410—A sword-shaped Comet shone over Italy for four months until the third week in August. On Aug. 24 Rome was taken and plundered by Alaric, King of the Visigoths. This marks the end of the old Roman Empire. 442—First appearance in Europe of Attila, “The Scourge of God,” and his Hunnic hordes. 449-50—Two Comets (now believed to be coming and going of Halley’s Comet) were observed over England and France. First invasion of England by the Anglo-Saxons under Hengist and Horsa. Attila overthrown in the great battle on the Catalaunian Fields, at which a hundred and eighty thousand warriors fell, among them Theoderic, the King of the Goths. The Roman historian Callimachus recorded that this battle was preceded by a brilliant Comet and an earthquake. 453—Death of Attila and end of his Hunnic empire. 530—Halley’s Comet. Merlin, the British seer, prophesied from this Comet. His prophesies came true. 531—Comet observed in Constantinople by the astronomers of Emperor Justinian. Earthquake in Constantinople followed by famine and uprising of the people in which two thousand were killed. Pestilence. 538—Terrible famine throughout civilized world, so that many people became cannibals. 547—A lance-shaped Comet over Italy. Ostro-Goths under Totila overrun Italy. Totila storms Rome. _Mohamet’s Star._ 570—Scimitar-shaped Comet over Arabia. Birth of Mohamet. 610—Another scimitar-shaped Comet over Arabia. Mohamet begins preaching the Koran. 622—Flight of Mohamet to Medina. 624—Fourth scimitar-shaped Comet over Arabia and Holy Land. Mohamet’s first battle for the new faith. His massacre of 700 Jews. 632—Last appearance of Mohamet’s Comet during first week of June. Death of Mohamet on June 8 at Medina. 800—A Comet seen during Coronation of Charlemagne as Emperor of Rome. 814—Torch-shaped Comet seen in Germany during the first three weeks of January. Death of Charlemagne on Jan. 28, at Aix la Chappelle. The monk Eginard relates in his chronicles that on the appearance of the Comet all those at Charlemagne’s court feared for the Emperor’s life. Eginard preached to them from the text of Isaiah not to believe in the signs of the heathens. But Charlemagne reproved him, saying that he felt that he had reason to thank God for having sent him a timely warning of his impending death. Thereupon the Emperor made his testament and divided his empire among his successors. On the day following the disappearance of the Comet, he died.