ever did not last long. He was shortly after murdered, when the unlucky title was erased from every brass and stone, and September restored to its birth-right, the caution of succeeding princes preventing them from any interference to retain a name so ominous.*

By the Anglo-Saxons this month was called Gerstmonath, Haligemonath. The first of these appellations it had, as Verstegan tells us, "for that barley, which that moneth commonly yeelded, was anciently called Gerst, the name of barley being given unto it by reason of the drink therewith made, called beer; and from beerlegh it came to be berlegh, and from berlegh to barley. So in like manner beerheym,―to wit, the overdecking or covering of beer,— came to be called berham, and afterwards barm, having since gotten I wot not how many names besides."+

The name of Haligemonath, i.e. holy month, was given to it, according to a Saxon menology in Wanley's addition to Hickes, "for that our forefathers, the while they heathens were, in this month celebrated their devil-gild." These devil-gilds (deofol-gild) were the sacrificial gilds of heathenism, and to them, according to Wilda and Lappenberg, may be traced the origin of the municipal system

"Mensis

* These facts are mentioned by Macrobius and Suetonius. September principalem suam retinet appellationem, quem Germanici appellatione, Octobrem verò suo nomine, Domitianus invaserat. Sed ubi infaustum vocabulum ex omni ære vel saxo placuit eradi, menses quoque usurpatione tyrannicæ appellationis exuti sunt. Cautio postea principum cæterorum diri ominis infausta vitantium mensibus a Septembri usque ad Decembrem prisca nomina reservavit."-Macrobii Saturnal. lib. i. cap. 12. What Seutonius says is much to the same effect" Post autem duos triumphos, Germanici cognomine assumto, Septembrem mensem et Octobrem ex appellationibus suis Germanicum Domitianumque transnominavit, quod altero suscepisset imperium, altero natus esset."-C. Suetonii Domitianus, s. 13, p. 407, vol. ii. 8vo. Parisiis, 1828.

+ Restitution of Decayed Intelligence, p. 49, 12mo. London, 1655.

of the Saxons, for they seem to have combined the double character of a feast and of a court-day for settling disputes and trying offences, the priests exercising the crimi nal jurisdiction and lending it the consecration of religion. Hence the Christians condemned them under the name of devil-gilds, and would fain have forbidden the people from feasting in honour of the demons,* as they chose to term it; but amongst the German race it was a difficult matter to put them down altogether.†

The Flora and garden of this month are somewhat barren when compared with those of its predecessors, yet still they are not without interest. The Mushroom tribe are now very numerous, constituting the first link in the great chain of vegetable life, which connects organized bodies with inorganic matter. Their seeds are so light as to be easily dispersed by the air, and fasten on every kind of decaying matter. The kinds most popularly known are the Truffle, the Morel, and the Mushroom-so called par excellence-which is used for making catchup; but these fungi appear in a variety of shapes; the Boleti,

"Si quis in honorem dæmonum comederit," &c. Leg. Withredi, 12, 13.-Canuti Leges, Eccl. 5. Capitulare de Part. Saxon. c. 21.

"Die Anfänge des Sächsischen Städt-wesens sind auf die Gilden zu heidnischen Opfern zurückzuführen. Diese Festen waren mit den Gerichts-und-Mark-tagen verknüpft und konnten auf der dem Feste folgenden Morgensprache (Morgenspace) durch den den Priestern zustehenden Blutbann haüfig einen sehr ernsten Charakter annehmen. Das gemeinschaftliche Mahl, welches einen gar wichtigen Anfangspunct vieler politischen Einrichtungen gebildet hat, erhielt die Weihe des religiosen Cultus, welcher in den später erhaltenen Trinksprüchen der Angelsachsen noch wiedererkannt werden möchte. Jene Teufelsgilden, wie die Christliche Gesetzgebung sie nannte, ganz zu unterdrücken war in den germanischen Ländern sehr schwer, und es musste nicht für den Cultus selbst, sondern auch für die mit demselben, mit grösserer oder geringerer Willkührlichkeit, verknüpften Einrichtungen ein Ersatz dargeboten werden."-Lappenberg's Geschichte von England. Erster Band, s. 609.

the Puff-Balls, the Blight and Smut of wheat, the tinging matter of the celebrated Northern Red Snow, all belong to the same class; and, so far from being of one uniform dull colour, some of them present the brightest hues in the vegetable kingdom, rivalling in grace and brilliance even the rose and the lily.

If we turn to the Flora of the month, we shall find that great changes have taken place. The scarlet berries of the Mezereon, which appeared in July, and whose pink flowers ornamented the early spring, now fall off, leaving nothing on the shrub but the leaves. Towards the end of this month the Michaelmas Daisy,-Aster Tradescantioften begins to blow, and continues throughout the next month, or even through a part of November. This daisy would seem to be an especial favourite with the bees, for when the weather is at all clear and open they may be seen hanging about it in numbers. Yet even now there is no want of other flowers, suited to their tastes and habits. The Sunflower, to which they are particularly partial, is abundant, while Nasturtiums, Guernsey Lilies, China Asters, Marigolds, that close their flowers against rain,† SweetPeas, Mignionette, Golden Rods, Stocks, Tangier Peas, Holyhocks, and Saffron, a species of crocus, are also in profusion. Amongst the maritime plants may be named the Marsh Glasswort, and the Sea-Stork's Bill, on sandy shores; and the Officinal Marshmallow, in salt marshes.

Other symptoms of Autumn show themselves in the full ripening of the pears and apples, and in the commencing of the cider vintage, if the word, vintage, can with propriety be so applied. The grapes, which had been ripe a month ago in Italy, Spain, and Portugal, as well as the south of

* At one time the Sunflower was also named Marygold; and the Marygold was termed Sunflower.

This is more particularly the case with the Rainy Marigold, or Calendula Pluvialis.

France and Germany, now begin to ripen in the north of France, Flanders, and England. Walnuts too are in season.

But the most striking symptom of the decline of the year is to be found in the diminished number of the swallows and martins, who for some time past have been migrating to a more genial climate, and have left only a few stragglers behind. The oak and beach-tree shed their nuts, the leaves begin to change their colour, and the mornings as well as evenings are apt to be chill and foggy. The stone-curlew clamours, wood-owls hoot, the ring-ousels re-appear upon the scene, the saffron butterfly is on the wing, hares congregate, and, towards the end of the month, the blackbird, thrush, and woodlark, may again be heard. Not unfrequently the ground is covered with swarms of spider-webs,-gossamers as they are called-or they may be seen extended from shrub to shrub, or floating in the air. This is caused by the multitude of spiders incident to the season, who, when they wish to change their places, have the power of shooting forth several long threads, to which they attach themselves, and are thus borne along through the air, till they choose to descend, when they coil up their threads and come lightly to the ground. Stoats and weasels too at this season are very active in their depredations upon the poultry yard.

In the early part of this month the herrings pay their annual visit to the Eastern and Western parts of our coast, and the great fishery commences.

BARTHOLOMEW FAIR; September 3.—This fair dates so far back as the time of Henry the Second, who granted to the Priory of St. Bartholomew in Smithfield,* "the pri

* Smithfield would seem to have been so called from its being a smethe, or smooth ground: "Est ibi," says Fitz-Stephens, 66 extra unam portarum statim in suburbio quidam planus campus re et nomine."-There is without one of the city gates immediately in the sub

vilege of a fair to be kept yearly at Bartholomew-tide for three days; to wit, the eve, the day, and the next morrow. To the which the clothiers of England, and the drapers of London repaired; and had their booths and standings within the churchyard of this Priory, closed in with walls and gates, locked every night, and watched for safety of men's goods and wares. A Court of Pie-powder † was daily urbs a certain field smooth both in name and reality.-VITA SANCTI THOME ARCH. ET MARTYR. A WILIELMO FILIO STEPHANI, (i.e. Fitz Stephens), p. 67, 4to. London, 1772. In another part he calls it suburbana planities, and the commentator upon the text observes that Smith signifies smooth, from the Saxon Smeth. In Minshew moreover we find an indirect indication of smeth and smooth being synonymous. He says, "Smeth or Smootherie, a medicine or physical ointment to take away haire."

At a yet earlier period, Smithfield was called the Elms; or at least that Western portion of it, which lay between the Horsepool and Turnmill Brook, known also under the name of the River of the Wells. But the Pool and the Brook were eventually doomed to vanish before the rage for building, and at length, as Stow observes in a tone of no little regret, it had so increased that it left not a single tree standing, though it was to the many elms that the place had originally owed its appellation. But no site in all London has undergone greater vicissitudes; at one time it was the field of justs and tournaments; then it was "the place of execution for offenders;" (Stow, Farringdon Ward Without;) and then it was a market for cattle.

The Pie-powder Court was established for the purpose of suing for debts and contracts relative to the fair. It was an exceedingly summary court of justice, for the party might be arrested, the cause tried, and judgment given in less than an hour. Some wise-acres have derived the word from the dusty feet of the suitors, or, as Sir Edward Coke says, "because justice is there done as speedily as dust can fall from the feet." Sir Edward might have been a good lawyer, but he was a bad philologist. A pied puldreux,—in Latin pede-pulverosus,— means a pedlar, or trafficker in small wares, and the court was a pedlar's court. The whole matter is so well explained by Skene, that we need go no farther. "Pede - Pulverosus, ane French word, pied puldreux, Dustie-fute, or an vagabound, speciallie ane merchand, or cremar (cremar, from the German Krämer, a dealer, trader,) "quha hes na certaine dwelling-place, quhair the dust may be dicht