8oz THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



auroras more or less completely. Some authors, instead of giving 

 a simple narration of events, seek for an explanation of what they 

 observed. Of course, these attempts in the main are very naive 

 and without any scientific value. 



Aristotle speaks of red beams in the heavens, of torches and 

 of billows of fire. Seneca compares the phenomena to flashes of 

 lightning, and writes about the blazing of the heavens. Accord- 

 ing to him, " the gleaming flashes may be caused by violent winds, 

 or by the heat of the upper regions of the air ; for, when the fiery 

 phenomenon spreads far, it sometimes extends to the lower region, 

 if it be inflammable." 



Pliny writes : " Fiery beams occur likewise ; such a one was 

 seen when the Lacedaemonians, vanquished at sea, lost their sway 

 over Greece. Sometimes the heavens cleave ; this is spoken of as 

 a ' chasma.' But naught is more terrible for mortals than when 

 a blood-red conflagration starts in the heavens, and from there 

 falls to the earth. This happened in the third year of the one 

 hundred and seventh Olympiad, when King Philip warred in 

 Greece. I, however, believe that these phenomena, as all others, 

 occur at times regulated by Nature, and are not, as most people 

 suppose, to be ascribed to a variety of causes which their fancies 

 invent. They have, however, been premonitors of great misfor- 

 tune. As they occur so very rarely, the law which they obey re- 

 mains hidden, and may not be traced/' Furthermore, " During 

 the reign of the consuls Caius Csecilius and Cneius Papirius, and 

 also at other times, light was seen in the heavens, so that night 

 became as day." The words of Lucan, " Fire storming from the 

 north," remind us of the sagas of northern tribes. 



The middle ages could not readily free themselves from the in- 

 fluence of the mysterious. Wondrous phenomena, the true nature 

 of which was not grasped and understood, were veiled in mys- 

 tery, and ascribed to the workings of demons. This is proved 

 by many records and traditions. Does not Shakespeare possibly 

 refer to northern lights in " King Henry VI," Part III, act ii, 

 scene 1 ? 



Rich. See, how the morning opes her golden gates, 



And takes her farewell of the glorious sun ! 



How well resembles it the prime of youth, 



Trimm'd like a yonnker, prancing to his love! 

 Edw. Dazzle mine eyes, or do I see three suns? 

 Rich. Three glorious suns, each one a perfect sun ; 



Not separated with the racking clouds, 



But sever'd in a pale clear-shining sky. 



See, see! they join, embrace, and seem to kiss, 



As if they vow'd some league inviolable: 



Now are they but one lamp, one light, one sun. 



In this the heaven figures some event. 



