Washington sentinel., 1853-10-07
Lucky and unIuckv DAYS.


The belief in lucky and unlueky days is one
OF the most prevalent Of human superstition
There are traces Of it among all the nations OF
human antiquity and some of more recent
date. The l4th day of the first month was es-
teemed auspicious by the Jews, because it ended
Their captivity in Egypt. On the other hand,
the 10Th OF August was i'll omened for on that
day the hrst temple was DESTROYED by Nebu-
chadnezzar, and the second by Titus six hun
dred years after. The Romans would never
undertake any business on the 18th of Febru-
airy, Dies Atiiensis,) which was the anniver-
sary battle of Allia, when the nation was almost
| annihilated by the Gauls. The Carthagenians
had the same superstition about the 22d of Au-
gust. Louis Xl. of France esteemed it an evil
omen if any one spoke to him on business on
lnnocent's Day.
There have been some remarkable coinci-
dences of days in the lives of distinguished men,
The same day of the month has not unfre-
quently been the day of birth and DEATH and
the date of some memorable event Alexander
the Great was born on the 9th of April. On
that day he won two of the most important vic
tories, and on that day he died. On that day
his father, Phillip, conquered Portidea; and on
that day Parmenia, Phillips general, overcame
the lllyrians. Pompey the Great was born and
day triumphed on his return from Asia. Au-
gustus was adopted by Julius Caesar on the
18th of August, and on the 10Th of August he
died. The wife of Henry VII. was born and
died on the llth of February. Sir Kenelm
Digby was born and died on the lth of June ;
he conquered at Scanderoon on the same day.
Ills epitaph commemmorates the coincidence :
:" Under this stone the matchless Digby lies
Digby the great, the valiant, and the wise;
This ages wonder for his noble parts,
Skilled in six tongues, and learned in all the arts;
Born on the day he died-the eleventh of June,
On which he brayely fought at Scanderoon.
'Tis rare that and sefsame day should be
His day of birth, of DEATH of victory"
Rafiaele was born and died on Good Friday
Shakspeare's birth day was also the day of his
death-Apri 23d. The 24th Of February was
thrice memorable to Charles V, of Spain, as
the day of his birth, the day of his victory over
Francis, king of France, and the day on which
he received the imperial crown Of Bonoma
Charles Ii, OF England, was born and restored
to the throne on the 10th May. The Sd of
September was marked in the history of Crom-
well as the date of the victory at Dunbar, also
OF that at Worcester, and as the day of his
death.
Days of the week have sometimes been sig
nallzed IN similar manner. Tuesday was a
day of note to Beckett, the English saint. On
iuSSoal wv iLoluo ptinScu Judgment upon nlm
at Northampton on Tuesday he went into ex-
lie; on Tuesday he had vision in which his
doom was foretold to him on Tuesday he re-
turned from exile; on Tuesday he died, and
on Tuesday was cannonized. Wednesday was
the lucky day Of the celebrated Pope Sixtus V.
1t was the day of his birth the day on which
he took orders; the day on which he was made
general of his order; the day on which he was
created cardinal; the day on which he was
elected pope, and the day on which he was in
augurated. Henry VII called Saturday his
fortunate day, as that on which he gained the
battle of Bosworth, and that on which he entered
London 1t is remarkable that four of the
Tudors in succession died on Thursday begin
ming with Henry VIII, the second and ending
with Elizabeth, the last of the line.
Ancient calendars designate two DAYS in each
month rs unfortunate, namely, of January the
first and seventh, February the third and
fourth, March the first and fourth, April the
tenth and eleventh. May the third and seventh,
June the tenth and fifteenth, July the tenth
and thirteenth, August the first and second,
September the third and tenth, November the
third and fifth, December the seventh and
tenth. Each of these DAYS wasdevoted to some
peculiar fatality. Whether the change of
style introduced towards the close of the last
century, by deranging the calendar order, has
affected the character of these days we are un-
able to say. For our own part we agree
with Heracitus, who blamed Hesod for call
ing some days lucky and others unlucky, as
not discerning that the nature of every day
is the same" And we heartily subscribe to the
saying ofSt. Paul, who after mentioning that
Zone man esteemeth one day above another,
another esteemeth every day alike" adds "let
every man be fully persuaded in his own
mind = Christian Enquirer.