The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-02-15


hears fervent Bless youi ejacu-
lated by its nurse. 1t is extremely
doubtful, however, whether the latter
has even the remotest idea why she
should make use of this expression;
but. although she may not be aware OF
the fact, II is tine-honored custom
whicn once received much attention.
In the Rules OF Civility." quoted by
Brand, We are told that If his Lord
ship chances to sneeZe, you are not TO
bawl out God bless you, sir, but, pull
ing of your hat, bow 10 him hand
somely, and make that observation 10
yourself" " Brand also quotes from
the ..Schoole of Sloveuric. or Cato
Turned Wrougside Outward a. ID.
l6O5), the following lines on the Gus
tom:
When YOU would sneeze, strait turne yourself
N To your nebosr's face;
As for my part. wherein 10 sHeeze, / know no
ntter place.
Marke him mat doth 50, for I thinke he IS your
friend most true.
And that your friend may know who sneezes,
and may for you paw.
Be sure you not forget 10 sneeze full IN b face
clWay-
But when thou hearst another sneeze a.
though he be Thy father.
Say not God bless 3. m, but ChoalS NJ, or some
such matter, rather
Why sternutation should call for a
blessing or a prayer of Thanksgiving i
by no means clear. and when or how
the practice originated must for the
present remain hidden in obscurity.
Some writers would trace il to an edict
OF ~. Gregory the Great, who ordered
the use OF The belcdiction TO those
who sneczcd-sterEutation being Ia
tai symptom in a pestilence which
broke Uut ~ that time. The custom
i, however. certainly sf much greater
antiquity than the time of Gregory; IL
was common with the Greeks and
Romans, and il dates back. no doubt.
through the remote past 10 some pre-
historic age, for among many savage
races in widely separated parts of the
world we Gud that some exclamation
or benedictiOn i made use Of when
person sucezes. Indeed, il l. said that
II one time when the hing OF M,=opo-
taUia did 80 blessings were uttered by
al his subJe0ts thru ghOut his dOmiu-
ions; "a one African tr.1s whcn The
chief sncczcs his attendants snap their
Engers; and in Guinea, If u man Of
importance succeed. he was grat.ned
by seeing all Prescu. Immediately drop
on their knees. kiss earth, and.
clapping their hands, III him health
and happiness II appears. too, that
the custom of making some cxclama-
ton or blessing a person when he
sneezcd was prevalent among thc
tribes OF the new world At the time Of
the Spanish conquest.
According TO the Rabbinicai account
of sternutatiop unI it, ori-in, it was
formerly decreed BY the Creator that
the instant = man sueczed nc must die.
jacob. however. suppiicItcd 50 fer
Ccnuy for the removal OF this decree,
that his prayers were granted and he
was allowed to snecze and live. After
this. in commemoration Of the gra-
ciOus concession 10 Jacobs appeal. it
became customary to offer up a prayer
OF Thanksgiving when snecz.ng. The
Zulus imagine that the spirit OF some de-
ceased ancestor causes them TO sneeze,
and they accordingly utter blessings
and return thanks, for they look upon
II - = good sign. Moreover they
consider an Illness very severe If the
sick man does not snecze. The Per
slams. too. look upon sternutatiOn as a
lucky omen, especially If one sueezes
several times. In this respect it Is.
perhaps, needless to say that they diff
fer considerably from the people of
our own country, for with u when a
man sneezes too frequently he does
not rejoice or thsEl, the spirits of his
ancestors, but generally thinks that he
has caught cold and takes measures
accordingly Not the least curious of
the many superstitions connected with
stcrnutatiOn IL one which Is to be
found among the Siamese. When
these people hear man snecza they
wish him long life, for they believe.
that in he'll there Is L register in
which are entered the names OF all
men, together with the duration of
their lives, and when the keeper OF
this book opens IL every person whose
name Is written on the page at which
he glanccs Immediately sneezes. -
London. Standard