CHAP. 4. 3. OP PROGNOSTICKS. 149 



sun by day, and of the stars by night, without 

 any definite cloud to forebode Rain, as had 

 been before mentioned by the more ancient 

 writers.* 



The Rainbow, which is only an effect of 

 nimbus, has been regarded as a sign of Rain ; 

 which it may rightly be, for it often appears in 

 the nimbus before that cloud, weeping in his 

 sable shrowd, has reached the spot where we 

 stand. Sibit ingens arcus, says the Mantuan 

 bard, who took most of his prognosticks from 

 the Diosemea of Aratus.f 



Of the particular indications of the haze in 

 the atmosphere we may notice, that the mere 

 hazy or pale colour of the Moon often forebodes 



* See Plin. Hist. Nat. lib. xviii. c. 35. The Rain which 

 falls under such circumstances is gentle and of long con- 

 tinuance, and often extends a great way. The vulgar 

 prejudice, however, about the extent of Rain in general, is 

 quite unfounded. H. Culhwe Mabinogion, in allusion to 

 this : Ti a gefi y cyvarws a noto dy ben a th davawd, hyd 

 y syc gwynt, hyd y gwlyc, gwlaw hyd y treigl haul a hyd yj{ 

 amgyfred mor. 



"t" H $1811^1} k'^tu^e -&ja [Jszyocv ovp&vov lctg 



H KO.} rtov fis aXcatx, //.eAa/vo^gvijy, EXSI aorijc. 



Arat. Dios. 210. 



See also Virgil, Geor. i. 380. Flatus Curcul. Statius 

 Thebaid, ix. 405. Oppian, Theophrastus, and others. 

 \ 



