the earth till the twentieth of September,
and then retreated into distant space. This
comet, when it shows itself to the dwellers on
earth, is nothing but a mass of vapour of
such slight density, that the luminous fluid
or ether itself— supposing that the existence
of such a fluid is not a mere hypothesis—
appears to exercise an appreciable influence
on its motions, whose effect is betrayed,
according to Monsieur Encke's interpretation,
by a continual shortening of its period and
by a progressive diminution of the dimensions
of its orbit. Whence, as a mechanical
consequence, it results that the comet must
come to an end by falling into the sun. The last
comet of the three is quite a recent discovery.
It is the comet of Monsieur Faye, which was
observed, on the sixth and seventh of
September, by Monsieur Bruhns at the
Observatory of Berlin. The Journal Astronomique,
published by Monsieur Le Verrier, which
renders such service to European astronomy,
published, on the fourteenth of September,
the ephemerides of this new comet.

Five comets in one year sounds a great
many to unastronomical ears; but it is really
a very scanty measure, if there be truth in
Kepler's remark, that there are as many
comets in the heavens as there are fish in the
sea; and every day his startling dictum is more
and more justified by observation. In the
course of the three centuries and a half ending
with the year eighteen hundred and fifty, there
have been seen, in Europe alone, fifty-two
comets visible to the naked eye. In the first
half of the nineteenth century, nine were
seen. On an average, two or three telescopic
comets are annually discovered; and if
observatories were multiplied over all the
principal points of the globe, there would
perhaps never pass an instant when some
comet or other was not visible from the
earth.

The immense number of comets thus
proved to exist, ought to have the effect of
calming the timid. Anything which is
known to be an every-day occurrence, ceases
to be portentous. Charles the Fifth need
not have descended from his throne because
a wondrous star glared in the sky: the
crowd of comets would have comforted him,
as it ought to comfort us. But, in past ages,
astronomers themselves were the first and
the loudest to sound the alarm at the
apparition of a star with a tail, or with a
shaggy head of hair. The comet of sixteen
hundred and eighty completed its revolution,
according to Halley, in five hundred and
seventy-five years, and would reappear in the
year two thousand two hundred and fifty-
five. In his belief, every one of its epochs
would prove disastrous to the human race.
To its instrumentality, Whiston attributed
the deluge of Noah. The same comet was
supposed to display its sinister aspect at the
siege of Troy, at the destruction of Nineveh,
and at the death of Julius Caesar. When it
appeared for the last time, during the reign
of Louis the Sixteenth, it produced in France
a painful impression, which was felt even by
the enlightened court of the Grand Monarque.
Madame de Sévigné wrote, "We have a
comet of considerable extent; it has the
handsomest tail which it is possible to behold.
All the great personages are in alarm, and
believe that heaven, intent on their ruin, Is
giving them warning by means of this comet.
It is said that Cardinal Mazarin, who is
given over by his physicians, has been
flattered by his courtiers in his last agony;
thinking to honour his departure by a
prodigy, they told him that a great comet
had appeared, which frightened them. He
had the strength of mind to laugh at them,
and told them good-naturedly that the comet
did him too much honour."

Encke's opinion respecting the comet of
sixteen hundred and eighty does not agree
with Halley's calculations; he reckons the
period of its revolution to be no less than
eight thousand eight hundred and fourteen
years. Since the year twelve before our era,
Halley's or the comet of sixteen hundred and
eighty-two, has shown itself to the earth
twenty-four times, and it has been found to
have contributed a large share to the
superstitious terrors of humanity.

Appearing about Easter of the year eight
hundred and thirty-seven, it greatly
influenced the destinies of the son and
successor of Charlemagne, Louis the First, the
Debonnaire. This prince, who was a bit of
an astronomer, sent for an astrologer, to learn
what the comet prognosticated. Being able
to obtain no other reply than a sullen silence,
Louis added, "You are afraid to tell rne that
this comet announces a change of reign and
the death of a prince. We cannot sufficiently
laud the Creator of this star, for thus
forewarning us of the calamities with which we
are threatened. And as the phenomenon
may have been sent and intended for us, let
us strive with all our strength to make
ourselves better." Eventually, Louis the
Debonnaire clad himself in hair-cloth, slept on an
ash-heap, devoted himself to fastings and
prayer, and built numerous churches and
monasteries, to avert the evil influence of
Halley's comet. It appeared again in April,
one thousand and sixty-six, when William
the Conqueror was invading England, and
was believed to be not without effect on
the result of the battle of Hastings, which
delivered the country to Norman sway.

Amongst the divers apparitions of this
comet, none has caused a more general panic
than that of fourteen hundred and fifty-six.
Its tail, spread out to an enormous width,
assumed the form of a Turkish scimetar.
Both Christians and Mussulmans beheld in
it the presage of horrible misfortunes. It
appeared under the following historical
circumstances: three years beforehand, Mahomet
the Second had taken Constantinople by