HISTORY or PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY.

305

annalist then proceeds to relate the dire consequences which followed thisevent.

In reference to the same eclipse, William of Malmesbury , states, that“ while persons were sitting at their meals, the darkness became so greatthat they feared the ancient chaos was about to return, and upon going outimmediately, they perceived several stars about the sun.”* * * §

Total eclipses of the sun are recorded to have happened in the years1187, 1211, and 1415. A remarkable total eclipse of the sun occurredon the 17th of June, 1433. This eclipse was visible in Scotland , anathe time of its occurrence was long remembered by the people of thatcountry as the Black Hour. Maclaurin states, that there is an account ofit in a manuscript, preserved in the library of the University of Edin-burgh . Tt is therein mentioned that the eclipse took place about threeo’clock in the afternoon, and that the darkness w'as so profound thatnothing was visible. The latter remark is manifestly an exaggeration.It appears, however, that it was an eclipse of a very unusual kind, forMaclaurin found that at the time of its occurrence the sun was only ,2°from his apogee, and the moon not more than 13° from her perigee f.This eclipse is not in Riccioli’s Catalogue, but he refers to it in anotherpart of his work £.

History makes mention of total eclipses of the sun which occurred inthe years 1485, 1506, 1530, 1544, 1560, 1567, 1598§, 1605, 165211,1699H.

Down to the beginning of the eighteenth century, the accounts respectingtotal eclipses of the sun, contaiu very few remarks which are of advantagein forming the basis of any physical enquiry. The descriptions of similarphenomena which have been observed in more recent times derive consider-able value from the interesting details by which they are accompanied.

The first total eclipse of the sun, respecting which the accounts haveany pretension to fulness or precision, was one which happened on the 12thof May, 1706. It was observed at Montpellier by MM. Plantade and

* Histories Novella , lib. ii.; Rerum Anglicarum post Bedem Pracipui Scriptores, p.

105.

+ Phil. Trans., 1737, p. 194. j: Almag. Nov., lib. v., cap. ii., SchoL

§ This eclipse was total in the British Isles . The moon’s shadow seems to have passedover the border counties of England and Scotland . The day of the eclipse was longremembered in both countries as Black Saturday.

|| This eclipse was also total in the British Isles . It was observed by Dr. Wyberd atCarrickfergus in the north of Ireland (?ee Wing’s Astronomia Britannica, p. 355). Theday of its occurrence gave rise to the expression Mirk Monday among the people of Scot-land , which is even still used in some parts of that country, although the eclipse itself haslong ago fallen into oblivion.

«[ This eclipse happened on the 24th of September, and was observed at various placesin the north of Europe . It is mentioned by several of the Swedish observers of the totaleclipse of 1733.— {Acta Lit. et Scien. Suecice, tom. iv. , Upsal., 1742.) At Leipsic,where it was very nearly total, a correspondent of the Royal Society states, that “ whenten digits were obscured, the sky, being otherwise very clear, began to appear of a morelivid or wan complexion, and more sad than it usually looks, with a clear sky when the sunis set, or below the horizon. The cocks also which had hitherto crowed very frequently,as if silenced, going to roost, left off crowing and did not renew it, till by the recovery ofthe sun’s light they had recovered their former gaiety and mirth.”—(Phil. Trans., 1700,p. 624.) Louville, in his account of the total eclipse of 1715, to be presently mentioned,has noticed a similar fact. He says, that a little before the sun was totally eclipsed, thecocks of London began to crow as at daybreak; that they were silent during the total ob-scuration ; and that the sun had no sooner reappeared than they commenced again to crowwith greater vivacity than before.—(Mem. Acad, des Sciences, 1715, p. 98.)