un with its pointed rays, others the
Catherine wheel; the Kentish horse, too, a relic of Saxon days, has been
frequently used, and there is the lotus flower of Egyptian origin. There
are Moorish and Buddhist symbols, and many curious developments which
have gone far astray from their original types. The agriculturist is
still superstitious, and does not like to lessen the number of these
somewhat weighty brasses suspended from his horse trappings. For
purposes of utility they are useless; they remain, however, a connecting
link with the superstitions of the past, and a collection of such
curious objects is of extreme interest. In Fig. 84 is shown an
exceptionally fine collection got together by Mr. Wayte, of Edenbridge,
who collects many such things.

Emblems of Luck.

There seems to be a distinctive difference between the amulets which
were protectors against harm and those which are emblems of good
fortune. Perhaps hovering between the two may be classed such curios as
those which tradition has held to be a preservative of luck, like "the
Luck of Eden Hall," that wonderful goblet preserved with such great care
in its charming case of _cour boulli_. In this category are the numerous
gifts from friend to friend having no special emblematic value, but
which were frequently handed over with such sayings as: "I give you this
for luck," and "May good luck go with you." The wish and implied virtue
in the charm has about as much value in it as the wish playfully and
unbelievingly uttered by the twentieth-century maiden at the wishing
well to-day.

There is still, however, an undeniable lingering belief in the
mysterious value in the possession of an emblem of luck, one of the best
known and commonly used to-day being the horseshoe, preferably,
according to old tradition, a cast shoe found and nailed up over the
doorway or in some prominent place. It is generally believed that the
horseshoe carries with it good luck on account of its form, which
resembles the crescent moon, a notorious symbol in the days of the
Crusaders, already referred to as being an important feature in the
amulets or charms on horse trappings--such is the curious mixture of
scepticism and superstitious faith met with to-day!

Lovespoons.

The collection of Welsh lovespoons in the National Museum of Wales,
several of which are illustrated in Fig. 85, is quite unique. Dr. Hoyle,
the Director of the Museum, in his admirable description of the case