JANUARY.—_Prima dies mensis, et septima truncat ensis._ FEBRUARY.—_Quarta subit mortem, prosternit tertia fortem._ MARCH.—_Primus mandentem, disrumpit quarta bibentem._ APRIL.—_Denus et undenus est mortis vulnere plenus._ MAY.—_Tertius occidit, et Septimus ora relidit._ JUNE.—_Denus Pallescit, quindenus fædera nescit._ JULY.—_Ter denus mactat, Julii denus labefactat._ AUGUST.—_Prima necat fortem, perditque secunda cohortem._ SEPTEMBER.—_Tertia Septembris, et denus fert mala membris._ OCTOBER.—_Tertius et denus, est sicut mors alienus._ NOVEMBER.—_Scorpius est quintus, et tertius est vita tinctus._ DECEMBER.—_Septimus exanguis, virosus denus ut Anguis._ This poetry is a specimen of the rusticity and ignorance at least of the times; and is a convincing proof that Christianity had yet a very strong tincture of the Pagan superstitions attached to it, and which all the purity of the gospel itself, to this very day, has not been able entirely to obliterate. That the notion of lucky and unlucky days owes its origin to paganism, may be proved from Roman history, where it is mentioned that that very day four years, the civil wars were begun by Pompey the father; Cæsar made an end of them with his son, Cneius Pompeius being then slain; and that the Romans accounted the 13th of February an unlucky day, because on that day they were overthrown by the Gauls at Allia; and the Fabii attacking the city of the Recii, were all slain with the exception of one man: from the calendar of Ovid’s “Fastorum,” _Aprilis erat mensis Græcis auspicatissimus_; and from Horace, lib. 2, ode 13, cursing the tree that had nearly fallen upon it; _ille nefasto posuit die_. The number of remarkable events that happened on some particular days have been the principal means of confirming both Pagans and Christians in their opinion on this subject. For example, Alexander the Great, who was born on the 6th of April, conquered Darius and died on the same day. The Emperor Bassianus Caracalla was born and died on a sixth day of April. Augustus was adopted on the 19th of August, began his Consulate, conquered the Triumviri, and died the same day. The Christians have observed that the 24th of February was four times fortunate to Charles the Fifth. That Wednesday was a fortunate day to Pope Sixtus V. for on a Wednesday he was born, on that day made a Monk, on the same day made a General of his order, on that day created a Cardinal, on that day elected Pope, and also on that day inaugurated. That Thursday was a fatal day to Henry VIII. King of England, and his posterity, for he died on a Thursday; King Edward VI. on a Thursday; Queen Mary on a Thursday; and Queen Elizabeth on a Thursday. The French have observed that the feast of Pentecost had been lucky to Henry III. King of France, for on that day he was born, on that day elected king of Poland, and on that day he succeeded his brother Charles IX. on the throne of France.