THE GREAT COMET 127 



we viewed it, was directly over the Isle of Wight ; conse- 

 (j[uently it would be a little to the westward of south. I 

 cannot better describe it than by comparing it in shape 

 and size to a large rod. The small end denoting the 

 nucleus or star — which was much larger than the late 

 comet, of a deeper hue, and at a certain distance seemed 

 confined by a band, beyond which it spread out in rays 

 of fiery red. It seemed to lay, as it were, directly parallel 

 with the horizon, and had not anything like the length of 

 tail that was so remarkable in its successor, for its beauti- 

 ful plume-like and far-extending luminous appearance. 

 Still, it lit up that part of the heavens it traversed, and 

 obscured by its brilliancy a number of stars of every 

 degree. 



Its aspect to the vulgar, who look upon such 

 phenomena with indiscriminate wonder, was more awful 

 than auspicious, and elicited in many, apprehensions that 

 were allayed only by its gradual disa23pearance. To the 

 astronomer it was what the last has been — a great ]3rize ; 

 and his science Avas carried to its utmost extent in calcu- 

 lating the orbit and time of return, the diameter and 

 length of tail of the heavenly body, the distance from the 

 sun and our earth, as well as the rate of travellino; and 

 destination of this single luminary ; and, by a happy 

 conjunction, it also enabled him to establish a further 

 proof of the vaporous elements of those erratic messen- 

 gers — as Arcturus, a star of the first magnitude, shone 

 with increased brilliancy through its nucleus. 



To the sjDeculative jDhilosopher it would display the 

 omniscience and the will of the great Creator, in setting- 

 bounds to the human understanding, and drawing the 



