The History of Monsters. 735

it appears. The cause of this diversity is that the innermost part of these openings is always pressed by the extreme cold of the air's middle region—the very place where these chasms frequently occur. However, this thickening varies and differs according to whether it is greater or lesser.

Therefore, when the exhalation has become very thick, it is necessary for that part to heat up more and emerge like a torch. If, however, the exhalation is moderate, the sky will appear to gape without the image of a torch or any effluvia. Moreover, whenever torches appear, they are always associated with these chasms, because they are never seen by day, but always by night. This happens because of the Sun's brightness, which obscures other colors during the day. The same thing occurs at night, except regarding the color black; for although black does not emit a beam of light at that time that might cloud the brightness of others, it still transmits some light to the stars during the night. The reflection of this light prevents other colors from being able to represent the aforementioned figures, since all colors other than black are closer to white. This similarity causes the image to be represented by the chasm as if it were further away, appearing at a greater distance.

If we wish to turn to specific examples of these impressions, we first encounter Pliny, who reported that in the 403rd year from the founding of Rome, a horrific chasm appeared, crowned by a massive outflow of fire. But there is no need to wander through ancient examples; the same occurred in the year 1564, when the three superior planets—namely Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars—and nearly all the others met in the final parts of Cancer or, according to others, in the first degrees of Leo. This assembly was remarkable, not only because the influence of this planetary conjunction lasted for several years, but also because of the continuous progress of the Moon, which moved in a steady series from the conjunction of one planet to the meeting with another. In that same year, various celestial impressions were observed.

Among these impressions, two chasms were observed; according to Gemma, the first in February and the second in October, both of nearly identical form, struck great terror into those who saw them. For within a dark border, a bright cloud surpassing the moon’s brilliance appeared, and various outflows of rays and flames, arranged alternately, were moved by the simple force of the winds. It seemed as if the sky were gaping open, forming a vast maw that threatened to swallow the entire sublunary world, just as is shown in Figure I.

Again, in the year 1568, in the month of September, a chasm or abyss of the sky appeared in Belgium toward the North. Throughout the entire night, it illuminated the air with what looked like shaken burning spears, darts, and globes of flame. Cornelius Gemma states that this happened just before the ill-fated invasion of Belgium by German soldiers.

Likewise, in September of the year 1569, Cornelius Gemma learned from Spanish soldiers stationed in Belgium—who happened to be standing guard at the time—that on the night of the tenth, the sky appeared as if drenched in blood from the direction of the Hellespont. Then, with a terrifying light, a red, eight-pointed cross appeared, followed finally by a white cross of such wondrous brilliance that those looking at it could hardly bear the sight. Indeed, the sky then seemed to split apart in a way, with stars seemingly running about and darting flames, as shown in Figure II.

But, as Gemma says, if one compares the bloodshed that followed to the phenomenon of that most brilliant cross, it must undoubtedly be asserted that it proceeded not from a natural cause, but immediately from the First Cause of all things. Even so, in the year 1114, during the reign of Henry V, Emperor of the Romans, on the feast of Easter, the sky was torn open by a vast chasm and emitted a bright glow for the space of an hour; then the image of a golden cross appeared in the middle of the chasm.

Furthermore, in September 1571, in Belgium near Leuven, another chasm was seen in that part of the air facing the Northwest, not unlike those already described; which, according to Gemma's view,