final g being of an obscure sound, between our y & w. The morning is in Gothic maurgin—Alamamic, morgan—Danish and Dutch, mergen—modern German, morgen, and Anglo-Saxon, mergen, morgan. Wachter says that, in the ancient computation of time, the evening being reckoned first, the morning came, from that circumstance, to signify the future day. Whether this was the reason or not, the fact is certain, that most of the northern nations did so use the word morning, and hence we have the expressions amorwe, amorrow, on morrow, by the morrow, to-morrow" (Encycl. Metropol. art. Gram., c. 1. p. 95). In the articles of the Thanes' Gild in Cambridge, it is agreed that, if any of them neglect to attend the morgen spæce, literally, morning speech, on the decease of a fellow who has died at home, he shall be mulcted in a sextarius of honey. This morgen space was the council of the gild, held on the day after his death. The articles have been printed in Hickes' Thesaur. Diss. Epist., p. 20. In the preface he explains it thus: "Socius qui postridie diei, quo in sepulchro conditur, sodalitii concilio non interfuerit: moɲgen significat cras, ρwt, mane crastinæ diei vel ineuntem posterum diem." "Wretyn at Coventre the morwne aft' Seint Nich." (Paston Letters, 1459, v. I, p. 180). The "morrow tyde" is explained, in a middle English Glossary of the 14th century, "diluculum."-Reliquiæ Antiquæ, N. I, p. 7. Mothering Sunday.-Midlent Sunday received this name, from the custom of visiting the mother or cathedral church at this time to make the offerings called Quadragesimalia, Denarii Quadragesimales, &c. These were also, as well as the day itself, called from the hymn, Lætare Jerusalem. At first voluntary, they became obligatory upon the vicar, as appears from an ordination of 1290: "Qui quidem vicarius solvet Synodalia, Lætare Jerusalem, &c. Braget Sunday is another name. Mother Night.-The night of the winter solstice among the northern nations (see Ol. Worm., Fast. Dunic.) The Scandinavians celebrated Jule, or Yule, on the night so called at the winter solstice, as that which produced all other nights. The northern nations counted the year from one solstice to another, and the months from one new moon to the next. The mothernight feast they called Iuul, in honor of Thor, a personification of the sun. Mounday.-Monday. "Als y yod on ay Mounday bytwene Wiltenden & Wulle."-Cott. MS., Jul. A. V, fo. 175. Moveable Feasts.-All the festivals which depend upon, or are computed from, the Paschal full moon, are comprehended in this term. The following is a Table of the 35 Easter Days, with the order of the principal feasts governed by each :— Mar 22.. Jan. 18 Jan. 25 Feb. 1 Feb. 3 Feb. 4 Mar. 1Mar. 8 Mar.15 Mar.23.. Mar.24. 12 3.. 28 པ་ 20 45 6789 Mar.25.. 6. 13 ..14 15 78 23 1 878 ། Apr.11.. Apr. 12. Apr. 13... 789 ཝཱ Apr. 14... 10.. Apr. 15..,, 11 34 222 45678 21 26 27 28 Mar. 1 26 3" 10 17 18 21 Mar.22..Mar.20 Mar.29 Apr.26 Apr.30 May 10 May 17 May 21 Nov.29 Mar.23.. Mar.26.. 24 Mar 27.. 30 27 May 81234 22223 བབ བམ 24 25 28123 19 """"" 23 27 24 25 26 30 Dec. 1 26 Nov.27 2333 28 29 30 2 Nov.27 Apr. 6.. 13 11 15 25 June 1 5 Apr. 7.. Apr. 8.. 15 Apr. 9.. Apr. 10.. 9 Nov.27 29 30 28 Apr. 12.. Apr. 13. Apr. 14. دو دو Apr. 15.. 13 Apr. 16.. Apr. 17.. 15 24 Apr. 19.. 17 22 20 24 3 10 14 13 Dec. 1 2 Moys of Pasche.-Literally, Month of Easter, from the Norm. Fr. moyse, a month, and Lat. Pascha, Easter. In a writ issued in 7 Hen. VI, Robert de Belyngeham and others are directed to appear before the king, "atte the Moys of Pasche that shall be in the yere of our lord 1446," for assaulting Sir Thomas Parre, a member of Parliament, with intent to murder him. The expression "atte the Moys of Pasche," is rendered," ad dictam mensem Pasche," in the writs directed to the sheriffs of London (Rotuli Parliamenti, t. V, p. 169). It appears to mean the law-term of Easter. See Mensis Michaelis, Moise, &c. Muck Shadow.-Twilight. Qu. Mock Shade? Mulier, Spiritum Infirmitatis.-See Dominica de Muliere Spiritum Infirmitatis habente. Mumping Day.-St. Thomas's Day, when the poor went round the parish begging corn (Fosbrooke, British Monach., p. 74). A mump, in old Engl., was a beggar, and also a cheat; and to mump was to defraud, entrap, beg, &c. In the German of Lower Saxony, mompeln signifies to cheat. Mutatio Concurrentium.-See Concurrents (p. 59). The following rule for changing the concurrents, epacts & cycles, is given in the Computus of Tit. (D. XXVII, fo. 24 b.) "Mutatio Concurr. et Epact. et Cicl.-Muta concurrentes in kl. Martii.-Muta Epactas in kl. Septembris. Muta ciclum lune in kl. Januarii. Muta probationem in termino xl. Muta indictionem in .VIII. kl. Aprl." My-Caresme. For Mi-carême, Midlent, in our Fr. records: thus, in the prorogation of the truce with France, in 1352, "Dedeinz la My-Caresme proschein venant," is within Midlent next to come.-Rymer, Fæder., t. III, p. 232. Mychelmes day.-Michaelmas Day, in Paston Letters, v. IV, p. 402. Mydemorwe.-In old English, the middle of the morning of the next day, as in a satirical ballad by Lydgate, of the 15th century: "Wassaile to Maymond & to his jousy pate, Late at eue he wil unspere the gate, And grope on morwe yif rigges bak be wete, And yif the bak of Togace [i. e. the cat] the gute heete, His hevy nolle at mydmorwe upliftyng, With unwasshe hands, nat lacid his doublet, Out of a bolle to pluk out the lyneing." Harl. MS., 2251, fo. 14. Mydewynter. For Midwinter Day, our Christmas Day in old English : "To Mydewynter he wende anone." Robert of Gloucester, p. 367. The coronation of William II is dated thus "þýs noble duc Wyllam hým let crounýg kyng At Lononde amydewynter day noblyche þoru alle þyng." Ibid., p. 367. Myelmas day, Myelmasse day.—Michaelmas Day. Robert of Gloucester says of the Danes, in 1011: "Thys folk com to Kanterbury, robberye to do By tuene leuede day be latere, & Myelmasse day, Chron., p. 298. Myghelmasse, Myhelmasse, Mykylmes.-The same (Paston Letters, v. IV, p. 80, 362). Myghelmasse, in the trial of Sir John Cobham, in 1413 (State Trials, v. I, p. 41): "Bytuene Myhelmasse & seynt Luc, a seyn Calyxtus day." Robert of Gloucester, p. 363. So, also, the coronation of the Red King, William II "Wyllam pe rede kyng anon so he adde tydynge nan mo, Mynde. See Mind Days; Monethes Mynde; Yeres Mynde; Anniversalis ; Obits, &c. Mysericordia Domini.-For Misericordia Domini, the introit and name of the second Sunday after Easter. In a German charter of the 15th century— "Gheuen na Goddes bort Dusent iar, darna in dem Achtenigsten iare des mytwekens na mysericordia Domini” (Baring., Clav. Diplom., XIV, p. 336), i. e. Wednesday, April 19, 1480. Nadgares, Naidgaeres, Naidgaits, Naidgaris, Naidgayers.-Lately, sometime, formerly, in our Fr. records, as in the declaration of the 1 Edw. IV, st. 1, that Hen. VI was late king in fact, but not in right-" Nadgares en fait et nient en droit." It appears to be the same as the Norm. Fr. naguère, naguères, not long since, &c. NARCISSUS.-Oct. 29: E. 458. A bishop of Jerusalem, who, with Crescentius, was a martyr at Rome in the second century (Petr. de Natal., l. XI, c. ult., n 248). There was another N., a mart., 307, Aug. 5. Natale, Natalis, or Natalis Dies.-The Martyr's Day, and sometimes the day of the death of a saint who is not a martyr. The last day of such a saint is usually called Depositio. Natale, or Nativitas Domini.-The birth-day of our Saviour ("Festorum omnium metropolis"-Chrysost.) "Nimis fuit ventus in nocte Natalis Domini."-Annal. de Margan. ad an. 1080. Natale S. MARIÆ. The most ancient of all the festivals in honor of the Virgin. It was formerly celebrated on Jan, 1, and was instituted in 695. Natale Omnium Sanctorum.-All Saints, Nov. 1.—Cott. MS., Vitellius, C. V, fo. 209 b. Natale S. PETRI de Cathedra.-See Cathedra S. PETRI. Natales. The four principal feasts in the year-Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, and All Saints. |