Hier begynneth the booke callyd the Myrrour of the worlde ...

¶Of lyghtnynges and of thondres / Capitulo / xxviij^o.

IN thayer happen many thinges of whiche the people speke not gladly / For they retche not moche of suche thynges of whiche they can not wel come to the knowle∣che / This that maketh therthe to quaue. And this that maketh the clowdes to thondre / that whiche maketh the erthe to opene / And this that maketh the clowdes to spar¦kle and lyghtne whan the thondre is herde / For thondres and lyghtnynges ben deboutemens and brekyng out of wyndes that mete aboue the clowdes so asprely and shdrp¦ly / that in theyr comyng groweth ofte a grete fyre in tha∣yer / And this thondre that falleth in many places whiche the wyndes constrayne so terrybly that the clowdes cleue and breke and maketh to thondre and lyghtne & falleth doun in so grete rage by the wynde that destrayneth it so asprely that it confoundeth alle that it atteyneth in suche wyse that nothyng endureth ayenst it / And it is of so heuy nature that somtyme it perseth therthe vnto the myd∣dle. And somtyme it quencheth er it cometh to the grounde after that it is of poyse / and that is not of ouer stronge nature. For whan the clowde is moche derke / and thycke and that ther is grete plente of water / the fyre passeth not so soone. but it is quenchid in the clowde by the grete quā∣tyte of the water that is therin byfore it may perse thurgh so that it may not approche therthe / but in the straynyng & brekyng that hit maketh thenne in the clowde. groweth a sowne so grete and stronge / that it is meruayllous to here I declare to you for certayn that this is the thondre. whiche

is moche to be doubted & drad / In lyke wyse as of an hoot & brennyng yron that is put in a tubbe of water therof gro¦weth a noyse & a grete sowne & also whan cooles ben quen∣chid / But the lyghtnyng of the thondre appereth and is seen er ye here the voys or sowne. for as moche as the sight of a man is more subtyl than the heeryng lyke as men see fro ferre ouer a water betyng of clothes or smytyng of mar¦teaulx or hamers / the strokes ben seen of them that smyte. or the soun be herde of the stroke. Alle in lyke wyse may I saye to yow of the thondre / the whiche men see to fore and er they here it / and so moche the ferther it is aboue vs. so moche the ferther is the soun of the lyghtnyng after it is seen / er the soun be herd / & the sonner after the lyghtnyng is seen & the yons herd somoche is the thondre more nygh vnto vs /