242
NOTES AND QUERIES. [io* s. i. MARCH 29,100*.
In the translator's preface to the reader he
hopes he will be pardoned
" si i'ay use" d'une ortcgraphe quelque peu diuerse et diferete a la vulgaire : car ie ne I'ay fait sinon pour le soulagement de ecus qui ne prenet plaisir au superflu, le-quel i'ay reiete autant que i'ay conneu la diuersite des doctes opinions du iourd'hui le pouuoir comporter : laissant encor quelques brisures a racier, non pour les approuuer, mais pour ne me faire voir de plain saut trop aigre refornmteur."
A tentative reform occurs in the dedication to Marguerite de Bourbon, Duchess of Nevers. Throughout it a special type, an e with a line through it, is used for final e mute coming before a vowel or h. W. R. B. PRIDEAUX.
AURORA BOREALIS IN LINCOLNSHIRE.
GERVAISE HOLLES, the Grimsby antiquary, whose Lincolnshire collections aro in the British Museum, has described a magnificent display of the Aurora Borealis, witnessed by himself and others near Grimsby on 17 Janu- ary, 1639 that is, I presume, 1640 of our modern reckoning. So far as I am aware, these notes have not hitherto been printed. I send them to 'N. & Q.' because it has been assumed that no display of the kind was observed in England during the seventeenth century (see Miss Agnes M. Clerke's 'Pro- blems in Astrophysics,' p. 156) : An exact and true discription of what was seene in y ayre 17 die Jan. 1639 by M r Edmund Lynold at Healing ; and by M r Geruas Holies, Captaine Guy Molesworth and diners others at G 4 Grimesby in Lincolnsh.
Vpon Friday the 17 th of January 1639 we obserued the strange and extraordinary Coruscations wch began to arise in the East and North, but especially Eastward about a quarter of an hower after nine at night, wherof some of them (by reason of the more compacted matter and substance) were not p'sently disolued as vsually they are wont, but helde on still and so incorporated^ themselues one into another, passing along 5 signes of the Zodiaque, and com- passed the Heauens like a bow to the West, a thing seldome or neuer seene, w'ch gaue a true ground of wonder, for ]>t in their progreese there was not per- ceaued any abatement therof in their strength or splendour.
As for the body or Systeme of it. It was not in itselfe Ex onini parte sequibile, but in some partes broader then in the rest (seeming as ragueled or indented here and there, for the most part most like to a Battalia of pikes countermarching) but the whole circular.
It arose up first amidst the other rayes about sixe degrees North from Cor Leonis, and so stroke up to the midd heauens leaning Castor and Pollux about tenne degrees South, and so much also remote from our Zenith or verticall point, and so went on to Auriga close by Hircus, and from thence stroke douneward betweene the seauen starres and Caput Algol, and so fell vpon the head of Aries in the West. And thus it continued for the space of halfe a quarter of an hower. And then by degrees sodainly broke and grew to a disparition. But
still the Rayes multiplied, and darted up from
the Horizon east and north, but Eastward more
frequent, though in the North they streamed up
higher, and with a stronger Ejaculation.
Not long after the Northerne part was much more troubled, the streames arising up out of a blacke, thicke Cloud eleuated from the Horizon about eight degrees in the height of it. and so fall- ing by a decliuity proportionally on either side, it described a perfect Arch of a circle in the Convexity of it. It was of a solid consistency all the while, not breaking or opening of a long time ; The dif- ference betwene the gleames arising out of the North and East being this, viz' Those in the North sprung up more sharp and slender impelling each other Westward like the Motion of the Stringes of an instrument strucke through, each one arising past another, and sometimes crossing one another like so many Speares in Transuerse ; The colours of them were diners, some palish, others red and fiery here and there intermixed with greene.
But that which seemed to be most fearfull was about 10 a clocke, and continued till neare Mid- night in our sight, and perchance long after that ; And that was in the inflammation and consumption of these Exhalations by continuall flashinges and vibrations of the Ayre (like fire and smoke mingled continually ascending vpward with a rapid motion) which were general! all the Heauens ouer in the Northerne part of the Hemisphere according to the boundes first set by the Semicircle, within ye com- pas of w'ch it played all the while ; for Southward, and in via Solis all was serene.
From aboue the Westerne part of ye clowd before- named, there seenied to be a great opening with broad gleames arising w'ch inlightened that part in an Extraordinary manner ; The like also a litle after that in the Easterne part of it, but they arose nothing so high as the other w'ch pierced up like speares to the very Pole itselfe. About halfe an howre after eleuen of the clocke there seemed to be some abatement of the flashinges ; but the Streames in the North, and the East especially continued still, though not so abundantly springing vp as before. As for the Naturall cause of this, and the happening of it at this time ; I conceaue it to be those Fluid and incondensated exhalations drawne up, and so carried about by a long continued serenity ; growing to some degree of clammynesse and the ayre being then disposed to Frost, the Frigus ambiens below, with the cold of y" midle region aboue working by an Antiperistasis cawsed an intention of heat in those Exhalations w'ch (being of a tenuous Nature) came so to be inflamed and consumed by a thinne spirit of fire licking them up ; w'ch had they beene more incrassated, would either haue ended in perfect lightning, or haue turned into some other Meteor. L)e Cceteris judi- cent alii. Lansd. MS. 207, C., pp. 192b-193b.
EDWARD PEACOCK. Wickentree House, Kirton-in-Lindsey.
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PUBLISHING AND-
BOOKSELLING.
(See ante, pp. 81, 142, 184.)
Jacobi, Charles T. On the Making and Issuing of Books. 4to, London, 1891.
Some Notes on Books and Printing (and Publishing). 8vo, London, 1902.
