722 THE UNIVERSE. 



The learned themselves have contributed largely to all 

 the errors circulated by the vulgar about these strange 

 stars, and even astronomers, though least of all, have sup- 

 plied their contingent. At one time the appearance of com- 

 ets inspired such dread that people shut themselves up in 



262. Donati's Comet on 5th October, 1858, near Arcturus, as seen with the naKed eye. 



their dwellings in order not to see their horrible aspect ; 

 nowadays, on the contrary, we rush out-of-doors, the better 

 to gaze upon their luminous tresses. Naturally enough ig- 

 norant crowds were alarmed when the most enlightened 

 men, such as J. Bernouilli, maintained that the tail at least, 

 if not the body, of comets might be looked upon as a sign 

 of celestial wrath. 



The imagination of Maupertuis gave way to all sorts of 

 fantasies in respect to these nebulous stars. He never 



Newton's Principia. Euler has equally contributed to throw light upon the move- 

 ments of these stars. Theoria Planetarum et Come.tarum, 1744. 



