OR, SOME OBSERVATIONS OF DAYS
LUCKY AND UNLUCKY
LUC. xix. 43.
"In hoc die tuo": In this thy day.
That there be good and evil times, not only the sacred scriptures, but
prophane authors mention: see 1 Sam. 25, 8. Esther 8, 17. and 9, 19,
22. Ecclus. 14. 14.
The fourteenth day of the first month was a memorable and blessed day
amongst the children of Israel: see Exod. 12, 18, 40, 41, 42, 51.
Levit. 23, 5. Numb. 28, 16. Four hundred and thirty years being
expired of their dwelling in Egypt, even in the self same day departed
they thence.
A thing something parallel to this we read in the Roman histories:
that, that very day four years, that the civil wars were begun by
Pompey the father, Caesar made an end of them with his sons; Cneius
Pompeius being then slain, and it being also the last battle Caesar was
ever in. (Heylin in the kingdom of Corduba.) The calendar to Ovid's
Fastorum, says, "Aprilis erat mensis Grcecis auspicatisimus", a most
auspicious month among the Graecians.
As to evil days and times; see Amos 5, 13. and 6, 3. Eccles. 9, 12.
Psal. 37, 19. Obad. 12. Jer. 46, 21. And Job hints it, in cursing his
birthday. Cap. 3, v. 1,10, 11. See Weever, p.458.
Early in a morning
In an evil tyming,
Went they from Dunbar.
Horace, lib. 2. Ode 13. Cursing the tree that had like to have fallen
upon him, says, 'Ille nefasto te posuit die'; intimating that it was
planted in an unlucky day.
The Romans counted Feb. 13, an unlucky day, and therefore then never
attempted any business of importance; for on that day they were
overthrown at Allia by the Gauls; and the Fabii attacking the city of
the Veii, were all slain, save one. (Heylin, speaking of St. Peter's
patrimony.) And see the calendar annext to Ovid's "Fastorum", as to
the last circumstance.
The Jews accounted August 10, an unfortunate day; for on that day the
Temple was destroyed by Titus, the son of Vespasian; on which day also
the first Temple was consumed with fire by Nebuchadnezzar. (Heylin.)
The treasury of the times says the eighth of Loyon (August) the very
same day 679 years one after another.
And not only among the Romans and Jews, but also among Christians,
a like custom of observing such days is used, especially Childermas
or Innocent's day. Comines tells us, that Lewis XI. used not to debate
any matter, but accounted it a sign of great misfortune towards him,
if any man communed with him of his affairs; and would be very angry
with those about him, if they troubled him with any matter whatsoever
upon that day.
But I will descend to more particular instances of lucky and
unlucky days.
Upon the sixth of April, Alexander the Great was born. Upon the same
day he conquered Darius, won a great victory at sea, and died the
same day.
Neither was this day less fortunate to his father Philip; for on the
same day he took Potidea; Parmenio, his General, gave a great
overthrow to the Illyrians; and his horse was victor at the Olympic
Games. Therefore, his prophets foretold to him, "Filium cujus
natalis", &c. That a son whose birth-day was accompanied with three
victories, should prove invincible. "Pezelius in melificio historico".
Upon the thirtieth of September, Pompey the Great was born: upon that
day he triumphed for his Asian conquest, and on that day he died.
The nineteenth of August was the day of Augustus his adoption: on the
same day he began his consulship: he conquered the Triumviri, and on
the same day he died. Hitherto out of the memories of King Charles
I's. heroes.
If Solomon counts the day of one's death better than the day of one's
birth, there can be no objection why that also may not be reckoned
amongst one's remarkable and happy days. And therefore I will insert
here, that the eleventh of February was the noted day of Elizabeth,
wife to Henry VII. who was born and died that day. Weever, p. 476.
Brooke, in Henry VII. marriage. Stow, in Anno 1466, 1503.
As also that the twenty-third of November was the observable day of
Francis, Duke of Lunenburgh, who was born on that day, and died upon
the same, 1549, as says the French author of the Journal History, who
adds upon particular remark and observable curiosity.
"Ipsa dies vitam contulit, ipsa necem".
The same day life did give,
And made him cease to live.
Sir Kenelm Digby, that renowned knight, great linguist, and magazine
of arts, was born and died on the eleventh of June, and also fought
fortunately at Scanderoon the same day. Here his epitaph, composed
by Mr. Ferrar, and recited in the aforesaid Memoirs:
Under this stone the matchless Digby lies,
Digby the great, the valiant and the wise:
This age's wonder for his noble parts;
Skill'd in six tongues, and learn'd in all the arts.
Born on the day he died, th' eleventh of June,
On which he bravely fought at Scanderoon.
'Tis rare that one and self-same day should be
His day of birth, of death, of victory.
I had a maternal uncle, that died the third of March,1678, which was
the anniversary day of his birth; and (which is a truth exceeding
strange) many years ago he foretold the day of his death to be that of
his birth; and he also averred the same but about the week before his
departure.
The third of March is the day of St. Eutropius; and as to my uncle it
was significative; it turned well to him, according to that of
Rev. 14, 13. Blessed are the dead, &e. and that of Ovid Metam. lib. 3.
"---Dicique beatus",
"Ante obitum nemo supremaque funera debet.-----"
--None happy call
Before their death, and final funeral.
The sixth of January was five times auspicious to Charles, Duke of
Anjou. Ibid. in the life of the Earl of Sunderland.
The twenty-fourth of February was happy to Charles V. four times.
(Ibid.) Heylin, speaking of the Temple of Jerusalem, hints three of
these four; his birth, taking of Francis, King of France, prisoner;
his receiving the Imperial crown at Bononia. And so doth also the
Journal History before mentioned.
Of the family of the Trevors, six successive principal branches have
been born the sixth of July. Same memoirs.
Sir Humphrey Davenport was born the 7th of July; and on that day
anniversary, his father and mother died, within a quarter of an hour
one of another. Same memoirs.
I have seen an old Romish MSS. prayer-book, (and shewed the same to
that general scholar, and great astrologer, Elias Ashmole, Esq.;) at
the beginning whereof was a Calendar wherein were inserted the unlucky
days of each month, set out in verse. I will recite them just as they
are, sometimes infringing the rule of grammar, sometimes of Prosodia;
a matter of which the old monkish rhymers were no way scrupulous.
It was as ancient as Henry the sixth, or Edward the fourth's time.
January "Prima dies mensis, & septima truncat ut ensis".
February "Quarta subit mortem, prostemit tertia fortem."
March. "Primus mandentem, disrumpit quarto, bibentem".
April "Denus & undenus est mortis vulnere plenus".
May "Tertius occidit, & Septimus ora relidit".*
June "Denus pallescit, quindenus feeders nescit".
July. "Ter-decimus mactat, Julij denus labefactat."
August. "Prima necat fortem, prostemit secunda cohortem".
September "Tertia Septembris & denus fert mala membris".
October. "Tertius & denus est, sicut, mors alienus".
November. "Scorpius est quintus, & tertius e nece cinctus".
December. "Septimus exanguis, virosus denus & anguis".
* Ex re & ledo.
The tenth verse is intolerable, and might be mended thus.
"Tertia cum dena sit sicut mors aliena".
If any object and say, "Deni" is only the plural; I excuse my self by
that admirable chronogram upon King Charles the martyr.
"Ter deno, Jani, Lunae, Rex (Sole cadente)"
"Carolus euxtus Solio, Sceptroque, secure".
Neither will I have recourse for refuge to that old tetrastich,
"Intrat Avaloniam duodena Caterva virorum
"Flos Arimathioe Joseph, &c."
because I have even now blamed the liberty of the ancient rhymers. He
means by "Mors aliena", some strange kind of death; though "aliena",
signifies in quite another sense than there used.
I shall take particular notice here of the third of November, both
because 'tis my own birth day, and also for that I have observed some
remarkable accidents to have happened thereupon.
Constantius, the Emperor, son of Constantine the Great, little inferior
to his father, a worthy warrior, and good man, died the third of
November: "Ex veteri Calendario penes me".
Thomas Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, that great man, and famous
commander under Henry IV. V. and VI. Died this day, by a wound of a
cannon-shot he received at Orleans, E MSS. quodam, & Glovero.
So, also Cardinal Borromeo, famous for his sanctity of life, and
therefore canonized, (Heylin in his "Prcognita", says, he made Milan
memorable, by his residence there) died 1584, this day, as Possevinus
in his life.
Sir John Perrot, (Stow corruptly calls him Parrat) a man very
remarkable in his time, Lord Deputy of Ireland, son to Henry VIII. And
extremely like him, died in the tower, the third of November, 1592 (as
Stow says). Grief, and the fatality of. this day, killed him. See
Naunton's "Fragmenta Regalia", concerning this man.
Stow, in his Annals, says, Anno 1099, November 3, as well in Scotland
as England, the sea broke in, over the banks of many rivers, drowning
divers towns, and much people; with an innumerable number of oxen and
sheep, at which time the lands in Kent, sometimes belonging to Earl
Godwin, were covered with sands, and drowned, and to this day are
called Godwin's Sands.
I had an estate left me in Kent, of which between thirty and forty
acres was marsh-land, very conveniently flanking its up-land; and in
those days this marsh-land was usually let for four nobles an acre. My
father died, 1643. Within a year and half after his decease, such
charges and water-schots came upon this marsh-land, by the influence
of the sea, that it was never worth one farthing to me, but very often
eat into the rents of the up-land: so that I often think, this day
being my birth-day, hath the same influence upon me, that it had 580
years since upon Earl Godwin, and others concerned in low-lands.
The Parliament, so fatal to Rome's concerns here, in Henry VIII's.
time, began the third of November (26 of his reign;) in which the
Pope, with all his authority, was clean banished the realm; he no more
to be called otherwise than Bishop of Rome; the King to be taken and
reputed as supreme head of the church of England, having full
authority to reform all errors, heresies and abuses of the same: also
the first-fruits and tenths of all spiritual promotions and dignities
were granted to the King. See Stow's Annals, and Weever, page 80.
Not long after which, followed the visitation of abbies, priories, and
nunneries; and after that, their final suppression: this Parliament
being the door, or entrance thereto.
The third of November 1640, began that Parliament so direfully fatal
to England, in its peace, its wealth, its religion, its gentry, its
nobility; nay, its King. So verifying the former verse of the calendar.
"Scorpius est quintus, & tertius e nece cinctus, "
A killing day to some or other.
On the third of November 1703, was the remarkable storm.
The third of September was a remarkable day to the English Attila,
Oliver, 1650. He obtained a memorable victory at Dunbar; another at
Worcester, 1651, and that day he died, 1658.
The first two occurrences wonderfully accord to the preceding verses.
"Tertia Septembris, & denus fert mala membris."
Being fatal to the two members of great Britain, Scotland and England.
The third, as happy to them both, as the same day, 1666, was dismal
and unhappy to the city of London, and consequently to the whole
kingdom, with its immediate preceding and two succeeding days, viz.
the second, fourth, and fifth of September.