s Comet 51 



It is more than three centuries since Dekker put that 

 superstitious speech into, the Duke's mouth. Yet, 

 bless me ! what do I read as having occurred within 

 these few weeks past ? Why, this : 



A neurotic man at Valencia had done nothing but 

 think about a probable collision between Halley's 

 comet and the earth since the comet's appearance. 

 He became obsessed by the idea that this catas- 

 trophe would happen on February 19. He decided 

 to escape from the world's collapse by jumping from 

 a bedroom window. He fell on his head and crushed 

 his skull. 



Unhappy neurotic of Valencia ! Had he but known 

 that the " catastrophe " was not to happen until 

 May 19th he could have enjoyed a three months' 

 respite from an undignified death. To that extent 

 this nervous subject of the King of Spain died pre- 

 maturely. 



One must suppose that the Valencia victim's fears 

 sprang from some distorted view of the conjecture 

 that on May 19th, 1910, our earth would pass through 

 the tail of this renowned comet of Halley's. In his 

 alarm he had magnified this innocuous terrestrial 

 traverse into a catastrophic " collision." Innocuous 

 traverse, in truth, for not the least harm either to us 

 or to the old globe on which we dwell was likely to 

 ensue. The pity on't that the ignorant should persist 

 in their superstitious fears, setting the knowledge of 

 the learned in such matters at defiance, and fostering 

 in their timid breasts a demon which must surely 

 destroy them. 



With comets of great size, it is distance that lends 



