“College of Arms, in London,

    “28th May, 1719.”

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FOLK LORE.

Superstitions of the Midland Counties.—­It is believed a sign of “bad luck” to meet a white horse, unless the person spits at it, which action is said to avert the ill consequences of the recontre.

A rainy Friday is believed to be followed as a natural and invariable consequence, by a wet Sunday; but I am not aware that the contrary is believed, viz., that fine Friday produces a fine Sunday.

If the fire burns brightly when a person has poked or stirred it up, it is a sign that the absent lover, wife, or husband (as the case may be) is in good spirits, and in good humour.

The itching of the right hand palm is said to portend the reception of a gift; which is rendered more certain if the advice in this distich be followed:—­

  “Rub it ’gainst wood,
  ’Tis sure to come good.”

Persons with much hair or down upon their arms and hands, will at some future period enjoy great wealth; or as the common expression has it, “are born to be rich.”

HENRY KERSLEY.

Corp.  Chris. Hall, Maidstone.

A Rainbow in the Morning, &c.—­“Mr. THOMS” (No. 26, p. 413.) says that he believes no one has remarked the philosophy of this proverbial rhyme.  Sir Humphry Davy, however, points it out in his Salmonia.

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ERROR IN JOHNSON’S LIFE OF SELDEN.

In Johnson’s (Geo. W.) Memoirs of John Selden, London, 1635, 8vo. pp. 128, 129, is a notice of Dr. Sibthorpe’s celebrated Sermon preached at Northampton, and printed in 1627 with the title of Apostolike Obedience.  After stating the difficult experienced in obtaining the necessary sanction for its publication, owing to Abp.  Abbot refusing the requisite imprimatur, the author says that ultimately the licence was “signed by Land himself, and published under the title of Apostolical Obedience.”  A reference at the foot of the page to “Rushworth, p. 444,” leads me to conclude that it is on his authority Mr. Johnson has made this statement; but not having access to the “Historical Collections,” I am unable to examine.  At any rate, Heylin, in his Cyprianus Anglicus, Lond., 1671 fol. p. 159., may be understood to imply the correctness of the assertion.

A copy of this now rare sermon before me {452} proves, however, that the statement is incorrect.  At the back of the title is as follows:—­

“I have read over this sermon upon Rom. xiii. 7., preached at Northampton, at the assises for the county, Feb. 22, 1626, by Robert Synthorpe, Doctor of Divinity, Vicar of Brackley, and I doe approve it as a sermon learnedly and discreetly preached, and agreeable to the ancient Doctrine of the Primitive Church, both for Faith and good manners, and to the Doctrine established in the Church of England, and, therefore, under my hand I give authority for the printing of it, May 8. 1627.”

    GEO. LONDON.