220 Comets. 



389. In August (probably) a very splendid comet appeared. 

 It rose in the N. at the hour of cock-crowing. Eesembling 

 the morning star it burned rather than shone, and ceased to 

 exist in four weeks. — (Marcellin. Chron.) It appeared in the 

 zodiacal region, but moving apparently on the left of the spec- 

 tators, and rising and setting with the morning star it gradually 

 advanced to Ursa Major and Minor. It lasted for about six 

 weeks, and vanished near the centre of the former constel- 

 lation. — (Philostorgius, Epit. Hist. Eccles. x. 9 ; Nicophoras, 

 Hist. Eccles. xii. 37.) 



390. On August 22 a comet was seen near a and ft Gemi- 

 norum. Passing the vicinity of ft Leonis, i, 6, and <£ Ursse 

 Majoris, it entered the " square" of that constellation ; on 

 September 17 it arrived within the circle of perpetual appa- 

 rition. Its tail was lOO 3 long. — (Ma-tuoan-lin.) It lasted four 

 weeks. — (Marcellin.) It is certain that two large comets 

 appeared in two successive years, and what is equally remark- 

 able, that they both followed nearly the same path from the 

 zodiac to the pole ; the first was seen, or at least recorded, only 

 in Europe ; the latter was seen both in Europe and China. — 

 (Hind.) 



392. A comet appeared. — (Couplet.) 



395. A great comet appeared in August, which' moved 

 from e Sagittarii towards ft Aquarii, and a Equulei. — (De 

 Mailla, iv. 496.) 



400. On March 19 a comet 30° long appeared in the 

 sidereal division 6 Andromedas. It rose to v Cassiopeias and 

 stopped to the W. of the circle of perpetual apparition ; it 

 entered the " square" of Ursa Major, and arrived near X, fx,, 

 etc. In the next moon (commencing April 11) it passed by 

 ft Leonis to ft and rj Virginis. — (Ma-tuoan-lin; Gaubil.) The 

 most terrible comet on record. Its form was that of a sword. — 

 (Socrat. Hist. Eccles. vi. 6.) 



401. In January a comet appeared near 8 Cygni. — (De 

 Mailla, iv. 57.) 



402. In November — December an extraordinary star 

 appeared to the W. of the region lying around ft Leonis ; two 

 moons later it was nearer that star. — (Hind.) " It first 

 appeared in the E. towards that part of the heavens where 

 Cepheus and Cassiopeia shine. Passing then a little beyond 

 the Great Bear, it overpowered by [the brilliancy of] its wan- 

 dering hair the beauty of the stars of that constellation, till at 

 length it languished, and finally dissipated itself in a very feeble 

 flame."— (Claudian. JM Hell. Get. xxvi. 228, et seq). 



415 [i. and ii.] On Juno 24 two comets were observed 

 near a Herculis and a Ophiuchi ; passing by the former star 

 they stopped to tho N. of ir and er Scorpii. — (Ma-tuoan-lin.) 



