CONCEPTION TIDE. 349 



DEC. 14. St. Spiridion, bishop and c. a.d. 348. 

 SS. Nicasius, 9th bishop of Theims, and his com- 

 panions, 5th cent. 



Brumalia. Ambrosiana. — Rom. Cal. 



Obs. St. Spiridion was a native of Cyprus: his employment ^m that «' 

 keepintr sheep. He was chosen Bishop of Iremithiis, and continned the same 

 roral exercise, vet so as to attend his pastoral functions «'"h great assulmty 

 and devotion. 'He passed from this life to eternal bliss on the 14tli ot tnis 

 mouth. 



The Brumalia were feasts in honour of Bacchus, '";'''. at Rome and insti- 

 tuted by Romulus in imitation of the (ireeks, who hild similar.ff t'^<»'s by tl e 

 name of Dionysia. An account of all the heathen teasts will be found in 

 Forster's Perennial Calendar. 



Swamp Pine Pinus palustris verd. 



Thi-; species will succeed best in moist places, and seems to «a>-e the place 

 of the Willow, contrary to Pines in general, and contradictory to Virgil s distiu- 

 gaishing lines : 



Fraxinus in Svlvis puUherrima, Pinus in Hortis 

 Popnlus in Fl'uviis, Abies in Montibus altis. 

 Gilpin, in his prosintr but poetic work on Forest Scenery, has n"' fo°«. suffi- 

 cient justice to this tribe of treei. Pines and Firs mix very a^'reeaMv '" 'he 

 grove with other trees of ilitferent sliades of green. Horace speaks with plea- 

 sure of the shady spot : 



Quo Pinus ingens albaque populus 

 Unibram ho^pitalem consociare amant 

 Ramis et obliqno laborat 

 Sympha fugax trepidare rivo. 

 The musical festivities of Christmas time usually begin about this time in 

 mo^t Christian countries. That species of nocturnal street music commonly 

 called the Waits, or more properly Wilkes, commonly begins about this tinie, 

 and continues till Christmas; ^o. '''a'/t this theary season we are seren^^^^^^ 

 durine the niirht by the music ot fi.ldles, hautbois, clarionets, flutes, trencli 

 horns lyres, lutes, and other instruments j the effect of which, when they trst 

 awake us from our slumbers, is very pleasing and fanciful. This custom origi- 

 nated evidently in commemoration of the early salutation of the Virgin Mary 

 before the birth of Jesus Christ, or the Gloria in Edicclsts, the hymn ot ttie 

 angels. 



The Christmas Carol and U'aits. From "Christmas," a Pvem. 

 Now, too, is heard, 

 The poor, but pious minstrel, through the streets. 

 With Caiol new ; and oft, amid the gloom 

 Of midnight hours, prevail the accustomed sounds 

 Of wakeful Waits; whose melody, composed 

 Of hautboy, organ, violin, and flute. 

 And various otiier instruments of mirth, 

 Is meant to celebrate the coming time. 



It is said that the Gloria in Excchis, sung by the angels to the shepherds at 

 our Lord's Nativity, was the earliest Christmas Carol. The word Carol is from 

 can^are, to sing, and ro/ff, an interjection of joy. _ 



In London the bellman gives about a large paper of verses concerning the 

 Nativity, which is ornamented « ith prints of the Saints and the Holy Family. 



H h 



