Een ster of een gevaarlijk leger…
I HAVE seene my selfe in the campe, from the souldiours sentinels in the night watch, the resemblance of lightening to sticke fast upon the speares and pikes set before the rampiat. They settle also upon the crosse saile-yards, and other parts of the ship, as men doe saile in the sea: making a kind of vocall sound, leaping too and fro, and shifting their places as birds doe which flie from bough to bough. Daungerous they be and unluckie, when they come one by one without a companion: and they drown those ships on which they light, and threaten shipwrack, yea, and they set them on fire if haply they fall upon the bottome of the Keele. But if they appeare two and two together, they bring comfort with them, and foretell a prosperous course in the voiage, as by whole comming, they say, that dreadfull, cursed, and threatening Meteor called Helena, is chased and driven away. And thereupon it is, that men assigne this mightie power to Castor and Pollux, and invocate them at sea, no lesse than gods. Mens heads also in the even-tide are seene many times to shine round about, and to be of a light fire, which presageth some great matter. Of all these things there is no certain reason to be given, but secret these be, hidden with the majestie of Nature, and reserved within her Cabinet. (Translation Philemon Holland, 1601)