THE EXPECTED RETURN OF HALLEY'S COMET 551 



Chinese have, however, stood still, while the accuracy of 

 Western observations has increased in a marvellous manner, 

 so that now there is no comparison possible between 

 the two. 



The apparitions of 1066 and 1456 are of such historical 

 interest that they deserve fuller treatment than the others. 



The comet was discovered in China on April 2, 1066, when 

 it was a morning object in Pegasus, and rapidly approaching 

 the sun, which it passed about a fortnight later, becoming an 

 evening object about April 24 (a week after Easter). It was 

 then first seen in Europe, and is described as a star without 

 rays, resembling a white cloud, 3 in diameter. It must then 

 have become very brilliant, being close to the earth, and 

 traversed the constellations of Gemini, Cancer, and Hydra, 

 being finally lost to view in Crater, after a period of visibility 

 of about two months. Pingre, the author of the famous Cometo- 

 grap/ue, has the following passage on the effect described in 

 Europe by this comet : " It was regarded as a presage of the 

 conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy. This 

 gave rise to some verses. . . . According to a poet of that time, 

 the comet had been more favourable to William than Nature 

 to Caesar; the latter had no hair, William received some from 

 the comet : 



' Caesariem, Caesar, tibi si Natura negavit, 

 Hanc, Willelme, tibi Stella Comata dedit.' 



Was this 'hair' the crown of England? A monk of Mal- 

 mesbury, seeing his country on the point of being attacked, 

 on the one side by Harold, King of Norway, on the other 

 by William, and concluding that blood would be shed, 

 addressed the comet thus : ' I see you then, origin of the 

 tears of many mothers ; I have seen you for long, but now 

 you appear more terrible ; you threaten my country with 

 entire ruin.'" 



The situation is vividly portrayed on the Bayeux tapestry, 

 where a group of Normans are shown excitedly gazing at the 

 comet, which is shown above them with a long, flaming tail, 

 and the legend, " Isti mirantur stellam." In the next compart- 

 ment a messenger announces to Harold the advent of the comet 

 and of the Norsemen, whose ships are shown below. Harold 

 is in great agitation at the combination of misfortunes, and 



