in his "Characters of Vertues and Vices," speaking of the superstitious man, observes that "He will never set to sea but on a Sunday."

Sailors have various puerile apprehensions of its being ominous to whistle on shipboard, to carry a Corpse in their vessel, &c.

I find the following in "A Helpe to Memory and Discourse," 12mo. Lond. 1630, p. 56: "Q. Whether doth a dead Body in a shippe cause the shippe to sayle slower, and if it doe, what is thought to be the reason thereof?-A. The shippe is as insensible of the living as of the dead; and as the living make it goe the faster, so the dead make it not goe the slower, for the dead are no Rhemoras to alter the course of her passage, though some there be that thinke so, and that by a kind of mournful sympathy." (*)

The common sailors account it very unlucky to lose a Water-Bucket or a Mop. To throw a Cat over-board, or drown one at sea, is the same. Children are deemed lucky to a ship. Whistling at sea is supposed to cause increase of wind, and is therefore much disliked by Seamen, though sometimes they themselves practise it when there is a dead calm.

Pennant says, in his "Zoology," vol. iii. p. 67, that the appearance of the DOLPHIN and the PORPESSE are far from being

esteemed favourable Omens by the Seamen, for their boundings, springs, and frolics in the water are held to be sure signs of an approaching gale."

Willsford, in his "Nature's Secrets," p. 135, tells us: "Porpaises, or Sea-Hogs, when observed to sport and chase one another about ships, expect then some stormy weather. (3)

"Dolphins, in fair and calm weather, persuing one another as one of their waterish pastimes, foreshews wind, and from that part whence they fetch their frisks; but if they play thus when the seas are rough and troubled, it is a sign of fair and calm weather to

ensue.

"CUTTLES, with their many legs, swimming on the top of the water, and striving to be above the waves, do presage a storm.

"SEA-URCHINS thrusting themselves into the mud, or striving to cover their bodies with sand, foreshews a storm.

"COCKLES, and most Shell-Fish, are observed against a tempest to have gravel sticking hard unto their shells, as a providence of Nature to stay or poise themselves, and to help weigh them down, if raised from the bottome by surges.

"Fishes in general, both in salt and fresh waters, are observed to sport most, and bite more eagerly, against rain than at any other time."

Flashes, Shadows, Echoes, and other visible appearances, nightly seen and heard upon the surface of the water."

66

Andrews, in his "Anecdotes," p. 331, says, 'Superstition and Profaneness, those extremes of human conduct, are too often found united in the Sailor; and the man who dreads the stormy effects of drowning a Cat, or of whistling a Country-dance while he leans over the gunwale, will, too often, wantonly defy his Creator by the most daring execrations and the most licentious behaviour." He softens, however, the severity of this charge by owning" that most assuredly he is thoughtless of the faults he commits."

(2) "Our sailors," says Dr. Pegge (under the signature of T. Row), in the "Gent. Mag." for January, 1763, vol. xxxiii. p. 14, "I am told, at this very day, I mean the vulgar sort of them, have a strange opinion of the Devil's power and agency in stirring up winds, and that is the reason they so seldom whistle on ship-board, esteeming that to be a mocking, and consequently an enraging, of the Devil. And it appears now that even Zoroaster himself imagined there was an Evil Spirit called Vato, that could excite violent storms of wind."

Sir Thomas Browne has the following sin

gular passage: "That a King-fisher, hanged by the bill, showeth us what quarter the wind is, by an occult and secret propriety, converting the breast to that point of the horizon from whence the wind doth blow, is a received opinion and very strange-introducing natural weathercocks, and extending magnetical positions as far as animal natures: a conceit supported chiefly by present practice, yet not made out by reason or experience."

(3) In "Canterbury Guests, or a Bargain Broken," a comedy, by Ravenscroft, 4to. p. 24, we read: "My heart begins to leap, and play like a Porpice before a Storm."

THE learned Moresin, in his "Papatus," reckons among Omens the Hornedness of the MOON, the Shooting of the STARS, and the Cloudy Rising of the SUN." (1)

Shakspeare, in his "Richard II.," act ii. sc. 4, tells us:

"Meteors fright the fixed Stars of heaven;

The pale-fac'd Moon looks bloody on the earth,

And lean-look'd prophets whisper fearful change:

These signs forerun the death or fall of kings."

In "A Defensative against the Poyson of supposed Prophecies, by the Earl of Northampton," 4to. Lond. 1583, signat. V 4, we read, "When dyvers, uppon greater scrupulosity than cause, went about to disswade her Majestye, (Queen Elizabeth,) lying then at Richmonde, from looking on the COMET which appeared last; with a courage aunswerable to the greatnesse of her state, shee caused the windowe to be sette open, and cast out thys worde, jacta est alea, the dyce are throwne, affirming that her stedfast hope and confidence was too firmly planted in the providence of God to be blasted or affrighted with those beames, which either had a ground in nature whereuppon to rise, or at least no warrant out of scripture to portend the mis

VOL. III.

happes of princes." He adds, "I can affirm thus much, as a present witnesse, by mine owne experience."

There is nothing superstitious in prognostications of weather from ACHES and CORNS. "Aches and Corns," says Lord Verulam, 66 do engrieve (afflict) either towards rain or frost; the one makes the humours to abound more, and the other makes them sharper." Thus also Butler, in his "Hudibras,” p. iii. c. ii. 1. 405:

"As old sinners have all points

O' th' compass in their bones and joints,
Can by their pangs and aches find
All turns and changes of the wind,
And, better than by Napier's bones,
Feel in their own the of moons."
age

dews,

Ere the tiles rattle with the smoking show'r," &c.

In "The Husbandman's Practice, or Prognostication for Ever," 8vo. Lond. 1664, p. 137, I find the following Omens of RAIN :

"DUCKS and DRAKES shaking and fluttering their wings when they rise-young HORSES rubbing their backs against the ground SHEEP bleating, playing, or skipping wantonly-SWINE being seen to carry bottles of hay or straw to any place and hide them (4)

OXEN licking themselves against the hair (5) -the sparkling of a LAMP or CANDLE-the falling of Soor down a chimney more than ordinary-FROGS croaking-SWALLOWS flying low," &c. &c. (6)

Coles, in his "Introduction to the Knowledge of Plants," p. 38, says, "If the down flyeth off COLT'S-FOOT, DANDELYON, and THISTLES, when there is no winde, it is a signe of rain."

On THUNDER-SUPERSTITIONS our testimonies are as numerous as those of Rain.

Leonard Digges, gentleman, in his rare work entitled "A Prognostication Euerlasting of ryght good Effecte," &c. 4to. Lond. 1556, fol. 6 b, tells us, "Thunders in the morning signifie wynde; about noone, rayne; in the evening, great tempest. Somme wryte (their ground I see not) that Sondayes thundre shoulde brynge the death of learned men, judges, and others; Mondaye's thundre, the death of women; Tuesdaye's thundre, plentie of graine; Wednesday's thundre, the deathe of harlottes, and other blodshede; Thursday's thundre, plentie of shepe and corne; Fridaie's thundre, the slaughter of a great man, and other horrible murders; Saturdaye's thundre, a generall pestilent plague and great deathe."(7)

In Lloyd's "Stratagems of Jerusalem," 4to. 1602, p. 286, we read: "The Thracians, when it thunders, take their bowes and arrowes, and shoote up to the cloudes against the Thunder, imagining by their shooting to drive the Thunders away. Cabrias, the generall of Athens, being ready to strike a battell on sea, it suddenly lightened, which so terrified the soldiers that they were unwilling to fight, untill Cabrias said that now the time is to fight, when Jupiter himselfe, with his lightening, doth shewe a signe that he is ready before us. go So Epaminondas, at his going to battell it suddenly lightened that it so amazed his souldiers that Epaminondas comforted them and saide, Lumen hoc numina ostendunt,'-by these Lightenings the Gods shew us that we shall have victories."

to

Ibid. p. 287: "In Rome, the dictator, the consul, the prætor, and other magistrates, were to be removed from their offices, if the soothsayer sawe any occasion by Lightning, Thundering, by removing of Starres, by flying of Fowles, by intrailes of Beasts, by eclipse of the Sun and Moon."

Ibid. p. 288, we read: "Pau. Æmilius, consul and generall of the Romanes in Macedonia, at what time he sacrific'd unto the gods in the city of Amphipolis, it lightned, whereby he was perswaded it pretended the overthrow of the kingdom of Macedonia, and his great victory and tryumph of the same at Rome." Willsford, in his "Nature's Secrets," p. 113, says: "Thunder and Lightning in winter in hot countryes is usual, and hath the

4to. Lond. 1583, signat. T 2 b, tells us, "It chaunceth sometimes to thunder about that time and season of the yeare when swannes hatch their young; and yet no doubt it is a paradox of simple men to thinke that a swanne cannot hatch without a cracke of Thunder." (8)

From the following simile given by Bodenham, in his " Belvedere, or the Garden of the Muses," p. 153, it should seem that our ancestors held somehow or other the HEDGEHOG to be a prognosticator of the Weather. Edit. 8vo. Lond. 1600:

"As hedge-hogs doe fore-see ensuing Stormes, So wise men are for fortune still prepared."

tains, ships, forests, and a thousand other fine things in the air.”

(2) In "The British Apollo," fol. Lond. 1708, vol. i. No. 51, is said,

"A learned case I now propound,
Pray give an answer as profound;
'Tis why a Cow, about half an hour
Before there comes a hasty shower,

Does clap her tail against the hedge?"

In "Tottenham Court," a comedy, 4to. Lond. 1638, p. 21, we read, "I am sure I have foretold weather from the turning up of my cowe's tayle."

(3) The following simile is found in Bishop Hall's "Virgidemiarum," 12mo. 1598, p. 85: "So lookes he like a marble toward Rayne."

(*) I find the following in "The Curiosities, or the Cabinet of Nature," 12mo. Lond. 1637, p. 262: "Qu. Why is a storme said to followe presently, when a company of hogges runne crying home? An. Some say that a hog is most dull and of a melancholy nature; and so by reason doth foresee the raine that cometh; and in time of raine indeed I have observed that most cattell doe pricke up their eares as for example an asse will, when he perceiveth a storme of raine or hail doth follow."

(5) See before, p. 107. In Dekker's "Match me in London," act iv., we read,

"Beasts licking 'gainst the hayre Foreshew some storme, and I fore-see some snare."

(*) Thus also in Smart's “ Hop-Garden,” b. ii. 1. 105, p. 127:

"And oft, alas! the long-experienc'd wights (Oh! could they too prevent them!) storms foresee,

For as the storm rides on the rising clouds, Fly the fleet Wild-geese far away, or else The Heifer toward the zenith rears

head,

her

And with expanded nostrils snuffs the air: The Swallows too their airy circuits weave, And, screaming, skim the brook; and fenbred Frogs

Forth from their hoarse throats their old grutch recite;

Or from her earthly coverlets the Ant Heaves her huge legs along the narrow

way;

Or bends Thaumantia's variegated bow Athwart the cope of heav'n; or sable Crow's Obstreperous of wing, in crowds combine." "Next hark

How the curst Raven with her harmless voice

Invokes the rain, and croaking to herself,
Struts on some spacious solitary shore.
Nor want thy servants and thy wife at
home

Signs to presage the show'r; for in the hall
Sheds Niobe her precious tears, and warns
Beneath thy leaden tubes to fix the vase,
And catch the falling dew-drops, which
supply

Soft water and salubrious, far the best

To soak thy hops and brew thy generous beer."

(7) Among "Extraordinarie Tokens for the Knowledge of Weather," he adds: “Some have observed evil weather to folow when watry Foules leave the sea, desiring lande; the Foules of the lande flying hyghe; the crying of Fowles about waters, making a great noyse with their wynges; also the sees swellyng with uncustomed waves; if Beastes eate gredely; if they lycke their hooves; if they sodaynlye

move here and there, makyng a noyse, brethyng up to the ayre with open nostrels, Rayne foloweth. Also the busy heving of Moules; the appering, or coming out of Wormes; Hennes resorting to the perche or reste, covered with dust, declare Rayne. The ample working of the Spinnar in the ayre; the Ant busied with her egges; the Bees in fayre weather not farre wandryng; the continuall pratyng of the Crowe, chiefly twyse or thryse quycke calling, shew Tempest. Whan the Crowe or Raven gapeth against the sunne, in summer, Heate foloweth. If they busy themselfes in proyning or washyng, and that in wynter, loke for Raine. The uncustomed noise of Pultry, the noise of Swine, of Pecokes, declare the same. The Swalowe flying and beating the water, the chirping of the Sparow in the morning, signifie Rayne. Raine sodainly dried up; woody coveringes strayter than of custome; Belles harde further then commonly; the wallowyng of Dogges; the alteration of the Cocke crowing; all declare rainy weather. I leave these, wanting the good grounde of the rest. If the learned be desyrefull of the to forsayd, let them reade grave Virgil, primo Georgicorum, At Bor, &c."

(8) In Sir John Sinclair's "Statistical Account of Scotland," vol. x. 8vo. Edinb. 1794, p. 14, parish of Wick, co. of Caithness, the minister, speaking of the Swans which periodically visit the lakes there, says: "They are remarkable prognosticators of the weather, and much relied on as such by the farmer."

In the "Cambrian Register," 8vo. 1796, p. 430, we read: "It cannot be denied that the Welsh have much superstition amongst them, though it is wearing off very fast. But the instance adduced here, (by The Gleaner,') that of their predicting a Storm by the roaring of the sea, is a curious kind of proof of their superstition. Their predictions, if they may be so called, are commonly justified by the event; and may, I apprehend, be accounted for from causes as natural as the forebodings of shepherds; for which they have rules and data as well known to themselves, and, perhaps, as little liable to error, as any of those established by the more enlightened philosophers of the present day."