494 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



" Siklyik there is diuerse other sternis of ane euyl con- 

 stellation quhille pronosticatis future euyl accidentis. there is 

 ane sterne that aperis nocht oft in our hemispere, callit ane 

 comeit. quhen it is sene, ther ocurris haistyly eftir it sum grit 

 myschief. it aperis oft in the northt, it aperis oft in the quhyt 

 circle called circulus lacteus, the quhille the marynalis callis 

 vatlant streit. 1 Sum tyme it vil apeir lyik lang bludy hayr, sum 

 tyme lyik ane dart, sum tyme lyik ane bludy spyr. it aperit in 

 the lyft 2 lyik ane sourd befor the detht of Julius cesar, and alse 

 it aperit lyik ane trumpet quhen the kyng of perse straik ane 

 battel contrar the Grecians. Sum tyme it hes aperit lyik tua 

 gait buckis 3 iustand 4 contrar vthirs." 5 



I will give one more quotation from an old work entitled 

 Defensative against the Poison of Supposed Prophecies, by Henry 

 Howard, Earl of Northampton, published in 1583. It concerns 

 an anecdote of Queen Elizabeth, and runs : 



14 I can affirm thus much as a present witnesse by mine own 

 experience that when dyvers upon greater scrupulosity than 

 cause went about to dissuade her majestye (lying then at 

 Richmonde) from looking on the comet which appeared last : 

 with a courage answerable to her state shee caused the 

 windowe to be sette open and cast out this word, ' Jacta est alea,' 

 the dice are thrown. . . ." 



Quotations to the same or similar effect might be multiplied 

 almost indefinitely ; it is sufficient to note that, inter alios, Pope, 

 Milton, Josephus, Virgil, and Homer all refer to the dire 

 portent or evil influence of the comet. 



This superstitious dread well exemplifies the truth of the 

 words of Tacitus : 



" Omne ignotum pro magnifico," 



which may be rendered, "The tendency of the human mind is 

 to exaggerate the possibilities of the unknown." The " ignotum " 

 is apt to become a bogey. 



Concerning the present reappearance of Halley's comet — 

 for it was discovered by photography so as to be identified 

 on September 11 last, though it will not be visible to the 

 naked eye until next April — it is interesting to inquire how it 



1 Watling Street. 



2 Lyft = sky. 



3 Gait buckis = he-goats. 



4 Iustand = jousting, fencing. 



5 Contrar vthirs = each other, one another. 



