norance and folly were rampant, seeing
that more than 1000 years previously the Greeks knew all about the
causes of eclipses.

Under 1078 the _Anglo-Saxon Chronicle_ says:--"In this year the Moon was
eclipsed 3 nights before Candlemas, and AEgelwig, the 'world-wide' Abbot
of Evesham, died on St. Juliana's Mass-day [Feb. 16]; and in this year
was the dry summer, and wildfire came in many Shires and burned many
towns." Johnson found that a total eclipse of the Moon happened in the
early evening of Jan. 30.

On May 5, 1110, in the reign of Henry I., there occurred a total eclipse
of the Moon during which, says the _Anglo-Saxon Chronicle_, "the Moon
appeared in the evening brightly shining and afterwards by little and
little its light waned, so that as soon as it was night it was so
completely quenched that neither light nor orb nor anything at all of it
was seen. And so it continued very near until day, and then appeared
full and brightly shining. It was on this same day a fortnight old. All
the night the air was very clear, and the stars over all the heaven were
brightly shining. And the tree-fruits on that night were sorely nipt."
The totality occurred before mid-night. It is evident that this was an
instance of a "black" eclipse when the Moon becomes quite invisible
instead of shining with the familiar coppery hue.

In 1117 there were two total eclipses, the first on June 16, and the
second on December 10. The latter is thus referred to in the
_Anglo-Saxon Chronicle_:--"In the night of the 3rd of the Ides of
December the Moon was far in [during a long time of] the night as if it
were all bloody, and afterwards eclipsed." The totality commenced at
11.36 p.m.

It is recorded by Matthew Paris[132] in connection with the death of
Henry I. that "the Moon also was eclipsed the same year on the 29th of
July" [1135]. These words seem to indicate a total eclipse of the Moon.
Johnson gives the date as Dec. 22, 1135. If this is correct the text of
the _Chronicle_ must be corrupt. The whole eclipse was not visible in
England, the Moon setting before the middle of the eclipse. Stephen had
been crowned king the same day, namely Dec. 22.

On June 30, 1349, there was a total eclipse of the Moon visible at
London to which some interest attaches. Archdeacon Churton[133] connects
it with the following incident:--"The worthy Abp. Bradwardine, who
nourished in the reign of the Norman Edwards, and died A.D. 1349, tells
a story of a wit