Plants, which would languifh and die with perpetual Drought, but are hereby made Verdant and Flourishing, Gay and Ornamental; fo that (as, the

1

scarce ever known it to rain, till it hath been first Fair, and then Foul. And Mr. Clarke, (an ingenious Clergy-man of Norfolk, who in his Life-time, long before me, took notice of it, and kept a Regifter of the Weather for Thirty Years, which his learned Grandfon, Dr. Samuel Clarke put into my Hands, he, Ifay) faith, he scarce ever observed the Rule to fail in all that time; only he adds, If the Wind be in some of the easterly Points. But I have obferved the fame to happen, be the Wind where it will. And from what bath been said, the Cafe is eafily accounted for, viz. whilft the Vapours remain in the fame State, the Weather doth fo too. And fuch Weather is generally attended with moderate Warmth, and with little or no Wind to disturb the Vapours, and an heavy Atmosphere to fupport them, the Barometer being commonly high then. But when the Cold approacheth, and by condenfing, drives the Vapours into Clouds or Drops, then is way made for the Sunbeams, till the fame Vapours, being by further Condensation, formed into Rain, fall down in Drops.

The Cold's approaching the Vapours, and confequently the Alteration of fuch dark Weather I have before-hand perceived, by fome few fmall Drops of Rain, Hail, or Snow, now and then falling, before any Alteration hath been in the Weather, which I take to be from the Cold meeting fome of the ftraggling Vapours, or the uppermoft of them, and condenfing them into Drops, be fore it arrives unto, and exerts it felf upon the main Body of Vapours below.

I have more largely than ordinary infifted upon this part of the Weather, partly, as being fomewhat out of the way; but chiefly, because it gives light to many other Phænomena of the Weather. Particularly we may hence difcover the Original of Clouds, Rain, Hail, and Snow; that they are Vapours carried aloft by the Gravity of the Air, which meeting together fo as to make a Fog above, they thereby form a Cloud. If the Cold condensetli them into Drops, they then fall in Rain, if the Cold be not intense enough to freeze them: But if the Cold freezeth them in the Clouds, or in their Fall through the Air, they then become Hail, or Snow.

As to Lightning, and other enkindled Vapours, I need fay little in this Place, and shall therefore only observe, that they owe alfo their Rife to Vapours; but fuch Vapours as are detatched from mineral Juŷces, or at least that are mingled with them, and are fired by Fermentation virrfeit Dod Dongis INVA -in-1 ono ning eri to digoɑedicer Shi bergfis oved Another

the Pfalmift' faith, Pfal. 65. 12, 13.) The little Hills rejoyce on every fide, and the Valleys fbout for joy, they alfo fing.

And,

Another Phenomenon refolvable from what hath been faid is,, why a cold, is always a wet Summer, viz. because the Vapours rifing plentifully then, are by the Cold foon collected into Rain. A remarkable Inftance of this we had in the Summer of 1708, part of which efpecially about the Solftice, was much colder than ufually, On June 12, it was fo cold, that my Thermometer was near the point of Hoar Froft, I heard there was ft, and in fome places an Hoar Froft; and during all the cool Weather of that Month, we had frequent, and large Rains, fo that the whole Months Rain amounted to above two Inches Depth, which is a large Quantity for Upminster, even in the wettest Months. And not on ly with us at Upminster, but in other places, particularly at Zurich in Switzerland, they feem to have had as unfeasonable Cold and Wet as we. Fuit hic menfis. præter modum humidus, & magno quidem pegetabilibus hominibufque damno. Multum computruit Fænum, &c. complains the induftrious and learned Dr. 7. 7. Scheuchzer. Of which, and other Particulars I have given a larger Account in Phil. Tranf. No. 321.

In which Tranfaction I have obferved farther, that about the Equinoxes we (at Upminster at least) have oftentimes more Rain, than ot other Seafons. The Reafon of which is manifeft from what hath been faid, viz. in Spring, when the Earth and Waters are loofed from the brumal Conftipations, the Vapours arife in great plenty And the like they do in Autumn, when the Summer Heats, that both diffipated them, and warmed the fuperior Regions, are abated and then the Cold of the fuperior Regions meeting them, condenseth them into Showers, more plentiful than at other Seafons, when either the Vapours are fewer, or the Cold that is to condenfe them is lefs. The manner how Vapours are precipitated by the Cold, or res duced into Drops, I conceive to be thus Vapours being, as I faid, no other than inflated Veficula of Water; when they meet with a colder Air, than what is contained in them, the contained Air is reduced into a leffer Space, and the watery Shell or Cafe rendered thicker by that means, fo as to become heavier than the Air, by which they are buoyed up, and confequently muft needs fall down. Alfo many of thofe thickened Vehicule run into one, and fo,form Drops, greater or smaller, according to the Quantity of Vapours collected together, moge of

As to the Rain of different places, I have in fome of qut Tranf actions affigned the Quantities, particularly in the lafcited Tranfs action, I have affigned thefe, vix. the Depth of the Rain one Year

with

And, if to thefe Ufes, we fhould add the Origine of Fountains and Rivers, to Vapours and the Rains,

with another, in English Measure, if it was to ftagnate on the Earth; would amount unto, at Townley in Lancashire 42 inches; at Upminster in Essex 19 Inches; at Zurich in Switzerland 32/1/ Luches; at Pifa in Italy 43 Inches; at Paris in France 19 Inches; and at Lifle in Flanders 24 Inches.

It would be endless to reckon up the Bloody and other prodigious Rains, taken notice of by Hiftorians, and other Authors, as præternatural and ominous Accidents; but, if ftrictly pried into, will be found owing to natural Causes. Of which, for the Reader's Satisfaction, I will give an Inftance or two. A bloody Rain was imagined to have fallen in France, which put the Country People into fo great a fright, that they left their Work in the Fields, and in great hafte flew to the neighbouring Houses. Peirife (then in the Neighbourhood) strictly enquiring into the Caufe, found it to be only red Drops coming from a fort of Butterfly, that flew about in great Numbers at that time, as he concluded from seeing fuch red Drops come from them; and because these Drops were laid, Non fupra edificia, non in devexis lapidum fuperficiebus, uti debuerat contingere, fiè calo fanguine pluiffet; fed in fubcavis potius & in foraminibus, Acceffit, quod parientes iis tingebantur, non qui in mediis oppidis, fed qui agrorum vicini erant, neque fecundum partes elatiores, fed ad mediocrem folùm altitudinem, quantam volitare Par piliones folent. Gaffend in vit. Peiresk. L. 2. p. 156.

So Dr. Merret faith allo, Pluvia Sanguinis quam certiffimè conftat effe tantum Infectorum excrementa: Pluvia Tritici quam nihil aliud effe quam Hedera baccifera grana à Sturnis devorata excretaque comparanti liquidiffimè patet. Pinax rerum, &c. pag. 220,

The curious Worm tells of the raining of Brimstone, An. 1646, Maii 16. Hic Hafnie cum ingenti pluvià tota urbs, omnesque ita inundarentur platea, ut greffus hominum impediret, Sulphureoque odore aerem inficeret, dilapfis aliquantulum aquis, quibufdam in locis colligere licuit Sulphureum pulverem, cujus portionem fervo, colore, odore, aliis verum Sulphur ferentem. Muf. Worm. L. c. 11. Sect. I.

Together with the Rain we might take notice of other Meteors, particularly Snow; which although an irksome Guest, yet hath its great Ufes, if all be true, that the famous T. Bartholin faith of it, who wrote a Book de Nivis ufu Medico. In which he shews, of what great Use Snow is in fructifying the Earth, preserving from the Plague, curing Feavers, Colicks, Head-Aches, Tooth-Aches, Sore Eyes, Pleurifies, (for which Ufe, he faith his Country-women of Denmark keep Snow-water gathered in March, alfo in prolonging Life, (of which beginftanceth in the Alpine Inhabitants,

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that

Rains, as fome of the moft eminent modern Philofophers

that live to a great Age,) and preferving dead Bodies; Inftances of which he gives in Perfons buried under the Snow in paffing the Alpes, which are found uncorrupted in the Summer, when the Snow is melted; which fad fpectacle he himself was an Eye-wit nefs of. And at Spitzberg in Greenland, dead Bodies remain ens tire and uncorrupted for Thirty Years. And laftly, concerning fuch as are fo preferv'd when flain, he faith they remain in the fame Pofture and Figure. Of which he gives this odd Example, Vifum **id extra urbem noftram [Hafniam] quum, 11 Feb. 1659. oppugnantes hoftes repellerentur, magnaque ftrage occumberent; alii enim rigidi iratum vultum oftendebant, alii oculos elatos, alii ore diducto ringen tes, alii brachiis extenfis Gladium minari, alii alio fitu proftrati cebant. Barthol. de ufu Niv. c. 12.

But although Snow be attended with the Effects here named, and others specified by the learned Bartholin; yet this is not to be attributed to any peculiar Virtue in the Snow, but fome other Caufe. Thus when it is faid to fructify the Earth, it doth fo by guarding the Corn, or other Vegetables against the intenfer Cold of the Air, especially the cold piercing Winds; which the Huf bandmen obferve to be the most injurious to their Corn, of all Weathers. So for Conferving dead Bodies, it doth it by constipa ting fuch Bodies, and preventing all fuch Fermentations, or inter nal Conflicts of their Particles, as would produce Corruption.

;

Such an Example as the preceding is faid to have happened fome Years ago at Paris, in digging in a Cellar for fuppofed hid den Treasure in which after digging fome Hours, the Maid going to call her Mafter, found them all in their digging Poftures, but dead. This being noised abroad, brought in, not only the People, but Magiftrates alfo, who found them accordingly; Ille qui ligone terram effoderat, focius qui palâ effeffam terram remo, verat, ambo pedibus ftabant quafi fuo quifque operi affixus incubu iffet, uxor unius quafi ab opere defessa in fcamno, follicito quodam vultu, fedebat, inclinato in palmam manns genibus innitentis capite; puerulus laxatis braccis in margine excavata fovea defixis in terram oculis alvum exonerabat; omnes in naturali fitu, carnea tanquam ftatue rigidi, apertis oculis vultu vitam quafi refpirante, exani mes ftabant. Dr. Bern. Connor, Differt. Med. Phyf. p. 15.

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The Doctor attributes all this to Cold; but I fcarce think there could be Cold enough to do all this at Paris, and in a Cellar too. But his following Stories are not improbable, of Men and Cattle killed with Cold, that remain in the very fame Pofture sin which they died of which he gives from a Spanish Captain,

lofophers (2) have done, we should have another Int ftance of the great Ufe and Benefit of that Meteor. And now, if we reflect upon this neceffary Appendage of the Terraqueous Globe, the Atmosphere; and confider the abfolute Neceffity thereof to ma ny Ufes of our Globe, and its great Convenience to the whole; And in a Word, that it anfwereth all the Ends and Purposes that we can fuppofe there can be for fuch an Appendage: Who can but own this to be the Contrivance, the Work of the great Creator? Who would ever fay or imagine fuch a Body, fo different from the Globe it ferves, could be made by Chance, or be adapted fo exactly to all thofe fore-mentioned grand Ends, by any other Efficient, than by the Power and Wifdom of the infinite GOD! Who would not rather, from fo noble a Work, readily acknowledge the Workman, (3) and as eafily conclude the Atmosphere to be

this Inftance, that happened two Years before, of a Soldier who unfortunately ftragled from his Company that were forraging, and was killed with the Cold, but was thought to have fallen into the Enemies Hands. But foon after their return to their Quarters, they faw their Comrade returning fitting on Horfeback, and coming to congratulate him, found him dead, and that he had been brought thither in the fame Pofture on Horfeback, notwithftanding the jolting of the Horfe. Ibid. p. 18.

(2) Of this Opinion was my late moft ingenious and learned Friend, Mr. Ray, whofe Reafons fee in his Phyfico-Theolog. Difcourfes, Difc. 2. ch 2. p. 89, &c. So alfo my no less learned and ingenious Friends, Dr. Halley, and the late Dr. Hook, many of the French Vertuofo's alfo, and divers other very confiderable Men before them, too many to be specified here.

(3) An Polycletum quidem admirabimur propter partium Statua convenientiam ac proportionem? Naturam autem non modo non laudabimus, fed omni etiam arte privabimus; que partium proportionem non folum extrinfecus more Statuariorum, fed in profundo etiam fervavit ? Nonne & Polycletus ipfe Natura eft imitator, in quibus faltem eam potuit imitari? Potuit autem in folis externis partibus in quibus artem confideravit. With much more to the like purpofe, Galen. de Uf. Part. I. 19. c. I.

made