2<U OF METEOROLOGICAL CHAP. 10. 







combat, that he was sacred to Mars, and called 

 Agios v&oTTog by Aristophanes. The Galli Can- 

 tus presaged the victory of Themistocles over 

 the Persians ; and the feasts Ahsxrgvavcav uyuv 

 were called so from this event, and were 

 celebrated by righting Cocks. And a victory 

 of the Boeotians over the Lacedaemonians was 

 also said to be foretold by the Cocks. There 

 are, besides the above, many other superstitions 

 relating to Cocks, all, apparently coming from 

 some observance of fact. At a later period, 

 Cocks were said to crow all night about Christ- 

 mas time, a fable adverted to by Shakspeare in 

 Hamlet.* This fancy is easy of explanation ; for 

 the crowing of the Cock being the announcer 

 of the dawn of light, he is said to crow all 

 night at that season of the year, which, though 

 really the darkest, namely, midwinter, was the 

 season at which the light of Christianity was 



* Some say that ever 'gainst that hallowed season, 

 At which our Saviour's birth is celebrated, 

 The bird of dawning croweth all night long. 

 The nights are wholesome, then no mildew falls, 

 No planet strikes, nor spirits walk abroad ; 

 No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm ; 

 So gracious and so hallowed is the time. 



Hamlet. 



