152 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 172. 



to Sylla, I was taken to task (see Vol. vi., p. 208.) 

 by P. C. S. S. Now, the parallel between the two 

 passages (" Parallel, resemblance, conformity con- 

 tinued through many particulars, likeness," John- 

 son's Dictionary) is this : Both verses endeavour 

 to picture the mingled red and white of the 

 "human face divine" (one satirically, the other 

 eulogistically), by comparing their combined effect 

 to that of the red hue of fruit seen through a par- 

 tially superfused white medium — meal over mul- 

 berries, cream over strawberries. If there is not 

 sufficient "resemblance" or "likeness" in the 

 two (in the opinion of P. C. S. S.) to justify me 

 in placing them alongside of one another (irapaX- 

 \riKa), I really cannot help it. 



I have now ascertained that the words 

 " Sylla's a mulberry sprinkled with meal " 

 are to be found in Langhorne's Plutarch, as a 

 translation of the original Greek quoted by 

 P. C. S. S. 



ANTIQUITr OF THE POLKA : A NOTE FOB THE 

 LADIES. 



The description of the lavolta in Sir John 

 Davies's poem on dancing, The Orchestra (].'596), 

 shows that it must have closely resembled the 

 dance which we fondly boast of as one of the great 

 inventions of the nineteenth century. It runs as 

 follows : 

 *' Yet is there one, the most delightful kind, 



A lofty jumping, or a leaping round, 

 • Where arm in arm two dancers are entwined, 



And whirl themselves with strict embracements 



bound ; 

 And still their feet an anapaest do sound ; 

 An anapaest is all their music's song, 

 Whose first two feet are short, and third is long." 

 The " anapaest" is conclusive ; it points exactly 

 to the peculiar nature of the polka, the pause on 

 the third step. Moreover, it appears, that as there 

 is no especial figure for the polka, so there was 

 none for the lavolta ; for it is classed among those 

 dances 



" Wherein that dancer greatest praise has won, 

 Which, with best order, can all orders shun ; 

 For everywhere he wantonly must range, 

 And turn and wind with unexpected change." 

 Who can doubt after that ? The polka was cer- 

 tainly danced before Queen Elizabeth ! 



To this valuable historical parallel I may add 

 that the galliard and coranto also were apparently 

 danced ad libitum (observing only a particular 

 measure), just as our waltz and galop also are : 

 " For more diverse and more pleasing show, 

 A swift, a wandering dance, he [Love] did invent, 

 With passages uncertain to and fro, 

 Yet with a certain answer and consent, 

 'To the quick music of the instrument." 



B.R.I. 



SEVEN SCORE SUPERSTITIOUS SAYINGS. 



My common-place books contain a goodly num- 

 ber of superstitious sayings, noted down as heard 

 at different times and in various places, chiefly 

 dui'ing the last ten or twelve years. I have made 

 a selection from them, the greater portion of which 

 will probably come under the printer's eye for the 

 first time, should they be considered a fitting 

 addition to the interesting records of Folk Lore 

 in the pages of "N. & Q." I reserve my com- 

 ment or attempted illustration for future oppor- 

 tunities. 



First Score. 



1 . Adder. " Look under the deaf adder's belly» 

 and you'll find marked, in mottled colours, these 

 words : 



' If I could hear as well as see, 

 No man of life [sic] should master me ! ' " 



(This saying was related to me by a friend, a 

 native of Lewes, Sussex, where it is common.) 



2. Adder-shin. " It' 11 bring you good luck to 

 hang an ether-skin o'er the chimbly [chimney- 

 piece]." (Heard in Leicestershire.) 



3. Beanjield. " Sleep in a beanfield all night 

 if you want to have awful dreams, or go crazy." 

 (In Leicestershire.) 



4. Chime-hours. " A child born in chime-hours 

 will have the power to see spirits." (A Somerset 

 friend.) 



5. Egg-shells. "Always poke a hole through 

 your egg-shell before you throw it away." — Why ? 

 "If you don't, the fairies will put to sea to wreck 

 the ships." (Somerset. Query, For fairies, read 

 witches ?) 



6. Eyebrows. " It's a good thing to have meet- 

 ing eyebrows. You '11 never know trouble.*^ 

 (Various places.) 



7. Fern-root, " Cut a fern-root slantwise, and 

 you'll see a picture of an oak-tree : the more per- 

 fect, the luckier chance for you." (Croydon and 

 elsewhere.) 



8. Flowei-ing Myrtle. " That's the luckiest 

 plant to have in your window. Water it every 

 morning, and be proud of it." (Somerset.) 



9. Harvest Spider. " The ha^^vest-man has got 

 four things on its back, — the scythe, the rake, the 

 sickle, and [Query the fourth ?] It's most un- 

 lucky for the reaper to kill it on purpose." (From 

 an Essex man) 



10. Holly, Ivy, Sfc. " All your Christmas should 

 be burnt on Twelfth-day morning." (London, &c.) 



1 1 . Lettuce. " O'er-much lettuce in the garden 

 will stop a young wife's bearing." (Richmond, 

 Surrey.) 



12. May-haby. " A May-baby's always sickly. 

 You may try, but you'll never rear it." (Various.) 



13. May -kitten. "You should drown a May- 

 kitten. It 's unlucky to keep it." (Somerset.) 



