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THer is yet another kind of impressiō caused by the beames of the sunne, stryken through a watry cloud, being of vnequal thines, ye is thinner in one part thē in another, so ye it cannot receiue the beames in any other form, thē ye they ap∣pere direct or slope downward, of diuers collors, & ye same ye ar ye collors of ye rayn∣bow, though not so euidēt, because ye re∣flexion
is not so strong. They varie in collours, some ar more purple, or ruddy, when the cloud is thicker som yealow & whitish when the cloude is thinner, & so other collors ar caused likewise, wherof you may reade the proper causes in the collours of cloudes and other lyke parts of this treatise. The common people cal it the descēding of the holy ghost, or our Ladies Assumption, because these thinge are painted after suche a sort. Other say that it is rayne, stryking downe in ano∣ther place, as though they could sée the droppes fallyng. And they are not alto∣gether deceiued, but in the time, for sone after it wyll rayne, because this impres∣sion appeareth out of a watry cloude. They are called by dyuerse names, as roddes, wandes, coardes of tents, vnto whiche they are not much vnlyke, sta∣ues and lytle pyllers, when they séeme greater and thicker, many beyng ioy∣ned together. The rayne bowe, the cir∣cles and these lyghtbeames, are all of one maner of generation, in so muche that if you deuide the circle, it shalbe a raynbowe, if you drawe it streyght, in lengthe, it maketh streames or bea∣mes.
Herein they agrée, namely in form and matter, but they differ in outwarde forme, whiche we may call fashion, as the one is round, the other half round, & the thirde directe, streyght or fallynge a slope. Also they differ in place, aboute whiche they stande, for streames are only about the sunne, raynbowes about the sonne often, and seldome about the Moone, but circles both about the sunne and the Moone, and also about any other of all the sterres, yet rather and oftener about bryght sterres. To make an ende of these streames, they apeare diuersly, after the fashion and place wherein the cloude hangeth in respect of the sunne.
For some tyme they are séen only in the edge of a cloude, all the breadth of that cloude. Sometyme through the middes of a cloude, being thynner there, then in other partes, and then they are spreade rounde about lyke a tente or pauilon vsed in warre. They ar moste commen∣ly séen in suche tymes, as there is great aboundance of rayne, whiche they, by their apparition doe signifie not yet to be ended. And thus muche concerninge direct lyght beames called roddes &c.
Beames or streames.