Notes and Queries, Number 190, June 18, 1853: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc. — John Shaqi
Notes and Queries, Number 190, June 18, 1853: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.Various
History
Notes and Queries, Number 190, June 18, 1853: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.
Various
Questions and answers -- Periodicals
"Quel est Vendredi tel Dimanche."
From a MS. now in my possession, dating two centuries back, I extract the
following remarks on "Times and Seasons," as not wholly unconnected with
the present subject:
"Easter-day never falleth lower than the 22nd of March, and never
higher than the 25th of April."
"Shrove Sunday has its range between the 1st of February and the 7th of
March."
"Whit Sunday between the 10th of May and the 13th of June."
"A rule of Shrovetide:--The Tuesday after the second change of the moon
after New Year's-day is always Shrove Tuesday."
To these I may perhaps be permitted to add certain cautions, derived frown
the same source:
"The first Monday in April, the day on which Cain was born, and Abel
was slain.
"The second Monday in August, on which day Sodom and Gomorrah were
destroyed.
"The 31st of December, on which day Judas was born, who betrayed
Christ.
"These are dangerous days to begin any business, fall sick, or
undertake any journey."
We smile at the superstition which thus stamps these several periods as
days of ill omen, especially when we reflect that farther inquiry would
probably place every other day of the week under a like ban, and thus
greatly impede the business of life--Friday, for instance, which, since our
Lord's crucifixion on that day, we are strongly disinclined to make the
starting-point of any new enterprise.
In many cases this superstition is based on unpleasing associations
connected with the days proscribed. Who can wonder if, in times less
enlightened than our own, undue importance were attached to the strange
coincidence which marked the deaths of Henry VIII. and his posterity. They
all died on a Tuesday; himself on Tuesday, January 28, 1547; Edward VI. on
Tuesday, July 6, {600} 1553; Mary on Tuesday, November 17, 1558; Elizabeth
on Tuesday, March 24, 1603.
JOHN BOOKER.
Prestwich.
It is a saying in Norwich,--
"When three daws are seen on St. Peter's vane together,
Then we are sure to have bad weather."
I think the observation is tolerably correct.
ANON.
* * * * *
SCOTCHMEN IN POLAND.
(Vol. vii., p. 475.)
In the debates about a union with Scotland in 1606, the "multiplicities of
the Scots in Polonia" formed one of the arguments of the opposing party,
who thought that England was likely to be overrun in a similar fashion.
According to Wilson (_Hist. of James I._, p. 34.), the naturalisation of
the Scots--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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