It began with vast drops of rain,
which were soon succeeded by round hail, and then by convex
pieces of ice, which measured three inches in girth. Had it been as
extensive as it was violent, and of any continuance (for it was very
short), it must have ravaged all the neighbourhood. In the parish of
Hartley it did some damage to one farm; but Norton, which lay in
the centre of the storm, was greatly injured; as was Grange, which
lay next to it. It did but just reach to the middle of the village,
where the hail broke my north windows, and all my garden-lights
and hand-glasses, and many of my neighbours' windows. The
extent of the storm was about two miles in length and one in
breadth. We were just sitting down to dinner; but were soon
diverted from our repast by the clattering of tiles and the jingling of
glass. There fell at the same time prodigious torrents of rain on the
farms above-mentioned, which occasioned a flood as violent as it
was sudden; doing great damage to the meadows and fallows, by
deluging the one and washing away the soil of the other.
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