elated by John Andrey in the
seventeenth century: 'In Scotland, especially among the Highlanders, the
women make a courtesy to the new moon, and our English women in this
country have a touch of this, some of them sitting astride on a gate or
stile the first evening the new moon appears, and saying, "A fine moon!
God bless her!" The like I observed in Herefordshire.'

As illustrative of this superstition may be instanced a curious practice
in this country, in olden times, of divination by the moon. It is quoted
by Mr. Thiselton-Dyer from an old chap-book: 'When you go to bed (at the
period of harvest moon) place under your pillow a Prayer-Book open at
the part of the matrimonial service, which says, "With this ring I thee
wed"; place on it a key, a ring, a flower, and a sprig of willow, a
small heart-cake, a crust, and the following cards: a ten of clubs, nine
of hearts, ace of spades, and ace of diamonds. Wrap all these in a thin
handkerchief, and, on getting into bed, cover your hands, and say:

"Luna, every woman's friend,
To me thy goodness condescend:
Let me this night in visions see
Emblems of my destiny."

It is certainly hard to imagine pleasant dreams as the result of such a
very uncomfortably-stuffed pillow.

In this same connection may be named other items of folklore related by
Mr. Dyer. For instance, in Devonshire it is believed that if on seeing
the first new moon of the year you take off one stocking and run across
a field, you will find between two of your toes a hair which will be the
colour of the lover you are to have. In Berkshire the proceeding is more
simple, for you merely look at the new moon, and say:

'New moon, new moon, I hail thee!
By all the virtue in thy body,
Grant this night that I may see
He who my true love shall be!'

The result is guaranteed to be as satisfactory as it is in Ireland,
where the people are said to point to the new moon with a knife, and
say:

'New moon, true morrow, be true now to me,
That I to-morrow my true love may see!'

In Yorkshire, again, the practice was to catch the reflection of the new
moon in a looking-glass, the number of reflections signifying the number
of years which will elapse before marriage. All these superstitions are
suggestive of that which Tylor calls 'one of the most instructive
astrological doctrines'--namely, that of the 'sympathy of growing and
declining nature with the waxing and waning moon.' Tylor say