1885.] NEW-YORK MTCROSCOriCAL SOCIETY. 185 



"11. And as for earth, chalk, dirt, and the like, it is drawn 

 up in thin dust at the first with the vapour : Or else, by force of 

 some wind blowing from caverns, or holes of the ground, it is 

 carried up; and being conglomerated, or as it were glued 

 together, falleth down again. 



"12. But beside all these, there have sometimes been red 

 drops, which falling upon men's garments have made a stain like 

 unto a crosse. Such drops as these fell upon the clothes of the 

 Jews, when in the dayes of the Apostate Julian they went about 

 to restore their citie and temple. * * * But this surely was a 

 thing altogether miraculous. For their red crosses came not 

 alone, but were accompanied with other prodigies ; * * * 

 This was both the prodigie, and the issue of it : of which, being 

 so plainly miraculous, I know not what to say. 



" But I find that other times have in a manner afforded the 

 like. Wherefore (although I speak nothing atall of these at 

 this time thus miraculous) concerning them some reasons may be 

 given. 



" And not to go farre, Magirus, in the Comment upon his 

 Physicks, telleth us that in Suevia, a Province in Germanie, in 

 the yeare of our Lord 1534, the aire distilled certain red drops, 

 which falling upon linen garments, made such an impression 

 or stain as was like unto a crosse.' Which impression (as he 

 alledgeth out of Cardan his sixteenth book De subtilitate) might 

 be procured thus ; viz., because a certain kind of extraordinarie 

 dry dust sticked to those garments ; which, by the piercing or 

 through-washing drops falling upon it, was so miraculously 

 divided into parts, that there seemed a figure as of a cross. Or 

 thus, because the woven threads in themselves had such a form. 

 Or else, (which is most probable) because the humour in the 

 middle part lay on high, whereas the sides were but thin and 

 fashioned according to the dashing of the drop. For when a 

 drop falleth upon anything with a kind of force, we see that 

 most of the humour resteth in the midst, whilest certain spark- 

 ling raies are dashed about the sides. And thus he thinketh it 



"Wolff hart, in his Chronicle, mentions instances of little crosses appearing upon 

 clothing, etc., as follows :— 



In the time of Julian the Apostate, about A.D. 367 or 8 ; — spoken of as rain 

 or dew. ' 



In the fifth year of the Emperor Constantine, A.D. 746;— referred to as being like 

 oil. 



A.D. 784, and A.D. 969, without any particulars. 



A.D. 1503, in Germany, when they are said to have appeared on bread. 



