18 AUBREY'S NATURAL, HISTORY OF WILTSHIRE. 



seen in low boggy grounds. In my boyish days I was often terrified by stories of their leading 

 travellers astray, and fascinating them. J. B.] 



Riding in the north lane of Broad Chalke in the harvest time in the twy-light, or scarce that, a 

 point of light, by the hedge, expanded itselfe into a globe of about three inches diameter, or neer four, 

 as boies blow bubbles with soape. It continued but while one could say one, two, three, or four at 

 the most. It was about a foot from my horse's eie ; and it made him turn his head quick aside from 

 it. It was a pale light as that of a glowe-wonne : it may be this is that which they call a blast or 

 blight in the country. 



Colonel John Birch shewed me a letter from his bayliff, 166f, at Milsham, that advertised that as 

 he was goeing to Warminster market early in the morning they did see fire fall from the sky, which 

 did seem as big as a bushell. I have forgot the day of the moneth. 



From Meteors I will passe to the elevation of the poles. See "An Almanack, 1580, made for the 

 Meridian of Salisbury, whose longitude is noted to bee ten degrees, and the latitude of the 

 elevation of the Pole Arctick 51 degrees 47 minutes. By John Securis, Maister of Art and Physick." 

 To which I will annexe the title of another old almanack, both which were collected by Mr. Will. 

 Lilly. " Almanack, 1580, compiled and written in the City of Winchester, by Humphrey Norton, 

 Student in Astronomie, gathered and made for the Pole Arctik of the said city, where the 

 pole is elevated 51 degrees 42 minutes." 



I come now to speak of ECIIOS : 



" Vocalis Nymphe ; qure nee reticere loquenti 

 Nee prior ipsa loqui didicit, resonabilis Echo. 

 Ille fugit ; fugiensque manus complexibus aufert." OVID, METAMORPH. lib. Hi. 



But this coy nymph does not onely escape our hands, but our sight, and wee doe understand her 

 onely by induction and analogic. As the motion caused by a stone lett fall into the water is by 

 circles, so sounds move by spheres in the same manner, which, though obvious enough, I doe 

 not remember to have seen in any booke. 



None of our ecchos in this country that I hear of are polysyllabicall. When the Gospels or 

 Chapters are read over the choire dore of Our Lady Church in Salisbury, there is a quick and strong 

 monosyllabicall echo, which comes presently on the reader's voice : but when the prayers are read in 

 the choire, there is no echo at all. This reading place is 15 or 16 foot above the levell of the 

 pavement : and the echo does more especially make its returnes from Our Ladies Chappell. 



So in my kitchin-garden at the plain at Chalke is a monosyllabicall echo ; but it is sullen and 

 mute till you advance .... paces on the easie ascent, at which place one's mouth is opposite to the 

 middle of the heighth of the house at right angles ; and then, to use the expression of the 

 Emperor Nero, 



" reparabilis adsonat Echo." PEKSJUS. 



Why may I not take the libertie to subnect to this discourse of echos some remarks of SOUNDS ? 

 The top of one of the niches in the grot in Wilton gardens, as one sings there, doth return the note 

 A re, lowder, and clearer, but it doth not the like to the eighth of it The diameter is 22 inches. But 



