The English Husbandman

Although GOD out of his infinite prouidence, is the onely directer and ruler of all things, gouerning the yéeres, dayes, minutes and seasons of the yeere according to the power of his Will: yet for as much as hee hath giuen vs his Creatures, and placed the Celestiall bodies to holde their influences in vs, and all things else which haue increasement, reuealing vnto vs from their motions, the alteration and qualities of euery season, it shall be very behouefull for euery Husbandman to know the signes and tokens of euery particular season, as when it is likely to Raine, when Snow, when Thunder, when the Winds will rise, when the Winter will rage, & when the Frosts will haue the longest continuance, that fashioning his labours, according to the temperature or distemperature of the weather, hee may with good iudgement and aduise, eschew many euils which succéede rash and vnfore-looking actions.  To speake then first of the generall signes of Raine, you shall vnderstand that the olde Husbandmen did obserue rules generall, and rules speciall: the generall rules were such as concerned eyther all, most, or a great part of the whole yéere: the rules speciall, those which concerned dayes, houres, and times present: of which I will first speake in this place. If therefore you shall at any time perceiue a Cloud rising from the lowest part of the Horizon, and that the maine body be blacke and thicke, and his beames (as it were) Curtaine-wise, extending vpward, and driuen before the windes: it is a certaine and infallible signe of a present showre of Raine, yet but momentary and soone spent, or passed ouer: but if the Cloud shall arise against the Winde, and as it were spread it selfe against the violence of the same, then shall the Raine be of much longer continuance. If when you sée the new Moone appeare, you perceiue that some part of her Hornes are obscured, or if it be black, or discoulored in the middest: if it hang much to the West, if it be compast or girdled about, eyther with thicke, or waterish transparent vapours: if it looke more then ordinarily pale, or if it shall beginne to raine small and mist-like on the fourth or fift day of her age, all these are infallible signes of Raine, and the last an assured signe that the Raine will continue all that quarter of the Moone following.