the fifth month of our modern year, was the third of the old Roman calendar. The name is of doubtful origin. Ovid (Fasti, v. 483-90) suggests the three derivations of *majestas*, *majores* (the *patres* of the old Roman city), and *Maia*, the mother of Mercury, to whom the Romans were accustomed to sacrifice on the first day of the month. Others, again, have been of opinion that its origin is Teutonic, being derived from some obsolete word signifying youthful beauty and loveliness. The Saxons, after the Romans, called it *Maius monath*. It was considered unlucky among the Romans to contract marriages during this month, on account of the celebration of the Lemuria—a superstition of which traces are still to be found among ourselves.

May-day, the name given to the first of the month in this country, when, according to ancient custom, all ranks of the people rose at early dawn and went out a-Maying to welcome the first return of the spring. The rites and festivities peculiar to this occasion can be traced back, according to some, to the heathen observances with which the Latin goddess Flora was wont to be honoured. At all events, some of the English ceremonies of May-day are as old as the Druids, who were accustomed to light large fires on the heights on May-eve, to herald with devout joy the coming spring. In the time of Bourne (Vulg. Antig.) the juvenile part of both sexes in the villages of the north of England were wont to rise shortly after midnight on May morning; for according to Chaucer, "May wole have no soggardye a night," and proceed, accompanied by music and horn-blowing, to some neighbouring wood, where, after breaking down branches from the trees, and adorning themselves with nosegays and garlands, they returned home at sunrise and decorated their doors and windows with the flowery spoil. Nor was this custom limited to the vulgar: even royalty itself occasionally condescended to share in this diversion. Chaucer, in addition to his beautiful allusion to the May-day customs in the *Knights Tale*, says in his *Court of Love*, that early on May morning—

"Fourth goeth al the court, both moste and leste, To seche the flores freshe, and braunch and blome."

And Hall, in his *Chronicle*, gives an account of Henry VIII's riding a-Maying with Queen Katherine from Greenwich to the high ground of Shooter's Hill, accompanied by many lords and ladies, who "went with their bows and arrows shooting to the wood." Shakespeare alludes also to the custom when he says, in his *Henry VIII.* (act v., scene 5), that it was impossible to make the people sleep on May morning; and when, in his *Midsummer Night's Dream* (act iv., scene 1), he talks of doing "observance for a morn of May." May-dew was also believed to possess a singular virtue. Samuel Pepys, in his *Diary*, informs us that his wife had gone down to Woolwich "to take a little ayre and gather May dew," in consequence of being told by a certain lady that "May-dew was the only thing in the world to wash her face with." Other minor observances on May-day were those of dancing round the May-pole decked with garlands, still known in England; the Jack-in-the-Green of the chimney-sweepers, who still perambulate and dance in the streets of London (see the *Times* of May 2, 1844; also *Literary Gazette*, May 1847); and the custom, now half a century old, of the London milkmaids, adorned with a garland of plate (hired for the occasion), and a profusion of flowers, dancing before the doors of their customers to the music of a fiddle. Old Stow, in his *Survey of London* (1603) sums up a number of the festive details of May-day in the following sentence:—"I find also that, in the month of May, the citizens of London, of al estates, lightly in May, Isle every parish, or sometimes two or three parishes joyning together, had their severall Mayings, and did fetch in May-poles, with diverse warlike shewes, with good archers, morice-dancers, and other devices, for pastime at the day long, and towards the evening they had stage-players, and bone-fiers in the stretes." These May customs were not, however, wholly limited to England. (But for further information, see Brand's *Popular Antiquities*, vol. i., p. 212; also Grimm's *Deutsche Mythologie*, p. 448, &c.)

ISLE OF, a small island of Scotland, county of Fife, in the Firth of Forth, 6 miles S.E. of Crail. It is about a mile in length, and nearly a mile in breadth, consisting of slaty rock. It affords pasturage for sheep and cattle, and is frequented by great numbers of sea-birds. There is a lighthouse on the island with a fine dioptric light, 240 feet high, and visible from a distance of 21 miles. The cliffs are for the most part steep and perpendicular, rising in some places to the height of 160 feet. Pop. (1851) 18.

THOMAS, an English historian and poet, was born in 1595 of an ancient family in Sussex. He was educated at Cambridge, and, after taking the degree of B.A., he repaired to London, and became a member of Gray's Inn. In the course of time his talents found favour at court, and several of his poems were published by the special command of Charles I. He was thus led to expect the laurel on the death of Ben Jonson in 1637. But Sir William Davenant was preferred; and May abandoned the court in a pet, and was ever afterwards a republican. During the civil war he became secretary to the Parliament; and was employed to write its *History*. This work, published originally in Latin, was translated into English in 1650. It is tame and inelegant, yet, on the whole, it is truthful in its facts, and unbiased in its judgments. On the night of the 12th of November 1650, May retired to bed in good health, "after his cheerful bottle as usual," and died in his sleep before morning. His remains were laid in Westminster Abbey; but soon after the Restoration they were disinterred, and thrown into a pit in the adjoining churchyard of St Margaret's. A monument that had been erected over his grave was also demolished.

May is the author of five plays, and of two poems on the reigns of Henry II. and Edward III., respectively. He translated into English verse *Selected Epigrams of Martial*, *Virgil's Georgics*, and Lucan's *Pharsalia*. To the last of these he wrote a continuation both in English and Latin. His *History of the Parliament* was edited by Baron Masséres, 4to, 1812.