"The Madrid journals announce that the appearance of the comet has excited great alarm in that city, as it is considered a symptom of divine wrath, and a presage of war, pestilence, and affliction for humanity."--Vide _Galignani's Messenger_ of August 31, 1853. "The entire appearance (of the comet) is brilliant and dazzling; and while it engrosses the attention and investigation of the scientific, it excites the alarm of the superstitious, who, as in ancient times, regard it as the concomitant of pestilence and the herald of war."--Vide New York correspondence of _The Sun_, Aug. 24, 1853. "The splendid comet now visible after sun-set on the western horizon, has attracted the attention of every body here. The public impression is, that this celestial phenomenon is to be considered as a sign of war; and their astrologers, to whom appeal is made for an interpretation, make the most absurd declarations: and I have been laughed at by very intelligent Turks, when I ventured to persuade them that great Nature's laws do not care about troubles here below."--Vide Turkish correspondence of _The Herald_, Aug. 25, 1853. "The comet which has lately been visible has served a priest not far from Warsaw with materials for a very curious sermon. After having summoned his congregation together, although it was neither Sunday nor festival, and shown them the comet, he informed them that this was the same star that had appeared to the Magi at the birth of our Saviour, and that it was only visible now in the Russian empire. Its appearance on this occasion was to intimate to the Russian eagle, that the time was now come for it to spread out its wings, and embrace all mankind in one orthodox and sanctifying church. He showed them the star now standing immediately over Constantinople, and explained that the dull light of the nucleus indicated its sorrow at the delay of the Russian army in proceeding to its destination."--Vide Berlin correspondence of _The Times_. W. W. Malta. * * * * * THE OLD ENGLISH WORD "BELIKE." The word _belike_, much used by old writers, but now almost obsolete, even among the poor, seems to have been but very imperfectly understood--as far as regards its original meaning and derivation. Most persons understand it to be equivalent, or nearly so, to _very likely_, _in all likelihood_, _perhaps_, or, ironically, _forsooth_; and in that {359} opinion they are not far wrong. It occurs in this sense in numerous passages in Shakspeare; for instance: "Some merry mocking lord, _belike_."--_Love's Labour's Lost._ "O then, _belike_, she was old and gentle."--_Henry V._ "_Belike_, this show imports the argument."--_Hamlet._