HALLEY'S COMET 499 



the credulous Herodotus of the age, but is accounted the most 

 trustworthy of the chroniclers. From the Norman point of view 

 he also enjoys the distinction of having been a Jerseyman. He 

 says, at line 11 460 : 



" El terme ke co estre dut 

 Une esteile grant apparut, 

 E quatorze jors resplendi. 

 Od tres Ions rais deverz midi ; 

 Tele esteile solt Ten veir 

 Quant novel rei deit regne aveir. 

 Asez vi homes ki la virent, 

 Ki ainz e poiz lunges veskirent ; 

 Comete la deit apeler 

 Ki des esteiles volt parler." 



Translation by Taylor. — "Now while these things were doing 

 a great star appeared shining for fourteen nights with three long 

 rays streaming towards the south ; such a star as is wont to be 

 seen when a kingdom is about to change its king. I have seen 

 many men who saw it, men of full age at the time and who 

 lived many years after. Those who discourse of the stars 

 would call it a comet." 



Let us next take the chronicle of Geoffrey Gaimar. He 

 says, at line 5145 : 



" Apres lur mort une comete, 

 Une esteile, dont li prophete 

 Et li bon astronomien, 

 Sievent q'espeant mal ou bien, 

 Se demustra el firmament ; 

 Assez la virent meinte gent. 

 La nuit de Letanie majour 

 Fist tel clarte cum se fust jour. 

 Moult plusours homes l'esgarderent ; 

 En maint endreit en deuinerent. 

 Chascuns disoit sa divinaille ; 

 Mes tost seurent la grant contraille, 

 E la grant tribulacion 

 Qe prius avint a la region." 



Translation by Martin in the Rolls Series : 



" After their death l a comet 

 (A star that is of which soothsayers 

 And good astronomers 

 Know that it portends either good or ill) 

 Showed itself in the firmament. 

 Many people saw it well. 



1 Death of Edward and death of Queen. 



