S. D. D.
Passage in Coleridge (Vol. vii., p. 330.).—The paper referred to by Coleridge will be found in the Transactions of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, vol. iii. p. 463. It is the "Description of a Glory," witnessed by Dr. Haygarth on Feb. 13th, 1780, when "returning to Chester, and ascending the mountain which forms the eastern boundary of the Vale of Clwyd." As your correspondent asks for a copy of the description, the volume being scarce, I will give the following extract:
"I was struck with the peculiar appearance of a very white shining cloud, that lay remarkably close to the ground. The sun was nearly setting, but shone extremely bright. I walked up to the cloud, and my shadow was projected into it; when a very unexpected and beautiful scene was presented to my view. The head of my shadow was surrounded, at some distance, by a circle of various colours; whose centre appeared to be near the situation of the eye, and whose circumference extended to the shoulders. The circle was complete, except what the shadow of my body intercepted. It resembled, very exactly, what in pictures is termed a glory, around the head of our Saviour and of saints: not, indeed, that luminous radiance which is painted close to the head, but an arch of concentric colours. As I walked forward, this glory approached or retired, just as the inequality of the ground shortened or lengthened my shadow."
A plate "by the writer's friend, Mr. Falconer," accompanies the paper.
In my copy of the Transactions, the following MS. note is attached to this paper:
"See Juan's and De Ulloa's Voyage to South America, book vi. ch. ix., where phænomena, nearly similar, are described."
I. H. M.
Lowbell (Vol. vii., pp. 181. 272.).—This is also surely a Scotch word, low meaning a light, a flame.
"A smith's hause is aye lowin."—Scots. Prov.
R. S. N.