168 SCENERY OF THE HEAVENS. 



far surpassing that planet in magnitude and equal to Venus in brilliancy. Owing to 

 unfavourable weather at Prague, it was not until the 8th of October that Keppler obtained 

 a view of it. It appeared near the right foot of Serpentarius, exhibited no parallax, 

 displayed a variety of colours, and after an apparition of twelve months it vanished from 

 the heavens, and has not again been visible. Comparing this new star with its pre- 

 decessor, Keppler remarks: "Yonder one," referring to that in Cassiopeia, "chose for 

 its appearance a time no way remarkable, and came into the world quite unexpectedly, like 

 an enemy storming a town, and breaking into the market-place before the citizens are aware 

 of his approach ; but ours " (the new star in Serpentarius) " has come exactly in the 

 year of which astrologers have written so much about the fiery trigon that happens in 

 it, just in the month in which (according to Cyprian) Mars comes up to a very perfect 

 conjunction with the other two superior planets ; just in the day when Mars has joined 

 Jupiter, and just in the place where this conjunction has taken place. Therefore the 

 apparition of this star is not like a secret hostile irruption, as was that of 1572, but the 

 spectacle of a public triumph, or the entry of a mighty potentate ; when the couriers ride 

 in some time before, to prepare his lodgings, and the crowd of young urchins begin to 

 think the time over long to wait ; then roll in, one after another, the ammunition, and 

 money, and baggage waggons, and presently the trampling of horse, and the rush of 

 people from every side to the streets and windows; and when the crowd have gazed 

 with their jaws all agape at the troop of knights, then at last the trumpeters, and archers, 

 and lackeys, so distinguish the person of the monarch, that there is no occasion to 

 point him out, but every one cries out of his own accord, ' Here we have him ! ' What it 

 may portend is hard to determine, and thus much only is certain, that it comes to tell 

 mankind either nothing at all, or high and weighty news, quite beyond human sense and 

 understanding. It will have an important influence on political and social relations, not 

 indeed by its own nature, but as it were accidentally, through the disposition of mankind. 

 First, it portends to the booksellers great disturbances and tolerable gains, for almost every 

 Theologicus, Philosophicus, Medicus, andMathematicus., or whoever else, having no laborious 

 occupation intrusted to him, seeks his pleasure in studiis, will make particular remarks upon 

 it, and will wish to bring these remarks to the light. Just so will others, learned and 

 unlearned, wish to know its meaning, and they will buy the authors who profess to tell 

 them. I mention these things merely by way of example, because, although thus much 

 can be easily predicted without great skill, yet may it happen just as easily, and in the 

 same manner, that the vulgar, or whoever else is of easy faith, or, it may be, crazy, may 

 wish to exalt himself into a great prophet ; or it may even happen that some powerful 

 lord, who has good foundation and beginning of great dignities, will he cheered on by 

 this phenomenon to venture on some new scheme ; just as if God had set up this star in 

 the darkness merely to enlighten them." 



Another example of a temporary star appeared in the year 1670. It was observed by 

 Hevelius, and by Don Anthelme, on the 20th June, in the head of Cygnus. Soon 

 afterwards it became completely invisible, but reappeared, and after undergoing some 

 singular fluctuations of light during two years, again vanished, and has not since been 

 visible. 



There are now seven or eight well-attested cases of fixed stars suddenly glowing from 

 out the sombre bosom of infinity,, shining with great vivacity for an interval, so as to be 

 visible even in the day time through the intensity of their light, then gradually fading 

 away, and becoming entirely extinct. We are completely foiled by these apparent tem- 

 porary stellar creations. Are they worlds which, having accomplished one cycle of their 

 existence, have had their physical structure dissolved by fire, to be remodelled ? Are 

 they thus bodies which have lain hid from terrestrial gaze by their remoteness, until 



