1 883.] The Meteorology of Shakspere . 35 
and thus secured — for us at least — the luxury of a restless 
night. Perhaps in Shakspere’s day malaria might have been 
more common than in the present time, and to shun the 
night air was therefore good policy. There are even yet 
districts in England where we should not prefer to sleep 
with open windows in an autumn night. 
To conclude these somewhat random remarks we will 
quote a very faithful description of the hush which often 
precedes a storm : — 
“But as we often see against some storm 
A silence in the heavens, the rack stand still. 
The bold winds speechless, and the orb below 
As hush as death ; anon the dreadful thunder 
Doth rend the region.” 
Hamlet , Adt II., Sc. 7. 
This passage, like the account of the wet season which 
we cited above, is evidently the fruit of personal observation, 
and not of tradition. 
