5 oo SCIENCE PROGRESS 



On the night of Litania Major 1 



It made as much brightness as if it were day. 



Many men looked at it ; 



In many places men foretold from it. 



Each man said his guess ; 



But soon followed the great strife 



And the great tribulation 



Which afterwards came to the country." 



The next extract is from the chronicle of Benoit de Ste. 

 More. He says, at line z^>77 2 '■ 



" Dune en ces jorz si fakement 

 Aparut sus, el firmament, 

 Une clartez e un planete, 

 Une resplendisanz comete, 

 Dunt en eisseint trei grant rai. 

 Ce lis e truis e vei e sai 

 Que quinze nuiz durerent bien. 

 Si distrent astrenomien 

 Que e'est de regnes muemenz 

 Ou de reis ou de hautes grens." 



& v 



Translation by W. L. de Gruchy : 



" Then in those days there likewise appeared above in the 

 firmament a brightness, a planet, a brilliant comet, from which 

 issued three great rays. This I read and discover and see and 

 know, that they lasted quite fifteen nights. Then said the 

 astronomers, There be changes of kingdoms or of kings or 

 of great persons." 



The last extract is from the chronicle of William of Malmes- 

 bury, and includes the declamation poetiqne mentioned by Thierry. 

 He says, at p. 212 : 



" Soon after a comet, denoting, as they say, change in 

 kingdoms, appeared trailing its extended and fiery train along 

 the sky ; wherefore a certain monk of our monastery, by name 

 Eilmer, bowing down with terror at the sight of the brilliant 

 star, wisely exclaimed, ' Thou art come ! a matter of lamentation 

 to many a mother art thou come; I have seen thee long since; 

 but I now behold thee much more terrible, threatening to hurl 

 destruction on this country.' " 



The next few lines, though not pertinent to the subject of 

 this article, are worth quoting; they seem to show that the 

 monk Eilmer lived a little in advance of his times. They run : 



1 viii. Kal. Mai. — i.e. April 24. 



