The Verb Well-en in German fignifies to turn. Wel implies Waves, which are inceffantly coming and going.

'Tis our Word Houle (i. e. French).

The Vol-vo of the Latin too is from hence.

The Solstices being the Times when the Sun returns back again, have their Name from that Circumftance. Hence the Greek Name Tropics, which fignifies Return.

'Twas the fame amongst the Celts:-They gave the Name of Iul to the Solftices and to the Months which commence at the Solstices, which in like Manner fignified Return,

Stiernhielm, skilled in the Languages and Antiquities of the North, informs us, that the antient Inhabitants of Sweden celebrated a Feaft which they called Iul, in the Winter Solstice, or Christmass; that this Word means Revolution, Wheel; that the Month of December is called Iul-Month, the Month of Return, and that the Word is written both Hiule and Giule.

Chez les Germains le Verbe Well-en fignifie Tourner.
Wel défigne les flots, parce qu'ils ne font qu' aller & venir.

C'eft notre mot Houle.

De-là le Vol-vo des Latins.

The

Les Solftices étant le Tems où le Soleil revient fur fes pas, en prirent le Nom: de-là chez les Grecs le nom des Tropiques, qui fignifie retour.

Il en fut de même chez les Celtes. Ils donnerent aux Solftices, et aux Mois qui commencent aux Solftices, le nom d'Iul, qui fignifioit également retour.

Stiernhielm, habile dans les Langues & dans les Antiquités du Nord, nous aprend, que les anciens Habitans de la Suéde célébroient au Solstice d'hyver ou à Noël, une fête, qu'ils appelloient Iul, que ce mot fignifie Revolution, roue; que le Mois de Décembre s'en apelloit, Ful-manat, Mois du retour, & que cet mot s'écrivoit également par Hiule & Giule.

Les

The People in the County of Lincoln, in England, ftill call a Log or Stump which they put into the Fire on Christmass Day, (which was to laft for the whole Octave) a Gule-Block, i. e. Block or Log of Iul.

We must not be furprized then if our Month of July, which follows the Summer Solftice, has had its Name from hence. 'Tis true the Romans tell us this Month took its Name from Julius Cafar; an Etymon that fuited well with the Flatteries they heaped on their Emperors, though they had done nothing but altered the Pronunciation of the Word Iul, to make it agree with the Name of Julius, which they pronounced Iulus, a Name which Afcanius, the Son of Æneas, had alfo, and which afcended from thence even to the primitive Languages of the East.

The Cafe had been the fame with the Month following.

If these two Months were fixed on to bear the Names of their first and second Emperors, it was prin

Les Habitans du Comté de Lincoln en Angleterre, appellent encore Gule-Block, Bloc, ou fouche de Iul, la fouche qu'on met au feu le jour de Noël, & qui doit durer l'Octave entiere.

Il ne faudroit donc pas être étonné fi notre Mois de Juillet qui fuit le Solftice d'Eté, eût pris fon nom de là. Les Romains nous disent, il eft vrai, que ce Mois tira fon Nom de Jules Céfar; ce pouroit être une Etymologie digne des Flatteries dont ils accabloient leurs Empereurs, tandis qu'ils n'auroient fait qu'altérer la Pronunciation du mot Iul pour le faire quadrer avec le Nom de Jules, qu'ils prononçoient lulus, Nom que porta auffi Afcagne, Fils d'Enée, & qui remontoit par là même aux Langues premieres de'l'Orient.

Il en aura été de même du Mois fuivant.

S'ils choifirent ces deux Mois pour leur faire porter les Noms du premier & du fecond de leurs Empereurs, ce fut premierement parce

que

principally becaufe their Names already refembled thofe of Julius and Auguftus.

They did it also in Imitation of the Egyptians, who had given to these two Months the Names of their two first Kings, Mefor and Thot.

As the Month of Auguft was the first in the Egyptian Year, the firft Day of it was called Gule, which being latinized makes Gula. Our Legendaries, furprized at feeing this Word at the Head of the Month of Auguft, did not overlook but converted it to their own Purpose. They made out of it the Feaft of the Daughter of the Tribune Quirinus, cured of fome Disorder in her Throat (Gula is Latin for Throat) by kiffing the Chains of St. Peter, whofe Feaft is folemnized on this Day.

Thus far our learned Foreigner, and with fuch a convincing Parade of Proof, that we must be Sceptics indeed if we doubt any longer of the true Origin of this very remarkable Word.

que les Noms de ces Mois avoient déja du raport à ceux de Jules & d'Augufte.

Ce fut fecondement, pour imiter les Egyptiens qui avoient donné à ces deux Mois le Nom de leurs deux premiers Rois, Mefor et Thot.

Comme le Mois d'Août étoit le premier Mois de l'année Egyptienne, on en apella le premier jour Gule: ce mot latinifé, fit Gula, Nos Légendaires furpris de voir ce Nom à la tête du Mois d'Août, ne s'oublierent pas; ils en firent la fête de la Fille du Tribun Quirinus, guérie d'un mal de gorge en baifant les Liens de Saint Pierre dont on célébre la fête ce jour-là."

CHAP.

CHA P. XIV.

Of adorning the Windows at Christmas with Laurel: What the Laurel is an Emblem of: An Objection against this Custom taken off.

A

Nother Custom obferved at this Seafon,

is the adorning of Windows with Bay and Laurel. It is but feldom obferved in North, but in the Southern-Parts, it is very Common, particularly at our Universities; where it is Customary to adorn, not only the Common Windows of the Town, and of the Colleges, but alfo to bedeck the Chapels of the Colleges, with Branches of Laurel.

The Laurel was ufed among the ancient Romans, as an Emblem of feveral Things, and in particular, of* Peace, and Joy, and Victory. And I imagine, it has been used at this Season by Chriftians, as an Emblem of the fame Things; as an Emblem of Joy for the Victory gain'd over the Powers of Darkness, and of that Peace on Earth, that Good-will towards Men, which the Angels fung over the Fields of Bethlehem.

* Laurus & pacifera habetur, quam prætendi inter armatos hoftes, quietis fit indicium. Romanis præcipue lætitiæ victoriarumque nuntia. Polyd. Virg. de Rer. Invent. Lib. 3. Cap. 4. P. 164.

It

It has been made use of by the Non Conformifts, as an Argument against Ceremonies, that the fecond Council of Bracara, ‡ Can. 73. forbad Chriftians " to deck their Houfes, with

Bay Leaves and Green Boughes." But the Council does not mean, that it was wrong in Christians, to make use of these Things, but only "at the fame Time with the Pagans, when they obferved and folemnized their Paganifh "Paftime and Worship. And of this Prohibi

46

tion, they give this Reafon in the fame Canon; "Omnis hæc obfervatio paganismi eft. All this "kind of Custom doth hold of Paganifm: Be"cause the outward Practice of Heathenifh

Rites, perform'd jointly with the Pagans "themselves, could not but imply a Confent "in Paganism."

But at prefent, there is no hazard of any fuch Thing. It may be an Emblem of Joy to us, without confirming any, in the Practice of Heathenifm. The Time, the Place, and the Reafons of the Ceremony, are fo widely different; that, tho' formerly, to have observed it, would unquestionably have been a Sin, it is now become harmless, comely, and decent.

*The general Defence of the three Articles of the Church of Engiand.. D. 107.

Non liceat iniquas obfervantias agere Kalendarum, & ociis vacare Gentilibus, neque lauro, neque viriditate arborum cingere domos. Omnis enim hæc obfervatio Paganismi est. Bracc. Can. 73. Infiell.

OB