OF INFINITE SPACE. 76 



" A pathless comet, and a curse, 

 The menace of the universe ; 

 Still rolling on with innate force, 

 Without a sphere, without a course." 



We believe it is generally understood that Halley was the 

 first to foretel the precise periodical return of one of these 

 bodies. This, however, has been disputed, and assigned to 

 Newton, on evidence recently detailed in one of the leading 

 journals, but which certainly cannot be admitted to invali- 

 date his pretensions. It is affirmed that previously to the 

 appearance of the comet of 1 736, Colonel Guise told Whis- 

 ton that Sir Isaac Newton had said in his presence, that 

 " though he would not say he was sure of it, nor would 

 publish it, he had some reason to believe that a comet would 

 return about the latter end of 1736." Another witness 

 also, Mr. Howard, is cited, as having heard him make a 

 similar remark ; and upon being questioned concerning it, 

 it is stated that " he seemed to draw back, as sorry that he 

 had said so much, but still could not deny that he had such 

 an expectation." Whiston therefore says : " As far as we 

 yet know, Sir Isaac is the very first man, and this the very 

 first instance, where the coming of a comet has been predict- 

 ed beforehand, and has actually come according to that pre- 

 diction, from the beginning of the creation to this day." 

 Thompson seems to fall in with this idea in panegyrising the 

 great philosopher : 



" He, first of men, with awful wing pursued 

 The comet through the long elliptic curve, 

 As 'long innumerous worlds he wound his way, 

 Till to the forehead of our evening sky 

 Return'd, the blazing wonder glares anew, 

 And o'er the trembling nations shakes dismay." 



This is all the evidence that can be arrayed in favor of 

 Newton ; and obviously its hearsay source, with the dubidtis 

 tone of the testimony reported, cannot weigh a feather in 



