at mortals, who talk of them, who wear their favourite colour green, or in any respect interfere with their affairs. This is especially to be avoided on Friday, when, whether as dedicated to Venus, with whom, in Germany, this subterraneous people are held nearly connected, or for a more solemn reason, they are more active and possessed of greater power. Some curious particulars concerning the popular superstitions of the Highlanders may be found in Dr. Graham's Picturesque Sketches of Perthshire.'—Scott.
Friday (the day of the goddess Freya) is regarded as lucky for marriages. Mr. Thiselton Dyer in 'Domestic Folk-lore,' p. 39, quotes the City Chamberlain of Glasgow as affirming that 'nine-tenths of the marriages in Glasgow are celebrated on a Friday.' In Hungary nothing of any importance is undertaken on a Friday, and there is a Hungarian proverb which says that whoever is merry on a Friday is sure to weep on the Sunday. The Sicilians make the exception for weddings. In America Friday is a lucky day — the New World, no doubt, upsetting in this as other matters the conservatism of the Old. The superstition of sailors about Friday is famous. Cp. the old English song 'The Mermaid.' For further discussion of the subject see 'Notes and Queries,' 6th S. vol. vi.
1. 175. 'The journal of the Friend, to whom the Fourth Canto of the poem is inscribed, furnished me with the following account of a striking superstition:—
'"Passed the pretty little village of Franchémont (near Spaw), with the romantic ruins of the old castle of the counts of that name. The road leads through many delightful vales, on a rising ground: at the extremity of one of them stands the ancient castle, now the subject of many superstitious legends. It is firmly believed by the neighbouring peasantry, that the last Baron of Franchémont deposited, in one of the vaults of the castle, a ponderous chest, containing an immense treasure in gold and silver, which, by some magic spell, was intrusted to the care of the Devil, who is constantly found sitting on the chest in the shape of a huntsman. Any one adventurous enough to touch the chest is instantly seized with the palsy. Upon one occasion, a priest of noted piety was brought to the vault: he used all the arts of exorcism to persuade his infernal majesty to vacate his seat, but in vain; the huntsman remained immovable. At last, moved by the earnestness of the priest, he told him, that he would agree to resign the chest, if the exorciser would sign his name with blood. But the priest understood his meaning, and refused, as by that act he would have delivered over
