Lacock Thursday

March 4

My Dear Constance

The eclipse of the moon was beautifully seen at Lacock, there was not a cloud anywhere in the whole sky – I hope you have read M^r Hind’s letter in Wednesday’s Times giving a popular account of the great eclipse of the sun which is to take place on Monday 15^th March. This is the greatest eclipse that will take place in England during the 19^th Century the moon passes centrally over the sun, in some parts of England, but being on this occasion somewhat smaller than the sun, the sun’s light be seen in a ring all round the moon, but so very narrow a ring that only one-hundredth part of the sun will be left, so that the gloom will be very considerable, and people in London will be shrouded in darkness especially if it should be a foggy day there. This phenomenon of the ring or annular eclipse will only be visible in a narrow line of country, stretching from the coast of Dorset near Abbotsbury, passing thence through Melksham to Oxford Peterborough to the Wash on the coast of Lincolnshire. This strip is only 9 miles wide all the astronomers will crowd into it – Calculation shows that Lacock is about two miles outside of it, but the tables of the moon cannot be depended upon to this degree of nicety, and the calculation may prove erroneous to the extent of several miles. Post is going so I will reserve other matters till tomorrow.

Your aff^te

Henry

Winter set in with extreme severity on the 1^st of March That day and the 2^d & 3^d were the most inclement that I ever saw here almost, owing to the high North East wind the country all covered with Snow – Today the 4^th was a most brilliant sunny day and all the snow is gone except in places shaded all day –