New-York tribune., 1910-02-13
COMET AS A PoRTENT.

a still more striking instance OF this in
born dread of comets is found in the story
of the famous one which appeared IN the
memorable year of the Norman conquest II
broke upon the gaze OF the inhabitants OF
the British islands in the spring of the year
1866. and shone brightly all through the
disastrous DAYS which followed. Naturally.
men were keenly alive to outer influences ct
time when every wind was waiting TO
those shores tidings of the doings of Duke
William of Normandy; of his satnted rel
les. and preparations for the invasion or
England: Of Hardrada, King of Norway. and
his swarrning hordes in the north threat
ening 10 wrest the English crowd from Har-
old. The chroniclerS of the period tell
the story in sorrowful words. and associate
the comet with the events which were then
growing into portentous shape In size
and brightness the comet equalled the full
moon. and its tall, gradually Engineering
as it gained the neighborhood~ of the sun.
arched over the heavens in the form of
dragons tall Sigebert says of 1t that,
over tie island of Britain was seen star
OF wonderful bigness, to the train of
which hung a fiery sword not unlike
dragons tai: and out Of the dragons
mouth issued two vast rays. whereof one
reached as far as France. and the Other,
divided into seven lesser rays, stretched
away towards Ireland.
How largely the comet doomed in the
public eye is shown in the BayeuH tapestry
In the thirty-ffth compartment Of this
priceless embroidery. Immediately after the
one representing the coronation of Harold.
a figure of the comet is worked in the up
per right hand corner Several persons
with upIifted finger are gazing upon 1t. and
above their heads are the words Ist MI
rant stellam
Passing on 70 the middle of the fifteenth
cent1Iry-to the year 145e-We again fnd
/ Haliey's comet occupying a conspicuous
/ place in European affairs. At the moment
/ or its first appearance the conquerlnS
7 Turks, under Nahomet II, were Threatening
! 10 lay waste Christendom- Already Con-
/ stantinople had fallen into their hands ana
from the SUBMITS of her stately edlfces
cleaned the Ottoman crescent. The cities
of the Danube were rapidly giving way pc
fore their irresistible march. and now Bel
grade was invested. In the midst of the
CONSERVATION faction ragged in the courts of
r-rrone and conflicting counsels distracted
! the Latin Church.
The reiening pontiff. Calixtus III, was so
alarmed by the apparition in the heavens
that. il is said he issued a bull exercising
! the evil thing. and 10 the Ave Maria" he
added the words: From the Turk and the
Comet. good Lord, deliver US" Arago,
Babinet Guinenin. Hind, Draper and
| others all relate this story; and the An
| gelus de Midi We are told. owes its origin
! TO the fears of the aged Pope Chen in his
! eightieth year..
! Between the epochs of 1853 and the ensu-
| ing return new methods of computation
had greatly lessened the labor Of mathe-
matical investigation, and the more accu-
/ rate measures Of the planets, the discovery
! of Uranus and his moons, the wonderfully
| increased power OF telescopes-all contrib
uted TO swell the interest with which the
! comets next arrival was anticipated.
Among the numerous observers who all
! through the summer nights of 1s35 pa
/ tiently awaited the comets return, Father