OF SEL BORNE. 
inch broad, and five or fix long, which fell with a degree of 
velocity that fliewed they were confiderably heavier than the 
atmofphere. 
On every fide as the oblerver turned his eyes might he behold 
a continual fucceflion of frefh flakes falHng into his fight, and 
twinkling like ftars as they turned their fides towards the fun. 
How far this wonderful fhower extended would be difficult to 
fay ; but we know that it reached Bradley, Selborne, and Alresford, 
three places which lie in a fort of a triangle, the fliortei^i of 
whofe fides is about eight miles in extent. 
At the fecond of thole places there was a gentleman (for whofe 
veracity and intelligent turn we have the greateft veneration) who 
obferved it the moment he got abroad ; but concluded that, as 
foon as he came upon the hill above his houfe, where he took his 
morning rides, he fliould be higher than this meteor, which he 
imagined might have been blown, like l^kijlle-dozvn, from the 
common above : but, to his great aftonifhment, when he rode to 
the moft elevated part of the down, 300 feet above his fields, he 
found the webs in appearance ftill as much above him as before ; 
iiill defccnding into fight in a conftant fucceflion, and tv>inkling 
in the fun, fo as to draw the attention of the moft incurious. 
Neither before nor after was any fiich fall obferved ; but on this 
day the flakes hung in the trees and hedges fo thick, that a dili- 
gent perfon fent out might have gathered bafkets full. 
The remark that I fliall make on thefe cobweb-like appearances, 
called gojfamer, is, that, ftrange and fuperflitious as the notions 
about them were formerly, nobody in thefe days doubts but that 
they are the real production of fmall fplders, which fwarm in the 
fields in fine weather in autumn, and have a power of fhooting 
out webs from their tails fo as to render themfelves buoyant, and 
lighter 
