Thomas Browne

“ Thick vapours not ascending high but hanging about the earth and covering the surface of it are commonly called mists; if they ascende high they are termed clowdes. They remaine upon the earth, till they either fall downe or are attenuated, rarified and scattered. ”

“ There may be also subterraneous mists when heat in the bowells of the earth working upon humid parts makes an attentuation thereof and constantly nebulous bodyes in the cavities of it . There is a kind of continued mist in the bodies of Animalls, especially in the cavous parts, as may be observed in bodies opened presently after death, and some thinke that in sleepe there is a kind of miste in the brayne ”

“ When the Cuttle fish, Polypus, or Loligo make themselves invisible by obscuring the water about them, they doe it not by any vaporous emission, but by a black humour ejected which makes the water black and darke near them, but upon excessive motion some animalls are able to afforde a miste about them, when the ayre is coole and fit to condense it, as horses after a race, so that they become scarce visible. ”

“ This great mist was not onely observable about London but in remote parts of England and as we heare in Holland, so that it was of larger extent then mists are commonly apprehended to be, most men conceiving that they reach not much beyound the places where they behold them. ”

“ Sereins, well knowne in hot countryes, cause headache, toothache, and swelled faces, but they seeme to have their originall from subtle invisible nitrous and piercing exhalations caused by a strong heat of the sunne, which falling after sunne-set produce the effects mentioned. ”