[Footnote72:ThestudiesandscienceofJustinianareattestedbytheconfessionAnecdot。c。8，13stillmorethanbythepraisesGothic。l。iii。c。31，deEdific。l。i。Proem。c。7ofProcopius。ConsultthecopiousindexofAlemannus，andreadthelifeofJustinianbyLudewig，p。135—142。]
[Footnote73:SeeintheC。P。ChristianaofDucangel。i。c。
24，No。1achainoforiginaltestimonies，fromProcopiusinthevith，toGylliusinthexvithcentury。]
Ishallconcludethischapterwiththecomets，theearthquakes，andtheplague，whichastonishedorafflictedtheageofJustinian。
I。Inthefifthyearofhisreign，andinthemonthofSeptember，acomet^74wasseenduringtwentydaysinthewesternquarteroftheheavens，andwhichshotitsraysintothenorth。
Eightyearsafterwards，whilethesunwasinCapricorn，anothercometappearedtofollowintheSagittary；thesizewasgraduallyincreasing；theheadwasintheeast，thetailinthewest，anditremainedvisibleabovefortydays。Thenations，whogazedwithastonishment，expectedwarsandcalamitiesfromtheirbalefulinfluence；andtheseexpectationswereabundantlyfulfilled。Theastronomersdissembledtheirignoranceofthenatureoftheseblazingstars，whichtheyaffectedtorepresentasthefloatingmeteorsoftheair；andfewamongthemembracedthesimplenotionofSenecaandtheChaldeans，thattheyareonlyplanetsofalongerperiodandmoreeccentricmotion。^75TimeandsciencehavejustifiedtheconjecturesandpredictionsoftheRomansage:thetelescopehasopenednewworldstotheeyesofastronomers；^76and，inthenarrowspaceofhistoryandfable，oneandthesamecometisalreadyfoundtohaverevisitedtheearthinsevenequalrevolutionsoffivehundredandseventy—fiveyears。Thefirst，^77whichascendsbeyondtheChristianaeraonethousandsevenhundredandsixty—sevenyears，iscoevalwithOgyges，thefatherofGrecianantiquity。AndthisappearanceexplainsthetraditionwhichVarrohaspreserved，thatunderhisreigntheplanetVenuschangedhercolor，size，figure，andcourse；aprodigywithoutexampleeitherinpastorsucceedingages。^78Thesecondvisit，intheyearelevenhundredandninety—three，isdarklyimpliedinthefableofElectra，theseventhofthePleiads，whohavebeenreducedtosixsincethetimeoftheTrojanwar。Thatnymph，thewifeofDardanus，wasunabletosupporttheruinofhercountry:sheabandonedthedancesofhersisterorbs，fledfromthezodiactothenorthpole，andobtained，fromherdishevelledlocks，thenameofthecomet。Thethirdperiodexpiresintheyearsixhundredandeighteen，adatethatexactlyagreeswiththetremendouscometoftheSibyl，andperhapsofPliny，whicharoseintheWesttwogenerationsbeforethereignofCyrus。Thefourthapparition，forty—fouryearsbeforethebirthofChrist，isofallothersthemostsplendidandimportant。AfterthedeathofCaesar，along—hairedstarwasconspicuoustoRomeandtothenations，duringthegameswhichwereexhibitedbyyoungOctavianinhonorofVenusandhisuncle。Thevulgaropinion，thatitconveyedtoheaventhedivinesoulofthedictator，wascherishedandconsecratedbythepietyofastatesman；whilehissecretsuperstitionreferredthecomettothegloryofhisowntimes。
^79ThefifthvisithasbeenalreadyascribedtothefifthyearofJustinian，whichcoincideswiththefivehundredandthirty—firstoftheChristianaera。Anditmaydeservenotice，thatinthis，asintheprecedinginstance，thecometwasfollowed，thoughatalongerinterval，byaremarkablepalenessofthesun。Thesixthreturn，intheyearelevenhundredandsix，isrecordedbythechroniclesofEuropeandChina:andinthefirstfervorofthecrusades，theChristiansandtheMahometansmightsurmise，withequalreason，thatitportendedthedestructionoftheInfidels。Theseventhphenomenon，ofonethousandsixhundredandeighty，waspresentedtotheeyesofanenlightenedage。^80ThephilosophyofBayledispelledaprejudicewhichMilton'smusehadsorecentlyadorned，thatthecomet，"fromitshorridhairshakespestilenceandwar。"^81ItsroadintheheavenswasobservedwithexquisiteskillbyFlamsteadandCassini:andthemathematicalscienceofBernoulli，Newton，andHalley，investigatedthelawsofitsrevolutions。
Attheeighthperiod，intheyeartwothousandthreehundredandfifty—five，theircalculationsmayperhapsbeverifiedbytheastronomersofsomefuturecapitalintheSiberianorAmericanwilderness。
[Footnote74:ThefirstcometismentionedbyJohnMalalatom。
ii。p。190，219andTheophanes，p。154；thesecondbyProcopius，Persic。l。ii。4。YetIstronglysuspecttheiridentity。ThepalenessofthesunsumVandal。l。ii。c。14isappliedbyTheophanesp。158toadifferentyear。
Note:SeeLydusdeOstentis，particularlyc15，inwhichtheauthorbeginstoshowthesignificationofcometsaccordingtothepartoftheheavensinwhichtheyappear，andwhatfortunestheyprognosticatetotheRomanempireandtheirPersianenemies。
Thechapter，however，isimperfect。Edit。Neibuhr，p。290。—
M。]
[Footnote75:Seneca'sviithbookofNaturalQuestionsdisplays，inthetheoryofcomets，aphilosophicmind。Yetshouldwenottoocandidlyconfoundavagueprediction，avenienttempus，&c。，withthemeritofrealdiscoveries。]
[Footnote76:AstronomersmaystudyNewtonandHalley。IdrawmyhumblesciencefromthearticleComete，intheFrenchEncyclopedie，byM。d'Alembert。]
[Footnote77:Whiston，thehonest，pious，visionaryWhiston，hadfanciedfortheaeraofNoah'sflood2242yearsbeforeChristapriorapparitionofthesamecometwhichdrownedtheearthwithitstail。]
[Footnote78:ADissertationofFreretMemoiresdel'AcademiedesInscriptions，tom。x。p。357—377affordsahappyunionofphilosophyanderudition。ThephenomenoninthetimeofOgygeswaspreservedbyVarro，ApudAugustin。deCivitateDei，xxi。8，
whoquotesCastor，DionofNaples，andAdastrusofCyzicus—
nobilesmathematici。ThetwosubsequentperiodsarepreservedbytheGreekmythologistsandthespuriousbooksofSibyllineverses。]
[Footnote79:PlinyHist。Nat。ii。23hastranscribedtheoriginalmemorialofAugustus。Mairan，inhismostingeniousletterstotheP。Parennin，missionaryinChina，removesthegamesandthecometofSeptember，fromtheyear44totheyear43，beforetheChristianaera；butIamnottotallysubduedbythecriticismoftheastronomer，Opuscules，p。275]
[Footnote80:ThislastcometwasvisibleinthemonthofDecember，1680。Bayle，whobeganhisPenseessurlaCometeinJanuary，1681，Oeuvres，tom。iii。，wasforcedtoarguethatasupernaturalcometwouldhaveconfirmedtheancientsintheiridolatry。BernoulliseehisEloge，inFontenelle，tom。v。p。
99wasforcedtoallowthatthetailthoughnotthehead，wasasignofthewrathofGod。]
[Footnote81:ParadiseLostwaspublishedintheyear1667；andthefamouslinesl。ii。708，&c。whichstartledthelicenser，mayalludetotherecentcometof1664，observedbyCassiniatRomeinthepresenceofQueenChristina，Fontenelle，inhisEloge，tom。v。p。338。HadCharlesII。betrayedanysymptomsofcuriosityorfear?]
[Footnote*:ComparePingre，HistoiredesCometes。—M。]
II。Thenearapproachofacometmayinjureordestroytheglobewhichweinhabit；butthechangesonitssurfacehavebeenhithertoproducedbytheactionofvolcanoesandearthquakes。^82
Thenatureofthesoilmayindicatethecountriesmostexposedtotheseformidableconcussions，sincetheyarecausedbysubterraneousfires，andsuchfiresarekindledbytheunionandfermentationofironandsulphur。Buttheirtimesandeffectsappeartoliebeyondthereachofhumancuriosity；andthephilosopherwilldiscreetlyabstainfromthepredictionofearthquakes，tillhehascountedthedropsofwaterthatsilentlyfiltrateontheinflammablemineral，andmeasuredthecavernswhichincreasebyresistancetheexplosionoftheimprisonedair。
Withoutassigningthecause，historywilldistinguishtheperiodsinwhichthesecalamitouseventshavebeenrareorfrequent，andwillobserve，thatthisfeveroftheearthragedwithuncommonviolenceduringthereignofJustinian。^83Eachyearismarkedbytherepetitionofearthquakes，ofsuchduration，thatConstantinoplehasbeenshakenabovefortydays；ofsuchextent，thattheshockhasbeencommunicatedtothewholesurfaceoftheglobe，oratleastoftheRomanempire。Animpulsiveorvibratorymotionwasfelt:enormouschasmswereopened，hugeandheavybodiesweredischargedintotheair，theseaalternatelyadvancedandretreatedbeyonditsordinarybounds，andamountainwastornfromLibanus，^84andcastintothewaves，whereitprotected，asamole，thenewharborofBotrys^85inPhoenicia。
Thestrokethatagitatesanant—hillmaycrushtheinsect—myriadsinthedust；yettruthmustextortconfessionthatmanhasindustriouslylaboredforhisowndestruction。Theinstitutionofgreatcities，whichincludeanationwithinthelimitsofawall，almostrealizesthewishofCaligula，thattheRomanpeoplehadbutoneneck。TwohundredandfiftythousandpersonsaresaidtohaveperishedintheearthquakeofAntioch，whosedomesticmultitudeswereswelledbytheconfluxofstrangerstothefestivaloftheAscension。ThelossofBerytus^86wasofsmalleraccount，butofmuchgreatervalue。Thatcity，onthecoastofPhoenicia，wasillustratedbythestudyofthecivillaw，whichopenedthesurestroadtowealthanddignity:theschoolsofBerytuswerefilledwiththerisingspiritsoftheage，andmanyayouthwaslostintheearthquake，whomighthavelivedtobethescourgeortheguardianofhiscountry。Inthesedisasters，thearchitectbecomestheenemyofmankind。Thehutofasavage，orthetentofanArab，maybethrowndownwithoutinjurytotheinhabitant；andthePeruvianshadreasontoderidethefollyoftheirSpanishconquerors，whowithsomuchcostandlaborerectedtheirownsepulchres。Therichmarblesofapatricianaredashedonhisownhead:awholepeopleisburiedundertheruinsofpublicandprivateedifices，andtheconflagrationiskindledandpropagatedbytheinnumerablefireswhicharenecessaryforthesubsistenceandmanufacturesofagreatcity。Insteadofthemutualsympathywhichmightcomfortandassistthedistressed，theydreadfullyexperiencethevicesandpassionswhicharereleasedfromthefearofpunishment:thetotteringhousesarepillagedbyintrepidavarice；revengeembracesthemoment，andselectsthevictim；andtheearthoftenswallowstheassassin，ortheravisher，intheconsummationoftheircrimes。Superstitioninvolvesthepresentdangerwithinvisibleterrors；andiftheimageofdeathmaysometimesbesubservienttothevirtueorrepentanceofindividuals，anaffrightedpeopleismoreforciblymovedtoexpecttheendoftheworld，ortodeprecatewithservilehomagethewrathofanavengingDeity。
[Footnote82:Forthecauseofearthquakes，seeBuffon，tom。i。
p。502—536Supplemental'Hist。Naturelle，tom。v。p。382—390，editionin4to。，ValmontdeBomare，Dictionnaired'HistoireNaturelle，TremblemendeTerre，Pyrites，Watson，ChemicalEssays，tom。i。p。181—209。]
[Footnote83:TheearthquakesthatshooktheRomanworldinthereignofJustinianaredescribedormentionedbyProcopius，Goth。l。iv。c。25Anecdot。c。18，Agathias，l。ii。p。52，53，54，l。v。p。145—152，JohnMalala，Chron。tom。ii。p。140—146，176，177，183，193，220，229，231，233，234，andTheophanes，p。
151，183，189，191—196。
Note*:CompareDaubenyonEarthquakes，andLyell'sGeology，vol。ii。p。161etseq。—M]
[Footnote84:Anabruptheight，aperpendicularcape，betweenAradusandBotrysPolyb。l。v。p。411。Pompon。Mela，l。i。c。
12，p。87，cumIsaac。Voss。Observat。Maundrell，Journey，p。32，33。Pocock'sDescription，vol。ii。p。99。]
[Footnote85:Botryswasfoundedann。anteChrist。935—903byIthobal，kingofTyre，Marsham，Canon。Chron。p。387，388。Itspoorrepresentative，thevillageofPatrone，isnowdestituteofaharbor。]
[Footnote86:Theuniversity，splendor，andruinofBerytusarecelebratedbyHeinecciusp。351—356asanessentialpartofthehistoryoftheRomanlaw。ItwasoverthrowninthexxvthyearofJustinian，A。D551，July9，Theophanes，p。192；butAgathiasl。ii。p。51，52suspendstheearthquaketillhehasachievedtheItalianwar。]
III。AethiopiaandEgypthavebeenstigmatized，ineveryage，astheoriginalsourceandseminaryoftheplague。^87Inadamp，hot，stagnatingair，thisAfricanfeverisgeneratedfromtheputrefactionofanimalsubstances，andespeciallyfromtheswarmsoflocusts，notlessdestructivetomankindintheirdeaththanintheirlives。ThefataldiseasewhichdepopulatedtheearthinthetimeofJustinianandhissuccessors，^88firstappearedintheneighborhoodofPelusium，betweentheSerbonianbogandtheeasternchanneloftheNile。Fromthence，tracingasitwereadoublepath，itspreadtotheEast，overSyria，Persia，andtheIndies，andpenetratedtotheWest，alongthecoastofAfrica，andoverthecontinentofEurope。Inthespringofthesecondyear，Constantinople，duringthreeorfourmonths，wasvisitedbythepestilence；andProcopius，whoobserveditsprogressandsymptomswiththeeyesofaphysician，^89hasemulatedtheskillanddiligenceofThucydidesinthedescriptionoftheplagueofAthens。^90Theinfectionwassometimesannouncedbythevisionsofadistemperedfancy，andthevictimdespairedassoonashehadheardthemenaceandfeltthestrokeofaninvisiblespectre。Butthegreaternumber，intheirbeds，inthestreets，intheirusualoccupation，weresurprisedbyaslightfever；soslight，indeed，thatneitherthepulsenorthecolorofthepatientgaveanysignsoftheapproachingdanger。
Thesame，thenext，orthesucceedingday，itwasdeclaredbytheswellingoftheglands，particularlythoseofthegroin，ofthearmpits，andundertheear；andwhenthesebuboesortumorswereopened，theywerefoundtocontainacoal，orblacksubstance，ofthesizeofalentil。Iftheycametoajustswellingandsuppuration，thepatientwassavedbythiskindandnaturaldischargeofthemorbidhumor。Butiftheycontinuedhardanddry，amortificationquicklyensued，andthefifthdaywascommonlythetermofhislife。Thefeverwasoftenaccompaniedwithlethargyordelirium；thebodiesofthesickwerecoveredwithblackpustulesorcarbuncles，thesymptomsofimmediatedeath；andintheconstitutionstoofeebletoproduceanirruption，thevomitingofbloodwasfollowedbyamortificationofthebowels。Topregnantwomentheplaguewasgenerallymortal:yetoneinfantwasdrawnalivefromhisdeadmother，andthreemotherssurvivedthelossoftheirinfectedfoetus。Youthwasthemostperilousseason；andthefemalesexwaslesssusceptiblethanthemale:buteveryrankandprofessionwasattackedwithindiscriminaterage，andmanyofthosewhoescapedweredeprivedoftheuseoftheirspeech，withoutbeingsecurefromareturnofthedisorder。^91ThephysiciansofConstantinoplewerezealousandskilful；buttheirartwasbaffledbythevarioussymptomsandpertinaciousvehemenceofthedisease:thesameremedieswereproductiveofcontraryeffects，andtheeventcapriciouslydisappointedtheirprognosticsofdeathorrecovery。Theorderoffunerals，andtherightofsepulchres，wereconfounded:thosewhowereleftwithoutfriendsorservants，layunburiedinthestreets，orintheirdesolatehouses；andamagistratewasauthorizedtocollectthepromiscuousheapsofdeadbodies，totransportthembylandorwater，andtointerthemindeeppitsbeyondtheprecinctsofthecity。Theirowndanger，andtheprospectofpublicdistress，awakenedsomeremorseinthemindsofthemostviciousofmankind:theconfidenceofhealthagainrevivedtheirpassionsandhabits；butphilosophymustdisdaintheobservationofProcopius，thatthelivesofsuchmenwereguardedbythepeculiarfavoroffortuneorProvidence。Heforgot，orperhapshesecretlyrecollected，thattheplaguehadtouchedthepersonofJustinianhimself；buttheabstemiousdietoftheemperormaysuggest，asinthecaseofSocrates，amorerationalandhonorablecauseforhisrecovery。^92Duringhissickness，thepublicconsternationwasexpressedinthehabitsofthecitizens；
andtheiridlenessanddespondenceoccasionedageneralscarcityinthecapitaloftheEast。
[Footnote87:IhavereadwithpleasureMead'sshort，butelegant，treatiseconcerningPestilentialDisorders，theviiithedition，London，1722。]
[Footnote88:Thegreatplaguewhichragedin542andthefollowingyearsPagi，Critica，tom。ii。p。518mustbetracedinProcopius，Persic。l。ii。c。22，23，Agathias，l。v。p。
153，154，Evagrius，l。iv。c。29，PaulDiaconus，l。ii。c。
iv。p。776，777，GregoryofTours，tom。ii。l。iv。c。5，p205，whostylesitLuesInguinaria，andtheChroniclesofVictorTunnunensis，p。9，inThesaur。Temporum，ofMarcellinus，p。
54，andofTheophanes，p。153。]
[Footnote89:Dr。FriendHist。Medicin。inOpp。p。416—420，Lond。1733issatisfiedthatProcopiusmusthavestudiedphysic，fromhisknowledgeanduseofthetechnicalwords。YetmanywordsthatarenowscientificwerecommonandpopularintheGreekidiom。]
[Footnote90:SeeThucydides，l。ii。c。47—54，p。127—133，edit。Duker，andthepoeticaldescriptionofthesameplaguebyLucretius。l。vi。1136—1284。IwasindebtedtoDr。HunterforanelaboratecommentaryonthispartofThucydides，aquartoof600pages，Venet。1603，apudJuntas，whichwaspronouncedinSt。Mark'sLibrarybyFabiusPaullinusUtinensis，aphysicianandphilosopher。]
[Footnote91:Thucydidesc。51affirms，thattheinfectioncouldonlybeoncetaken；butEvagrius，whohadfamilyexperienceoftheplague，observes，thatsomepersons，whohadescapedthefirst，sunkunderthesecondattack；andthisrepetitionisconfirmedbyFabiusPaullinus，p。588。Iobserve，thatonthisheadphysiciansaredivided；andthenatureandoperationofthediseasemaynotalwaysbesimilar。]
[Footnote92:ItwasthusthatSocrateshadbeensavedbyhistemperance，intheplagueofAthens，Aul。Gellius，Noct。Attic。
ii。l。Dr。Meadaccountsforthepeculiarsalubrityofreligioushouses，bythetwoadvantagesofseclusionandabstinence，p。
18，19。]
Contagionistheinseparablesymptomoftheplague；which，bymutualrespiration，istransfusedfromtheinfectedpersonstothelungsandstomachofthosewhoapproachthem。Whilephilosophersbelieveandtremble，itissingular，thattheexistenceofarealdangershouldhavebeendeniedbyapeoplemostpronetovainandimaginaryterrors。^93Yetthefellow—citizensofProcopiusweresatisfied，bysomeshortandpartialexperience，thattheinfectioncouldnotbegainedbytheclosestconversation:^94andthispersuasionmightsupporttheassiduityoffriendsorphysiciansinthecareofthesick，whominhumanprudencewouldhavecondemnedtosolitudeanddespair。