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Deare Unckle Babington

Having an opertunity I make boud to trouble you with these few Lines hopeing that they will find you & the Rest wth you in helth & safety praying to god to grant you peace & quietness & setle your Land in a peaceable condition{.} I have bene Ill allmost this 12 Months but Especiously from Octo {illeg}|2| on wch day I got a fall from horce back by wch I gott as I suppose some Inward Bruse that I have bene in a very weake condition ever since so yt I have not beene above 2 miles from home never since Octobr ye 2 sometimes I am in some hopes of Recovery & sometimes to the Contrary much fearing a Consumption{.} I have heare incloased sent you a Coppey or Table of the Moation of a Comet that appeared with us Last falle in Maryland wch as I suppoase did first appeare a morning star in the South East Nov 16: 1680 the 19th I did see it about 5 in ye morning in neare conjunction with ye virgins Spike ye comet being Elivated above it about 34 of a degree: ye 20th of Nov at 5 in the morning I beheld it & it was then about 2 degrees under Spica virginis being very swift in Motion declineing much to ye southward being direct haveing south Latitude ye 22 of Nov affter brake of ye day I did see it neare ye South East wch seemed to me as though it would come to the meridian with Arcturus affter wch day we haveing about a weke of clowdey mornings the comet being direct & swift in motion drew so neare the Sun that that {sic} it was not seene no more with us till I suppoase till as I suppoase {sic} it became an Evening star wch was first sene then to appeare with us {it} was december the 16th that ye Comet appeared: but part of the Taile or Streame thereof It being so Large & bright was seene about ye 10th day affter Sun Sett in the South west wch was a very great amaizement to many & likewise to my selfe to see such a Long bright streame then In forme like a Sword Streameing from ye Horizon abo{illeg}\ut/ 30degs in altitude being so nearly affter Sun Set & no star to be Seene with us Till ye 16 day wch was the first time that Observations could be made as is heare shewed by this Encloased table{.} Though I have sett downe theare Every dayes Motion from the 16th of decembr to ye 13th of Jan yet my da{illeg}|yes| of Observation was as followeth Impr Dec' 16 & 17: ye 25th ye 26: ye 28 ye 30th: Jan ye :1: ye 2: ye 7 & 8: ye 11 & 13 ye ye {sic} 25th & 26: ye 30 & 31: after wch time the Comet was so Obscured yt Observation could not \be/ well maid though part of the taile appeared till about ye 5th of feb: about wch time it Spent it Selfe to Southward of the Head of Meduza: But {w{tt}} neede I trouble you with a Table there of So rudely cumpoased for no doubt but you ar furnished Long before this with tables thereof far more presise & exact then this is by Observations wch hath bene allredey made with you by far more Large & Costley Instruments then mine be for I suppoase that ye Comet did appeare To all Inhabitable parts of the world by Reason of ye North & South declination it had though I suppoase yt being a Eveing star it might in some placeis appeare sooner then in others{.} Therefore If you please to do me that kindeness as to Lett Mr Newton {illeg} Looke over this Table To see how much I have Ered in my Observation\s/ & If he please to give me an Accompt thereof{.} As for the Instrument by wch I Observed, it was but a pocket pece & there\fore/ cannot be so Exact as those of far Larger Sizeses therefore mine may sometimes faile about one degree in the Right Ascension & 12 a deg in the declination wch is in some placeis \yes {sic}/ but one forth part of a dayes Motion{.} As for ye Longitude of this place I suppoase it to be about 75degs from London westwardly{.} But If Mr Newton be more desirous to know the Trueth thereof There was an Eclips of the Mone Feb 22: 168081_ the beginning with us was about 4Hors=45min in the Morning the Moone at Setting neare about 10 digits Eclipsed by wch meanes ye Longt may somewhat nearly be Obtained by them who ar well versed in astronomy: Our Latitude being 38=30.

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Haveing no moore at present but my Duty To you with my Best Respects To All my frends wth you I Rest at your Command your Nephew To serve you: Arth: Storer

From Patuxant River in Maryland neare Mr {illeg}kinders neare Hunting Creek Aprill 18: 1681

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For the Reverend Doct Humph:
Babington at Treynety Colidg
In Cambridig Diliver
|{in {illeg}}|{4}

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ye  Month& Day1680Time ofObservatio_Hour:   MinRightAscensionDegs:   MinyeDeclinationDeg:   MinTheCulminationDeg:  :Min Dece_165=45286=3007:S:3015::15 0.   .0175=45290=1505:S:3018::45 185=45294=0003:S:3022::15 195=45297=3001:S:3025::30 205=45301=0000:N:0029::30 215=45304=3002:N:4502::15 225=45308=0004:N:5005::30 235=45311=3007:N:0009::00 245=45315=0009:N:1512::30 0.   .0255=45318=4511:N:3016::15 0.   .0265=45322=3013:N:3020::00 275=45326=3015:N:1524::00 0.   .0286=00330=3017:N:0028::15 296=00334=3018:N:4502::30 0.   .0306=00338=3020:N:3006::45 316=00342=1522:N:0010::45 Ian:0016=00346=0023:N:1514::45 0.   .0026=00349=1524:N:3018::20 36=00352=1525:N:1521::40 46=00355=0026:N:0024::30 56=00357=3026:N:4027::15 66=00359=4527:N:2029::45 0.   .0078=00002=1628:N:0002::30 0.   .0088=00004=4528:N:3005::15 98=00007=0029:N:0007::45 108=00009=1529:N:3010::00 118=00011=1529:N:5012::15 0.   .0128=00013=1530:N:0514::15 0.   .0138=00015=1530:N:2016::15 0 0.   .0258=00031=4531:N:0504::45 0.   .0268=00032=4531:N:2005::00 0 0.   .0308=15036=1531:N:2008::45 0.   .0318=15036=4531:N:2009::15 0

A Table shewing The Right Ascension declination and Culmination of A Comet that first appeared an Eveing star Decembr the 16th 1680: In Maryland The Latitude 38d=30m and the Longitude from London about 75degs=00m Westardly{.} The use of the Table is thus In the first Collumn towards ye left hand sheweth the month day & yeare{.} In the second Collumn sheweth the hour & min of the night that the Observation was made{.} The third Collumn sheweth the Comets Right Ascension in Degrs & min{.} The Fourth Collumn sheweth the Comets declination in Degrs & min the Letter S: signifyeth South Declination & :N: North: The Fifth Collumn sheweth the deg signe & min of the Comets Cullmination vizd when the Comet Comes to ye meridian with the Sun &c{.}

This Comet as I supoase did first appeare a Morning Star & as far as I can give notice thereof was first seene with us to appeare In Maryland was {sic} November ye :16: 1680: Being a Morning Star In the South west which I suppose then to be neare the 10th degre of Libra haveing then but Litle Latitude from ye Ecliptick being as I suppoase Northward: of frijday ye 19th about 5 in the Morning I did see it about South East in neare Conjun\c/tion with the virgines Spike ye Comett being elivated above it about 34 of a degree at wch time I beheld it with a prospective glass & seemed to me to be very bigg so yt I could Judg it to be no Less then 2 or 3 \times/ bigger then Spica virgne {sic} as I compared them by the glass wch appeared of a grim pale Leadon Coller more Like a bright cloud then a star the Taile then being about 15d or :20d: in Length darting uppwards as the Evening Comet did the 20th day of Nov about 5 in the morning I beheld it & it was then about 2days under Spica virginis Being very swift in motion & direct the 22 day of November I did see it neare ye S: East wch seemed to me to Come \as though it would come/ to ye Meridian with Arcturus after wch day was about a weke or better of clowdey wether with us {I &} ye the & ye comet being Direct & very swift in Motion drew so nare {sic} ye Sunn that it was not seene no moore with us: till as I suppose it became an Evening Star wch was first seene then to appeare wth us was Decembr 16th that the comet appeared but part of ye taile or streame therof it being so Large & bright was seene about ye 10th day of Decembr after Sun Sett in the south west wch was a very great amazement to many & Likewise to my selfe to see such a Long bright streame then in forme Like a sword streameing from the Horizon above 30degs in altitude being so nearely after Sun Sett & no star then to be seene: the 16th day when first the Comet appeared I Observed the Leingth of the taile wch was then about 55 or 60 Degrs in Length & Likewise the hight of the Taile when that ye comett was about setting neare about 45 degrs so that I did observe that ye Taile did appeare affter that the comett was sett about 3 or 4 hours it being so bright & Long that I suppoase yt ye Like hath not beene seene this 100: of yeares for to have so Large & bright a streame or taile though the Comett was but small not much \neare/ so bigg to ye Ey as the morning Comet Weare & ye Reason is as I suppoase is because it was neare ye Sun & had in a months Time above 14 spent it selfe for 5 or 6 months time is supposed to spend ye Greatest comet as Ever yet was seene{.} I might have heare sett downe the Longitude & Lat' But by Reason of the Smallness of my Instruments by wch I observed I might be subject apt to faile somewhat of Exactness thereby wch may by Chance faile about one Degree in the Right Ascension & halfe a degree in ye Declination{.} Therefore I Omitted the Longitude & Lat' & sett downe onely the Right Ascension {illeg}|D|eclination & time of Cullmination whereby is Easily gained the Longitude & Lat' & likewise the Comets Ryseing Southing & Setting Altitude Amplitude Azimuth the Cozmicall Rysing & Acronicall Setting for Every day from decemb :16th: to Jan 13 & ye Rest According to ye Table &c{.}

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Professor Rob Iliffe
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Fellow & Perne librarian, Peterhouse, Cambridge

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