ex.] 



OF SELBORNE. 



291 



in contact with those turbulent meteors ; while the humble vales 

 escape, because they are so far beneath them. 



But when I say I do not remember a thunderstorm from the 

 south, I do not mean that we never have suffered from thunder- 

 storms at all; for on June 5th, 1784, the thermometer in the 

 morning being at 64, and at noon, at 70, the barometer at 

 29 six-tenths one-half, and the wind north, I observed a blue 

 mist, smelling strongly of sulphur, hanging along our sloping 

 woods, and seeming to indicate that thunder was at hand. I 

 was called in about two in the afternoon, and so missed seeing 

 the gathering of the clouds in the north ; which they who were 

 abroad assured me had something uncommon in its appear- 

 ance. At about a quarter after two, the storm began in the 

 parish of Hartley, moving slowly from north to south ; and 

 from thence it came over Norton-farm, and so to Grange-farm, 

 both in this parish. It began with vast drops of rain, which 

 were soon succeeded by round hail, and then by convex pieces 

 of ice, which measured three inches in girth. Had it been as 

 extensive as it was violent, and of any continuance (for it was 

 very short), it must have ravaged all the neighbourhood. In the 

 parish of Hartley it did some damage to one farm ; but Norton, 

 which lay in the centre of the storm, was greatly injured ; as 

 was Grange, which lay next to it. It did but just reach to the 

 middle of the village, where the hail broke my north windows, 

 and all my garden-lights and hand-glasses, and many of my 

 neighbours' windows. The extent of the storm was about two 

 miles in length and one in breadth. We were just sitting down 

 to dinner ; but were soon diverted from our repast by the clat- 

 tering of tiles and the jingling of glass. There fell at the same 

 time prodigious torrents of rain on the farms above mentioned, 

 which occasioned a flood as violent as it was sudden ; doing 

 great damage to the meadows and fallows, by deluging the one 

 and washing away the soil of the other. The hollow lane 

 towards Alton was so torn and disordered as not to be passable till 

 mended, rocks being removed that weighed two hundredweight. 

 Those that saw the effect which the great hail had on ponds 

 and pools, say that the dashing of the water made an extra- 

 ordinary appearance, the froth and spray standing up in the air 



