decimetres in breadth. Among these several have very regular jointings. Every column has a cylindric nucleus of a denser substance than the surrounding parts. These nucleuses are as it were enchased in the prisms, which, in their horizontal fractures, display very remarkable convexities. I have represented this structure, which occurs also in the basalts of Cape Fairhead, in the front-ground of the picture, toward the left. The greater part of the columns of Regla are in a perpendicular position; but some of them, close to the Cascade, have an inclination east of forty-five degrees, and some, further off, are horizontal. Each group, at its formation, must have followed particular attractions. The mass of these basalts is very homogeneous; but M. Bonpland discovered in it nucleuses of olivine or graniliform peridot, surrounded by chrystalized mesotype. The prisms (and this fact deserves the attention of geologists) rest upon a stratum of clay, under which is a second stratum of basalts. In general, the basalt of Regla is laid upon the porphyry of Real del Monte, while a compact limestone rock serves for a basis to the basalt of Totonilco. The whole of this basaltic region is at the height of two thousand metres above the level of the ocean.' AN ASTRONOMICALL DESCRIPTION OF THE LATE COMET FROM THE 18. OF NOUEMB. 1618, TO THE 16. OF DECEMBER FOLLOWING, &c. (Concluded from page 376.) MORALL PROGNOSTICKS OR APPLICATIONS Tu Iupiter me ducito, & Fatalitas. Great God, that doest all future things effect, now remaines (with my readers friendly censure) to point a Mercuriall finger in the Prognosticks, especially the morall applications of this new Comet, by diuine prouidence set on the high Olympian Mount, to some the Herald of wrath, but to others the joyfull Embassador of peace and mercy; the place and body thereof farre surmounting the region, and no I Voyage de Hunbolt et Bonpland. Atlas Pittoresque. Paris, 1810. GEN. CHRON. VOL. III. NO. XV. 2 K lesse then elementarie alterations. lesse excelling the matter of common Meteors, the signification also doth as much transcend their effects, This Comet a being not so much a cause (as they be) of elementary signe of more alterations, as a celestiall signe of greater conse quents. There be not yet lacking some, who erect Chancels to the blinde Goddesse Chance, sacrificing to that abominable Idoll, not without impious contumelie of the omnipotent God, & vile contempt of his Against Epi- power and prouidence in the fabrique and regiment curean chance. of the world. These true And neglect of these celes tiall signes. God doth ap. peare in these signes. Epicuri de grege porci, filthy and brutish swine, ὧν Θεός ἐστι κοιλία, whose Viuamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus, Come Lesbia, let us liue and loue; Procul, procul ô prophani: Away, away prophane, irreligious wretches: it is God, it is God omnipotent, and omniscient, to the wicked most fearfull and terrible, to the repentant most gracious and mercifull, that appears in these celestiall signes. I might easily fill a volume with verses of holy enraged Poets, who haue sounded a loud alarme of these blazing starres; yea and confirme their propheticke lines with particular histories of the strange mutations ensuing these presages both in in Church and Common-weale. Let that Epiphone- Mutations en ma of Manilius to Augustus Cæsar suffice: Nunquam futilibus excanduit ignibus æther: The earth in vaine did neuer gaze, But I list not to be an ominous Scrich-owle: I had Ne mirere graueis rerumq' hominumq' ruinas : Sæpè domi culpa est, nescimus credere cœlo. Maruell not if strange ruines men doe greeue : The fault's at home, heauen we not beleeue. My deare Countrimen, Heauen forbid that I should be to you a Cassandra, but a Calchas. Will you haue my lines the comfortable raies of Phabus, more true then those Delphicke Oracles? Will you not haue this Comet an infortunate Helene, and wofull messenger of tempest? Then cast ouer boord sleepie disobedient Ionas; let no rebellious transgressions, no sinfull fugitiues lurke and snort in your Cabines. suing them. If any euill follow, wee ourselues are in fault. Preuent the diuine anger with timely and serious Sinne being repentance, then dare I say to you with Ieremiah, banished, feare not the signes of heauen, at which the heathen med be are dismaide. these signes feared. Indeede Charlemaine did religiously answere in this very case; That he feared not the signe, but the Charlemaines great and potent Creator thereof; yet I suppose that fearefulnesse. iealous feare wrought much in the Emperours fee ble spirits, ready of themselues to vanish through age. It was more couragiously replied by Vespasian (as Vespasians an Dion reports) when the apparition of a Comet was swer concern. thought to portend his death. No, said he, this ing a Comet. bushie starre noteth not me, but the Parthian King, ἐκεῖνος γὰρ κομᾶ, ἐγώ δε φαλακρός είμι. For he hath the Comets lockes, I am bald. The wicked haue only And insooth those Gorgons heads, whose snakie haires of filthy and loathsome sinnes affright earth, and prouoke heauen, haue only or speciall cause tc suspect these cælestiall signes; but others that can be content to cut off these monstrous and vicious lockes, yea preferre the baldnesse of Innocencie before the curles of Iniquity; need not to feare, but rather godly. hope Comets layes of diuine fa uour to the God only knowes what this Comet doth signifie in particular. The Star Comets signifie the light of the Gospell. Fine Comets in 10. yeares preaching of about the Luther. hope, that these new Starres be to them the rayes of diuine fauour, and goodnesse. What this Comet doth in particular signifie is not possible to declare without an evovoixoμos or diuine inspiration. Nouit Deus omnia solus Que sunt, quæ fuerint, quæ mox ventura trahantur. What is, what was, and what shall be. Yet to discend somewhat lower then Vniuersalities: That blessed Starre, which conducted the Magi to Christs poore, but sacred nurcery (of whose incarnation, and happinesse to mankinde thereby that Starre was an heauenly Harbenger) doth enforce me often to thinke that those many new stars and Comets, which haue beene more this last Century of the world, then in many ages before, did amongst other things signifie that glorious light of the Gospell, which hath lately illumined the whole world. About the preaching of Luther were at least fiue Comets in tenne yeares, after which followed the happy departure of Germany, England, and many other Northerne parts from the spirituall Babylon. This new Comet doth giue vs hope, that the rest of Christendome before long will follow; and so at phesie against length shall be verified the Prophesie of Sybilla vpon occasion of these new stars. Sybillaes pro Rome. The Comet signe to the Protestants. The new Starre 1572. 1577. *Εσται "Ρωμη ῥύμη. Rome shall againe become a forlorne and desert village, or sheep-coat. Did not our Fathers finde the Comet in 1558. to 1558. a good be a signe of much happinesse to the persecuted Protestants in England, and Germany? yea did not that admirable new Starre in Cassiopea 1572. and that remarkable Comet 1577. plainly from heauen remonstrate, that howsoeuer the Euangelicall and the Comet Churches in France, and the Low-countries might be for a time greiuously afflicted, yet maugre Sathan, and all his hellish Furies they should at length flourish, and triumph ouer their cruell aduersaries. Besides these regions of Europe, a blessed light hath in this age shined to another world, which did long sit in most fearefull darkenesse; I meane the East and West Indies. I am verily perswaded that the new The Gospell hath shined amongst the Jndians. Star Stars in O Star which appeared so long from September 1604. The late new to Ianuary, 1606. in the foot of Serpentarius, hauing phiuchus and coincidance with the great coniunction of the three Cygnus. superiour Planets, and that other so many yeares in Cygnus, doth promise (being with this present Comet conformed) a more cleare illustration of those remote regions with the resplendent light of saluation: ac- The Gospell cording to our Sauiours Oracle; Prædicabitur Euan- shall be gelium hoc in vniuerso terrarum orbe: And this Gos- preached pell shall be preached throughout the whole earth. whole world. Which giues vs hope, that his other gracious promise shall shortly be accomplished. And Ierusalem shall be troden downe by the Gentiles, vntill the time of through the the Gentiles be fulfilled. Which certainly shall pre- Calling of the cede the second comming of our blessed Sauiour; Fore Lewes. runners whereof (he saith) shall be signes in the Sunne, Moone, and Starres. To draw neerer home, not by the rules of vulgar Against vulgar Astrologie, whose precepts I esteem no better then Astrologie. ὀνείρων νερτέρων φαντάσματα, Plantasticke dreames (as Metrocles said of his bookes, which hee consecrated to Vulcan) but directed by these celestiall Hieroglyphickes, in which I may say as the Poet long agoe : Sapientibus per ambages fata eloqui; Morall appli tion amongst The Fates by winding riddles Wisemen teach, In vaine to fools though ne'r so plain you preach. Directed (I say) by this Hieroglyphicke doctrine, as cation of the by a sure Cynosure, and conducting Pole-starre: I Comets modare boldly affirme, that this Comet being followed the constellain his Emblemated motion is to great Britaines Ma- tions. iestie, and Monarchie, Signum fœlix, faustum, & fortu- This Comet natum: An auspicious signe of great honour and followed in his happinesse. motion a hap with Mercu pie signe to About the 17. of Nouember, the Comet was in great Britaine. coniunction with Mercury, supposed by the ancients The Comets the Messenger, and Interpreter of Heaven, Patrone coniunction of Arts and trafficke: this fortunate meeting was neere the Ecliptique on this Northerne side; as if Royall Phoebus had sent him to entertaine this new Embassador with ioyfull embraces, and honourably to reeeiue him into these arcticke regions; yea, as it were tq rie. |