Page 264 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

READING LESSONS. 263
ference,-having all its parts equally distant om a common cen­ tre. F. cercle; L. circulus, an orb, and circus, a plac r exhibi­ tions,- om kirkos, G., of doubtful origin.
PEAK (peek), n., the top of a point or hill, so called om the small­ ness or acuteness of the point. Peak is said to be traceable to pycan, A.S., to pick or peck.
RAM1PART, n., the wall round rti ed places; anything raised like a wall, and serving for protection, de nce, &c. F. re art, om ripa, L., a bank.
GROT1To, n., a place hollowed out-usually r sake of coolne s, I. grotta, om crypta, L., or krppte, G., om krypto, I hide.
M01 'TA1 , n., an enormous protuberance of the earth; a place raised or very elevated. F. montagne, om L. mons, a vast quantity, a mountain.
MONTH, anciently MooNETH, n., the period in which the moon com­ pletes its orbit round the earth;-viz., 29 d. 12 hrs. 44 min.; which period is now called the lunar month (L. luna, the moon), to dis­ tinguish it om the calendar month, which is various in length. A.S., monath, a month. Month is om the G. men, the moon.
DECEM1BER, n., the last month of the year. L. ecember,-dec , ten, because it was the tenth month of the Roman year, which com­ menced with March,-so called by Romulus, in honour of the god fars, and ber, om imber, rain, a shower. Hence the derivation of the three preceding months ;-novem, nine, octo, eight, and sep­ t , seven.
JAN1UARY, n., the rst month of the year. L. nuarius, om Janus, the deity who presided over the beginning of every undertaking. Feb'ruary is omfebruare, L., to expiate, because sacri ces of ex­ piation were made by the Roman people in this month ; A'pril, om aperio, L., I open, in allm-ion to the unbinding or opening in­ uence of spring; and May, from fo, the mother of the god Mercury. June was so named in honour of Junius. Brutus, who in this month expelled the Tarquins; as July, in honour of Julius C ,mr, and August, in honour of A stus C sar.
1. Tms cape, rming the most northerly point of the continent of Europe, may be regarded as one of the sublimest wonders of nature. It is situated within the arctic circle, in seventy-one degrees ten minutes north latitude. A late trave1ler states, that a little be re midnight, its rocks appeared to be nearly of an equal height, u_ntil they terminated in a perpen­ dicular peak; but on a closer view, those within were und to be much higher than those of the extreme peak or point. Their general appearance was highly picturesque. The sea broke against this immoveable
rampart, which had withstood its ry om the re-