SWITHIN'S TIDE. 197 



JULY 15. St. SwiTHiN,bp. of Winchester, A. D. 86'2. 

 St. Henry II. emperor, 1024. 

 St. Plechelm, bishop and- confessor, 714. 



Obs, St. Henry, surnamed the Pious and Tame, was born ia 

 972. Soon after his ascension to the throne he resigned the duke- 

 dom of Bavaria to his brother in law Henry. In 1014 he was 

 crowned emperor in Rome by Pope Benedict VIII. He marched 

 against several idolatrous nations, and was always victorious. 

 Though he lived in the world so as to be perfectly disengaged from 

 it in heart and affection, he retired to the Abbey of Vanne at V^erdun 

 sometime before his death, which happened at the castle of Grone 

 near Halberstadt in 1024. 



The Festival of today is called the Translation of St. Swithin's 

 relics. 



Small Caps Marigold Calendula pluvialis flowers. 



Cudweed Gnaphalium Germanicum fl, 



Dryflower Xeranthenum annum fl. 



Ragweed Senecio Jacobaea fl. 



Marsh Groundsel Senecio aquaticus full fl. 



Creeprooting Groundsel Senecio Saracenicus fl. 



Mountain Groundsel Senecio Doronicum fl. 



Sunflower Helianthus annuus fl. 



St. Swithin's Day is usually said to be indicative of the coming 

 weather for forty days, as we have yesterday observed. 



Blount tells lis that St. Swithin, the lioly Bisliop of Winchester about the 

 year dtiO, WdS Cdlled the weeping St. Swittiiri, for that about his Feast 

 Praesepc and Aselli, rainy constellations, arise cosmically, and commonly 

 cause rain. 



Gay, in his Trivia, mentions: 



How if on Swithin's Feast the welkin lonrs. 

 And ev'ry penthouse streams with hasty show'rs. 

 Twice twenty days shall clouds their Heeces drain. 

 And wash the pavements with incessant raiu. 

 The following is said to be the origin of the old adaj.'e, " If it rain on St. 

 Swithin's Day theie will be rain more or less for forty five succeeding days." 

 !n the year 865, St. Swithiu bishop of Winchester, to which rank he was 

 raised by Kinj^ Ethelwolte the Dane, dyiiiir, was canonized by the then 

 Fope. He was singular for his desire to be buried in the open cfiurcliyard, 

 and not in the chancel of the minster, which request was complied with ; but 

 the monks, on his beinij canonized, thinkiiiff it disgraceful for the Saint to lie 

 in the open churehyard, resolved to remove his body into the choir, which was 

 to have been done with solemn procession on the 16th of July. It rained, 

 however, so violently on that day, and for forty days succeedin?, as had hardly 

 ever been known, which made ttiem set aside their design; anJ, instead, they 

 erected a chapel over his jrrave, at which many miracles are said to have been 

 wrought, 



S2 



