ded the siege of Jerusalem: for the
cross of the Emperor Constantine: for the bow about the sun seen by
Augustus Caesar, when he took possession of the Roman empire: and for stars,
or other heavenly lights, which have seemed to herald the births or deaths
of illustrious personages. But are these stories to be believed? and, if
they are, where is the line of credibility to be drawn? People cannot come
together, and talk either on this subject, or on that of ghosts, but every
one "hath a revelation, hath an interpretation." The poet, walking on the
mountains, looked into the sky, and

"The appearance, instantaneously disclosed,
Was of a mighty city--boldly say
A wilderness of building, sinking far,
And self-withdrawn, into a wondrous depth,
Far sinking into splendour--without end?"

The two following extracts are from private letters now before me. The
first account was written in 1825 by a physician, still alive, and {299}
who at the time read an account of what he had seen at a meeting of the
Plinian Society. He says,

"I last evening read a paper upon an extraordinary appearance of
letters, formed by the clouds, seen by a Mr. T. and myself. We had also
with us two little boys, one nine, the other eleven years of age, who
were able to make out each letter equally with ourselves. These
children were at the time walking some distance behind us: but, upon
their coming up, and being shown the letters, they read them without
having heard any observation of ours respecting them. We saw them for
about two minutes, when they gradually changed their form--each letter
changing its perpendicular for a horizontal position, and at length the
whole becoming converted into that form of cloud denominated
cirro-stratus. I will endeavour to give you a faint idea of the
appearance, by forming the letters as well as my memory will enable me.
I make no comment upon the words themselves, as they are too
extraordinary for observation of any kind. It was upon the 12th of last
month: several showers had fallen in the course of the day, but the
afternoon was fine. The time seven in the evening. The letters were
formed upon a fine blue surface, having no other clouds near them,
except very small ones, which tended much to heighten the effect of the
whole.

[Illustration: (ETERNAL)]

[Illustration: (MILLENNIUM)]

"You will observe several defic