assed
right across England from Cornwall to Norfolk, and the phenomenon was
carefully observed and described by the most experienced astronomer of
the time, Dr. Edmund Halley. The line of totality passed over London
amongst other places, and as the maximum phase took place soon after 9
a.m. on a fine spring morning, the inhabitants of the Metropolis saw a
sight which their successors will not see again till many generations
have come and gone. Halley has left behind him an exceedingly
interesting account of this event, some allusions to which have already
been made.

He seems to have seen what we call the Corona, described by him however
as a "luminous ring," "of a pale whiteness, or rather pearl colour, a
little tinged with the colours of the Iris, and concentric with the
Moon." He speaks also of a dusky but strong red light which seemed to
colour the dark edge of the Moon just before the Sun emerged from
totality. Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, and the stars Capella and Aldebaran
were seen in London, whilst N. of London, more directly under the
central line, as many as twenty stars were seen.

The inhabitants of England who lived in the reign of George I. were
singularly fortunate in their chances of seeing total eclipses of the
Sun, for only nine years after[99] the one just described, namely, on
May 22, 1724, another total eclipse occurred. The central line crossed
some of the southern countries, and the phenomenon was well seen and
reported on by Dr. Stukeley,[100] who stationed himself on Haraden Hill,
near Salisbury. The Doctor says of the darkness that he seemed to "feel
it, as it were, drop upon us ... like a great dark mantle," and that
during the totality the spectacle presented to his view "was beyond all
that he had ever seen or could picture to his imagination the most
solemn." He could with difficulty discern the faces of his companions
which had a ghastly startling appearance. When the totality was ending
there appeared a small lucid spot, and from it ran a rim of faint
brightness. In about 31/2 minutes from this appearance the hill-tops
changed from black to blue, the horizon gave out the grey streaks
previous to morning dawn, and the birds sprang joyously into the air.

This eclipse seems to have had royal observers. It was watched at
Kensington apparently by the King or some of the royal family of
England, and at Trianon (Paris) by the King of France,[101] under the
competent guidance of Maraldi, Cassini