Only this year (1910) the appearance of Inness’ Comet over Mexico caused a panic-stricken holy pilgrimage to the Shrine of Talpa. In China, too, it caused terror, resulting in Christian massacres.
Hence, also, several Jewish massacres inspired by Comets in the past and hence also so many terrifying plagues connected with Comets.
Thus Ambroise Paré, the “Father of French Surgery,” who flourished in the sixteenth century, has recorded the effect produced upon his contemporaries by the Comet of 1528.
“This Comet was so horrible,” wrote Dr. Paré, “so frightful, and it produced such great terror among the common people, that many died of fear and many others fell sick.”
Dr. Paré himself appears to have come under the influence of this fear, judging from his awestruck description of the appearance of this Comet:
“It appeared to be of excessive length; and was of the colour of blood. At the summit of it was seen the figure of a bent arm, holding in its hand a great sword as if about to strike.
“At the end of the point there were three stars. On both sides of the rays of this Comet were seen a great number of axes, knives, and blood-coloured swords, among which were a great number of hideous human faces with beards and bristling hair.”
Hannibal committed suicide on account of a Comet. So did Mithridates. So did one Toma, in Hungary, only this year.
King Louis “the Debonair” of France, died from fear of a Comet (Halley’s Comet) in 837 A. D.
Emperor Charles V., of Germany and Spain, the monarch who boasted that “the sun never set on his dominions,” was so moved by the appearance of a Comet in 1556, that he gave up his crown and became a monk.