*

in truth; describes a fall of stones to have happened on mount Alba, during the reign of Tullus Hostilius, (that is about 652 years before the Christian æra), in words that exactly convey an idea of just such a phænomenon, as this which has so lately been observed in Tuscany.

He says, the senate were told, that lapidibus pluisse, it had rained stones. And, when they doubted of the fact; and sent to inquire; they were assured that stones had actually fallen; and had fallen just as hail does, which is concreted in a storm.+

He mentions also shortly another shower of stones,‡ A. C. 202, and still a third, § which must have happened about the year 194 before the Christian æra.

Such are the records of antient history. And in Holy Writ also a remembrance of similar events is preserved.

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For when the royal Psalmist says, || " The Lord also thun"dered out of heaven, and the Highest gave his thunder: bail"stones, AND COALS OF FIRE," the latter expression, in consistency with common sense, and conformably to the right meaning of language, cannot but allude to some such phænomenon as we have been describing. And especially, as in the cautious translation of the seventy, a Greek word is used, which decidedly means real hard substances made red hot; and not mere appearances of fire or flame.

Whilst therefore, with the saine sacred writer, ¶ we should be led to consider all these powerful operations, as the works

of God; Who casteth forth his ice like morsels;* and should be led to consider "fire and hail, snow and vapours, wind and storm

as fulfilling his word;"† we should also be led to perceive, that the objections to Holy Writ, founded on a supposed impossibility of the truth of what is written in the book of Joshua,‡ concerning the stones that fell from heaven, on the army of the Canaanites; are only founded in ignorance, and error.

And much more should we be led to do so; when, to these observations, and testimonies, concerning showers of hot burning stones, is added the consideration; that within the short period of our own lives, incredibly large real bail-stones, formed of consolidated ice;-of ice consolidated in the atmosphere, have fallen both in France, and in England.

In France, on the 13th of July in the year 1788;-of which it is well known there has been a printed account: and concerning which it is said, and has been confirmed, on good authority, that some of the stones weighed three pounds: whilst others have been said to weigh even five pounds.

And in England, on the 20th of October, 1791, in Cornwall.

Of one of the hail-stones of this latter, minor storm, I have had an opportunity of obtaining, by the favour of a friend, an exact model in glass; whereof I now add an engraving.

This stone fell, with thousands of others of the same kind, near Menabilly, the seat of Philip Rashleigh, Esq.; well known for his science, and attention to whatever is curious; who having great copper works, and many ingenious miners, and workmen, on his estate, and directly under his eye; caused it to Psalm 148. v. 8.

Psalm 147. v. 17. ↑ Joshua, ch. 10. V. 11.

be instantly picked up: and having then, himself, first traced both its top, and bottom, upon paper; and having measured its thickness in every part, with a pair of compasses; caused a very exact mould to be formed and afterwards, in that mould, had this model cast in glass: wherein, also, the appearances of the imbedded, common, small, roundish hailstones, are seen transparently; just as they appeared in the great hail-stone itself originally.

Fig. 1, is a representation of the flat bottom of the stone. Fig. 2, is a representation of the top of the stone. And fig. 3, shews the whole solid appearance sideways. Whilst Mr. Rashleigh was taking the measures, it melted so fast, that he could not, in the end, take the exact weight, as he fully intended to have done. But as this model in glass weighs exactly 1 ounce, 16 pennyweights, 23 grains, we may fairly conclude, that the hail-stone itself weighed much above half

an ounce.

For it is well known, that the specific gravity of common glass, of which sort this model is made, is to that of water, as 2.620 to 1.000. And the specific gravity of common water, is to ice, as 8 to 7.*-And computing according to this standard, I make the exact weight of the hail-stone to have been 295 grains.

From the singular manner in which the small, prior, common hail-stones appear to have been imbedded in this larger one, whilst they were falling to the earth; there is reason to be convinced, that it was formed in the atmosphere, by a sudden extraordinary congelation almost instantaneously, out of rain suddenly condensed, which was mingled with the common hail. * Hooke's Experiments, p. 134.

C 2

And it was very remarkable, that its dissolution, and melting, also, was much more rapid than that of the common small white hail-stones: as was the case, in like manner, with the other numerous large ones.

Perhaps it ought to be here added:-that on the 18th of May, in the year 1680, some hail-stones are recorded to have fallen in London, near Gresham college, which were seen and examined by the celebrated Dr. Hooke; and were some of them not less than two inches over, and others three inches.

This which fell in Cornwall was only about one inch and three quarters long; an inch, or in some parts an inch and a quarter broad; and between half an inch, and three quarters of an inch thick. And its weight was near an ounce.-How much more tremendous then were those others, that have been described as having fallen in France?—the accounts of some of them may very probably have been exaggerated: but the reality was nevertheless as wonderful, surely, as any thing related concerning the ages of antiquity.

A proneness to credulity is ever blameable. And it is very possible, that sometimes, in a very wonderful narration, a jest may be intended to be palmed upon the world, instead of any elucidation of truth.-But facts, positively affirmed, should be hearkened to with patience: and, at least, so far recorded, as to give an opportunity of verifying whether similar events do afterwards happen; and of comparing such events one with another.

To what has been said, therefore, concerning the fall of stones in Tuscany, and concerning these strange showers of hail, in France, and in England, it might perhaps too justly be deemed an unwarrantable omission, on this occasion, not to mention

the very strange fact that is affirmed to have happened the last year, near the Wold Cottage in Yorkshire.

I leave the fact to rest on the support of the testimonies referred to in the printed paper, which is in so many persons' hands; and that is given to those who have the curiosity to examine the stone itself, now exhibiting in London ;--and shall only relate the substance of the account shortly, as it is given

to us.

In the afternoon of the 13th of December, 1795, near the Wold Cottage, noises were heard in the air, by various persons, like the report of a pistol; or of guns at a distance at sea; though there was neither any thunder or lightning at the time: -two distinct concussions of the earth were said to be perceived:-and an hissing noise, was also affirmed to be heard by other persons, as of something passing through the air ;—and a labouring man plainly saw (as we are told) that something was so passing; and beheld a stone, as it seemed, at last, (about ten yards, or thirty feet, distant from the ground) descending, and striking into the ground, which flew up all about him: and, in falling, sparks of fire, seemed to fly from it.

Afterwards he went to the place, in company with others, who had witnessed part of the phænomena, and dug the stone up from the place, where it was buried about twenty-oneinches deep.

It smelt, (as it is said,) very strongly of sulphur, when it was dug up and was even warm, and smoked :-it was found to be thirty inches in length, and twenty-eight and a half inches in breadth. And it weighed fifty-six pounds.

Such is the account.—I affirm nothing.-Neither do I pretend either absolutely to believe: or to disbelieve.—I have not