Tlie fecond Booke of 



. ged into a fpeatcpamely in the hundred and eight Olympiasjand the 398 yeere from the foun- G 

 dation of Rome. Noted it hath ben, that the fhortefltimeof their appearance is a fevea- night, 

 and the longett cightie daies.Some of them move hke the wandering planets : others are &xed 

 faft,and ftir not. All in manner arc feene under the very North ftar called CImH le mutgms waine % 

 fome in no certainc part thereofjbut efpecially in that white, which hath taken the name of the 

 *Milke circle, njlotle faithjThat many are leene together: a thing that no man but hee hath 

 found outjfo farre as I can learne.Mary,boifl:erous windsjand much heat of vyearherjare foreto- 

 kened by them. There are of them feene alfo in winter leafon, and about the Antarticke South 

 pole : but in that place without any beames. A terrible one likewife was (eene of the people ia 

 ^thyopia and iEgypt,which the king who raigned in that age^named T)fhoi7,lu&kmhkd foe^ 

 and was plaited or twifted in maner ofa wreath^grim and hideous to be looked qniand no more ff 

 ' truly to be counted a Itarre, thanfomeknorof fite. Somctimes ilfallethout, that the Planets 

 and other ftars arc befpiead all over with haires.Bu(; a Comet lightly is never feene in the Weft 

 part of the heaven. _ . . - - - r 



A fearefull ftarre for the moft part this Cornet is, iind not eafily expiated : as it appeared by 

 the late civile troubles when OSiavlm was Gonluii : as al{b*a fecond time by the intcftine warre 

 o^Fempey and Cafir.And in our daies about thetime that Claudm C^farwis poyfonedjand left 

 thcEmpire to Domiutii Nero,in the time of whole raigne and government^there was another in 

 mannercontinuallyfeenejandevcrterrible.Menholdopinionjthatitismateriallfor prefage to 

 obfervc into what quarters it fhootethjor what Ibrres power and influence it recciveih;aHb what 

 fimilitudesitrelembleth, and in what parts it ihineth out and firftatiieth . Forif itbelike unto I 

 fltrtcsorhautboies,itportendethfomewhattoMufitians: if itappearein the privie parts of any 

 figncsjlet ruffiansjwhoremaiflersj and luch filthie perfons take heed. It isreipedive to fine wits 

 and learned meUjif itput forth a triangular or fourefqware figure with even Angles, to any fitu- 

 ations of the perpetuall fixed ftarres. Anditisthought toprcfagejyeajandtolprinckleraHd put 

 forth poy (on jif It be leene in the head ofthe Dragonjcither North or South. 



In one onely place of the whole world^n amely ^in a temple at RomCja Comet is worlliippcd 

 and adored; even thatj which by Augnsiui Cafar himfelfe ot happic meiiiOriejwas judged very 

 luckie and fortunate to him: who jwhen it began to appcare, gave attendance in peifon as over- 

 ieer to thofe plaies and games which he made to Ferms Genemx^ not long after the death of his 

 father Crfar^m the colledgc by him inflituted and eredcd.Forjthat joy of his he teflified in thcfe K 

 ssoxds^Tnihofeverj daks during the (ulemmtie o/fpy P/aies^ there tvasjetnea hkzingHarfcrfiven 

 dates together^ in that region of the she which is under the Nort h Jlarre Septentriones./i arofe about 

 the eleventh houre of the dayjyright it was and cleere^and e^tdemlj feene in dt lands . By that flmt 

 it was ftgntfied(is the common fort h€leeved)that the fonle <7/'(Iulius)C£efar was received among the 

 divine power/ of the immortall godtjn which regard^ that marke or enfignc of a flarre was fit to the 

 head of that Statue ofluXius Qxht^which foone after we dedicated in the Forum Romanttm, Thefe 

 words publifhed he abroad: but in a more inward joy to himfelfe jhee interpreted and conceived 

 thus of the thingjThat this Comet was made for him.and that himfelfe was in it borne. And ve- 

 rily jif we will confefVe a truth , a healihfulljgood and happie prcfage that was,to the whole world. 

 Some there be who'beleevc^that thefe be perpetuall flatSjand go their courferound, but are not ^ 

 leencjunlcfie they bee left by the Sunne. Others againe are of opinion^that they arc engendredi 

 cafually by fome humor and the power of fire togetherjand therby do melt away -and confumdi 



Chap. XXVI. 



^ HipparchHs his opinion of the flarres, Ajfo hifioricall examples ofTorcheSjLampes^Beames^ 

 Fierie darts ^opening of the Firmament^and other fuch iwprefsions. 



Ipparchmih&ioxc^M Philofopher (a man never fufficientlypraifed, as who 

 proved the affinitie of flarres with menjand none more than he; affirming al- 

 fo, that our foules were parcell of heaven) found out and obferved another M 

 newflarreengendredinhistimej and by the motion Khereof on what day it , 

 firflftionCjhe grew prefcntly into a doubt. Whether it happened not very oH; 

 , ten that new ftarresfhould arifePand whether thofe itarres^ifo moovcdnot^ 

 which we imagine to be faft fixed ? The fame man went lb farre^tliat he attempted (a thing even 



hard 



