BOOK OF THE DAMNED 257 



pended over London: of an emanation that was not interpreted as 

 light until it reached the ground. 



Lancet, June i, 1867: 



That every night for a week, a light had appeared in Woburn 

 Square, London, upon the grass of a small park, enclosed by rail- 

 ings. Crowds gathering police called out "for the special service 

 of maintaining order and making the populace move on." The 

 Editor of the Lancet went to the Square. He says that he saw 

 nothing but a patch of light falling upon an arbor at the northeast 

 corner of the enclosure. Seems to me that that was interesting 

 enough. 



In this Editor we have a companion for Mr. Symons and Dr. 

 Gray. He suggests that the light came from a street lamp does 

 not say that he could trace it to any such origin himself but rec- 

 ommends that the police investigate neighboring street lamps. 



I'd not say that such a commonplace as light from a street lamp 

 would not attract and excite and deceive great crowds for a week 

 but I do accept that any cop who was called upon for extra work 

 would have needed nobody's suggestion to settle that point the very 

 first thing. 



Or that something in the sky hung suspended over a London 

 Square for a week. 



