is the time we ought to rejoice and make merry. 2. Respecting this second volume of the Every-Day Book, it is scarcely necessary to say more than that it has been conducted with the same desire and design as the preceding volume; and that it contains a much greater variety of original information concerning manners and customs. I had so devoted myself to this main object, as to find no lack of materials for carrying it further; nor were my correspondents, who had largely increased, less communicative; but there were some readers who thought the work ought to have been finished in one volume, and others, who were not inclined to follow beyond a second; and their apprehensions that it could not, or their wishes that it should not, be carried further, constrained me to close it. As an "Everlasting Calendar of amusements, sports, and pastimes, incident to the year, the Every-Day Book is complete; and I venture, without fear of disproof, to affirm, that there is not such a copious collection of pleasant facts and illustrations, "for daily use and diversion," in the language; nor are any other volumes so abundantly stored with original designs, or with curious and interesting subjects so meritoriously engraven. 3. Every thing that I wished to bring into the Every-Day Book, but was compelled to omit from its pages, in order to conclude it within what the public would deem a reasonable size, I purpose to introduce in my Table Book. In that publication, I have the satisfaction to find myself aided by many of my "Every-Day" correspondents, to whom I tender respectful acknowledgments and hearty thanks. This is the more due to them here, because I frankly confess that to most I owe letters; I trust that those who have not been noticed as they expected, will impute the neglect to any thing rather than insensibility of my obligations to them for their valuable favours. Although I confess myself to have been highly satisfied by the general reception of the Every-Day Book, and am proud of the honour it has derived from individuals of high literary reputation, yet there is one class whose approbation 1 value most especially. The "mothers of England" have been pleased to entertain it as an everyday assistant in their families; and instructors of youth, of both sexes, have placed it in school-libraries. This ample testimonial, that, while engaged in exemplifying "manners," I have religiously adhered to “morals,” is the most gratifying reward I could hope to receive. February, 1827. W. HONE. Then came old January, wrapped well Spenser entries to the days, and months, and sea. sons, in "every varied posture, place, and hour." Laus Deo!-was the first entry by merchants and tradesmen of our forefathers' days, in beginning their new account-books with the new year. LAUS DEO! then, be the opening of this 0JANUARY, besides the names already lume of the Every-Day Book, wherein we mentioned,* was called by the Anglo take further "note of time," and make In vol. i. p. 2. REES VOL. II. LIG UNIVERSITY B Saxons Giuli aftera, signifying the second Giul, or Yule, or, as we should say, the second Christmas. Of Yule itself much will be observed, when it can be better said, To this month there is an ode with a verse beautifully descriptive of the Roman symbol of the year:† "Tis he! the two-fac'd Janus comes in view; CLIMATE. Mr. Luke Howard is the author of a nighly useful work, entitled "The Climate of London, deduced from Meteorological Observations, made at different places in the neighbourhood of the Metropolis: London, 1818." 2 vols. 8vo. Out of this magazine of fact it is proposed to extract, from time to time, certain results which may acquaint general readers with useful knowledge concerning the weather of our latitude, and induce the inquisitive to resort to Mr. Howard's book, as a careful guide of high authority in conducting their researches. That gentleman, it is hoped, will not deem this an improper use of his labours it is meant to be, as far as regards himself, a humble tribute to his talents and diligence. With these views, under each month will be given a state of the weather, in Mr. Howard's own words: and thus we begin. JANUARY WEATHER The Sun in the middle of this month continues about 8 h. 20 m. above the hori Sayers. zon. The Temperature rises in the day on an average of twenty years, to 40.28° and falls in the night, in the open country to 31.36°-the difference, 8.920, representing the mean effect of the sun's rays for the month, may be termed the solar variation of the temperature. The Mean Temperature of the month, i the observations in this city be included, is 36-34°. But this mean has a range, in termed the lunar variation of the temperaten years, of about 10.25°, which may be ture. It holds equally in the decade, beginning with 1797, observed in London, and in that beginning with 1807, in the country. In the former decade, the month was coldest in 1802, and warmest in 1812, and coldest in 1814. I have likewise shown, that there was a tendency in the daily variation of temperature through this month, to proceed, in these respective periods of years, in opposite classes of winds, in the different periods, directions. The prevalence of different is the most obvious cause of these periodical variations of the mean tempera ture. The Barometer in this month rises, on falls to 28.97 in.: the mean range is therean average of ten years, to 3:40 in., and fore 1-43 in.; but the extreme range in ten years is 2:38 in. The mean height for the month is about 29.79 inches. The prevailing Winds are the class from nate, by a fourth of their amount, over the west to north. The northerly predomisoutherly winds. 30-50 inches for the year) is 0-832 in., The average Evaporation (on a total of and the mean of De Luc's hydrometer 80. earth, is 1.959 in.; and the number of The mean Rain, at the surface of the days on which snow or rain falls, in this mouth, averages 14, 4. A majority of the Nights in this month have constantly the temperature at or below the foregoing point. Long ere the lingering dawn of that blythe morn Howard on Climate. † See vol. i. p. 1. The first visitant who enters a house on New-year's day is called the first-foot. Pronounced with honest warmth. In village, grange, January 1. Grahame good, or very bad indeed! And only to propose to be better, is something; if The Saints of the Roman calendars and nothing else, it is an acknowledgment of martyrologies. So far as the rev. Alban Butler, in his every-day biography of Roman catholic saints, has written their memoirs, their names have been given, together with notices of some, and especially of those retained in the calendar of the church of England from the Romish calendar. Similar notices of others will be offered in continuation; but, on this high festival in the calendar of nature, particular or fur ther remark on the saints' festivals would interrupt due attention to the season, and therefore we break from them to observe that day which all enjoy in common, New Year's Day. Referring for the "New-year's gifts," the "Candlemas-bull," and various observances of our ancestors and ourselves, to the first volume of this work, wherein they are set forth "in lively pourtraieture," we stop a moment to peep into the "Mirror of the Months," and inquire "Who can see a new year open upon him, without being better for the prospect-without making sundry wise reflections (for any reflections on this subject must be comparatively wise ones) on the step he is about to take towards the goal of his being? Every first of January that we arrive at, is an imaginary mile-stone on the turnpike track of human life; at once a resting place for thought and meditation, and a starting point for fresh exertion in the performance of our journey. The man who does not at least propose to himself to be better this year than he was last, must be either very our need to be so, which is the first step towards amendment. But, in fact, to propose to oneself to do well, is in some such thing as a stationary point in human sort to do well, positively; for there is no endeavours; he who is not worse to-day than he was yesterday, is better; and he who is not better, is worse." the text-hand set of copies put before us It is written," Improve your time," in when we were better taught to write than to understand what we wrote. How often these three words recurred at that period How often and how serviceably they have without their meaning being discovered! recurred since to some who have obeyed the injunction! How painful has reflection been to others, who recollecting it, preferred to suffer rather than to do! The author of the paragraph quoted above, expresses forcible remembrance of his youthful pleasures on the coming in of the new year." Hail! to thee, JANU ARY!-all hail! cold and wintry as thou art, if it be but in virtue of thy first day. THE DAY, as the French call it, par excellence, Le jour de l'an.' Come about me, all ye little schoolboys that have escaped from the unnatural thraldom of "our taskwork-come crowding about me, with your untamed hearts shouting in your unmodulated voices, and your happy spirits dancing an untaught measure in your eyes! Come, and help me to speak the praises of new-year's day!— your day--one of the three which have, of late, become yours almost exclusively, and which have bettered you, and hav been bettered themselves, by the change Christmay-day, which was; New-year's day, which is; and Twelfth-day, which is to be; let us compel them all three into our presence-with a whisk of our imaginative wand convert them into one, as the conjurer does his three glittering balls-and then enjoy them all together, with their dressings, and coachings, and visitings, and greetings, and gifts, and "many happy returns"-with their plumpuddings, and mince-pies, and twelfthcakes, and neguses-with their forfeits, and fortune-tellings, and blindman's-buffs, and sittings up to supper-with their pantomimes, and panoramas, and new penknives, and pastry cooks' shops-in short, with their endless round of ever new nothings, the absence of a relish for which is but ill supplied, in after life, by that feverish lingering and thirsting after excitement, which usurp without filling its place. Oh! that I might enjoy those nothings once again in fact, as I can in fancy! But I fear the wish is worse than an idle one; for it not only may not be, but it ought not to be. "We cannot have our cake and eat it too," as the vulgar somewhat vulgarly, but not less shrewdly, express it. And this is as it should be; for if we could, it would neither be worth the eating nor the having."* |