Part 12

1148-9—Second crusade. Utter destruction of whole army of French and German crusaders.

1200—Comet recorded by Hal Ben Rodoan, an Arab astronomer, over North Africa. Bloody revolt of Arab warriors in Morocco.

1212—Lance-shaped Comet shining over western Europe for eighteen nights. The Children’s Crusade. Thousands of German and French boy crusaders perished or were sold into slavery. Bloody invasion of Tartar hordes into Russia and Poland.

1223—Preaching of fifth crusade. Outbreak of “Guelph and Ghibelline” war between Emperor Frederick II. of Germany and Pope Gregory the IX.

1264—Very bright Comet observed shining all over Europe for three months. Pope Urban IV. died on the night of the Comet’s disappearance. A Latin verse gained great currency in which it was said that the Comet portended “disasters, sickness, hunger, and war.” The chronicles of that age ascribe to this Comet besides the death of the Pope a famine and pestilence in Italy, the ravages of the Russians into Poland and of the Slavs into Prussia.

Comets of Bloodshed.

1282—An immense Comet over Italy. Disastrous earthquake in southern Italy. On March 30, a fortnight after the first appearance of the Comet followed the massacre of all Frenchmen in Sicily on the evening of Easter Monday, known in history as the “Sicilian Vespers.”

1298—Because of the appearance of a Comet over middle Germany, there were riots in Nuremberg and other neighbouring cities followed by a general massacre of the Jews in those cities.

1300—A brilliant Comet preceded the Jubilee of Pope Boniface the VIII. The Pope interpreted the Comet as a happy omen, but because of the popular dread of the Comet there were riots and blood shed in Rome and elsewhere in Italy. The chroniclers of the times pointed out the significant fact that shortly after his jubilee Pope Boniface was made a prisoner by King Philip of France, causing him to die of rage.

Plague Comets.

1305—A Comet “of horrible aspect” burning all through Passion Week preceded the outbreak of the terrible black plague which swept from the Orient all over Europe and Asia.

1333—Chinese and Arab astronomers record a bright Comet over China, Turkestan and Persia. Birth of Tamerlane, the “Scourge of the Nations” at Samarkand, in Turkestan.

1347—A Comet precedes the “Black Death,” a terrible pestilence followed by famine all over the world. One-fourth of all the people of Europe died. Fifteen million deaths in China,—twenty-five million in Europe.

1363—A Comet of immense size shone for three months over northern Europe. Pestilence and famine in England, Poland and Russia.

1378—Halley’s Comet. Pestilence in Germany. Holy Church is rent by the great schism, with rival popes at Rome and Avignon.

Tamerlane’s Star.

1382—Arab astronomers and Chinese report a very bright Comet which shone a fortnight. Tamerlane and his hordes overrun Central Asia. Pestilence breaks out there and spreads all over the world.

1402—Arab astronomers report another Comet seen all over the East. Tamerlane carries war into Europe and takes Constantinople by storm. Sultan Bayezid is taken prisoner by Tamerlane and is carried to Asia in a cage.

1405—Chinese astronomers record a spear-shaped Comet over China. Tamerlane dies while invading China.

1456—Halley’s Comet. Bloody war between the Christians and the Turks. Battle of Belgrade.

1492—Arab astronomers record a Comet over northern Africa and Spain. Final conquest of Granada from the Moors by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. Discovery of the New World.

1500—Sword-shaped Comet over northern Europe, followed by Tartar invasion into Russia and Poland.

1528—A Comet noted by Ambroise Paré, who recorded that many people fell sick and died of fright. War between Emperor Charles V. of Germany and Francis I. of France, with fighting in France, Germany and Italy.

1531—Halley’s Comet. Plague in Italy. Great schism in the Church. Defection of German Protestants from Rome. Henry VIII. of England declares English Church independent of Rome. Sultan Soleyman ravaged Hungary. Disastrous floods in Holland, where 400,000 people were drowned.

1556—Emperor Charles V. of Germany and Spain, on account of his fear of the Comet that appeared in that year, abdicated his throne and became a monk. Wide-spread wars all over Europe. The Turks ravaged Hungary. Persecutions of English Protestants under “Bloody Mary.” Many Protestants burned at the stake, beheaded or broken on the rack.

1572—St. Bartholomew’s Comet. Massacre of St. Bartholomew, when 30,000 Huguenots were slaughtered in France.

1577—General persecution of Huguenots in France, followed by Civil War in France.

1607—A Comet seen over Constantinople for several weeks. Wide-spread war on the part of the Turks against the Persians on one side, the Poles on another, and against Venice on the third.