The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-02-12
Mardi-Gras.

undertakes to comply with the
of Moline Inquirer, in regard to
the term Mardi-gras; and availing him.
self of the aids of literature which the va
rious Encyclopedias and Bolnsdr's LaeUa
sac afford, and Of copious extracts from
Fox's Book of Martyrs, Guizot's History
of Civilization, Mosheim's Church History,
Niebuhr's History of Rome, Hallam's
Middle Ages, Origin, st. Chrysostrom'
Decisions of the Council Of Trent, and a
French Dictionary, he is enabled to state
it means ''Shrove-Tuesday," or "Fat-Tues-
day."
Proceeding after the manner of the
learned SCALIGER who was man OF I'M
mense vigor of understanding. and is cred
tied with having been the first to lay down,
in his treatisesDe Emcndatione TempoTona,
complete system of Chronology, formed
upon fixed principles, the learned reader
will at once recognize that the word Carni-
val is derived from the Lat. caro-, flesh,
and yale, farewell farewell to feshl" and
is the name of festival in Italy, which
originally began on the feast Of the Epip-
hany, and continued to Ash-W ednesday,
when the fast of Lent made an end of the
preceding feasting, masquerading, and
bufoonery. In later times, the Carniva
was limited to the time of from three to
eight days before Ash-W ednesday. With
out doubt, the forms and customs still
preserved in the celebration of the Carnl'
val originated in the heather festivals Of
spring-time; and they still remind US,
partly of the Lupercala and Bacchanalis
of Southern Europe, and partly of the
Yule-feast among Northern people sBan
quets of rich meats and drinking bout
were the chief attractions of the Carniva
during the middle ages.
LupercaIia was festival among the an
cient Romans, held on the 18th of Febru
airy in honor of Lupercus the god of fertil
ity, and is supposed to have been INTENDED
in some way to represent symbollcal pu
IRRIGATION Of the land. By an easy grada
ton of the customs of heather people t
those of christianity, our English ancestor
had similar publication for the peopl
under the term "Shrove-tide," whic
literally means "confession-time." and
the name given to the days Immediate
preceding Ash Wednesday, and were ar
GENTLY days of preparation for the peniter
tial time of Lent; in the modern disciplin
, of the Roman Catholic church, trace {
, this is still preserved In many countries
The name of Shrove- tide was retained
England after the reformation, althoug
the practice Of STRIVING in which it ha
its origin, was abandoned. The precel
of STRIVING" having been fulfilled, tt
faithful, upon the eve Of Lent, wei
INDUCED with permission to give then
selves up to amusements, and to festlN
celebrations, of which the continental cal
nivai is still the likeness. In countri
where Professionalism is the prevailingssfa fat
the observance of the Carnival is now ge
orally limited to dancing and masked bal
on Shrovetide or Fat Tuesday; but in Ital
r as Goethe says in his charming sketch
q the Roman Carnival, it is still gener
). popular festive time. In former times t
a renowned Carnival of Venice was d
# tinguished above all others for its pom
= and splendor, but later the Carnival
4 Rome became more noted, and at t
= present time exceeds all others in gale
n and magnificent pageantry.
Mardi-gras, as the term implies, is t
4 French exhibition of carnival of the Ii
" characteristics. The Tuesday before LIE
TX is given up to that purpose and partial
e largely Of masquerading buffoonery, a
70 dancing en- n1dsque Although not eq,
al to the Extravaganza of the Roman Car
to val, the displays at Paris, Lyons, Mars'
is les, Toulon and other French cities are
:. the same character, and intended for t
I'd same purpose. The introduction of Mar
a gras into this country comes by way
ay the French at New Orleans, which city '
- originally settled almost exclusively
ID people of French or Latin extraction, q
OK who gave the characteristics of tn
ce nationality and religion to the festivals a
W holidays Of the great Southern Metropo
no The political editor of the Religious
partment would observe further, that ST
eral attempts have been made to introdI
10 the festival at other cities in the Unit
y States, more especially, Memphis, Cine
Up natl, Louisville, and last year in New Y o
but this counterpart of Romish Gust
does not apparently take root and thr
IT. with any perceptible vigor except amo
st the so-called latin races.
Sc Possibly the season of the year, and I
Id inclemency of weather in more northt
u. climate has more to do with its not beco
Sc ing national than any really adverse ser
is ment
1t Familiar in every Household.
DR.. r, V. Pierce, the great ''medici
1I,,,, r fl r. II n