N00277:53
Kometographia. Or A discourse concerning comets; wherein the nature of blazing stars is enquired…
Kometographia. Or A discourse concerning comets; wherein the nature of blazing stars is enquired into: with an historical account of all the comets which have appeared from the beginning of the world unto this present year, M.DC.LXXXIII. : Expressing the place in the heavens, where they were seen, their motion, forms, duration; and the remarkable events which have followed in the world, so far as they have been by learned men observed. : As also two sermons occasioned by the late blazing stars. / By Mr. Increase Mather, teacher of a church at Boston in New-England. ; [Three lines of Scripture texts]Kometographia. Or A discourse concerning comets; wherein the nature of blazing stars is enquired into: with an historical account of all the comets which have appeared from the beginning of the world unto this present year, M.DC.LXXXIII. : Expressing the place in the heavens, where they were seen, their motion, forms, duration; and the remarkable events which have followed in the world, so far as thay have been by learned men observed. : As also two sermons occasioned by the late blazing stars. / By Mr. Increase Mather, teacher of a church at Boston in New-England. ; [Three lines of Scripture texts]
printed by S.G. for S.S. i.e, 1683
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Having briefly Discoursed of the place where, and the matter out of which Comets have their existence; we now proceed to consider the usual distributions of those admirable and amazing works of the glorious Creator, whose works are great, and sought out by those that have pleasure therein. As for the parts o• which a Comet doth consist there is the Star & the Blaze proceeding therefrom, whence we call them Blazing Stars. Or, the Body of the Star, and the stream that follows or goeth before it, which the Greeks call Coma, whence such Phenomena have the names of Comets given to them. In respect of the Blaze, Comets have been distinguished into several sorts. The Assyrians, Arabians, and others in old times, were wont from the colour of the blaze to denominate the Comet e. g. pwhen it was of a dark and leadish kind of colour, they called it a Saturnine; if of a bright Silver Shining colour, a Jovial; if red and fiery, a Martial ▪ if of a Golden aspect a Solar; if a bright ⟨p. 14⟩yellow a Venereal; if cerulean and various▪ a Mercurial Comet. But the Latins and Greeks have distinguished Comets from the form of the Blaze, which they appear with. Pliny qmentions about ten several sorts of Blazing Stars. But all may be reduced to these two general heads: viz. rThat a Comet is either 1, Crinite, h. e. when the Beams or Blaze is all round the body of the Star; under which cometh that sort of Comet which is called Disceus, appearing in form like a Dish. Pithites, when the Comet is like a Tub or Hogshead, Hippeus, when it resembles an Horses main. Hircus, when the Blaze is like to Goats hair. Or 2. Barber, h. e. when the Blaze is on the one side of the Comet only. Under this comes that which is called Acontias, when the blaze is in the form of a Dart. Longitis, when it is in the form of a Lance or Spear. Xiphias, when in the form of a Sword. Ceretias when it bends like a crooked Horn. Lampadias, when it blazeth like a Lamp. As for the true cause of the Blaze, it seems evident that it doth proceed from the Sun beams, passing through the body of the Star. For the Coma or Blaze is not on that side of the Star which is