A goodly gallerye with a most pleasaunt prospect, into the garden of naturall contemplation, to behold the naturall causes of all kynde of meteors, as wel fyery and ayery, as watry and earthly, of whiche sort be blasing sterres, shooting starres, flames in the ayre &c. tho[n]der, lightning, earthquakes, &c. rayne dewe, snowe, cloudes, springes &c. stones, metalles, earthes &c. to the glory of God, and the profit of his creaturs.

¶ Of Circles.

THe Circle called Halon, is a garland of diuerse collours that is séen about the sunne, the Moone, or any other sterre specially about Iupiter or Venus,* 1.1 for their greate bryghtnes. It is called of the Greeks a compassed platte, of the La∣tines a crowne or garlande.

The matter wherin it is made, is a cloude of equall thicknes, or thinnes, cō∣ming directly vnder y^e body of the sunn, the Moone, or other sterres, into whiche the lyght of the heauenly body is recey∣ued, and so appeareth rounde, because the sterre is rounde, or as a stoone caste into the water,* 1.2 maketh many round cir¦cles, dilatyng in breadth, vntyll the vio∣lence of the mouyng is ended: so is it in the ayre the lyght beames percynge it, causeth broade Circles to be delated,* 1.3 whiche appeare whyght, purple, black, redde, gréene, blewe, and other collors, according to the disposition of y^e cloudes mater. The cause of suche collours, is shewed before in the peculiar treatie of collours.

This circle is oftener séen about the Moone, then about the Sunne, because

the heate of the Sunne draweth the va∣pors to hyghe, where it can not be made. Also, because the nyght is a more quiet tyme then the daye from wynde, it is more often in the nyght, thē in the daye. Syldome about other sterres, because their lyght beams ar to weake often to perse a cloud, yet oftner about smal sters then the Sunne, because the lyght of y^e Sunne, perceth the cloude more forci∣vely, then that this Halon can many ty∣mes be cause.

Otherwhyles it is séen about a can∣dell,* 1.4 which must be in a very thicke and grosse ayre, of suche proportionate thick∣nes, that it may receiue the lyght as the cloude doth frō the sterres, as in smoky places, or whotehouses.

This kynde of Circle, is sometimes lyke a raynbowe, sauynge that it is a whole circle, vnlesse the sterre vnder whiche it is caused, be not all rysen, or els the cloude in whiche it is séen be not al come vnder the sterre, or after it hath come vnder some parte thereof be dissol¦ued from the rest.

These Circles be signes of tempest,* 1.5 and wyndes, as wytnesse bothe Virgile,

and Aratus.* 1.6

The wynde shall blowe from that quarter, where the circle first beginneth to breake. The cause whereof is this, that the circle is broken, by the wynde that is aboue, whiche is not yet come downe towardes vs, but by this effecte aboue, we may gather both that it wyll come, and also from what quarter.

A great Circle about the Moone, be∣tokeneth great colde and frost to follow after.* 1.7

But if it vanyshe awaye and be dis∣solued altogether, it is a signe of fayre weather.* 1.8

If it be brooken in many partes, it si∣gnifieth tempest.* 1.9

If it wax altogether thicker, & darker it is a fore warnyng of rayne.* 1.10

One alone after Ptolomee,* 1.11 pure and whyte, vanyshing away by lytle & litle, is a token of fayre weather.* 1.12

Twoo or thrée at once, portendeth tempest, if they be ruddy, they shewe wynde to come, and toward snowe, they séeme as it were kroken and rockye.

Being darke or dymme,* 1.13 they signi∣fie all these forsayde euentes, with more

force and abundaunce, it is oftener cau∣sed in Autumne, and spring then in wyn¦ter or sommer, the cause is the tempe∣ratnes of the tyme.

The cause why it apeareth somtime greater, and sometyme lesser, is in the qualititie of the matter, whiche as it is grosse, or thynne, wyll more or lesse be dylated, and stretched abroade, and also as some wil haue it, of the weakenes of mens syght. Of whiche Aristotle bryn∣geth an example in one Antipho,* 1.14 whiche dyd alwayes sée his owne image before hym in the ayre, as in a glasse, whiche he affyrmeth to haue béen for the wea∣kenes of his syght beames, that coulde not pearce the ayre, so that they weare reflected agayne to hym selfe.

And thus muche for Halone and the causes, signes, or tokens of it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Circles a∣bout the sunne, the moone & other sters Iupiter & Venus Planetes.
• * 1.2

  Circles in the water
• * 1.3

  The col∣lours of circles.
• * 1.4

  Circles a∣bout a cā∣dle.
• * 1.5

  the signes of these cir¦cles.
• * 1.6

  Virgilius Aratus. Poetes.
• * 1.7

  Signe of frost.
• * 1.8

  Signe of fayre wea¦ther.
• * 1.9

  Signe of tempest.
• * 1.10

  Signe of rayne.
• * 1.11

  Ptolome{us}.
• * 1.12

  Signe of fayre wea¦ther.
• * 1.13

  Signe of snowe.
• * 1.14

  Arist. Antipho.