Athenæus, says Potter in his _Archæologia Græca_, proves that the head was esteemed holy, because it was customary to swear by it, and adore as holy the sneezes that proceeded from it. And Aristotle tells us in express terms that sneezing was accounted a deity: "[Greek: Ton Ptarmon theon hêgoumetha]"--_Archæol. Græc._ (5th ed.), p. 338. "Oscitatio in nixu letalis est, sicut Sternuisse a coitu abortivum." Quoted from Pliny by Aulus Gellius, _Noct. Att._ III. xvi. 24. Erasmus, in his _Colloquies_, bids one say to him who sneezes, "Sit faustum ac felix," or "Servet te Deus," or "Sit salutiferum" or "Bene vertat Deus." "Quare homines sternutant? "Respondetur, ut virtus expulsiva et visiva, per hoc purgetur, et cerebrum a sua superfluitate purgetur, etc. Etiam qui sternutat frequenter, dicitur habere forte cerebrum."--_Aristotelis Problemata_: Amstelodami, anno 1690. Query whether from some such idea of the beneficial effect of sneezing, arose the practice of calling for the divine blessing on the sneezer? When Themistocles was offering sacrifice, it happened that three beautiful captives were brought him, and at the same time the fire burnt clear and bright, and a sneeze happened on the right hand. Hereupon Euphrantides the soothsayer, embracing him, predicted the memorable victory which was afterwards obtained by him, &c. There is also mention of this custom (the observation of sneezing) in Homer, who has introduced Penelope rejoicing at a sneeze of her son Telemachus: "[Greek: Ouch horaas ho moi huios epeptaren]" Sneezing was not always a lucky omen, but varied according to the alteration of circumstances--"[Greek: Tôn ptarmôn hoi men eisin ôphelimoi, hoi de blaberoi]," "Some sneezes are profitable, others prejudicial"--according to the scholiast upon the following passage of Theocritus, wherein he makes the sneezing of the Cupids to have been an unfortunate omen to a certain lover: "[Greek: Simichida men erôtes epeptaron.]" If any person sneezed between midnight and the following noontide it was fortunate, but from noontide till midnight it was unfortunate. If a man sneezed at the table while they were taking away, or if another happened to sneeze upon his left hand, it was unlucky; if on the right hand, fortunate. If, in the undertaking any business, two or four sneezes happened, it was a lucky omen, and gave encouragement to proceed; if more than four, the omen was neither good nor bad; if one or three, it was unlucky, and dehorted them from proceeding in what they had designed. If two men were deliberating about any business, and both of them chanced to sneeze together, it was a prosperous omen.--_Archæol. Græc._ (5th ed.), pp. 339, 340. FRANCIS JOHN SCOTT. Tewkesbury.