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 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 into his sight, and twinkling like stars 

 as they turned their sides towards the sun. 



How far this wonderful shower extended it 

 would be difficult to say ; but we know that it 

 reached Bradley, Selborne, and Alresford, three 

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

 whose sides is about eight miles in extent. 



At the second of those places there was a gen- 

 tleman (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 thistledown, from the common above ; 

 but, to his great astonishment, when he rode to the 

 most elevated part of the down, 300 feet above his 

 fields, he found the webs in appearance still as much 

 above him as before ; still descending into sight in a 

 constant succession, and twinkling in the sun, so as 

 to draw the attention of the most incurious. 



Neither before nor after was any such fall ob- 

 served ; but on this day the flakes hung in the trees 



49 



