The unfortunate days in Christendom, according to the received superstition in different countries, were either a little more or less than thirty,—about a twelfth part of the year; the fortunate were not quite so many, all the rest are left, if the astrologers had so pleased, in their natural uncertainty. And how uncertain all were is acknowledged in the oldest didactics upon this subject, after what were then the most approved rules had been given. Ἃιδε μεν ἡμέραι εἰσίν ἐπιχθονίοις μέγ’ ὄνειαρ. Ἃι δ’ἄλλαι μεταδουποι, ἀκήριοι, οὔτι φερουσαι. Ἂλλος δ’ἀλλοίην αἰνεῖ, παῦροι δε τ’ἴσασιν. Ἀλλοτε μητρυιὴ πελει ἡμέρη, ἄλλοτε μήτηρ. Τάων ἐυδαίμων τε και ὄλβιος ὃς τάδε πάντα Ἐιδὼς ἐργάζηται ἀναίτιος ἀθανάτοισιν, Ὂρνιθας κρίνων, και ὑπερβασίας ἀλεείνων.[1] [Footnote 1: HESIOD.] These are the days of which the careful heed Each human enterprise will favouring speed: Others there are, which intermediate fall, Mark'd with no auspice, and unomen'd all: And these will some, and those will others praise; But few are vers'd in mysteries of days. Now as a stepmother the day we find Severe, and now as is a mother kind. O fortunate the man! O blest is he, Who skill'd in these, fulfills his ministry:— He to whose note the auguries are giv'n, No rite transgress'd, and void of blame to Heaven.[2] [Footnote 2: ELTON.] The fixed days for good and evil were said to have been disclosed by an angel to Job. I know not whether it comes from the Rabbinical mint of fables that Moses determined upon Saturday for the Israelites' Sabbath, because that day is governed by Saturn, and Saturn being a malignant planet, all manner of work that might be undertaken on the Saturday might be expected not to prosper. The Sabbatarians might have found here an astrological argument for keeping their sabbath on the same day as the Jews. Sunday however is popularly supposed in France to be a propitious day for a Romish sabbath,—which is far better than a Sir-Andrew-Agnewish one. _Il est reconnu_, says a Frenchman, whose testimony on such a point is not invalidated by his madness,—_que les jours de la semaine ne peuvent se ressembler, puisqu'ils coulent sous l'influence de differentes planettes. Le soleil, qui preside au dimanche, est censé nous procurer un beau jour plus riant que les autres jours de la semaine; et voila aussi pourquoi on se reserve ce jour pour se livrer aux plaisirs et amusements honnêtes._