C ^^5 ) 
fame time : As, not only in Oxford and Oxfordjhire , bue alPj 
in Northmipto?i[hjrey Gluticejierjhire^ Worcejlerjhiye^ Somerfet" 
jhire^ Devonjhtre^ Hampjlme^ Sujfeoct Surrey, Kent, hjfex, md 
(particularly )by the Water-men on the Thames in their paiTage 
between Grdvefendznd Lcndori» In how many other parts of 
E^glaif^dy or in what parts out oi E?^gla^d it might befeen; 
I have not yet heard. But this is a great breadth of ground^ 
and too much for an ordinary Meteor in our lower region of 
the Air to befeen in at once: Yet ( for ought I hear) it is a- 
greed by all to have been feen at the fame time, between fevtn 
and eight at night ihe ftme day , in the dusk of the Evening. 
Which argues, that either it was higher than they imragined^ 
(though the light of it reached the Earth) orelfe, that it had a 
very fwifc motion. This made me then conjefiure , (what in 
thofe Letters ! fignified,) that it might be fome fmal! Cometj 
whok li^ea traje^oria pafTed very near our Earth , or upon 
it. And I therefore enquired from you, what news might be 
heard of it from beyond the Seas , or in parts of England fur- 
ther off, and what more particular account thereof you mighc 
have from the variety of your Correfpondents, For I judged 
it not improbable, that it might, when further diflant from us, 
- appear in the form of a Comer. That Comet 5 which hath 
now appeared^ in this and the lad month ^ confirms me in 
the fame opinion; which I conjeflure may be the very 
fame which paffed by us in Seftember laft. Why it was not 
foonerfeen, I cannot tell ; fave, what is thecommcn fate of 
moft Comets , that they are feldom obferved till afcer their 
neareft diftance from us : And , perhaps, it may have been fo 
near the Sun (as to its vifible place ) as not to be much above 
our Horizon fa vein the day time* And for the like reafcn it 
Uiaybe, that in S'^/'/m/'^'r laft, when it paded by us, it w^as 
not iiiore feen abroad in other parts 5 it might pafs them in the 
daytime, being but in theTwy-light with us 5 and, had it 
been one hour fooner, the day-lighc would have hindred us 
from feeing it. Whith way its morion was when near us, I 
cannot conclude, fo as to facisfie my felf. For moft that faw ir, 
being fuddenly furprized , took little more notice of ic 
than that it fuddenly appeared and was fuddenly 
gone 5 but faw it fo little time as fcarce to mark which 
way. By the account I had from one in North Atript on- 
5X2 f}oirt 
