498 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



To complete the historical narrative it is now necessary 

 to quote (i) from the two historians, Freeman and Thierry, 

 whose works on the Norman Conquest, one in English, the 

 other in French, stand out by themselves ; and (2) from the 

 Chronicles of some of the chroniclers of the period. 



Freeman, at p. 72 of vol. hi., after mentioning the appearance 

 of the comet, says : 



" No man in any land ventured to deem that such a token 

 came without its mission. As of old the stars in their courses 

 fought against Sisera, so now that wondrous star was doubtless 

 sent to fight against some one among the great ones of the 

 earth. . . . The sign was indeed one of awe and warning. . . . 

 Some great event was doubtless portended ; some mighty ruler 

 was soon to meet with his overthrow ; but who could tell 

 whether the fiery sw r ord which hung over the world was drawn 

 on behalf of Harold or on behalf of William?" 



And further on in the same volume, at p. 640, he says : 



" This comet evidently made the deepest impression in 

 every part of Europe. It is recorded in nearly every chronicle 

 everywhere, and it is generally, even by men who have no 

 special connexion either with England or Normandy, accepted 

 as a presage of the conquest of England." 



And Thierry, at p. 308, says : 



" L'apparition d'une comete visible en Angleterre pendant 

 pres d'un mois produisit sur les esprits une impression 

 extraordinaire d'etonnement et d'effroi. Le peuple s'attroupait 

 dans les rues et sur les places des villes et des villages pour 

 considerer ce phenomene qu'on regardait comme la confirmation 

 des pressentiments nationaux." 



He then quotes a declamation poetique of a monk at 

 Malmesbury which will appear later. 

 Further on in his history he says : 



" Ce grand evenement (le couronnement de Harold) est 

 suivi d'un autre dont tous les historiens ont fait mention ; 

 j'entends parler de la comete qui parut dans le mois d'Avril de 

 cette meme annee 1066. . . . Les speculatifs du temps ne 

 manquerent pas d'attribuer a ce phenomene le changement 

 que {'expedition de Guillaume en Angleterre y causa peu de 

 temps apres." 



Turning now to the chronicles, it is well to take first the 

 description in the Roman de Ron by Master Wace, who is not 



