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Purification from Sin by Squeezing. Multitudes of pilgrims annually visit Malabar Point, near Bombay, for the sole purpose of squeezing themselves through a narrow cleft in the rock, apparently not wide enough to receive the body of a child, as a sure way of squeezing out their sins!-Graham's Journal.

The Jaculator Fish of Java.-An account is given, in the last number of the Edinburgh Journal, of these extraordinary animals, by a gentleman who found them in the possession of a Javanese chief. The fish were placed in a small circular pond, from the centre of which projected a pole upwards of two feet in height. At the top of this pole were inserted small pieces of wood, sharp-pointed, on each of which were placed

insects of the beetle tribe. When all had become tranquil after the placing of the beetles by the slaves, the fish came out of their holes, and swam round about the pond. One of them came to the surface of the water, rested there, and, after steadily fixing his eyes for some time on an insect, it discharged from its mouth a small quantity of watery fluid, with such force and precision of aim, as to force it off the twig into the water, and in an instant swallowed it. After this, another fish came, and performed a similar feat, and was followed by the others, till they had seized all the insects. He observed, that if a fish failed in bringing down its prey at the first shot, it swam round the pond till it came opposite the same object, and fired again. In one instance, he remarked one of

the animals return three times to the attack before it secured its prey; but, in general, they seemed to be very expert gunners, bringing down their prey at the first discharge. This fish, in a state of nature, frequents the shores and sides of the sea and rivers, in search of food. When it spies a fly settling on the plants that grow in shallow water, it swims on to the distance of from five or six feet from them; and then, with surprising dexterity, it ejects out of its tubular mouth a single drop of water, which never fails to strike the fly into the sea, where it soon becomes its prey.

A Periodical Editor.-To know that our hour for toil is come, and that we are weak and unprepared to feel that depression or lassitude is weighing us down when we must feign lightness and mirth; or to mock our secret griefs with show of others not akin, must be the fate of him who labours in such a work. This is not all. When our work is done, and well done, the excitement which the employment had given us is gone, the spirits sink down, and there is a dreadful void in the mind. We feel as powerless as infancy till pushed to the exertion of our powers again; even great success has its terrors. We fear that we shall never do so well again; and know how churlishly the

world receives from us that which will not bear a comparison with what we have given them before. Yet these sufferings have their rewards. To bear up against ill health by a sudden and strong effort, to shake off low spirits, and drive away the mists which lie thick and heavy upon the mind, gives a new state of being to the soul cheerful as the light. To sit at home in our easy chair and send our gay thoughts abroad, as it were, on wings to thousands-to imagine them laughing over the odd fancies and drolleries which had made us vain and happy in secret, multiplies and spreads our sympathies quietly and happily through the world. In this way, too, we can pour out before the world thoughts which had never been laid open even to a

friend, and make it feel our melancholy, and bear our griefs, while we still sit in the secret of our souls. The heart tells its story abroad, yet loses not its delicacy; it lays itself bare, but is still sensitive.-American Common Place Book.

Writing down a Face.-" I once," says a late traveller in Italy, "asked a Neapolitan fisherman to sit for me to paint him. He did not in the least understand the nature of my proposition; but after some difficulties on his side, and many assurances on mine that I would not hurt him, he consented, and followed me. When I had finished, his astonishment at beholding his portrait was amusing; and, descending with me to the street, I heard him exclaim to his comrades, that Signore has written down my face.' So high is their idea of writing, that they can imagine no superior or more lofty name, for what appears to them a similar sort of conjuration."

Vehicular State-When the lamp of life is extinguished, the immortal part, enclosed in an invisible integument, escapes to its aërial habitation. Here communication with one another is conducted either by forming characters on the exterior of the vehicles, or sending out small particles of the fluids, which surround them, or by a thousand methods we have no conception of; and can transport themselves from place to place after the manner of a ship. The vehicles having been in the body for a longer or shorter time, are stamped with the character of the person to whom they may have belonged. Thus we unknowingly fit ourselves for immortality. To this opinion, I have a great predilection on account of the numbers that pass without any preparation, which proves the soul to be formed previous to the body. When a vehicle arrives, the oldest inhabitants instruct the soul in its new duties.-Tucker.

Royal African Titles.-The Sultan of Durfoor is styled the "Buffalo;" "the offspring of a Buffalo;" "the Bull of Bulls;" "the Elephant of superior strength!!!"Bulletin des Sciences Geog.

INVENTION OF THE MARINER'S COMPASS.

THE invention of the Mariner's Compass is generally attributed to Flavio Gioja, an ingenious Italian mathematician. He was born at Pasitano, near Amalfi, in the kingdom of Naples, about the year 1300. He is said to have first discovered the directive power of the magnet, and to have applied it to the purposes of navigation, under the form of a compass, though in a rude and imperfect state. And to show this instrument to have been the invention of a subject of the king of Naples, who at that time was a junior branch of the royal family of France, he marked the North point with a Fleur-de-lis. As a memorial of this discovery, the territory of Principato, in which Gioja was born, bears a compass for its arms. Some authors, it is true, ascribe the invention to the Chinese; and Gilbert, in his book de Magnete, affirms that Marco Paolo, a Venetian, making a journey to China, brought back the invention with him, in 1260. What strengthens this conjecture is, that at first they used the compass in the same manner as the Chinese still do, viz. letting it float on a small piece of cork, instead of suspending it on a pivot. It is added, that their Emperor Chiningus, a celebrated astrologer, had a knowledge of it 1120 years before Christ. But Ludi Vertomanus affirms, that when he was in the East Indies, about the year 1500, he saw a pilot of a ship direct his course by a compass, fastened and framed as those now commonly used. And Barlow, in his book called the Navigator's Supply, anno 1597, says, that in a personal conference with two East Indians, they affirmed, that instead of our compass, they use a magnetical needle of six inches, and longer, upon a pin in a dish of white earth filled with water; in the bottom of which they have two cross lines for the four principal winds, the rest of the divisions being left to the skill of their pilots. Also in the same book, he says that the Portuguese, in their first discovery of the East Indies, got a pilot of Mahinde, who brought them from thence in thirty-three days, within sight of Calicut. But Fanchette relates some verses of Guyot de Provence, who lived in France, about the year 1200, which seems to make mention of the compass under the name of marinette, or mariner's stone; which shows it was used in France near one hundred years before either the Malphite or Venetian one. The French even lay claim to the invention, from the Fleur-de-lis with which most people distinguish the north point of the card. With as much reason Dr. Wallis ascribes it to the English, from its name compass, by which name most nations call it, and which, he observes, is used in many parts of England to VOL. I.

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signify a circle. But the greatest number of competent inquirers have concurred in attributing this invaluable discovery to Gioja.

POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS.* CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

FROM the long array of lexicographical works, placed at the foot of this page, it must not be imagined, that we are about to enter into an elaborate, and necessarily dry and tedious analysis of the etymological portion of their contents; valuable as such an analysis would in some respects unquestionably be. Etymological researches, have, indeed, been too much neglected; and this has chiefly hap pened, from the prevalent but erroneous idea: of the uncertainty which must ever attend them. To the authors of the works of this description before us, we are indebted for many important facts, adapted for supplying

1-The Perennial Calendar and Companion to the Almanac, illustrating the events of every day in the year, as connected with History, Chronology, Botany, Natural History, Astronomy, Popular Customs and Antiquities, with useful rules of Health; Observations on the Weather; Expla nations of the Fasts and Festivals of the Church, and other miscellaneous useful Information, compiled from Scientific Authorities, as well as from the Manuscripts of several distinguished persons, and revised and edited by T. Forster, M. B., F. L. S, M. A. S., M. M. R, &c. of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

2-Ancient Mysteries described, especially the English Miracle Plays, founded on Apocryphal New Testament Story, extant among the unpublished manuscripts in the British Museum; including Notices of Ecclesiastical Shows; the Festivals of Fools and Asses; the English Boy Bishop; the Descent into Hell; the Lord Mayor's Show; the Guildhall Giants; Christmas Carols, &c. By William Houe.

3.-Supplement to the Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language, illustrating the words, in their different significations, by examples from Ancient and Modern Writers: showing their affinity to those of other Languages, and especially the Northeru; explaining many terms, which though now obsolete in England, were formerly common to both countries; and elucidating National Rites, Customs, and Institutions, in their analogy to those of other nations. By Jolin Jamieson, D. D. Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, &c. &c

4.-A Glossary of North Country Words in use; from an original manuscript, in the library of John George Lambton, Esq. M. P. with cousiderable additions. By John Trotter Brockett, F. S. A London and Newcastle.

5-Hora Momeuta Cravena, or the Craven Dialect, exemplified in two Dialogues between Farmer Giles and his neighbour Bridget; to which is annexed a copious Glossary By a native of Craven.

6. Observations on some of the Dialects of the West of England, particularly Somersetshire, with a Glossary of words now in use there: and Poems James Jennings, Honorary Secretary of the Metroand other pieces, exemplifying the dialect. By politan Literary Institution, London.

a chasm, which has existed in the history of many literary and Archaiological points. Let us take for example the Dictionary of the Scottish Language of Dr. Jamieson. Without such a key, many ancient British MSS. are totally useless, and many of the old Acts of Parliament, of the works written at an important period of British History, and which record the valiant deeds-delineate the manners, or exhibit the religious zeal of the periods of their production, would excite but little interest in our time, because they would be in a great measure unintelligible.

In such a work, too, many ancient customs, popular superstitions, &c., otherwise unknown or involved in obscurity, are explained and illustrated, under the words which refer to them; and, as the knowledge of ancient manners removes the obscurity of language, reciprocally ancient language often affords the best elucidation of manners. Thus the lexicographer, “that harmless drudge," as Johnson, himself one of the craft, has designated him, "that busies himself in tracing the original, and detailing the signification of words," is of necessity an historian-and Etymology becomes History.

If we inquire into the character of the various provincial dialects existing in Great Britain, we must be struck with the important illustrations which the history of our language is capable of receiving from them. These provincial or local words may be considered as constituting three great divisions; the first, comprising the words, Saxon, Danish, &c. which may have become obsolete, partly, from the introduction, from time to time, of terms considered more fashionable-partly from disuse, and which are consequently retained, only, or chiefly, in counties remote from the capital, where modern refinements do not easily find their way, or are not readily adopted-instances of these we have in the northern words-ar (Dan. ar) a mark or scar--stith (Sax.) strong, hard.-Smiddy, or Smithy, (Sax. smiththa) a blacksmith's shop.-Prin (Dan. preen) a pin, &c. &c.

Under such circumstances, the authors of the provincial Glossaries before us, are entitled to the thanks of all, but especially of the philologist and the antiquary, for preserving many ancient and emphatic terms, in danger of total extermination.

Let us take as an example of variation from the correct English, the specimen, as given in the preface of the Hora momenta Cravenc, and we will venture to assert, that without the aid of a glossary, it would be unintelligible to all, except to a native of the West Riding, or of some part of Yorkshire; the mere inversions of sound, and differences of pronunciation, would of course be comprehended.

"To 'th Conner o' my Book.

"An this lile (little) book'll gi' the onny plezer efter a hard day's wark, I sall be feaful fain on't. Bud sud onny outcumlins, (Germ. Ankömmling, a stranger), ivver awn (visit) this outside staany plat, it may happen gee'em some inseet into awyer plain mack o'talk; at they may larn, as awyer discowerze hez a meanin in't as weel as theirs; at they mayn't snert an titter (laugh) at huz, gin (as if) we wor hauf rocktons, (?) but may undercumstand, and be insensed by this book, lile as it is, at ya talk's aqual to another, seeabetide it explains yan's thoutes. Sud t'lads o'Craven yunce git a gliff (glimpse) o'what a sect o'words I've coud togither (collected) it'll happen mack'em nut so keen, at iv'ry like, o'luggin into th' country a parcel of outlandish words, er seea shamm'd o'talking their awn. For, o'lat years, young foak are grown seea maachy (proud, Teut.) an see feeafully geen to knackin (speaking affectedly,) at their parents er ill set to knaw what their barns (Moes. barn, a child,) er javverin about."-P. v.

The above is a specimen of the language of the northern portion of England, in its purity; for, although the dialects of Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Lancashire, vary, in some respects, from it and from each other, we may place it antithetically with the following extract from Mr. Jennings's “Specimens of the West of England Dialects," which is scarcely less discrepant from correct English, than the passage we have already cited. It is from a piece entitled " Mary Ramsey, a Monologue to er Scholards;" the subject, however, is of little importance; and, if it were, Mr. Jennings has not afforded us much choice.

Now Miss Whitin, the dunces be a gwon, let I hire how pirty you can read. I always zed that Pâson Tuttle's grandâter ood lorn er book well. Now, Miss, what ha ye a got there? Valentine an Orson. A pirty story, bit I be afeard there's naw moril to it. What be all tha tuthermy (other) books you a got by yer good-hussey (threadcase) there in tha basket? Gee's-zee-'em, (let me see them) nif you please, Miss Polly.-Tha Zeven Champions-Goody Two Shoes-Pawems vor Infant Minds.-Theäzamy here be by vur tha best. There is a moril to mooäst o'm; an thâ be pirty bezides -Now, Miss, please ta read thic. Tha Notorious Glutton-Pal Came! turn tha glass! dwont ye zee tha zond (sand) is all hirnd (run) out;-you'll stâ in school tha longer vor't nif you dwon't mine it. Now, all o' ye be quiet to hire Miss Whitin read.-There now, what d'ye za to jitch radin as that?-There, d' ye hire, Het Came! she dwon't drean (drawl)-hum, hum, hum.--I shood like ta hire er vessy (read verses) wi' zum o' ye; bit your bad radin ood spwile her good."-( Jennings, p. 186.)

The second division of provincialisms, consists of words derived directly from some foreign language, as from the Latin, French, German, &c.; but so corrupted by passing through the mouths of the illiterate, as to have their origin scarcely recognizable. The above quotations have afforded examples of this character; and the following are additional. Brownleemers-a word used in the North of England, and signifying ripe, brown, nuts, from the French bruns, brown, and lesmurs, ripe ones;-the Jackalegs, a large clasped knife, corrupted from Jacques de Liege, the Cutler-the word Riff-raff, from the Danish Rips-raps, the dregs of the people-Quandary, from the French qu'en dirai? what shall I say of it ?-Bob Ruly, in the western country, corrupted from Bois brulé, burnt wood, so called by the French because of the quantity of burnt wood in the neighbourhood or the sign of the Bull and Mouth, in Bull and Mouth-street, London, corrupted from Boulogne Mouth, or Harbour-and of the Bull and Gate, corrupted from Boulogne Gate-or of the Bell Savage, commonly represented by a black man and a bell, but really corrupted from the French, Belle Sauvage-the beautiful savage-or that of the Swan with two Necks, intended for, and corrupted from the Swan with two Nicks, or Notches, in its bill, as marks by which it might be known; or a thousand others, of the like nature, that might be enumerated.

The third and last division consists of mere arbitrary words, not accurately deducible from any primary source or language, but ludicrous nominations from some apparent qualities in the object or thing, being at first scarcely current out of a district, but, by time and use, gradually extending themselves, such as, perhaps, Bridewain-applied to a waggon laden with furniture, which was formerly given to the bride, where the father could afford it, when she left his houseDevil's dung, for assafœtida, &c. &c.

But the portion of the works before us, to which we are more immediately desirous of drawing attention, is that which treats of popular rites and ceremonies; on which points, each of them affords us some information, especially those of Dr. Forster and of Mr. Hone, which, indeed, as their titles import, are devoted almost exclusively to such inquiries. From the unconnected and consequently unsatisfactory manner in which the former of these is thrown together, the facts are frequently so vaguely detailed, as to be unavailable; whilst the latter comprises only a few subjects, and these perhaps of inferior interest to the general reader: these deficiencies, it will be our endeavour, in the following pages, to supply; and, by pursuing the order adopted by Dr. Forster, in the Perennial Calendar, and tracing not only the observances of particular days by the Christian world to their sources, but also the popular superstitions connected with those

periods-an investigation calculated to illus-
trate our ancient poems and romances, and
to recal to memory the narrations to which,
at different periods of life, each of us must
have occasionally listened, either in the
nursery, or when of larger growth, we trust
that an historical sketch may be formed,
which may be deemed not uninteresting. In
some instances, it will be remarked, that the
superstitions are of such remote antiquity, as
to have actually outlived the knowledge of
the causes that gave them origin; whilst
others shed light on ancient customs, and
point out the analogy between those of dif-
ferent nations; so striking, indeed, it will be
found, is the coincidence between the man-
ners of our ancestors, and those of the in-
habitants of some other countries, that, if we
had no other historical record, it would suf-
ficiently evidence the connexion which must
have originally existed between them.

The reader who has not reflected on the
subject, will be astonished to find so many
of the festivals in the calendar, of ethnic ori-
gin; but, on investigation, his astonishment
will cease. At the time of the triumph of
Christianity, the heathens were of course
delighted with the festivals of their gods, and
unwilling to part with those delights; and,
as for the attainment of so important an
object as the supplanting of Paganism, by
the religion of our Lord and Saviour, it be-
came a matter of moment to sacrifice what
were esteemed to be minor points, Gregory,
(Thaumaturgus, Bishop of Neocæsarea, who
died in 265,) to facilitate their conversion,
instituted annual festivals to the saints and
martyrs. Hence it happened, that, for ex-
ploding the festivals of the heathens, the
principal festivals of the Christians sue-
ceeded in their room, as the celebration of
Christmas with joy and feasting, &c. in the
room of the Bacchanalia and Saturnalia :
the celebration of May-day with flowers, in
the room of the Floralia; and that of the
festivals to the Virgin Mary, John the Bap-
tist, and divers of the Apostles, in the room
of the solemnities at the entrance of the sun
into the signs of the Zodiac, in the old
Julian Calendar.

The strong attachment of a people to their ancient festivals, is, as we have mentioned, a sufficient excuse, in most instances, for the continuance of them, even when, as in the case before us, of an ethnic character: but, at the same time, it must ever be accounted, as a general principle, a dangerous policy which retains the superstition, whilst it merely changes the object or the name.

Before referring to particular superstitions, we may remark, that the belief, that some human beings could attain the power of inflicting ills on their fellow creatures, and of controlling the operations of nature, is one of the highest antiquity.*

*Turner's History of the Anglo-Saxons, iii. !

CHAPTER II.

THE NEW YEAR.

THE preceding remarks will introduce us to a superstition practised in the south of Scotland, on the morning of the New Year, (January 1). The instant the clock has struck the midnight hour, one of a family goes to the well as quickly as possible, and carefully skims it: this they call getting "the scum or ream (cream) of the well."

"Twall struck-twa neebour hizzies raise
An' liltin, gaed a sad gate:

The flower the well to our house gaes,
An' I'll the boniest lad get."

This flower o' the well signifies the first pailful of water, and the girl who is so fortunate as to obtain that prize, is supposed to have more than a double chance of gaining the most accomplished young man in the parish. As they go to the well they chant over the two last of the above lines.

This is an old superstition, and is proba bly derived from the worship of wells by the Picts. It was known to the Romans: the act of skimming water with the hand, being one of the rites necessary for successful

augury.

Many persons make a point of wearing new clothes on New Year's Day, and esteem any omission of this kind extremely unlucky. The salutations of this day are of remote antiquity, as well as the custom of "New Year's Gifts,"* as we shall find hereafter.

The custom of eating twelfth cake, and especially of drawing for king and queen, on the Epiphany, or twelfth day, or twelfth tide, or old Christmas day (January 6), as it is variously termed, is antique. In the ancient Calendar of the Romish Church, is an observation on the fifth day of January, the vigil of the Epiphany," Kings created or elected by beans;" and the sixth is called "The Festival of Kings," with the additional remark," that the ceremony of electing kings was continued with feasting for many days." In the cities and academies of Germany, the students and citizens choose one of their number for king, providing a most magnificent banquet on the occasion. In France, during the ancient regime, one of the cour tiers was chosen a king, and the nobles attended at an entertainment at which he presided; and with the French, Le Roi de la Fève, still signifies a twelfth-night king.

The above ceremonies are probably the remains of those for choosing, amongst the Greeks, the συμποσίαρχος βασιλεύς, &c., and amongst the Romans, the Rex modimperator, &c. the king-whose business it was, at feasts, to determine the laws of good fellowship, and to observe whether every one drank his proportion, whence he was also called 90s the He was commonly appointed by lots, occasionally perhaps by beans, as was usual

eyc.

* Ovid fast. lib. i. 63-74.

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The chief magistrates were not exempted from yielding obedience, if the lots gave another pre-eminence; whence Agesilaus, king of Lacedæmon, being present at an entertainment, was not declared Rex till the lots had fallen upon him.

The Monday following the twelfth day is called Plough Monday, in Great Britain, from its being about the period at which the ground is begun to be ploughed up.

"Plough Monday next, after that the twelfth tide is past,

Bids out with the plough, the worst husband is last." Tusser.

In celebration of this agricultural commencement, in the north of England, the Fool Plough goes about-a pageant, consisting of a number of sword dancers, dragging a plough, with music, and one, sometimes two, fantastically clothed: the Fool being covered with skins, and wearing a hairy cap, with the tail of some animal hanging from his back.—(Forster, p. 13).

St. Agnes's Day (January 21st), is fruitful in love superstitions. The following are the most common. On St. Agnes's night, take a row of pins, and pull out every one, one after another, saying a paternoster, and sticking a pin in your sleeve, and you will dream of him or her you shall marry. Old Ben, in one of his Masques, refers to this superstition.

"And on sweet Agnes' night

Please you with the promised sight,
Some of husbands, some of lovers,
Which an empty dream discovers."

Another divinatory method employed by love-sick maidens, is to sleep in a county in which they do not usually reside, where they knit the left leg garter round the right leg stocking, leaving the other garter and stocking untouched; they then repeat the following lines, knitting a knot at each comma,

"This knot I knit,

To know the thing I know not yet,
That I may see,

The man that shall my husband be,
How he goes and what he wears,
And what he does all the days."

The next dream, it is believed, will reveal to the lady's gaze her future spouse, bearing a badge of his occupation. A lady acknowledged to Aubrey, (MSS.) that she had practised this incantation, and was favoured with a vision about two or three years afterwards. Being one Sunday at church, up popped a young Oxonian into the pulpit; she instantly cried out to her sister, "that is the very face

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