200 POPULAE WEATHER PROGNOSTICS. 



Effect, by Leonard Digges ; imprynted at London, 

 within the Black Fryars, by Thomas Gemini, 1555.' 



It commences with " many pleasant and chosen rules 

 for ever to judge of alteration of the weather." First, 

 according to the day on which the moon changes : if 

 on Sunday, dry ; if on Tuesday, windy ; if on Wednes- 

 day, wonderful ; if on Thursday, fair and clear ; if on 

 Friday, mixed weather ; if on Saturday, moist weather. 



We are also told that the planets influence the wea- 

 ther ; and lastly, that the day of the week on which 

 New Year's Day falls determines the general character 

 of the ensuing year. Thus, if on Friday, we shall find 

 " the somer scante pleasant ; harvest indifferent ; little 

 store of fruit, wine, and honey ; corn deare ; many bleare 

 eyes ; youth shall die ; plenty of thunders and tempests ; 

 with a soden deathe of cattel." 



New Year's Day on Saturday prognosticates " a mean 

 winter ; somer very hot ; a late harvest ; good chepe 

 garden herbes ; plenty of hempe, flax, and honey/' 



As might have been anticipated, the stars, according 

 to Digges, are very potential. The conjunction of the 

 sun and moon indicates " a very unhappy day for all 

 matters ; therefore neither plante, build, sow, nor jour- 

 ney." When Venus is in conjunction with the moon, 

 " then is the time to sow, to marry, to follow all man- 

 ner of pleasant pastimes, and not unmeet to hire ser- 

 vauntes or to let bloode." 



In our rather horrifying article on " Hirudiculture " 

 we allude to the incomprehensible tendency of people 

 in the country to part with their own blood peri- 

 odically. We were recently shocked to hear of a far- 

 mer near us bleeding all his young cattle, for no 

 better reason than because it was " gude i' the spring- 

 time/' 



To return from this digression to the weather, we 

 expect the special thanks of agricultural readers for. 

 next introducing to their notice a very singular pro- 

 duction : * An Everlasting Prognostication of the State 



