'On Wednesday Night, or rather Thursday Morning last, much about the Hour of two a Clock, several People, who were then abroad, especially the Watchman about Tower Street, Clare Market, Cheapside, and Westminster, plainly and visibly saw this strange Comet, it seem'd a very great Star, at the end of which was a long tail, or streak of Fire, very wonderful and surprizing to behold. It did not continue fix'd, but pass'd along with the Scud, or two black Clouds, being carried by a brisk wind that then blew. [Illustration: FIERY APPARITION IN THE AIR, SEEN IN LONDON, 1710.] 'After which follow'd the likeness of a Man in a Cloud of Fire, with a Sword in his hand, which mov'd with the Clouds as the other did, but they saw it for near a quarter of an Hour together, to their very great surprize, and related the same the next Morning, which they are ready now to affirm if any are so curious to go and Enquire, particularly John Smith, near Tower-street, Abraham Wilsley, on Tower-hill, John Miller, near Clare Market, John Williams, in Cheapside, George Mules and Rebeccah Sampson upon the Water, and Mr. Lomax, Watchman of St. Anns, with many others too tedious to insert.' Amongst the many newspapers that had sprung into existence the following so far improved upon their small and dingy predecessors as to be adorned with pictorial headings:--The _Post Boy_, 1720; the _Weekly Journal_, 1720; the _London Journal_, 1720; the _Weekly Journal, or Saturday's Post_, 1721; _Applebee's Weekly Journal_, 1721; _Read's Journal, or British Gazetteer_, 1718-31. The last named appeared for many years as the _Weekly Journal, or British Gazetteer_; but the _Weekly Journal_ was a favourite title, and was borne by so many other papers that after a time the publisher altered the title of his paper to _Read's Journal; or British Gazetteer_, and gave it an engraved heading. Read was a man of enterprise, and surpassed his contemporaries in endeavouring to make his journal attractive by means of illustrations. In his paper for Nov. 1, 1718, there is a caricature engraved on wood. It is levelled against the Jacobites, and is called 'An Hieroglyphick,' and is introduced to the reader with the following rhymes:-- 'Will _Fools_ and _Knaves_ their own Misfortune see And ponder on the _Tories_ villany Behold this _Hieroglyphick_, and admire What _Loyalty_ do's in true Souls inspire! Whate'er the _Figures_ mean we shan't declare, Because the _Jacobites_ will curse and swear; But if our _Readers_ will this piece explain, Their Explanation we shall not disdain.' [Illustration: CARICATURE AGAINST THE JACOBITES. FROM 'READ'S WEEKLY JOURNAL,' 1718.] Nobody appears to have responded to the invitation conveyed in the verses, for in the succeeding numbers of the paper there is no attempt to explain the 'hieroglyphick.' A copy of this early newspaper caricature is given on the opposite page.