274 OF METEOROLOGICAL CHAP. 10. 1. 



custom of lighting twelve small fires, and one 

 large one in the middle of them, in a field : the 

 origin of this custom is unknown.* Perhaps 

 the twelve small fires are lighted in honour of 

 the twelve days, and the large one in honour of 

 Christmas. 



St. Agnes' Day, January 21, is said to have 

 some meteorological superstition attached to it, 

 in consequence of the miraculous preservation 

 of the Virginity of that Saint by means of 

 Thunderstorms, during the tenth persecution 

 of Dioclesian. 



St. Vincent, January 22. There is an ancient 

 admonition, to note down whether the Sun 

 shines on St. Vincent's Day.f Vincent) /esto 

 si sol radiet memor esto. 



The Conversion of St. Paul, January 25, 

 whatever the reason of it may be, has always 

 been reckoned particularly ominous with respect 

 to the future weather of the year ; and, what 

 is very curious, this superstition prevails in 

 many countries distant from each other. 



In an ancient and curious work, entitled 

 Wit's Misery, &c. by T. Lodge, we find an 



* See many curious observations in Naorgeorgus, and in 

 the Paraphrase of him by Barnaby Googe. 

 + Refer to Scot's Disc. Witchcraft, xi. 15. 



