of Forglen, in the county of Banff, we read: "Still some charms are secretly used to prevent evil; and some Omens looked to by the older people."

Omens are also noticed by Moulin. "Satan summus fallendi artifex, propensione hominum ad scrutanda futura abutitur ad eos ludificandos: eosque exagitans falsis ominibus et vanis terriculamentis, aut inani spe lactans, multis erroribus implicat. Hujus seductionis species sunt infinitæ et vanitas inexplicabilis, Casum vertens in Præsagia et capiens Auguria de futuris ex Bestiis, Aquis, Oculis, Fumo, Stellis, Fronte, Manibus, Somniis, vibratione Palpebræ, Sortibus, Jactis, &c., ad quæ præsagia homines bardi stupent attoniti: inquisitores futurorum negligentes præsentia.' Petri Molinai Vates, p. 151.

Dr. Hickes, in a letter to Dr. Charlett, Master of University College, Oxford, dated Jan. 23, 171, and preserved in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, mentions "the OMENS that happened at the Coronation of K. James the Second, which," says he," I saw: viz. the tottering of the crown upon his head; the broken canopy over it; and the rent flag hanging upon the White Tower when I came home from the coronation. It was torn by the wind at the same time the signal was given to the Tower that he was crowned. I put no great stress upon these Omens, but I cannot despise them; most of them, I believe, come by chance, but some from superior intellectual agents, especially those which regard the fate of kings and nations." See the Supplement to Seward's Anecdotes, p. 81.

Of this unfortunate Monarch, his brother, Charles the Second, is said to have prophesied as follows, with great success: the King said one day to Sir Richard Bulstrode, "I am weary of travelling, I am resolved to go abroad no more but when I am dead and gone, I know not what my brother will do; I am much afraid when he comes to the throne he will be obliged to travel again." Ibid. p. 51.

Gay, in his fable of the Farmer's Wife and the Raven, ridicules, in the following manner, some of our superstitious Omens : "Why are those tears? why droops your head?

Is then your other husband dead?

Or does a worse disgrace betide? Hath no one since his death applied?

Alas! you know the cause too well. The salt is spilt, to me it fell; Then, to contribute to my loss, My knife and fork were laid across, On Friday too! the day I dread! Would I were safe at home in bed! Last night, (I vow to Heav'n 'tis true,) Bounce from the fire a coffin flew. Next post some fatal news shall tell! God send my Cornish friends be well!

Fell prone; o'erturn'd the pannier lay,
And her mash'd eggs bestrew'd the way.
She, sprawling in the yellow road,
Rail'd, swore, and curst: Thou croaking
toad,

A murrain take thy whoreson throat!
I knew misfortune in the note.

Dame, quoth the raven, spare your
oaths,
Unclench your fist, and wipe your clothes;
But why on me those curses thrown?
Goody, the fault was all your own;
For, had you laid this brittle ware
On Dun, the old sure-footed mare,
Though all the ravens of the hundred
With croaking had your tongue out-thun-
der'd,

Sure-footed Dun had kept her legs,

And you, good woman, sav'd your eggs."

'Nothing is more contrary to good sense than imagining everything we see and hear is a prognostic either of good or evil, except it be the belief that nothing is so.' Secret Memoirs of the late Mr. Duncan Campbell, 8vo. Lond. 1732, p. 60.

Aubrey, in his "Remains of Gentilisme," notices several portents which happened before changes of government in his time. At Sir Thomas Trenchard's, at Lichyat in Dorset, on the first day of the sitting of the parliament, 1641, while the family were at dinner, the

sceptre fell out of the King's hand, in plaister, in the hall. At his Majesty's trial the head of his cane fell off. And before Cromwell's death a great whale came to Greenwich. He notices, also, the tearing of the canopy at

James the Second's coronation, in returning from the Abbey: adding, "'twas of cloth of gold (and my strength I am confident could not have rent it), and it was not a windy day."

CAULS are little membranes found on some children, encompassing the head, when born. This is thought a good omen to the child itself, and the vulgar opinion is, that whoever obtains it by purchase will be fortunate, and escape dangers. An instance of great fortune in one born with this Coif is given by Ælius Lampridius, in his "History of Diadumenus," who came afterwards to the sovereign dignity of the empire. This superstition was very prevalent in the primitive ages of the Church. St. Chrysostom inveighs against it in several of his homilies. He is particularly severe against one Prætus, a clergyman, who, being desirous of being fortunate, bought such a Coif of a midwife. (2)

In France it is proverbial: " être né coiffée" is an expression (3) signifying that a person is extremely fortunate. This Caul, thought medical in diseases, is also esteemed an infallible preservative against drowning: and, under that idea, is frequently advertised for sale in our public papers (*) and purchased by seamen. Midwives used to sell this membrane to advocates, as an especial means of making them eloquent. (5) They sold it also for magical uses. Grose says that a person possessed of a Caul may know the state of health of the party who was born with it: if alive and well,

it is firm and crisp: if dead or sick, relaxed and flaccid. (6)

Sir Thomas Browne thus accounts for this phenomenon. "To speak strictly," he says, "the effect is natural, and thus to be conceived the infant hath three teguments, or membranaceous filmes, which cover it in the womb, i. e. the Corion, Amnios, and Allantois; the Corion is the outward membrane, wherein are implanted the veins, arteries, and umbilical vessels, whereby its nourishment is conveyed; the Allantois, a thin coat seated under the Corion, wherein are received the watery separations conveyed by the Urachus, that the acrimony thereof should not offend the skin: the Amnios is a general investment, containing the sudorous, or thin serosity perspirable through the skin. Now about the time when the infant breaketh these coverings, it sometimes carrieth with it, about the head, a part of the Amnios or nearest coat: which, saith Spigelius, either proceedeth from the toughness of the membrane or weaknesse of the infant that cannot get clear thereof, and therefore herein significations are natural and concluding upon the infant, but not to be extended unto magical signalities, or any other person." (7)

(1) "In Scotland," says Ruddiman in his "Glossary to Douglas's Virgil," v. How, "the women call a haly or sely How (i. e. holy or

fortunate Cap or Hood), a film, or membrane, stretched over the heads of children new born, which is nothing else but a part of that which

covers the fœtus in the womb; and they give out that children so born will be very fortunate."

In the North of England, and in Scotland, a midwife is called a Howdy or Howdy Wife. take Howdy to be a diminutive of How, and to be derived from this almost obsolete opinion of old women. I once heard an etymon of Howdy to the following effect: "How d'ye," -midwives being great gossipers. This is evidently of a piece with Swift's "All Eggs under the Grate."

(2) "Quelques enfans viennent au monde avec une pellicule qui leur couvre le teste, que l'on appelle du nom de Coëffe, et que l'on croit estre une marque de bonheur. Ce qui a donné lieu au proverbe François, selon lequel on dit d'un homme heureux, qu'il est né coeffé. On a vû autrefois des avocats assez simples pour s'imaginer que cette Coeffe pouvoit beaucoup contribuer à les rendre eloquents, pouvoû qu'ils la portassent dans leur

sein.

"Elius Lampridius en parle dans la vie d'Antonin Diadumene, mais se Phylactere estant si disproportionné a l'effet qu'on luy attribue, s'il le produisoit, ce ne pourroit estre que par le Ministere du Demon, qui voudroit bien faire de sa fausse eloquence à ceux qu'il coëffe de la sorte." Traité des Superstitions, &c., 12mo. Par. 1679, tom. i. p. 316.

(3) "Il est né Coiffé.

"Cela se dit d'un homme heureux, à qui tout rif, à qui les biens viennent en dormant, & sans les avoir merités: comme on l'exprima il y a quelque temps dans ce joly Rondeau. "Coiffé d'un froc bien raffiné Et revêtu d'un Doyenné, Qui luy raporte de quoy frire, Frère Rene devient Messire, Et vif comme un determiné Un prelat riche & fortuné Sous un bonnet enluminé En est, si je l'ose ainsi dire Coiffé.

Ce n'est pas que frêre Renè
D'aucun mérite soit orné,

Qu'il soit docte, ou qu'il sache écrire,
Ni qu'il ait tant le mot pour rire,
Mais c'est seulement, qu'il est né
Coiffé.

"Outre les tuniques ordinaires qui envelopent l'Enfant dans le ventre de sa mere, il s'en trouve quelquefois une, qui luy couvre la teste en forme de casque, ou de capuchon, si justement & si fortement, qu'en sortant il ne la peut rompre, & qu'il naist coiffé. Voyes Riolan, du Laurens, et les autres Anatomistes: on croit que les enfans qui naissent de la sorte sont heureux, & la superstition attribue à cette Coiffure d'etranges vertus. Je dis, la superstition & credulité, non pas d'hier, ni d'aujourd'hui, mais dès les temps des derniers Empereurs car Ælius Lampridius, en la vie d'Antonin, surnommé Diadumène, remarque, que cet Empereur, qui nâquit avec une bande, ou peau sur le front, en forme de diademe, & d'ou il prit son nom, jouit d'une perpetuelle felicité durant tout le cours de son regne, & de sa vie et il ajoûte, que les sages femmes vendoient bien cher cette coiffe aux avocats qui croyoient que la portant sur eux, ils acqueroient une force de persuader, à laquelle, les juges & les auditeurs ne pouvoient resister. Les sorciers mesmes, s'en servoient à diverses sortes de malefices, comme il se voit dans les Notes de Balsamon, sur les Conciles; où il reporte divers canons, condamnans ceux qui se servoient de cela, soit à bonne, soit a mauvaise fin. Voyes M. Saumaise, et, sur tout, Casaubon, en leurs Commentaires sur les Ecrivains de l'Histoire Auguste."

(*) I copied the subsequent advertisement from the London "Morning Post," No. 2138, Saturday, Aug. 21st, 1779. "To the Gentlemen of the Navy, and others going long Voyages to Sea. To be disposed of, a CHILD'S CAUL. Enquire at the Bartlet Buildings Coffee House in Holborn. N. B. To avoid unnecessary trouble the price is Twenty Gui

neas.

I read also an advertisement, similar to the above, in the "Daily Advertiser," in July 1790.

In the "Times" Newspaper for February 20, 1813, the following advertisement occurred:

"A Child's Caul to be sold, in the highest perfection. Enquire at No. 2, Church Street, Minories. To prevent trouble, price £12."

And, in the same Newspaper for February 27, 1813, two advertisements of Cauls together.

"CAUL. A Child's Caul to be sold. Enquire at No. 2, Greystoke Place, Fetter Lane."

"To Persons going to Sea. A Child's Caul, in a perfect state, to be sold cheap. Apply at 5, Duke Street, Manchester Square, where it may be seen."

Weston, in his "Moral Aphorisms from the Arabic," 8vo. Lond. 1801, p. xii., gives the following: "The Caul that enfolds the birth is the powerful guardian, like the sealring of a monarch, for the attainment of the arch of heaven, where, in the car of a bright luminary, it is crowned and revolved." As a note, he says, "The superstition of the Caul comes from the East; there are several words in Arabic for it. It is not out of date with us among the people, and we often see 25 and 30 guineas advertised for one.'

(5) Lampridius, speaking of Diadumenus, says: "Solent deinde pueri pileo insigniri naturali, quod obstetrices rapiunt et advocatis credulis vendunt, siquidem causidici hoc juvari dicuntur: at iste puer pileum non habuit, sed diadema tenue, sed ita forte ut rumpi non potuerit, venis intercedentibus specii nervi sagittarii."

Mr. Douce observes on this: "One is immediately struck with the affinity of the judge's coif (a) to this practice of antiquity. To strengthen this opinion it may be added, that, if ancient lawyers availed themselves of this popular superstition, or fell into it themselves if they gave great sums to win these Cauls, is it not very natural to suppose that they would feel themselves inclined to wear them?"

Sir Thomas Browne says, "thus we read in the Life of Antonius,' by Spartianus, that children are sometimes born with this natural cap, which midwives were wont to sell to credulous lawyers, who held an opinion that it contributed to their promotion.'

In the "Athenian Oracle," vol. iii. p. 84,

(a) Dugdale, in his "Origines Judiciales," p. 112, says: "In token or signe that all justices are thus graduate (i. e. serjeants at law), every of them always, whilst he sitteth in the King's Court, weareth a white coif of silk, which is the principal and chief insignment of habit, wherewith serjeants at law in their creation are decked; and neither the justice, nor yet the serjeant, shall ever put off the quoif, no not in the King's presence, though he be in talk with his Majesties Highness."

we read: "Some would persuade us that such as are born with Cauls about their heads are not subject to the miseries and calamities of humanity, as other persons-are to expect all good fortune, even so far as to become invulnerable, provided they be always careful to carry it about them. Nay, if it should by chance be lost, or surreptitiously taken away, the benefit of it would be transferred to the party that found it."

In Digby's "Elvira," act v., Don Zancho says:

"Were we not born with Cauls upon our heads?

Think'st thou, chicken, to come off twice

arow

Thus rarely from such dangerous adventures?"

In Jonson's "Alchymist," Face says:
"Yes and that

Yo' were born with a Cawl o' your head."

Melton, in his "Astrologaster," p. 45, men. tions this superstition: "22. That if a child be borne with a Cawle on his head he shall be very fortunate."

See also upon this subject Le Brun in his "Superstitions Anciennes & Modernes."

(6) "Guianerius, cap. xxxvi. de Ægritud. Matr. speakes of a silly jealous fellowe, that seeing his child newborne included in a Kell, thought sure a Franciscan that used to come to his house was the father of it, it was so like a frier's Cowle, and thereupon threatened the frier to kill him." Burton's "Anat. of Melancholy," 4to. Oxf. 1621, p. 688.

(7) So Levinus Lemnius, in his "Occult Miracles of Nature," tells us, lib. ii. cap. 8, that if this Caul be of a blackish colour it is an omen of ill fortune to the child, but if of a reddish one it betokens every thing that is good. He observes "There is an old opinion, not only prevalent amongst the common and ignorant people, but also amongst men of great note, and physicians also, how that children born with a Caul over their faces are born with an omen, or sign of good or bad luck : when as they know not that this is common to all, and that the child in the womb was defended by three membranes." Translat. fol. Lond. 1658, p. 105.

English

I am of opinion that the vulgar saying, "Oh, you are a lucky man; you were wrapped up in a part of your mother's smock," originated in this superstition. In the "Athenian Oracle," vol. iii. p. 84, speaking of this Cawl, the authors say: "We believe no such correspondences betwixt the actions of human life and that shirt."

In a very rare work in my possession, entitled "Mount Tabor, or Private Exercises of a Penitent Sinner," published in 1639, in the 75th year of the author (R. Willis, Esqr'.) (b) age, 12mo., he tells us, p. 89, "Ther was one special remarkable thing concerning myself, who being my parents' first son, but their second child (they having a daughter before me), when I came into the world, my head, face, and foreparts of the body were all covered over with a thin kell or skin, wrought like an artificial veile; as also my eldest sonne, being likewise my second childe, was borne with the like extraordinary covering our midwives and gossips holding such children as come so veiled into the world, to be very fortunate (as they call it), there being not one childe amongst many hundreds that are so borne; and this to fall

(b) R. Willis, Esq., appears, by his own account of himself, to have been successively "Secretary to the Lord Brooke, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and after that, to my much honoured Lord the Earl of Middlesex, and lastly to the most worthy my most noble Lord, the Lord Coventry, Lord Keeper of the Great Seale, in whose service I expect to end my dayes." p. 98.

He

out in the same manner both to the father and the sonne being much more rare," &c. goes on to make religious reflections thereupon, which are foreign to our present purpose. He entitles this chapter, "Concerning an extraordinary Veile which covered my Body at my comming into the World." This book is cited in Steevens's Shakspeare, vol. ii. p. 137.

In "Advice to a Painter," a poem, printed for J. Davis, 1681, 4to. (no place), is the following passage, canto ii. p. 2:

"barking bear-ward— Whom pray'e dont forget to paint with's

staff,

Just at this green bear's tail,

Watching (as carefull neat-herds do their kine)

Lest she should eat her nauseous secundine. Then draw a hawthorn bush, and let him place

The heam upon't with faith that the next

race

May females prove"

with this explanation at p. 13: "This alludes to a little piece of superstition which the country people use, carefully attending their calving cows, lest they should eat their after burthen, which they commonly throw upon a hawthorn bush, with stedfast belief that they shall have a cow-calf the next year after." Heam is explained to mean "the same in beasts as the secundine or skin that the young is wrapped in."

SNEEZING has been held ominous from times of the most remote antiquity. (1) Eustathius upon Homer has long ago observed, that sneezing to the left was unlucky, but prosperous to the right.

Aristotle has a problem, "Why sneezing from noon to midnight was good, but from night to noon unlucky."

St. Austin tells us that "the ancients were wont to go to bed again, if they sneezed while they put on their shoe."

The Rabbinical account of Sneezing is very singular. It is, that "Sneezing was a mortal sign even from the first man, until it was taken off by the special supplication of Jacob. From whence, as a thankful acknowledgment, this salutation first began, and was after continued by the expression of Tobim Chaiim, or vita bona, by standers by, upon all occasions of sneezing." (*)

The custom of blessing persons when they sneeze has without doubt been derived to the