Red Rain 



water. He was less pleased with the common people, and some 

 divines, who judged that it was the work of the devils and 

 witches who had killed innocent young children; for this he 

 counted a mere conjecture, possibly also injurious to the good- 

 ness and providence of God. 



" 'In the meanwhile an accident happened, out of which he 

 conceived he had collected the true cause thereof. For, some 

 months before, he shut up in a box a certain palmer-worm which 

 he had found, rare for its bigness and form; which, when he had 

 forgotten, he heard a buzzing in the box, and when he opened it, 

 found the palmer-worm, having cast its coat, to be turned into 

 a beautiful Butterfly, which presently flew away, leaving in the 

 bottom of the box a red drop as broad as an ordinary sous or 

 shilling; and because this happened about the beginning of the 

 same month and about the same time an incredible multitude 

 of Butterflies were observed flying in the air, he was therefore of 

 opinion that such kind of Butterflies resting on the walls had 

 there shed such like drops, and of the same bigness. Where- 

 upon, he went the second time, and found, by experience, that 

 those drops were not to be found on the house-tops, nor upon 

 the round sides of the stones which stuck out, as it would have 

 happened, if blood had fallen from the sky, but rather where the 

 stones were somewhat hollowed, and in holes, where such small 

 creatures might shroud and nestle themselves. Moreover, the 

 walls which were so spotted, were not in the middle of towns, 

 but they were such as bordered upon the fields, nor were they 

 on the highest parts, but only so moderately high as Butterflies 

 are commonly wont to fly. 



' ' Thus, therefore, he interpreted that which Gregory of Tours 

 relates touching a bloody rain seen at Paris in divers places, in 

 the days of Childebert, and on a certain house in the territory of 

 Senlis; also that which is storied, touching raining of blood about 

 the end of June, in the days of King Robert; so that the blood 

 which fell upon flesh, garments or stones could not be washed 

 out, but that which fell on wood might; for it was the same 

 season of Butterflies, and experience hath taught us, that no water 

 will wash these spots out of the stones, while they are fresh and 

 new. When he had said these and such like things to various, 

 a great company of auditors being present, it was agreed that 

 they should go together and search out the matter, and as they 



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