CHAP. 10. 2. SUPERSTITIONS, &c. 32J 



ation often sees in certain clouds of fanciful 

 and grotesque appearance, and which is well 

 described by Erasmus, in one of the dialogues, 

 in that fund of entertaining and snug reading, 

 his Colloquia. 



An atmospherical delusion, of a novel kind, is 

 recorded as having happened some years ago at 

 Florence: a Fallcloud of shallow depth, but 

 very intense where it prevailed, intercepted the 

 view of the dome of one of the churches from the 

 spectators in the street, while the gilded image at 

 the top was left exposed to view: the consequence 

 was, that the populace seeing the bright form of 

 an Angel through the mist, which just then be- 

 gan to be thin enough to admit of her being seen, 

 ascribed the appearance to the real descent of 

 some such celestial being, and a large crowd 

 of persons assembled in the street, and conti- 

 nued there, in the plentitude of admiration, 

 till the beams of ascending Apollo at length 

 dispelled together the fog and the illusion. 

 Had the fog continued till night, there is no 

 saying what new miracle might not have been 

 recorded, as the testimony to the phenomenon 

 was both numerous and respectable. 



Moonlight shades, cast on a thick fog, have 

 frequently the appearance of being upright ; 



