1807.] 
Egypt never tranfaéted bufinefs on the 3d 
day of the week, and abitained even from 
food till the evening, becaute on that day 
Typhon, who was confidered by them as 
the caufe of every evil, was born. The 
17th of the month was alfo deemed un- 
fortunate, as on that day Ofiris died. The 
Greeks, too,-had their unlucky days, 
which they denominated ase@pad:s. 
The Thurfday was generally contidered 
by the Athemians as of fo unlucky an 
import, that the affemblies of the people 
which happened to fall on that day, were 
always deferred. Hefiod enumerates 
the days when it might be proper to 
commence certain undertakings, and 
thofe, when it was neceffary to abftain 
from every employment. Among the 
latter he mentions the 5th of every 
month, when the infernal Furies were 
fuppofed to beftride the earth. Virgil 
has the fame idea— 
Quintam fuge :—pallidus Orcus 
Eumenidefque fate—tum partu terra ne- 
tando 
Ceumque lapetumque creat, fevumque Ty- 
phea, 
Et conjuratos celum refcindere fratres. 
1 Geor. ¥79, 
The Romans alfo demonttrated in their 
calendar, the implicit faith they placed 
in this diftinétion of'days. The fortunate 
days were marked in white, the unfortu- 
nate in black. Of thefe were the days 
immediately after the Calende, the 
Nonx, and the Ides. The reafon was 
this : in the 363d year from the building 
of Rome, the military tribunes, perceiv- 
ing the republic unfuccefsful in its wars, 
directed that the caufe fhould be in- 
quiredinto. The Senate having applied 
to L, Aquinius, he anfwered “ That when 
the Romans had fought againft the Gauls 
near the River Allia,and had experienced 
fo dreadful a defeat, facrifices had been 
olfered to the Gods, the day after the 
Ides of July, and that the Fabn, having 
fought on the fame day, at Cremera, 
were all defiroyed.” On receiving this 
antwer, the Senate, by the advice of the 
pontifis, ordered that, for the future, no 
military enterprize fhould be formed on 
the days after the Calends, the Nones or 
the Ides. Vitellius having taken poflei- 
fion of the fovereign authority on the 
15th of Auguft, and on the fame day 
promulgated fome new laws, they were 
ill ‘received by the people, becaufe on 
that day had happened the difaitrous 
battles of the Allia and Cremera. 
There were other days eftecemed un- 
2 
Extraés from the PortSolio of a Man of Letters. 363 
happy by the Romans, fuch as the day of 
facritices to the dead; of the Lemuria, 
of the Ferie Latin, and of the Satur- 
nalia; the 4th before the Nones of Oc- 
tober, the 6th of the Ides of Noveinber, 
the Nones of July, called Caprotina, the 
4th betore the Nones of Augufi, on ac- 
count of the defeat at Cannaz, and the 
Ides of March, efteemed unlucky by the 
creatures of Cefar. There were helides 
days which every individual conlidered 
as fortunate or unfortunate for himfelf. 
Augultus never undertook any thing of 
importance, on the day of the Nones. 
Many hiftorical obfervations have con- 
tributed to favour thefe {uperititious no- 
tions. Jofephus remarks, that the tem- 
ple of Solomon was burnt by the Baby- 
fonians on the 8th of September, and 
was a fecond time deliroyed on the fame 
day by Titus. Emilius Protus alfo ob- 
ferves, that Timoleou, the Corinthian, 
gained moft of his victories on the anni. 
verfary of his birth. 
To thefe facts, drawn from ancient 
hiftory, many from more modern times 
may be added. It is faid, that moft of 
the lucceties of Charles the Fifth occur- 
red on the fefiival of St. Mathias. Hen- 
ry the Third was elected king of Poland, 
and became king of France, on White 
funday, which was alfo his birth-day. 
Pope Sextus the Fifth prefered Wednet. 
day to every other in the week, becaufeit 
was the day of his birth, of his promo- 
tion to the cardinalate, of his election to 
the papal throne, and of his coronation, 
Louis\the Thirteenth afferted that Frc 
day was always a favorable day to him. 
Henry the Seventh of England was par- 
tial to Saturday, on which moft of the 
happy events of his life had taken place. 
But if it were neceflary to adduce 
examples againft a fentiment fo contrary 
to reafon and common fenfe, it would 
be éafy to enumerate intiances of good 
and ill fortune occurring on the fame day. 
Pompey was aflaflinated on the/day of 
his former triumph over’ Mithridates. 
Alexander, who had received better in- 
{tructions from his preceptor - Ariftotle, 
once ridiculed with {pirit an obfervation 
wi one of his otficers, who reprefented 
tu him that the kings of Macedon never 
commenced a march in the month of 
June, and that he might encounter fome 
untavourable event if he neglected to fol- 
low the ancieng cuitom,. “ Jt js neceflary 
(faid he) tor once to infringe the cuftom ; 
I theretore order that this June, which 
is fo mach dreaded, thall henceforth be 
Called 
ee ee Eee ee es ee 
i nn 
