(Vol. ix., p. 9.)
The following weather rules are taken from a work which is probably but little known to the generality of English readers. It is entitled:
"Contes populaires, Préjugés, Patois, Proverbes, Noms de Lieux, de l'Arrondissement de Bayeux, recueillis et publiés par Frédéric Pluquet, &c.: Rouen, 1834."
Where saints' days are mentioned, I have added the day of the month on which they fall, as far as I have been able to ascertain it; but as it sometimes happens that there is more than one saint of the same name, and that their feasts fall on different days, I may perhaps, in some cases, have fixed on the wrong one:
"Année venteuse,
Année pommeuse."
"Année hannetonneuse,
Année pommeuse."
"L'hiver est dans un bissac; s'il n'est dans un bout, il est dans l'autre."
"Pluie du matin
N'arrête pas le pélerin."
"À Noël au balcon,
À Pàques au tison."
"À Noël les moucherons,
À Pàques les glaçons."
"Pàques pluvieux,
An fromenteux."
"Le propre jour des Rameaux
Sème oignons et poreaux."
"Après Pàques et les Rogations,
Fi de prêtres et d'oignons."
"Fêves fleuries
Temps de folies."
"Rouge rosée au matin,
C'est beau temps pour le pélerin."
"Pluie de Février
Vaut jus de fumier."
"Février qui donne neige
Bel été nous plège."
"Février
L'anelier" [anneau].
This saying has probably originated in the number of marriages celebrated in this month; the season of Lent which follows being a time in which it is not usual, in Roman Catholic countries, to contract marriage.
"Février emplit les fosses;
Mars les sèche."
"Mars martelle,
Avril coutelle."
An allusion to the boisterous winds of March, and the sharp, cutting, easterly winds which frequently prevail in April.
"Nul Avril
Sans épi."
"Avril le doux,
Quand il se fàche, le pis de tout."
"Bonne ou mauvaise poirette,
Il faut que Mars a trouve faite."
Poirette, in the dialect of Bayeux, means a leek.
"Froid Mai et chaud Juin
Donnent pain et vin."
"En Juignet [Juillet],
La faucille au poignet."
"À la Saint-Vincent [Jan. 22],
Tout dégèle, ou tout fend."
"Saint-Julien brise glace [Jan. 27],
S'il ne la brise, il l'embrasse."
"À la Chandeleur [Feb. 2],
La grande douleur."
Meaning the greatest cold.
"À la Chandeleur,
Où toutes bêtes sont en horreur."
Probably alluding to the rough state of their coats at this season.
"À la Saint-George [April 23],
Sème ton orge."
"Quand il pleut le jour Saint-Marc [April 25],
Il ne faut ni pouque ni sac."
"À la Saint-Catherine [April 29],
Tout bois prend racine."
"À la Saint-Urbain [May 25],
Le froment porte grain."
"À la Saint-Loup [May 28?],
La lampe au clou."
"S'il pleut le jour Saint-Médard [June 8],
Il pleuvra quarante jours plus tard."
"À la Saint-Barnabé [June 11]
La faux au pré."
"À la Saint-Sacrement [this year, June 15]
L'épi est au froment."
"Quand il pleut à la Saint-Gervais [June 19],
Il pleut quarante jours après."
"À la Madeleine [July 22],
Les noix sont pleines."
"À la Saint-Laurent [Aug. 10],
La faucille au froment."
"Passé la Saint-Clément [Nov. 23?],
Ne sème plus le froment."
"Si le soleil rit le jour Sainte-Eulalie [Dec. 10],
Il y aura pommes et cidre à folie."
"À la Sainte-Luce [Dec. 13?],
Les jours croissent du saut d'une puce."
"À la Saint-Thomas [Dec. 21],
Les jours sont au plus bas."
Edgar MacCulloch.
Guernsey.
VAULT INTERMENTS (Vol. ii., p. 21.): BURIAL IN AN ERECT POSTURE (Vol. viii., pp. 329. 630.):
INTERMENT OF THE TROGLODITÆ (Vol. ii., p. 187.).
In the 4th book of Evelyn's Sylva there is much interesting matter on this subject, besides what has been quoted above; and, to those herein interested, the following extract from Burn's History of Parish Registers in England will doubtless be acceptable:
"Many great and good men have entertained scruples on the practice of interment in churches. The example of the virtuous and primitive confessor, Archbishop Sancroft, who ordered himself to be buried in the churchyard of Fresingfield in Suffolk, thinking it improper that the house of God should be made the repository of sinful man, ought to command the imitation of less deserving persons: perhaps it had an influence over the mind of his successor, Archbishop Secker, who ordered himself to be buried in the churchyard of Lambeth. The Bishops of London in succession, from Bishop Compton to Bishop Hayter, who died in 1762, inclusive, have been buried in Fulham Churchyard."[[1]]