Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-07-16
LUCKY AND UNLUCKY DAYS.

The belief in lucky and unucky days is of the most
prevalent of human supersttons There traces Of
among all the nations of antiquity and some of more
cent date The 14h day of the first month esteemed
auscous by the Jews, because it ended their captivity
IN Egypt On the other hand the 10th of August was i'll
omened for that day the first temple was destroyed
by Nebuchadnezzar and the second by Titus six hundred
years after The Romans would never undertake any
business on the 18th Of February (Des Auisns which
the anniversary of the battle Of Aa when the
ton almost annihlated by the Gauls The Cartha-
genans had the superstition about the I'D of Au
gust Louis XII OF France esteemed 1t an evil omen any
one spoke to him on business on lnnocents Day.
There have been remarkable condolences of days
in the lives of distinguished The day of the
month has not unfrequeny been the day of birth and of
DEATH and the date of memorable event Alexander
the Great born on the 9th of April On that day he
won two Of his most important victories and that day
he died On that day his father, Philip, conquered Poti
dea and that day Parmenio, Philips General, over
came the Hyrans. Pompey the Great was born and died
on the 3Oth of September and the day triumphed
on his return from Asia Augustus adopted by Julius
Cesar on the 18th Of August and the 10th of August
he died The wife of Henry VII. was born and died on
the llth of February. Sir Kenelm Digby born and
died the 18th of June He conquered at Scanderoon
on the same day. His epitaph commentaries the conc
dence:
Under this stone the matehless 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 bravely fought at Scanderoon.
lis rare that and self-same day should DO
His day of BIRTH Of death, Of victory"
Rafaelle was born and died on Good Friday. shaks-
peare's birthday also the day Of his death-Aprl
23d The bath Of February was thrice memorable to
Charles v of Spain the day Of his BIRTH the day Of
his victory Francis King Of France, and the day
which he received the imperial Bonoma. Charles
H. Of England born and restored TO the throne the
10Th Of May. The Sd Of September was marked in the
history Of Cromwell the date Of the victory at Dunbar
also Of that at Worcester and the day Of his death
,ha kawa han 1f,nI
similar Tuesday was day Of note to Beckett
the English saint On Tuesday the Lords passed judg
ment upon him at Northampton Tuesday he went into
exile; on Tuesday he had vision in which his doom
foretold to him Tuesday be returned from exile
Tuesday he died. and on Tuesday canoniEed. We'd
nesday the lucky day Of the celebrated Pope sixtus
1t was the day of his BIRTH the day which he took
orders the day which he ade General Of his
der the day which he created Cardinal the day
which he elected Pope, and the day which he
was naugurated Henry VII called Saturday his fortu-
nate day, that which he gained the battle Of Bos
worth and that which he entered London. II Is re-
markabe that four Of the Tudors in succession died
Thursday, beginning with Henry WILL the second and
ending with Elizabeth, the last Of the line.
Ancient calendars designate two days in each month
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 hir
teenh, August the first and second September the third
and TENTH October the third and TENTH November the
third and hfth December the seventh and tenth Each
OF these days was devoted 10 some peculiar fatality
Whether the change OF "styen introduced towards the
close Of the last century by derangng the calendar
der has affected the character OF these days.
aole 70 say For our own part, agree with Hera-
chtus, who blamed Hesiod for calling some days lucky
and others unlueky not discerning that the nature
OF every day the same" And heartily subscribe
to the saying Of ST. Paul, who after mentioning that
+" one man esteemeth one day above another another
esteemeth every day alike" Odds 4" let every man be
fully persuaded in his own mind Christian Enquirer.