Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-19

Some Queer SuperstisiOns Concern.
ing It-MagfC Mirrors. EsC.

to chairs and tables. A chair, however beauti-
ful and costly In lts manufacture, may be
cruelty broken with perfect impunity; whereas
II some wTetched, dlapi1ated mirror Is acct
dentally cracked, such an event is sure to be
followed oy misfortune of some kind or other.
Most readers are. no doubt, acquainted with
/ Bonapartes superstition ON this point During
one OF his campaigns In Italy he broke the
glass over Josephines portrait So dis
ominous occurrence, that he never rest
ed until the return OF the courier whom
he had forthwith dispatched to convince him-
self OF her safety, so strong was the impression
OF Der death upon his mind. In Cornwall
breaking looking glass is believed to insure
seven years OF sorrow; and Yorkshire pro-
verb informs us that such an unfortunate oc-
currebce entails ''seven years trouble, but no
want" In Scotland, TO smash looking glass
hanging against wall is regarded as an tnfal-
liDle sign that a member or the family will
shortly die. Grose, abiding to this supersti-
ton, says II foretells the speedy decease OF the
master OF the house. It has been suggested
thar this popular fancy dates very many years
back, and probably originated In the destruc-
ton OF the reflected human image-an interest
ing Illustration OF now the association OF ideas
in the formation Of superstition is often deter
mined by mere analogy. Thus, similar style
OF thinking underlies the medieval necroman-
GERS practice of making waxen image OF his
enemy. and shooting at Ii with AFRO VS. 10 order
to bring about the enemy's death.
In the south Of England It is regarded highly
unluckly for bride on her wedding day 70 look
In the glass, when she is completely dres sed.
before starting for the church Hence very
great care is usually taken to put on glove or
some Slight article OF adornment, after the last
lingering and reluctant look has been taken In
the mirror. The idea, We are informed is that
any young lady who Is TOO fond OF the looking
glass Will be unfortunate when married. This
Is not, however. the only way In which super
sutton interferes with the grOwn-up maiden's
peeps in the looking glass. Thus Swedish
damsels are afraid OF looking In the glass after
dark or by candle light, lest by so doing they
forfeit the good VIII or the other sex. on the
other hand, In our own country, the looking
glass occasionally holds a prominent position
10 love divinationS. In the northern counties
gether On ST. Agnes's Eve at midnight, aud go,
one by one, 10 certain field. where they
scatter some grain, after which they repeat the
following rhy me:
"Agnes sweet and Agnes fair,
HlIher. hltheT, now repair:
BOnny Agnes, let me see
The lad WHO is TO marry me-
On their return home IL is believed that the
shadow OF the destined bride or bridegroom Will
be seen IN looking glass ON this very night
Hence, for many an hour together the young
1nquirers sit up anXiously watching the look
ing glass. before which they not INDEPENDENTLY
lall asleep, mistaking the visions that have ap-
peafed In their dreams for actual realities Bel
gan gus VINO desire to see their husbands
IL a dream lay their carriers crosswise at the
100! OF the bed and looking-glaSs under
their pillow: 10 this glass, they believe. the
desired image will appear. The practice
OF covering or removing the looking glass from
The chamber OF death still prevails In some
parts or England-the notion according to some,
oting that 'all vanity, all care for earthly
- auiy, are over with the deceased It has also
been suggested that. as the invisible world
trenches closely upon the Visible one T., the
chamber OF death. sipeT.tsttiiulIs dread is felt
OF some spiritual being imaglng himself forth
IN Ine Dlank surface OF the mirror. Mr.. Barnu-
Gould considers that the true reason for
shTouding the looking glass before funeral
" as that given him lii War SickShire where
there Is a popular notion that II person looks
n of
wiz see the corpse looking over his
shoulder a similar superstition prevails tn
some parts OF DevonshiTe.
IL The LOOKING glass Is associated with mar
riage and death, SO it Is with infancy: for.
according 10 piece OF Durham folklore a boy.
or girl should never be allowed to look in one
until year Old In days gone by, too, 1t ap-
pears TO have been customary for both sexes TO
wear small looking -glaSSeS-a fantastic fashion
rldiculed by Ben johnson and others OF his
time. Men even wore them In their hats.
where Is your page? Call for your casting
bottle. and place yOur mirror In your hat. as
tod you Thi5, We may suppose, was the very
Aeight Of af1ectation. by the manner In which
Ben johnson introduces 1t: but there can be no
doubt. TO use the words or Mr.. Clifford, that
both men and women wore them publicly-the
1OTIner as brooches or ornaments 10 their hats
aDd The latter at their giTdieS or In their
breasts, nay. sometimes In the center OF their
fans. AS an illustration OF the last Gus ON he
quotes Lovelace, WHO makes lady say
my lively shade thou ever shalt retaine
Stubs speaks with coarse anger of This ridicu-
lous practice and In his ''Anatomie OF Abuses
says, They must have their lookin g-glasses
/ carried with them wheresoever they 90 and
/ good reason, for else how could they see the
/ CeVil In them"
| In Massingers ''City Madam (act 1, scene y.
Lady Rich, her daughter, and Mellicent come
| In with looking glasses in their girdles Refer
| ring. however, to the superstitious uses to
! which mirrors were applied by our forerathers.
II seems that they were supposed to pe
In -Irfr
and bringing TO light hidden mysteries. Thus
! there Is a tradition that the Gunpo Wder
Plot was discovered by DR.. John Dee with
| his magic mirror We find In a PRAYER book
/ printed By Basket In 1881. an engraving which
depicts lie following quaint scene In the cen.
ter Is circular looking glass on a stand, in
ment by night, and person entering carrying
| dark lantern. On the left side there are two
men In the costume of James time looking
into the mirror, one evidently the king, the
other probably Sir Kenelm Dlgoy. On the
right side, at the top, is the eye OF Providence
! darling ray on to the mirror. and below are
some legs and hoofs as II evil spirits were fly.
Ing out OF the picture. This plaIe, says cor.
| respondent OF Notes ana QUERIES would seen
to repre- sent the method by which, under
1ne Is ef enc by the
! plot was at that time seriously believed
+ to have been effected The tradition,
moreover, must have been generally believed
or 1t never could have found its way into a
( prayer book printed by the kings printer" 1t
may be noted. however, that, as the fame OF
I DetS magic mirror was at It's zenith about the
time or the Gnnpowder Plot, this may have led
10 the mirror being adopted as popular EN-.
pltm or discovery, or throwing light UPON q
subject. Hence, 1t has been reasonably sllp-
gesled, the mirror In the print may be simply
piece or artistic design, rather than evidences
or It's actual employment in the discovery
Brand Informs US, In his Popular AntiOui-
ties" tlS49, II. 1861, that looking glasses were
formerly USED by magicians In their superstI.
lions and diaOolical operations" He quotes an
Old authority, who say s, Some magicians, be.
| Ing curious TO find out By the help OF looking
glass; or glass full uf water, thief that lies
| hidden, make choice OF young maids to discern
| therein those images or sights which a person
dehled cannot see.' Potter tells US that, when
| div1Dat1on by water v as performed with look.
! Mg glass, IL was called "catoptTonancy "
Sometimes our ancestors dipped looking glass
! into the water when they were anxious to as
! certain what would become of a sick person.
Accordingly as he looked well Or III In the
glass, so they foTetOld whether he would re-
/ cover or hot. In the list OF superstltous
/ practices preserved In the Life and Charac.
I ter OF Harvey" the famous con1urOr or Dub
| lin O72sl, with fortune telling, dreams, Wis.
Ions, palmistry, ply Siognomy." etc, there
occur also " looking glasses IL Is curious to
mo this species OF superstition existing among
| the AIlcaDS OF the Guinea COAST. They believe
ia particularly ~ htdeOus davIl, but say that
the Only means OF defence they require against
MS aSsallments is looking glass. IL any one
VIII only Keep This preservative at all times
ut SIDE LIN, The devil cannot heIp seeinr Ii n
away terrified AT the sight OF his own upliness
Another I'M