The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-30
The Month OF May

The Month of May
has not always been the fifth in order in the
course of the year. The second in the old
Alban calandar, the third in that of Romulus,
it was not until Numa Pompilius again recon-
structed the calendar that it gained the fifth
position, which it still retains. Changes in its
length have likewise transpired from time to
time. In the Alban calendar it consisted of
only twenty-five days; Romulus gave it thirty
one; Numa cut it down to thirty; and finally
the odd day was restored 10y julius Caesar, and
since his time it has remained undisturbed in
this respect. By our Saxon ancestors the
month passed under the euphonious name of
Iri-Hitchi, having reference to the fact
that at this season of the year the
grass was so well advanced that COWS were
able to give milk three times day. It's COM
mon title of May is supposed to have been
| given it in honor of the MajoreS or MdioreS
| by which name the members of the original
Senate of Rome were known; while June was
| so called out of compliment to the JuniOreS, or
members of the inferior branch of the Roman
| legislature.
| Notwithstanding all the vicssitudes which
the month itself has undergone, from the ear
| lest times
The First of May
has been observed by almost every civilized
nation as a season of special rejoicing. II is
! then that the spring is fully enthrOned, and
| with her magical zephyr wand has called into
fresh life and beauty all the vitality of nature.
| Flowers are blooming-fruits are budding
! grain is sprOuting-the whole earth is clothed
in her gayest attire. The birds of the air-the
beasts of the forest and ield-man himself,
| the autocrat of creation, yields to this balmy
influence, and perforce is sprightlier and
merrier than at any other season of the year.
This feeling of reuvenation first found ex-
preston in the Floralia, or Floral Games of
Ancient Rome, which may be regarded as the
although they commenced as early as the
2Sth of the preceding month. On the same
day there seems likewise to have been kept
by the barbarous Celtic populations of Europe
a grand festival; but it is doubtful if this was
anything more than mere coincidence, as
the latter was in no way associated with
flowers. 1t passed under the name of Beltein,
and was characterized by the kindling of fires
on the hilltops at night. Until very recent
period it is said that this festival, in a
slightly modified form, was kept up by the
peasantry of the Scottish Highlands, Ireland,
and the Isle of Man.
The May-Day Poetry of England.
The poetry of nation is the most perfect
reflection of its customs and manners; and
especially is this the case with reference to the
sports and pastimes in which the common
people vent their joy. And when the mani
testatiOn of Joy is cut off, either voluntarily or
involuntarily, by the resignation of all out
door festivities, lyric poetry, at least, must
lose its devotees. 1t is for this reason that
we need never look for the rise of
a great bunker lyric poet, while the
richness and variety of this department of
our own literature is the only token that is
needed of the thorough heartiness with which
our foretathers turned all the joys of their
earthly lot to the best advantage. Taking up
the earliest attempts at lyric poetry among the
English, we therefore find in them frequent
NpfA ~ =.
season of the year. Thus, we find in the
Romance of King Alisaunder, which belongs
to the first part of the fourteenth century, the
following sprightly passages:-
.Mery time 1t is in May;
The foules syngeth her lay;
! The knlghttes lOveth the tornay;
| Maydens so dauncen and thay play"
And here is another with a similar purport,
the words miry gale meaning pheasant
melody':-
I'm TYNE of May, the nightingale
| In wode maklth miry gale;
So doth the foules CRETE and smale,
| som on hulle, som on dale"
Chaucer is full of quaint illusions to this
period, especially in his translation of the
"Romaunt of the Rose.' In his "COurt of
Love- he introduces Robin Redbreast, as de-
livering the following tribute:-
"'Hail now,' quoth he, 20 fresh sason of May,
our moneth glad that singer on the sprayl
| Hail TO the fioures red, and white, and biewe,
Whlch by their vertue maketh our lust
In the same poem Chaucer thus recites the
manner in which the birds, having concluded
their devotions in honor of the month, go
forth to gather flowers and branches, to be
woven by them into garlands~-
"Thus sange they allie the service OF the feste,
! And that was done right eariyi 70 NY uome,
And forth goeth al the eourI' DOM mOste ana
To fecRs the aoures freshe, and braunche,
And ma namely D hawtnorn brought both page
and grome, 40, nortr blau, o,,, r,,..
With fresh.garloades, party Dlew ana white;
E1eiF acha at Stier threw the 1oures bright
| 11Sa ocin,rosS the violete and the gold"
The noets of still later days made as frequent
olIrsiop 10 these festivities One of the most
SnIiobt1il of them is the description found
in t6SS Fifth Eclogue of the Shepherds Calen-
danD by Spenser, and reading as follows:-
.,siker this morrow, no longer ago,
! saw shole of shepherds outgo
With singing, and shouting, and iollv cheer.
| Before them yode a lusty Tabrere
| That to the many horn pipe play'd
Whereto they dancen each one with his maid
To see these folks make such Jouissance,
Made my heart after the pipe to dance,
Then to the greenwood they speeden them all
To fetchen home May with their musicaI. ''
And home they bring him in a royal throne
Crowned as king. and his queen atone
Was Lady Flora. on whom did attend
A fair flock OF fairies, and a fresh band
Oflovely Dymphs-O that were there
To helpen the ladies their May bush Co bearw
The ceremony thus described, which 10
known as
"Bringing Home the May"
and is now almost obsolete in England vos
universally observed in early times; and as late