It was to his interest to know these adverse influences; and who would have known them all, had not Thot pointed them out and marked them in his calendars? One of these, long fragments of which have come down to us, indicated briefly the character of each day, the gods who presided over it, the perils which accompanied their patronage, or the good fortune which might be expected of them. The details of it are not always intelligible to us, as we are still ignorant of many of the episodes in the life of Osiris. The Egyptians were acquainted with the matter from childhood, and were guided with sufficient exactitude by these indications. The hours of the night were all inauspicious; those of the day were divided into three "seasons" of four hours each, of which some were lucky, while others were invariably of ill omen. "The 4th of Tybi: _good, good, good_. Whatsoever thou seest on this day will be fortunate. Whosoever is born on this day, will die more advanced in years than any of his family; he will attain to a greater age than his father. The 5th of Tybi: _inimical, inimical, inimical_. This is the day on which the goddess Sokhifc, mistress of the double white Palace, burnt the chiefs when they raised an insurrection, came forth, and manifested themselves. Offerings of bread to Shu, Phtah, Thot: burn incense to Ra, and to the gods who are his followers, to Phtah, Thot, Hu-Su, on this day. Whatsoever thou seest on this day will be fortunate. The 6th of Tybi: _good, good, good_. Whatsoever thou seest on this day will be fortunate. The 7th of Tybi: _inimical, inimical, inimical_. Do not join thyself to a woman in the presence of the Eye of Horus. Beware of letting the fire go out which is in thy house. The 8th of Tybi: _good, good, good_. Whatsoever thou seest with thine eye this day, the Ennead of the gods will grant to thee: the sick will recover. The 9th of Tybi: _good, good, good_. The gods cry out for joy at noon this day. Bring offerings of festal cakes and of fresh bread, which rejoice the heart of the gods and of the manes. The 10th of Tybi: _inimical, inimical, mimical_. Do not set fire to weeds on this day: it is the day on which the god Sap-hou set fire to the land of Btito. The 11th of Tybi: _inimical, inimical, inimical_. Do not draw nigh to any flame on this day, for Ra entered the flames to strike all his enemies, and whosoever draws nigh to them on this day, it shall not be well with him during his whole life. The 12th of Tybi: _inimical, inimical, inimical_. See that thou beholdest not a rat on this day, nor approachest any rat within thy house: it is the day wherein Sokhit gave forth the decrees." In these cases a little watchfulness or exercise of memory sufficed to put a man on his guard against evil omens; but in many circumstances all the vigilance in the world would not protect him, and the fatality of the day would overtake him, without his being able to do ought to avert it.