COMETS. 



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and have bordered on that of Mars. At its nearest approach to us, the cornet was yet 

 distant 141 millions of miles, so that even had the tail pointed to the earth, its extremity 



Comet of 1811 as seen at Winchester. 



would have been 18 millions of miles away from its surface. The following are the 

 calculations respecting its period of revolution : 



Years. Authority. Years. Authority. 



3056 '"- Callendrelli 3757 - >'. Ferrer 



3383 - - Bessel 4237'-' ^\ Lemaur 



The mind is astounded at a journey requiring the least of these cycles for its accomplish- 

 ment a period equal to that extending from the fabulous age of Grecian story to the 

 present ; nor is the thought less wonderful, of the chain of solar influence following the 

 traveller through the whole of its course, and preventing its elopement into the regions 

 of immensity. The laws of the system, indeed, impose upon the long-period comets vast 

 differences of velocity. The same body that rushes round the sun at the nearest point of 

 contact with prodigious speed, will move but sluggishly through the remoter parts of its 

 orbit. In computing the periodic time of the comet of 1811, Lemaur assigned 775 years 

 to the half of the ellipse nearest the sun, and 3462 to the more distant half, But the 

 space must be immense that has to be traversed by an object whose return is not 

 expected, taking the lowest estimate given, till the year 4867. The appearance of this 

 comet was strikingly ornamental to the evening sky. Many a reaper late in the harvest 

 field stayed his hand, and many a peasant homeward-bound stopped in the way, to gaze 

 upon the celestial novelty as it grew into distinctness with the declining day. The 

 Ettrick shepherd has left a memorial of his impressions in the well-known lines : 

 " Stranger of heaven, I bid thee hail ! 



Shred from the pall of glory riven, 

 That flashest in celestial gale 



Broad pennon of the King of Heaven ! 



" Whate'er portends thy front of fire, 



And streaming locks so lovely pale ; 

 Or peace to man, or judgments dire, 

 Stranger of heaven, I bid thee hail ! " 



Those who were alive in 1811 will recollect the high temperature of that year its 

 bountiful harvest its abundant vintage. Popular opinion assigned these blessings to 

 the resplendent comet ; and the wine of the comet was sold afterwards at high prices. 

 No doubt, however, but that precisely different circumstances would have been connected, 



