DEAR SIR, 



OF SELBORNE 153 



LETTER XXIII. 



TO THE SAME. 



Selborne, June 8, 1775. 



ON September the 21st, 174], 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 ; cloudless, 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 interruption, till the close of the day. 

 These webs were not single filmy threads, floating in the air in 

 all directions, but perfect flakes or rags ; some near an inch 

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

 which shewed 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 into his sight, and 

 twinkling like stars as they turned their sides towards the sun. 



How far this wonderful shower extended would be difficult to 

 say ; but we know that it reached Bradley, Selborne, and Alresford, 

 three places which lie in a sort of a triangle, the shortest of whose 

 sides is about eight miles in extent. 



At the second of those places there was a gentleman (for whose 

 veracity and intelligent turn we have the greatest veneration) who 

 observed it the moment he got abroad ; but concluded that, as 

 soon as he came upon the hill above his house, where he took 

 his morning rides, he should be higher than this meteor, which 

 he imagined might have been blown, like Thistle-donm, from the 



