BITTER MADE SWEET.

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countrymen were in bondage, but they lived to see a far more glorious ransom accomplished. Of the waters of Marah they indeed also drank, but He of whom the tree was typical was Himself with them, and by Him was the bitter made

sweet.

CHAPTER VII.

Name-giving Adam's first work in Paradise — Name-giving
a natural instinct Names of Stars Saxon names of
Months — Names of Animals, Flowers, Plants — Legend of
St. Veronica.

E besoin de nommer '⁕ is coeval with the use

L

of words. We have seen that in Paradise it was the first act that Adam was called upon to perform. It is a natural instinct—from the hoary-headed Chaldean sages of old, who gave to each shining constellation, each twinkling star, separate and significative names, to the lisping little one in our nursery to-day, who, with her finger on her rosy lip, sits knitting her pretty brows, trying to think of some nice name for her kitten or her doll.

In the spangled heavens, as in some indestructible book, we read in lustrous characters these significant names of the highest antiquity. Some contain in themselves revelations of the past. Red Aldebaran, signifying he that goeth before,' is said to point to that far period in the history of astronomy when this brilliant star, called by modern Arabians Ain-al-Thaur, 'the

* Salverte.

6

NAMES OF STARS.

141

bull's eye,1 marched foremost of the celestial host, Taurus being then the first of the signs.* The names of others were as wise counsellors: the sweet Pleiades (in Hebrew, Cimah), whose Greek name signifies 'to sail,' gave Grecian sailors notice that spring, the time most favourable for voyages, had arrived; while stormy Orion, signifying to agitate,' warned them to stay at home. Even through the rugged disguises imposed on some of our week-days' names by our Saxon forefathers, we may still catch the shining of celestial orbs. With God's people, as from the beginning of time, we keep the week of seven days—the six days of creation, the seventh of rest. With the wise men of the East, Chaldea, Egypt, and ancient Hindustan, with the sages of Greece and Rome, we retain the recollection of the old 'planetary theory,' itself founded, it is said, on the 'doctrine of inusical intervals '—the 'music of the spheres,' a favourite thought in science as in poetry.

And through all the various systems to which men have successively subscribed, unchanging still to the glad ear of Faith is the matchless harmony to which unnumbered worlds of light move vocal to their great Creator's praise. Far off it is indeed, and human ears are dull. What wonder, then, that we can only catch broken echoes of the God-taught strain—here a swelling chord, and there a dying fall, as new planets are

* Encyclopædia of Natural Phenomena, by J. Forster, F.L.S. &c.

discovered, or familiar stars fade away? But are not these suggestive enough of the melody of allperfect work that, mingling with angelic songs, encircles without end the throne of the Most High?

France and Italy unite in their week-days Christian and Pagan names. The first and the last day have, in Italian, sacred significations— Domenica, the Lord's day; and Sabbato, the Sabbath or Rest, as with the Jews. The French Dimanche is very expressive—the word dime answering to our tithes, that portion of the land's produce which was appointed as the Lord's due. The moon and the stars shine through the other days—red Mars, pale Mercury, bright Jupiter, Venus radiant-eyed, and cold and distant Saturn moving slow.

The people of the North consecrated these days to divinities of their own, but they for the most part corresponded in their attributes to those of gods which the Grecian mythology had borrowed from the East. The first day was dedicated to the sun, the second to the moon. In the North the sun was regarded as feminine—she was said to be the wife of Tuisco; the moon was masculine. These genders are still so preserved to them in the German, Dutch, Danish, and Swedish languages, all originating from the Teutonic root. Tuisco, 'the most ancient and peculiar god of all the Germans,'* points to the far-away legends of

*
• Verstegan.

NAMES OF MONTHS.

143

the Teutonic race, and their Indian god Deut, by whom the tribes were led from the countries of the rising sun to regions where a sterner atmosphere should reinvigorate the race.* Next come Wodin or Odin, god of battles, and father and chief of the gods; Thor, the thunderer, the firstborn of Odin; Frigga or Freyga, the beautiful, the Venus and Juno of the North; and Seater, a Saxon idol resembling Saturn.

It is singular to remark that, while our weekdays still bear Saxon names, the months of the year have reverted to those given to them by our Roman conquerors.

Excepting only January, from Janus, a keeper of doors—the two faced god looking to the past and to the future—the Saxon names were far more significative than the Latin.

The first month was called Wolf-monath, or Wolf-month, because at that rigorous season of the year men lived in dread of the attacks of these ravenous beasts.

February, the second month, was called Sproutkale, from the sprouting of kale which was used as a winter broth; this name was afterwards changed to Sol-monath, from the returning sun.

March was Lenet-monath, because of the

* In High Dutch the third day of the week is called Erechstag, also in remembrance of the deified hero of old. The name Erech, originally from the word Heric or Haric, a chief warrior, became significative of a mighty lord, and has passed into countless forms— Eoric, Euric, Eric, Heinrich; and from it our name of Henry is derived.