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8

If we are to judge from the wise saws of ancient and moderne observation, derived from the appearance of the sky, as exhibited in the clouds, in the sun,and in the moon, these atmospheric meteors have their origins from above. Coming in heat waves, superinduced by some power. The very remarkable appearances of the sun and moon when involved with misty umbra, and peculiar halos, would seem to be referable to peculiar electrical action in the atmosphere at such times.

"A rainbow in the morning is the shepherd's warning. 
But a rainbow in the night is the shepherd's delight." 

And again, "If woolly fleeces spread the heavenly way, 
Be sure no rains disturbs the summer's day." 

A red sky portends rains. A yellow sky foretells dry weather. The instructive observer devoutly sings the song of Wordsworth, that 

"Nature never did betray
The heart that loved her; 'tis her privilege,
Through all the years of this our life, to lead
From joy to joy; for she can so inform
The mind that is within, so impress
With quietness and beauty, and so feed
With lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues,
Rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfish men
shall e'er prevail against us, or disturb
Our cheerful faith that all which we behold
Is full of blessings."

We are told that the chinese philosophers foretold eclipses 3000 years ago. Not by the processes of astronomical geometry [[strikethrough]] under [[/strikethrough]] the Copernicune system. They go it by natural observations, by instinctive reasoning, that is to say, if these things are of constant occurrence, they must also be of constant recurrence. Nature does not hobble, neither does it move by fitful spasms, although we might be led to such conclusions when a thunderbolt