Meteors, Title page 1 – Table of contents 1
Meteors: OR, A plain Description of all kind of Meteors, as well Fiery and Ayrie, as Watry and Earthy: BRIEFLY Manifesting the Causes of all Blazing-Stars, Shooting-Stars, Flames in the Aire, Thunder, Lightning, Earthquakes, Rain, Dew, Snow, Clouds, Springs, Stones, and Metalls.
By W. F. Doctor in Divinitie.
LONDON, Printed for William Leake at the Crown in Fleet-street, between the two Temple Gates, 1655.
To the Reader.
I Shall not beg your pardon for publishing this Book; for as 'tis none of mine (being written by a famous and learned Divine) so I doe not set it forth relying on my own judgement, but had the opinions …nd approbation of divers persons of known abilities, who knew best what is most usefull for publique Benefit. And I may (without breach of Modesty) affirm, that there is not in our Language any Booke of so small a bulke, containes so much of the Doctrine of the Meteors. We daily behold and view divers Meteors, but very few are skill'd in their Causes; but those that are not, may be informed. And I must tell you also, that this Book on perusall hath been found so advantagious, that a person of quality hath lately taken paines to make divers worthy Observations upon it, which here I have subjoyned, because you should not pay for two Books instead of one. These Observations were never published till now, and I trust thou wilt find the Author did thee a Courtesie. Farewel.
The Table.
The first Booke.
WHy Meteors be called Unperfectly mixed. 3.
Why they be called perfectly mixed. 3.
The generall cause of all Meteors, and first of the materiall cause. 4.
The places in which they are generated. 10.
The Second Book, of fiery Meteors. 13.
The generation of the Impression, called Burned Stubble, or Sparkles of fire. 14
Torches. 15
Dancing or leaping Goates, ibid.
Shooting and falling Stars. 16
Burning Candles. 18
Burning beams and round pillars, ibid.
Burning Spares, ibid.
Shields, Globes, or Bowles, 20.
L…mps. ibid.
Flying Dragons, or fire Drakes, ibid.
The Pyramidal pillar, like a Spire or broched steeple. 23
Fire scattered in the Aire, ibid.
Lights that goe before men, and follow them abroad in the fields in the night season. 24
Helena, Castor and Pollux. 27.
Flames that appeare upon the haires of men and beasts 29.
Comets, or blazing Stars. 30
Apparitions. 35
Colours, wide gapings, and deep holes which appear in the clouds. 36.
Wide gaping. ibid.
Round openi…g Hiatus. 37.
The third Book, of Airy Impressions. 37.
Of Winds. 38.
Earthquakes. 41.
Divers kinds of Earthquakes. 43
How so great winds come to be under the earth. 46
The signs and tokens that go before an Earthquake most commonly. 47
Thunder. 50
Lightning, 55
Fulgetrum. ibid.
Coruscation. 57
Fulgur. 58
The fourth kind, called Fulmen. 59.
The first kind. 60
The second k…nd. 62
The third kind. ibid.
The marvailes of Lightning, and their causes. ibid.
Storme Winds. 67
Whirle winds. 70
The fired Whirlewind, 72
Circles. 73
The Rainbow. 77
The Milk way, called of some the way to S. James and Watling-street. 81
Beames or streames of light appearing through a cloud. 86
Of Many Suns. 89
Many Moons. 92
Wonderfull apparitions. 94
The fourth Booke, Of watry Impressions. 100
Of Clouds. 101
Mists. 103
Empty clouds. 104
Raine. 106
The signes of Raine. 109
Monstrous or prodigious Raine. 111
Dew. 115
Hoare frost. 117
Haile, Snow. 118, 120.
Springs and Rivers. 121
Fountaines, Brooks, Rivers. 123
Lakes. 125
Hot Baths, ibid.
The divers tasts that are perceived in wells, 126
A recitall of such Rivers and Springs, as have marvelous effects, whereof no natural caus can be assigned by most men, although some reason in a few may be found. 127
Of the Sea. 132
The saltnesse of the Sea, 133
The ebbing and flowing thereof. 134
The fifth Booke, Of earthly Meteors, or bodies perfectly mixed. 135
Of Earth…. 136
Liquors concrete 139
Metals 142
Gold. 143
Silver. 145
Copper. 146
Tynne. 148
Lead. ibid.
Iron. 149
Quicksilver. 150
Stones. 151
The divers kinds of stones 153
The vertue of stones. 154
FINIS.