CHAP. 10. SUPERSTITIONS. 267 



The popular persuasion, that if it rain on 

 St. Swithin's day, it will rain some part of each 

 day for forty days, may be ranked among su- 

 perstitious notions originating in atmospheric 

 phaenomena ; for though the placing the prog- 

 nostic to the account of St. Swithin must 

 palpably be the effect of ignorance and credu- 

 lity, yet there may be some natural reasons 

 why, if rainy weather occur about the 15th 

 July, it will be of some continuance, which I 

 have noticed for many years to be the case.* 



The superstitions respecting the Moon are 

 without number. From noticing that the Tides 

 and many important atmospheric changes were 

 regulated by her conjunction with, and opposi- 

 tion to the Sun, she became at different times an 

 object of worship among the Egyptian Nations, 

 and among Christians at a later period, the 'same 

 circumstances gave rise to endless superstitions. 

 The ancient Irish used to utter a benediction on 

 the New Moon ; and in the Highlands of Scot- 

 land at the present day, the girls get astride 

 across a gate, at first sight of the Crescent, 

 and say 



" All hail to the Moon, all hail to thee, 



* Vide infra the Prognostications of Weather, deduced 

 from the appearance of the Sky on St. Paul's Day. 



