The French are well aware, of course, that with the
coming of the spring something affects the fancy of the young men and foolish things are apt to happen : " Quant les feves sont en fleur Les fous sont en vigueur."
But even in Southern France the bean-fields do not flower in early April, and the sad ritual of the "poisson d'avril " can have no connexion with the familiar trouble of the spring. Are we to believe therefore that it is all the fault of Charles IX (a weak monarch, but one who was very nice to Ronsard) in that when staying at the castle of Rousillon he suddenly conceived the idea that the first day of the year should not, as hitherto, be the gay date of April 1st, but the more sombre date of January st? I can well imagine that the French (who have always been sensitive to silliness on the part of their rulers) may have thereafter determined to celebrate this foolishness by acting foolishly. It is just pos- sible that they gave each other faked etrennes upon the first of April, and that this inane custom spread to Scotland and thereafter to England. I suppose that this must be the explanation. Yet there are other unexplored associations ; and in any case the drab depression of practical joking is not a fit manner in which to hail the advent of a new year.
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