The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1853-05-19

al expose to public sale, at the mn -
urt House, in Jackson, on the 23lh, DAY o.
W " -. = -'.l..l. u " .l~s"!lnwIug de- al
That this comet addressed its menaces
particularly to him as holding the first
rank among Sovereigns. The great and
once wise but now wearied and shattered
monarch had been for some time the vic.
tim OF cruel reverses. There were threat.
ening indications in the political if not in
the physical horizon Of still greater tenn.
pest 10 come. He was left 10 cry in des.
pair, Fortune abandons old men, The
appearance of the blazing star seemed 10
him an admonition from heaven that he
must cease TO be sovereign if he would
avoid fatality from which one without
authority might be spared. II is known
that the Emperor survived his abdication
but little more than two years.
"Anoiher comet. which passed near US
in 1885, and which has appeared twenty.
five times since the year l3 before chris.
tian era, has been associated by the su.
perstitions with many important events
which have occurred near the periods Of
its visitation.
I "In 1906 William the Conqueror Ian
ded in England at the head of numer.
Gus army about the time that the comet
appeared which now bears the name oi
Hslley's comet. The circumstance was
regarded by the English as prognostic
oflhe victory Of the Normsns. ltiniused
universal terror into the minds oil The peo.
pie, and contributed not little towards
the submission OF the country alter the
battle Of Hestings, as it had served to dis
courage the soldiers of Harold before the
combat. The comet is represented upon
the famous tapestry Of Bayeux, executed
by Queen Matilda, the wife Of the Con
queror.* The same comet, in 1853. threw
terror among the Turks under the com.
mand Of Mahomet IL, and into the ranks
Of The Christians during the terrible bat.
tie Of Belgfade, in which forty thousand
.Mussulmans perished. The comet is
described by historians of the time as
'immensesAlerrible,A Aof enormous length
carrying IA its tfajn tail which covered
two celestial signs, (6o degrees } and pro
ducipg universal terror Judging from
this portrait, comets have singuarly de.
generated in our day. Ii will be remem.
bered. however, that in 1911 there ap.
peared a comet OF great brlliancy which
inspired some superstitous fears. Since
that epoch science has noted nearly eighty
comets, which, with lew exceptions, were
visible only by the aid of the telescope
Keeper, when asked how many comets he
-thought4there awerss in the heavens, an.
swered, 'as many as ihere~are fish in the
sea-
ar"Thanks 10 the progress Of sslrohotni-
cal science, these singular stars are no
longer objects Of terror. The theories oil
Newton, HALEY, and their successors
have completely destroyed the imsginary
empire OF comets. AS RESPECTS ihelf
physical nature, it was for along time be.
Iieyed that they were compossdol com
pact center, surrounded by luminous
atmosphere. On1his subject theopinion
of NJ. Rabinet, who must be regarded as
good authority on;such questions, is as
follows Comets cannot exercise any
material influence upon our globe; and
the earth, should it traverse comet in its
entire breadth, would perceive il no more
than il il should cross cloud hundred
thousand millions of times lighter than
our atmosphere, and which could no more
make its way through our air than the
slightest puff OF an ordinary bellows could
make its way through an anvil ltwould
be difficult 10 find comparison more re-
assuring"
this celebrated tapestry is preserved in the
ancient Episcopal palace at Baycux. Itrepre
sents the principal incidents, including the ap
pearance Of the comet, in the history Of the con
quest of England, by William, Duke Of Norman
dy 1t is supposed to have been excluded by
Matilda, the conquerors wife, or by the Empress
Matilda, daughter of Henry |. 1t consists of
linen web 2ll feet in length and 20 inches broad
!, and is divided into 70 compartments, each hav
ing an inscription indicating its subject. Tn
figures are all executed by the needle.