ardly anything, however trivial, from which the ancients did not draw omens. That it should have been thought a direful omen when any thing befell the temples, altars, or statues of the gods, need excite no wonder; but that the meeting of a cunuch, a negro, a bitch with whelps, or a snake lying in the road, should have been looked upon as portending bad fortune is a deplorable instance of human weakness, and of the pernicious influence of superstition on the mind.

It is more than probable that this practice of making ordinary events ominous of good or bad fortune took its rise in Egypt, the parent country of almost every superstition of paganism; but wherever it may have arisen, it spreads itself over the whole inhabited globe, and at this day prevails in a greater or less degree among the vulgar of all nations.

In England, it is reckoned a good omen, or a sign of future happiness, if the sun shines on a couple coming out of the church after having been married. It is also esteemed a good sign if it rains whilst a corpse is burying:

Happy is the bride that the sun shines on; Happy is the corpse that the rain rains on.

To break a looking-glass is extremely unlucky; the party to whom it belongs will lose his best friend.

If, going a journey on business, a few crofs the road, you will probably meet with a disappointment, if not a bodily accident, before you return home. To avert this, you must endeavour to prevent her crossing you; and if that cannot be done, you must ride round on fresh ground. If the sow is attended with her litter of pigs, it is lucky, and denotes a successful journey.

It is unlucky to see, first one magpye, and then more; but to see two, denotes marriage or merriment; three, a successful journey; four, an unexpected piece of good news; five, you will shortly be in a great company. To kill a magpye, will certainly be punished with some terrible misfortune.

If, in a family, the youngest daughter should be married before her elder sisters, they must all dance at her wedding without shoes: this will counteract their ill luck, and procure them husbands.

If you meet a funeral procession, or one passes by you, always take off your hat: this keeps all evil spirits attending the body in good humour.

If, in eating, you miss your mouth, and the victuals fall, it is very unlucky, and denotes approaching sickness.

It is lucky to put on a stocking the wrong side outwards: changing it, alters the luck.

When a person goes out to transact any important business, it is lucky to throw an old shoe after him.

It is unlucky to present a knife, scissors, razor, or any sharp or cutting instrument, to one's mistress or friend, as they are apt to cut love and friendship. To avoid the ill effects of this, a pin, a farthing, or some trifling recompense, must be taken. To find a knife or razor, denotes ill luck and disappointment to the party.

In the Highlands of Scotland, it is thought unlucky if a person setting out upon a journey stumble over the threshold, or be obliged to return for anything forgotten. If a sportsman see any person stepping over his gun or fishing-rod, he expects but little success in that day's diversion. Sneezing is also deemed ominous. If one sneeze when making a bed, a little of the straw or heath is taken out and thrown into the fire, that nothing may disturb the rest of the person who is to sleep in the bed. Among the same people, success in any enterprise is believed to depend greatly upon the first creature that presents itself after the enterprise is undertaken. Thus, upon going to shoot, it is reckoned lucky to meet a horse, but very unfortunate to see a hare, if she escape; and upon meeting any creature deemed unlucky, the best means of averting the omen is to roll a stone towards it. The Greeks attributed the same efficacy to the rolling of a stone, though they greatly preferred killing the ominous animal, that the evil portended might fall on its own head.*

The motions and appearances of the clouds were not long ago considered as certain signs by which the skilful Highlander might attain to the knowledge of futurity. On the evening before new-year's-day, if a black cloud appeared in any part of the horizon, it was thought to prognosticate a plague, a famine, or the death of some great man in that part of the country over which it should appear to sit; and in order to ascertain the place threatened by the omen, the motions of this cloud were often watched through the whole night, if it happened to continue so long visible above the horizon.

By the believers in this superstition there are days, as well as words and events, which are deemed ominous of good or bad fortune. The first day of every quarter, midsummer, and new-year's-day, are reckoned the most fortunate days in the year for accomplishing any design. In the Isle of Mull, ploughing, sowing, and reaping, are always begun on Tuesday, though the most favourable weather for these purposes be in this way frequently lost. That day of the week on which the third of May falls, is deemed unlucky throughout the whole year. In Morven, none will upon any account dig peat or turf for fuel on Friday; and it is reckoned unlucky to number the people or cattle belonging to any family, and doubly so if the number be taken on Friday. The age of the moon is also much attended to by the vulgar Highlanders. It is alleged, that during the increase things have a tendency to grow and stick together; and hence, in the Isle of Sky, fences, which are there made of turf, are built only at that time; whilst turf or peats for fuel are never, even in the most favourable weather, either made or stacked up but while the moon is in its wane. An opinion prevails in some places, that if a house take fire during the increase of the moon, the family to which it belongs will prosper in the world; but that if the fire happen while the moon is in the decrease, the family will from that time decline in its circumstances, and sink into poverty.

In attributing such influence to the moon, the superstitious Highlanders have the honour to agree with the philosophic Virgil, who in his Georgics gives the following sage instructions to the husbandman:

*See Peter's Antiquities, vol. ii. P. 346. **OMEN**

*Ipsa dies alios alio dedit ordine Luna* *Felices operum. Quintam fuge:* *Septima post decimam felix et ponere vitem,* *Et prenso domitare boves, et lictia telis.* *Addere: nona fuge melior, contraria furtis.*

The lucky days in each revolving moon For labour choose: the fifth be sure to shun.

*The seventh is next the tenth; the best to join* Young oxen to the yoke, and plant the vine. Then weavers stretch your flays upon the waft: The ninth is good for travel, bad for theft.

**DRYDEN.**

From this coincidence of the superstition of the Roman poet with that of the natives of Mull and Morven, we are strongly inclined to adopt the hypothesis of the gentleman who favoured us with this accurate account of Highland omens. He justly observes, that this superstitious practice of auguring good or ill from trifling events, and from the particular phases of the moon, has no connection whatever with popish priestcraft: he shows that the Roman clergy, even in the darkest age, were at pains to eradicate it as idle and impious; and he therefore infers, that it must be a relic of Druidism handed down by tradition from an era prior to the introduction of Christianity into the Highlands and isles of Scotland. That the Druids were acquainted with the particular doctrines of Pythagoras has been shown elsewhere (see Druids); that Virgil was no stranger to the Pythagorean philosophy is known to every scholar; that Pythagoras and his followers were addicted to the dotages of Magic has been made apparent in that article; and therefore it appears to us probable at least, that the attention paid to pretended omens, not only in the highlands, but also in the low country of Scotland, and indeed among the vulgar in every country of Europe, is a remnant of one of the many superstitions which the Druids imposed upon their deluded followers. That it is contrary to every principle of sound philosophy, all philosophers will readily acknowledge; and whoever has studied the writings of St Paul must be convinced that it is inconsistent with the spirit of genuine Christianity.