Speculum mundi· Or A glasse representing the face of the world shewing both that it did begin, and must also end: the manner how, and time when, being largely examined. Whereunto is joyned an hexameron, or a serious discourse of the causes, continuance, and qualities of things in nature; occasioned as matter pertinent to the work done in the six dayes of the worlds creation.

Artic. 8. Of our Ladies threads, or those things which fly up and down the aire like spiders webs.

FOr mine own part I must confesse I have not seen ma∣ny who have writ any thing concerning this cob∣web-like kinde of Metcor: and therefore at the first I rested doubtfull, not knowing whether it were best for me to speak any thing of it or no. But at the last finding that some false tenents were engrafted amongst the ignorant, as if they perfectly knew what thing it was, I thought good to adde something whereby their fond opinion might be taken away, who, as in a

dream, suppose it to be spunne from out the spiders bowels: which cannot but be a strange absurditie. For it is evident that some one of these threads con∣taineth more matter then many spiders; their bodies not being big enough to afford a thing so copious: neither are their webs at any time of such a length, or their threads of such a thicknesse, as these thus fly∣ing about the aire.

This Meteor therefore (since it is a Meteor) may rightly be supposed to proceed out of a through-boyl∣ed or digested vapour, being mixed with earthy and slimie Exhalations: and, although it be no spiders web, yet the temperature of it little differeth from that vi∣scuous humour and slimie * 1.1 excrement which they in their spinning send out from them.

As for the time, it appeareth neither in Summer nor in Winter, but in the Spring and Autumne; be∣cause it requireth a temperate heat and temperate drinesse. Yet the chief time is Autumne, because the Aire hath then some drie relicks of the late Summers Ex∣halations left, and they are very necessary towards the tempering and generation of this Meteor.

And thus I end, not onely this Article, but the whole Paragraph also; coming at length to speak of that third kinde of Meteor which in the beginning I propound∣ed to be handled last.

Notes

• * 1.1

  And that's the reason why (when it hangs on the stubble, or the like places) we see so many lit∣tle spiders busie in it: for the mat∣ter doth as it were feed them, and (perhaps) through the Sun∣beams, generate them.