837—Halley’s Comet observed in France by King Louis the Debonair, who died from fear of it. 876—Disastrous flood in Italy, followed by plague. 900—Another Comet over Italy. Saracens invade Italy. 944—Comet with an immense tail over Italy, followed by disastrous earthquake. 1000—In January of this year a Comet was observed all over Europe. Gigibertus describes it “shaped like a horrible serpent and so bright that its light was seen even indoors.” It was generally taken to foretell the end of the world,—the millennium prophesied in the Apocalypse. When it was followed soon by earthquakes, floods and famine there was universal panic which was not allayed until the end of the “fateful year.” 1002—A Comet over England and Scandinavia. Massacre of all Danes in England by King Ethelred. 1066—Halley’s Comet. It appeared in May at Easter time and shone for forty nights, waxing and waning with the moon. William the Conqueror haled it as an omen of destruction to Harold of England just before the battle of Hastings. 1077—Comet over Italy and Germany. Emperor Henry IV. of Germany was excommunicated by the Pope, followed by war in Italy and Germany. _Crusaders’ Comets._ 1099—Arabic astronomers record a Comet in the shape of a scimitar over Arabia and the Holy Land for six weeks in Spring and early Summer. First crusade and storming of Jerusalem by the crusaders on July 15 after a siege of five weeks. Bloody massacre of Mohammedans. 1109—Emperor Henry V. of Germany enters Rome and makes Pope prisoner. 1148-9—Second crusade. Utter destruction of whole army of French and German crusaders. 1200—Comet recorded by Hal Ben Rodoan, an Arab astronomer, over North Africa. Bloody revolt of Arab warriors in Morocco. 1212—Lance-shaped Comet shining over western Europe for eighteen nights. The Children’s Crusade. Thousands of German and French boy crusaders perished or were sold into slavery. Bloody invasion of Tartar hordes into Russia and Poland. 1223—Preaching of fifth crusade. Outbreak of “Guelph and Ghibelline” war between Emperor Frederick II. of Germany and Pope Gregory the IX. 1264—Very bright Comet observed shining all over Europe for three months. Pope Urban IV. died on the night of the Comet’s disappearance. A Latin verse gained great currency in which it was said that the Comet portended “disasters, sickness, hunger, and war.” The chronicles of that age ascribe to this Comet besides the death of the Pope a famine and pestilence in Italy, the ravages of the Russians into Poland and of the Slavs into Prussia.