David Ketterer surmises that Twain might have been aware that the nearest full solar eclipse to 528 A.D. occurred on 1 September 538, but he argues that "because Twain has symbolic reasons for the particular day and time, historical accuracy is not to be expected" (New Worlds for Old, p. 218n). -- Prof. Harold K. Bush Professor of English 3800 Lindell Saint Louis University St. Louis, MO 63108 314-977-3616 (w); 314-771-6795 (h) <www.slu.edu/x23809.xml>