OF SELBORNE. 285 



LETTER XXIII. 



TO THE SAME. 

 DEAR SIR, SELBORNE, June 8, 1775. 



ON September the 21st, 1741, being then" on a visit, 

 and intent on field diversions, I rose before daybreak : 

 when I came into the enclosures, I found the stubbles 

 and clover-grounds matted all over with a thick coat 

 of cobweb, in the meshes of which a copious and heavy 

 dew hung so plentifully that the whole face of the 

 country seemed, as it were, covered with two or three 

 setting-nets drawn one over another. When the dogs 

 attempted to hunt, their eyes were so blinded and 

 hoodwinked that they could not proceed, but were 

 obliged to lie down and scrape the incumbrances from 

 their faces with their fore feet, so that, finding my sport 

 interrupted, I returned home musing in my mind on 

 the oddness of the occurrence. 



As the morning advanced the sun became bright and 

 warm, and the day turned out one of those most lovely 

 ones which no season but the autumn produces; cloud- 

 less, calm, serene, and worthy of the south of France 

 itself. 



About nine an appearance very unusual began to 

 demand our attention, a shower of cobwebs falling from 

 very elevated regions, and continuing, without any in- 

 terruption till the close of the day. These webs were 

 not single filmy threads, floating in the air in all direc- 

 tions, but perfect flakes or rags; some near an inch 

 broad, and five or six long, which fell with a degree of 

 velocity, that showed they were considerably heavier 

 than the atmosphere. 



On every side as the observer turned his eyes might 

 he behold a continual succession of fresh flakes falling- 



