COINCIDENCES AND SUPERSTITIONS. 381 



have resulted in confirming the superstition. The 

 following instance may be cited. An old woman came 

 to Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Koyal, to ask him 

 whereabouts a certain bundle of linen might be, which 

 she had lost. Flamsteed determined to show the folly of 

 that belief in astrology which had led her to Greenwich 

 Observatory (under some misapprehension as to the 

 duties of an Astronomer Koyal). He c drew a circle, 

 put a square into it, and gravely pointed out a ditch, 

 near her cottage, in which he said it would be found. 5 

 He then waited until she should come back disap- 

 pointed, and in a fit frame of mind to receive the 

 rebuke he intended for her ; but ' she came back in 

 great delight, with the bundle in her hand, found in 

 the very place.' 



In connection with this story, though bearing rather 

 on over-hasty scientific theorizing than on ordinary 

 superstitions, I quote the following story from De 

 Morgan's Budget of Paradoxes : ' The late Baron Zach 

 received a letter from Pons, a successful finder of comets, 

 complaining that for a certain period he had found no 

 comets, though he had searched diligently. Zach, a 

 man of much sly humour, told him that no spots had 

 been seen on the sun for about the same time which 

 was true and assured him that when the spots came 

 back the comets would come with them. Some 

 time after he got a letter from Pons, who informed him 

 with great satisfaction that he was quite right ; that 

 very large spots had appeared on the sun, and that he 

 had found a comet shortly after. I have the story in 



