If holy nature yet have laws Binding on man, of woman born, HUMANITY at HOME. [By John Bowring.] I honour and I love the mind, Whose warm and gen'rous thoughts embrace The common interests of our kind, Through time's long track and earth's wide space, And, like the glorious God of day, Sheds o'er the WORLD its living ray. I watch with throbbing heart the zeal, For all that's man's-for all that's MAN; And ev'ry human title blend In those of BROTHER and of FRIEND. I've travelled many a country far, Through Finland's wild, on Afric's strand, A star whose light, where'er I trod, That mis'ry dwelt unheeded THERE: I would not check the nobly good, Who, joy diffusing, widely roam; But I would whisper, if I could, Look round, for there are wrongs AT HOME; And voices, though but feeble, call On Heav'n-on thee-on me-on all! Dost thou not hear their cry? To thee, Map-Day in France. On the night preceding the 1st of May, it is the custom to place branches of green boughs at the doors or windows of females, or persons of distinction; lovers, above all, seize this opportunity of decorating the windows of their mistresses, and sometimes take up a young tree, ornament it with ribands, and replant it by the side of the door; a species of gallantry as agreeable to the planter, as it is to her for whom the tree is planted. Henry II, wishing to recompense the clerks of the Bazoche for their good services, in quelling an insurrection in Guienne, offered them money; but they would accept only the permission granted them by the king, of cutting in the royal woods such trees as they might choose for the planting of May, a privilege which existed at the commencement of the French Revolution. A similar custom prevailed among the Romans, at the beginning of May, when they celebrated the fête of Flora, the Goddess of Flowers; the young people going to the woods, and bringing back a quantity of boughs, with which they ornamented the houses. Women ran through the streets, and had the privilege of insulting every one who came in their way. And here may we not trace the custom of the epousées (brides) of the month of May? The epousées are the little daughters of the common people, ⚫ dressed in their best,' and placed on a bank, or on a chair, in the streets and public walks, on the first Sunday in May; other little girls, the bride's companions, stand near, with plates in their hands, and tease the passengers for some money for their epousée, These offerings are solicited with all the importunity of children, and are rarely refused. At Commercy, and in the neighbourhood of this town, it is the custom, on the night preceding the 1st of May, to plant under the windows of friends a young tree in leaf, and sometimes ornamented with flowers and ribands, which is called Mai. This May is commonly planted by the lover under the windows of his mistress, and by scholars at the door of their masters. Some mischievous persons substitute for May the carcass of an animal; but this is only the work of the spiteful few, and cannot be considered as a custom. During the month of May, young persons of both sexes play at a game which they call Sans-Vert. Those who play are constantly to have about them some leaves of the hornbeam, which must not be allowed to become dry; and he who is surprised with any faded leaves, or such as have become dry, and are reduced to powder, must pay a fine. For the purpose of surprising any one, they go to them very early in the morning; in consequence of which, great care is taken to have a fresh sprig of the hornbeam in their night-cap, or near the bed. The young women have a small, long bottle filled with water, concealed in their stays, on purpose to keep the leaves fresh and green. MAY CUSTOM in SOLOGNE. Every year, on the 1st of May, the Solognese go out to gather May before sun-rise; and when they return, they fix a small branch to the doors of their houses, stables, sheep-folds, &c., that they may drive away the snakes, adders, toads, and other venomous animals, which, they pretend, like to attach themselves to the dugs of the cows, and draw the milk from them. On the 12th of May, says M. Legier, I killed an adder in my dining-room; the May which had been placed at the door not having had sufficient vir tue, or the pretty girl who had put it there not being in a state of grace at the time. It is also the custom to place a bough of May on the dung heap, to announce to the young men of the neighbourhood, that some marriageable girls are to be found at the farm-house; a ceremony which the rustic damsels never forget to practise on the 1st of May. MAY CUSTOM in BONNEVAL. On the first day of May, long before sun-rise, the young men, in every village, are accustomed to go into the neighbouring woods to cut the branches of such trees as are covered with foliage ;on their return to the town, they place before every house, in a conspicuous situation, as many branches as there are daughters living there. When there are only young children, the boughs are but small; and when the girls are marriageable, they are commonly larger and finer than in other places. If this village fête takes place on a working day, the young people meet together on the following Sunday, to dance the May,' which is done in the following manner: One of the company carries a large May or bough, consisting of several branches, which are covered with ribands; the others follow with violins, drums, and such other instruments as they can procure; they then walk through the streets, stopping at the door of every house over which any May has been placed, and commence a serenade, and a dance; usually receiving some money, which serves to defray their expenses. As May and milk-maids are often associated in our recollections of this agreeable season, The Song of the Maids of Rozel' will, perhaps, not be considered out of place in a chronicle of May-doings in France. It is one of the few really Norman songs now to be met with; the good wife, from whose lips it was taken down, archly observed, that it was sung at milking time by the girls of the village, when they think their lovers are on the other side the hedge. For the following faithful and spirited translation of this song, we are indebted to our kind friend and correspondent, Mr. J. H. WIFFEN. Walking one eve in vacant mood Sing on, sing on,' I cried, sweet bird, Sing on, sing on; 'tis a false alarm, We'll pass the forest, arm in arm; Sing on, sing on, sweet mountain-bird, 'Not a living thing shall we meet with here, 'We will drink one cup,-we will both drink there And without forgetting the one whose bliss 3.-INVENTION OF THE CROSS. This is the day appointed by the Romish church to celebrate the invention, that is, the finding of a wooden cross, fancied to be the true cross on which our Lord was crucified, by Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great.-See some interesting information respecting this day in our previous volumes, particularly in T.T. for 1827, pp. 133 et seq. 6,-JOHN EVANGELIST, A. P. L. St. John was banished to the isle of Patmos, and there he remained till the death of Domitian, when he returned into Asia. *7. 1827.-REV. DR. HAWKER DIED. He was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford; and, for the long period of fifty years previously to his decease, he had been Vicar of Charles the Martyr, at Plymouth. As a preacher, Dr. Hawker was exceedingly popular; and, in his occasional visits to the metropolis, he drew such crowded congregations, that the limbs and lives of his auditory were frequently endangered. He was the founder of many charities and was benignant and affectionate to all. Dr. Hawker was the author of several Sermons on the Divinity of Christ, 1792; Evidence of a Plenary Inspiration, 1793; Sermons on the Divinity and Operations of the Holy Ghost, 1794; Specimens of Preaching, 1801; Life and Writings of the Rev. H. Tanner, 1807; Two Letters to a Barrister, 1808; Letter to W. Hale, in Defence of the Female Penitentiary, 1810; the Bible, with a Commentary, 1816; the Poor Man's Commentary on the New Testament, 1816, &c. &c. An Edition of his Works was published by himself in 1805, in 6 vols. 8vo. *7. 1714.-MEMORIAL RESPECTING THE PRETENDER. This Memorial of the Princess Sophia and the Elector of Hanover, among other things, requests that steps should be taken to drive the Pretender from the Court of Lorraine to Italy; but from a subsequent proclamation of Queen Anne, her Majesty's attempt to effect this, appears to have been unsuccessful. These circumstances seem to fix the date of one of the best songs written in the Pretender's favour. A SONG. Bring in the bowl, I'll toast a health To one that has neither land nor wealth: Is over the hills and far awaw: |