104 April — Chaucer. 



history, if the expression may be used, of the skies, 

 which are so particularly marked in the hail-squalls at 

 this time of the year, is this : the clouds accumulate in 

 very large masses, and from their loftiness seem to move 

 but slowly ; immediately upon these large clouds appear 

 numerous opaque patches, which are only small clouds 

 passing rapidly before them, and consisting of isolated 

 portions detached probably from the larger cloud. These, 

 floating much nearer the earth, may perhaps fall in with 

 a stronger current of wind, which, as well as their com- 

 parative lightness, causes them to move with greater 

 rapidity ; hence they are called by wind-millers and 

 sailors messengers, and always portend bad weather. 

 They float midway in what may be termed the lanes 

 of the clouds ; and from being so situated are almost 

 uniformly in shadow, receiving a reflected light only 

 from the clear blue sky immediately above them. In 

 passing over the bright parts of the large clouds they 

 appear as dark ; but in passing the shadowed parts 

 they assume a gray, a pale, or a lurid hue.' 



Notwithstanding Constable's passionate affection for 

 the spring-time, and the advantage of possessing an eye 

 that had been educated by the constant practice of art, 

 it may be doubted whether he felt its influences more 

 keenly than did a great early English poet, who had 

 been influenced by no such general appreciation of the 

 beautiful in Nature as that which exists (or seems to 

 exist) in modern society, and is so continually stimulated 

 by modern writers and artists. It is truly amazing that 

 a poet situated as Chaucer was situated, who had seen 



