Part 10

‘Can it be that a star has burst and fallen?’ asked another, his tongue faltering.

‘When a star falls its light goes out.’

* * * * *

After that there was silence on the housetop, broken but once again while the mystery continued.

‘Brethren!’ exclaimed a Jew of venerable mien, ‘what we see is the ladder our father Jacob saw in his dream. Blessed be the Lord God of Our Fathers!’”

Meanwhile the Wise Men from the East, as described in the same story, were travelling over the desert, on the alert for the apparition of the star, whose coming had been revealed to them.

“Suddenly, in the air before them, not farther up than a low hill-top,” writes Lew Wallace, “flared a lambent flame; as they looked at it, the apparition contracted into a focus of dazzling lustre. Their hearts beat fast; their souls thrilled; and they shouted as with one voice: ‘The Star! the Star! God is with us!’”

GREAT EVENTS LINKED WITH COMETS SINCE CHRIST

Since the time of Christ, thanks to the spread of Christianity and learning, with the growing zeal for keeping records and studying the stars, a far greater number of Comets and events connected therewith have been recorded.

A number of learned writers have made a special study of the history of Comets and their effect upon man. Long before Lubienitius’ ponderous work on the subject there were other histories written in Latin and Arabic, with references to which his book abounds.

Since then others have followed in the same direction, notably Pingré, Hind, Lalande, Messier, Chambers and latterly Messrs. Crommelin and Cowell, of the Greenwich Observatory.

The number of known Comets has grown immeasurably since Galileo’s invention of the telescope, 300 years ago, and our later perfections of this instrument, together with latter-day devices for photographing Comets invisible to the naked eye.

It would carry us too far to trace the possible connection between modern events and Comets that were seen only by astronomers. Since our record of Comets is already too full, we shall limit our story of the Comets and their influence upon man to a bare recital of the most important events connected with the more memorable and conspicuous Comets from the time of Christ until now.

DATES OF COMETS FOLLOWED BY IMPORTANT EVENTS

=A. D.=

14—A Comet preceded the death of Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome. Earthquake in Italy.

55—Suicide of Pontius Pilate, the judge who condemned Christ.

68—Halley’s Comet. Suicide of Nero, persecutor of Christians. Siege of Jerusalem.

73—A Comet shone 180 days over Cyprus. Earthquake in Cypress in which 10,000 persons perished.

79—Death of Emperor Vespasian, who began the siege of Jerusalem. The Roman historians Dion Cassius and Suetonius relate that Vespasian, when taken sick, heard his astrologers discussing in a low tone of voice the Comet which was then visible, which they said predicted his death. The Emperor roused angrily and said: “This hairy star is not meant for me. It must be meant for my enemy, the King of the Parthians, for he is hairy, while I am bald.”

On the following night Vespasian died in great pain, and the Comet was seen no more.

Shortly after Vespasian’s death followed the fierce eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, Nov. 1, which destroyed the two flourishing cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii.

130—A Comet shone over Holy Land for 39 nights, followed by destructive earthquake in Holy Land.

145—One week’s Comet over Island of Rhodus. Earthquake in Rhodus, followed by famine and pestilence.

217—From a Comet which shone for eighteen nights soothsayers predicted the death of the Roman Emperor, Caracalla. The Emperor was murdered immediately afterwards by his rival Macrinus.

312—A Comet in the sign of a cross seen by Constantine the Great during battle of Saxa Rubra under the walls of Rome. Constantine was victorious and afterward turned to Christian faith.

337—A Comet seen just before death of Constantine the Great.

373—Halley’s Comet. Beginning of tremendous migration of peoples which overran all Central Asia and Europe.