CONTENTS

[HOW TO TELL FORTUNES BY CARDS.]
[GOOD AND BAD OMENS.]
[WEATHER OMENS.]
[HYMEN’S LOTTERY.]
[LIST OF UNLUCKY DAYS (Males)]
[LIST OF UNLUCKY DAYS (Females)]
[LIST OF DAYS USUALLY CONSIDERED FORTUNATE.]
[ST. AGNES’ DAY]
[NAPOLEON’S ORACULUM; OR, BOOK OF FATE.]
[ORACULUM.]

HOW TO TELL FORTUNES

CONTAINING
Napoleon’s Oraculum, and the Key to Work It

ALSO
Tells Fortunes by Cards,
LUCKY AND UNLUCKY DAYS,
SIGNS AND OMENS.

[HOW TO TELL FORTUNES
BY CARDS.]

In telling Fortunes by Cards—as in all games in which they are employed—the Ace ranks highest in value. Then comes the King, followed by the Queen, Knave, Ten, Nine, Eight, and Seven; these being generally the only cards used.

The order, and comparative value of the different suits, is as follows:—First on the list stand “Clubs,” as they mostly portend happiness; and—no matter how numerous, or how accompanied—are rarely or never of bad augury. Next come “Hearts,” which usually signify joy, liberality, or good temper; “Diamonds,” on the contrary, denote delay, quarrels, and annoyance; and “Spades”—the worst suit of all—grief, sickness, and loss of money.

We are of course speaking generally, as, in many cases, the position of cards entirely changes their signification; their individual and relative meaning being often widely different. Thus, for example, the King of Hearts, the Nine of Hearts, and the Nine of Clubs, respectively signify, a liberal man, joy, and success in love, but change their position, by placing the King between the two nines, and you would read that a man, then rich and happy, would be ere long consigned to a prison!

SIGNIFICATION OF THE CARDS.

The individual meaning attached to the thirty-two cards employed is as follows:—

THE EIGHT CLUBS.

Ace of Clubs.—Signifies joy, money, or good news; if reversed, the joy will be of brief duration.

King of Clubs.—A frank, liberal man, fond of serving his friends; if reversed, he will meet with a disappointment.

Queen of Clubs.—An affectionate woman, but quick-tempered and touchy; if reversed, jealous and malicious.

Knave of Clubs.—A clever and enterprising young man; reversed, a harmless flirt and flatterer.

Ten of Clubs.—Fortune, success, or grandeur; reversed, want of success in some small matter.

Nine of Clubs.—Unexpected gain, or a legacy; reversed, some trifling present.

Eight of Clubs.—A dark person’s affections, which, if returned, will be the cause of great prosperity; reversed, those of a fool, and attendant unhappiness, if reciprocated.

Seven of Clubs.—A small sum of money, or unexpectedly recovered debt; reversed, a yet smaller amount.

THE EIGHT HEARTS.

Ace of Hearts.—A love-letter, or some pleasant news; reversed, a friend’s visit.

King of Hearts.—A fair, liberal man; reversed, will meet with disappointment.

Queen of Hearts.—A mild, amiable woman; reversed, has been crossed in love.

Knave of Hearts.—A gay young bachelor, who dreams only of pleasure; reversed, a discontented military man.

Ten of Hearts.—Happiness, triumph; if reversed, some slight anxiety.

Nine of Hearts.—Joy, satisfaction, success; reversed, a passing chagrin.

Eight of Hearts.—A fair person’s affections; reversed, indifference on his or her part.

Seven of Hearts.—Pleasant thoughts, tranquillity; reversed, ennui, weariness.

THE EIGHT DIAMONDS.

Ace of Diamonds.—A letter, soon to be received; and, if the card be reversed, containing bad news.

King of Diamonds.—A fair man—generally in the army—but both cunning and dangerous; if reversed, a threatened danger, caused by machinations on his part.

Queen of Diamonds.—An ill-bred, scandal-loving woman; if reversed, she is to be greatly feared.

Knave of Diamonds.—A tale-bearing servant, or unfaithful friend; if reversed, will be the cause of mischief.

Ten of Diamonds.—Journey, or change of residence; if reversed, it will not prove fortunate.

Nine of Diamonds.—Annoyance, delay; if reversed, either a family or a love quarrel.

Eight of Diamonds.—Love-making; if reversed, unsuccessful.

Seven of Diamonds.—Satire, mockery; reversed, a foolish scandal.

N. B.—In order to know whether the Ace, Ten, Nine, Eight and Seven of Diamonds are reversed, it is better to make a small pencil-mark on each, to show which is the top of the card.

THE EIGHT SPADES.

Ace of Spades.—Pleasure; reversed, grief, bad news.

King of Spades.—The envious man, an enemy, or a dishonest lawyer, who is to be feared; reversed, impotent malice.

Queen of Spades.—A widow; reversed, a dangerous and malicious woman.

Knave of Spades.—A dark, ill-bred young man; reversed, he is plotting some mischief.

Ten of Spades.—Tears, a prison; reversed, brief affliction.

Nine of Spades.—Tidings of a death; reversed, it will be some near relative.

Eight of Spades.—Approaching illness; reversed, a marriage broken off, or offer refused.

Seven of Spades.—Slight annoyances; reversed, a foolish intrigue.

The Court cards of Hearts and Diamonds usually represent persons of fair complexion; Clubs and Spades, the opposite.

Signification of Different Cards of the Same Denomination.

Four Aces, coming together, or following each other, announce danger, failure in business, and sometimes imprisonment. If one or more of them be reversed, the danger will be lessened, but that is all.

Three Aces, coming in the same manner.—Good tidings; if reversed, folly.

Two Aces.—A plot; if reversed, will not succeed.

Four Kings.—Rewards, dignities, honors; reversed, they will be less, but sooner received.

Three Kings.—A consultation on important business, the result of which will be highly satisfactory; if reversed, success will be doubtful.

Two Kings.—A partnership in business; if reversed, a dissolution of the same. Sometimes this only denotes friendly projects.

Four Queens.—Company, society; one or more reversed, denotes that the entertainment will not go off well.

Three Queens.—Friendly calls; reversed, chattering and scandal or deceit.

Two Queens.—A meeting between friends; reversed, poverty, troubles, in which one will involve the other.

Four Knaves.—A noisy party—mostly young people; reversed, a drinking bout.

Three Knaves.—False friends; reversed, a quarrel with some low person.

Two Knaves.—Evil intentions; reversed, danger.

Four tens.—Great success in projected enterprises; reversed, the success will not be so brilliant, but still it will be sure.

Three tens.—Improper conduct; reversed, failure.

Two tens.—Change of trade or profession; reversed, denotes that the prospect is only a distant one.

Four nines.—A great surprise; reversed, a public dinner.

Three nines.—Joy, fortune, health; reversed, wealth lost by imprudence.

Two nines.—A little gain; reversed, trifling losses at cards.

Four eights.—A short journey; reversed, the return of a friend or relative.

Three eights.—Thoughts of marriage; reversed, folly, flirtation.

Two eights.—A brief love-dream; reversed, small pleasures and trifling pains.

Four Sevens.—Intrigues among servants or low people, threats, snares, and disputes; reversed, that their malice will be impotent to harm, and that the punishment will fall on themselves.

Three sevens.—Sickness, premature old age; reversed, slight and brief indisposition.

Two sevens.—Levity; reversed, regret.

Any picture-card between two others of equal value—as two tens, two Aces, etc.—denotes that the person represented by that card runs the risk of a prison.

It requires no great efforts to commit these significations to memory, but it must be remembered that they are but what the alphabet is to the printed book: a little attention and practice, however, will soon enable the learner to form these mystic letters into words, and words into phrases; in other language, to assemble these cards together, and read the events, past and to come, their pictured faces pretend to reveal.

There are several ways of doing this; but we will give them all, one after another, so as to afford our readers an ample choice of methods of prying into futurity.

DEALING THE CARDS BY THREES.

Take the pack of thirty-two selected cards (viz., the Ace, King, Queen, Knave, Ten, Nine, Eight, and Seven of each suit), having before fixed upon the one you intend to represent yourself, supposing always you are making the essay on your own behalf. If not, it must represent the person for whom you are acting. In doing this, it is necessary to remember that the card chosen should be according to the complexion of the chooser, King or Queen of Diamonds for a very fair person, ditto of Hearts for one rather darker, Clubs for one darker still, and Spades only for one very dark indeed. The card chosen also loses its signification, and simply becomes the representative of a dark or fair man, or woman, as the case may be.

This point having been settled, shuffle the cards, and either cut them or have them cut for you (according to whether you are acting for yourself or another person), taking care to use the left hand. That done, turn them up by threes, and every time you find in these triplets two of the same suit, such as two Hearts, two Clubs, etc., withdraw the highest card and place it on the table before you. If the triplet should chance to be all of the same suit, the highest card is still to be the only one withdrawn; but should it consist of three of the same value but different suits, such as three Kings, etc., they are to be all appropriated. We will suppose that, after having turned up the cards three by three, you have been able to withdraw six, leaving twenty-six, which you shuffle and cut, and again turn up by threes, acting precisely as you did before, until you have obtained either thirteen, fifteen, or seventeen cards. Recollect that the number must always be uneven, and that the card representing the person for whom the essay is made must make one of it. Even if the requisite thirteen, fifteen, or seventeen have been obtained, and this one has not made its appearance, the operation must be recommenced. Let us suppose the person whose fortune is being read to be a lady, represented by the Queen of Hearts, and that fifteen cards have been obtained and laid out—in the form of a half circle—in the order they were drawn, viz., the Seven of Clubs, the Ten of Diamonds, the Seven of Hearts, the Knave of Clubs, the King of Diamonds, the Nine of Diamonds, the Ten of Hearts, the Queen of Spades, the Eight of Hearts, the Knave of Diamonds, the Queen of Hearts, the Nine of Clubs, the Seven of Spades, the Ace of Clubs, the Eight of Spades. Having considered your cards, you will find among them two Queens, two Knaves, two tens, three sevens, two eights, and two nines; you are, therefore, able to announce:

“The two Queens before me signify the reunion of friends; the two Knaves, that there is mischief being made between them. These two tens denote a change of profession, which, from one of them being between two sevens, I see will not be effected without some difficulty; the cause of which, according to these three sevens, will be illness. However, these two nines promise some small gain, resulting—so say these two eights—from a love affair.”

You now begin to count seven cards, from right to left, beginning with the Queen of Hearts, who represents the lady you are acting for. The seventh being the King of Diamonds, you may say:

“You often think of a fair man in uniform.”

The next seventh card (counting the King of Diamonds as one) proves to be the Ace of Clubs; you add:

“You will receive from him some very joyful tidings; he, besides, intends making you a present.”

Count the Ace of Clubs as “one,” and proceeding to the next seventh card, the Queen of Spades, you resume:

“A widow is endeavoring to injure you on this very account; and” (the seventh card, counting the Queen as one, being the Ten of Diamonds) “the annoyance she gives you will oblige you to either take a journey or change your residence; but” (this Ten of Diamonds being imprisoned between two sevens) “your journey or removal will meet with some obstacle.”

On proceeding to count as before, calling the Ten of Diamonds one, you will find the seventh card proves to be the Queen of Hearts herself, the person for whom you are acting, and may therefore safely conclude by saying:

“But this you will overcome of yourself, without needing any one’s aid or assistance.”

Now take the two cards at either extremity of the half circle, which are, respectively, the Eight of Spades and the Seven of Clubs, unite them, and continue:—

“A sickness, which will lead to your receiving a small sum of money.”

Repeat the same maneuver, which brings together the Ace of Clubs and the Ten of Diamonds:—

“Good news, which will make you decide on taking a journey, destined to prove a very happy one, and which will occasion you to receive a sum of money.”

The next cards united, being the Seven of Spades and the Seven of Hearts, you say:—

“Tranquility and peace of mind, followed by slight anxiety, quickly succeeded by love and happiness.”

Then come the Nine of Clubs and the Knave of Clubs, foretelling: “You will certainly receive money through the exertions of a clever dark young man—Queen of Hearts and King of Diamonds—which comes from a fair man in uniform; this rencounter announces some great happiness in store for you, and complete fulfillment of your wishes. Knave of Diamonds and Nine of Diamonds—Although this happy result may be delayed for a time, through some fair young man, not famed for his delicacy—Eight of Hearts and Ten of Hearts—love, joy, and triumph. The Queen of Spades, who remains alone, is the widow who is endeavoring to injure you, and who finds herself abandoned by all her friends!”

Now gather up the cards you have been using, shuffle and cut them with the left hand, and proceed to make them into three packs by dealing one to the left, one in the middle, and one to the right; a fourth is laid aside to form “a surprise.” Then continue to deal the cards to each of the three packs in turn, until their number is exhausted, when it will be found that the left-hand and middle packs contain each five cards, whilst the one on the right hand consists of only four.

Now ask the person consulting you to select one of the three packs. We will suppose this to be the middle one, and that the cards comprising it are, the Knave of Diamonds, the King of Diamonds, the Seven of Spades, the Queen of Spades, and the Seven of Clubs. These, by recollecting our previous instructions regarding the individual and relative signification of the cards, are easily interpreted, as follows:

“The Knave of Clubs—a fair young man, possessed of no delicacy of feeling, who seeks to injure—the King of Diamonds—a fair man in uniform—Seven of Spades—and will succeed in causing him some annoyance—the Queen of Spades—at the instigation of a spiteful woman—Seven of Clubs—but, by means of a small sum of money, matters will be finally easily arranged.”

Next take up the left-hand pack, which is “for the house”—the former one having been for the lady herself. Supposing it to consist of the Queen of Hearts, the Knave of Clubs, the Eight of Hearts, the Nine of Diamonds, and the Ace of Clubs, they would read thus:

“Queen of Hearts—the lady whose fortune is being told is, or soon will be, in a house—Knave of Clubs—where she will meet with a dark young man, who—Eight of Hearts—will entreat her assistance to forward his interests with a fair girl—Nine of Diamonds—he having met with delays and disappointment—Ace of Clubs—but a letter will arrive announcing the possession of money, which will remove all difficulties.”

The third pack is “for those who did not expect it,” and will be composed of four cards, let us say the Ten of Hearts, Nine of Clubs, Eight of Spades, and Ten of Diamonds, signifying:

“The Ten of Hearts—An unexpected piece of good fortune and great happiness—Nine of Clubs—caused by an unlooked-for legacy—Eight of Spades—which joy may perhaps be followed by a slight sickness—Ten of Diamonds—the result of a fatiguing journey.”

There now remains on the table only the card intended for the “surprise.” This, however, must be left untouched, the other cards gathered up, shuffled, cut, and again laid out in three packs, not forgetting at the first deal to add a card to “the surprise.” After the different packs have been duly examined and explained, as before described, they must again be gathered up, shuffled, etc., indeed, the whole operation repeated, after which the three cards forming “the surprise” are examined; and supposing them to be the Seven of Hearts, the Knave of Clubs, and the Queen of Spades, are to be thus interpreted:

“Seven of Hearts—pleasant thoughts and friendly intentions—Knave of Clubs—of a dark young man—relative to a malicious dark woman, or widow, who will cause him much unhappiness.”

DEALING THE CARDS BY SEVENS.

After having shuffled the pack of thirty-two selected cards—which, as we before stated, consist of the Ace, King, Queen, Knave, Ten, Nine, Eight, and Seven of each suit—either cut them yourself, or, if acting for another person, let that person cut them, taking care to use the left hand. Then count seven cards, beginning with the one lying on the top of the pack. The first six are useless, so put them aside, and retain only the seventh, which is to be placed face uppermost on the table before you. Repeat this three times more, then shuffle and cut the cards you have thrown on one side, together with those remaining in your hand, and tell them out in sevens as before, until you have thus obtained twelve cards. It is, however, indispensable that the one representing the person whose fortune is being told should be among the number; therefore, the whole operation must be recommenced in case of it not having made its appearance. Your twelve cards being now spread out before you in the order in which they have come to hand, you may begin to explain them as described in the manner of dealing the cards in threes—always bearing in mind both their individual and relative signification. Thus, you first count the cards by sevens, beginning with the one representing the person for whom you are acting, going from right to left. Then take the two cards at either extremity of the line or half-circle, and unite them, and afterwards form the three heaps or packs and “the surprise” precisely as we have before described. Indeed, the only difference between the two methods is the manner in which the cards are obtained.

DEALING THE CARDS BY FIFTEENS.

After having well shuffled and cut the cards, or, as we have before said, had them cut, deal them out in two packs, containing sixteen cards in each. Desire the person consulting you to choose one of them; lay aside the first card, to form “the surprise;” turn up the other fifteen, and range them in a half-circle before you, going from left to right, placing them in the order in which they come to hand, and taking care to remark whether the one representing the person for whom you are acting be among them. If not, the cards must be all gathered up, shuffled, cut, and dealt as before, and this must be repeated until the missing card makes its appearance in the pack chosen by the person it represents. Now proceed to explain them—first, by interpreting the meaning of any pairs, triplets, or quartettes among them; then by counting them in sevens, going from right to left, and beginning with the card representing the person consulting you; and lastly, by taking the cards at either extremity of the line and pairing them. This being done, gather up the fifteen cards, shuffle, cut, and deal them so as to form three packs of each five cards. From each of these three packs withdraw the topmost card, and place them on the one laid aside to form “the surprise,” thus forming four packs of four cards each.

Desire the person for whom you are acting to choose one of these packs, “for herself” or “himself,” as the case may be. Turn it up, and spread out the four cards it contains, from left to right, explaining their individual and relative signification. Next proceed in like manner with the pack on your left hand, which will be “for the house;” then the third one, “for those who do not expect it;” and lastly, “the surprise.”

In order to render our meaning perfectly clear, we will give another example. Let us suppose that the pack for the person consulting you is composed of the Knave of Hearts, the Ace of Diamonds, the Queen of Clubs, and the Eight of Spades reversed. By the aid of the list of meanings we have given, it will be easy to interpret them as follows:

“The Knave of Hearts is a gay young bachelor—the Ace of Diamonds—who has written, or will very soon write, a letter—the Queen of Clubs—to a dark woman—Eight of Spades reversed—to make proposals to her, which will not be accepted.”

On looking back to the list of significations, it will be found to run thus:

Knave of Hearts.—A gay young bachelor, who thinks only of pleasure.

Ace of Diamonds.—A letter soon to be received.

Queen of Clubs.—An affectionate woman, but quick-tempered and touchy.

Eight of Spades.—If reversed, a marriage broken off, or offer refused.

It will thus be seen that each card forms, as it were, a phrase from an assemblage of which nothing but a little practice is required to form complete sentences. Of this we will give a further example, by interpreting the signification of the three other packs—“for the house,” “for those who do not expect it,” and “the surprise.” The first of these, “for the house,” we will suppose to consist of the Queen of Hearts, the Knave of Spades reversed, the Ace of Clubs, and the Nine of Diamonds, which reads thus:

“The Queen of Hearts is a fair woman, mild and amiable in disposition, who—Knave of Spades reversed—will be deceived by a dark, ill-bred young man—the Ace of Clubs—but she will receive some good news, which will console her—Nine of Diamonds—although it is probable that the news may be delayed.”

The pack “for those who do not expect it,” consisting of the Queen of Diamonds, the King of Spades, the Ace of Hearts reversed, and the Seven of Spades, would signify:

“The Queen of Diamonds is a mischief-making woman—the King of Spades—who is in league with a dishonest lawyer—Ace of Hearts reversed—they will hold a consultation together—Seven of Spades—but the harm they will do will soon be repaired.”

Last comes “the surprise,” formed by, we will suppose, the Knave of Clubs, the Ten of Diamonds, the Queen of Spades, and the Nine of Spades, of which the interpretation is:

“The Knave of Clubs is a clever, enterprising young man—Ten of Diamonds—about to undertake a journey—Queen of Spades—for the purpose of visiting a widow—Nine of Spades—but one or both of their lives will be endangered.”

THE ITALIAN METHOD.

Take a pack composed of thirty-two selected cards, viz., the Ace, King, Queen, Knave, Ten, Nine, Eight, and Seven of each suit. Shuffle them well, and either cut or have them cut for you, according to whether you are acting for yourself or another person. Turn up the cards by threes, and when the triplet is composed of cards of the same suit, lay it aside; when of three different suits, pass it by without withdrawing any of the three; but when composed of two of one suit and one of another, withdraw the highest card of the two. When you have come to the end of the pack, gather up all the cards except those you have withdrawn; shuffle, cut, and again turn up by threes. Repeat this operation until you have obtained fifteen cards, which must then be spread out before you, from left to right, in the order in which they come to hand.

Care must, however, be taken that the card representing the person making the essay is among them; if not, the whole operation must be recommenced until the desired result is obtained. We will suppose it to be some dark lady—represented by the Queen of Clubs—who is anxious to make the attempt for herself, and that the cards are laid out in the following order, from left to right:—Ten of Diamonds, Queen of Clubs, Eight of Hearts, Ace of Diamonds, Ten of Hearts, Seven of Clubs, King of Spades, Nine of Hearts, Knave of Spades, Ace of Clubs, Seven of Spades, Ten of Spades, Seven of Diamonds, Ace of Spades, Knave of Hearts.

On examining them, you will find that there are three Aces among them, announcing good news; but, as they are at some distance from each other, that the tidings may be some time before they arrive.

The three tens denote that the conduct of the person consulting the cards has not always been strictly correct. The two Knaves are enemies, and the three Sevens predict an illness, caused by them.

You now begin to count five cards, beginning with the Queen of Clubs, who represents the person consulting you. The fifth card, being the Seven of Clubs, announces that the lady will soon receive a small sum of money. The next fifth card proving to be the Ace of Clubs, signifies that this money will be accompanied by some very joyful tidings. Next, comes the Ace of Spades, promising complete success to any projects undertaken by the person consulting the cards; then the Eight of Hearts, followed at the proper interval by the King of Spades, showing that the good news will excite the malice of a dishonest lawyer; but the Seven of Spades coming next announces that the annoyance he can cause will be of short duration, and that a gay fair young man—the Knave of Hearts—will soon console her for what she has suffered. The Ace of Diamonds tells that she will soon receive a letter from this fair young man—the Nine of Hearts—announcing a great success—Ten of Spades—but this will be followed by some slight chagrin—Ten of Diamonds—caused by a journey—Ten of Hearts—but it will soon pass, although—Knave of Spades—a bad, dark young man will endeavor—Seven of Diamonds—to turn her into ridicule. The Queen of Clubs, being representative of herself, shows that it is towards her that the dark young man’s malice will be directed. Now take the cards at either extremity of the line, and pair them together. The two first being the Knave of Hearts and the Ten of Diamonds, you may say: “A gay young bachelor is preparing to take a journey—Ace of Spades and Queen of Clubs—which will bring him to the presence of the lady consulting the cards, and cause her great joy. Seven of Diamonds and Eight of Hearts—Scandal talked about a fair young girl. Ten of Spades and Ace of Diamonds—tears shed upon receipt of a letter. Seven of Spades and Ten of Hearts—great joy, mingled with slight sorrow. Seven of Clubs and Ace of Clubs—A letter promising money. Knave of Spades and King of Spades—the winning of a lawsuit. The Nine of Hearts, being the one card left, promises complete success.”

Now gather up the cards, shuffle, cut, and deal them out in five packs—one for the lady herself, one for the house, one for “those who do not expect it,” one for “those who do expect it,” and one for “the surprise,” in the first deal, laying one card aside for “consolation.” The rest are then equally distributed among the other five packs, which will four of them contain three cards, whilst the last only consists of two.

We will suppose the first packet for the lady herself to be composed of the Ace of Diamonds, the Seven of Clubs, and the Ten of Hearts. The interpretation would run thus:

“Ace of Diamonds—a letter will be shortly received—Seven of Clubs—announcing the arrival of a small sum of money—Ten of Hearts—and containing some very joyful tidings.”

The second pack, “for the house,” containing the King of Spades, the Nine of Hearts, and the Knave of Spades:

“The person consulting the cards will receive a visit—King of Spades—from a lawyer—Nine of Hearts—which will greatly delight—Knave of Spades—a dark, ill-disposed young man.”

The third pack, “for those who do not expect it,” composed of the Ace of Spades, the Knave of Hearts, and the Ace of Clubs, would read:

“Ace of Spades—pleasure in store for—Knave of Hearts—a gay young bachelor—Ace of Clubs—by means of money; but as the Knave of Hearts is placed between two Aces, it is evident that he runs a great risk of being imprisoned; and from the two cards signifying respectively ‘pleasure’ and ‘money,’ that it will be for having run into debt.”

The fourth pack, “for those who do expect it,” containing the Eight of Hearts, the Queen of Clubs, and the Ten of Diamonds:

“The Eight of Hearts—the love-affairs of a fair young girl will oblige—the Queen of Clubs—the person consulting the cards—Ten of Diamonds—to take a journey.”

The fifth pack, “for the surprise,” consists of the Seven of Spades and the Ten of Spades, meaning:

“Seven of Spades—slight trouble—Ten of Spades—caused by some person’s imprisonment—The Card of Consolation—Seven of Diamonds—which will turn out to have been a mere report.”

PRESENT, PAST, AND FUTURE.

The person wishing to try her fortune in this manner (we will suppose her to be a young, fair person, represented by the Eight of Hearts), must well shuffle, and cut with the left hand, the pack of thirty-two cards; after which she must lay aside the topmost and undermost cards, to form the surprise. There will now remain thirty cards, which must be dealt out in three parcels—one to the left, one in the middle, and one to the right.

The left-hand pack represents the Past; the middle, the Present; and the one on the right hand, the Future. She must commence with the “Past,” which we will suppose to contain these ten cards: The King of Clubs, the Ace of Spades, the Knave of Diamonds, the Nine of Diamonds, the Ace of Hearts, the Knave of Hearts, the Queen of Hearts, the King of Spades, the Knave of Clubs, and the King of Hearts.

She would remark that picture-cards predominating was a favorable sign; also that the presence of three Kings proved that powerful persons were interesting themselves in her affairs. The three Knaves, however, warn her to beware of false friends, and the Nine of Diamonds predicts some great annoyance, overcome by some good and amiable person, represented by the Queen of Hearts. The two Aces also give notice of a plot. Taking the cards in the order they lay, the explanation would run thus:

“The King of Clubs—a frank, open-hearted man—Ace of Spades—fond of gayety and pleasure, is disliked by Knave of Diamonds—an unfaithful friend—Nine of Diamonds—who seeks to injure him. The Ace of Hearts—a love-letter—Knave of Hearts—from a gay young bachelor to a fair, amiable woman—Queen of Hearts—causes—King of Spades—a lawyer to endeavor to injure a clever—Knave of Clubs—enterprising young man, who is saved from him by—the King of Hearts—a good and powerful man. Nevertheless, as the Knave of Clubs is placed between two similar cards, he has run great risk of being imprisoned through the machinations of his enemy.”

The second parcel, “the Present,” containing the Ten of Diamonds, the Nine of Spades, the Eight of Spades, the Queen of Diamonds, the Queen of Clubs, the Eight of Hearts, the Seven of Spades, the Ten of Spades, Queen of Spades, the Eight of Diamonds, signifies:

“The Ten of Diamonds—a voyage or journey, at that moment taking place—Nine of Spades—caused by the death or dangerous illness of some one—Eight of Spades—whose state will occasion great grief—Queen of Diamonds—to a fair woman. The Queen of Clubs—An affectionate woman seeks to console—Eight of Hearts—a fair young girl, who is the person making the essay—Seven of Spades—who has secret griefs—Ten of Spades—causing her many tears—Queen of Spades—these are occasioned by the conduct of either a dark woman or a widow, who—Eight of Diamonds—is her rival.”

The third packet of cards, “the Future,” we will suppose to contain the Eight of Clubs, the Ten of Clubs, the Seven of Diamonds, the Ten of Hearts, the Seven of Clubs, the Nine of Hearts, the Ace of Diamonds, the Knave of Spades, the Seven of Hearts, the Nine of Clubs, which would read thus:

“In the first place, the large number of small cards foretells success in enterprises, although the presence of three sevens predicts an illness. The Eight of Clubs—a dark young girl—Ten of Clubs—is about to inherit a large fortune—Seven of Diamonds—but her satirical disposition will destroy—Ten of Hearts—all her happiness. Seven of Clubs—A little money and—Nine of Hearts—much joy—Ace of Hearts—will be announced to the person making the essay by a letter, and—Knave of Spades—a wild young man—Seven of Hearts—will be overjoyed at receiving—Nine of Clubs—some unexpected tidings. The cards of surprise—viz., the King of Diamonds and the Ace of Clubs—predict that a letter will be received from some military man, and that it will contain money.”

THE STAR METHOD OF CONSULTING THE CARDS.

We will suppose the person making the essay to be a widow, and consequently represented by the Queen of Spades. This card is, therefore, to be withdrawn from the pack, and laid, face uppermost, upon the table. The remaining thirty-one cards are then to be well shuffled, cut, the topmost card withdrawn and placed lengthwise, and face uppermost, above the head of the Queen of Spades. The cards are to be shuffled, cut, and the topmost card withdrawn, twelve more times, the manner of their arrangement being this: The Queen of Spades in the center, the first card lengthwise above her head, the second ditto at her feet, the third on her right side, the fourth on her left, the fifth placed upright above the first, the sixth ditto below the second, the seventh at the right of the third, the eighth at the left of the fourth, the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth, at the four corners, and the thirteenth across the center card—the Queen of Spades—thus forming a star.

We will suppose these fourteen cards to be the Queen of Spades, which represents the person making the essay; then—1. The Ace of Hearts; 2. The King of Clubs; 3. The Ten of Clubs; 4. Nine of Diamonds; 5. Queen of Clubs; 6. The Eight of Hearts; 7. The Ten of Spades; 8. The Knave of Clubs; 9. The Seven of Clubs; 10. The Ten of Hearts; 11. The Knave of Diamonds; 12. The Eight of Diamonds; 13. The Nine of Clubs. These being placed at right angles, the person consulting them takes them up two by two, beginning with those last laid down.

The first card, 12, the Eight of Diamonds, and the one in the opposite corner, viz., 11, the Knave of Diamonds, read—“Overtures will be made—Knave of Diamonds—by a fair young man—next two cards, 10 and 9, Ten of Hearts—which will prove unsuccessful—Seven of Clubs—on account of something connected with money. Next two cards, 8 and 7, the Knave of Clubs—a clever, dark young man—Ten of Spades—will be greatly grieved by, 6—Eight of Hearts, a fair girl to whom he is attached. Next two cards, 5 and 4, the Queen of Clubs—A dark woman—Nine of Diamonds—will be annoyed at not receiving, 3—Ten of Clubs—a sum of money—next two cards, 2 and 1, the King of Clubs—which was to have been sent her by a generous dark man, who is fond of obliging his friends—Ace of Hearts—it will at last arrive, accompanied by a love-letter—13th card, placed across the Queen of Spades, Nine of Clubs—and be the cause of unexpected gain to the person consulting the cards.” There is a shorter and simpler way of doing this, by surrounding the card representing the person trying his or her fortune, with a less number of cards.

The cards are shuffled and cut as before described, and the topmost one withdrawn. We will suppose the center card to be the Knave of Clubs, representing a dark young man—the first topmost one proves to be the Ace of Clubs, and this is placed above the head of the Knave—the second, the Eight of Hearts, is placed at his feet—the third, the Knave of Diamonds, at his right side—the fourth, the Queen of Spades, on his left. These read—“Ace of Clubs—You will soon receive a letter, which will give you great pleasure—Eight of Hearts—from a fair girl. Knave of Diamonds—An unfaithful friend—Queen of Spades—and a malicious widow, will seek to injure you on that very account.”

TO KNOW IF YOU WILL GET YOUR WISH.

Shuffle the cards well, and cut, or have them cut, with the left hand. Then deal out thirteen cards. If among these is to be found one or more Aces lay them aside, shuffle and cut the remaining ones, and again deal thirteen; withdraw the Aces as before, and again shuffle, cut, and deal. If, in these three deals, all four aces make their appearance, you will get your wish. If all the Aces come at the first deal, the response is in the highest degree favorable.

THE ENGLISH METHOD OF CONSULTING THE CARDS.

Having described the French and Italian methods of consulting the cards, we will proceed to notice the manner in which the art of fortune-telling is generally practiced in England and Scotland. Hitherto only thirty-two cards have been made use of, but now the whole pack is employed. The significations also slightly differ; therefore we shall first give a complete list of them, and then pass on to describe how the cards are to be arranged, so as to disclose their mystic meanings.

Ace of Clubs.—Wealth, happiness, and peace of mind.

King of Clubs.—A dark man, upright, faithful, and affectionate in disposition.

Queen of Clubs.—A dark woman, gentle and pleasing.

Knave of Clubs.—A sincere, but hasty friend—also a dark man’s thoughts.

Ten of Clubs.—Unexpected riches, and loss of a dear friend.

Nine of Clubs.—Disobedience to friends’ wishes.

Eight of Clubs.—A covetous man—also warns against speculations.

Seven of Clubs.—Promises good fortune and happiness; but bids a person beware of the opposite sex.

Six of Clubs.—Predicts a lucrative business.

Five of Clubs.—A prudent marriage.

Four of Clubs.—Cautions against inconstancy or change of object for the sake of money.

Three of Clubs.—Shows that a person will be more than once married.

Two of Clubs.—A disappointment.

Ace of Diamonds.—A letter—from whom, and about what, is seen by the neighboring cards.

King of Diamonds.—A fair man, hot-tempered, obstinate, and revengeful.

Queen of Diamonds.—A fair woman, fond of company, and a coquette.

Knave of Diamonds.—A near relation, who considers only his own interests. Also a fair person’s thoughts.

Ten of Diamonds.—Money.

Nine of Diamonds.—Show that a person is fond of roving.

Eight of Diamonds.—A marriage late in life.

Seven of Diamonds.—Satire, evil speaking.

Six of Diamonds.—Early marriage and widowhood.

Five of Diamonds.—Unexpected news.

Four of Diamonds.—Trouble arising from unfaithful friends. Also a betrayed secret.

Three of Diamonds.—Quarrels, law-suits, and domestic disagreements.

Two of Diamonds.—An engagement, against the wishes of friends.

Ace of Hearts.—The house. If attended by Spades, it foretells quarreling—if by Hearts, affection and friendship—by Diamonds, money and distant friends—and Clubs, feasting and merry-making.

King of Hearts.—A fair man of good-natured disposition, but hasty and rash.

Queen of Hearts.—A fair woman, faithful, prudent, and affectionate.

Knave of Hearts.—The dearest friend of the consulting party. Also a fair person’s thoughts.

Ten of Hearts.—Is prophetic of happiness and many children—is corrective of the bad tidings of cards next to it, and confirms good ones.

Nine of Hearts.—Wealth and high esteem. Also the wish card.

Eight of Hearts.—Pleasure, company.

Seven of Hearts.—A fickle and false friend, against whom be on your guard.

Six of Hearts.—A generous but credulous person.

Five of Hearts.—Troubles caused by unfounded jealousy.

Four of Hearts.—A person not easily won.

Three of Hearts.—Sorrow caused by a person’s own imprudence.

Two of Hearts.—Great success; but equal care and attention needed to secure it.

Ace of Spades.—Great misfortune, spite.

King of Spades.—A dark, ambitious man.

Queen of Spades.—A malicious, dark woman—generally a widow.

Knave of Spades.—An indolent, envious person; a dark man’s thoughts.

Ten of Spades.—Grief, imprisonment.

Nine of Spades.—A card of very bad import, foretelling sickness and misfortune.

Eight of Spades.—Warns a person to be cautious in his undertakings.

Seven of Spades.—Loss of a friend, attended with much trouble.

Six of Spades.—Wealth through industry.

Five of Spades.—Shows that a bad temper requires correcting.

Four of Spades.—Sickness.

Three of Spades.—A journey.

Two of Spades.—A removal.

Having given the signification of the various cards, we will now proceed to describe how they are to be employed. After having well shuffled, cut them three times, and lay them out in rows of nine cards each. Select any King or Queen you please to represent yourself; and wherever you find that card placed, count nine cards every way, reckoning it as one; and every ninth card will prove the prophetic one. Before, however, beginning to count, study well the disposition of the cards, according to their individual and relative signification. If a married woman consult the cards, she must make her husband the King of the same suit of which she is Queen; but if a single woman, she may make any favorite male friend King of whatever suit she pleases. As the Knaves of the various suits represent the thoughts of the persons represented by the picture-cards of a corresponding color, they should also be counted from.

TO TELL WHETHER YOU WILL GET YOUR WISH.

To try whether you will get your wish, shuffle the cards well, all the time keeping your thoughts fixed upon whatever wish you may have formed; cut them once, and remark what card you cut; shuffle them again, and deal out into three parcels. Examine each of these in turn, and if you find the card you turned up next either the one representing yourself—the Ace of Hearts or the Nine of Hearts—you will get your wish. If it be in the same parcel with any of these, without being next them, there is a chance of your wish coming to pass at some more distant period; but if the Nine of Spades makes its appearance, you may count on being disappointed.

[GOOD AND BAD OMENS.]

The word omen is well known to signify a sign, good or bad, or a prognostic. It may be defined to be that indication of something future which we get as it were by accident, and without seeking for. A superstitious regard to omens seems anciently to have made very considerable additions to the common load of infelicity. They are in these enlightened days pretty generally disregarded, and we look back with perfect security and indifference on those trivial and truly ridiculous accidents which alternately afford matter of joy and sorrow to our ancestors. Omens appear to have been so numerous, that we must despair of ever being able to recover one-half of them, and to evince that in all ages men have been self-tormentors, the bad omens fill a catalogue infinitely more extensive than that of the good. An extensive set of omens has been taken from what first happens to one, or what animal or person one meets first in the morning, or at the commencement of an undertaking—the first-foot, as it is called. To stumble has been universally held to presage misfortune. Some semblance of a reason might be found for this belief, inasmuch as stumbling may be supposed to indicate that that self-possession and conscious courage, which are in themselves half a victory over circumstances, are lacking—the want of them, therefore, being half a defeat; but in most cases the interpretation seems altogether arbitrary. The dread of a hare crossing the path seems to be widely prevalent; while to see a wolf is a good omen. This feeling is probably a remnant of warlike times, when the timid hare suggested thoughts of cowardice and flight; while the bold wolf, sacred to Odin, was emblematic of victory. The character of the hare for being unlucky is also connected with the deep-rooted belief that witches are in the habit of transforming themselves into hares. That to meet an old woman is unlucky, is another very general belief, arising, without doubt, from the same causes that led to their being considered witches. In some places, women in general are unlucky as first-foot, with the singular exception of women of bad reputation. This belief prevailed as far back as the age of Chrysostom. Priests, too, are ominous of evil. If hunters of old met a priest or friar, they coupled up their hounds and went home in despair of any further sport that day. This superstition seems to have died out, except in the case of sailors, who still consider the clergy a “kittle cargo,” as a Scotch skipper expressed it, and anticipate a storm or mischance when they have a black coat on board. This seems as old as the prophet Jonah. Sneezing, likewise, has long been looked upon as supernatural, for this reason, that it is sudden, unaccountable, uncontrollable, and therefore ominous. The person is considered as possessed for the time, and a form of exorcism is used. A nurse would not think she had done her duty, if, when her charge sneezes, she did not say, “Bless the child,” just as the Greeks, more than two thousand years ago, said, “Zeus protect thee.”

One general remark, however, it is important to make in regard to omens. An omen is not conceived to be a mere sign of what is destined to be—it is conceived as causing, in some mysterious way, the event it forebodes; and the consequence, it is thought, may be prevented by some counteracting charm. Thus the spilling of salt not only forebodes strife, but strife is conceived as the consequence of the spilling of the salt, and may be hindered by taking up the spilled salt, and throwing it over the left shoulder. Perhaps half the superstitious beliefs that yet survive among civilized and Christian communities group themselves round the subject of love and marriage—of such intense interest to all, yet so mysterious in its origin, and problematic in its issue. The liking or passion for one individual rather than any other is so unaccountable, that the God of Love has been fabled blind; it is of the nature of fascination, magic, spell. And then, whether happiness or the reverse shall be the result, seems beyond the reach of ordinary calculation. All is apparently given over to mystery, chance, fortune; and any circumstances may, for what we know, influence or indicate what fortune’s wheel shall bring round. Hence the innumerable ways of prognosticating which of two or more persons shall be first married, who or what manner of person shall be the future husband or wife, the number of children, etc. It is generally at particular seasons, as at the Eve of St. Agnes, and Halloween, that the veil of the future may thus be lifted.

The observation of lucky and unlucky days was once an important matter, and was often the turning-point of great events. It is now mostly confined to the one subject of marriage. In fixing the wedding day, May among months and Friday among days are shunned by many people, both in educated and uneducated circles; for in this matter, which is the exclusive province of women, and in which sentiment and fancy are in every way so much more active than reason, the educated and uneducated are reduced to a level. We will give a large collection of omens, with their interpretation, having selected from all the best works on the subject, and will begin with “Good and Evil Days”:

1. In an old MS., the writer, after stating that the most learned mathematicians have decided that the 1st of August, the 4th of September, and the 11th of March are most injudicious to let blood, and that philosophers have settled that the 10th of August, 1st of December, and 6th of April are perilous to those who surfeit themselves in eating and drinking, continues as follows, assigning reasons why certain days should be marked as infelicitous:

“We read of an old Arabian philosopher, a man of divers rare observations, who did remark three Mundayes in a year to be most unfortunate either to let blood or begin any notable worke, viz., the first Munday of April, ye weh day Caine was borne, and his brother Abell slaine; the 2d is the first Munday of August, the which day Sodom and Gomorrha were confounded; the 3d is the last Munday of December, the which day Judas Iscariott was borne, who betrayed our Saviour Jesus Christ. These three dayes, together with the Innocents’ Day, by divers of the learned are reputed to be most unfortunate of all dayes, and ought to be eschewed by all men for ye great mishaps which often do occur in them.

“And thus much concerning the opinion of our ancient of dayes. So in like manner I will repeat unto you certain dayes yt be observed by some old writers, chiefly the ancient astrologians, who did allege that there were 28 dayes in the yeare which were revealed by the Angel Gabriel to the good Joseph, which ever have been remarked to be very fortunate dayes either to purge, let bloud, cure wounds, use merchandises, sow seed, plant trees, build houses, or taking journies, in long or short voyages, in fighting or giving of battaile, or skirmishing. They also doe alledge that children who were borne in any of these dayes could never be poore; and all children who were put to schooles or colledges in those dayes should become great schollars, and those who were put to any craft or trade in such dayes should become perfect artificers and rich, and such as were put to trade in merchandise should become most wealthy. The dayes be these: the 3d and 13th of January, ye 5th and 28th of Feb., ye 3d, 22d, and 30th of March, the 5th, 22d, and 29th of April, ye 4th and 28th of May, ye 3d and 8th of June, the 12th, 18th, and 15th of July, ye 12th of August, ye 1st, 7th, 24th, and 28th of September, the 4th and 15th of October, ye 13th and 19th of Novr., ye 23d and 26th of December. And thus much concerning ye dayes which are by ye most curious part of ye learned remarked to be good and evill.”

2. “Astronomers say that six days of the year are perilous of death; and therefore they forbid men to let blood of them, or take any drink; that is to say, January 3, July 1, October 2, the last of April, August 4, the last day going out of December. These six days with great diligence ought to be kept, but namely [?mainly] the latter three, for all the veins are then full. For then, whether man or beast be knit in them within seven days, or certainly within fourteen days, he shall die. And if they take any drinks within fifteen days, they shall die; and if they eat any goose in three days, within forty days they shall die; and if any child be born in these three latter days, they shall die a wicked death. Astronomers and astrologers say that in the beginning of March, the seventh night, or the fourteenth day, let the blood of the right arm; and in the beginning of April, the 11th day, of the left arm; and in the end of May, 3d or 5th day, on whether arm thou wilt; and thus, of all the year, thou shalt orderly be kept from the fever, the falling gout, the sister gout, and loss of thy sight.”

3. May has its fatalities; the notion that to be married in it is a bad omen is as old as the age of Ovid. This is not disregarded in the present day, which will explain the great number of marriages that take place late in April.

It is remarkable that among the thirty-three sovereigns who have sat on the English throne since William the Conqueror, although each of the eleven months has witnessed the accession of one or more, the month of May has not been so fortunate—none having ascended the throne within its limits.

4. Friday is not now generally considered an unlucky day, although many still hesitate before starting on a journey or getting married on Friday. The following facts, derived from history, show how little we have to dread “the fatal day:”

“On Friday, August 21, 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed on his great voyage of discovery. On Friday, October 12, 1492, he first discovered land. On Friday, January 4, 1493, he sailed on his return to Spain, which, if he had not reached in safety, the happy result would never have been known which led to the settlement on this vast continent. On Friday, March 15, 1493, he arrived at Palos in safety. On Friday, November 22, 1493, he arrived at Hispaniola, in his second voyage to America. On Friday, June 13, 1494, he, though unknown to himself, discovered the continent of America. On Friday, March 5, 1496, Henry VIII. of England gave to John Cabot his commission, which led to the discovery of North America. This is the first American state-paper in England. On Friday, September 7, 1565, Melendez founded St. Augustine, the oldest town in the United States by more than forty years. On Friday, November 10, 1620, the May-Flower, with the Pilgrims, made the harbor of Province Town, and on the same day they signed that august compact, the forerunner of our present glorious constitution. On Friday, December 22, 1620, the Pilgrims made their final landing at Plymouth Rock. On Friday, February 22, George Washington, the father of American freedom, was born. On Friday, June 16, Bunker Hill was seized and fortified. On Friday, October 7, 1777, the surrender of Saratoga was made, which had such power and influence in inducing France to declare for our cause. On Friday, September 22, 1780, the treason of Arnold was laid bare, which saved us from destruction. On Friday, October 19, 1781, the surrender at Yorktown, the crowning glory of the American arms, occurred. On Friday, July 7, 1776, the motion in Congress was made by John Adams, seconded by Richard Henry Lee, that the United States colonies were, and of right ought to be, free and independent.”

5. “Nail gifts” are white specks on the finger-nails; which, according to their respective situations, are believed to predict certain events, as indicated in the following couplet, which is repeated whilst touching the thumb and each finger in succession:

A gift, a friend, a foe,

A lover to come, a journey to go.

Sometimes the augury is expressed in positive terms; as,

A gift on the thumb is sure to come:

A gift on the finger is sure to linger.

This mode of prognostication is of long standing. Melton, in his “Astrologaster,” a very old work, giving a catalogue of many superstitious ceremonies, tells us that “to have yellow speckles in the nailes of one’s hands is a greate signe of death.” In Reed’s old plays we read:

“When yellow spots do on your hands appear,

Be certain then you of a corse shall hear.”

6. Sneezing has been held ominous from times of the most remote antiquity.

The comet of 590 was, according to some authors, the occasion of a custom, which is extensively diffused among all the nations of Christendom. In the year of this comet a frightful plague prevailed, which was alleged to be due to its influence. While the malady was at its height, a sneezing was frequently followed by death; whence the saying, God bless you! with which, since that time, sneezers are saluted. St. Austin tells us that “the ancients were wont to go to bed again, if they sneezed while they put on their shoe.” Aristotle says: “Sneezing from noon to midnight was good, but from night to noon unlucky.”

7. The custom of throwing an old shoe for good luck over or after the bride and bridegroom, upon their leaving the church, or the home of the bride, after the wedding, has, of late years, been as it were revived. It is, unquestionably, one of those demonstrations of good wishes which find their way in the commonest modes of expression. But, it is not confined to weddings; the propitiation extends to all prospective views of good fortune.

It is related that an English cattle-dealer desired his wife to “trull her left shoe arter him,” when he started for Norwich to buy a lottery-ticket. As he drove off on his errand, he looked round to see if she practiced the charm, and consequently he received the shoe in his face, with such force as to black his eyes. He went, and bought his ticket, which turned up a prize of £600.

8. The horse-shoe has been, from time immemorial, considered a protection from witchcraft and other ills; and has been nailed at the entrance of dwellings, to prevent the entrance of witches.

Butler, in “Hudibras,” makes his conjurer chase away evil spirits by the horse-shoe; and Gay, in one of his Fables, makes a supposed witch complain:

“The horse-shoe’s nailed, each threshold’s guard.”

Nelson the great English admiral, was of a credulous turn, had great faith in the luck of a horse-shoe, and one was nailed to the mast of the ship Victory. “Lucky Dr. James” attributed the success of his fever-powder to his finding a horse-shoe. When a poor apothecary, he was introduced to Newbery, of St. Paul’s church-yard, to vend the medicine for him. One Sunday morning, as James was on his way to Newbery’s country-house at Vauxhall, in passing over Westminster Bridge, seeing a horse-shoe lying in the road, and considering it to be a sign of good luck, he put the shoe into his pocket. As Newbery was a shrewd man, he became James’s agent for the sale of his fever-powder; whilst the doctor ascribed all his success to the horse-shoe, which he subsequently adopted as the crest upon his carriage. (See [62].)

9. Cauls are little membranes found on some children, encompassing the head when born. This is thought a good omen to the child itself, and many believe that whoever obtains it by purchase will be fortunate and escape dangers. The caul is esteemed an infallible preservative against drowning, and is much sought after by sailors.

10. Salt falling toward a person was considered formerly as a very unlucky omen. Something had either already happened to one of the family, or was shortly to befall the persons spilling it. It denotes also the quarreling of friends. It is thought, however, that the evil consequences arising from spilling salt may be averted by throwing a little of the salt over the left shoulder, or immediately eating a pinch of it. In the “British Apollo,” published in London, 1708, we find the following in relation to the superstition:

“We’ll tell you the reason

Why spilling of salt

Is esteemed such a fault;

Because it doth everything season.

The antiques did opine,

’Twas of friendship a sign,

So served it to guests in decorum;

And thought love decayed,

When the negligent maid

Let the saltcellar tumble before them.”

11. The casual putting the left shoe on the right foot, or the right on the left, was thought in old times to be the forerunner of some unlucky accident. Scott, in his “Discovery of Witchcraft,” tells us: “He that receiveth a mischance will consider whether he put not on his shirt wrong side outwards, or his left shoe on his right foot.” Thus Butler in his “Hudibras”:

“Augustus, having b’ oversight,

Put on his left shoe ’fore his right,

Had like to have been slain that day.

By soldiers mutiny’ng for pay.”

Similar to this is putting on one stocking with the wrong side outward, without design; though changing it alters the luck; and if you accidentally put on any garment wrong side out, and make a wish before changing it, the wish will come true.

12. To arise on the right side is accounted lucky. In the old play of the “Dumb Knight,” published 1633, Act iv., Scene 1, Alphonso says:

“Sure I said my prayers, rose on my right side,

Washed my hands and eyes, put on my girdle last;

Sure I met no splay-footed baker,

No hare did cross me, nor no bearded witch,

Nor other ominous sign.” (See [27].)

13. When the nose itches, it is a sign that you will have company visit you the same day. In Melton’s “Astrologaster,” No. 27, it is observed “that when a man’s nose itcheth it is a sign he shall drink wine;” and in No. 28, that, “if your lips itch, it is a sign you shall kisse somebody.”

14. The nose falling a-bleeding appears, by the following passage from an old play, to have been an omen of bad luck:

“How superstitiously we mind our evils!

The throwing down of salt, or crossing of a hare,

Bleeding at nose, the stumbling of a horse,

Or singing of a cricket, are of power

To daunt whole man in us.” (See [27] and [40].)

15. Washing the hands, says Grose, in the same basin, or with the same water, that another person has washed in, is extremely unlucky, as the parties will infallibly quarrel.

16. Candle omens are very numerous. Melton, in his “Astrologaster,” says: “If a candle burne blue, it is a signe that there is a spirit in the house, or not farre from it.” A collection of tallow, says Grose, rising up against the wick of a candle, is styled a winding sheet, and deemed an omen of death in the family.

A spark at the candle, says the same author, denotes that the party opposite to it will shortly receive a letter. A kind of fungus in the candle, observes the same writer, predicts the visit of a stranger from the part of the country nearest the object. Others say it implies the arrival of a parcel. (See [59].)

Dr. Goldsmith, in his “Vicar of Wakefield,” speaking of the waking dreams of his hero’s daughters, says: “The girls had their omens too; they saw rings in the candles.”

17. In the “Secret Memoirs of the late Mr. Duncan Campbell,” published in London, 1732, the author says: “I have seen people who, after writing a letter, have prognosticated to themselves the ill success of it, if by any accident it happened to fall to the ground; others have seemed as impatient and exclaiming against their want of thought, if through haste or forgetfulness they have chanced to hold it before the fire to dry; but the mistake of a word in it is a sure omen that whatever requests it carries shall be refused.”

18. If two spoons are accidentally placed in a cup or saucer at table, it signifies a wedding will soon take place in the family.

19. To have a picture drop out of its frame, or to have a precious stone or any ornament drop from its setting while wearing or using it, is a bad omen.

Stow, in his Chronicle, relates that the silver cross which was wont to be carried before Wolsey fell out of its socket, and was like to have knocked out the brains of one of his servants. A very little while after came in a messenger, and arrested the cardinal before he could get out of the house.

20. The removal of a long-worn ring from the finger was thought unlucky in Elizabeth’s time; for the Queen, in her last illness (says Baker), commanded the ring to be filed off her finger, wherewith she was so solemnly at first inaugurated into the kingdom, and since that time had never taken it off; it being grown into the flesh of the finger in such a manner that it could not be drawn off without filing.

21. There is an omen called “Setting the New Year in,”—that if the kindly office is performed by some one with dark hair, good fortune will smile on the household; while it augurs ill if a light-haired person is the first to enter the house in the New Year.