So fierce Electo's snaky tresses fell,

When Orpheus charmed the rigorous powers of hell;
Or thus hung Glaucus' beard, with briny dew
Clotted and straight, when first his amorous view
Surprised the bathing fair; the frighted maid
Now stands a rock, transformed by Circe's aid.

Dr. Forster, in his "Perennial Calendar," cites from Mr. Howard's work on the climate of London the following— “Examination of the popular Adage of 'Forty Days' Rain after St. Swithin' how far it may be founded in fact.”

The opinion of the people on subjects connected with natural history is commonly founded in some degree on fact or experience; though in this case vague and inconsistent conclusions are too frequently drawn from real premises. The notion commonly entertained on this subject, if put strictly to the test of experience at any one station in this part of the island, will be found fallacious. To

do justice to popular observation, I may now state, that in a majority of our summers, a showery period, which, with some latitude as to time and local circumstances, may be admitted to constitute daily rain for forty days, does come on about the time indicated by this tradition: not that any long space before is often so dry as to mark distinctly its commence

ment.

The tradition, it seems, took origin from the following circumstances. Swithin or Swithum, bishop of Winchester, who died in 868, desired that he might be buried in the open churchyard, and not in the chancel of the minster, as was usual with other bishops, and his request was complied with; but the monks, on his being canonized, considering it disgraceful for the saint to lie in a public cemetery, resolved to remove his body into the choir, which was to have been done with solemn procession, on the 15th of July: it rained, however, so violently for forty days together at this season, that the design was abandoned. Now, without entering into the case of the bishop, who was probably a man of sense, and wished to set the example of a more wholesome, as well as a more hurable, mode of resigning the perishable clay to the destructive elements, may observe, that the fact of the hinderance of the ceremony by the cause related is sufficiently authenticated by tradition;

and the tradition is so far valuable, as it proves that the summers in this southern part of our island were subject a thousand years ago to occasional heavy rains, in the same way as at present. Let us see how, in point of fact, the matter now stands.

In 1807, it rained with us on the day in question, and a dry time followed. In 1808, it again rained on this day, though but a few drops: there was much lightning in the west at night, yet it was nearly dry to the close of the lunar period, at the new moon, on the 22d of this month, the whole period having yielded only a quarter of an inch of rain; but the next moon was very wet, and there fell 5.10 inches of rain.

15th, and a very dry time in each case

In 1818 and 1819, it was dry on the

followed. The remainder of the summers occurring betwixt 1807 and 1819, appear to come under the general proposition already advanced: but it must be observed, that in 1816, the wettest year of the series, the solstitial abundance of rain belongs to the lunar period, ending, with the moon's approach to the third quarter, on the 16th of the seventh month; in which period there fell 5.13 inches, while the ensuing period, which falls wholly within the forty days, though it had rain on twenty-five out of thirty days, gave only 2:41 inches.

I have paid no regard to the change effected in the relative position of this so much noted day by the reformation of the calendar, because common observation is now directed to the day as we find it in the almanac; nor would this piece of accuracy, without greater certainty as to a definite commencement of this showery period in former times, have helped us to more conclusive reasoning on the subject.

Solstitial and Equinoctial Rains.—Our year, then, in respect of quantities of rain, exhibits a dry and a wet moiety. The latter again divides itself into two periods The first period distinctly marked. is that which connects itself with the popular opinion we have been discussing

some places by this old saying, "St.Swithin is christening the apples.'

FLORAL DIRECTORY.

alis.

Calendula plur

Dedicated to St. Swithin

It may be said on the whole, to set in with
the decline of the diurnal mean tempera-
ture, the maximum of which, we may
recollect, has been shown to follow the
summer solstice at such an interval as to Small Cape Marigold.
fall between the 12th and 25th of the
month called July. Now the 15th of that
month, or Swithin's day in the old style,
corresponds to the 26th in the new; so
that common observation has long since
settled the limits of the effect, without
being sensible of its real causes. The
operation of this cause being continued
usually through great part of the eighth
month, the rain of this month exceeds the
mean by about as much as that of the
ninth falls below it.

As regards St. Swithin and his day, it may be observed, that according to bishop Hall when Swithin died, he directed that his body should not be laid within the church, but where the drops of rain might wet his grave; thinking that no vault was so good to cover his grave as that of heaven." This is scarcely an exposition of the old saying, which, like other old sayings, still has its votaries. It is yet common on this day to say, "Ah! this is St. Swithin; I wonder whether it will rain?" An old lady who so far observed this festival, on one occasion when it was fair and sunshiny till the afternoon, predicted fair weather; but tea-time came,

and

"there follow'd some droppings of rain.” This was quite enough. "Ah!" said she, "now we shall have rain every day for forty days;" nor would she be persuaded of the contrary. Forty days of our humid climate passed, and many, by their having been perfectly dry, falsified her prediction. "Nay, nay," said she, "but there was wet in the night, depend upon it." According to such persons St. Swithin cannot err.

It appears from the parish accounts of Kingston upon Thames,in 1508, that "any householder kepying a brode gate" was to pay to the parish priest's "wages 3d." with a halfpenny " to the paschall:" this was the great wax taper in the church; the halfpenny was towards its purchase and maintaining its light; also he was to give to St. Swithin a halfpenny. A holder of one tenement paid twopence to the priest's wages a halfpenny to the "paschall;" likewise St. Swithin a halfpenny. Rain on St Swithin's day is noticed in

St.

July 16.

Eustathius, Patriarch of Antioch, A. D.
St. Elier or Helier.

338.

French Hoaring.

July, 1817-A man of imposing fi gure, wearing a large sabre and immense mustachios, arrived at one of the principal inns of a provincial city, with a female of He alighted at the moment that dinner agreeable shape and enchanting mein. his martial appearance all the guests rose was serving up at the table d'hote. At with respect; they felt assured that it must be a lieutenant-general, or a majorgeneral at least. A new governor was expected in the province about this time, who had arrived incognito. The officer and every body believed that it was he of gendarmerie gave him the place of hothe receiver of taxes sat by the side of nour, the comptroller of the customs and Madame, and exerted their wit and gallantry to the utmost. All the tit-bits, all the most exquisite wines, were placed be fore the fortunate couple. At length the party broke up, and every one ran to report through the city that Monsieur the governor had arrived. But, oh! what was their surprise, when the next day “his excellence," clad in a scarlet coat, and his august companion dressed out in a gown glittering with tinsel, mounted a small open calash, and preceded by some musicians, went about the squares and public ways, selling Swiss tea and balm of Mecca. Imagine the fury of the guests! They complained to the mayor, and demanded that the audacious quack should be compelled to lay aside the characteristic mark of the brave. The prodent magistrate assembled the common council; and those respectable persons, after a long deliberation, considering that nothing in the charter forbad the at izens to let their beard grow on their upper lip, dismissed the complaint altogether The same evening the supposed governor gave a serenade to the complamants, and the next day took his leave, and continued

481

In July, 1797, as Mr. Wright, of Saint Faith's, in Norwich, was walking in his garden, a flight of bees alighted on his head, and entirely covered his hair, till they made an appearance like a judge's wig. Mr. W. stood upwards of two hours in this situation, while the customary means were used for hiving them, which was completely done without his receiving any injury. Mr. Wright had expressed a strong wish, for some days before, that a flight of bees might come on his premises

FLORAL DIRECTORY.

Play on the drowsy ear of night,
Gushing at times into the light
From out their beds, and hastening al
To join the trembling waterfall.
Fair planet! when I watch on high,
Star-heralded along the sky,
That face of light and holiness,
I turn, and all my brethren bless
And it must be-(the hour is gone
When the fair world thou smilest upon,
Lay chained in darkness,) thou wert sent
Ministering in the firmament,
To be calm, beautiful, above—
The eye of universal love.

'Twere good to die in such an hour,

Golden Hawkweed. Hieracium Auran- And rest beneath the almighty power,

tiacum.

Dedicated to St. Vincent of Paul.

July 20

St. Joseph Barsabas, the Disciple. St.
Margaret, of Antioch. Sts. Justa and
Rufina, A. D. 304. St. Ceslas, A. D.
1242. St. Aurelius, Abp., ▲. D. 423.
St. Ulmar, or Wulmar, ▲. D. 710. St.
Jerom Emiliani, A. D. 1537.

Midnight and the Moon.

Now sleep is busy with the world,

The moon and midnight come; and curl'd
Are the light shadows round the hills;
The many-tongued and babbling rills

(Beside yon ruin still and rude)
Of beauty and of solitude.

Literary Pocket Book.

Flowers.

A sensitive plant in a garden grew
And the young winds fed it with silver dew,
And it opened its fanlike leaves to the light,
And closed them beneath the kisses of night.
And the spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the spirit of love felt every where ;

And each flower and shrub on earth's dark breast

Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

But none ever trembled and panted with bliss,

In the garden, the field, or the wilderness,

Like a doe in the noontide with love's sweet want,
As the companionless sensitive plant.

The snowdrop, and then the violet,

Arose from the ground with warm rain wet,

And their breath was mixed with fresh odour, seni,
From the turf, like the voice and the instrument.

Then the pied windflowers, and the tulip tall,
And narcissi, the fairest among them all,
Who gaze on their eyes in the stream's recess,
Till they die of their own dear loveliness.

And the naiadlike lily of the vale,

Whom youth makes so fair, and passion so pale,
That the light of its tremulous bells is seen,
Through their pavilions of tender green.

And the hyacinth purple, white, and blue,
Which flung from its bells a sweet peal anew
Of music so delicate, soft, and intense,
It was felt like an odour within the sense.

And the rose, like a nymph to the bath addrest,
Which unveiled the depth of her glowing breast,
Till, fold after fold, to the fainting air
The soul of her beauty and love lay bare.

And the wandlike lily, which lifted up,
As a Moenad, its moonlight-coloured cup,
Till the fiery star, which is its eye,
Gazed through clear dew on the tender sky.
And the jessamine faint, and sweet tuberose,
The sweetest flower, for scent, that blows;
And all rare blossoms from every clime,
Grew in that garden in perfect prime.