In the present case he must not only have known that the fundamental meaning of _aster_ is a spot of light[1], but he must also have taken into consideration the power of _dis_ in producing an absolute reversal in the meaning of the word to which it may be prefixed. Thus, _service_ is a benefit, _disservice_ is an injury, while _unservice_ (did such a word exist) would be a negative mean between the two extremes. Similarly, if _aster_ signify a spot of light, a name singularly appropriate to a comet, _disaster_[2] must, by reversal, be a _spot of darkness_, and "_disasters in the sun_" no other than what we should call spots or maculæ upon his disk. [Footnote 1: Ἀστὴρ, ab ἄω, luceo.] [Footnote 2: Ἀνάστερος, obscurus.] Can there remain a doubt, therefore, that Shakspeare intended the passage to read as follows, which, requiring neither addition nor alteration of the text as transmitted to us--saving one slight change of "as stars" into "asters,"--must be perfectly intelligible to every reader, especially if accompanied by the simple note of explanation which I subjoin to it:-- "In the most high and palmy state of Rome, A little ere the mightiest Julius fell, The graves stood tenantless, and the sheeted dead Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets Asters with trains of fire and dews of blood, Disasters in the sun[3], and the moist star Upon whose influence Neptune's empire stands, Was sick almost to dooms-day with eclipse." [Footnote 3: Spots or blotches.] A. E. B. Leeds. FOLK LORE. _Salting a New-born Infant._--In Ezekiel xvi. 4 we read, "In the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; _thou wast not salted at all_, nor swaddled at all." Salting seems to be spoken of as a regular part of the process which a new-born child underwent amongst the Jews in the days of Ezekiel. Can any one give me information on this point? Can the salt in baptism alluded to by SELEUCUS (Vol. iv., p. 163.) have any connexion with this passage? ALFRED GATTY. _Lent Crocking._--The children in this neighbourhood have a custom of going round to the different houses in the parish, on the Monday before Shrove Tuesday, generally by twos and threes, and chanting the following verses, by way of extracting from the inmates sundry contributions of eggs, flour, butter, halfpence, &c., to furnish out the Tuesday's feast: "Lent Crock, give a pancake, Or a fritter, for my labour, Or a dish of flour, or a piece of bread, Or what you please to render. I see by the latch, There's something to catch; I see by the string, There's a good dame within. Trap, trapping throw, Give me my mumps, and I'll be go" [gone].