August who banished from her Smithfield Stand,* There is nothing Superstitious in the Prognostications of Weather from Achs and Corns: Achs and Corns, says the great Philosopher Bacon, do engrieve, (i. e. afflict) either towards Rain or Frost: The one makes the Humours to abound more, and the other makes them Sharper. Loyd in his Diall of Daies, observes on St. Paul's, that" of this Day, the Husbandmen‡ prog"nosticate called the weeping St. Swithin, for that about his Feast, Præsepe & Aselli, rainy Constellations arise cosmically, and commonly cause Rain. Blount in Verbo * Alluding to the Interdiction of St. Bartholomew Fair. † Goose intentos, as Blount tells us, is a Word used in Lancashire, where the Husbandmen claim it as a Due to have a Goose intentos on the 16th Sunday after Pentecost; which Custom took Origin from the last Word of this old Church Prayer of that Day, "Tua, nos quæsumus, Domine, gratia semper præveniat & sequa"tur; ac bonis operibus jugiter præstet esse intentos." The common People very humourously mistake it for a Goose with ten Toes. Perhaps it will be thought no uninteresting Article in this little Code of Vulgar Antiquities, to mention a well-known Interjection used by the Country People to their Horses, when yoked to a Cart, &c. Heit or Heck! I find this used in the Days of Chaucer: "They "nosticate the whole Year: If it be a fair Day, it "will be a pleasant Year;* if it be Windy, it will "be Wars; if it be Cloudy, it doth foreshew the Plague that Year." Mr. Gay notices it thus in his Trivia: All Superstition from thy Breast repel, Let cred❜lous Boys, and prattling Nurses tell Plenty from lib'ral Horn shall strow the Year: Thus also some rural Prognostications of the Weather are alluded to in his first Pastoral: -We learn'd to read the Skies, To know when Hail will fall, or Winds arise; "They saw a Cart that charged was with Hay, Fre. T. 275. The Name of Brok is still too in frequent Use amongst Farmers' Horses * It is common in the North to plant the Herb House-leek upon the Tops of Cottage Houses. The learned Author of the Vulgar Errors informs us that it was an antient Superstition, and this Herb was planted on the Tops of Houses as a Defensative against Lightning and Thunder. Quincunx, 126. He He taught us erst the Heifer's Tail to view, That pricking Corns foretold the gath'ring Rain; I find an Observation on the 13th of December, in the antient Calendar of the Church of Rome, "That on this Day Prognostications of the Months were drawn for the whole Year."† On the Day of St. Barnabas,‡ and on that of St. Simon, and St. Jude, "that a Tempest often rises.' The Vigil of St. Paul's is called there "Dies Egyp"tiacus." Many superstitious Observations on Days may be found in a curious old Book called Practica Rusticorum. * Prognostications of the Weather, for the Use of those who live in Towns, are given us in the following Words from the abovementioned beautiful didactic Poem Trivia: But when the swinging Signs your Ears offend J On Hosier's Poles depending Stockings ty'd. And sweats with secret Grief: You'll hear the Sounds And dropping Vaults distil unwholsom Dews, E'er the Tiles rattle with the smoaking Show'r, &c. + Decemb. 13. Prognostica Mensium per totum annum. Barnabæ Apost. Tempestas sæpe oritur. A High A Highlander, says Mr. Pennant, never begins any Thing of Consequence on the Day of the Week, on which the Third of May falls, which he calls the dismal Day. CHAP. XIX. Of Candlemass-Day; why so called; the Blasphemy of the Church of Rome in consecrating Wax Candles. THIS Day goes under several Denominations: It is called the Day of CHRIST's Presentation; because on it CHRIST was presented in the Temple; it is called the Holy-Day of St. Simeon; because it was on it, that he took our SAVIOUR up in his Arms: And it is called the Purification, because then the Holy Virgin was purified. It is generally a Day of Festivity, and more than ordinary Observation among Women, and is therefore called the Wives Feast-Day. The Feasting seems to be observed in Honour of the Virgin Mary; for as on the Day of a Woman's being church'd, there is no common Entertainment, so it seems, that this Feasting was begun in the Times of Popery, by Way of Compliment to the Churching-Day of the Virgin Mary. It has the Name of * Candlemass-Day, be cause Nos Anglica, the Purification of our Lady. Vel communi Sermone potius, Candlemas-Day; A distributione & gestatione |