_Of Fair Weather, from the Sun._—Sun rising clear, having set clear the night before; rising while the clouds about him are driving to the west; rising with an iris around him, and that iris wearing away equally on all sides, then expect fair and settled weather; rising clear and not hot; setting in red clouds, according to the old observation,— The evening red and morning gray, Is the sure sign of a fair day. To the above may be added the following from a more recent source:— As a rule, a circle around the moon indicates rain and wind. When seen with a north or northeast wind, we may look for stormy weather, especially if the circle be large; with the wind in any other quarter, we may expect rain; so also when the ring is small and the moon seems covered with mist. If, however, the moon rise after sunset, and a circle be soon after formed around it, no rain is foreboded. In the Netherlands they have this proverb:— Een kring om de maan (A ring round the moon Die kan vergaan; May pass away soon; Maar een kring om de zon But a ring round the sun Geeft water in de ton. Gives water in the tun.) An old astrologer, referring to St. Paul’s day, Jan. 25, says:— If St. Paul be fair and clear, It promises then a happy year; But if it chance to snow or rain, Then will be dear all sorts of grain; Or if the wind do blow aloft, Great stirs will vex the world full oft; And if dark clouds do muff the sky, Then fowl and cattle oft will die. Another, alluding to the Ember-day in December, says:— When Ember-day is cold and clear There’ll be two winters in that year. The following is from a manuscript in the British Museum:— If Christmas day on Thursday be, A windy winter you shall see; Windy weather in each week, And hard tempests, strong and thick; The summer shall be good and dry, Corn and beasts shall multiply; That year is good for lands to till; Kings and princes shall die by skill; If a child born that day shall be, It shall happen right well for thee: Of deeds he shall be good and stable, Wise of speech, and reasonable. Whoso that day goes thieving about, He shall be punished, without doubt; And if sickness that day betide, It shall quickly from thee glide. UNLUCKY DAYS. The following list of the “evil days in each month” is translated from the original Latin verses in the old _Sarum Missal_:—