2 weeks, from Oct. 18 to Nov. 1.-(Wilichindus, Annales.) All remark that a great mortality amongst oxen occurred in the following year in consequence of the comet's apparition [?].

943.

[299.] On Nov. 5 a comet appeared in the E. country: its R. A. was greater than that of a Virginis by 9°. Its tail was 1° long, and pointed to the W.-(Ma-tuoan-lin.) Comets were seen for 14 nights.—(Annalista Saxo.)

945.

[300.] "Theolilon, Bishop of Tours, set out from Laon to return to his diocese, but was overtaken on the road by the malady of which he died. He had just partaken of the Holy Sacrament, when a luminous sign was seen traversing the sky. This sign was a cubit long. Its brilliancy was such that it gave light in the middle of the night to those who were charged to conduct to Tours the body of the prelate by a journey of 200 miles."―(Frodoard, Chronicon.) Pingré considers that, apart from other testimony, the duration determines this to have been une veritable comète."-(Comét. i. 356.)

956.

66

[301.] On March 13 a comet was seen in the cross of Orion. Its tail pointed towards the S. W.-(Ma-tuoan-lin.) It is possible that "March 13" may not accurately represent the original, owing to a doubt attending the Chinese method of computation.

959.

[302.] At the time of the death of the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenetus a gloomy and obscure star appeared for some time.-(Constant. Porph., Incerti Continuatoris, p. 289.) Constantine died on Nov. 9. was seen from Oct. 17 to Nov. 1.- -(Tackius, Cali anomalon, id est, de Cometis scriptum.)

Biot has an extraordinary star in January, and another in February, 962 he assumes these to be one and the same, and both to be identical with No. 12 of the calculated comets.

975.

[303] A bearded comet was visible from August to October—(Cedrenus, Compendium Historiarum, p. 683.) It was first seen on Aug. 3 in the head of Hydra, between 7 and 9 hours of the morning; the tail was 40° long. The comet traversed Cancer and came to the square of Pegasus, and lasted altogether 12 weeks.-(Gaubil.) It became visible on the 5th moon, which terminated on July 11.- —(De Mailla, viii. 58.) There is

much reason to believe that this comet is identical with the celebrated ones of 1264 and 1556. Presuming the PP to have taken place at the end of July, the above accounts will all harmonise extremely well.— (Pingré, i. 357.)

981.

[304.] A comet appeared in the autumn.-(Burkhardus, Monachus S. Galli, Historia, i.)

983.*

[305.] On April 3 an extraordinary star appeared near 8 Leonis. More precisely, it was between 8 and Virginis: it approached v, §, π Virginis, and went to the N.-(Biot.) A comet appeared.—(Lubienitzki, etc.)

985.

[306.] A comet appeared during the pontificate of John XVI.—(Platinæ, De Vitis Summorum Pontificorum.)

989 (i).

[307.] On Feb. 10 a comet appeared to the N. of a and ẞ Pegasi. It was 1° long, and lasted 14 days.—(Gaubil; Annalista Saxo.) Pingré seems to question the value of Gaubil's citation.-(Comét. i. 620.) Possibly the chronicle cited above refers to the 2nd comet of this year, the orbit of which has been calculated by Burckhardt.

990 (i).*

[308.] On Feb. 2 an extraordinary star appeared in the division y Corvi: it retrograded towards », «, v, & Hydræ and disappeared, having travelled 40° in 10 weeks.-(Biot.)

990 (ii).

[309] A star, with a long tail, appeared in the N. After some days it was in the W., and its tail extended to the E.-(Romualdus Salernitanus, Chronicon.) It was seen in August-September in the W.-— (Couplet.)

995.

[310.] On Aug. 10 a comet was seen. (Hepidannus, Annales; Florentius Vigorniensis, Chronicon.)

998.

[311.] On Feb. 23 a comet, 1° long, was seen to the N. of a and 8 Pegasi. It lasted a fortnight.-(Couplet; De Mailla, viii. 131;

Ma-tuoan-lin.)

1000.

[312] A comet appeared on Dec. 14 for 9 days. It frightened everybody.-(Iperius, Chronicon, xxxiii.) A meteor appeared at the same time, and the majority of writers confound the one with the other. This may be the real explanation of the fact that a slight doubt hangs over the year as to whether it was 999 or 1000. Pingré thinks it was clearly the latter.

1003 (i).

[313] In February a comet was seen; it disappeared near the Sun, and was only seen for a few days a little before the rising of that body.— (Hepidannus, Annales.)

1003 (ii).

[314.] A comet appeared during the pontificate of John XVII.— (Chronicon Nuremburgense.) It lasted a long time.-(Chronicon Stederlingense.) It was discovered in China on Dec. 23. It approached very near 0, 7, 1, v, & Geminorum, passed by a, ß Auriga, ẞ Tauri to the cross of Orion, and disappeared after 30 days. Its tail was 4° long, and like a vase in shape.-(Ma-tuoan-lin.) Some European writers refer to a comet in 1004, which is probably this one prolonged. Pope John was elected on June 13, and lived only till Dec. 7. So can there have been 2 comets between June 1003 and Dec.-Jan. 1003-4?

1005.

[315] A comet was seen in the S.-(Alpertius, De Diversitate Temporum.) It was in the W. in September, at the commencement of the night, and lasted 3 months. It shone with great brilliancy, and did not set till cock-crowing.-(Glaber Rudolphus, Annales.) It was seen in China in September-October, within the circle of perpetual apparition. -(De Mailla, viii. 158.) On Oct. 4 an extraordinary star appeared in the circumpolar regions near ẞ, y Draconis: it passed by some little stars between Draconis and 8 Ursa Minoris to some little stars in Camelopardus, N. of Cassiopeia. It only lasted 11 days.—(Biot.)

IOII.*

[316.] On Feb. 8 an extraordinary star was seen near σ, 7, §, & Sagittarii.-(Biot.)

IO12.

[317] A comet of extraordinary grandeur was seen for 3 months in the southern part of the heavens.-(Hepidannus, Annales.)

1015.

[318.] A comet was seen in February.—(Protospatas, Breve Chronicon.)

1017.

[319.] A comet, like a large beam, was seen for 4 months.-(Sigebertus, Chronographia; Gerbrandus, Chronicon Belgicum, ix. 8.) Hevelius says that it appeared in Leo, but gives no authority for this statement.

1018.

[320.] On Aug. 4 a comet appeared to the N. E. of (it would seem) Ursa Majoris; it was 3° long, and went northwards. It passed by Ursa Majoris, and thence southwards-(Ma-tuoan-lin)-by a route which Pingré says must have been erroneously stated. However, it is certain that a comet appeared this year in the Polar regions, and that it lasted about 6 weeks.—(Ditmarus, Chronicon, viii.) It is less certain that its length increased to 30°, and that passing Leo it disappeared in Hydra. An extraordinary star appeared on June 10 to the N. W. of κ Leonis: it advanced rapidly by a Leonis to the vicinity of 8 Leonis: it touched B Virginis, and passing Leonis (or & Virginis) came to the N. W. of v, o, έ, π Virginis. It lasted 11 weeks.-(Biot.*)

1023.

K

[321.] A comet appeared in Leo during the autumn.-(Ademarus, Chronicon.) The original account contains much that is certainly fictitious.

1024.

[322.] A comet appeared the year before the death of Boleslas I, king of Poland.-(Dlugossus, Historia Polonica.)

1032.*

[323.] On July 15 an extraordinary star appeared in the N. E. It approached 8 Leonis, and threw out a tail. On July 27 it disappeared. -(Biot.) Cedrenus speaks of a brilliant star having passed from S. to N. this year. (Compendium Historiarum, 730.)

1033.

[324] A comet, 2° long, appeared on March 5 to "the E. of the N. country" [N. E. ?].-(Ma-tuoan-lin.) It appeared on March 9 about the 10th hour of the night, and lasted till sunrise for 3 nights.-(Fragmentum Historiæ Francorum, i. and ii.)

1034.

[325.] A column of fire was seen in the E. in September. Its summit inclined towards the S.-(Cedrenus, Compendium Historiarum, P. 737-) It appeared between κ, v, λ, μ, Hydræ and Crater.-(De Mailla, viii. 199.)

1035 (i).

It was

[326.] A comet appeared in «, v, λ, μ, & Hydræ and Crater. 7° and 5 tsun long.-(Ma-tuoan-lin.) Possibly this is identical with the preceding. If 1035 is the right year, probably the column of fire was a

meteor.

1035 (ii).

[327] On Nov. 11 a comet, with a faint tail, appeared in the western ribbon of Pisces.-(Ma-tuoan-lin.)

1041.

[328.] Comets appeared.-(Glycas, Annales, p. 316.)

1042.

[329.] On Oct. 6 a comet appeared. Its motion was from E. to W., and it lasted through the month.-(Glycas, Annales, p. 319.)

1046.

[330.] A comet appeared in the 15th year of Henry I of France.— (Godellus, Chronica.)

1049.

"La

[331] On the morning of March 10, before sunrise, a comet was seen near ẞ Aquarii, and a Equulei; it passed by the head of Orion, Musca, and the horns of Aries, and lasted 16 weeks.-(Gaubil.) route qu'on assigne a cette comète n'est pas naturelle."-(Pingré, i. 372.) Ma-tuoan-lin is scarcely more intelligible. Pingré is disposed to think that Gaubil has made a mistranslation. The words rendered head of Orion' and 'Musca,' united into one word, closely resemble the word standing for 'the circumpolar region.' This affords a certain amount of explanation for the incongruity.

1054.*

[332] On July 4 an extraordinary star appeared to the S. E. of Tauri. It disappeared at the end of the year.-(Biot.)

1056.

[333] In July-August a comet appeared in the circumpolar re