, 1900-01-18

varying from e20, paid by A London
delegation, to E1. from a little town
in Kent. Even the donations Of private
citizens were moi despised. and some
names are given OF private persons who
yeutured to present the majesty of
England with a New Year present of |
shilling.
The Roman names Of the months
have been retained by almost all mod
ern civilized nations. Up t. the pres
enL century several countries Of Eu-
rope made an effort to retain local or
national month names. but it proved
unsuccessful. and now only the Hol-
landers or Dutch have their own desig-
nations Of the divisions of time. The
Dutch names are Curiously significant.
January is Lauwmaand, or the chilly
month; February is Sprockelmaand,
vegetation month; March is Lent
maand. the spring month; April is
Grasmaand, the grass month: Nav is
Blowmaand, the flower month: June is
ZOmermaand. the summer month: ,July
is Hoogmaand, the hay month: August
is Oostmaand. the harvest month: Sep
temhcr is Herstmaand. the autumn
month; October is Wyumaand. the
wine month; November is Slagtmaand
the slaughter month. and December Is
Wintermaand.
Queen Elizabeth must have been ex-
tremely popular among her courtiers
and people, if the New Year presents
given her furnish any indication Of the
state of their feelings. Every year dur
ing her long reign a list was kept OF
the New Years presents given to the
queen and Of the nature and value of
the presents she gave in return. It was
the custom at that time for a return
present always 20 be made of something
approXimating the price of the orig
inal gift, and the roll of Queen Eliza
beth's presents thus furnishes some
idea Of the value of her presents made
to her. The latter include every con
ceivaBle article of ornament or use ir
her time. Brooches, jewels. brass pins.
pins of ivory, gold, silver. head dresses.
bracelets, rings. ieweled and plain. OK,
en-, sheep. ducks. geese, capons lambs
horses, dogs. swine. applcs. launches
Of ~venison, barrels of bacon. crates Of
onions, chairs, carpets, peacOcks. bask-
cts of eggs and pounds Of butter. sums
of money. punch bowls. wash bowls
and washstands. gobIets. kitchen fur
niture, n fork and two knives. hun
dreds Of spoons, plates of gold. silver
and wood. pieces of land, loads Of fire
wood, are among her New Year gifts.
the return presents comprising jewels.
personal ornaments, clothing. and most
frequently gratuities of money. the
sum varying in size from sixponcc ur
to $500.
Down to the present century a Gus
tom prevailed in many parts Of Great
Britain of bounding the parishes" or
beating the bounds" on New Years
Day. The custom was designed to
keep in memory the parochial limits.
and as the maps had not come into use
and surveys of Great Britain had not
been made, this primitive method of
preserving parish boundaries was high
in popular favor. A procession was
formed, headed by the leading digni-
taries of the parish, including the yes
trymen and sometimes the parson. Lib
eral potations were INDUCED in and a
procession was formed composed of
all who wanted to go, and including
a number of boys who did not want to
but were taken per force. The pro-
cession then marched completely
around The parish, and at certain spe-
cifiC points a halt was made and a boy
was whipped to make him remember
the place. Other curious scenes often
occurred during the bound beating"
In one parish, near London. the line
ran through a mans kitchen, and the
whole procession every year came in
at the door and went ont by the win
dow. On m occasion in London a
hackney coach stood directly in the
line of the procession and the entire
body of men and boys went in one
door and out the other, volunteers
holding the horse while this novel per
Torrance went on, and mocking at the
wrath of the unlucky driver, who be-
held his coach almost ruined by the
tread of hundreds Of muddy feet.