Daffodils。Anymaidenwhodreamsofdaffodilsiswarnedbyhergoodangeltoavoidgoingintoawoodwithherlover，orintoanydarkorretiredplacewhereshemightnotbeabletomakepeoplehearherifshecriedout。Alas！forherifshepaynoattentiontothewarning！
　　Sheshallberifledofthepreciousflowerofchastity，andshallneveragainhaverighttowearthegarlandofvirginity。
　　“Neveragainshallsheputgarlandon；
　　Insteadofit，she’llwearsadcypressnow，Andbitterelderbrokenfromthebough。“
　　Figs，ifgreen，betokenembarrassment；ifdried，moneytothepoorandmirthtotherich。
　　Heart’s-ease，betokensheart’spain。
　　Lilies，predictjoy；water-lilies，dangerfromthesea。
　　Lemons，betokenaseparation。
　　Pomegranates，predicthappywedlocktothosewhoaresingle，andreconciliationtothosewhoaremarriedandhavedisagreed。
　　Quinces，prognosticatepleasantcompany。
　　Roses，denotehappylove，notunmixedwithsorrowfromothersources。
　　Sorrel，Todreamofthisherbisasignthatyouwillshortlyhaveoccasiontoexertallyourprudencetoovercomesomegreatcalamity。
　　Sunflowers，showthatyourpridewillbedeeplywounded。
　　Violets，predicteviltothesingleandjoytothemarried。
　　Yellow-flowersofanykindpredictjealousy。
　　Yew-berries，predictlossofcharactertobothsexes。
　　Itshouldbeobservedthattherulesfortheinterpretationofdreamsarefarfrombeinguniversal。ThecheeksofthepeasantgirlofEnglandglowwithpleasureinthemorningaftershehasdreamedofarose，whilethepaysanneofNormandydreadsdisappointmentandvexationfortheverysamereason。TheSwitzerwhodreamsofanoaktreedoesnotshareintheEnglishman’sjoy；forheimaginesthatthevisionwasawarningtohimthat，fromsometriflingcause，anoverwhelmingcalamitywillburstoverhim。Thusdotheignorantandthecreduloustormentthemselves；thusdotheyspreadtheirnetstocatchvexation，andpasstheirlivesbetweenhopeswhichareofnovalueandfearswhichareapositiveevil。
　　OMENS——Amongtheothermeansofself-annoyanceuponwhichmenhavestumbled，intheirvainhopeofdiscoveringthefuture，signsandomensholdaconspicuousplace。Thereisscarcelyanoccurrenceinnaturewhich，happeningatacertaintime，isnotlookeduponbysomepersonsasaprognosticatoreitherofgoodorevil。Thelatterareinthegreatestnumber，somuchmoreingeniousareweintormentingourselvesthanindiscoveringreasonsforenjoymentinthethingsthatsurroundus。Wegooutofourcoursetomakeourselvesuncomfortable；
　　thecupoflifeisnotbitterenoughtoourpalate，andwedistilsuperfluouspoisontoputintoit，orconjureuphideousthingstofrightenourselvesat，whichwouldneverexistifwedidnotmakethem。“Wesuffer，“saysAddison，[“Spectator，“No。7，March8th，1710-11。]“asmuchfromtriflingaccidentsasfromrealevils。Ihaveknowntheshootingofastarspoilanight’srest，andhaveseenamaninlovegrowpaleandlosehisappetiteuponthepluckingofamerrythought。Ascreech-owlatmidnighthasalarmedafamilymorethanabandofrobbers；nay，thevoiceofacrickethasstruckmoreterrorthantheroaringofalion。Thereisnothingsoinconsiderablewhichmaynotappeardreadfultoanimaginationthatisfilledwithomensandprognostics。Arustynailoracrookedpinshootupintoprodigies。“
　　ThecenturyandaquarterthathaspassedawaysinceAddisonwrotehasseenthefallofmanyerrors。Manyfallaciesanddelusionshavebeencrushedunderthefootoftimesincethen；butthishasbeenleftunscathed，tofrightentheweakmindedandembittertheirexistence。A
　　beliefinomensisnotconfinedtothehumbleanduninformed。A
　　general，wholedanarmywithcredit，hasbeenknowntofeelalarmedatawinding-sheetinthecandle；andlearnedmen，whohadhonourablyandfairlyearnedthehighesthonoursofliterature，havebeenseentogathertheirlittleonesaroundthem，andfearthatonewouldbesnatchedaway，because，“Whenstoleuponthetimethedeadofnight，Andheavysleephadclosedupmortaleyes，“
　　adoginthestreetwashowlingatthemoon。Personswhowouldacknowledgefreelythatthebeliefinomenswasunworthyofamanofsense，haveyetconfessedatthesametimethat，inspiteoftheirreason，theyhavebeenunabletoconquertheirfearsofdeathwhentheyheardtheharmlessinsectcalledthedeath-watchtickinginthewall，orsawanoblonghollowcoalflyoutofthefire。
　　Manyotherevilomensbesidesthosementionedabovealarmthevulgarandtheweak。Ifasuddenshiveringcomesoversuchpeople，theybelievethat，atthatinstant，anenemyistreadingoverthespotthatwillonedaybetheirgrave。Iftheymeetasowwhentheyfirstwalkabroadinthemorning，itisanomenofevilforthatday。Tomeetanass，isinlikemannerunlucky。Itisalsoveryunfortunatetowalkunderaladder；toforgettoeatgooseonthefestivalofSt。
　　Michael；totreaduponabeetle，ortoeatthetwinnutsthataresometimesfoundinoneshell。Woe，inlikemanner，ispredictedtothatwightwhoinadvertentlyupsetsthesalt；eachgrainthatisoverthrownwillbringtohimadayofsorrow。Ifthirteenpersonssitattable，oneofthemwilldiewithintheyear；andallofthemwillbeunhappy。Ofallevilomens，thisistheworst。ThefacetiousDr。
　　Kitchenerusedtoobservethattherewasonecaseinwhichhebelievedthatitwasreallyunluckyforthirteenpersonstositdowntodinner，andthatwaswhentherewasonlydinnerenoughfortwelve。
　　Unfortunatelyfortheirpeaceofmind，thegreatmajorityofpeopledonottakethiswiseviewofthematter。InalmosteverycountryofEuropethesamesuperstitionprevails，andsomecarryitsofarastolookuponthenumberthirteenasineverywayominousofevil；andiftheyfindthirteencoinsintheirpurse，castawaytheoddonelikeapollutedthing。ThephilosophicBeranger，inhisexquisitesong，“ThirteenatTable，“hastakenapoeticalviewofthishumiliatingsuperstition，andmingled，asishiswont，alessonofgenuinewisdominhislay。Beingatdinner，heoverthrowsthesalt，and，lookingroundtheroom，discoversthatheisthethirteenthguest。Whileheismourninghisunhappyfate，andconjuringupvisionsofdiseaseandsuffering，andthegrave，heissuddenlystartledbytheapparitionofDeathherself，notintheshapeofagrimfoe，withskeletonribsandmenacingdart，butofanangeloflight，whoshowsthefollyoftormentingourselveswiththedreadofherapproach，whensheisthefriend，ratherthantheenemy，ofman，andfreesusfromthefetterswhichbindustothedust。
　　IfmencouldbringthemselvestolookuponDeathinthismanner，livingwellandwiselytillherinevitableapproach，howvastastoreofgriefandvexationwouldtheysparethemselves！
　　Amonggoodomens，oneofthemostconspicuousistomeetapiebaldhorse。Tomeettwooftheseanimalsisstillmorefortunate；andifonsuchanoccasionyouspitthrice，andformanyreasonablewish，itwillbegratifiedwithinthreedays。Itisalsoasignofgoodfortuneifyouinadvertentlyputonyourstockingwrongsideout。Ifyouwilfullywearyourstockinginthisfashion，nogoodwillcomeofit。
　　Itisveryluckytosneezetwice；butifyousneezeathirdtime，theomenlosesitspower，andyourgoodfortunewillbenippedinthebud。
　　Ifastrangedogfollowyou，andfawnonyou，andwishtoattachitselftoyou，itisasignofverygreatprosperity。Justasfortunateisitifastrangemalecatcomestoyourhouseandmanifestsfriendlyintentionstowardsyourfamily。Ifasheeat，itisanomen，onthecontrary，ofverygreatmisfortune。Ifaswarmofbeesalightinyourgarden，someveryhighhonourandgreatjoysawaityou。
　　Besidestheseglimpsesofthefuture，youmayknowsomethingofyourfatebyadiligentattentiontoeveryitchingthatyoumayfeelinyourbody。Thus，iftheeyeorthenoseitches，itisasignyouwillbeshortlyvexed；ifthefootitchesyouwilltreaduponstrangeground；andiftheelbowitches，youwillchangeyourbedfellow。
　　Itchingoftheright-handprognosticatesthatyouwillsoonhaveasumofmoney；andoftheleft，thatyouwillbecalledupontodisburseit。
　　ThesearebutafewoftheomenswhicharegenerallycreditedinmodernEurope。Acompletelistofthemwouldfatiguefromitslength，andsickenfromitsabsurdity。ItwouldbestillmoreunprofitabletoattempttospecifythevariousdelusionsofthesamekindwhicharebelievedamongOrientalnations。Everyreaderwillrememberthecomprehensiveformulaofcursingpreservedin“TristramShandy:“——
　　curseamanafteranyfashionyourememberorcaninvent，youwillbesuretofinditthere。TheOrientalcreedofomensisnotlesscomprehensive。Everymovementofthebody，everyemotionofthemind，isatcertaintimesanomen。Everyformandobjectinnature，eventheshapeofthecloudsandthechangesoftheweather；everycolour，everysound，whetherofmenoranimals，orbirdsorinsects，orinanimatethings，isanomen。Nothingistootriflingorinconsiderabletoinspireahopewhichisnotworthcherishing，orafearwhichissufficienttoembitterexistence。
　　Fromthebeliefinomensspringsthesuperstitionthathas，fromveryearlyages，setapartcertaindays，asmorefavourablethanothers，forpryingintothesecretsoffuturity。Thefollowing，copiedverbatimfromthepopular“DreamandOmenBook“ofMotherBridget，willshowthebeliefofthepeopleofEnglandatthepresentday。
　　Thosewhoarecuriousastotheancienthistoryoftheseobservances，willfindabundantalimentinthe“Every-dayBook。“
　　“The1stofJanuary——Ifayoungmaidendrink，ongoingtobed，apintofcoldspring-water，inwhichisbeatupanamulet，composedoftheyolkofapullet’segg，thelegsofaspider，andtheskinofaneelpounded，herfuturedestinywillberevealedtoherinadream。
　　Thischarmfailsofitseffectiftriedanyotherdayoftheyear。
　　“ValentineDay——Letasinglewomangooutofherowndoorveryearlyinthemorning，andifthefirstpersonshemeetsbeawoman，shewillnotbemarriedthatyear:ifshemeetaman，shewillbemarriedwithinthreemonths。
　　“LadyDay——Thefollowingcharmmaybetriedthisdaywithcertainsuccess:——Stringthirty-onenutsonastring，composedofredworstedmixedwithbluesilk，andtieitroundyourneckongoingtobed，repeatingtheselines