ecember, in honour of the
goddess _Angerona_, whence it is also called Angeronalia. On the day of
this festival the pontifices performed sacrifices in the temple of
Voluptia, or the goddess of joy and pleasure, who, some say, was the
same with _Angerona_, and supposed to drive away all the sorrow and
chagrin of life.

The feast of _Laurentinalia_ was held on the 23rd of December, but was
ordered to be observed twice a year by Augustus; by some supposed to be
in honour of the _Lares_, a kind of domestic genii, or divinities,
worshipped in houses, and esteemed the guardians and protectors of
families, supposed to reside in chimney-corners. Others have attributed
this feast in honour of Acca Laurentia, the nurse of Romulus and Remus,
and wife of Faustulus.

P.T.W.

* * * * *

CELTIC ETYMOLOGIES.

(_For the Mirror._)

_Hibernia_.--Ireland is called by the Latin writers, _Hibernia,
Ivernia--Ierne_[1]--and _Verna_--names differing but little in sound,
and all, merely Latinizations of the Irish words _Ibh Eirin_--that is,
the Land of Erie--for _Ibh_, in Irish, signifies a land, or country, and
_Eirin_ is the genitive case of _Eire_, the name of Ireland in the Irish
tongue--from _Ibh Eirin_ the Romans formed Hibernia, &c. the termination
only being Latin--and from _Eire_, by adding _land_, the Saxons formed
_Eireland_ or _Ireland_. This Eire was a very ancient queen who gave her
name to the country, as in modern times _Virginia_ was called after
Queen Elizabeth, _Maryland_ after the queen of Charles I., &c.

[1] Scotorum cumulos flevit glacialis _Ierne_. CLAUDIAN.

_Tory_.--A robber, an outlaw, literally, _one hunted_--a name originally
given to the outlawed Irish chiefs of Ulster, in the reign of James I.,
who after the seizure of their lands, had a price set upon their heads,
and were _hunted_ by the soldiery like wild beasts; hence the name of
_Tories_, meaning the _hunted_ people, for _Toriacht_ in Irish signifies
a pursuit or hunting, and _Torihe_, hunted. In the reign of Charles II.
it began to be used to designate a party in the state favourable to
absolute monarchy; many of these "Tories" having followed the fortunes
of that prince in exile, returned with him, and being his most devoted
partisans when reseated on his throne.

_Admiral_.--This word, which appears to have sadly puzzled the
etymologists, having been derived from the Phoenician, the Coptic, and
half a dozen