MR. HORNE TOOKE observes, "that in many of the Asiatic languages, and in all the Northern languages of this part of the globe, and particularly in our mother language, the Anglo-Saxon (from which Sun and Moon are immediately derived to us) Sun is feminine, and Moon is masculine; and so feminine is the Sun, (that fair hot wench in flame-coloured taffata,' 1st part of Henry IVth,) that our Northern mythology makes her the wife of TUISCO." As the Idol of the Sun has not any peculiar characteristic to ascertain whether it was designed for a male or a female; the observation (taken from VERSTEGAN) that "it was made, as here appeareth, like half a naked man,” may have arisen from a mistake similar to that which Mr. TOOKE assigns to our English poets, Shakspeare, Milton, &c.;. who, he proceeds to state, reversed the genders of the Sun and Moon, "by a familiar prosopopeia, because from their classical reading they adopted the Southern not the Northern Mythology, and followed the pattern of their Greek and Roman masters." But if there be room to suppose, that an error has been committed, as respects the gender of the idol of the Sun, there seems still greater cause to consider that a similar mistake has occurred in the ideal sex of the Moon. The figure under which the latter idol is depicted, certainly bears more semblance to a male than a female; and the remark that, "the form of this idoll seemeth very strange, for being made for a woman, shee hath a

short coat like a man," undoubtedly affords some confirmation that Mr. ToOKE has the better side of the argument; particularly as "in the Gothic, Anglo-Saxon, German, Dutch, Danish, and Swedish languages, all of which it is contended were originally from the same root, it is incontrovertible that Sun is feminine and Moon masculine," in the Northern mythology; although they are of reputed contrary genders in that of the South. By the former, the Sun is made the wife of TUIsco, the idol that gave name to Tuesday; by the latter, the Sun is made the husband of the Moon, and as such, received, in the sovereignty of ANTONINUS, the rich marriage portion of his spouse worshipped by the Africans as ASTARTE, when a general festival was held in honour of the union, at Rome, and throughout the Empire.

By the Romans, who, as well as the Saxons, dedicated this day to the Moon, it was called DIES LUNA, feria secunda; and antíently, on the first day in every lunar month, festivals were held by our forefathers in commemoration of the benefits bestowed during the former Moon, and in gratitude for the return of that luminary.

This secondary planet, and the earth, are reciprocally moons to each other, though when the former presents to us what is called a new moon, we are at full to that orb. The distance at which we are separated is 240,000 miles, a space, vast as it is, yet insignificantly small, when compared with

that between our globe and the Sun. The worship that has been paid to the Moon as a Deity, originated from the causes ascribed to that of the Sun; but in Europe, all direct adoration of those orbs has long since been exploded, although traces of its having been once prevalent yet remain. In some parts of England it is customary to bless the New Moon, while in Scotland they not only do so, but usually drop a courtsey at the same time. Formerly the influence of the Moon, was considered so very extraordinary, that few persons would kill their hogs but when the planet was on the increase: nor would any one scarcely dare to cut the corns on his feet, or to pare his nails, at any other period. It was the Moon that regulated the growing of the hair,-, the fulness of shell-fish,-the effects of medicines:: and it was that planet which caused steeples and pyramids to incline from their perpendicular!

Tuesday,

the third day of the week, was called by the Romans Dies Martis, feria tertia, from its having been dedicated to MARS. JOHNSON derives its name from Tuesdag, Saxon, and that from Tuv, the Saxon for MARS; but he is not supported in the latter etymology by any other authority than SKINNER: and the figure of the idol is not warlike. Some think MERCURY to have been im

plied by Tuisco, from the strong analogy there is between the alleged attributes of the Saxon deity, and the Roman MERCURIUS, who presided over highways and travellers. VERSTEGAN states: "the next unto the Idols of the two most apparent planets was the Idol of Tuysco, the most antient and peculiar god of all the Germans, in his garment of skin, according to the most antient manner of the Germans' clothing."

And it appears by that author, that Tuysco, or Tuyscon, was "the father and conductor of the Germans, who, after his name, even unto this day, doe in their owne tongue call themselves Tuytsh, and their country of Germany Tuytshland; and the Netherlanders using herein the for the T, doe make it Duytsh, and Duytshland, both which appellations of the people and country I do here write right, according as we in our English orthography would write them after their pronunciation.”

The general etymology is TUESDAY, TUISDAY, TUSDAG, TUES-DÆG, TIWIS-DAG, Teutonic, D1ENSTAG, DIENSDAG, Bel. WORMIUS, MARSHALL, and SAMMES, labour to shew that VERSTEGAN is wrong; and they allege that THISA OF DESA was the wife of THOR, the goddess of justice, and that from her the day took its name. If these great authorities be correct, the antient representations of Tuesday must be extremely erroneous: And it is to be remembered that Tuisca is, by the Northern mythology, made the husband of their female sun; while, in further proof of the idol of Tuesday having been a male, the third day of the week is called in High Dutch Erech-stag, from the words Heric, or Harec, a warrior.

Upon the whole, VERSTEGAN appears to have the better claim to correctness; though of so great uncertainty are all such researches, that other much esteemed authors assign this day to the worship of another male idol named Tyr, not indeed of such reputed power as Tuysco, but highly venerated by the antient Northern