[5.] 639. On March 6 a long star appeared in the N.W. "Prest Bin said it was a besom-star. When it appeared there was a famine."—(Japanese History; Month. Not. R.A.S., vol. lxvi, p. 72. Dec. 1905.) [This seems not to have been the comet recorded by the Chinese on April 30, 639.]
[6.] 678. "In the year of our Lord's incarnation 678, which is the eighth of the reign of Ecgfrid, in the month of August, appeared a star, called a comet, which continued for 3 months, rising in the morning, and darting out, as it were, a pillar of radiant flame."—(Church Historians of England, ed. Rev. J. Stevenson, vol. I, part ii, Beda's Ecclesiastical History, Lib. IV, ch. XII, § 288.)
[7.] 687. "In February a comet rose out of the W. and with great brightness went to the E."—(Chronological History of the Air, Meteors, &c., 1749.)
[8.] 1059. A comet shone in Poland for some days.—(Chron. Magdeb. Func.)
[9.] 1077. "Upon Palm sondaye aboute noone appeared a Biasing starre neare unto the sunne."[1]— [Pingré says that this was Venus near its Inferior Conjunction.]
[10.] 1103? "On the first Quadragesima week, about even, the first day, an uncommon star was seen in the W. for 25 days together, and shined at the same hour."—(Chronological History of the Air, Meteors, &c., 1749.)
[11.] 1157. A comet was seen.—(Chronicon Nurembergense.)
[12.] 1171. "At Christmas were 2 stars of a fiery colour seen in the W.: one star was great, the other small, they seemed joined at first, then separated and a great way distant."—(Chronological History of the Air, Meteors, &c., 1749.) [Pingré dates this for 1167, "or some one of the following years."]
[13.] 1219. In England appeared a stupendous great comet.—(Chron. Magdeb.) [Pingré identifies this with the comet of 1221.]
[14.] 1438. A comet was seen.—(Chronicon Nurembergense.)
[15.] 1455. "This yeare in the month of June appeared a comet or starre called Stella Cometa, betwixt the North and the East, extending his beams towards the South." Probably this is the comet thus alluded to in Sir R. Baker's Chronicle, published in 1684:—"In July [1455] a Parliament is holden in King Henrie's name: the forerunner whereof was a comet or blazing Starre which appeared in the month of June, the beames whereof extended themselves into the south." [Query, Halley's Comet of 1456 misdated?]
[16.] 1544. "A Blasing Starre was scene at all times of the nighte, the sixth, seaventh, eight, ninth and tenth of March."
[17.] 1612. "On 18 of November, a blazing star began to be seen in the S.E. about 5 o'clock in the morning, the flame or stream whereof enclined
- ↑ This comet (presuming it to have been such) and the comets below dated 1455 and 1554, were sent to me by Mr. S. Reed, of Baltimore, U.S., as having been obtained by him from an old Black-letter History of England in his possession of the probable date of circa 1580; but as the title page was wanting he told me he could not supply either the exact title, or the author's name, or the exact date of publication.
