| Concerning these Comets Dubartas writes thus <br><br>––– The blazeing Starr,<br>Threatning the world with famine, plague and Warr; <br>To Princes, Death, to Kingdomes many crosses; <br>To all estates inevitable losses; <br>To Herdsmen, Rot; to Plowmen hapless season; <br>To Seamen storms; to Cities, civil treasons: <br><br>At its first appearance here at Rallahine Castle, being on Friday night Decemb<sup>r</sup> 10<sup>nth</sup> 80 it shewed it self with a prodigious long, pale taper ray of a leaden Saturnine colour without any signe of a starr to be discern’d at its poynt: And that it continued to January the 18<sup>nth</sup> following is all the Observation I could make and comunicate to my friends in England. As being unacquainted with Astrology.<br>But my accquaintance M<sup>r</sup> Francis Herne, belonging to M<sup>r</sup> Kerney Serjeant at armes & a learned Mathematician from his house in Castle street Dublin, sent down this account into Munster where it came to my hands.<br>At the City and Archbishoprick of Dublin A Blazeing Comet appear’d Wednesday y<sup>e</sup> 15 Decemb<sup>r</sup> 1680. It had a very long Bushy Tale or Trayne pale whiteish glairing not unlike the shew of candle-light through white paper. the starr it self was not then very conspicuous, though its Raye or Beame shott it self forth, so that y<sup>e</sup> starr of the 3 starrs call’d the Eagles Heart was exactly in the middle of its blaze. [p. 180]<br>On Thursday the 16 its gastly brush tayle was seen on the south of the Heart of the Eagle within half the breadth of the Raye &c this is also sayd to have been seen in England much about the same time. At Erford in Germany Thuring. on y<sup>e</sup> 18 Novemb<sup>r</sup> 80. In France 24 Nov<sup>r</sup> at Bourdeaux, Att Hamborough. 27 Dec<sup>r</sup> 1680 & at Mentz. Novemb. 80. W<sup>th</sup> these things the Irish were ready to furnish an inquisitive stranger, which were not a little gratefull to my curiosity. [pp. 179-180] |
