it is considered
highly unlucky to keep a corpse on board, in case of a death at sea.
Thus, in "Pericles" (iii. 1), this piece of folk-lore is alluded to:

"_1 Sailor._ Sir, your queen must overboard; the sea works
high, the wind is loud, and will not lie till the ship be
cleared of the dead.

_Pericles._ That's your superstition.

_1 Sailor._ Pardon us, sir; with us at sea it hath been still
observed; and we are strong in custom. Therefore briefly yield
her; for she must overboard straight."

It was also a popular opinion that death is delayed until the ebb of the
tide--a superstition to which Mrs. Quickly refers in "Henry V." (ii. 3);
speaking of Falstaff's death, she says: "'A made a finer end, and went
away, an it had been any christom child; 'a parted even just between
twelve and one, even at the turning o' the tide." Hence, in cases of
sickness, many pretended that they could foretell the hour of the soul's
departure. It may be remembered how Mr. Peggotty explained to David
Copperfield, by poor Barkis's bedside, that "people can't die along the
coast except when the tide's pretty nigh out. They can't be born unless
it's pretty nigh in--not properly born till flood. He's a-going out with
the tide--he's a-going out with the tide. It's ebb at half arter three,
slack-water half an hour. If he lives till it turns he'll hold his own
till past the flood, and go out with the next tide." Mr. Henderson[737]
quotes from the parish register of Heslidon, near Hartlepool, the
subjoined extracts of old date, in which the state of the tide at the
time of death is mentioned:

"The xith daye of Maye, A.D. 1595, at vi. of ye clocke in the
morninge, being full water, Mr. Henrye Mitford, of Hoolam, died
at Newcastel, and was buried the xvith daie, being Sondaie, at
evening prayer, the hired preacher maid ye sermon."

"The xviith daie of Maie, at xii. of ye clock at noon, being
lowe water, Mrs. Barbara Mitford died, and was buried the
xviiith daie of Maie, at ix. of the clocke. Mr. Holsworth maid
ye sermon."

[737] "Folk-Lore of Northern Counties," 1880, p. 58.

According to Mr. Henderson, this belief is common along the east coast
of England, from Northumberland to Kent. It has been suggested that
there may be "some slight foundation for this belief in the change of
temperature which undoubtedly takes place on the change of tide, and
which may act on the flicke