it till the blood gush, wherewith she nourisheth her young.--Eugenius
Philalethes, _Brief Natural History_, 93.
Then sayd the Pellycane,
“When my byrdts be slayne,
With my bloude I them reuyue [_revive_],”
Scrypture doth record,
The same dyd our Lord,
And rose from deth to lyue [_life_].
Skelton, _Armoury of Byrdts_ (died 1529).
And, like the kind, life rendering pelican,
Repast them with my blood.
Shakespeare, _Hamlet_, act iv. sc. 5 (1596).
PHŒNIX. There is but one phœnix in the world, which, after many
hundred years, burns itself, and from its ashes another phœnix rises
up.
Now I will believe, ... that in Arabia
There is one tree, the phœnix’ throne; one phœnix
At this hour reigning there.
Shakespeare, _The Tempest_, act iii. sc. 3 (1609).
The phœnix is said to have fifty orifices in its bill, continued to
its tail. After living its 1000 or 500 years, it builds itself a funeral
pile, sings a melodious elegy, flaps its wings to fan the fire, and is
burnt to ashes.
The enchanted pile of that lonely bird
Who sings at the last his own death-lay.
And in music and perfume dies away.
T. Moore, _Lalla Rookh_ (“Paradise and the Peri,” 1817).
The phœnix has appeared five times in Egypt: (1) in the reign of
Sesostris; (2) in the reign of Amăsis; (3) in the reign of Ptolemy
Philadelphos; (4) a little prior to the death of Tiberius; and (5)
during the reign of Constantine. Tacitus mentions the first three
(_Annales_, vi. 28).
PIG. In the fore feet of pigs is a very small hole, which may be seen
when the pig is dead and the hair carefully removed. The legend is that
the devils made their exit from the swine through the fore feet, and
left these holes. There are also six very minute rings round each hole,
and these are said to have been made by the devil’s claws.
When pigs carry straws in their mouth, rain is at hand.
When swine carry bottles of hay or straw to hide them, rain is at
hand.--_The Husbandman’s Practice_, 137 (1664).
When young pigs are taken from the sow, they must be drawn away
backwards, or the sow will be fallow.
The bacon of swine killed in a waning moon will waste much in the
cooking.
When hogs run grunting home, a storm is impending.--_The Cabinet of
Nature_, 262 (1637).
It is unlucky for a traveller if a sow crosses his path.
If, going on a journey on business, a sow cross the road, you will
meet with a disappointment, if not an accident, before you return
home.--Grose.
To meet a sow with a litter of pigs is very lucky.
If a sow is with her litter of pigs, it is lucky, and denotes a
successful journey.--Grose.
Langley tells us this marvellous bit of etymology: “The bryde anoynteth
the poostes of the doores with swynes grease, ... to dryve awaye
misfortune, wherefore she had her name in Latin _uxor_, ´ab ungendo’
[_to anoint_].”--_Translation of Polydore Vergil_, 9.
PIGEON. If a white pigeon settles on a chimney, it bodes death to some
one in the house.
No person can die on a bed or pillow containing pigeon’s feathers.
If anybody be sick and lye a-dying, if they [_sic_] lie upon pigeon’s
feathers they will be languishing and never die, but be in pain and
torment.--_British Apollo_, ii. No. 93 (1710).
The blue pigeon is held sacred in Mecca.--Pitt.
PORCUPINE. When porcupines are hunted or annoyed, they shoot out their
quills in anger.
RAT. Rats forsake a ship before a wreck, or a house about to fall.
They prepared
A rotten carcass of a boat; the very rats
Instinctively had quit it.
Shakespeare, _The Tempest_, act i. sc. 2 (1609).
If rats gnaw the furniture of a room, there will be a death in the
family ere long.--Grose.
⁂ The bucklers at Lanuvium being gnawed by rats, presaged ill fortune,
and the battle of Marses, fought soon after, confirmed the superstition.
The Romans said that to see a _white_ rat was a certain presage of good
luck.--Pliny, _Natural History_, viii. 57.
RAVEN. Ravens are ill-omened birds.
The hoarse night raven, trompe of doleful dreere.
Spenser.
Ravens seen on the left hand side of a person bode impending evil.
Sæpe sinistra cava prædixit ab ilice cornix.
Virgil, _Ecl._, i.
Ravens call up rain.
Hark
How the curst raven, with her harmless voice,
Invokes the rain!
Smart, _Hop Garden_, ii. (died 1770).
When ravens forsake a wood, it prognosticates famine.
This is because ravens bear the character of Saturn, the author of
such calamities.--_Athenian Oracle_ (supplement, 476).
Ravens forebode pestilence and death.
Like the sad-presaging raven, that tolls
The sick man’s passport in her hollow beak,
And, in the shadow of the silent night,
Doth shake contagion from her sable wing.
Marlowe, _The Jew of Malta_ (1633).
Ravens foster forsaken children.
Some say that ravens foster forlorn children.
(?) Shakespeare, _Titus Andronicus_, act ii. sc. 3 (1593).
It is said that King Arthur is not dead, but is only changed into a
raven, and will in due time resume his proper form and rule over his
people gloriously.
The raven was white till it turned tell-tale, and informed Apollo of the
faithlessness of Corōnis. Apollo shot the nymph for her infidelity, but
changed the plumage of the raven into inky blackness for his officious
prating.--Ovid, _Metamorphoses_, ii.
He [_Apollo_] blackened the raven o’er,
And bid him prate in his white plumes no more.
Addison’s _Translation of Ovid_, ii.
If ravens gape against the sun, heat will follow; but if they busy
themselves in preening or washing, there will be rain.
REM´ORA. A fish called the remora can arrest a ship in full sail.
A little fish that men call remora,
Which stopped her course ...
That wind nor tide could move her.
Spenser, _Sonnets_ (1591).
ROBIN. The red of a robin’s breast is produced by the blood of Jesus.
While the “Man of Sorrows” was on His way to Calvary, a robin plucked a
thorn from His temples, and a drop of blood, falling on the bird, turned
its bosom red.
Another legend is that the robin used to carry dew to refresh sinners
parched in hell, and the scorching heat of the flames turned its
feathers red.
He brings cool dew in his little bill,
And lets it fall on the souls of sin;
You can see the mark on his red breast still,
Of fires that scorch as he drops it in.
J. G. Whittier, _The Robin_.
If a robin finds a dead body unburied, it will cover the face at least,
if not the whole body.--Grey, _On Shakespeare_, ii. 226.
The robins so red, now these babies are dead,
Ripe strawberry leaves doth over them spread.
_Babes in the Wood._
It is unlucky either to keep or to kill a robin. J. H. Pott says, if any
one attempts to detain a robin which has sought hospitality, let him
“fear some new calamity.”--_Poems_ (1780).
SALAMANDER. The salamander lives in the fire.
Should a glass-house fire be kept up without extinction for more than
seven years, there is no doubt but that a salamander will be generated
in the cinders.--J. P. Andrews, _Anecdotes, etc._, 359.
The salamander seeks the hottest fire to breed in, but soon quenches it
by the extreme coldness of its body.--Pliny, _Natural History_, x. 67;
xxix. 4.
Food touched by a salamander is poisonous.--Ditto, xxix. 23.
SALIVA. The human saliva is a cure for blindness.--Ditto, xxviii. 7.
If a man spits on a serpent, it will die. Ditto, vii. 2.
The human saliva is a charm against fascination and witchcraft.
Thrice on my breast I spit, to guard me safe
From fascinating charms.
Theocritos.
To unbewitch the bewitched, you must spit into the shoe of your right
foot.--Scot, _Discoverie of Witchcraft_ (1584).
Spitting for luck is a most common superstition.
Fishwomen generally spit upon their hansel.--Grose.
A blacksmith who has to shoe a stubborn horse, spits in his hand to
drive off the “evil spirit.”
The swarty smith spits in his buckthorne fist.
Browne, _Britannia’s Pastorals_, i.
If a pugilist spits in his hand, his blows will be more telling.--Pliny,
_Natural History_, xxviii. 7.
SCORPION. Scorpions sting themselves.
Scorpions have an oil which is a remedy for their stings.
’Tis true the scorpion’s oil is said
To cure the wound the venom made.
S. Butler, _Hudibras_, iii. 2 (1678).
SPIDER. It is unlucky to kill a moneyspinner.
Small spiders, called “money-spinners,” prognosticate good luck, if
they are not destroyed or removed from the person on whom they attach
themselves.--Park.
The bite of a spider is venomous.
No spider will spin its web on an Irish oak.
Spiders will never set their webs on a cedar roof.--Caughey, _Letters_
(1845).
Spiders indicate where gold is to be found. (See SPIDERS INDICATORS OF
GOLD.)
There are no spiders in Ireland, because St. Patrick cleared the island
of all vermin.
Spiders envenom whatever they touch.
There may be in the cup
A spider steeped, and one may drink, depart,
And yet partake no evil.
Shakespeare, _Winter’s Tale_, act iii. sc. 1 (1604).
A spider enclosed in a quilt and hung round the neck will cure the
ague.--Mrs. Delany, _A Letter dated March 1, 1743_.
I ... hung three spiders about my neck, and they drove my ague
away.--Elias Ashmole, _Diary_ (April 11, 1681).
A spider worn in a nutshell round the neck is a cure for fever.
Cured by the wearing a spider around one’s neck in a nutshell.
Longfellow, _Evangeline_, ii. (1849).
Spiders spin only on dark days.
The subtle spider never spins
But on dark days his slimy gins.
S. Butler, _On a Nonconformist_, iv.
Spiders have a natural antipathy to toads.
STAG. Stags draw, by their breath, serpents from their holes, and then
trample them to death. (Hence the stag has been used to symbolize
Christ.)--Pliny, _Natural History_, viii. 50.
STORK. It is unlucky to kill a stork.
According to Swedish legend, a stork fluttered round the cross of the
crucified Redeemer, crying, _Styrkê! styrkê!_ (“Strengthen ye!
strengthen ye!”), and was hence called the _styrk_ or _stork_, but ever
after lost its voice.
SWALLOW. According to Scandinavian legend, the bird hovered over the
cross of Christ, crying, _Svalê! svalê!_ (“Cheer up! cheer up!”), and
hence it received the name of _svalê_ or _swallow_, “the bird of
consolation.”
If a swallow builds on a house, it brings good luck.
The swallow is said to bring home from the seashore a stone which gives
sight to her fledglings.
Seeking with eager eyes that wondrous stone which the swallow
Brings from the shore of the sea, to restore the sight of its
fledglings.
Longfellow, _Evangeline_, i. 1 (1849).
To kill a swallow is unlucky.
When swallows fly high, the weather will be fine.
When swallows fleet soar high and sport in air,
He told us that the welkin would be clear.
Gay, _Pastoral_, i. (1714).
SWAN. The swan retires from observation when about to die, and sings
most melodiously.
Swans a little before their death sing most sweetly.--Pliny, _Natural
History_, x. 23.
The swanne cannot hatch without a cracke of thunder.--Lord
Northampton, _Defensive, etc._ (1583).
TARANTULA. The tarantula is poisonous.
The music of a tarantula will cure its venomous bite.
TOAD. Toads spit poison, but they carry in their head an antidote
thereto.
... the toad ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in its head.
Shakespeare, _As You Like It_, act ii. sc. 1 (1600).
In the dog days, toads never open their mouths.
Toads are never found in Ireland, because St. Patrick cleared the island
of all vermin.
UNICORN. Unicorns can be caught only by placing a virgin in their
haunts.
The horn of a unicorn dipped into a liquor will show if it contains
poison.
VIPER. Young vipers destroy their mothers when they come to birth.
WEASEL. To meet a weasel is unlucky.--Congreve, _Love for Love_.
You never catch a weasel asleep.
WOLF. If a wolf sees a man before the man sees the wolf, he will be
struck dumb.
Men are sometimes changed into wolves.--Pliny, _Natural History_.
WREN. If any one kills a wren, he will break a bone before the year is
out.
MISCELLANEOUS. No animal dies near the sea, except at the ebbing of the
tide.--Aristotle.
’A parted even just between twelve and one, e’en at the turning o’ the
tide.--Shakespeare, _Henry V._ act. ii. sc. 3 (Falstaff’s death,
1599).
=Superstitions about Precious Stones.=
R. B. means Rabbi Benoni (fourteenth century); S. means Streeter,
_Precious Stones_ (1877).
AGATE quenches thirst, and if held in the mouth, allays fever.--R. B.
It is supposed, at least, in fable, to render the wearer invisible, and
also to turn the sword of foes against themselves.
The agate is an emblem of health and long life, and is dedicated to
June. In the Zodiac it stands for Scorpio.
AMBER is a cure for sore throats and all glandular swellings.--R. B.
It is said to be a concretion of birds’ tears.--Chambers.
Around thee shall glisten the lovliest amber
That ever the sorrowing sea-bird hath wept.
T. Moore, Lalla Rookh (“Fire-Worshippers,” 1817).
The birds which wept amber were the sisters of Meleager, called
Meleagrĭdês, who never ceased weeping for their brother’s death.--Pliny,
_Natural History_, xxxvii. 2, 11.
AMETHYST banishes the desire for drink, and promotes chastity.--R. B.
The Greeks thought that it counteracted the effects of wine.
The amethyst is an emblem of humility and sobriety. It is dedicated to
February and Venus. In the Zodiac it stands for Sagittarius, in
metallurgy for copper, in Christian art it is given to St. Matthew, and
in the Roman Catholic Church it is set in the pastoral ring of bishops,
whence it is called the “prelate’s gem,” or _pierre d’évêque_.
CAT’S-EYE, considered by the Cingalese as a charm against witchcraft,
and to be the abode of some genii.--S., 168.
CORAL, a talisman against enchantments, witchcrafts, thunder, and other
perils of flood and field. It was consecrated to Jupiter and
Phœbus.--S., 233.
Red coral worn about the person is a certain cure for indigestion.--R.
B.
CRYSTAL induces visions, promotes sleep, and ensures good dreams.--R. B.
It is dedicated to the moon, and in metallurgy stands for silver.
DIAMOND produces somnambulism, and promotes spiritual ecstasy.--R. B.
The diamond is an emblem of innocence, and is dedicated to April and the
sun. In the Zodiac it stands for Virgo, in metallurgy for gold, in
Christian art invulnerable faith.
EMERALD promotes friendship and constancy of mind.--R. B.
If a serpent fixes its eyes on an emerald, it becomes blind.--Ahmed ben
Abdalaziz, _Treatise on Jewels_.
The emerald is an emblem of success in love, and is dedicated to May. In
the Zodiac, it signifies Cancer. It is dedicated to Mars, in metallurgy
it means iron, and in Christian art, is given to St. John.
GARNET preserves health and joy.--R. B.
The garnet is an emblem of constancy, and, like the jacinth, is
dedicated to January.
This was the carbuncle of the ancients, which they said gave out light
in the dark.
LOADSTONE produces somnambulism.--R. B.
It is dedicated to Mercury, and in metallurgy means quicksilver.
MOONSTONE has the virtue of making trees fruitful, and of curing
epilepsy.--Dioscorĭdês.
It contains in it an image of the moon, representing its increase and
decrease every month.--Andreas Baccius.
ONYX contains in it an imprisoned devil, which wakes at sunset, and
causes terror to the wearer, disturbing sleep with ugly dreams.--R. B.
Cupid, with the sharp point of his arrows, cut the nails of Venus during
sleep, and the parings, falling into the Indus, sank to the bottom, and
turned into onyxes.--S., 212.
In the Zodiac it stands for Aquarius; some say it is the emblem of
August and conjugal love; in Christian art it symbolizes sincerity.
OPAL is fatal to love, and sows discord between the giver and
receiver.--R. B.
Given as an engagement token, it is sure to bring ill luck.
The opal is an emblem of hope, and is dedicated to October.
RUBY. The Burmese believe that rubies ripen like fruit. They say a ruby
in its crude state is colorless, and, as it matures, changes first to
yellow, then to green, then to blue, and lastly to a brilliant red, its
highest state of perfection and ripeness.--S., 142.
The ruby signifies Aries in the Zodiacal signs; but some give it to
December, and make it the emblem of brilliant success.
SAPPHIRE produces somnambulism, and impels the wearer to all good
works.--R. B.
In the Zodiac it signifies Leo, and in Christian art is dedicated to St.
Andrew, emblematic of his heavenly faith and good hope. Some give this
gem to April.
TOPAZ is favorable to hemorrhages, imparts strength, and promotes
digestion.--R. B.
Les anciens regardaient la topaze comme utile contre l’épilepsie et la
mélancolie.--Bouillet, _Dict. Univ. des Sciences, etc._ (1855).
The topaz is an emblem of fidelity, and is dedicated to November. In the
Zodiac it signifies Taurus, and in Christian art is given to St. James
the Less.
TURQUOISE, given by loving hands, carries with it happiness and good
fortune. Its color always pales when the well-being of the giver is in
peril.--S., 170.
The turquoise is an emblem of prosperity, and is dedicated to December.
It is dedicated to Saturn, and stands for lead in metallurgy.
A bouquet composed of diamonds, loadstones and sapphires combined,
renders a person almost invincible, and wholly irresistible.--R. B.
All precious stones are purified by honey.
All kinds of precious stones dipped into honey become more brilliant
thereby, each according to its color, and all persons become more
acceptable when they join devotion to their graces. Household cares
are sweetened thereby, love is more loving, and business becomes more
pleasant.--S. Francis de Salis, _The Devout Life_, iii. 13 (1708).
=Supporters in Heraldry= represent the pages who supported the banner.
These pages, before the Tudor period, were dressed in imitation of the
beasts, etc., which typified the bearings or cognizances of their
masters.
=Surface= (_Sir Oliver_), the rich uncle of Joseph and Charles Surface.
He appears under the assumed name of Premium Stanley.
_Charles Surface_, a reformed scapegrace, and the accepted lover of
Maria, the rich ward of Sir Peter Teazle. In Charles, the _evil_ of his
character was all on the surface.
_Joseph Surface_, elder brother of Charles, an artful, malicious, but
sentimental knave; so plausible in speech and manner as to pass for a
“youthful miracle of prudence, good sense, and benevolence.” Unlike
Charles, his _good_ was all on the surface.--Sheridan, _School for
Scandal_ (1777).
=Surgeon’s Daughter= (_The_), a novel by Sir Walter Scott, laid in the
time of George II. and III., and published in 1827. The heroine is Menie
Gray, daughter of Dr. Gideon Gray, of Middlemas. Adam Hartley, the
doctor’s apprentice, loves her, but Menie herself has given her heart to
Richard Middlemas. It so falls out that Richard Middlemas goes to India.
Adam Hartley also goes to India, and, as Dr. Hartley, rises high in his
profession. One day, being sent for to visit a sick fakir´, he sees
Menie Gray under the wing of Mde. Montreville. Her father had died, and
she had come to India, under madame’s escort, to marry Richard; but
Richard had entrapped the girl for a concubine in the harem of Tippoo
Saib. When Dr. Hartley heard of this scandalous treachery, he told it to
Hyder Ali, and the father of Tippoo Saib, who were so disgusted at the
villainy that they condemned Richard Middlemas to be trampled to death
by a trained elephant, and liberated Menie, who returned to her native
country under the escort of Dr. Hartley.
=Surgery= (_Father of French_), Ambrose Paré (1517-1590).
=Surly=, a gamester and friend of Sir Epicure Mammon, but a disbeliever
in alchemy in general, and in “doctor” Subtle in particular.--Ben
Jonson, _The Alchemist_ (1610).
=Surplus= (_Mr._), a lawyer, Mrs. Surplus, and Charles Surplus, the
nephew.--J. M. Morton, _A Regular Fix_.
=Surrey= (_White_), name of the horse used by Richard III. in the battle
of Bosworth Field.
Saddle White Surrey for the field to-morrow.
Shakespeare, _King Richard III._ act v. sc. 3 (1597).
=Surtur=, a formidable giant, who is to set fire to the universe at
Ragnarök, with flames collected from Muspelheim.--_Scandinavian
Mythology._
=Sur´ya= (2 _syl._), the sun-god, whose car is drawn by seven green
horses, the charioteer being Dawn.--Sir W. Jones, _From the Veda_.
=Susanna=, the wife of Joacim. She was accused of adultery by the Jewish
elders, and condemned to death; but Daniel proved her innocence, and
turned the criminal charge on the elders themselves.--_History of
Susanna._
=Susannah=, in Sterne’s novel entitled _The Life and Opinions of
Tristram Shandy, Gentleman_ (1759).
=Suspicions Husband= (_The_), a comedy by Dr. Hoadly (1747). Mr.
Strictland is suspicious of his wife, his ward, Jacintha, and Clarinda,
a young lady visitor. With two attractive young ladies in the house,
there is no lack of intrigue, and Strictland fancies that his wife is
the object thereof; but when he discovers his mistake, he promises
reform.
=Sussex= (_The earl of_), a rival of the earl of Leicester, in the court
of Queen Elizabeth; introduced by Sir W. Scott in _Kenilworth_.
=Sut´leme´me= (4 _syl._), a young lady attached to the suite of
Nouron´ihar, the emir’s daughter. She greatly excelled in dressing a
salad.
=Sutor.= _Ne sutor supra Crepĭdam._ A cobbler, having detected an error
in the shoe-latchet of a statue made by Apellês, became so puffed up
with conceit that he proceeded to criticize the legs also; but Apellês
said to him, “Stick to the last, friend.” The cobbler is qualified to
pass an opinion on shoes, but anatomy is quite another thing.
Boswell, one night sitting in the pit of Covent Garden Theatre, with his
friend, Dr. Blair, gave an imitation of a cow lowing, which the house
greatly applauded. He then ventured another imitation, but failed;
whereupon the doctor turned to him and whispered in his ear, “Stick to
the cow.”
A wigmaker sent a copy of verses to Voltaire, asking for his candid
opinion on some poetry he had perpetrated. The witty patriarch of Ferney
wrote on the MS., “Make wigs,” and returned it to the barber-poet.
=Sutton= (_Sir William_), uncle of Hero Sutton, the City maiden.--S.
Knowles, _Woman’s Wit, etc._ (1838).
=Suwarrow= (_Alexander_), a Russian general, noted for his slaughter of
the Poles in the suburbs of Warsaw, in 1794, and the still more shameful
butchery of them on the bridge of Prague. After having massacred 30,000
in cold blood, Suwarrow went to return thanks to God “for giving him the
victory.” Campbell, in his _Pleasures of Hope_, i., refers to this
butchery; and Lord Byron, in _Don Juan_, vii., 8, 55, to the Turkish
expedition (1786-1792).
A town which did a famous siege endure ...
By Suvaroff or _Anglicè_ Suwarrow.
Byron, _Don Juan_, vii. 8 (1824).
=Suzanne=, the wife of Chalomel, the chemist and druggist.--J. R. Ware,
_Piperman’s Predicament_.
=Swallow’s Nest=, the highest of the four castles of the German family
called Landschaden, built on a pointed rock almost inaccessible. The
founder was a noted robber-knight. (See “Swallow.”)
=Swan.= Fionnuāla, daughter of Lir, was transformed into a swan, and
condemned to wander for many hundred years over the lakes and rivers of
Ireland, till the introduction of Christianity into that island.
T. Moore has a poem on this subject in his _Irish Melodies_, entitled
“The Song of Fionnuala” (1814).
_Swan_ (_The_), called the bird of Apollo or of Orpheus (2 _syl._). (See
“Swan.”)
_Swan_ (_The knight of the_), Helias, king of Lyleforte, son of King
Oriant and Beatrice. This Beatrice had eight children at a birth, one of
which was a daughter. The mother-in-law (Matabrune) stole these
children, and changed all of them, except Helias, into swans. Helias
spent all his life in quest of his sister and brothers, that he might
disenchant them and restore them to their human forms.--Thoms, _Early
English Prose Romances_, iii. (1858).
Eustachius vanit ad Buillon ad domum ducissæ quæ uxor erat militis qui
vocabatur “Miles Cygni.”--Reiffenberg, _Le Chevalier au Cygne_.
_Swan_ (_The Mantuan_), Virgil, born at Mantua (B.C. 70-19).
_Swan_ (_The Order of the_). This order was instituted by Frederick II.
of Brandenburg, in commemoration of the mythical “Knight of the Swan”
(1443).
=Swan-Tower=, of Cleves. So called because the house of Cleves professed
to be descended from the “Knight of the Swan” (_q.v._)