G2 On Wiltshire Weather Proverbs and Weather Fallacies. 



Leaving* now the moon for awhile, I may class amongst common 

 weather fallacies the very popular notion that wet or fine weather 

 on certain days portends continuance of such, or indeed any special 

 weather : as indeed the famous Naturalist, John Ray, two hundred 

 years ago wrote to good old credulous John Aubrey : " I reject as 

 superstitious all prognostics from the weather on particular days." 

 This remark was called forth by Aubrey having written, "In South 

 Wiltshire the constant observation is, that if droppes doe hang upon 

 the hedge on Candlemas day, that it will be a good pease yeare : " 1 

 and then he added his own opinion, " This is generally agreed to be 

 matter of fact, the reason perhaps may be that there rise certain 

 unctuous vapours which may cause that fertility." I fancy however 

 that we shall be more inclined to agree with honest John Bay. 



Few however are so matter of fact as to pay no heed to the weather 

 on St. Swithun's day, 2 for all know the proverb, couched in a variety 

 of words : — 



" Saint Swithun's day, if thou dost rain, 

 For forty days it will remain ; 

 Saint Swithun's day, if thou be fair, 

 For forty days 'twill rain nae mair." 



A proverb which has its counterpart across the Channel in the feast 

 of St. Medard :— 3 



" S 'il pleut le jour de St. Medard, 

 II pleut quarante jours plus tard." 



And again another proverb fixes on a date midway between those 

 j ust mentioned : — 



" If the first of July be rainy weather, 

 'Twill rain more or less for four weeks together." 



If St. Swithun however is the patron of rain, St. Bartholomew 



1 There is a proverb in "Wiltshire to that effect 



" On Candlemas day if the thorns hang a drop 

 You are sure of a good pea crop." 



2 July 15th; O.S. July 27th. 



3 June 8th ; O.S. June 20th. 



