OMEN. 
Britons for the purpofes of augury, and it was therefore 
san at table 
firft ages of Chriftianity, - ee in omens ibe 
bifhop o 
Romans ; fneezing under certain circumftances ; meeting on 
the road a cat, a dog, a woman of bad character, a perfon 
with one eye, or a lame perfon ; oe againft any ues 
or when one was going out of the houfe, being held back 
by the cloak pes a any thing; the palpitation of an eye 
ufcle ; and SaaS other omens, are mentioned and 
than that which has 
that an old woman could believe ne fhe chofe. 
In the days when the belief in omens flourifhed in England, 
the following were deemed lucky: if, on fetting out ona 
alah a fow wit] ve were met, the journey would be 
fuccels re 
a fuccefsfel j journ ey § ; 5 fours ‘unexpedted good news ; and a 
ae the peston would foo 
8 
u 
couple, or if it rains when a corpfe is burying. Accord 
to the old diftich, 
‘© Happy is the bride that the fun fhines o 
Happy is the corpfe that the rain rains on.” 
yoda abftained from oe thefe ees on the Nun- 
dine 
lower claffes : 
oy even b —— is fup ofed to 
he north or north- 
eaft, cold weather is portended. Catholics Bleed: their 
horfes on St. Stephen’s day, and on the feftival called An- 
ae eg 
The unlucky omens in England are, to fee one magpye, 
and then more; but to killa magpye is a terrible misfor- 
tune. It is alfo unlucky to kill a {wallow, or more properly 
the houfe marten. If, o ourney, a fow croffes the 
road, oe perfon, n, if he cannot pais it, muft ride round about, 
fe paren 8 a iaierierge a es of coal, ftarting 
the fire, of a hollow form, portends death. To {pill 
the oe or ek ar knife and fork acrofs each other at table, 
is very 0 if t 
called ae devils doze 
h 
razor 
rom t 
mp 
et 
id 
, 
© 
oa 
ec 
33 5 
oO 
Oo 
eh 
b+) 
= 
eed 
bo] 
Lames} 
The no 
foretells Sais and the {ereech-owl at midnight, fome ter- 
rible misfortun 
If the cick ciliage or the ear tingles, it is a fign that 
fome perfon is talking ne ; and the co: cm of eae 
is foretold by what is rele “‘ athief”’ in the candle. 
day is an unlucky day to be a and yellow is Aa omin- 
ous colour for an unmarrie O wear ; ucking a 
‘¢ merry-thought,’’ the perfon ae pe the ieee thane will 
be married before the o 
In the Hi 
thing ae 
{port. 
the Highlands were, till very lately, ane is hace out, and 
thrown into the fire. If a black cloud, ear’s 
confidered as unlucky for many things, pecially - diggin 2g 
Said or taking an aceount of the fheep or | on the 
: 
ro 
2 dotend for fuel, itl cut when fhe is on the wane, as iy 
with it to dry fpeedily. If a houfe take fire during the in- 
creafe of the moon, it denotes profperity ; if during her 
wane, poverty. In the ifland of Mull, the firft i of 
every quarter is deemed fortunate ; - reer Me is the moft 
oe te day for fowing their corn. ucky omens in the 
Highlands are not many, and in eb Svetl e the fame as 
thofe in other countries: one, however, aie: sear te 
3G 
