in his Travels, refers to the usage as common in Scandinavia; and in the year 1542, when Hernando de Soto, the famous conquistador of Florida, had an interview with the Cacique Guachoya, the following curious incident occurred. In the midst of their conversation the Cacique happened to sneeze; upon this, all his attendants bowed their heads, opened and closed their arms, and making their signs of veneration, saluted their prince with various phrases of the same purport: “May the sun guard you!” “May the sun be with you!” “May the sun shine upon you, defend you, prosper you!” and the like.[1]
I will close this chapter with a verse on sneezing, which is current in Buckinghamshire to this day:—
Sneeze on Monday, sneeze for danger,
Sneeze on Tuesday, kiss a stranger,
Sneeze on Wednesday, get a letter,
Sneeze on Thursday, something better,
Sneeze on Friday, sneeze for sorrow,
Saturday, see your true-love to-morrow.
- ↑ Theodore Irving’s Conquest of Florida, quoted in Notes and Queries, vol. v. p. 394.
