CHAP. I.

AMong the simple and honest An­cients, who were the Founders and Advancers of that Noblest of Sciences, which speculates those glorious Bodies shining above us, and causing the necessary vicissi­tudes of Times and Seasons; Astro­nomy and Astrology were names indiscriminately importing one and the same thing. But after a long process of time, when the fraudulent and superstitious Chaldeans had corrupted the purity of this Science, by foisting in their Vanities, and ascribing cer­tain prodigious vertues to Heavenly Bodies over inferior [Page 2] ones, as if their influences were fatal and inevitable; it came to pass, that men made a Difference betwixt the one and the other: defining Astronomy to be that, which considers the motions, distance, order, magnitude, light, and other adjuncts of the Stars, both fixt and erratique; and Astrology to be that, which teacheth the way of foreknowing and foretelling the effects and events of such their Motions, Conjunctions, oppositions, &c. whereupon the Grecians infected with the fooleries of the Chaldeans, called the same [...] for distinction sake.

This distinction some have thought to be a Novelty; but we find it plainly mentioned by Simplicius (in 2. physic. text 18.) by Olympiodorus (in lib. 1. Meteor.) and by Sextus Empiricus (advers. Mathemat.) The last of whom addeth also, that Astrology was called, by way of excellency, the Mathematicks; as being that Art, which the Chaldeans professing with great ostenta­tion, arrogated to themselves the proud title of Mathe­maticians: which I the rather take notice of, to inti­mate with how little reason, and ridiculous authority, the Prophetique Astrologers of our Age usurp that noble attribute to themselves. Agellius (lib. 14. cap. 1. 4. and 7.) noteth moreover, that the same Professors named themselves Genethliacks, from the calculation of Mens Nativities: and St. Augustine (in Confession.) inveighs with judicious severity against them, under the title of Planetarians. That in our dayes, they call themselves Judiciary Astrologers, and their mighty Art, Astrology Judicial; is well known. I wish the fallacious and cheating Fundaments of their Art were as well known; And to shew I have good reason for this my wish, be pleased to consider with me.

CHAP. II.

IN the First place, that we may the better compre­hend what shall be delivered in the sequel of our discourse, let us premise this general Rule. That what­soever [Page 4] doth import the knowledge of any effect to come, ought to be either the necessary Cause of that particular effect, or which being posited, such an effect doth alwaies follow; or as a necessary Signe, or which being given, such an Event doth always succeed.

For Example, because the Sun, as often as it approa­cheth to the Vernal Equinox, doth cause the Plants to bud forth, and produce Flowers; and because when the day-break is perceived in the East, the Sun doth soon after shew it self above the Horizon: therefore is it easy for us in Winter to foretell the approach of the Spring, and the Budding forth of Flowers; and in the Morning twilight, to foreknow the approach of perfect Day; the former, in respect of the necessity, of the Cause, and the latter in respect of the necessity of the Signe. But, if there were no such necessity, and that either such a Cause, or such a Signe were not alwaies attended with such an effect; or that such an effect did somtimes succeed without the precession of such a Cause, or such a Signe: it is manifest, that we might have indeed a Conjecture, but no certain foreknowledge of either of those Effects.

I say a Conjecture, and that's the most. Because un­less many Observations concurr to attest, that such a Cause, or Signe is more frequenly attended on by that particular effect, than not; or that that effect doth more usually succeed upon that Cause, and after that Signe, than upon any other; in that case, our Conjecture would be a meer Hariolation, or Divination, at best.

In the next place, let us propose this considerable truth. That the Certain and Infallible Prenotion of things to come, whose necessary connexion to their particular Cau­ses [Page 5] or signes is unknown to man, ought to be ascribed to none but God himself, who made and ordereth all Cau­ses, Signes and Events, For substracting the knowledge of this necessary Connexion, we have no help remaining for our prevision that such things will come to pass; un­less God, who seeth into the darkness of Futurity, shall please to reveal them to us. And hence doubtless is it that such as use to prophesy of things to come, are called Divines; and their Prediction is called Divination.

Nor is it sacred Writ alone, which declareth the knowledge of future Events to be the prerogative of God; according to that of Isai. (chap. 41.) Tell us what is to come hereafter, and we shall know you to be Gods: but even the Ethnicks generally acknowledged the same, as Horat.

And thereupon they enquired concerning future suc­cesses, of only such, as they beleeved acquainted with the secrets and Counsells of Divinity, and were Divino Numine afflati, or Entheati.

CHAP. III.

REflecting upon the Antiquity of this Divining by the Stars, we perceive, that for certain the Inven­tors of it were the Chaldean, or Babylonian Philosophers.

For, though the Egyptians, who of all other Nations seem to have the best pretext to rival them in that ho­nour, [Page 6] gloriously boast, that the Chaldeans were at first an excrescence of themselves cast off in a Colony, and sent abroad to make themselves more room, as Diodorus reports, (lib 1.) yet the Egyptians with scorn and in­dignation have denied that extraction. Again, where­as the Egyptians accounted fifty thousand years from the time their Ancestors first made Celestial Observations: the Chaldeans have been much larger in their fiction, and reckon no less than four hundred and seventy thou­sand years, from the original of that science among their Fore-fathers; as I have more expresly declared, in my Preface to the life of Tycho Brahe, &c. But, to wave their fictious titles to this invention; it is well known, that from the most ancient memory of that Nation, the Chaldeans and Astrologers were taken for the same Men; and easily proved, that the Astrology which first came to the Grecians (from whom it was afterward de­rived down to the Latines and Arabians, was translated thither by Berosus. who (as Vitruvius lib. 9. cap. 7. saith) First sate down in the Isle and City of Cous, and there opened a School for the teaching of the Art of Astrology. Moreover it is evident, that the Chaldeans were generally possessed with this opinion, that the Pla­nets, because they observed not the same course with the Fixt Stars, were Interpreters of the will of the Gods, and did declare their determinations and purposes concern­ing sublunary affairs, to us Mortals here below; and this somtimes by their Rising, somtimes by their Setting, somtimes by their Colure, somtimes by their Positions, and somtimes by other Adjuncts and Circumstances and that they did conform their wanderings to the tract of the Zodiack, only because therein were twelve Princely [Page 7] Gods presiding over the twelve Signes; there being be­sides thirty other Stars, as privy Councellours to those Deities, which did Observe and recount all occurrences upon the Earth, that the Celestial Senate might consult and decree accordingly. All which Diodorus relates more expressly then any other Author, And though the first Inventors of this Dream, might perhaps designe it as a plausible Fiction to gull the Common People, who otherwise would have derided the Contemplation of the Stars (for I need not tell you, that the Vulgar esteem this Study wholly vain and useless, unless in respect of the supposed virtue of it, for the foreknowledge of things to come) yet those who came after, seriously endeavoured to advance their reputation by promoting the same as a truth, while they enquired how, by the inspection of the Stars, they might attain to the prescience of future E­vents, and taught a certain method for the traduction thereof to others.

But this among the rest is well worthy our remark; that this Astrology was not propagated without the con­currence of Superstitious Credulity; and that in no smal proportion.

It is objected (I know) That we ought not to account that Art Superstitious, which seems to have God himself for its Author, according to that saying in Genesis (1. 1.) that He created the Sun, Moon, and Stars, that they might serve for Signes, and Seasons, and Dayes, and Years.

But they who make this Objection, ought to shew us when and how He instituted this Art; and where he hath declared that he created those Luminaries to that end, that we might come to a foreknowledge of future [Page 8] Events, such as the vain glorious Professors of it boast themselves able to divine from the Observation of them. Now, no such thing can be proved; for, as to that text of Scripture, it must be understood only of the Signes of Seasons, of the Times of Festivals, and other the like vicissitudes. And to rack the meaning of it to the pre­significations of particular Humane Accidents, as Marri­age, or single life; Children, or barenness; wealth, or poverty; love or enmity; honour, or infancy; virtue, or debauchedness; length, or shortness of Life; health, or sickness; Death natural, or Violent; prosperity, or infelicity in designes; Warr, or Peace; plenty, or fa­mine; victory, or captivity; and a thousand other the like occurents and encounters both in States, and private families and persons (all which our Star-prophets pre­tend to foretell:) I say to extend the sence of that place of Scripture to the presignification of such Events, is ma­nifestly repugnant to the Scripture it self in many other places, wherein it doth expresly teach, that such future Events can be foreknown only to the Prophets, i. e. men possessed with the Spirit of God, and selected for Supernatural Revelations, not such as are addicted to Star-gazing. For, the Divine Spirit doth condemn the Chaldeans themselves, for professing that they could deduce the knowledge of things to come, from their skill in observing the Heavens. That place in the Pro­phet Isai (chap. 47.) is well known, where speaking to Babylon, which he calls the Daughter of the Chalde­ans, he saith; Thou hast failed (or art wearied) in the multitude of thy Councells; let now the Astrologers, the Star-gazers, the monthly Prognosticators stand up, and save thee from these things, that shall come upon thee. [Page 9] Behold, they shall be as stubble, the fire shall burn them, they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the Flame, &c. So likewise is that of Ieremy (chap. 10.) Learn not the way of the Heathen; nor be dismay'd at the signes of Heaven, for the Heathen are dismayd at them, and the customes of the people are vain.

But before we come to examine the Presignifications themselves, you perhaps desire to be informed, what rea­sons I have to rest satisfied in that tradition of Vitruvius I now mentioned, concerning the first introduction of Astrology into Greece by Berosus, and that the Grecians had no knowledge thereof before his daies. And this because that introduction of it by him, and the ad­vance of it by Antipater and Achinapolus, were no high­er than the Age wherein Epicurus lived; and because all those more antique Poets, Philosophers, and other Authors made frequent mention of Astrology and Pre­dictions from the Stars: and the Author of that Book concerning Astrology, which is ascribed to Lucian, enu­merateth Orpheus Tiresias, and others who taught Astro­logy to the Greeks.

Wherefore, to justify my opinion in that particular, I affirm; that as to Orpheus, Tiresias, and others, the tradition is meerly Fabulous, and grounded only upon a presumption, that these men predicted things before they came to pass, and especially Tiresias, whose fable is known to every Man. But here it is memorable, that though this Author doth confidently avouch, that the Ethiopi­ans and Egyptians were the first Inventors of Astrology; yet he afterwards confesseth, that the Grecians heard nothing of that Art from either of them: so that from his testimony nothing can be alledged to impugne that [Page 10] probable opinion of Vitruvius, that Astrology was de­rived to the Grecians from the Chaldeans. As for the rest; true it is indeed, that the name of Astrology was of much greater antiquity among the Grecians, then that of Berosus; but they thereby understood no other sci­ence but what Plato alwaies called Astronomy (as it is even in our daies, to distinguish it from the Judiciary, which hath by custome acquired and appropriated to it self the honourable title of Astrology; and this even from the time of Sextus Empiricus, when that difference became Vulgar) but not this Divining Art, concerning which Plato, Aristotle and other of the Ancient Greci­an Philosophers are wholly silent; except only where Aristotle (1. politic. 11.) refers to Astrology that pre­diction of Thales, concerning a great plenty of Olives to come in the following Autumn, which yet was only Me­teorological, as I shall have occasion to declare more particularly hereafter. For though (in prior. 30.) He hath this saying, Astrologicam Experientiam trudere principia scientiae Astrologicae; yet he thereby intends only Astronomy, calling the Observations of the Celesti­al Phenomena, Experience, according to which Hypothe­ses (or as He there termeth them) Demonstrations ought to be excogitated. And when Epicurus seems to deride Astronomical Curiosities, calling them [...], Servilia Astrologorum machina­menta, and [...] Inanem Astrologiam: we ought to understand him only of the too scrupulous, and unprofitable study of framing several Hypotheses or suppositions for the solution of the Apparences. I deny not but Eudoxus (somwhat the ancienter of the two, as being an Auditor of Plato, and mentioned with attri­butes [Page 11] of honour more than once by Aristotle) speaketh plainly of Chaldaicall predictions, as making it one part of his busines to reprehend and condemn them: and yet I must affirm that he did this, not that he had learned them of his Country men, the Grecians, but that in his various peregrinations in the East, he had gotten the knowledge of that prestigious Art from the Chaldeans. Again though Vitruvius be positive, that Berosus first opened a School for the erudition of Men in this cor­rupted Astrology, and taught it publickly in Greece; yet that hinders not but that some other men, otherwise well learned, may have travelled through Greece, and professing themselves to be Chaldeans, and skilfull in those studies, dropt up and down some rude hints and imperfect rudiments of this Sophistry, as they wandred from place to place; as in our dayes, we see a sort of vile and impudent Vagabonds, who run up and down, owning themselves for native Egyptians, and deluding the credulous multitude with pretences of strange myste­rious insight into the rols of Destiny, and predictions of the fortunes of particular Persons. So that it is no won­der, if Plato, Aristotle and other great Men had those obscure fellows in such contempt, as they would not vouchsase so much as to name them in their writings. For observe how Cicero, in whose time Astrology seems to have gotten somwhat more of reputation among the People, doth not only call it Monstra Chaldaeorum; the monstrous issue of the Chaldeans brains; but also re­proacheth it with the odious terms of vis maxima er­roris, and deliralis incredibilis, the very quintessence of Error, and a madness incredible; adding withall, non omnem errorem dicondum esse stultitiam, most ingeni­ously [Page 12] intimating the Fraud aswell as folly of Divinatory Astrology: in his 2. Books de Divinatione. Further­more, it is likewise true, that in the ancient Greek Poets, Philosophers, and other eminent Authors, we read of various predictions from the Stars: but these were very far different from the Art Astrological, which the Chal­deans of old, and our half-witted Astromancers now a dayes so much glory in. For, such Prognostications no­thing at all concerned the Events of Human affairs (to which Astrologers chiefly pretend) but only the several mutations of the Air, of Tempests, of plenty or dear years, and the like: and these they deduced only from the various Risings and Settings of the Stars as may be proved out of Hippocrates (lib. de aer. aqu & loc.) Pla­to (in Epinom.) who speaks that particularly of Hesiod, and some other old writers; but not from the casting of Figures (as the Vulgar phrase is) or the laborious E­recting of Scheams, so much used by our Astrologers, and admired by the ignorant, who address to them as to the oracles of Fate, and the secretaries of Divinity.

It appears therefore, that those Predictions recorded among the Ancient Grecians, were not called Astrologi­call; but by the simple and modest appellation of [...] Presignifications, or rather yet more simply, Significations; and this, because the Stars, according to the variety of their Risings and Settings, do signify as well the several seasons of the year, for Seed time, for Harvest, and for other works of Agriculture; as the dayes, on which the Husbandman may expect Rain, Winds, and other changes of Weather.

Nor was this observed only by the Grecians, but fa­miliar to most, if not all other Nations; as it is even with [Page 13] us frequent, for such Country People as have no Kalen­ders, and cannot read them if they had, to observe cer­tain Celestial Signes, or Stars, which as they either Rise in the Morning, or Set in the Evening; and as they are near unto, or far from the Sun at its Rising or Setting declare at what seasons, through the whole course of the, Year, such and such labours of Husbandry are most opportunely to be performed. And yet, I must confess, the Grecians seem to have been more studious and exact than any other Nation, not only in observing, but also in digesting into Tables, both upon what dayes of the Year such and such of the principal Stars usually arise and Set; and those mutations of the Air, or changes of Weather, which did commonly succeed at such times, and so may be signified by them accordingly. I dare not affirm that they took occasion for this their exactness from that vast Golden Circle, erected in Egypt, and at last plundered by Cambyses; which according to the account of Diodorus, was a Cubit in thickness, and three hundred sixty and five Cubits in compass; with an inscription of each day in the Year on a particular Cubits space, and the names and significations of those Stars, that Rise or Set on each day respectively. Yet certain I am of this, that Geminus (in Element. Astron. cap. 14.) tels us, that the Ancients usually made this Observation, that taking the Signe, and the degree of that Signe, in which the Sun was in the beginning of the Year, or first step of his annual progress; and note­ing afterward what changes of the Air or Weather did commonly fall out upon each day, Week and Moneth: they might at length referr that change to the places of the Sun through every Signe and degree thereof in the [Page 14] Zodiack. His words are worthy the reading, and therefore I shall faithfully recite them. Id autem per plures annos observantes, mutationes, quae maxime arc a Zodiaci signa & loca contingerent, conscripserunt in Fabulis; non ex arte aliqua, ne (que) ex certa methodo describentes, sed ab Experientia id, quod prope verum, [...] congrueret, sumentes. And of these Ob­servations were framed Tables, such as the Grecians called [...] some whereof are extant even at this day, as particularly those of Geminus himself, and of Ptolomy: and those were collected out of the more antique ones of Democritus, Metrodorus, Dositheus, Euctemon, Meton, Eudoxus, Calippus, Hipparchus, Philippus, Philemon, Caesar, and others. For every one, according to his curiosity of experimenting, what changes of Weather dayly hapned in his Country; com­posed a certain Diary of such changes, and of many Di­aries made Year after Year, framed at last one great Parapegme or Table; the Risings and Settings of the Stars, and the affections of the Air observed most com­monly to ensue immediately thereupon, being expressly referred to each day respectively. Hence some of the principal of these Parapegmes were so translated into Kalenders, as that it is manifest Ovid would from thence illustrate his Fasti.

And at this day our Vulgar Kalenders retain so much of the Ancient fashion, as that in every month is insert­ed the precise time of the Suns ingress or entrance into the Signe proper thereto; how many hours are in each day; together with the image of Harvest, Vintage, and [Page 15] what is else the chief business of the Husbandman in each Month.

Hence also were derived these General Precepts of Good Husbandry, which are delivered in elegant verse by Hesiod among the Greeks, and by Virgil among the Latines, in imitation of him in his Georgicks.

CHAP. IV.

THat this was the Tenent of Epicurus, and most other of the more sage and orthodox Philosophers among the Ancients, is suffici­ently inferrible from the very modesty of the word [...] Significationes, as was afore intima­ted; which they generally used, as most proper to express this notion.

Besides, as for the General Cause of Seasons, and aereal mutations, they referred them for the most part to the Sun, allowing nevertheless some activity in the Moon, together with inferior causes, towards the production of Cold, Wind, Rain, and the like changes of Weather: but the Stars both fixt and erratique they accounted no other then meer Signes of those particular times, wherein the Sun and other Causes do usually concurr to the ge­neration of Heat, Rain, Winds, and the like mutations in the Air. That Epicurus was of this opinion, is plain from his text, in the 10. Book of Diogenes Laertius; the [Page 16] sence whereof is this. ‘That whereas the Risings and Settings of the Stars, according to the course of the Year, do signify the various mutations of the temper of the Air, proper to each of the four seasons; in this they do no more then the Swallows and other Fowles of the Air, which by their coming, presage the advent of the Spring; and by their departure again in the end of Autumn, foretell the approach of Winter; and no more then some certain changes of the Air, as the Rain-bow, Thunder, Clouds, which foretell other changes immediately to succeed, as serenity, showers, &c. Because as the Swallows are not the Cause of the Spring, nor the Rainbow of clear Weather; but only a signe thereof; so is not (for Example) the Ri­sing of the Dog star a Cause of the great Heat and Drought that usually possesseth the Air at that time; but only a Signe of that time, when the Sun doth an­nually parch the Earth, and rost the inhabitants of it.’ As for other Philosophers; see what Geminus saith a­mong the rest. Astrorum exortibus mutationes fiunt, non quod Astra vim habeant ad mutationem ventorum, aut imbrium; sed quod signi gratiâ assumpta sint, ad hoc, ut pernoscamus aeris affectiones. Et veluti Fax non ipsa est causa motus bellici, sed bellici temporis sig­num; sic etiam Astrorum ortus non ipsi sunt causa mu­tationum aeris, verum posita ut Signa talium affectio­num. And afterwards speaking of the Rising of the Dog-star, he saith; Omnes putant hanc stellam vim ha­bere propriam, & causam esse intensionis aestuum, dum simul oritur cum sole: attamen res non sic se habet; sed quoniam juxta calidissimum tempus, cum haec stella or­tum faciebat; hujus apparitione, aeris in aestum mutatio­nem [Page 17] significârunt. And that you may not think Aristo­tle one of those, who held the Rising of the Dog-star, Orion, or any other Constellation, to be any more but a simple signe of the Mutations hapning in the Air about those times; please you to observe how among his Pro­blemes (sect. 26. quaest. 12. and 13) enquiring, Cur [...]o­riente Cane Auster moveatur? why the South wind commonly blowes, at the time of Dogs Rising; He an­swers himself, by referring it to the Sun, not to that Star: and demanding further, why men are then exhausted with immoderate Heat, he adds, ideo spiritus ixcitari callidissimos per idem tempus congruum esse. The same he replieth concerning Orion, Rising in the Autumn, and Setting again in Winter. And (in Meteorolog. 2. cap. 5.) discoursing of the same Constellation, he hath these words; Orion & dum oritur, & dum occidit, incertus ac difficilis esse propterea videtur, quod ejus ortus, & oc­casus tum, cum tempora evariant, commutantur (que) ille estate, hic Hyeme accidant. By which you may per­ceive, that He remarketh the Rising or Setting of Orion, not as a Cause of the Changes then contingent in the Air; but meerly that its Rising and Setting fall out at such times, as the Air suffereth those changes from the vicinity, and remotion of the Sun.

This Opinion of Epicurus and others might be con­firmed with many strong Reasons; but among them all I shall select only Three, as most memorable and im­portant.

CHAP. V.

THese considerations premised, by way of Intro­duction; let us now come up close to Astro­logy it self, as distinct from Astronomy, begin­ing our Examination first at the General plants, or fundamental positions thereof; and then pro­ceeding to the particular Praedictions thereof, aswell concerning Changes of weather, deduced from other [Page 23] Signes besides the Risings and Settings of the Stars; as concerning the Fortunes of Men, which Astrologers commonly deduce from their Genitures, or Nativity Themes. And these few things, among innumerable others pertaining to this so promising Art will be suffici­ent to demonstrate the Vanity and Frauds of it.

The First general maxime, whereby Astrologers en­deavour to gain credit and reputation to their docu­ments, is what all men readily confess; viz. that the Stars are not meer Signes, but also natural Causes of very many effects: as if Men were bound to admitt the same position for truth, concerning other effects, which they boast the divination of afore hand. It is well known (say they) that inferiour natures are not subjected to superior in vain; since they are so manifestly cherished, moved and governed by them. That the Sun is the Cause of Light and Heat; and that by its access and recess annually, it doth induce the series and vicissitude of seasons; that it doth procreate plants, and animals, and in particular men, according to that common saying, Sol & Homo generant Hominem; that it doth extract vapours from the Earth, which become the matter of Rain, of Winds, and the like. That the Moon doth fill and empty all shell Fish, the bones of animals, the brains of Coneys, and hath great power over all moyst bodies, and especially the Sea, whose Tides are conformed to her motion. Lastly that there are certain Influences, by which not only these two principal Luminaries, but al­so the other lesser ones exercise their virtues upon sublu­nary bodies. For since the Stars ought not to be concei­ved idle and ineffectual; and that there are some cer­tain Effects, which cannot be referred to any other Cau­ses [Page 24] but them, as the Critical mutations of diseases, and the inequallity of seasons &c. And this is the sum of what our Astrologers alleage for support of their pre­tence, and whereby they study to endear their Art, and prepare the minds of men for the more smooth and easy admission of what they afterward impose with prodigi­ous confidence. And indeed what they urge concer­ning the Sun and Moon, seems so plausible, as yet even judicious men may at first diligently listen thereto, and conceive some expectation that they would proceed to prove the rest of their suppositions with the like evidence; not suspecting that upon such specious foundations, they would soon fall to erect nothing but ridiculous Fables, and wild absurdities. But alas! how far are they from making the members of their artificial body respondent to the Head of it? For behold, they have no sooner layd down this ground; but they instantly run out to such superstructures, which have no solidity nor strength from either Experience or Reason. And indeed I can­not but wonder, and blush, when I observe the First writers of this Art, Ptolomy, Firmicus and Manilius, after they have begun their discourses seriously and with gravity beseeming Philosophers, and Men professing the severity of reason; in a moment to fall upon meer child­ish toys, and old wives dreams. It is truely dishonou­rable for Learned men, by the pretext of such positions, as are generally confessed, so to impose upon the credu­lity of their Readers: as if those Fopperies, which they intend to foist in afterwards, were of the same evidence and certitude with the premises. Dishonourable did I say? Yea it is odious and detestable to delude men by a manifest Paralogisme, and from a specious Antece­dent [Page 25] to draw such a Consequence, as really is no Con­sequence. For as I began to say it is indeed attested by Experience, that the Sun doth vary the seasons of the Year, that the Moon doth fatten shell-fish, in her full, and make them lean again in her wane: but doth Experi­ence attest the like of the 12. Signes in the Zodiack, and of their several degrees, of Saturn, Mercury, and the rest of the Planets and Fixt Stars? Certainly no; nor can our Astrologers by any Observation shew any one the least effect, that ought to be referred to this or that particular Constellation or Star, rather than to any other, or rather than to any sublunary Cause; as we shall more expresly evince in the sequel of this discourse. What then? Have they any Reason to fly to? None at all, doubtless; since all Reason resteth on Experience, and of that, here can be none, and all that can with probili­ty be inferred, is this, that each Luminary being a lucid body, doth in proportion to its Orb, enlighten, warme, and work such effects, as arise from such light and heat.

Hereunto I add, that forasmuch as the Stars are Ge­neral Causes only, in respect of sublunary things; we may well demand a reason, why any singular effect may not be ascribed to some singular Cause here below, where are such multitudes of natural and convenient A­ctives and Passives, rather then to those remote ones, the Stars. For as when we give an account of the Causes of Odours in compound Ointments, we referr one kind of smel to the Roses, another to the Jasmine, a third to the Orange flowers, and no particular smel to the Oyl, which is the common matter of the composition, and the cause of the fragrancy neither to the one, nor to the other of the ingredients. And as when we explicate, why in a [Page 26] Garden, this Plant groweth here, and not there; ano­ther there, and not here: we referr it to their seeds, which were sown in those places, where each one grow­eth; not to the Water wherewith they are irrigated, which is only a General Cause of the groweth of all the plants, and indifferent nourishment to each sort. So are we to Philosophise concerning those Effects that are ascribed to heavenly bodies. For since the Heat of the Sun (for instance) is General; why it should harden Clay, and soften Wax, is to be referred to the different dispositions of those bodies not to any various efficacy in the Suns heat. And why the Sun produceth a plant in this place, but not an Animal; an Animal in another place, but not a plant: this is to be referred likewise to the virtue of the seed, which is Plantary in one place, and Animal in the other. The same may be said of other things, that arise from the influence of the Suns heat; as (for Example) the Sun raiseth vapours from this part of the Earth, and not from another; because in one part is moisture, in another none: one Year it raiseth more vapours, than in another; because one year yeelds more moysture than another: one year the ex­halations are healthy and good, another infectious and pestilential; because of the different matter from which they are drawn, &c. Hence we learn, that since it is besides all reason, when there may be many Causes of any particular effect, without the concurrence of all which that effect will not follow; for us to think it suffi­cient to our Prognostication of that effect absolutely and positively, that we know any one of all these various Causes, that must concurr to the production thereof: it must be likewise besides all reason, when besides the [Page 27] Stars, there are other inferior Causes, that must conspire to the production of particular effects; for any man confidently to foretell the contingency of those effects, on­ly because he knows the general influx of the Stars, but not any one of the other inferior particular Causes, that are required thereunto. Again, when there are some effects, which have no dependence at all (or what is exceedingly obscure) upon the Stars; but a manifest and necessary dependence upon sublunary Causes; I would willingly know, what reason there is, why we should not rather have recourse to those sublunary and particular Causes, than to those superlunary and general ones, the Stars? Thus when grounds manured and en­riched by compost, do yeeld more plentifull crops of Corn, than before; it is plain, that we are to ascribe this fertility, not to the influence of the Sun and Stars, but to the fatning of the ground by the dung or soyle, sea­sonably laid upon it, by the carefull Farmer.

CHAP. VI.

AS for the Fixt Stars, the Astrologers doth a­scribe little or no virtue to them, unless they be comprehended in the Zodiack (for they on­ly mention Medusa's Head, the Dog, Arctu­rus, and a few others) nor indeed do they ascribe much virtue to them in the Zodiack, as the Ey of the Bull, the Heart of the Lion, Spica Virginis, the Heart of Scorpio; unless as they are referred to certain degrees of the [Page 28] Signes in the same. Hereupon, their chiefest care is about the distribution of the Signes and Degrees of the Zodi­ack, as the main fundament of their Art, upon which they build whatever they afterward have imagined of the Planets, and their Houses. That we much touch upon some few things belonging to each Head, let us ob­serve in the First place, how when they have divided the Zodiack into 12. parts (called by the Greeks [...]) which they name Signes, in respect of the Asterismes, of Constellations occurring in the Zodiack, according as Shepheards, Plow-men, and Mariners at first imagined them to refemble certain things on Earth, and gave them denominations; they have distinguished not only each of those signes into thirty Degrees, and each Degree again into Minutes, but have also conside­red, denominated, and compared the 12. Signes, after innumerable wayes and manners.

For they thought it not sufficient to distinguish those Signes into Vernal, Estival, Autumnal, Hyemal; as also into Northern and Ruling; Southern and obeying: and again into Ascendent, or Direct, and Descendent, or Ob­lique and winding; into Cardinal, Moveable, Median (or Fixt) and Common: into Conjunct, or such as be­hold and face each other, in a Trine, Quartile, or other aspect; Disjunct, which have no Aspect each to other at all; Antisious, which are equally distant from the Cardinal points &c. This (I say) was not enough for them, but they made some of them to be Fiery, as Aries, Leo, Sagittarius; some to be Earthy, as Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn; some Aereal as Gemini, Libra, Aquarius others Watery as Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. And; these (forsooth) are those so much celebrated Four Trigons of the Celestial Signes.

[Page 29] Again, some they have supposed to be Human, as Ge­mini and Virgo; others Beastlike as Aries, Taurus; others Reptile as Cancer, Scorpio; some they imagine to have a clear and pleasant Voyce as Gemini; others a middle one, as Leo; and others again none at all as Pisces. Moreover they call some of them Masculine and Diurnal; others Feminine and Nocturnal; the former being Masculine and Diurnal, as Aries, the latter Feminine and Nocturnal, as Taurus, and of the rest. Some they assume to be Fertile as Pisces; others Bar­ren as Virgo; others Indifferent as Capricorn. Others of happy Witts, as Gemini; others of Stupid as Taurus. To these you may add their further distinctions of them into Hearing, and Seeing Stars or Signes; into Beauti­full and Deformed; into Fatt and Lean; into Rumi­nant, and Non-ruminant; into Wrathfull, Leacherous. &c.

When they come to compare the Signes with the Planets; then (First) some of them are designed for the Houses of others; for Cancer is made the House of the Moon, Leo of the Sun; Gemini and Virgo of Mer­cury; Taurus and Libra of Venus; Aries and Scor­pio of Mars; Pisces and Sagittarius of Jupiter; A­quarius and Capricorn of Saturn; one being the Day­ly, the other the Nightly mansion of their Guests assig­ned. Secondly some of them are the Exaltations of others the Planets; for Sol is exalted in Aries, the Moon in Taurus, Saturn in Libra, Jupiter in Cancer, Mars in Capricorn, Venus in Pisces, Mercury in Virgo. And on the Contrary, the Signe opposite▪ to each, is called its Dejection, or Depression; as Libra is the place of the Suns Depression, Scorpio of the Moons &c. But in the [Page 30] mean while it is worthy our notice, that neither Leo, nor Aquarius are either the Exaltation, or Dejection of any one Planet: but Gemini and Sagittarius are both attributed to the head and tail of the Dragon. Thirdly, some Signes according to the decads of degrees contained in them, are consigned to several Planets; for the first ten degrees of Aries are consigned to Mars. the next ten to the Sun, and the last to Venus; the first ten of Taurus to Mercury, the next ten to another, and so con­sequently. Fourthly, as there are five Planets besides the Sun and Moon, so have they imagined five Terms or Ends in each Signe; for of Aries the first six degrees are given to Jupiter; the next eight, or six to Venus; another seven or eight to Mercury &c. Fifthly, to each degree are attributed, if not single Planets, yet at least special Figures; as to the first degree of Aries they give the Figue of a Man holding a Sickle in his right hand, and a bow in his left; to the second a Man with a Dogs head, his right hand extended, and his left hold­ing a staft: and so consequently through all the degrees of the Signes. Sixthly, of the Four mentioned Trigons the Fiery is appropriated to Sol and Jupiter; the Earthly to Venus and Luna; the Aerial to Saturn and Mercury; the watery only to Mars: from whence you may un­derstand, which, and in respect of which, the Planets are said to be Trigonocratores, or Lords of the Trigon, one in the Day time, another in the Night, where they are two.

I need not insist upon other of their Comparisons. For in respect of things subject to the Signes, they have par­ticular Provinces allotted to their sway; as (for Ex­ample) they subject France to Aries, Italy to Leo, Nor­way [Page 31] to Scorpio, &c. Nay they proceed to the allottment of even Cities in the same Country, as Marselles to A­ries, Paris to Virgo, Avignon to Sagittarius, &c. Nor do they rest here, but running on in the same prodigious subtility, they arrive at last at consigning the parts of Mans body to the dominion of several Signes; as Aries must be Lord of the Head, Taurus of the Neck, &c. Further, each year of every Mans life doth not want the tuition of some one of the Celestial Signes; as the first year belongs to that Signe, in which the Sun is at the time of a Mans Nativity, the second to the next, the third to the next, and so on to the twelfth, and then you must begin at the first again, renewing the series each twelfth Year, whence they are called Dodecaeterides.

I add, that when the Ancients first invented these strange things, by occasion of the Asterisms, which they thought fixt fast in the Firmament, or eighth Sphear, then accounted the Primum mobile; and moved only by a diurnal motion from East to West: the succeding Astro­logers observing that the Asterismes were moved also, by an exceeding slow motion, from West to East, and that they had changed their old seats. so that the Stars of Aries were now no longer in the Vernal Equinox, nor the subsequent Signes in the same places, as in the dayes of the Ancients; therefore imagining another Hea­ven above the eighth, that was moved only toward the West, they affixed thereunto a naked Zodiack or [ [...]] one without Stars, and divided the same into 12 equal parts, which they called still, not Asterismes, but Signes of them, as of Aries, Taurus, &c. Beginning at the Vernal Equinox, and ascribing the same things in all points to the imaginary Zodiack, which I have enu­merated [Page 32] of the former; neglecting the Constellations themselves, as being subject to change their places. Though we are to note, that other whiles they call by the name of Dodecatemorion, that part of the Zodiack, in which doth end the number made of the degree 12. times multiplied, which such or such a Planet possesseth, beginning the account from the first degree of that Signe, in which the Planet is. As if the Planet be in the 5 ^th degree and 5 minutes of Aries (which Example Firmicus long ago gave) because this number 12. times multiplied gives 61. which being computed from the beginning of Aries, ends in the first degree of Gemini: therefore is the Dodecatemorion of that Planet said to be in the first degree of Gemini. And these are the prin­cipal Chimera's that Astrologers have dreamt, and im­posed upon the Fixt Stars.

CHAP. VII.

IF we remove to the Planets, we shall find the brains of Astrologers have been as fruitfull in Fictions concerning them, as they were in those ricited of the Fixt Stars. For,

First, considering the Planets singly and in themselves, They assigne them certain great and admirable Virtues. The Sun (say they) doth heat much, and drie little; Mars drieth even to adustion; Saturn cools largely; Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon heat somwhat, and moist­en more, yet of the three Jupiter moistneth least, Venus more, and the Moon most of all; but Mercury is in­different. [Page 33] Then they [...]ell us, that Jupiter and Venus are good and benificial Planets; the one being called For­tune the Greater, the other Fortune the Lesser; that Saturn and Mars are malignant in their influences the one being therefore named the Greater, the other the Lesser Infortune: that the Moon is rather benificial, than Malefical; the Sun and Mercury one wh [...]le good, another while evil, according to various Conjunctions; Moreover, that Sol, Saturn and Jupiter, and Mars, are Masculine; the Moon and Venus, Feminine; and Mer­cury an Hermaphrodite, and that Planets are said to be­come Masculine when they encrease in their light, are Oriental and direct; but Feminine, when they dimi­nish in their light, are Occidental, and retrograde. Yet further, that Sol, Jupiter, Saturn are Diurnal Planets; the Moon, Mars, and Venus, Nocturnal; and Mercury, promiscuous, or Indifferent.

Secondly, if they are considered in relation to the Zo­diack; then (say they) they obtain Dignities, that are named Escential, and from which are derived various testimonies of Fortitude: from the House five; from their Exaltation, four; from their Triplicity, three; from their End, two; from the Decan (or tenth degree one. Where you are to note, that that Planet, which hath none of these Dignities, is called Feral and Peregrine, and hath five testimonies of Debility: that which is in Exile, hath likewise five; and that which is in Dejection, four. Note moreover, that the aggeries, or conflux of many, or all these Dignities, is called Vulgarly Carpentum, a Throne, Kingdome, or Emperial Diadem; all terms of no smal majesty. Besides these, there is also another Dignity, called Gaudium, joy; namely when the Planet [Page 34] is in his Diurnal Signe: and an other called the Person or Almugea, when the Planet is so much distant from the Sun or Moon, as his House is distant from the house of an other. And each Dignity hath one testimony of Fortitude. Here I pass over the distinction of the various virtues they attribute to the Planets (for Saturn, (as they declare) in his own House designeth favour; in the House of Jupiter, the death of ones Father, &c.) and that according as they are Direct, Retrograde, or Sta­tionary (for in the first case, they absolutely conferr that effect they promise; in the second they revoke their grants; and in the third, they only retard them) and the like.

Thirdly, if they are compared one to another, then there arise various sorts of Aspects; in particular, a Sextile when they are distant one from another by the space of two Signes, or the sixth part of the Zodiack; a Quartile, when they are distant, by three Signes, or a fourth part of the Zodiack; a Trine, when by four Signes, or a third part; an Opposition, when by six Signes, or the whole Diameter; a Conjunction, when they are in the same Signe. And because among these Aspects, the Sextile and Trine are beneficial; a Quartile and Opposition, Malefical; and a Conjunction indifferent: therefore from these are deduced those Dignities, which they call Accidental, and likewise their contrary Infir­mities, together with the various testimonies of Forti­tude and Debility. For a Trine of beneficial ones, hath four Fortitudes; and of either of them with the Sun, or Mercury, hath three; with the Moon two; with Mars, or Saturn, only one: a Sextile hath alwayes one less. A Quartile of Malignant Planets, hath four [Page 35] debilities; with the Sun, three, &c. and likewise an Opposition. A Conjunction of Benigne Planets, hath five Fortitudes; of Maligne ones, five Debilities; of Benigne with Maligne, four Fortitudes; with indiffe­rent ones three. But pray observe, that the Beneficial Aspects of Malefical Planets, or the Malifical Aspects of Benefical ones have neither Fortitude nor Debility Ob­serve again that the Aspects are not alwaies precise, or (as they speak) Partile; but are for the most part in some Latitude, or Platical, so as the space somwhat preceding the true or precise Aspect, is called the Application, or Address; the consequent space, is called the Deflux, or Separation, as being caused by the swifter Planet of the two. Hither also must we referr those various Signes or Testimonies of Fortitude and Debility, which are imputed to the other Planets, according as they are in Cazimi, or the Heart of the Sun, i. e. corporally con­joyned with the Sun: or as they are Combust, i. e. be­twixt the margine, of the Sun, and the sixth degree, or there abouts from it: or as they are Hypaugy, i. e. be­twixt the sixth degree and the fifteenth; when yet they lie hid under the Suns raies; or when they are free from combustion; or Oriental and on the right hand, or Occidental and on the left; or Direct, Retrograde, Swift, Slow, &c. I omitt those mighty wonders which they talk of, the Great Conjunctions, in particular of Saturn and Jove, which happens only once in every twenty Years; of Saturn, Jove, and Mars, which happens only once in 800. Years; as also of three or four of the Inferior Planets: and this with grand respect to the Triplicities of those Signes, in which are the Fiery, or Watery, Earthy, or Aireal. &c.

[Page 36] Fourthly, if they are referred to the Twelve Houses, which are distinguished in the Nativity Scheam, or Fi­gure, as they call it [for besides the Houses of the Planets, of which we have said enough, and which are as it were Fixed, they have assigned them other moveable Houses, according to their various situation and Diurnal motion above and below the Horizon] there are many other strong proprieties assigned to them, by our Celestial He­ralds, the Astrologers. For, First, say they, every Pla­net enjoyeth his or her particular House in which he is chief Significator, as Saturn in the Twelfth, Jupiter in the Eleventh, Mars in the Tenth, Sol in the Ninth, Ve­nus in the Fifth, Mercury in the First, the Moon in the third. But in others no Planet delights to be; albeit in them, as well almost as in the rest, some one Planet be Consignificator, as Saturn in the First, Jupiter in the Se­cond, Mars in the Third &c. Again they determine variously in various Houses, and especially in respect of Men; as in the first House Saturn and Mars portend short life; Jupiter and Venus long life; Sol Dominion; Mercury, Learning and Science; the Moon, Peregri­nations: in the second House, Saturn and Mars de­nounce poverty; Jupiter and Venus, plenty; Sol, beauty; Mercury, favour; the Moon various changes of fortune; and almost infinite other things. Observe here, that to the Planets are associated both the Head and Tayl of the Dragon; and the Place of Fortune (as they call it) which is that particular place of the Zodiack, upon which by numbering from Aries doth fall the number arising from the degree Orient, or of the horoscope, and the distance of the Sun from the Moon. In particular, in the first House, the Head of the Dragon doth promise [Page 37] honour from Great persons; the Taile doth threaten the loss of an Ey; the place of Fortune promiseth good luck at gaming bargaining, and the like. Further, what Planet soever hath most testimonies of Fortitude, is thought to be the Lord, or Governour of the Theme, or Nativity Figure. Thus, that is called Lord of the Year, which in a Figure Erected at the beginning of the Spring is the strongest; unless it be that some collect Fortitudes from the Figures made at the beginning of each season of the Year, and also at the New moons, and Full-moons nearest to them. Thus he is called Lord of the Geniture, which in like manner is strongest in the Natalitious Theme: though some desume it otherwise. But that Planet which hath more testimonies of Forti­tude in the Signe beginning each House; He O worder­full!) is called [...] Lord of that House: that which hath them in the degree beginning the House, is called Dispositor Domus, Steward of the House, in Ara­bick, Almuten. And thus we often hear of the Lord of the Ascendent, or Horoscope; which according to his various habitations, is supposed to do various strange feats. I omitt the dominions of the Planets upon the several Hours of the Day; upon the several Ages of Men; upon particular states or conditions of life; as when Saturn is made overseer of Husbandry, Jupiter president of Policy, Mars of Warfare, the Sun of Ho­nours, Venus of Love-matters, Mercury of Merchandise and Theeving, the Moon of Travelling &c. Because in truth, I fear you may be as weary in reading, as I am in writing so tedious a list of whimzies: and yet I must be­seech your Patience a little longer, while I look into these spatious Nothings, called Planetary Houses.

CHAP. VIII.

HEre you may behold our Syderial Quarter­masters dividing the whole Heaven into twelve portions, or Cantons (but they call them Hou­ses) by the help of six Circles, which mutually intersect each other in two opposite points, and particu­larly intercept the twelve parts of the Zodiack. And in order to this, their first care is, that that part of the Zo­diack, and so of the House should be called the First, which is yet wholly under the Horizon, and beginning to rise above it; that the second house which is next to that beneath the Earth; that the Third, which succeeds the second, and so forward till they come to the Twelfth. But here is a great unhappiness, they do not all agree a­bout the points of those intersections and portions of the Zodiacks. For some will have the imagined Circles to intersect each other in the Poles of the Zodiack; others in the Poles of the Equator; and others in the mutual sections of the Horizon and Meridian.

They who pitch upon the Poles of the Zodiack, either divide the Zodiack into 12. parts exactly equal; or di­stribute the opposite Semi-diurnal, and Semi-nocturnal Arches into three equal parts. The First of these two wayes seems most ancient, and was approved of by the Chaldeans, as may be collected from Empiricus: the same also Ptolomy insinuateth, when he treats de Aphe­licis; Julius Firmicus followeth it; the Arabians do not recede from it; and among the Neotericks, Schone­rus [Page 39] and Cardan chiefly defend it: and it is commonly called, Modus aequalis. The Latter is generally ascribed to Porphyrius; and Gauricus defends it; and Scaliger attesteth that it is in use among the Indians; but with a diminution of eight degrees, as well in the beginnings of the Houses, as in the places of the Planets.

They who fix upon the Poles of the World, or Equa­tor, referr the Semi-diurnal and Semi-nocturnal Arches of the Zodiack to the Equator, which they cantonize into 12. equal parts, each of the Quadrants thereof which are intercepted betwixt the Meridian and Horizon, being again distributed into three equal parts. And this way was pursued by the Author of Alcabitzij, and by him, who wrote Commentaries thereupon, Ioh. â Saxonia.

Lastly, they who choose the mutual sections of the Ho­rizon and Meridian, either divide the Equator into 12. equal parts, and so distinguish unequally the Zodiack intercepted (for only the opposite Diurnal and Noctur­nal parts will be equal among themselves according to this partition) or divide the First Verticle Circle for the Equator, and so the Zodiack is distributed with the like inequality. Nevertheless this way hath pleased Campanus, and Gazulus: but that the former by cutting the Equator pleased Ptolomy, may be collected out of his Third Book, and out of the Paraphrase of Proclus upon his Fourth: Johannes a Saxonia fathers it upon Abraham Aben-Ezra: and Regiomontanus embracing it, and calling it the Rational way brought it most into request of all others.

Now the Disposition of the Houses, though it be ac­commodated to the prognostication of changes of wea­ther, and other Events; yet because the Astrologers main aim and scope is the Prognostication of such things [Page 40] as happen to Men; therefore in the Naming of the Houses have they had respect chiefly to Human Events. Hence the First House (named the Ascendent and Ho­roscope) is called the House of Life, of Complexion, and Corporeal Accidents: the Second (or Infernal Gate) is the House of Wealth, to be acquired by ones own in­dustry: the Third (named Dea, or the Goddess) the House of Brothers, and short journeys: the Fourth (I­mum Caeli, the lowest of Heaven, and Pitt of the Pla­nets) the House of Parentage and Patrimony: the First (Good Fortune) the House of Children: the Sixth (E-vil Fortune) the House of Infirmities, Diseases, Servants, and little Animals: the Seventh (the Setting the House of Marriage, Buying, Selling, Conditions of Enemies: the Eighth the Beginning of Death, and slow Animals) the House of Death, Labours, and hidden Treasures: the Ni [...]th (Deus and Monomoeria) the House of Reli­gion, Dreams, and long Journeys: the Tenth (medium Caeli) the House of Diguities, and Condition of life: the Eleventh (Good Demon) the House of Friends, and ad­vantages by Friend-ship: the Twelfth (Evil Demon) the House of Enemies, imprisonment, fidelity of Servants, and great Animals. Risum tenealis?

I omitt to take notice, how the First, Fourth, Seventh, and Tenth Houses are commonly called Cardines, An­gles, and in Greek [...]: the other Four, Succedent, in Greek [...]; and the Four remaining Cadent, [...]. I omitt also, that the first Three are called the Northern, the Winter old-aged, and Phlegma­tick Quarter: the second Three, the Occidental, Au­tumnal, virile, Melancholick Quarter: the next Three, the Meridional, Summer, Youthfull, cholerick Quarter: [Page 41] the Three last, the Oriental, Vernal, Childish, Sanguine Quarter. I omitt also the Colours with which they paint their Houses; the first White; the second Green; the third Saffron-coloured: with other wild Romances endless to be recited. And this I think enough to ad­vance your admiration of their impudence, above your laughter at their Folly.

CHAP. IX.

THese things I thought good to rehearse, be­cause they are the General Fundaments, and as it were First Principles, upon which all A­strologers Praedictions depend. Nor need I mispend much time in Refuting them; since to have heard the bare relation of them, is sufficient for every rational and sober person to detect; not only how Uncertain, but also how Vain and Ridiculous they are. For who doth not, after all this Canting, plainly perceive, that all those Fundamentals are meer Fictions, invented either at plea­sure and by chance, or upon very little and most vain occasions? Certainly, this one consideration seems suffi­cient to argue, that if we lived among our Antaeci, or Antipodes, this whole device or Machination would be turned topsy turvy: for then the quite contrary to their Theory in all points, would come to be ascerted, or the whole Art abandoned. And if we place our selves at the Equator, or in the middle of the Torrid Zone; then either both wayes, or neither, or mixtly all their sup­positions [Page 42] must be accepted: and if so, what can be more confused? If we seat our selves under the Poles; pray, what an Astrology shall we have, where no part is Orient, no part Occident; where the State of the Fixt Stars, and of the Zodiack is alwayes the same; where Saturn shall Rise or Set but once in 30 Years, and all the other Planets in like manner, according to their several courses and motions? And if we stand in those Regions, which are in respect of us toward the Equator, and Antaeci or toward the Poles how shall this whole Astrology consist, which on one part will be so changed by degrees, as at length to become quite contrary to what it is now; or on another part, will by little and little so Vanish, as at length to become none at all? Is it not hence of in­evitable necessity that every particular Climate and po­sition of the Sphear ought to have a particular Astrolo­gy; that there can be no General one; and that though we should allow the Chaldeans, or Egyptians to have had Astrological Principles of some certainty, yet those cannot be of use in other Countryes? How could the Babylonians, over whose heads the Sky alwaies conser­veth its cleareness and serenity; how could the Egypti­ans, who are scarce ever acquainted with Clouds and Rain; how could These (I say) make Observations fitt to yeeld Rules for the prediction of those Rains, and all that turbulency and inconstancy of weather, to which our Cloudy Countries are commonly subject?

But the truth is, They did not make any such Obser­vations at all; since it is manifest, that not the hun­dredth part of those things we have touched upon, are to be observed in Nature. For though we do generally suppose such things as the Four Elements, here below; [Page 43] yet who was ever so Strong-sighted as looking up to Heaven, to discern a twelfth part thereof to be Fiery, with two others Circumstant about it, the one Watery, the other Earthy? or hath that Man any brains, think you, who can beleeve any such thing observable? Who will be perswaded that Aries is Fiery, when the great­est Rains commonly are under that Signe: and that Cancer is Watery, under which are the greatest heats? And since it is a meer imagination of men, that there are some Signes Human, and others Bestial; how come we to discern which of them are of a milder, and which of a Salvage nature? Likewise, because some persons of wild fansies have imagined some Signes to be Barren, as Virgo; others fruitfull, as Pisces: do we therefore know what those contribute toward sterility, what these to fertility of issue? Nor can they excuse themselves by saying that those Figures were not invented but upon frequent Observations of their Effects, as I shall hereafter more expresly declare. In the mean time, I demand of them, why Aries should be a Diurnal Signe, and Taurus a Nocturnal? Is it because Taurus is observed either more frequently, or more continuedly to remain under the Earth, than Aries? Or why should the one be Masculine, the other Feminine? If so be it were requisite to joyn a Feminine Signe to each Masculine, then certainly Aries ought to have had a Yew to ac­company him, and Taurus a Cow to attend him; but not a Bull placed next to a Ram. Methinks, it is some­what absurd to imagine the Ram to be more Masculine than the Bull, which doubtless is the hotter and stronger beast of the two.

What shall we say of the placing the Planets in the [Page 44] Signes, as in their proper mansion Houses? Do not the Planets run through all the Signes indifferently, and make their stations and Apogea's in all parts of the Zo­diack? Do not the Sun and Moon deserve as much honour in the Ethereal Republick, as the rest of the Pla­nets? If so, why have they but one single Palace apeece assigned to them, when each of the others hath two? But the reason (forsooth) is, that otherwise the number of seven could not have been accommodated to the number of twelve, well, let that be granted; yet there is some indecorum in the assignement. For if the Sun, in respect of its vehement heat, was consigned to dwell in Leo; why was not Mars, to whom they allow so great a share of heat, placed next? Why was not the Moon the Queen of moisture consigned to remain in Aquarius, since He is chiefly opposed to Leo, and it is reasonable to conceive, that the Moon was created in opposition to the Sun? And it is the Astrologers conceipt, that the Pla­nets hold and delight in their Houses, by no other title but that of their being at first Created in them. And here I cannot but observe, how skilfull an Astronomer Firmicus hath shewn himself, when in the Theme of the World, according to those Divine Men, he both placed the Sun in the 15 ^th degree of Leo; and set Venus in the 15 ^th degree of Libra, as if it were possible for Her ever to be, by the space of two whole Signes, absent from the Sun.

As for their Exaltations; it is very strange with what ardency our Astrologers have embraced what they had heard of the highest Absides of the Planets; and yet now, those Absides being changed, they nevertheless still retain the same Exaltations. Why do they not at [Page 45] least appoint them to receive their Exaltations in their own Houses? Can they any where else provide them of a more illustrious and sublime throne? If Mars must have his Exaltation in the House of Saturn, why should not Saturn have his in the House of Mars, rather then in that of Venus? What hath a Malefical Planet to do in the House of a Benefical? The same may be said of their Triplicity; for what community can Venus have with Capricorn, an Earthly dull Signe, and in which Saturn hath his House, and Mars his Exaltation? A­gain, what relation hath Mars with Pisces; a Watery Signe, and in which Jupiter hath his House, and Venus her Exaltation? What shall I say of their Decades of degrees? If all Aries be the House of Mars, is it not injustice to detract from him two third parts of it, by di­viding the same into Tens? And is it not injustice to banish Mercury quite from his House, while one third part of it is usurped by Jupiter, another by Mars, and the last by the Sun? What shall I say of their Fines or Bounds, which after the same manner leave the least part of the Houses to be possessed by the right owners of them; when the Builders of them fall together by the ears here below about them, as about some weighty and difficult matter in dispute? What of their Mono­maeria, which some Astrologers cannot hold without laughing at themselves for it? Is any thing more ridi­culous, than to appoint particular Signes to be Presidents over particular Provinces, and Cities? Indeed if the Heavens stood still, there might be some slender pretence for the subjection of Countries to such Signes, as were directly over them; but since the Sphears are continu­ally moving, with what reason can that be imagined? [Page 46] Especially since in the allotment the Dominions are not chosen according to parallels, so that the places to be governed might be lookt upon with an equal aspect; but as it were by leaping from distant Parallels, and wholly confusedly toward the South and North; neer remote, coherent, interrupted, and however it chances without order. I confess, I cannot but smile to think, how when they have assigned a whole Kingdome or Country to the soveraignty of some one Signe, they yet referr par­ticular Cities therein, to the presidency of other Signes, and such as are remote from the Signe, first made Lord Paramont thereof. Nor can I suppress the Rising of my spleen, when I consider the dominion of the Signes over the several parts of Mans body. For why should Aries be Governour of the Head, rather then Gemini, or Cancer, that are the highest Signes of all? Why should Pisces rule the feet of others, when they have no feet themselves? Why should Pisces that are next to Aries, be appointed to preside over a part so remote from the Head? Again nothing can be more wild and absurd, than to constitute the Signes Lords of several Years; as if they Ruled successively, and the Govern­ment of one Signe being expired with the Year, the Scepter were to be surrendred to the next successor, at a sett time, and then each Governor remain idle for the space of eleven Years together.

To conclude; what shall we think of that poor re­fuge of our Astrologers, when having observed, that the Asterisms have removed themselves from their ancient places, they transferr the virtues formerly attributed to the same, to the 12. parts of the first moveable Heavens? were not those virtues assigned at first formally, and ac­cording [Page 47] to the conceived nature of each particular Aste­risme? Had the Heaven been [...], Star-less; do you conceive that the Ancients would nevertheless have so named the twelve parts of the Zodiack, as they did in respect of the Asterismes; and have endowed them with the same virtues? Nor can you say, that their vir­tues were then observed, when the Asterismes were each one in its proper twelfth part of the Zodiack; and that those virtues were attributed to the Asterismes, which of right belonged to the twelve parts of the Zodiack. For, since the Asterismes were in the twelve parts that beare their names only two thousand Years ago; before that time, the Asterisme of Aries was in the place of Pisces, Leo in the place of Cancer, and so of the rest and then no such thing could be Observed in the (sup­posed) moist parts of the Zodiack, that would be a­greeable to Fiery Asterismes, by which they were possessed, and from which the twelve parts, that were afterward possessed by them, were accounted and na­med Fiery. And thus much in just derision of Astrolo­gers conceipts of the 12. Signes.

CHAP. X.

AS for the supposed Nature and Virtues of the Planets; however somthing in that kind might be, from what we formerly granted, inferred of the Su [...] and Moon; yet how we should come to determine the several natures of the other Five Planets, I profess, I am yet to learn. In particular, because Mars appeare [...] [Page 48] reddish; may we therefore conclude that he is a Burn­ing, scortching Planet? Saturn, because pale; Is he therefore Cooling? O this would be an admirable Consequence, if a Carbuncle would but burn, and Lime cool the hand that toucheth it! As if all things, that look reddish, must of necessity be Fiery; and all that look pale or whitish, be Cold as Snow. But it Mars be so scortching, why are not we sensible of his heats in the middle of Winter, and especially when he is Acro­nycal? Why do we not feel the Cold of Saturn. in the middest of Summer? Is it because there are other more opportune times for us to experiment their vir­tues? Or how can we distinguish and say that such a degree of heat doth proceed from Mars, not from the Sun? And such a degree of Cold from Saturn, not from some other cause. But let us grant that Mars is Hot, and Saturn Cold; and will it then follow, that they are such Malefical and destructive Planets, as that no Child is born, whom they do not, during their ty­rannous influence, invade with their poisoned darts? Methinks, it were more reasonable to beleeve, that Mars doth comfort and cherish us with his heat; and Saturn refresh us with his cooling influence.

The same may be said of Jupiter and Venus; only it is somewhat more tollerable, that Astrologers ima­gine them to be Good and Kindly Planets. But oh! that they would not run out into Extremes! For, when they come to this, that nothing of good and happiness befalls man, but by the dispensation and favour of these Planets: is any thing imaginable more fabulous, more prophane? It is somwhat strange, that extolling this unknown beneficence of these Planets; they blush not [Page 49] in the mean time to be ungratefull to the Sun, whose soveraigne benefits are dayly proclaimed through the whole World.

For Mercury, I cannot much wonder his attributes are so few and uncertain; considering he seldom renders himself conspicuous, and so they cannot discern what sex he is of. And here it is not worth the while, to rehearse all their fooleries, concerning the sexes of the Planets, and other the like extravagances.

Only I would enquire, how they come to know, that the Planets in their own Houses, have Five, not Four Te­stimonies of Fortitude: and in their Exiles, Five, not Four Testimonies of Debility? Why have they in their Ex­altations, just Four not Five, nor three? And so of the rest. Have they measured with an Ell, or Weighed in the scales, the forces of the Planets in each Place of the Zodiack, that-they dare pretend to Calculate them so Exactly; and according to the number of suffrages, to determine the fates of Mortals, and their affaires? We might insist upon these particulars more expresly, and especially upon the Fortitudes and debilities of Acciden­tal Dignities: But that no man who considers them, can doubt that they are all gross and ridiculous Ficti­ons, meer arbitrary inventions, having no ground either in Reason, or Observation.

We should likewise discourse of the Planetary As­pects, whose Energy is conceived to be almost omnipo­tent. And truly were it not manifest that the Five kinds of Aspects were transfered upon all the Planets, from the five principal Phases of the Moon, there would be mat­ter for our admiration: but there can be no other cause given of that determinate number. For why should [Page 50] not there be many more sorts of Aspects? Are there any degrees in the Zodiack in which the Planets have not some special habitude, or position among themselves, in which they are idle, un-active and ejaculate no rayes from their bodies? Will they have that number of de­grees which is an Aliquotal part of the Zodiacks? We allow it them Gratis. But besides a Diametre of an hundred and eighty; a Trigone of an hundred and twenty; a Tetragone, of ninety; an Hexagone, of six­ty; are there not also a Pentagone, of seventy two; an Octagone, of forty five; an Enneagone, of forty; a De­cagone, of thirty six; a Dodecagone of thirty; a Pente­koode cagone, of twenty four degrees? &c. But they demand whole Signes which may arise to the equal number of Twelve. Well, grant them that also. And will not a Dodecagone, or one Signe, do that? Perhaps the buisiness is two minute; And is not a Conjunction Platical much more minute? Or do they not call it an Oppression of a Planet, when one Planet is intercepted by evill Planets, distant from it by one Signe, on each side?

In this place, I might enumerate how many sorts of new. Aspects have been, not long since added to the for­mer List, by Kepler; as a Biquintile, or one of two Fifths, i. e. of an hundred forty and four degrees; a Tridecile, or of three Tens, i. e. an hundred and eight &c. But it will be more usefull for us to discover what induced Astrologers to make some Aspects Benifical, and other some Malefical; which is a profound Myste­ry, and worthy your notice. Because forsooth we sig­nify benevolence to a person, when we look upon him Sextily, or very Obliquely; and malevolence or Spight, [Page 51] when we behold him Quadrately, or crookedly, Torvo Aspectu, as we say: and express anger or indignation; when we fix our eyes upon a man Dimetraly, or in op­position to him (all which Anatomists declare, when they shew and read upon the Muscles moving the eyes) there­fore our subtile Astrologers, transferring the names of these our Aspects upon the Planets, have also given them the Passions, which we express in our eyes; and (what is most admirable) not in respect of the Planets beholding each other, but of man, in whom that passion should be expressed. It is an argument, that they held a Conjunction to be indifferent; in asmuch as it re­spondeth to no Aspect in us, but to our closing our eyes, by which we signify nothing, or very obscurely at most. And indeed, who would imagine, that a Planet, which is Good in a Sextile aspect, should not, while it pro­ceeds toward a Trine (in which it is yet better) rather continually encrease its goodness, than put on so great malignity, in the middle of its progress? Who can conceive, that Venus and Jupiter should in a Trine have five Testimonies of Fortitude; in a sextile, Four; in the intermediate Quartile, none at all? Certainly, if the Planets act any thing at all, they should seem to act it continually; and though perhaps their activity may be somtimes more, somtimes less powerfull: Yet I see no reason, why that activity should be somtimes changed to a quite contrary, and somtimes be none at all? I am unwilling to trouble my self with subjoy­ning any thing concerning those rare Effects, which the Planets are supposed to cause in their own Houses; for what can be more ridiculous than those supposed Rejoy­cings, and Decrees among them; especially when They [Page 52] call in to the buisiness, those imaginary points, the Head and Tale of the Dragon, and that point of Fortune, which whoever first introduced, hath given us occasion to doubt, whether he was in his right witts, or not. But they could not conveniently imagine many Heads, where the Decrees were to be so often varied.

CHAP. XI.

TO blow up those Twelve Glorious Mansions of the Planets, to which our Astrologers im­pute such wonderfull Efficacy and power over even whole Cities, with their inhabitants here below; let us consider.

First, that the Division of the Heavens into Twelve parts, rather than into eight, ten, sixten, twenty, or any other number; is meerly Arbitrary: nor can they give any Reason for it at all. For though that number admitteth of more Quotal parts, than any other neer it, above or below; yet this hath no relations to the na­ture, or variety of the parts of a Circle: the number Sixty having far more Quotal Parts; and that of six being more naturally convenient for the division of a Circle, in respect of the accommodation of its Radius.

Secondly, would not the Distinction of the Houses be more artificially made by certain Circles Parallel to the Horizon or at least by such as might intersect each other in the Vertical and opposite points? Since each Star doth either not act at all, or is in-observable, while un­der the Horizon; doth not reason require, that if it have [Page 53] any activity at all, it should exercise the same chiefly while it is above the Horizon; and that so much the more effectually, by how much the higher, or neerer to the Vertical point it ascends. But they will have for­sooth, that the Stars in the Zodiack do display their vir­tues aswell below, as above, the Horizon; and therefore that the division of Houses is fittly made by Circles, which divide the Zodiack into twelve parts. We grant them this; but why then do not all of them agree in the intersection of these Circles in the Poles of the Zodi­ack? And why do not all divide the Zodiack in the same places of it? Is not that part of the Zodiack made one House by some, which by others is made another?

Thirdly, why must the First House be that part of the Zodiack, which is yet wholly under the Earth, rather than that which is wholly above it? Ought not one half of it at least to be already risen above the Horizon, that so the half of that which is called Medium Caeli, might be toward the West? I do not stand to object, that the Medium Caeli, or house in which the Sun is, ought rather to have made the First house; since the E­nergy of the Sun is much more manifest than that of any other of the Planets: but I demand, how it comes to pass, that that House, which is yet wholly beneath the Earth, should be more efficacious to life, than that which is risen above it. And if that house, whatsoever it be, which begins to rise, be the House of Life; why should not that, which begins to set, be the house of Death? Why is the Eighth House so destructive to Mankind, a­bove the rest? Whence bath it such malice and ma­lignant virtue to us poor Mortals?

But we shall do better to enquire, from whence in [Page 54] the general, these Houses come to have their particular virtues? Is it from the Moveable Heavens? Then why should the same part of Heaven, which is happy and benigne in one House, become unhappy and ma­ligne in others? Is it from the particular Place, or Space? Then how can meer Dimensions be endowed with such and so great force of activity? Nor can They excuse themselves by urging, that it is not the Houses themselves, but the Planets inhabiting them, which work such wonders. For since they suppose, that a Planet which is Good and propitious in its own nature, doth become Evil and destructive in an ill House; we must demand again, whence comes that Malice, where­with the good Planet is so strongly infected, as to change its own benevolent native influence, into a dan­gerous and Offensive? How can a man conceive, that Jupiter should dispence very great favours and happi­ness, while he is in the First House; and soon after dart all the plagues and mischiefs in the world upon our heads, when he comes to lodge in the second, which is contiguous to the First? That he should, in the tenth House, destine men to temporal Dignities; in the ninth, to Ecclesiastical: and yet when he quartereth in the eighth (lying betwixt them both) he should make men ignoble, base, mad, and the like? Moreover can we understand, why or how, when any infant is born, the Fates of his brethren should be written on the third House, of his Parents on the fourth, of his Children on the fifth, of his Wife on the seventh, of his Friends on the eleventh, and so of the rest? Can any thing be more manifest, than that all this accommodation of se­veral Houses to mens several Relations and Interests, is [Page 55] wholly Fictitious and Arbitrary? I will not dissemble; truely that man had no very dull nor unpleasant Fansy, who first made the Planets provide stables for Beasts, in the Heavens; and take care of Greater Cattel, in the twelfth out-house, and of smaler, in the sixth. Nor was his Imagination less active, who would have longer journeys made in the ninth stage, and shorter in the third. It is not many years since the famous Morinus, in a little Book, intituled Domorum Cabbala detecta, ac­cording to his great ingennuity invented Four things, and made them presidents chiefly over the four Cardi­nes, viz. Life over the Horoscope; Good over the Me­dium Caeli; Love, over the West; Passion, over the Imum Caeli: and then proceeding through Trine As­pects, and that by retrogradation, He will have a three­fold Life in Himself, in God, in Sons, to be found in the First, Ninth and Fifth Houses: a Threefold Good, Immaterial, Material Animate, Material Inanimate, in the Tenth, Sixth, and Second: a Threefold Love, of Wife, Bretheren, Friends, in the Seventh, Eleventh and Third: a Threefold Passion, from Parents, Enemies, Death, in the Fourth, Twelfth, and Eighth. And here­upon He conceived the Nature and distribution of the Houses to be most happily established. But by his Favour, however the whole buisiness seems subtilely di­sputed; yet untill he shall have more fully explained the matter, in his Gallica Astrologia, we must suspend our assent to his nice Theory, because He hath assumed most of his positions Gratis, without probation. As in particular, why only those Four things, and neither more nor fewer? And why that Division of them into Three members, nor more, nor less? Besides may we not [Page 56] enquire, why Life in God, or God himself, in whom all things live, should be confined rather to the Ninth House, than to the First, than to all, than to none? Why if Life in God be made one member of the triple divisi­on, is not Life in the Sun made the second, and Life in our Parents the third? Why is not the House of Pa­rents accounted, if not in the Trine of Life, yet at least in that of Love: and why not conjoyned with any thing, rather than with Enemies and Death? And other the like incongruities, which to avoid prolixity, I omitt to mention. It may suffice, that since our Morinus pro­fesseth that other Astrologers, and particularly Ptolomie himself, by reason of their ignorance of this Cabbal, preposterously made use of aswell the Horoscope, as the rest of the Houses: it is to be feared, least sober men may from thence argue the Vanity and uncertainty of the whole Art; forasmuch as it containeth no one funda­mental, which is not disallowed of and impugned by some one or more of the Professors themselves, and so can afford no one conclusion certain and ratified. Cer­tainly, both Ptolomie himself makes the judgements con­cerning Children, Servants, Infirmities &c. from other Houses, than the rest of Astrologers usually do: and Manilius, when he describeth Altha, or Events, sub­verteth the whole reason and signification of the Houses Vulgarly admitted; beginning the series or order of them, not from the Horoscope, but from the Lot of For­tune, which is as far distant from the Horoscope, as the Sun is from the Moon: and advancing to the Consequent Signes, when the Nativity or Conception is in the Day, to the Antecedent, when it is in the Night. But it is wearisome even to think of remembring, or refuting [Page 57] more of these Trifles, Absurdities, and Contradi­ctions.

CHAP. XII.

THe Argument of our next Consideration, must be those positions of Astrologers which concern the Predictions of Changes of Weather. And these, indeed are almost infinite; so that all we shall have time and patience to do, will be only to touch upon some of their Capital Assumptions. Some they deliver generally of the constitution of the Air, through the whole Year; some of the constitution of the several Quarters, or Seasons; and some of the temper of each Day in the Year particularly.

For the Praediction of the General Constitution of the Air through the whole Year, they erect either Four, or Eight, or Twelve Celestial Figures; Four for the four moments wherein the Sun enters into Aries, Cancer, Li­bra, Capricorn; four for New, or Full Moon immedi­ately preceding each of those Entrances; and four for the New, or Full Moon immediately subsequent: and then noting the places of each of the Planets, aswell in their Figure or Houses, as in the Zodiack or Signes; they collect all the Fortitudes, and all the Debilities of all the Planets; and taking those whose Fortitudes are more than their Debilities, they regard that Planet, which ap­pears the strongest of all, or which hath most Testimo­nies of Fortitude, and make that Lord of the Year, con­joyning [Page 58] to him for a companion, that Planet, which hath the most Testimonies of Fortitude next after him. The Lord of the whole Year being thus elected; ac­cording to his supposed constitution, or as he is Hott, Cold, Moist, Dry, Benefical, Malifiical, &c. They give judgement of the future constitution of the whole Year; or of the predomination of Heat, Cold, Dryness, Wett, Thunder, Lightning, and Winds; as also of the whol­somness or unwholsomness of the Air; of the Plenty, or scarcity of Corn, and other Fruits of the Earth, and the like.

For the Prediction of the Constitution of the Quar­ters, or Seasons of the Year; from three Figures of each Quarter, they collect likewise the Lord of each, accord­ing to the predominion of Fortitudes: and then pro­nounce what kind of Spring, what Summer, what Au­tumn, what Winter is next to come, according to the qualities of their respective Lords. For Mars (for Ex­ample) shall encrease the heat in Summer; mitigate the cold in Winter; make the Spring rather Warm, then cold; and likewise the Autumn. Saturn the quite contrary; and so of the rest.

Lastly for the Prediction of the Weather each Day through the whole Year; They will have Four Themes or Scheams to be erected for each moneth; one at the moment of the New-moon; one at that of the Full-moon; and one apeece at each of the Quarters: and then col­lecting what Planet is Lord of a Quater of a moneth, they Prognosticate the Temper of the Air aswell for that whole Quarter of the Moneth, as for each Day therein; according as the Dominion decayeth, or con­tinueth strong, respectively to that dominion which is to [Page 59] succeed at the next Quarter, or as that is of a contrary, or the same, or of a middle nature.

But because the Predictions taken from these predo­minions, are for the most part fallacious; therefore they call in other things also, which may impede the Effects otherwise to succeed, and produce some contrary to them. For that I may not insist upon the notable variety of E­ffects, which they will have to arise not only from seve­ral Stars of the Zodiack, according as they call some Saturnal, some Jovial, some Martial, &c. But also from the Twelve Houses, and the several parts of them, whereof they make some to be of their own nature Ex­citers of Thunder, some Causers of Rain, some of Hail, some of Snow, some of North, some of South Winds, &c. And thus you may observe, how they derive the chiefest variety from the Aspects of the Planets, and those places in which they are the while.

Now among these Aspects, the most powerfull for change of weather, they make that called a Conjuncti­on; the next an Opposition; the next a Quartile; then a Trine, and last (or least) of all, a Sextile. For they will have the forces of every Planet to be corroborated by the additional forces not only of such other Planets as are of like virtues, but also of indifferent ones; as on the other side, they will have the influence of each to be abated or mitigated by the influences of Contrary Pla­nets, according to their mutual Aspects: and in the General, that clear and wholesome Weather is signifi­ed by a Trine or Sextile; soul and unwholesome, by a Quartile; indifferent, by a Conjunction, rather the one than the other, according to the condition of the Ruling Planet. As for their Apertiones Portrarum, or Catar­racts, [Page 60] i. e. of great turbulency in the Air, by high winds, great Rains, Thunder, showers, Hail stormes, &c. these they will have to be caused, not only when the Planets whose natures, and houses are opposite, or respect each other in an opposite, or Quartile aspect; but also, and chiefly, when the Moon leaving one Planet, or its aspect, is carried to another Planet, or its aspect, which is op­posite thereto. For thus, when the Moon (for Exam­ple) is carried from Saturn to the Sun, or contrariwise from the Sun to Saturn; They will have dark Wea­thér, Foggs, Mifts, aboundance of showers and extream Colds to be engendred and portended. When the Moon marcheth from Jupiter to Mercury, or from Mercury to Jupiter; then we must have high Winds, and especi­ally from the North and East, as also Lightning, Thun­der, and the like tempestuous Weather, &c.

In respect of the Places likewise, They make no smal difference. For if the Planets be Oriental and Direct, and about the Apogeum; then must they signify Drie weather: if Occidental, Retrograde, and about the Perigeum; wett weather, Mars only excepted, who at such times encreaseth Heat and Dryness. But our chiefest care must be to regard the Signes, in respect of the Tri­plicities, or Trigons, in which the Planets are configu­rated among themselves. For from thence, respective to the aspects of the Planets made in them, there ensue Fiery, Watery, &c. effects. But above all they cry up a Conjuuction; and so much the more, if it chance to be of those Planets which they call the Great, or Greatest. For if such a Conjunction happen in Fiery Signes, then it portends great and dangerous Conflagra­tions: if in Watery then great Inundations: if in Ear­thy, [Page 61] then huge Earth-quakes: in Fiery, then fatal Plagues and Pestilences. And wheresoever it hapneth, if Saturn be predominant, it produceth great sicknesses, and contagions; if Jupiter be predominant, either no disea­ses at all, or very gentle ones: if Mars rule, acute di­seases. The like affections of the Air, They praesage from the Conjuctions of the inferior or lesser Planets, and chiefly if they are all conjoyned. For if they meet in Watery Signes, then we must certainly expect deluges. And to prevent your wonder at this, though they derive fair Weather from the Sun, and three superior Planets; they decree Clouds from the three Inferior; and add, that Mars somtimes of the superior, dòth cause rains, and Mercury of the Inferior, serenity. For they take Mercury for Eolus, who doth somtimes raise high Winds and stormes, and somtimes blow them away a­gain, and sweep the welkin, as with a broom. If he be conjoyned with Saturn; then doubtless we shall be troubled with dark, rainy; and blustering winds: if with Jupiter; we have gentle and refreshing gusts: if with Mars, partching and burning blasts: if with the Sun hott and unwholsome gales. Iomitt, how they at­tribute Hail to some Aspects, Thunder to others, snow to others, and the like: and how the Planets, as they pass neer the Fixt Stars, do mightily encrease their vir­tues; (for when Mars passeth by the Pleiades, he doth so heighten their watery forces, that woe be to us, for deluges) and how they admitt the same effects, concer­ning the Rising and Setting of the Fixt Stars respective to the Sun, all which are contained in the Tables and Kalandars of the Ancients, as we have formerly obser­ved; with an infinite number of the like Extravagan­ces, whereof their Books are full.

[Page 62] After this short accompt of the Grounds and Man­ner of their erecting Praedictions of changes of weather, we might well spare any further discussion of them, their Vanity being obvious to every mans consideration. For how frivolously do they elect the Lord of the Year, of each Quarter of the Year, of each Quarter of the Moon? that designation of a number of Testimonies of Fortitude and Debility being meerly Chimerical, and yet made the Signes by which they are guided in their Election. If there must be a Lord paramont among the Planets, one would think the soveraignty should be­long to the Sun; and in the next place to the Moon; not that it should be taken away from them, and con­ferred upon Mars, Mercury, or any other, so as that in respect of it, the power of the Sun and Moon must be wholly diminished and obscured. But how can that very moment, wherein a Planet passeth by the Center of the Sun, or Equator, or either of the Tropicks con­duce to the election of it for Lord? Are not those Circles in the Heavens meerly imaginary, distitute of all virtue; or if there be any virtue adscriptive to them, ought it not to be derived wholly from the Sun? And doth not the Sun in its approach to, and recess from them, proceed on in one equal tenour, nor so vary his influx in them, as that it is not the same both before and after he hath passed them? Or, if he doth vary his influx, is not the tenour of his variation the same both before and after: so that from one punctual moment nothing of change can be inferred more from one particular mo­ment, than from any other precedent or consequent? The same likewise may be said of those moments, in which the Moon is in the points of Conjunction, or Opposition; [Page 63] or those that are immediately precedent, or subsequent to them. But what if no man can be certain of that precise moment, in which the Sun is in a Cardinal point of Heaven? Sure I am, there are no Tables or Ephe­merides so exact, as to teach that time within 6 hours, or the 4 ^th part of a Day. For though those composed by Tycho come the nearest to truth, yet they are som­what short of it, and we are confirmed that hitherto none have ever been free from some exorbitancy or other, more or less: so that yet there never was a Ce­lestial Scheam erected, at the precise moment of the Suns being in either of the Cardinal points, and so no experi­ment could be made of this so magnified Dominion. For suppose the Calculators mistake no more than only two hours in the time; then what is ascribed to the First House, doth really belong to the Twelfth, or to the se­cond, betwixt which and the First, how great difference they make, every man perceiveth. The same in propor­tion may be said of the uncertainty of the moment, when the Moon is in Conjunction with, or Opposition to the Sun; forasmuch as even the Eclipses observed do assure us, that that moment is alwayes different from that which not only the Ancients, but also the moderns E­phemerides prescribe.

And what if the true places of the Planets were never yet exactly known, as we shall declare hereafter? So that a Planet doth not deserve that Dominion, which is given to it, in respect of the Testimonies of Fortitude, that do not belong to it, when it is absent from that place, upon the supposition of which it had them assigned. Again, what if those things we have discovered of the Planets, and their motions, be such as require a new [Page 64] Theory and new precepts concerning them and their periods, different, if not contrary to those that have hitherto been excogitated and delivered? For if the Moon, according as she is encreased or diminished in light, acquireth various degrees of Fortitude and Debi­lity, and causeth various effects: must we not allow the same also to Venus, which likewise hath the same Vari­ety of Phases, as the Moon? If the Earth suffer so much of alteration from the various aspects of the Moon; it is fit that Jupiter should suffer some alteration from the aspects of his proper Moons, which as they are more in number, so are they swifter in their motions, and oftner changed in their configurations? And according to this alteration, is it not reasonable to conceive, that Jupiter becomes stronger or weaker, as to his activity upon inferior bodies? May not the same be said of Saturn, in respect of his Ansulae? And are not those his Ansulae, and also the Jovial Moons to be numbred among the Planets, which in respect of the Earth display their particular virtues, and so may have their various Testimonies of Fortitude and Debility, and thereby stand Candidates for the honour of the supreme Dominion, when it comes to their turn, aswell as any of the rest? But why do I dwell thus long upon this subject, when common Experience convinceth the Dominions suppo­sed, to be meer Dreams? As also are all the mighty Attributes not only of the Dodecatemoria, or twelve Divisions of the First Moveable Heaven, (than which Vanity it self is not more Vain) but also of the Asterismes, and Stars themselves, which they will have to act, according as each doth resemble such or such a Planet in colour. For who could ever experimentally tell, that [Page 65] the Heart of Scorpio doth heat and dry; since no Star is in colour more like Mars? And why should the Ey of Taurus, which is one of the Hyades, and the chiefest among them, cool and moysten; since that also comes as near the redness of Mars, as the Heart of Scorpio? Why was not the Dog-star, conceived to be the cause of the greatest heats in Summer, rather accounted Mar­tial?

Of their Aspects I add nothing; because look how much authority and faith our Astrologers conferr upon them, so much doth dayly Experience detract from them. For in vaine doe they recurr to the signes and Triplici­ties; in vain do they alleadge their Conjunctions, when the Events nevertheless deceive them. It is memorable, what we read in Histories, and indeed almost in all Books of the former Age; that when Astrologers, in respect of great Conjunctions, and some mean ones to happen in the watery signes, had Praedicted a General Deluge (forsooth) and so great calamities of men and beasts by water, as was never before heard of, and this to fall out in the moneth of February, in the year 1524. so that many, being terrified with this Prognostication, in Spaine, France, Italy, Germany, and other Parts of Eu­rope, provided themselves of shipping, boats, Victuals and other necessaries for a long Voyage, and betook themselves to the topps of the highest mountains, in expe­ctation of the Deluge fore-told: It fell out, that all that moneth of February was fair and clear, and more temperate than ordinary; as if Providence had ordained that exceeding serenity at that time, on purpose to refute and deride the vain Predictions of our Star-prophets (for it is rare to see February, pass away without leaving [Page 66] raines and cold behind it) which even Cardan and Origanus themselves could not dissemble their sorrow for, complaining that that judgment of a Deluge then to come, was given by Stofler, not without the irreparable disgrace of Astrology. Just such another Prognostication was that, which Scaltger reports, in (Praefation. in Ma­nil) out of Rigordus, who wrote that the Astrologers had foretold so general a destrnction, by the violence of winds and tempest, because of a Conjunction of aswell the inferior as superior Planets, in September MCLXXXVI. there being an Eclips of the Sun on the 11 of the kalends of May immediately forego­ing; as that many expected the Vniversal Dissolution of Nature then to come: and yet when all came to all, there was not so much as a storm ensued at the time Predicted: and the contrary event derided the skill of the Astrologers, and foolish credulity of those that beleived them. There was no cause why I should in­ferr these rare instances; considering that every dayes experience doth sufficiently demonstrate the like fallacy; at least to such, as give themselves the fatisfaction of ob­serving the times, in which the Conventions of the Pla­nets are set down in the Ephemerides. For, how many Apertiones Portrarum are there, not only in every year, and moneth, but also in every week, nay day; and yet ne­vertheless are there not whole weeks, moneths, nay som­times years too, in which no extraordinary changes of weather can be observed, but what are agreeable to the Season? And let them add as much as they please, the variety of situation in respect of the Sun, of the Eccentrick of the Epicycle; still there is nothing which they can prove by experience; or which may not be disproved [Page 67] by contrary experience: so that their rules become plainly arbitrary, and the matter comes to pass alike, whether you predict fair weather or rain, or winds, or calmes, unless it be that in winter commonly there is most wett, and in Summer most heat. But the Plow-man may as easily divine of the weather, as our learned Astrologer with all his Books, Tables, and Celestial Figures or Scheams about him. Schonerus once observed, that as Mars was passing near the Pleiades, there fell down aboundant rain: but how often have we our selves observed that Planet travailing the same way, and yet not so much as a cloud to be seen in the sky for many days together both before and after? Ought he ther­fore instantly to set it down for a rule, that we should always expect great rains when ever Mars was approa­ching the Pleiades? Or may not we, with more reason, institute the quite contrary? Besides, it is no unreaso­nable question, to demand of Astrologers, why Mars should not rather repress and abate, than extimulate and heighten the watery influence of the Pleiades? And why should not the Moon, and Venus, and Mercury, rather excite and encrease it? When yet we so frequently observe these Planets ariving at the Pleiades, when the Air is most serene, and no showers succeed?

I add nothing likewise of the Rising and Setting of the Fixt Stars, of which I have already said enough; only I advertise, that since the Telescope hath discovered innumerable Stars in the Firmament, besides those for­merly beheld by the naked ey: if there be any virtues to be ascribed to the Stars, certainly it is requisite we should compose new Rules and precepts, according to which the newly discovered Stars may challenge to [Page 68] themselves those Effects, that are fully attributed to o­thers. Nor can it be Objected, that these New-found Stars are too smal; because, since their multitude is incredible, and chiefly in all the Galaxy, or Via Lactea: it seems reasonable, that their vast excess in number should compensate their defect in bigness: and though each one singly cannot have much of energy, yet all of them together may do well. Where we cannot but wonder, that the Galaxy, being so spacious and conside­rable a part in the Heavens, had never any particular Effects attributed to it; especially when to the two smal Stars of Cancer, to the Manger, and other cloudy Stars (which yet are nothing but very small assemblies of most minute Stars) great Effects have been imputed: and the Via Lactea conteins myriads of the like heaps of minute Stars, in all parts of it, and through the whole Zodiack.

CHAP. XIII.

HEre let us a while attend to the Plea of Astrolo­gers, and hear what they can alledge in their Defence. Their principal Allegations are, that the Rules and Placits of their Art, accord­ing to which they institute their Predictions of weather, were grounded upon long Observations: that the same are still confirmed by many experiments: that among many predictions of the Ancients, that of Thales is very memorable, when foreknowing that there would be great Plenty of Olives the next year, he went and far­med all the Olive yards in Miletum, and Chio, before [Page 69] hand, and so the Event answering his expectation, he thereby very much enriched himself: that if the Effects do not alwayes follow according to their divination, the fault is not to be imputed to the Art it self, but to the unskilfullness or negligence of the Artist: that since they subject the Stars, not to Fate, but to God, who can at pleasure change and avert Effects that would otherwise come to pass; when things do not succeed according to their presignifications, the blame doth not belong to A­strology: that all the objections made against them prove no more than this, that Astrology is only a Con­jectural Art, as Physick, Rhetorick, and the Art of Na­vigation; not that it is no Art at all, or a meer Hario­lation: that to contradict their Art, is injurious not only to the Heavenly bodies themselves, as if they were made in vain; but even to the Divine wisdom, as if either that had not made the Stars for the use of Man, or it had not endowed man with such sagacity as might serve to make him fore-see what good was to be hoped for, and what evil to be shunned: and finally, that it is down-right madness to referr these Effects either to Chance, or to any other Cause, but the Heavens; espe­cially since though there may be inferior Causes admit­ted to conduce to the production of those Effects, yet those are only the instruments of the Heaven, which gives them their activity, and useth them as subordinate A­gents, Now judge you, whether these be not weighty Considerations.

I Return, that they never have proved, nor ever will be able to prove, that the Rules or Institutes of their Predictions were founded upon long Observations: as­well because those Times, from which both the Chalde­ans, [Page 70] and Egyptians boast to have had their Observati­ons, are altogether fabulous; as because the Ancient Astronomers were studious to know only the motions and courses of the Sun and Moon, in order to the pre­diction of Eclipses; but not at all of any other of the Planets as may be evinced from hence, that Hippar­chus knew nothing of them sufficient to enable him to reduce their motions into Tables: and Ptolomy was the first, who from Hipparchus and his own Observations composed Tables of their several motions. Again, because the Places of the Planets in the Zodiack being then unknown; no man could observe what would be the Effect of each Planet being in the various places of the Zodiack; which their Placits suppose most falsly. Further because the Chaldeans manner of Observing, mentioned by Empiricus, doth sufficiently declare what kind of gross and imperfect Observations they made. Moreover, because the Fixt Stars constantly from their Creation moved from the West toward the East; but the Chaldeans were utterly ignorant of any such moti­on, and so could not observe and designe the places of either the Fixt, or Erratique Stars: because since all the more Antique Astronomers held all the Celestial motions to be Concentrical, and Ptolomy first observed them to be Eccentrical: it is manifest, how much knowledge they wanted, in order to their being able to observe, and desine which were the true places of the Planets. And because aswell in respect of the special motion of the Fixt Stars to the East, as of the special and manifold wanderings of the Planets; the same Face or Constitution of the Heavens cannot again ever return: and therefore this or that change of weather once obser­ved [Page 71] to happen in such or such a position of the Heavens can never be again observed in the like position, so as to make it but probable, that the Placits of Astrologers were grounded upon repeated Observations. What they say, might indeed suffice, in case the position of some, and those the principal Stars, were the same: but only, when they are asked, why some mutation of wea­ther doe's not respond to a prediction, made from some certain position of the Heavens? They instantly recurr to the situation of some Stars, which is not the same it was with other Stars constituted in the same position. And certainly, since not only the Stars returning to the same situation of their operations; but others also that are in another situation; it is requisite that the action of those should be disturbed, and diversified, by the different action of these. Hence whereas they affirm, that their Rules are confirmed by frequent Experiments; that is, manifestly vain and false, even from this, that they are contradicted by as many, and more Experiments. We could attest, that the same hath often happened to us, that happened to Joh. Picus, who Observing the mutations of the Air for a whole Winter together, scarce found six or seven of an hundred and thirty daies, that agreed with the Predictions of Astrologers. And I pray, if any should cast Dice, and according to the chances set down; that such and such dayes we should have fair weather, and such and such foul; would not his pre­dictions fall out to be verified upon 6 or 7. dayes in an hundred and thirty? So that as for Experiments, our Astrologers can never secure their Placits, by alleadging the certainty of them.

As for that famous Prediction of Thales; it is a won­der [Page 72] they do not take the same course to enrich them­selves, by the presages of plentifull years; if they beleeve their Astrology to be no whit inferior to that, which they think Thales made use of. But, in troth, from all their frippery of rules they shall never be able to discribe a Position of the Heavens, that can inform them of the future fruitfulness of any sort of Trees, so as to encourage them to farm all the Orchards in the Country, for that year; or to lay a good wager that their Prediction shall be fulfilled, especially with a good Husbandman or Gardiner, who understands the nature of Fruit-trees much better than they. But is it not said, that Thales drew this Conjecture from Astrology? It is so indeed; but yet it is worthy our notice, what Aristotle tells us; that he had that fore-knowledge of an extraordinary plenty of Olives [ [...]] Before winter was quite ended. For he being addicted to the study of Nature, and maintaining Water to be the Material Prin­ciple of all things, had often observed what kinds of fruit grew most plentifully from much Water; and what from little: And there being Commonly much rain either in the beginning, or middle, or end of Winter; He might as easily fore-know at the end of that Winter, that there would ensue the next Summer an abundance of Olives, as I have seen some Husbandmen, who have fore-told the like plenty of the same fruit, not only from the Winter, or Autumne, but also from the Summer pre­ceding, and this from the great raines that fell in that Summer. This likewise is worthy consideration, that when Thales would purge that part of Philosophy, which some had upbraided him withall, as useless, and nothing conducing to redress his poverty: he wisely [Page 73] contrived to referr this experiment of his wisedome to that very part in Chief. Just as many in our dayes, who seeing that the Common people think the contemplation of Celestial matters to be unprofitable and Idle, as no thing availing to the Commodities of life; to confute this Vulgar error, and Vindicate themselves from con­tempt, they cherish the common perswasion, that Astro­nomy conduceth to the prediction of Future Events. And thus did that brave Man, Keppler, who said, that a Foolish Daughter was not to be despised, if by her gains she maintained her wise Mother: intimating that Astro­logy, though degenerous, was not to be turned out of Doors, because without her the Mother, Astronomy, would have fewer Favourers and supporters, It is well known, that Thales was scoff't at for his study of Astro­nomy, not only by divers others, but even by his own maid; and so that his study was not in revolving Tables, or consulting Ephemerides, but only in beholding the Stars, and Observing their motions: but our Astrolo­gers, when they make their predictions, have no regard at all to the Stars (of which the greatest part of them are wholly ignorant) but consult only Ephemerides, and the rules set down in their Books. And whereas we read, that he predicted an Eclipse, it must be that he had by him the Observations of other Eclipses made by others, and especially the Egyptians, with whom he had some Conversation: but this argueth no more than that the buisiness of the Ancients was chiefly to understand the motions of the Sun and Moon, in order to their Prognostication of Eclipses; and that they had investi­gated the motions of the other Planets, there remains no memorial at all, I add, that what Aristotle saith of [Page 74] the imputation of this Prediction to Thales, in respect of his great sagacity and wisedom; ought so to be under­stood, as though the narration it self were utterly false, yet such was the same of the mans wisedom, that he deser­ved to have it beleeved of him. I my self have known a man, upon whom many notable predictions were father­ed, of which indeed he never so much as dream't; and this only because of the great skil he was thought to have in Astronomy, and that men would not admitt him to lie poring all the Year long upon the Stars, to no purpose. And though He did solemnly disavow that he had ever predicted any such thing, yet that did the more confirm and encrease the common report of his supposed Divinations, as if he declined the matter only to avoid envy; so greedy of rumors and novelties are the Vulgar, and so industrious in forging and beleeving fopperies. But of Thales I have said enough.

As for their Plea, that when Events disprove their predictions, the fault is not of the Art it self, but of the Artists: this is a subterfuge, and so poor a one, as that it betrayeth the vanity and imposture of the very Art. For they have patched up an Art of so many, and so various things, as that whatsoever the 'Event be, they have still some rule or other to shew, according to which the Event observed may be thought to have come to pass. And grant that the contrary had happned; then they have another rule in readiness, according to which that sell out. And hereupon (forsooth) they become admi­rable, when after a thing is come to pass, they tell you how it came so to pass; but before the Event, nothing is safe, nor can they more certainly divine that a thing will come to pass, than that the quite contrary will [Page 75] come to pass. And O wonderfull! If when they have divined positively, the thing predicted doth not en­sue accordingly; they excuse themselves, and say that they mistook in their Calculations, and had a respect to one thing, when they ought to have had regard to ano­ther. And do not you think they would have run to the same excuse, in case they had predicted the quite contrary, and that nevertheless had fallen out otherwise than they had predicted? Wherefore, to speake the truth, the Artists deserve to be condemned for their easy credulity, and implicite embracing the dictates of their Art, as if they were sacred and oraculous: and Art it self to be exploded, in that it is composed of such ambiguous and uncertain Placits, as seem rather to have been chosen by a Lottery, or casting of Dice, than by judgement and Observation.

But nevertheless, it was discreetly done of some of them (for I do not find them All to have so much piety in them) to exempt the Stars from the jurisdiction of Fate, and to suppose them under the government only of God, who made them: and yet when they pretend this for an excuse and support of a most vain and indeed prophane Art; I dare not say, they have done either discreetly or piously. For they make as if they were certain, that such an Effect would inevitably ensue, as they have foretold; unless God by some special resolve of his providence is pleased to avert it: as if it were bet­ter, that God should be supposed to pervert the General order of Causes and Effects, that his infinite wisedom ordained and instituted from all Eternity; than that their foolish Aphorismes should be suspected of uncer­tainty and deceipt: and as if it were more reasonable [Page 76] to recurr to a miracle, than to confess the fallability of their rules. And certainly, if any man can think this refuge of theirs to be considerable; we not despair to perswade him, that there can be no dream so wild and absurd, that is not capable of defence from the same allegation.

Again, I cannot but allow them to be somwhat Mo­dest, when they confess their Art to be only Conjectu­ral: and yet they may be accused of great Arrogance, when they boast it to be of equal certainty with the Arts of Physick, Rhetorick, and Navigation. For in these, Human prudence and industry so act their parts, as that the proposed and desired End doth for the most part follow thereupon; and when it doth so follow, the Cause is not immanifest: But in Astrology meer Chance plays the whole game; and the Event fore-told doth seldom or never follow; and when it doth follow, the Cause is not altogether obscure and uncertain, and every man may give as good a Cause among sublunaries for that Effect, as Astrologers do from the Stars; and so Astrology is not so much a true Art, as a meer Lottery, or Guessing at randome. Nor am I in saying this, in­jurious to those noble Creatures, the Stars, whose true and genuine virtues whatsoever they bee, I most wil­ingly allow them; but it is injurious to them, to disho­nour them with the imputation of such power and effi­cacy, as is incompetent to them, and to make them ma­ny times the instruments not only to Mens ruine, but even to all their vicious inclinations, and delestable villanies. Nor is it Derogatory to the Divine wisedom, which maketh nothing in vain, and may be conceived to have had some respect unto Man, when it made the [Page 77] host of Heaven: but it is derogatory thereto, to ima­gine God to have an ey to those ridiculous purposes and ends, that men many times foolishly propose to them­selves, and so to presume of the certain knowledge of Human Events, as if they had pried into the secret Coun­cells of Providence Divine. We deny not, but God hath endowed the Stars, as all the rest of his Creatures, with some certain Virtues; but we question, whether Astrologers know what those Virtues are; and whether the Faculties, which they ascribe to the Stars, be the same that God gave them, or others meerly imaginary. Nor do we deny, that God gave Man Sagacity or wise­dom of Mind, in order to his conjecture, what may be beneficial, and what hurtfull to him in the Future; but we deny, that this Sagacity is any other but the chiefest part of Moral prudence, or that we ought to conceive it to consist only in the skill of Astrology, as they will have it. As if when Men stood in doubt, what would be the Event of such or such an affair, they ought not to consi­der the Causes, Instruments, Circumstances, and proba­bilities of what they designe, and so to proceed to action, or desist accordingly: but only to have recourse to the papers of Astrologers, and there to enquire, whe­ther or no, and how their enterprise should succeed. Or as if Astrologers, being to Sow their fields with this or that sort of grain, would not rather take advice for the most opportune season, from the experienced Plow-man, than from their Almansors; and preferr the honest Sa­gacity of the clouted shoe, to that of their uncertain Astrology.

But they tell us, that it is madness to referr to meer Chance, fair Weather, Rain, Plenty, Scarcity, and the [Page 78] like Effects; as if they had not their proper Causes in Nature, or happened not by the disposition of Providence Divine. This you'l say, is much; and yet to say, that those things happen by Chance, in respect of Mans ig­norance, and of the prevision of Astrologers, I hope is no madness at all; since it amounts to no more than this, that Man doth not understand their particular Causes, nor their Connexion with the Effects; and therefore that it cannot be foreknown, from whence or when they will evene, and that it is by chance that Men foretell that they will, and when they will evene, since the truth is conceal­ed no less from him, who doth adventure to predict them, than from him who doth not; not after those Events have, or have not happned, at the time prefixed, can he who predicted them glory that he did it upon any certain science, or he who did not predict them say that he forbore upon the score of his skill in Divination. And hence is it, that he whose prediction comes to be fulfilled by the Event, may (indeed) be accounted the Happier, or more Lucky-man in his conjecture; but not a jot the more skilfull or Knowing, for it. This I speak only of Astrologers; because Mariners, Plow-men, and Shepheards, and others may, from the pale­ness, or redness of the Moon, from Halo's, Paraselen's, Rain-bowes, and the like Meteorological Signes, pro­bably conjecture what weather there will be either the same day, or the next following, by reason of the fami­liar connexion of such Events to such Causes: but our Astrologers, who glory that they are able to predict all sorts of weather on each Day of the Year; and that not only many hours, but many Dayes, Weeks, Moneths, Years, and Ages before hand, can predict no such thing, [Page 79] because there is not the like familiar and manifest con­nexion betwixt the Causes and Events. Nor can they object, that their Calculations are very laborious and difficult; for this when all is done, is nothing but with great labour and pains to make a Calculation from some intricate game on the Dice. For allow that fair wea­ther shall succeed upon such or such particular chance of the Dice; and foul weather upon another; and wind upon another: and then make your predictions of each according to the chances, and you shall find the buisiness succeed with as much certainty, as if you raised your predictions from the Aphorisines and Calculations of Astrologers. Nor is this a wonder, since I have heard of some Almanak-makers, who were famous for their Weather-wisedome, and yet they never used other art to make them by, than the Chances of a Die.

But they confidently demand, whether there be in nature any Cause, to which the changes of Weather ought in probability to be referred, except only the Hea­vens? Whereas it is easily Answered, that the Hea­vens indeed (or rather the Stars, and chiefly the Sun) are the General Causes of most of the mutations in the Air; and yet besides them, there are other special and princi­pal Causes among inferior bodies, to which it is to be referred, that those mutations happen in this or that place, in this or that time, and in this or that manner, rather then otherwise; and not to the Heavens, which without them could not Cause any Effect or change at all: and that by the nature and activity of these inferior Causes it is that the Stars do attemper their influence, and accommodate their action. This considered, They do ill to affirm, that all sublunary Agents are no more but [Page 80] meerly the instruments of Superlunary; for in truth they have special Virtues of their own, such as are incompe­tent to meer Instruments; and it is they, that rather make use of the virtues of the Stars, as their instruments. Again, there are some certain Effects, to which no man can say the Heavens do much conduce; such as the suddain eruptions of Flames and Fire, and Vapours cau­sed by them from subterraneous Waters; yea Metals themselves, which though some have supposed to be ge­nerated in the bowels of the Earth, by the special ener­gy of the Sun; yet none have ever given an account of the true reason, or manner of that Generation; nor is it indeed conceivable how. True it is indeed, that the warmth of the Sun doth cherish the body of the Earth, and so promote the fertility of the seeds therein contain­ed; but yet an External cherishing Cause doth not ex­clude internal and more proper Causes from executing their particular faculties. As for the Moon and the other Planets; if they may be admitted to act any thing upon the Earth, by the same reason the Earth may be con­ceived to re-act upon them: nor can the Earth be more their Instrument, then they the Earths. The parts of the World mutually contribute their operations and assistance each to other; forasmuch as every part hath its peculiar virtues, and in a special manner displayeth the same by its actions. I add, that it hath been grant­ed, that the Sun and Moon have their operations upon inferior bodies; and that they produce such Effects, as may be fore-known, and fore-told: but not that the pre­notion and prediction of those Effects do belong more to Astrologers, than to the common People; since no man is ignorant, that the Sun (for instance) doth produce [Page 81] heat and serenity, more frequently than foul weather, in the Summer. It hath been granted likewise, that other sydereal bodies, and chiefly the Planets have some in­fluence and activity upon the Earth, in proportion to their flender light; but what the special activity of each Pla­net or Star in particular is, Astrologers are as much igno­rant of, as the most illiterate Clown in the World. For as when a room is enlightned by a Flame, from which many smal sparks issue forth, no man can discern the particular light, which ariseth from each particular spark, the Air being promiscuously illumined by them all: so the Sun, Moon, and Stars acting promiscuously upon the Earth, by their several influences blended or confused together; it is impossible for any man to distin­guish their several activities. But you'l say, are the virtues of the Stars to be measured by the Greatness or smalness of their particular Lights? And why not I pray? Will you have it to be measured by that of their Diametres, or of their Discuses? If so, though we should allow that each of the Fixt Stars is not less potent in it self, then either the Sun, or Moon, or any o­ther of the Planets; must you not yet confess, that the Distance which doth diminish the light, and discuss as­well of the Fixt, as of the Erratique Stars, must in the same proportion diminish also their activity; so that the virtue of each Fixt Star, compared to the virtue of the Sun, and that of each Planet compared to that of the Moon, can be no more than the light of the one is to the light of the other, or the Discuss of one to the Dis­cuss of the other. And this seems much more reasona­ble, than what Astrologers suppose, viz. that the virtues ascribed to the Planets are equal, if not superior to those [Page 82] of the Sun and Moon. But (say they again) whence come's that great variety of sublunary Effects, if not from the various positions, and various influences of the Stars? Why, I have already declared, that the varie­ty of Effects among sublunaries ariseth from the variety of Causes among sublunaries, as they are variously compared either among themselves, or with others. To Day there arise vapours from this part of the Earth, which elevated into the Air become condensed into Clouds, and so fall down again in showers. In the mean time the matter of them is exhausted, or the heat by which they were evaporated groweth less at the same part of the Earth. And albeit by the continual action of some parts of the Earth upon others, the like matter be to be congested upon the same place, and new heat to succeed; yet that will not happen precisely on the same day the next Year, but sooner or later; and therefore it is no wonder, if it doth not prove wet weather the next Year, upon the same dayes, that it is wet weather this Year. And what I say of wet and dry Weather, may be applied also to all other changes of the Air; since by the same reason the matter of Winds Hot or Cold, as also of Thunder, Hail, Snow, and the like, is not prepared in a readiness in the same parts or places of the Earth, at the same times one Year, that they were another. Which one would think to be a more probable Cause of the variety of weather, both as to times and places, than that imaginary variety of Astral influences, which Astrologers so much cry up.

If this be so (say Astrologers) then these Mutations cannot be prenoted or predicted, by any rules of Art, I confess they cannot, especially long before; for other­wise [Page 83] there are those Signes, by which I allow that we may fore-see and fore-tell great changes of weather, when they are neer at hand. What then, Must Astrology, noble and divine Astrology be vain and useless, and be able to make no probable Conjectures at all concerning the precise times of these Changes? Yea truly, I think so; nor need I say more to justify that my opinion, than what I have said already in this Chapter. But, Were those Laws made in vain, which allow of and tollerate the profession of Astrology in those matters, that concern Agriculture, Medicine, and Navigation? For those Laws, I conceive they are to be lookt upon, as many others, which provide for the tolleration of lesser Evils, in order to the prevention of Greater: For because the Mind of Man, being alwayes greedy of knowing things to come, is easily carried away with those splendid per­swasions, that Astrologers have contrived to allure and inveigle it to a beleif of their Art; therefore that they might a vert mens minds from a too curious and sollici­tous investigation of future Contingents, such as the Ar­bitrary actions of men, fortuitous Events, dangers, cala­mities, the day and manner of death, and the like; from the prediction of which mens private lives, and the publike peace are commonly disturbed; therefore (I say) was it, that the wise Law-makers, prohibiting this Fortune-telling part of Astrology, permitted the use of the other concerning Weather-conjectures, as that which might set bounds to, and in some sort humour mans Cu­riosity, and occasion less of disturbance both in private, and publike. And this Licence might in the mean time seem to the people to be the more reasonable and bene­ficial, while it carried the pretext of some true observati­ons [Page 84] of the Rising and Setting of the Stars, in causing Winds or Rains; of the Moon in the full, or wane, en­creasing, or decreasing her light; for the most advanta­gious sowing of Seeds, Setting, Grassing, removing of Plants and Trees, letting of Blood, Purging, Venery, Baths, and the like; of Tides of the Sea; of the pale Moon commonly preceding Rain, the red winds, the white fair weather, and the like Signes: which though they do not belong to Judicial Astrology, are yet com­monly referred to it, partly through the ignorance of the Multitude, but mostly through the cunning and arro­gance of Astrologers, that so they might acquire the greater credit to their profession. And hereupon we may see some Phisicians, who pretending to have more profound knowledge in Celestial matters, than is usually expected from others of the same profession; think to acquire the reputation of Transcendent Artists, by giving out, that they will not undertake the cure of any sick person, especially of great quality or Condition, unless they have first made solemne inspection into his Nativi­ty-scheam, and erected another Scheam for the Year past, another for the very instant of his falling ill, and others for the times wherein each Symptome first inva­ded him: when yet (in troth) either they do no such thing at all, or if they do, it is to no more purpose, than if Themselves should dream that he would live or dy; and all this is but a knavish trick, to make men beleeve they are much wiser, than really they are; and the while they underhand consider the same prescrips and Apho­risms of Principal Physicians that the more modest, more honest, and more learned Practitioners of that Art, in­form and guide their judgements by. Again what [Page 85] wonder is it, if the Authors of those Laws made in fa­vour of Astrologers, being wholly taken up with matters of more importance to the state, and perhaps somwhat touched with the infection of these cunning Impostors, aswell as the rest of the people; would not wholly in­terdict the profession of that pretended skill, to which as men, they did not deny their assent, at least in part? Nevertheless, it was contrary to the intention of those Law makers, that Astrologers should (as they do) wrest that Tolleration of only a part, to the justification of the whole of Astrology. For by what reason can they come to know the individual Complexion of a sick man, by looking upon the Stars or Ephemerides; how can they know the time, vehemence, duration, period of his sickness; or that the same will be short, or long, mortal or not mortal, and all other things, that are expressly forbidden by those Laws? In a word, if it be fit for any man to conclude the verity of Astrology, from this Tolleration of it: certainly, it is much more fit for us to conclude the Falsity and Imposture of it, from the fre­quent renewing of those Laws made against it.

And thus much in Confutation of that part of Astro­logy, which concerneth the Prediction of Changes of Weather.

CHAP. XIV.

IT remains, that we now survey that other part of A­strology, called the Genethliacal, or which, from [Page 86] the inspection of the Genitures, or Nativity Themes, or (as they are Vulgarly called) Scheams of men, doth institute Predictions of all the remarkable Events that befall them, in their whole lives. For though the most part of what hath been delivered by us in the precedent Chapters, doth in some sort relate aswell to this Latter, as to the Former part, and so may easily be accommo­dated unto it; yet there are some things peculiar hereto, which require a peculiar consideration.

In the First place, we are to remark, that that man doth make but ill provision for the peace and quiet of his thoughts, who doth but lend an eare to Astrological predictions, though he fix not his mind upon them. For though they are but vain, and a man doth strive to con­firm himself in the opinion, that they are meer fopperies; yet in respect of the common perswasion, that there is somthing in them, he shall find himself very prone to give some credit to them, and so give some occasion of dis­quiet or other evil to himself. For if the Astrologer shall have predicted his death, instantly the thought thereof enters his mind, causeth a troublesome apprehen­sion therein, and makes him discontented: and if any light disease chance to intervene, the same is augmented by the melancholy resentment and disquiet of mind within him, and so puts him really in danger of death, which otherwise he had no reason to fear, from the na­ture of his disease. If any great mishap, or infortune before-told him; that prediction also vexeth his mind, and is often the cause, that he flieth to such precautions to secure him for the infortune threatned, as really prove the means to bring the same, or as bad upon him; which otherwise would not have befallen him. If he hath [Page 87] been promised either long Life, or felicity of fortune; then either he rashly exposeth himself to such dangers, as shorten his Life; or neglecteth that industry and pru­dence, which might have made his fortune prosperous indeed, but being omitted, prove the occasion of his infelicity, and misery in the end. For the proof of this, we have many stories both Ancient and recent that testify, that those men have generally been most unhap­py, who confided in the Astrologers promising them very great happiness: and of these we shall mention some hereafter. In the mean time, accept this admo­nition; that nothing is safer, then strictly to follow the dictates and rules of Prudence; and to live, in respect of ones self, honestly; in respect of others, justly: and for the rest, to committ all to Providence Divine, and to be prepared for all encounters of Fortune. The advice of Horace, in this case, is oraculous.

By this means, if Good fortune comes, you relish it [Page 88] the more sweetly; if bad, you bear it more easily; and this benefit we are sure of, that if we must be miserable, yet we shall not be so before our time. For (they are the words of Cicero, in 2. de Divination.) ‘How un­happy a life had Priamus lived, if he had fore-known in his youth, what tragical Events were to befall him in his old age? And that we may leave Fables, do you think it could have been beneficial to Marcus Crassus, when he florished in wealth, and all kinds of prosperity, to have fore known, that his beloved son Pompey should be slain, his Army destroyed, and him­self perish in ignominy, disgrace and want, on the other side of Euphrares? Do you think, that Pompey could have taken joy in his three Consulships, in his three Magnificent tryumphs, in his glory of high At­chievements and admirable felicities; if he had fore-known, that after all he should be killed in exile and obscurity in Egypt, after the less of his numerous Ar­my; and after his death suffer such horrid things, which I cannot speak of without tears? &c.’

Nor can Astrologers excuse themselves by saying, that such unhappy misfortunes Presignified by the starrs; and being fore-known, may be avoided. For, it is plain, that if they be avoided, they were not presignified: but rather the avoidance of them, which was really to ensue, ought rather to have been presignified. And, if we saw, that Astrologers themselves did once avoid those disea­ses, and other evil accidents, which they pretend are presignified to them in particular: then perchance they might challenge some belief at our hands: but, since they cannot secure themselves with all their caution, as being ignorant of those presignifications made to them: why, [Page 89] should they think to provide for the safety of others, when reason requires they should be more skilfull and fore-sighted in their owne Cases, than in those of others? But, we must reserve the full refutation of this false pre­tence till a better oppertunity; being obliged first to de­monstrate the vanity of the Art, from the examination of its very Principles.

They affirm, First, that all the Good or evil Accidents of a mans life, do depend upon that very moment of time, in which he issueth from his Mothers womb. For, they will have, that the sideral bodies, and principally the seven Planets, in what part soever of the Heavens they are at that instant, when an Infant is born, do so act and club their rayes together upon him, as that they impress upon him a necessity (nor more nor less) of living in such a condition; of dying at such a time, and in such a manner; of marrying such a person, at such a time; of suffering Ship-wrack upon such a day; of recei­ving a wound in such a place of his body, on such a day; of being imprisoned, such a day; of being overthrown at Law, such a day; of falling sick, such a day: and so of all other Accidents in his whole life. As if any man of sound judgment could regard the Heavens, and behold those seven wandring Starts; and yet conceive in his mind, that they should make any impression so manyfold, so particular, inevitable and certain. Indeed, if the Pla­nets applied themselves to conspire the fortune of only one infant, at a time; then the buisiness would be less admirable, less incredible: but since at one and the same instant of time, millions of Infants enter upon the stage of life, in several places of the Earth; can any man understand that the same seven Planets can so act upon [Page 90] every one of them, as to prescribe with equal distinction preciseness, and certitude, all that shall befall them from the moment of their births, to that of their deaths? e­specially since those Accidents are innumerable, and incomprehensibly various? Ought they not to cause the same Effects in all and every of them that are born of all kinds, and Species of Animals; for which though there be no perticular Astrology composed, yet that hinders not, but they should have their fates consigned to them by the Heavens, as well as the rest? Go on therefore, and conceive, if you can, how it should come about, that seven Planets, which immit but seven sorts of rayes or influences, should be able so to complicate and temper their rayes, as to make them suffice, to so great and in­comprehensible a variety of Births, of Accidents. Again, if they allowed the Planets a longer time, a whole day, nay but an hour, for their fatal operations; the wonder would be somwhat diminished: but, that they should conspire destine, and effect their impressions, and con­clude all effects, in only one short moment; this certain­ly is above human capacity. Who likewise can con­ceive, that the Planets are of power to destine so many things in that one moment, and yet have no power to destine any one thing, in so many Myriads of moments following? Further, did they hold it necessary for the Planets, at the moment of the Infants Nativity, to be all above the Horizon; then also the supposition might seem more tollerable: but to make their virtues and efficacy all one, whether they be above or under the the Earth; this is most intollerable▪ For, since in the night time we feel no virtue of the Sun, but what re­mains diffused through the Air, the day before; be­cause [Page 91] his beams cannot pierce through the body of the Earth: is there any reason we should beleeve that ei­ther the Sun, or any other of the Planets, when they are depressed under the Earth, can so transmit their virtues upon an Insant entring the World, as to destine all things belonging to him as effectually as if they were above the Earth, and in a posture convenient for the di­rect transmission of their rayes upon the subject on which they are to operate? The same also may be said of the virtue of those Planets which at that time are co­vered by the Sun or Moon. Lastly, If they would al­low that the rayes of the Planets should be so received by the tender Infant, as to operate according to his con­stitution derived from his Parents, and so to be varied to the production of various and sometimes contrary effects; then they might more justly expect our assent: but to make the Planets to do all things, to subject both a sickly and un-sound Infant, and a lusty and strong one, if born at the same instant, and in the same City, to one and the same influence, and the same effects; Is this to be endured by reason? Nor can you think that they are able to allow any thing of this kind by distinguishing; for if they should but say, that the influence of the Pla­nets were only general; or that the least power of Con­currence or opposition were to be ascribed to the Comple­xion of the Infant: then Farewell their whole Art. For, the persumed Certainty thereof doth so depend up­on the Starrs; as that it must be wholly destroyed, in case any respect be had of the individual Constitution of the Patient, as a special and determining Cause, which for the most part is not understood, and which is sub­ject to infinite variety. And you well preceive, that [Page 92] Astrologers require only two things, viz. The time of the Nativity, and the Altitude of the Pole, or Latitude of the Place: and from these two alone, they undertake to predict the Infants Fate most certainly, most punctu­ally. And perhaps it might be granted, that at the time when one is born, the same doth befall him, that doth when he issueth forth from the place, in which he was cherished by a special heat, into the cold Air, or the Air affected with any other degree of warmth; as we see doth happen to a Red-hot Iron, when it is taken out of the Fire, and Plunged into cold water: but when it shall be also granted, that the external Air, affected with the Rayes of the Stars, is available to the changing of his temperament, and to cause that his life should be longer, or shorter; yet nothing can be more like a dream, yea more vaine then a dream, then that therefore it is determinable, how long precisely to an hour that Infant shall live, since according to the care that is after­wards taken of the Child, his life shall be longer or shor­ter, and more or less subject to infirmities; or what ad­vencures of prosperous of adverse fortune shall thence­forth befall him; since those depend upon such future oc­casions, as have no relation at all with the condition of his Birth. Let a man but seriously consider with him­felfe, how many there are, and have been in the world, with whom he hath had to doe in some affaire or other, either directly or indirectly, from his Childhood to this present day, in order to his dispatch of several buisines: that he might take this or that Iourney: acquire this or that Honour or Dignity; heap up this or that mass of wealth; sustain this or that dishonour, or loss; and so run over the most considerable Encounters of his life: [Page 93] then let him consider, whether those so many men of different Ages, Complexions, Humours, Conditions, Na­tions, Countries, (without all which living at such times and in such places, and meeting with him upon such oc­casions, he could not have effected such designes, or met with such Events) had any relation at all to his Nativity. Let him, I say, consider that, when they could not but live at such a time, in such a place, meet him, and be willing to do these or these things for, or against him; unless because others lived before them, are dead, and did this or that for them, and so of the rest, since the Fates of those men also depended upon others that went before them from Age to Age upwards, to the begin­ing of the World; so that from thence forward all the successions of men, and all the series of affaires to this present day are to be unravelled; for if all things had not been so as they were, neither had those men lived, with whom he hath had to do, nor those Events been, which have besallen him. Nor can our Astrologers evade this necessity, by saying, that the Planets do not designe par­ticularly, and singularly, what Good or Evill, and from whom, and when, and where a Man shall receive it: for since the rayes are singular, by which the Planets designe any one accident, it is necessary that the definition be of a singular Event; nor can the Event be singular, unless from the singular circumstances of Person, Place, Time, and manner. And manifest it is, that other Events, then what are really to come, cannot be defined; nor can there be otherwise terms of singular actions: that I may not take notice, how Astrologers boast the certainty of their Predictions chiefly in respect of circumstance of Time, which is most singularly, and in respect of which [Page 94] such an Event cannot happen to such a Person, unless that Person be at that time, in such a place in such com­pany, upon such an occasion. That I may likewise omitt, that Astrology must be confessed most vain and useless, unless it be able to premonish men of singular Events, together with the Persons, occasions, and other circumstances of them: for otherwise no man can know when, how, or from whom to expect benefit, or detri­ment; or what he must do, to meet his good, promised; or decline his Evil threatned.

CHAP. XV.

TO persue the Doctrine of Astrologers, touch­ing this Omnipotent Moment of an Infants Nativity; let us observe how strict and punctual they are in the investigation of it; and this to the end, that they may exactly know, what point of the Ecliptick ascended at that time above the Finitor, and that being found out, to erect a Scheam of the po­sition of the Heavens at the same: and this done, ac­cording to the Planets being in such or such Houses they proceed to give judgement of the future accidents of the Infant. And indeed, it is not without good cause, that they thus require so exact a knowledge of that punctilio of time; for since they direct the same to the determi­nation of the time of life, (as we shall see more fully anon) if they miss of it but one half hour, they must miss at least seven or eight Years in their definition of the time of life.

[Page 95] Here I might object, how difficult it is to designe the very moment of a Childs Nativity: since no Child enters into the World in one and the same moment, but usual­ly stayeth many moments in the Birth: and if they take the last moment, or that wherein the Childs Feet come away from the Mother, then must the Head have recei­ved its fate before the Feet; if the first moment, or that in which the Head begins to come forth, then the Heart, Liver, Kidneys, and all the rest of the body remaining yet in the Mothers Womb, cannot obtain the same destinie with the Head: and if the middle moment, or that in which the trunck or middle of the Body comes forth of the Womb, then one extream of the Body hath already received its fatal influence, and the other not. If you say, that the influence is immitted at that instant, in which the infant first moves his Lungs, or Breathes (as Cardan will have it, in lib. 3. quadrip. cap 2.) then you beg the question, and we may as justly fix upon the moment of the separation of the Infant from the After-birth, or the cutting of his Navel string. Again, you will not be able to tell us, what a mouthfull of air drawn into the Lungs can do, as to the disposing the whole body to receive the impression of the whole Se­ries of Fates, that is then contexed. Besides, what would Cardan say, if he heard Physicians prove by in­vincible reasons, and frequent Experiments, that the Infant doth respire in the Mothers Womb, some moneths before its Birth?

I might again object, that it seems incredible, that when Twins are born (and they are usually born imme­diately one after the other) the influence of the Stars should be so suddainly changed, as that the Destiny of [Page 96] one should be not only different, but perhaps quite con­trary to that of the other. If it be answered, that in respect of the great swiftness of the Heavens motion, the position of them must be very much changed in two or three moments, and consequently the influence as much varied: which Nigidui was wont to explain by the turning round of a Potters wheel: then St. Augustine (Reply 5. de Civitat. Dei. cap. 3.) that this Fiction will be more fragite; then the earthen Vessels made by the turnning of that Wheel, will serve our turn. As if A­strologers could ever observe all the differences of the positions of the Heavens; and so all the variety of im­pressions or effects hapning betwixt two moments, so neerly succeeding each other; when the Celestial motion, though extremly rapid in it self, must yet be very slow, in respect of mans observation of it; nor doth it vary the position of the Heavens, but in some sensible space of time, as performing one compleat round only in 24. hours, otherwise than a Potters Wheel, which is turned round in an imperceptible space of time: so that there can be no proportion betwixt the arch of the Heavens, in which the positions of two immediately successive moments differ, and the arch of a Wheel, in which two continent impulses differ each from other, if either of the Arches be compared to a convenient Circle.

But waving these difficulties, I come to demand, How Astrologers can attain to any certainty not only of the almost insensible intervalls of time, but even of half an hour over or under the true moment of an Infants Nati­vity? For sometimes they cannot bring their Conje­ctures neer the true time, by a whole day; some times by half a day, either the nightly half, or the dayly, either [Page 97] aforenoon, or afternoon; and sometimes they pitch up­on the most likely hour. I speak of them who account by common Clocks; and to trust to them for preciseness, is most uncertain, as the Common Proverb teacheth us; since of twenty of them in one Town scarce two agree together, and not one usually goes right. It would be insufferably tedious to reckon up all the various causes of Error of our Clocks, and Watches; and as for Sun dyals and Hour-glasses, of either Sand or Water, they are disliked by even Ptolomie himself, who con­cluded it impossible to attain the exactness of time o­therwise than by the Astrolabe. Now for that, pray of a thousand Nativities cast by Astrologers, can you instance any one, at the very moment whereof He that took it, stood ready with an Astrolabe in his hand to compute the hour exactly? And if he did stand ready, what if the weather were then dark and cloudy, so that neither Sun, Moon, nor Stars were to be seen? What if the true motion of the Sun were not yet known, nor the true places of the Planets, as it is now manifest they were not known before this our Age? And yet there remains somwhat to be amended therein. What if the true Altitude of the Pole be not yet found out, as it is not, but in very few places? What if men are not cer­tain of the Longitude of the Place, or difference of Me­ridians; as there is reason to doubt they are not? What if there be not sufficient care had of the Refractions; and it is well known, that before Tycho no Man considered them? What if the Astrolabe be too smal, or not ex­actly framed, and Figured; or not made use of with care and preciseness, than which nothing is more ordi­nary? What if there be an Error in any of those many [Page 98] punctilio's requisite to an exact Observation; as a thou­sand to one but there will be some? What can be said of the rudeness of the Old Chaldean Observations, upon which as upon the Principles and Fundamentals the whole Art is founded; for (as Sextus Empiricus, lib. advers. Astrologos, tells us ‘When they were to observe the time of an Infants Nativity, one Chalde­an sate watching in the top of an hill, or other emi­nent place, not far from the groaning Chamber, and attended to the Stars; and another remained below with the Woman in travail to give the signe, by ring­ing a Kettle or Pan, at the instant of her delivery; which the other taking, observed the Signe of the Zodiack then Rising above the Horizon; and accord­ingly they gave judgement of the Infants Fortune: and this if the birth happened in the Night; but if in the Day, then he that sate upon the high place, observed only the motion of the Sun.’ Now I pray, what a gross and imperfect way of taking the moment of the Nativity was this? For to omit other considerations, what if the Infant was born in a great City, or other place far from a Hill? What if the Air were Cloudy and Dark? What if no Star of those in the Signifer, or space of the Zodiack (as there are more Star-less, than Starry places therein) did arise at the time of the Signe given? What if the brightness of Morning, or Twilight obscured the Stars? Besides, it is well known, that They regarded not the degrees, or minutes of the Signes; but thought it sufficient to mark the Signe it self then Rising. And can you then think their Obser­vations to have been exact? Sure I am, they were so rude and uncertain, as that they never could by them [Page 99] attain to the prediction of any one Eclipse of the Sun, so as to predetermine the time of it; as Diodorus (lib. 2.) reporteth. This considered, we may apply that of Manilius (lib. 3.) to them;

For, these were the men, who thought that the right and Oblique Ascendent Signes of the Zodiack did arise in equal portions of the Equinoctial; and so that it was lawfull to progress, or regress to the point rising, from the hour of the Nativity given; and supposed place of the Sun, allowing to each signe two hours; though some will have more, some less. These also were they, who of all the Aspects admitted none to be effectual at a Nativity, but only the Diametral, Trine, and Quar­tile; and never so much as named the Sextile, or any of the Rest; ascribing moreover to the Diametral, or two opposite signes, this propriety, that all such as were born in such an Aspect, should have opposite Fates Decreed for them; as Geminus (Cap. 1.) remembreth. Now, Consider with yourself, how solid and congruous principles, or fundamental rules these Chaldeans laid down, for succeeding Astrologers to build upon: and how certain an Art that must be, which hath no other foundation, no other support, but those.

To prevent these our Objections, They Answer; that when the Artist is not fully certain of the time of the Nativity to a moment, he may investigate it either of these three wayes.

The First they call Trutina Hermetis, the Scales of Hermes; because supposed to have been derived from [Page 100] that thrice Great Man: which Ptolomie (in Centeloquio) affirmeth in these words; In quo signo luna fuerit tem­pore conceptus; ipsum, aut ejus oppositum fac Horosco­pum in Partu; therefore examining the time, in which the Infant ought, according to Nature, to remain in the womb; from the time of his Conception, they com­pute and conclude upon the moment, wherein he ought to have been born. But, I beseech you, do they not in this seek an obscure thing by a more obscure? For, though they are wholly ignorant of the moment of the Conception, yet they institute their divination of the moment of the Nativity from thence. But, they collect the one from the other; as if there were any more pleasant begging of a Principle to be thought upon; or as if there could be a greater certainty of the Consequent, than there is of the Antecedent? And they multiply their rules; but observe, that no man hath hitherto punctually defined, how much time ought to intercede betwixt the Conception, and Birth of a Child. Be­sides, Ptolomie doth not say, that the degree, or minute, but the signe in which the moon is at the time of the Conception, should be the Horoscope of the Birth; that so the exquisite preciseness may be reduced to the lati­tude of two hours. And doth not this agree with the old method of the Chaldeans, newly mentioned? But, we may as easily refute, as smite at these incongruities; since manifest Experience is repugnant to that Rule of Ptolomie, or the Trutina of Hermes.

The Second, they call Animodar, or Almuseli; which is Ptolomies owne. For, He injoyns his Dis­ciples, to look back upon the New, or full-Moon, im­mediately preceding the Nativity; and to observe what [Page 101] Planet obtaineth the supreme authority in that place, wherein the Conjunction, or Opposition hapned; then to note what degree of the signe such a Planet was in, at the estimated time of the Birth; and erecting a Scheam at that time, to compare the number of that degree, with the number of the degree then Rising and of the middle Heaven; and to which of the two it shall be nearest, as to the number of degrees, and equal number is to be constituted in that Cardo. But it hath been by many demonstrated, that Experience doth destroy this way also; and nothing is more manifest than that the whole Method is Arbitrary, and a meer Fiction, or Dream; and that the time estimated may be so varied, as that the Cardines may be wholly changed; and finally every man may know, that the Horoscope is divers, in divers Climates, when yet according to the Placits of Ptolo­mie, the same ought to be taken, if two Infants be sup­posed born at the same time in divers Climates. We might add the uncertainty of that moment, when the New, or Full Moon hath happened; as may be inferred from what we have formerly said.

The Last, they call Accidentia Nati, Accidents after the Nativity. This is the Newest of the Three, and seems grounded upon what Cardan (in 6. Aphorism. 158.) saith, Sapientis esse non solum ex Genitura even­tum, sed etiam ex eventu Genituram judicare. For, as from the Genital Scheam, by directions, by Transitions, by annual profections, they collect at what time, or times, any remarkable Accidents, befall a Man after his Nativity; so on the reverse, do they pretend to collect the precise time of the Nativity, from the times of those Accidents. But, this we shall by and by explode more [Page 102] opportunely. In the mean time, observe, that Astro­logers cannot make use of this Method, untill a good while after the Nativity, when some eminent Accidents have befallen the person proposed. Observe also the Error of the Consequence, in that they suppose the mat­ter in dispute, viz. that from the Nativity we may collect the times of the chiefest Accidents to ensue in the whole life. I pass over other Methods, as that of Messahala, and others long since exploded.

CHAP. XVI.

HAving fixed upon the Moment of Nativity, drawn the Scheam, and distributed the Planets into their several Quarters, together with the Part of Fortune, and somtimes also with one or two of the most eminent Fixt Stars; (Besides the Head and Tail of the Dragon:) They teach us a Method of investigating at what times all considerable Accidents are to befall the Person. And this Method is manifold, but chiefly Four-fold; Direction, Revolution, Profection Annual, and Transition.

The First, viz. Direction is versed betwixt the two points in the Zodiack, taken in the Nativity Scheam, of which one is called the Significator, the other the Pro­miser; whether they be Planets, or the Rayes of Pla­nets, or Aspects, or Cusp's of Houses. For they will have, that the Significator, as if moveable, doth slowly progress to the Promiser unmoved; (some term that the [Page 103] Promissor, which I here call the Significator; and o­thers quite contrary: but that is not material:) so that when the Significator shall come and shake hands with the Promistor, then Oh then! shall be the performance of that Effect, which was so long before signified by the one, and promised by the other. But because they are wont to number the Advance or Progress, not in the Zodiack, but in the Equator, to which those places are referred by Circles of Declinations; hence is it, that to Direct, is nothing but to enquire the Arch of the Equa­tor, which is interjacent betwixt the Significator and Promissor. And because they will have the Progression to amount to one Degree in a Year; five minutes in a Moneth; ten Seconds, in a Day, constantly: therefore that Arch doth easily point out, at what time, from the Nativity, the Effect sought for, will happen. But seve­ral things are Directed, respective to the variety of Effects; as the Sun, for the state of Life, and dignities; the Moon for the affections and passions of the Mind; the Horoscope (or first Rising point of the First House; which is also called the Horoscope,) for health and pere­grinations; the Middle Heaven, for Friends; the Part of Fortune, for encrease or decrease of Wealth; and for the duration, or period of Life, the special Director is the Prorogator, Dominus vitae, [...]; the Emiss­or, [...] (in Arabic, Hylech, and somtimes Alco­choden▪ And for this, they elect either that Planet, which hath more Dignities, and fewer Debilities, in the places called Hylegialia, i e. the First Tenth, Eleventh, Seventh, or Ninth Houses; and especially the Sun, in a Diurnal Geniture; the Moon, in a Nocturnal: or if there be no Planets in those places, then principally the Horoscope [Page 104] it self. But the Emissor is Directed [ [...]] to the Interfector, or Killer, as to the body of Saturn, or Mars, or to the Malefical beams of each, or to the disposition of the Eighth House, &c. For those are the Destinies, from which they give judgement of the time of Death; allowing so many Years of Life, as they have numbred degrees of the Equator from the Emissor to the Interfector, and so many moneths as there are five minutes over and above, and so many dayes, as there tens of seconds, and so many hours, as there are twenty and five thirds, as may be collected from what we said even now. I omit, that the Direction is either Direct, i. e. to the Consequent Signes; as for the Emissor, the Horoscope, the Middle Heaven; or Converse, i e▪ to the Antecedent Signes, as for the Part of Fortune, or Pla­net Retrograde.

The Revolution, is nothing else, but a new erection or constitution of the Celestial Scheam to that moment, in which the Sun after the space of one or more Years, is revolved to the same point of the Zodiack, in which it was at the moment of the Nativity. For they will have it, that from the comparison of this Celestial Theme, or Position, with the root, or Natalitious Scheam of the Ge­niture, is signified what is to happen to the Person in that Year, which is begun. In particular, if the Horo­scope of the Revolution doth respect the Horoscope of the Root, in a benigne aspect; then health and strength of body is signified, for that Year: if in a maligne, then sickness. If the Planets, in the Revolution, be disposed in a contrary manner, to what they were, in the Geni­ture; then some notable danger is portended; and the like. Among the rest, this is worthy our remembrance; [Page 105] that in the Revolution, if the Moon come to that place where Saturn was in the Root; then the Person shall Marry an old Withered Crone, and (in all likely-hood,) despise and cuckold her, &c.

The Annuall Profection is only a certain equal pro­gress, in which both the Cusps of the Houses, and of the Planets, and other places of the Geniture are con­ceived to go forward under the Zodiack, by the space of 30 degrees every year; so that in the space of 12 years complete, the whole Zodiack is run thorow, and the same Progress again begun. For they regard those places, to which the progress is made, according to this Annual Profection, in the Theme of the Root; and according as they observe the Aspects betwixt them, and the place of the Root to be good, or bad, they give judgement of Felicity, or Infelicity, to happen at that time. And they designe both the moneths and days; because, the year of Profection being given, they easily compute the time, in which within the com­pass of that year, the Aspects fall out. Moreover, they generally teach, what year shall be happy, what un­happy to the Native; as for example; the Fourth year of life must be unhappy, because then the Horoscope comes to the fourth House, which respecteth the Ho­roscope in a Quartile, and the midle Heaven in an oppo­site. And hence is it, that they dispute mainly con­cerning Climacterical years, and shew which are Lords of the seventh years, called by the Grecians [...], by the Arabians Alfridary: determining the dominion of the first seven years upon the Moon, the second upon Mercury, the third upon Venus, and so consequently, the Moon, beginning her soveraignty [Page 106] again at the eighth septennarie, and that year being al­wayes dangerous, in which the dominion of each Al­fridarius, or Lord, is changed or devolved upon his im­mediate successor. And this is all the great mistery of Climacterical years, so much talked of, so much feared.

The Transition is when a Planet passeth by the places of the Geniture; so as the Moon (for example) some­times passeth by the same place, in which she was at the time of the Nativity, sometimes the place in which Sa­turn was somtimes that of the Horoscope, somtimes the place which was Quartile to Mars, Trine to Jupiter, &c. For they will have, that some eminent Changes are made in these Transitions; and therefore they in­troduce them, that so they may the more precisely define the times of Accidents, For thinking themselves sure only of the Year, or Moneth, wherein any Effect, good or bad, is promised, by the Direction; they consider the dayes, in which the good or bad Transitions hap­pen, and cast the Events to come, upon the most potent of them.

And now you have heard all these big words, and brave suppositions; pray, what is your opinion of them? If you will give me leave to guess, I should think you hold the whole Art to be a Mysterious Nothing, a Fi­ction more vain than vanity it self.

For, as for their Direction; how could it be, that they should institute their numeration in the Equator, leave the Ecliptick, and the rounds of the Planets, in which they are moved? It is not, because the Equa­tor is the measure of Time, as one whole revolution thereof makes a Day? But that Direction, which they call Direct, is computed contrary to the motion of the [Page 107] Equator: and as for their assumption, that one degree is respondent to one Year, what grounds have they for it? From Nature they could not assume it; and the year is made by Nature: but their distinction of the Cir­cle into 360. parts, rather than into more, or less; as also their subdivision of each single degree, into 60. mi­nutes, and of every single minute, again into 60. seconds, is meerly Arbitrary, and a meer Artifice. But what proportion is there in this, that one degree shall serve for one Year; five minutes, for thirty daies; ten seconds, for one whole day? How can the single Years, inscri­bed upon the single degrees, or the moneths upon so ma­ny minutes, or the dayes upon so many seconds, be cor­respondent? To speak only of the Degrees; truely if the term of mans life, at the longest, did extend to 360. Years: then perchance they might, with correspond­ence to their supposition, determine how much shorter every man dying sooner, doth come of that precise num­ber of Years: but since the number of degrees is 360. and od, and yet each degree must answer to one whole Year of a mans life, which doth seldome amount to a­bove Davids account, viz. threescore and ten; what becomes of the overplus of degrees? Can any who gives his imagination the liberty of the greatest extra­vagancy in Bethlem, Phansy a more incongruous thing than this? Again, how is it possible, that that place in which a Planet, or Aspect was, at the time of the Na­tivity, should so long retain an impression then made? Why should it not effuse health, or harm, sooner or la­ter? Why should not this impression, which is only accidentary, be expunged by other, and perhaps diffe­rent impressions, there succeeding so many other Aspects, [Page 108] so many other transitions, almost every Day? And as for the Place it self; what is it but a meer Dimension, somthing simply respective, and wholly incapable of Action? For whereas they refer the Energy to the Zodiack, or the places therein possessed by the Planets; it is manifest that though the Planets cover some places of the Zodiack from our sight, and may therefore be said to be in them: yet really the Planets are not in the Zodiack, nor can they impress upon it, in respect of the immense distance betwixt the Zodiack and them, any such virtue, as should be afterward retorted upon us; and if the Zodiack could reflect any such virtue upon us, is there any reason why it should not do it at all times, aswell as some, except only while those particu­lar places of it are covered by the bodies of the Planets.

And as for their Revolution, the same may be said of that, as of the Direction; the condition of the one being as bad, if not worse than that of the other. For what community can there be betwixt that point of the Heavens which arose in the Nativity, and that which a­riseth in the time of the Revolution, so as to cause that the Fates of that Year should depend upon the aspect of one to the other? What an exquisite sense here is, that the Latter point, which was of no concernment at the time of the Nativity, should at the instant of the Revo­lution become sensible thereof, and infuse upon the For­mer, I know not what virtue, which should afterwards affect an Infant born, and no longer remaining in the same place? I say, why should it be sensible of that point, which is mane, or inanimate, and in which there were no remains of an impression left? And the Theme is wont to be constituted only in the Revolutions of the [Page 109] Sun; but why not aswell in all those of the Moon, of Mercury, or of the other Planets? At least, why not in the Revolutions of both the Fortunes, and Misfor­tunes, to which they ascrible more power, than to the Sun it self?

Likewise, for their Annual Profection; can there be any reason given, why Thirty degrees precisely should respond to each year? How can that consist with the Direction, which (as we have seen) doth allow no more than one degree to one year? And why is there not here also a reduction of the Zodiack to the E­quator? Is not the Question here aswell concerning the Time? I speak nothing of the Sense of the Heavens, which must of necessity be stupified at all other times, and be excited only every twelfth year, in the Natali­tious places. I observe only, how pleasant a thing their distribution of the Alfridarij, or Annual Lords, is, so that the Planets imitate great men, ambitious of the Magistracy, and must raise sedition in Heaven, unless they be admitted to rule by turns. As if the Sun deserved not, or were not able to hold the Scepter longer than Mars? As if after each seventh year, the Moon were to be brought down almost from Heaven, the Virtue of Mercury prevails; and then not only the Moon her­self, but the Sun also, and the rest of the Planets, doe homage at the throne of Mercury, and adore him as their Superior? Besides, though this be now the Vulgar Policy of the Alfridarij; yet Ptolomie had another, Firmicus another, and others another kind of Politicall successive Monarchy among the Planets. For Ptolomie (lib 4. cap. 9.) doth not consigne seven years government to each Planet; but four years to the Moon; ten to [Page 110] Mercury; eight to Venus; fiveteen to Mars; twelve to Jupiter; and what remains of life, untill the hour of death, to Saturn. Firmicus consignes the first ten years and nine moneths, to the Sun, in a diurnal nati­vity; and to the Moon, in a nocturnal; and other termes of soveraignty to the others, according to the order, in which they follow the Sun, or Moon, in the Zodiack. And now, I pray take notice, with what constancy these famous Artists deliver their very Fundamentals: nor can you demand, upon what grounds either of them builds his Theory; for in truth, their Answers would be most childish, most ridiculous.

Lastly, for their Transitions; all I say of them, is only this, that each of the Planets ought to be most ex­act in their notice of all the places of the other Planets, when any one is born, that they may know them again, when they come to them, and distinguish the impressions left on them. For if a Planet should perform its course with one and the same equal tenor, and not make inter­punctions in its way, as it passeth along, and reflect upon those marks or memorials: what reason can there be, why it should as it passeth that way again, do such a thing, and no other, at that point. But in case any thing were begun at the Nativity; why should it con­tinue so long, and not rather be nulled and obliterated in all that intermediate time; so many Planets passing by the same Places, and leaving various impressions be­hind them? But why do I trifle away my time upon these Absurdities, these Extravagances, whose Inventors (doubtless) laughed at those, that did not laugh at them?

CHAP. XVII.

HEre I should proceed to the Examination of those Questions, and Elections, which Astrolo­gers profess they are able to judge of: but who doth not already laugh at their confident pretences, to determine and resolve a vast multitude of Questions and very uncertain ones too, concerning even the least thing in human affairs; and this from Princi­ples so vain? For that we may touch only upon the matter of Marriage, because Venus and the Moon (for­sooth) are Feminine Planets; because the Significator of the Seventh House, and the Planet dwelling therein, are supposed to decree somwhat or other alwayes be­longing to the familiarity of Women: from these, and from their various mixture of Aspects, in those or those Signes, decads of degrees, &c. our Astrologers under­take to determine all Queries touching matrimony and single life. As (for instance) whether the Native shall be Married or not? Whether he shall obtain his Mistress with ease, or difficulty? In what year of his age he shall enter into Wedlock? Whether he shall have only one Wife, or more, and how many? Whether his wife shall be of the same Country or an Alian? VVhether she shall be Fruitfull, or Barren? Fair, or Deformed? Chast, or Gamesome? Complaisant, or Contentious? Prodigal, or Frugal? And a hundred other the like petite propositions. Hither may we refer [Page 112] that whole Book of Firmicus, wherein is Answered and explained, what kind of Geniture theirs ought to be, who are abandoned to Fortune, or carefully suckled and educated by their Mothers; who are born Twins, who Servants, who Lords, who well featured and shaped, who Monsters and unhansome, who of dogged and churlish dispositions, who Homicides, who illiterate, who Lawyers, who Physicians, &c. with a thousand other the like particulars, whose fundaments to commemorate, would be an endless trouble. I shall select only this, ‘If Venus (saith he) be found in the House, or territo­ries of Mars, and Mars in the House or territories of Venus; and the Moon posited in her Signes or Houses, and in the Full, shall behold them in a Dia­metral aspect: then the Natives, being Husbands, shall murder their Wives with their own hands.’ But why so? Is it not because Venus designe's Marriage, Mars is the Killing Planet, and the Moon, which is taken for the Mother of the Family, is lookt upon Ma­lignantly by Mars? O admirable Demonstration!

Again, they determine their Elections, for the oppor­tune enterprising and dispatch of all buisiness. For abu­sing that Experience, by which we are taught, that ac­cording to the Times or Phases of the Moon, there is a convenient time for the doing of some operations in Phy­sick, Chirurgery, Navigation, Agriculture, Gardening, &c. They have heightned the matter, so as to subject all other affairs of life to certain opportunities dependent on such or such positions of the Heavens. For even con­cerning those Arts, they affirm, that a Purge is not to be given to a patient, while the Moon is in Aries, Taurus, Capricorn; because those being Signes that Chew the [Page 113] Cud, the patient will nauseate and Vomit up the Purge again. That a Ship is not to put to Sea when Mars is in the Middle Heaven; because Mars being the Patron of Pyrates, he threatneth the taking and Robbing of the Ship by them. That a Tree is not to be Planted, un­less some Fixt Signe, as Taurus, Leo, or Aquarius, be ascending: least it be soon pluckt up again, or destroy­ed. And as concerning other affairs; if you would have (say they) an Infant nursed up tenderly and deli­cately, then put him to suck first, when some Human Signe ascends; if you would have him love Flesh well, and be strong, then let Leo be ascendent; if Fish, and fit to make a Cappuchine, or Carthusian, then let Can­cer, Pisces, or the tail of Capricorn be ascendent; if Fruits, and Herbs, and so fit to make a Pythagorean, then let the head Capricorn, Aries, or Taurus, be ascen­dent. When you would put your son to School; be sure that Mercury behold the encreasing Moon with a benigne aspect, When you would make an address to a Prince, be carefull that the Moon be consociated with the Sun, or Lord of the Tenth House, in a Sextile, or Trine aspect. When you would go a Hunting choose a Moveable Signe for the Ascendent, and let no Planet be Retrograde either in that Signe, or in any other Angle. When you put on new Cloaths, let a Moveable Signe ascend, and let not the Moon be in a Fixt; least your Cloaths last longer than stands with the growth of your body, or the dignity of your state. With a thousand the like trivial Niceties, which I am ashamed to repeat. But I cannot conceal, with what prodigious Vanity they prescribe the opportunity of laying the foundations of Cities, For, from the moment, wherein the First stone [Page 114] is layd, they fore-tell the Fates not only of the City it self, but also of the Inhabitants; as that Tarrulius Fir­manus, who (as Cicero relates, in 2. de Divination.) de­rived the Birth day of Rome from those Palilia (She­pheards Feast instituted in honour of the Goddess Palis, supposed to preserve their Flocks from Wolves) in which the foundation of it was first layd by Romulus: and said that the City was born, when the Moon was in Taurus, and he doubted not to predict the Fate thereof. Solinus (cap. 2.) addeth the rest of the face of Heaven, or disposition of the Planets; though how skilfully, you may guess from hence, that he placeth the Sun in Tau­rus, and Mercury in Scorpio, when the Sun and Mercu­ry can never be a whole Signe distant each from other. But O foolish Thou. if thou demand what point of the Heavens ascending thou mayst make the Horoscope! For what moment can you suppose to be the First of a grow­ing City? That wherein the Timber is felld, and the Stones taken out of the Quarrie? That wherein the trench for the Walls is first described with a line? That wherein the ground is first broken up? Or that, in which the first Stone is laid? Besides how comes it, that the Destinies of the Nation, or Colony should be so connected to these things and actions, as that the A­strologer should be able to fore-know them. I say no­thing of that Election of times, which they prescribe to be observed in the making of Seals, Images, Figures, Gamatives, and the like representations, which they call Talismans: because it is obvious, that no distracted Phansy could ever have imagined any thing more vain, more foolish; and it is irksome to me to insist long up­on such Chimera's, which only to know, is to refute.

CHAP. XVIII.

HAving now examined most of Astrologers Funda­mentals in particular; let us hear their Plea for their Art in General.

In the First place, They Urge the Antiquity of it, and deduce it from very Ancient Authors. They cite in their defence the old Babylonians and Chaldeans, a­mong whom Berosus was one, to whom the Athenians, in respect of his many predictions, erected a Statue with a Golden Tongue, in their publick Schools, as Pliny (lib. 7. cap. 37.) relateth: as also the Ethiopians, and Egyptians, among whom were Petosyris, Necepsos, Her­mes, and that great man Ptolomie, who after his prodi­gious labours in the instauration of Astronomy, cultiva­ted Astrology also, in a particular Book, which they call his Quadripartite Work.

In the Second, they alleadge Reason; and particu­larly that that admirable magnitude, multitude, pulchri­tude, and variety of Heavenly bodies cannot serve to no other end or purpose at all, but to be gazed upon. That the Connexion of the inferior World to the superior, so as that it deriveth its virtues and force of activity from thence, is sensibly manifest. That the Efficacy of the Sun and Moon upon all sublunaries, is generally con­fessed: and that other Stars both Erratique and Fixt ought likewise to be allowed to have their peculiar Fa­culties, such as cause more admirable Effects, than can [Page 116] be referred to them meerly as Luminaries. That from the various positions of the Moon with the Sun, the temper and constitution of sublunary things is dayly changed; and therefore, from the various configurations of the other Planets and Stars, there must arise a great variety of vitues and effects, which being acknowledg­ed by Shepheards, Plowmen, and Marriners, cannot but be better known to Astrologers, who search more profoundly into their natures. That the Heavens, as all men allow, are the Cause of Heats, Colds, and all Changes happening in the Air; and therefore, they must cause likewise Barrenness, Fruitfullness, diseases and all affections not only of mens bodies, but also of their Minds, which follow the temper of their bodies; and so be the Causers of their Loves. Marriages and Chil­dren; of their Animosities Quarrels, Wars, Slaugh­ters, &c. Again, that the wonderfull variety of in­genies, Studies, Habits, manners, among several nations, and several persons of the same nation; can have no o­ther origine, or disposition, but what proceeds from a superior Cause, i. e. the Heavenly influences. Lastly that the Fates of men, being so diverse, so unexpected, and many Times so undeserved; cannot be referred to any but a Celestial Cause; as Firmicus confirmeth by a long series of Examples, and Manilius sings in these and other verses,

In the Third, they take sanctuary in Observation and Experience. For, (say they) though we be ignorant [Page 117] of, and cannot investigate the true cause of some Effects; yet we are not therefore to conclude, that either those Effects doe not happen, or that from the exact observa­tion of many of them an Art may not be framed. Other­wise, it might be said, that the Loadstone hath not that Virtue of attracting iron, and directing to the Poles, which our sences assure us it hath; or that the Art of Navigation cannot consist of the observation of magneti­call effects: because no man can give a good cause or reason for the demonstration of those admirable Pro­prieties of the Loadstone. By equal reason, though we cannot demonstrate, why such or such effects should ensue upon such or such positions of the Heavens, which we are able to predict; yet it is sufficient, that many the like observations have been made of the like effects following upon the like positions, so that an Art may be thereupon erected, according to which it may be pre­dicted, that when such positions happen again, the like effects will follow upon them. They proved, and affirme, that this Art is confirmed by so many and cer­tain Experiments, as that it can be no longer indubi­tated. And here might be cited many Famous Pre­dictions made by Chaldeans to Alexander, Antigonus, and other Ancients; but that those which were deli­vered concerning Augustus, and other Roman Em­perours, sound more loud in the mouth of Fame.

For of Augustus it is reported by Suetonius, that P. Nigidius, having found the hour of his Nativity, affirmed that he was born to be Lord of the whole Earth: and that Theogenes, enquiring into the Position of the Heavens at his Birth, leaped for joy, and adored him, as one that should be a mighty Prince.

[Page 118] Of [...]rius it is well known, that Scribonius Pro­mised glorious things, while he was yet in his Cradle, and that the time would come when he should obtain the Soveraignty of the World.

Of Caligula, that Sulla the Mathematician, being demanded what his fortune should be, according to his Geniture, answered him, that his death was neer at hand, and inevitable

Of Nero, it was foretold that he should be first Em­perour, and then a Matricide. But above all, the story of Domitian, is most memorable. For saith Suctonius, he was never so much moved with any accident, as with the answer and misfortune of Ascletarion the Mathe­matician. For being brought before Domitian, and con­fidently avowing the Predictions, that he disfused, as deduced from the misteries of his Art; Domitian ask­ed him, what should be his own end? To which he returned, that he was certain he should be ere long torn in pieces by Doggs. Domitian, to refute this prediction, commanded him to be instantly slain, and buried: where­upon he was accordingly killed upon the place, and cari­ed to be burned. But, as the fire was kindling, under, the Rogues, there suddainly fell so Prodigious a shower of raine, as extinguished the fire, and drove away all that assisted at the funeral: and instantly there came thither a multitude of Doggs, and plucked downe the dead Body from the pile of wood, tore it in pieces.

To recite more examples in Antient times, is super­fluous; for even in our dayes, every man heares of some eminent Adventure or other, that fell out, according as it was predicted by Astrologers. But we cannot omitt what they have observed to befall some notable opposers [Page 119] and contemners of their Art. For, of Plotinus, it is recorded by Firmicus (lib 1. cap. 3.) that he, who laughed at the rules and predictions of Astrologers, pe­rished by a most lamentable death: adding these words; And so he felt the power of Fate, and suffered that end, which the fiery judgements of the stars had decreed for him: and being destroyed by the bitterness, of that sickness, he taught all men, by his own sad ex­ample, not by liberty of speech, that the force and power of the fates can by no meanes be contemned. And Gau­ricus speaking of Joh. Picus Mirandula, who in twelve Books invaded and derided Astrologers; sayth, that he died immaturely in the 32. year of his age, from the Direction of his Horoscope to the body of Mars, as had been precisely fore-told him by some very learned Astrologers: adding withall, that he wrote against Astrology, in a passion of anger, because three Geneth­liacks had predicted, that he should die before the six and thirtieth year of his life. And this is the sum of their main Plea.

CHAP. XIX.

NOw, as for the great Antiquity they boast of; we down-right deny it, both in respect of what we have already said, touching the Anti­quity of Celestial Observations; and of the memorials of Simplicius, who writes that Callisthenes, enquiring of the Chaldeans concerning the Antiquity of [Page 120] their Nation they could not produce any records of more than a thousand nine hundred and three years, from then original, down to the taking of Babylon by Alexander the Great; as also the testimony Phavorinus (in Agellius, lib. 14. cap. 1.) Disciplinam istam Chal­daeorunt tan [...]ae vetustatis non esse, quantae videri volunt; ne (que) eos Principes ejus. Auctores (que) esse quos ipsi ferunt. But should we grant Astrology to be as Ancient as they would have it; it could not be denied, that among poor Mortals no Evil hath been more ancient, than Vanity, Foolishness Credulity. In all Ages from the beginning of the World, men have been greedy of knowing things to come; in all Ages there have been Impostors, who complying with that humor of Curiosity, have pretended to the knowledge of Future successes, that so they might acquire the reputation of singular wisedom, and procure gain to themselves by the Credulity of others. And this even Ptolomie himself (lib. 1. cap. 2.) insinuateth; and Phavorinus openly contends, that Astrology was in­vented upon no other occasion, or grounds. His Words are to this purpose. That a sordid and beggerly sort of fellows, seeking to relieve their wants by lies, and cun­ing impostures, invented those Cheats and specious knacks of Astrology; and that the same persons. Observing that some sublunary bodies were moved by the influx of some Celestiaiones, as the Sea, which attends the Moon in her encrease and decrease of light, and hath its lowest ebs, when the Moon is least illuminate; took advan­tage from thence to perswade men, that all occurences here below, from the least to the most considerable, were ordained and governed by the Stars. And what won­der, if those who first proposed to enrich themselves by [Page 121] Divination, fathered their Art upon the Heavens; con­sidering that no Cloak could better disguise their fallacy, than that splendid one especially among people igno­rant of Celestial matters; as may be inferred from what we toucht upon afore? I will not here repeat those sundry Arguments, I have formerly alleaged, to evince that the Astral observations made by the Chaldeans could not be exact; and that the whole Hodg-podge of their Placits and Rules and Aphorismes were most un­justly referred to the Stars, when indeed they properly belong to Brain-sick Coxcombs. Only I observe this, that from the Time Astrology came to be known a­mong the Grecians, though it found many Admirers a­mong the Common People (who were then, as now, hott in the pursuit of Novelties, and specious vanities) yet among Judicious Men and Philosophers it mett with nothing but Contempt and Derision? Unless you please to except the Stoscks who held even Dreams to be true. And that they may no longer glory in that com­mon objection that Astrology was never derided but by unskilfull and illiterate persons; I shall alleadge this text of Cicero (2. de. Divinatione) Eudoxus, an Audi­tor of Plato, and according to the judgement of the most learned men, the Prince of Astronomers, hath left his o­pinion in writing, ‘That no credit is to be given to Chaldeans in their predictions of mens fortunes from the time of their Nativity. Panaetius nameth also Archelaus, and Cassander, the most eminent Astro­logers of his age, who though they excelled in all other parts of the Celestial Science, yet never descend­ed so much below the dignity either of their Art, or their judgement, as to use the Genethliacal part of it. [Page 122] And Scylax Haticarnasseus a familiar friend to Pa­netius, excellent in Astrology, and a most prudent Governour of his City, repudiated this whole Chal­daical Knack of predicting mens Future Fates.’ And thus Cicero; who you see, citeth no man unskilfull in Astrology. Nor indeed can any men so well reject this Art, as the most knowing in Celestial matters: because what others admire as great, and sacred mysteries, these discover to be only Childish delusions, and absurd Ficti­ons. And therefore it is no wonder, if every genuine son of Urania, who speculates the Heavens themselves, and doth not acquiesse in the Ephemerides of Astrolo­gers, cannot but look upon this Genethliacal Art, as Vain and contemptible.

But what shall we say to their allegation of the Authority of that great Man Ptolomie? Why truly this; that no man can be ignorant, that that Opus Qua­dripartitum, of which they so much boast, is subdilitious; as long after his death fathered upon him, in respect of his admirable skill in Astronomy. For every judicious man that reads both works, may soon perceive another Genius in the Opus Quadripartitum, than what is in his Almagest, or Great Composition. For since in his Pre­face to his Almagest, he professeth, that he undertook the explication of the Mathematiques, because in them there is contained certain and undoubted science; and neglected both Theological, and Philosophical Speculati­ons, because both of them are rather Conjectural, than Demonstrative; the Former in respect of the incompre­hensible nature of Divine things, the Latter, in respect of the instability of the subject, and variety of Mens opini­ons concerning it: having made this profession, I say, is [Page 123] it probable that He should afterward so much dishonour himself, as to imbrace, assert, and patronize an Art, which is far more uncertain and conjectural, than either Theology, or Phylosophy can be thought to be? In the Quadripartite work there is indeed a notable Proemical discourse; but such as dwindles away into nothing in the end, like that picture of a Mans Head set on a Horses neck, or a Woman with a fair face, and Fishes tail. Again, supposing Ptolomie to have been the true Author of that Quadripartite work, containing the Institutions, or rather the whole of Astrology; nay more, that he wrote it seriously, and upon good considerations, and not only to exercise his witt, in reducing to order and me­thod the scattered notions and Placits of others; which certainly is as much as our Astrologers can desire us to grant: yet nevertheless, it doth not follow that the Au­thority of any one single person is sufficient to justify an Unreasonable Art. I say, an Unreasonable Art; be­cause either there is no Reason at all given of any of its Aphorismes and Positions; or if there be (as somtimes there is) it is such as cannot deserve to be called reason; such as that (for instance) which the Author of that work gives (lib. 1. cap. 13.) for the distinction of the Signes into Masculine and Feminine. Further, if he had professed that he had proved and allowed of all that he there delivers; then perhaps the gravity of so great a man might have inclined us to yeeld our assent the more readily: but the truth is, he only congested toge­ther what he had received, partly in writing, partly by tradition, from the Ancient Chaldeans, and Egyptians; admitting many things, and rejecting as many (as touch­ing the matter of the Celestial Fines, or Bounds, lib 1. [Page 124] cap. 21.) which he doth nor fortify with either reason or experience. This considered, it is no wonder, if the Astrologers succeeding him, did not approve his Do­ctrine in all things: because where his positions wanted reason to support them, every man thought himself to have as much right to reject, or introduce whatsoever pleased him, as he had; which was the cause of so many and so great innovations in the Art. And there­fore the witty Cardan, that he might vindicate the A­strology of Ptolomie, condemns (they are his own words) that innumerable multitude of Knaves, who corrupted and defiled the Art; so as that not so much as any tract or signe of it remained undefaced. For so many Albumazars, Abenragels, Altabitzij, Abuba­ters, Zaheles, Messahalacusses, Bethenes, Firmicuses, Bonatuses, Boni Genij, have since sophisticated the An­cient Theory, that what can remain entire after so many Impostors, so many Trifles? I say Cardan the Witty; for I cannot say the Judicious, as to his supposition of the Arts being pure and reasonable in the dayes of Pto­lomie: as if the Astrology of Ptolomie had not bin taken out of other former Authors of the same rank: as if Cardan himself, who foisted in so many things of his own head, did not deserve the same Character, he gives of the other Innovators: as if we might not, to his list of Knaves and Impostors, add also so many Cardans, Schoneruses, Gauricuses, Junctinuses, Leovitiuses, Ran­zoviuses, Pezcliuses, Origanuses, and others of the same Tribe: as if that Artist, who calls his fellow professors, Impostors were not an Impostor himself: as if all of them put together were not Impostors; or that I may sweeten the matter, all of them did not write Im­postures. [Page 125] For thus I think fitt to sweeten the phrase for their sakes, who were of too candid minds, to write with purpose to delude others; though of so simple and good minds, as not to suspect that others wrote on purpose to delude them.

CHAP. XX.

HOw little of Reason can be urged in defence of Astrology, may well appear from those many and considerable reasons, that I have brought against it, several of the precedent discourses. And therefore I conceive my self obliged, in a voydance of tedious repe­titions, in this place to examine only that Consequence, or Clue, but which They boast themselves able to pre­sage the particular Events of things. For if all their Assumptions, were granted as fully and amply as they can desire; yet it would be worthily questionable by what right of Consequence they come to inferr what they so confidently conclude upon?

For First, those many great and lumiuous bodies in the Firmament, or Etherial spaces, are not useless and idle; forasmuch as they afford us their light, comfort and cherish us by their warmth, and may serve among them­selves to that further end, which the infinite wisedom intended at their Creation: but because they have some Activity, is there a necessity that activity must be such as Astrologers presume, and their Effects such, as They pretend to fore-know and fore-tell? Whatsoever the Action of the Stars be, it must be, as we said afore, only [Page 126] General; nor can any singular Effect be produced thereby, unless as it concurreth with the action of some singular Cause. And therefore, that it may be known, what any singular Effect will be; it is to no purpose to know what that General action of the Stars is, unless that singular action, and particular disposition, which de­termineth the Effect to be so, or so, or causeth it to ob­tain such a condition of singularity, be equally known. Wherefore it is not to be inquired of the Stars, why an Infant is born strong, or weak, of a sweet and mild di­sposition, or of a cholerick and harsh; but collected from the Complexion of his Parents, from the good or evil condition of their seed, from their diet, course of life, and the like. Nor are we to say, that such an In­fant was born infected with a foul and contagious di­sease, because the Sixth House was his Horoscope; but because his Mothers Lower House was impure and in­fectious. Nor that such a man was killed by a Canon shot, because his Horoscope was direct to a Quartile of Saturn; but because the Gunner had levelled and dis­charged his pieece directly against him. Nor when a man is slain with a Sword, is Mars, or any secret Ma­lignity of the Stars ruling at his Nativity, to be accused of his death; but the Thief, Souldier, or other person, who is the true [ [...]] Homicide: and so of o­ther Accidents.

Secondly, we deny not but there is a certain Connexi­on of this our inferior World with the superior; and that some evolument doth rebound to us from thence: but it doth not follow, that therefore the inferior World hath all its Effects from the superior; that it hath no virtues, no power of acting of its own; that here below is no [Page 127] Primary, true and genuine Agent, but all Instrumentary; that whatsoever is done by sublunary Actives and Pa­ssives, is the sole and immediate effect of the Heavens, as a Cause that doth command, execute, and restrain all other Causes only to such or such an efficacy inevi­table.

Thirdly, we deny not, but the Sun and Moon have strong operations, and do many things by the virtue of their Rayes: but it doth not follow, that therefore the Planets and Fixt Stars must be their Competitors at least, if not their superiors, in the honour of this energy. How can it be proved that as the Heat of the year is to be referred to the Sun, the Fulness of Shel-fish to the moon; so some special effect ought to be referred to Ju­piter, or rather to him, than to Mars, or Venus, yea than to the Sun, or Moon? Observation teacheth, that when the Moon is in Conjunction with the Sun, the marrow in the bones of Animals is diminished: but, doth Observation teach, that any such effect follows when Mars, Venus, or other Planet is in Conjunction with the Sun, or Moon, or other Planet?

Fourthly, Astrologers boast, that they have more Knowledge of Celestial Operations, than Plow-men, shep­heards, Mariners, or the like Illiterate Persons can have: when yet it is well known they do not observe the Stars motions, as those Plain and honest men doe, in the open Air, but being shutt up in their closets, make their Calculations out of Ephemerides, or Almanacks, by the light of a small Candle, and unless it be the Sun and Moon, know neither Planet nor Fixt Stars in the whole Heavens. But, when they turn over their Ephe­merides, can they have a more exact knowledge of Ce­lestial [Page 128] matters, than those who look only upon the Stars and Planets themselves? If so, how have they remark­ed what Saturn doth, when Progressing beyond the Sun he is covered by the body thereof? How his beams have passed through the whole great body of the Sun, that so they might arive in full virtue at the Earth, and affect the body of an infant entering into the world? By what note of distinction have they known that Saturns and no other Cause, introduced such or such an impression.

Again, it is confessed, that Heat doth arise from the Celestial rayes of light; but it is no good conse­quence, that therefore there is no Heat in the Earth, but that which comes from those rayes. Cold also ariseth from the absence of the Sun; but it followes not that therefore there is no cause of Cold inherent in the Earth, which may diffuse it selfe through the Air, and over­power the weaker heat of the Sun.

Barrenness also, and Epidemical Diseases arem any times induced by two much Cold, or Heat, or other affections of the Air; but the Cause of those Affections arise from the very Earth; and if they were not known, nor the seasons of the year when they usually take their turns of Predominion in the Air, could we divine, by any Celestial inspection, or how, or when they would mis-affect us. The Affections of the Air, we confess, work somthing not only upon the temper of the body, but also upon the mind it selfe, by the intercession of the temperament: but the main buisiness is to be able to foreknow, when the Air will be so or so qualified; of what particular temper a man must be, in order to his being moved and altered by such an affection; upon [Page 129] what occasion he shall be at that time in such or such a place, where the Air is so mis-affected; neither of which, I am sure, can be learned from the Rules of Astrology.

Furthermore, we deny not but a man may be, accord­ing to his individual temperament, more disposed to Love, marriage, and procreation of Children than to Continence, Single life, or barrenness. but the Difficul­ty is, how to fore-tell what his individual temperament will be, and what occasions he shall meet with to in­duce him to love this or that Woman, rather than any other, in this or that year of his life, rather than sooner or later; and what inducements that Woman shall meet with either to accept, or refuse him for her Hus­band; and whether they shall have issue, or not, &c, Likewise, a mans complexion may be such, as to dispose him to Anger, Quarrels, and a Soldiers life: but who can fore tell what occasions of Anger, Quarreling, or Fighting he shall meet with, at such or such times of his life; whether he shall hearken to the dictates of his own, or friends prudence, and decline the danger, or not; whether he shall be victor, or not; whether sickness, imprisonment, or other accidents shall hinder him from going to the Wars, or not; whether his wounds shall be in such a place, or mortal or not?

Lastly, we deny not, but the Studies, Successes, Fates of Men, are Various; but the Riddle is, how we should know that God hath suspended their Studies, Successes, and Fates upon the Stars, and not rather upon other Causes, which for the most part are easily known, and as easily pointed out: though we never know them till after the Events, and so, in respect of our ignorance, [Page 130] may be said to work by chance or accident. But in the Heavens we can find no such probable Causes for such Events; and indeed it seems meer foolishness, and unjustifiable rashness, to suppose these petty affairs to be so important and considerable, as that God should im­pose the care of them upon the Stars, or that their Suc­cesses should depend upon none but such great and noble Causes. Phavorinus (apud Gellium) judgeth it to be meer madness for us to imagine, that because the Tides of the Sea agree with the course of the Moon, therefore the trivial contention of a Man with his Neighbour, about some smal Water-courss, or some Bank lying in common betwixt them, should be judged for or against him, according to the state of the Moon when his suit was commenced; as if that matter were prede­ter mined in Heaven, and of absolute necessity so or so to succeed. And thus we see, how little reason They have to pretend Reason for their defence.

CHAP. XXI.

WE are now at length come to their Last and strongest Hold, Observation, or Experience, which they so frequently boast of, and a­gainst which, far be it from me to make any opposition, if there be the least of truth in what they alleadge: since against genuine and certain Experience no Reason can prevail. But it was well said of that brave Prince of Physicians, Hippocrates (1. Aphorism.) that Experience is Fallacious; since so many things inter [Page 131] vene, that may occasion mistake, and make men run into a Paralogisme, or accepting that for a Cause, which really is none: and since those Experiments are very rare, which convince such an effect to arise from such a particular Cause, and no other. And therefore no man hath ever denied, but Experience is to be weighed in the ballance of Reason, least there should be some falla­cy concealed, that might prejudice our assent, and so, that strict examination ought to be made of all particu­lars and circumstances: since nothing is more common in matters of Experiment, than for unskilfull to be decei­ved themselves, and for dishonest men to deceive others: nor are we without great circumspection to yeeld our assent to all experiments, especiall such as we rather hear of from others, than see with our own eys.

And as for the matter in hand, how many things are there that oblige us to question the truth of those Expe­riments, which Astrologers obtrude upon the World, as testimonies of the Certainty of their Art?

In the First place, we have already seen, that the Chaldeans performed nothing in this kind; nor Hippar­chus from either them or the Egyptians; nor Ptolomie from all of them, as to the point of observations relating to the true motions or true places of the Five Planets, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury. Wherefore the Chaldeans were very far from eithet establishing the Fundamental statutes of the Art by their own Observa­tions, or proving that they made those statutes upon any considerable grounds at all.

Again, whereas each single precept, or Rule ought to have been constituted upon many experiments had of the certain variety thereof: we have plainly seen, that it [Page 132] was not possible for them ever to make the same expe­riment so much as only twice; because the same position of the Heavens cannot return again, not only after many hundreds, but also many millions of years.

Further, the Ancients were ignorant of all those no­table discoveries, that have been lately made aswell of the Fixt, as Erratique Stars; which would have requi­red them to alter their Astrological decrees; and chiefly those, which concern the spots in the Sun, which being frequently both more in number, and greater in bulk than Mercury, or Venus ever appeared: ought to be presumed to have stronger operations upon the Earth, than either of them, being interposed betwixt the Sun and us, or (as they phrase it) in the Heart of the Sun.

Besides, should it be granted, that the decrees of the Chaldeans were grounded upon, and confirmed by Ob­servations; and that the discoveries lately made to us by the Telescope and otherwayes, were not necessary to be known to them, as to the certainty of their Rules: yet we have made it manifest, that the most they could do, was to make decrees and Observations usefull for them­selves, or their own Country; but not for their Antaeci, or Antipodes, to whom their Observations and Decrees are not only incompetent, but perfectly contrary; nor for those who live under the Equator, who ought to have decrees composed of the two contraries reconciled in a mean; nor for those, who live in a greater or lesser recess from the Equator, for whom the same rules ought to be varied by degrees, untill at length they become quite contrary to what they were at first, or to be totally nulled: so that it is well worthy our wonder, that our Astrologers are so inconsiderate, as to give their judgements [Page 133] from the rules of the Chaldeans, who lived in a Climate so vastly distant from ours; and to conceive, that we should have the same Observations here, that they had there.

To these exceptions you may please to add the Varie­ty of the Soyls, or Countries, in which men are born, and educated. For since men are otherwise affected in Me­diterranean; or inland Countries, than in Maritime, or places bordering upon the Sea; since in some Maritime places, men live generally longer and healthier, than in others, according to the wholsome, or unwholsome Genius of the Soyle: what reason is there, why the Observations of one place should serve for a rule, whereby to give judgement of the disposition and influ­ence of another? Because with us Men very rarely live to an hundred Years; is it reasonable thereupon to predict, that among the Tovopinambaltij (who com­monly attain to twice that Age) no Man shall exceed an hundred? And when (as Historians tell us, in their In­dian relations) the Women of that Country usually bear Children after the ninetieth year of their Lives; shall we give the same judgement of our Country Women, who cease to bear Children before they are fifty? Sup­posing the Nativity of an European to be the same in all points with that of a Brasilian; must their Constitutions, Lives, Fortunes, Deaths be therefore the same?

Add also the Variety of Education and Manners. Here we might reap a plentifull harvest of matter from Bardesanes, in Eusebius (6. Prepar. 47.) from Caesarius, and others; but to omitt the rest, it is well known, that all those many Rules delivered by Astrologers concern­ing the signification of Riches, and of Marriages, are of [Page 134] no use among those Nations, who hold all things in Common, who neither value, nor collect wealth, and who know no such thing as Adultery, Incest, Rape, or Polygamy, but have all Women in Common. And this Ptolomy was sensible of; when he gives a caution to his Disciples, not to predict the Marriage of ones own Sister, in Italy; but in Egypt, where such Marriages were Lawfull: nor to fore-tell to an Egyptian, that he should lie with his own Mother; but to a Persian, be­cause such prodigious Copulations were tollerated a­mong the Persians, but detested by the Egyptians. So that (as He addeth) there ought a consideration to be had chiefly of the Laws, Customes, and Manners of se­veral Nations and Countries. And this Caution, indeed is good; but yet of no advantage towards the reputati­on of the Art: forasmuch as it plainly importeth, that the same, and its principal Observations ought to be proper to each particular Nation: now several Nations being most inconstant to their Laws, Customes, and Manners; the Observations drawn from them cannot choose but reader the Art most uncertain, most falla­cious.

To these Varieties let us subjoyn also, those of diffe­rent Seasons of the Year, Hot or Cold, Drie or Wet; of a sound, or sickly Constitution, upon occasion whereof Astrologers would have been far from predicting, that Old Parr, the long lived Welsh-man, should after the hundreth and fiftieth year of his age, be brought from an obscure hungry Village, on the North side of a bar­ren Mountain in Wales, into the Court of the King, and there destroyed with delicacy) of a high or mean For­tune; of an illustrious, or obscure Family; of strict, or [Page 135] careless Education; of honest, or debauch Conversation; of the Course of Life, either imposed by Parents, chosen by the inclination of ones own Genius, or fallen upon by chance; of the Condition of the Times, whether war­like, or Peacefull, Learned or Barbarous; with a thou­sand other the like Circumstances, which necessarily vary-the Events of Mens lives, and divert them from what they would otherwise have been. Unless you can think it reasonable, that because such or such Men, are destined by the Stars to fall by the edge of the Sword, in War; therefore that War must be raised in that Common-wealth, in order to the fulfilling of their parti­cular Destinies: when a sober Man would rather think that the Geniture of private persons should be accom­modated to the Fates of their Times and Countries, than the Contrary, For to say, that such a Man should not have been born, unless it had been Decreed, that there should be War in that Nation, at that time, when he was grown up to be a Soldier; is most insufferable.

In the Last place, let us reflect upon the Variety of the Art it self; it being no secret, that the Artificers are at irreconcilable variance among themselves; and even about their Fundamentals. And hence comes it, that they differ in their doctrine in many things, and among the rest, in the Manner of Erecting Scheams; for few of them now a dayes retain either the Old Chaldean way of casting Nativities, or the Placits relating to them. You will say perhaps, that the Chaldeans were not in the right; but since you have both the composure and certainty of the Art only from them, handed down from Age to Age to the present; if they were in the wrong, how came you to be in the right? You'l say, [Page 136] Tou are guided by Experience; but will you dare to prefer the Experience of a few Years to that of many Ages: and if their long Experience were not sufficient to constitute a firm and durable Art, will your short Observation suffice, when you want the advantages wherewith the serenity of the Air, and the constancy of their studies furnished them; and opportunities to com­pare their Experiments with your own? You will say, that the Difference of Times and Climates doth require some innovations; but why then do as many Astrolo­gers yet adhere to their doctrine, as recede from it? Why is the same Method for the most part embraced in diverse Countries? Why is the Method many times varied in the same Country? And thus much of their Experience in General.

To examine their Experiments more Particularly; I plainly affirm in the First place, that Astrologers neither have, nor can presage those Events, which concern any Mans Life, or Death. As for Ancient times, we have sufficient testimony from Cicero (2. de Divinat.) in these words; How many things do I remember were by Chaldeans predicted to Pompy to Crassus, to Cesar him­self, and that each of them should not dy, but in full old Age, but in their own Houses, but in peace, and undi­minished honour? And yet how their Fates were violent, immature, and Tragical. So that I cannot but very much wonder, how any man living can give credit to their divinations; when he cannot but observe that their predictions are falsisied by contrary Events. For Mo­dern, Sextus ab Heminga hath sufficiently cleared the matter to our hands; for having proposed thirty eminent Nativities, and reduced them to strict examination ac­cording [Page 137] to the best rules of Art; he declared, that the Experiments did in no wise agree with the rules; sad Events befalling such as were born under the most happy and promising positions of the Heavens; and good be­falling such as the Heavens frowned upon, and threatned all the mischief and ruine unto, that can be imagined. And thereupon concluded, that Astrologers, when they give judgement of a Nativity, are generally the whole Heavens wide of the truth; portending things that never come to pass, and pretermitting such as do come to pass. Let us be contented with one eminent Example. All Histories assure us, that Henry the third of France died in the fortieth year of his age compleat, of an unfortu­nate wound in his Ey, received in Tilting: and yet see the prophesy of Gauricus concerning Him, in his Prog­nostication of the Year MDLVI, Because in the Scheam of his almost Divine Nativity, He had the Sun almost partilely conjoyned to Venus, under the degrees of his altitude; and also the Moon and Venus advancing through his Horoscope, under the Constellation of Aries: therefore He shall live most happy and glorious, till the seventieth year of his age, deducting only two moneths; and if by the favour of God, He escape the dangerous Tears, Sixty three, and Sixty four, then Semper vivet in terris pientissimus, it will be very long before there be an end of his renowned Life. Now you'l say this came very near the truth: and yet I could fit you with other Examples of the same Gauricus's predictions, that came as neer, as Sextus ab Heminga hath exactly noted. See likewise the Prediction of Cardan, when speaking of the same King Henry; He shall be (faith he) in his old age so much the more happy, by how many more difficul­ties [Page 138] he hath passed through before. And how acutely, I pray do these famous Prophets foresee those things, which are proved by the Event? Most admirable indeed they are, when they demonstrate, that those E­vents ought to have befallen men, in respect of their Genitures, which have already befallen them: but when they predict that those Events are to come Can any thing be more foolish, or indeed more grosly Knavish? Observe I beseech you, how rightly Cardan predicted the lamentable misfortunes of men that were his dear Friends, Cheek of England, and Raconet of France, and sundry others, all whose Nativity Scheams he erected will all possible exactness, and afterward printed them? I cannot hold from noting that John Rudolphus Came­rarius, when writing against the foresaid Sextus ab He­minga, he had, to declare the certainty of Astrologers, collected an hundred several Genitures, and among them put those of our late King of France, Henry the III. and Henry the IV; conjoyning also the judgement of Fredericus Rutelius: as to Henry the III. the buisiness succeeded accordingly, sed Fatum post Fata canebat, He foretold his disaster after it had befaln him. But as to Henry the IV. who was then living, when his Century was published in the year MDCVII. nothing was less foretold by him, than the time of his Death. For though that best of Kings was murdered by a Sacrilegi­ous hand, in the year MDCX. and that in the moneth of May: our famous Prophet never suspected the least danger to him, in that Year or Moneth; but cast his Death upon the year MDCXIII. and the moneth of October; as threatning some eminent dan­ger to his Life in the nine and fiftieth year of his Age [Page 139] nine moneth s and one and twenty dayes, he being born on the 24 ^th of December, at two a clock after Mid­night, in the year MDLIII. and that because the Sun would then come by direction to the body of Sa­turn; the Horoscope to a Quartile of the same; and the Middle Heaven to a Quartile of the Sun. But truely as the Fate of that Prince was deplorable; so was the Hariolation ridiculous.

It will not be amiss for us, here to reflect upon som­what of Michael Nostradamus, my own Comprovin­cial, that relates to our present argument; for of those so famous Centuries of Tetrastichs composed by him, I have another opportunity to speak. I shall give you only a tast of the Astrology he made use of; and if ac­cording to that he failed most shamfully in his predicti­ons, I hope we may well beleeve, that he was not in­spired by any divine spirit, or Genius, such as might suggest falshoods to him, or put lies in his mouth.

Being some years since at Salona, in company with the worthy person, Franciscus Bochartius Campinius, President of the high Court of Justice in Province, and that truly noble Man, John Baptista Suffredus, Judge of that City; I remember Suffredus shewed us the Nativity Scheam of Antonius Suffredus, his Father, with the judgements thereupon given, under Nostrada­mus his own hand-writing. We were much pleased to enquire of him, concerning his Father, whom he knew well, as not dying till his son was almost arrived at Mans estate. The Father, according to that Scheam, was born in the Year MDXLIII. on the 13 ^th of January, 22. minutes after high Noon, the Altitude of the Pole being supposed to be 44. degrees; which is [Page 140] more by the third part of a degree, than ought, but that is no matter. There were no degrees of the Signes inscribed on the Scheam; but the bare Signes divided into Houses, after the old Chaldean way, be­ginning at Aries pertaining to his Horoscope; nor was there any mention of the Five wandering Stars, but only of the Sun referred to the second degree of Aquarius, and 36. minutes, and of the Moon related to the sixth degree of Taurus, without any minutes at all. Now the Son John Suffredus being not able to give us any ac­count of those Accidents, which Nostradamus had fore-told should befall the Father in his Youth; as that in the 16 ^th year of his age, he should fall into a dangerous Dysentery or Bloody Flux; that he should be invaded with an acute and violent Feaver, in the 17 ^th year of his Life, and in the 20 ^th fall in Love, and relinguish his stu­dies, &c. I shall relate only such, as he could more certainly inform us of. Among other of the Prophets judgements there are most remarkable. That he should wear his Beard long, and crisped (but he alwayes shaved his Chin bare) that in the middle of his age, his Teeth should be rotten (but he had very white and firm Teeth to his dying day) that in his old age he should go almost crooked and double (but he went to the last upright and straight, as any young man whoever) that in the 19 ^th year of his life, he should become exceeding rich, by in­heriting a strangers estate (but besides what his Father left him, he never had any wealth or estate) that he should suffer by the treachery of his Brethren, and again, in the 37 ^th year, be wounded by his own Mothers Son (but he never had any Brother, nor had his Father more than one Wife) that he should marry a Forreigner, (but he married [Page 141] a French Woman of Salona) that in the 27 ^th year, he should be charged with a Eastard Son (but no Man ever heard of that) that in the 25 ^th he should be overwhelm­ed with the Theological Doctrine of some of his Tutors; and that he should be so addicted to Natural Philosophy, and the secrets of Magick, as no man more; as also to Geometry, and Arithmetick, in an extraordinary man­ner (when yet it is well known, he never had any parti­cular affection to, or care of any of those Studies, but entirely devoted himself to the knowledge of the Laws, of which Nostradamus never dreamt, nor of the Digni­ty of a Senator, which in that respect was worthily conferred upon him, at Aix, in the 25 ^th of his age) that in his old age, he should apply himself to Navigation, and Musick (but he never delighted much in Musick, nor was ever at Sea in his whole Life) that he should not pass the 75 ^th year (but he passed not the 54 ^th; of which No­stradamus said not a word.) And these things I am the more particular in, to the end that Men may judge, what credit is to be given to such predictions.

We must allow, that some one thing of those many, that Astrologers presage may perchance come to pass, now and then; and yet for all that, it is free for us to continue our opinion, that those Events have other Cau­ses to depend upon, than such as justify Astrology.

One is Fortune, or meer Chance. For when they tum­ble out so many judgements concerning Future Events; no wonder if one, or two of them hit right. No Man, as the old Proverb is, who shoots all day but he may somtimes come neer the mark, Gamesters playing at Dice, usually in a few throwes, cast In and In. Why, therefore may not our Gamesters playing with the [Page 142] Stars, among a thousand predictions light upon one true one? Old Women, Children, and Fools somtimes foretell truth, and why should not Astrologers have the same luck? But you'l say, that others make their pre­dictions hap at a venture; but Astrologers from the Rules of Art. We grant it; but yet those Rules were made by meer Chance, at random, without convincing rea­sons; and change them how you please, still they shall pretend to premonstrate the same Events. Will you have an illustrious Example hereof? Cardan in his Geniture had Saturn in the 21. degree of Gemini, which yet, ac­cording to the Rudolphine Tables, was in the 18 ^th de­gree; Mercury in 23. of Libra, which was in the 26 ^th and so of the Moon, and the other Planets. Now if E­vents ought to be predicted from the true places of the Planets; and yet those predicted from the false places come to pass as certainly: you may plainly perceive, that it matters not in what places soever the Planets be, whatsoever be predicted. Again, Cardan somtimes mi­stakes the places of the Planets, not only by a few de­grees, but even by whole Signes. For Example, in the Geniture of his dear Freind, John Cheek, He mistook the true place of Mars by more than one whole Signe. Will you have somthing yet more worthy the wonder? Tycho Brahe (lib. de nov. Stella. p. 777.) tell'us that both Cardan and Gauricus enquired into the Fortune and Manners of Martin Luther, by calculating his Nativity, which both of them fixed upon the 22. of October; but differed about the year, Cardan taking the year M C C C C L X X X I I I. and Gauricus the next year following: Cardan took also the hour of Ten at Night, and Gauricus the hour of one after-noon, when the true [Page 143] hour was Eleven. And that you may not think they were in the right as to the day of the Moneth; I assure you, they both missed it by 19. dayes: for He was born upon the tenth of November (being the Eve to St Mar­tins day, from whom he took his name) as Tycho sets it down out of Eberus, Now I beseech you, how great variety was there of the Heavens, in so different Scheams, and neither of them neer the truth: and yet the Accommodation of the Events (forsooth) must be convenient? Can you choose but think this whole Ar­tifice to be a meer Delusion; a Toy more vain than the Canting of common Rogues and Gypsies, as they call them? Doubtless, if meer Chance did not bear all the sway in these matters, Astrologers could not either so frequently, or so duely be deceived in their Divinations. Of Forty things (saith Cardan lib. de judic. cap. 6.) Scarce ten happen right, as they are predicted: so that you have the Confession of a most Learned Astrologer, which the force of truth extorted from him in spight of his confi­dence. And indeed had not too much doting upon the Art bewitched the Man he might more truely have said, that of four hundred Predictions scarce one is verified. But supposing his supposition to be true, that of Forty scarce Ten succeed; and it will follow of necessity, that Chance hath a main hand in Astrological predictions, when the Truth of them is four times less then their fal­shood. I must not omit to advertise you, that Cardan himself (lib. de Genit.) much commends that saying of Marlianus; Si vis divinare, contrarium ad unguem dicito ejus quod Astrologi aut pollicentur, aut minitan­tur: if you have an itch to be divining, be sure you fore-tell the quite contrary to what Astrologers either [Page 144] promise, or threaten. For however Cardan would have this to be understood only of unskilfull and ignorant A­strologers: yet you may perceive, what truth is to be expected from the most learned and diligent of them all, among whom he challengeth the Chair to himself: nor do the multitude deny him that honour. And yet you may find him glorying, that he spent a hundred hours about the Geniture of King Edward the Sixth of Eng­land, which he made the first of twelve eminent Nativi­ties: and notwithstanding all that pains and care, he predicted nothing less than the Events that befell that worthy Prince. For (to omitt other things) the Re­cords of England assure us, that King Edward died in the sixteenth year of his life; when he had predicted, that he should be very sickly in the 23, 24, and 25 ^th years. After which time (saith He) he shall be afflicted with sundry diseases, and (Mars being then his Anere­ta, or Regicide) he shall dye of a Bloody Flux, and a violent Feaver, Now doth Industry gain the better of Chance or not? O if Cardan had the luck to have fore-told, that this King should fall into some dangerous Disease, in that year, wherein he died: what Joy, what Tryumph, what Quacking would there have been a­mong Astrologers? and how would the Diviner have magnified himself, and his Art?

Another Cause is the Cunning and underhand Fraud of Astrologers, in making their Praedictions. For when a Geniture is given them to Divine upon, in the first place they take special care to learn out, of what Sex, what Family, what Quality, what Country, what Course of Life, &c. the Person is; for as Cardan instructeth them, without the knowledge of all these particulars, no [Page 145] judgement is to be given. And what great wonder is it, if from the consideration of all these things they chance now and then to fore-tell some Events, which may well be suspected, not from the precepts of Astrology, but from a natural Sagacity or Conjecture according to probabilities? Hither-to you may referr the pre­diction of Ollerius Barcinonensis concerning that Hero­ical Prince, Henry the 4 ^th of France, not long before his inhuman assassination by that Monster a [...]oviliack; For it is likely enough that Ollerius might have some secret intimation of that bloody designe, which both the Kings Orators suspected, and some certain Grande'es of Spain insinuated; and which a common rumor, diffused through Spain, for above two moneths together, seemed to premonish; as I have more largely declared in the Life of Peireskius. Again, they give their predictions alwayes in the General-indefinitely, and (like the Devil of Delphos) in Amphiboligies: and this peece of subtlety they have learned of Ptolomie, out of these words (in Centiloq. Sent. 1.) ‘It cannot be that an understand­ing Artist should predict the particular formes, or manners of Accidents; as the sence doth not receive the particular, but a certain General form of a sensible object, and he that deals in matters of Divination, ought to use the skill of Conjecturing by probabili­ties: and only those who are inspired by the Divine Spirit, can predict Particulars.’ And why should not they be beleeved to come near the mark, when they presage some Danger, or Death, or Favour, or Calamity, or the like common Accidents, from which no man is exempted? For who is there, to whom some such Accidents do not at some time or other happen; Pro­vidence [Page 146] having so generally mixed evil and good▪ toge­ther in this Life? And as for their Amphibologies, or ambiguous Answers, they contrive them so cunningly, as that be the Event what it will, still the words shall be capable of intimating it: or if they deliver any judge­ment in plain terms (which they seldom do) they annex some certain Condition; that so if the Event fore-told do not succeed accordingly, then they may lay the blame upon the failing of the Condition: but if it doth succeed, then without regarding the correspondence or disagree­ment of the Condition, they magnify themselves for in­fallible Prophets. Hereupon, though when their Divi­nation doth fail, they presently alleadge that either the Providence of God, or the study of Philosophy, or the very premonition it self put an hinderance to the Event designed: yet when it succeedeth, they mention nothing but their own admirable skill. They are wont also to excuse themselves with being afraid of the Anger of Princes, if they should plainly and in simple terms, predict the Events attending them: and yet if there chance to be but the least shadow of the Events predicted, then whole Troy is conquered, and they boast themselves ac­quainted with the secrets of Fate. And this again is the Cause, why they so complicate their Aphorisms, as that unless the thing presaged fall out exactly so, they lay the fault upon their own incircumspection, in omitting the consideration of somthing or other, that ought to have been considered in their Calculation of the Nativity pro­posed; that so the Art may still be thought sufficient to make predictions to an hairs breadth. Lastly, in case any thing succeed, which was fore-told; that must be done by the exact observation of the rules of Art: but [Page 147] if nothing succeed, then (forsooth) they exclame that the buisiness was not done with due exactness, that the Scheam ought to be corrected, and the Horoscope so re­moved forward, or backward, so as that the Effect may be brought at length to quadrate or correspond with their direction. And because for the most part one di­rection being accommodate to the Effect, the rest are in­congruous; therefore their Cunning is such, as that they say, that the Effect is somtimes either Anticipated, or Prorogated by one Year at least wide of the direction. But why should I run over all their Frauds and starting holes? One remedy will serve against them all; and that is, to propose a Nativity to one or two of the best of them, and when they have studied it as much as they please, require them to predict any one particular Event to come, in plain terms, together with the certain day, manner of the accident, and other Circumstances: and when they have done that, see if they will lay a conside­rable wager that that Event shall succeed accordingly. If they accept the condition, pray let me go your half: if they refuse it, you may understand how little confidence they have in their own Art, which yet they would im­pose upon others, as divine and infallible.

The Last Cause is the Ignorance and Stupidity of such as come to consult them about their Fortunes. For First, there are very few, who sufficiently understand (what we have more than once inculcated) that the iflux of the Heavens is only General, and that all particular E­ffects belong to particular Causes. Men generally do not consider, that Brute Animals, which have their Births Synchronical to those of Infants, have yet different fates from those of Men, when yet the Stars lookt upon both [Page 148] indifferently. And so well conceipted are we of our selves, that we suffer our selves to be perswaded, that what ever befalleth us, certainly the Heavens took care for it: and being deluded by this proud credulity, we instantly beleeve what ever is told us from the Heavens, as somthing ordained and inevitable; contributing to our own delusions, as if it were not sufficient for us to be subject to the delusions of others.

Men therefore being commonly possessed with Hope, Fear, Love, Hatred, or some other passion, interpret all things in favour of that passion, and expect that even the Stars should be as much concerned therein, as them­selves: and thus they swell themselves with the Air of Phansy, that they may be much greater than indeed they are, and of Gnats be taken for Elephants. And whe­ther it be good or evil that the Astrologers have pre­dicted to them; they scorn to think themselves lyable to so low a thing as Fortune but derive the least grace, or injury done them, from those sublime and glorious bodies, the Stars. There is a Tale (and it is a true one) of Francis the Monk, a famous Astrologer in the last Age; how he predicted that some freind should shortly give him a new pair of Shoes, from the coming of the middle Heaven to the Benefical rayes of I know not what propitious Planet. What would this Man have done think you, in case he had had great wealth accu­mulated upon him, or if he had bin advanced to some dignity in his Order? But alas, Human infirmity being once out of the tuition of right reason, is never wanting to assist toward its own delusions. Secondly, it is to be considered, that though the greatest part of those things which are fore-told by Astrologers, never come to pass; [Page 149] yet the Common People foolishly take no notice of those many failings: but if one among a thousand pre­dictions chance to be verified, presently, as if it had been delivered by Jupiter Hammons Oracle, the Art is thought Divine, and the lucky success of that one divi­nation makes them forget the falsity of all the rest. And this condition of Vulgar heads cannot be unknown to any man, who hath at any time observed their weakness in this kind. Nor do I mean only the meanest sort of Men, but place in the number of the Vulgar even Men of high condition, and such whose dignities render their follies the less remarkable; these also being as much o­ver-run with the itch of Astrological Curiosity, as the o­thers; unless it be some few, whom natural Sagacity, or good education, or experience hath made more compe­tent judges of those fooleries and frauds. Otherwise being possessed with ambition, and the immoderate desire of Life, there is no cheating trick of Astrologers, which will not easily ensnare their belief. And this truely is the reason, why we observe Great Persons ge­nerally much to favour Diviners, and to embrace with all greediness the very dreams of such, as seem to pro­mise them a continuance, or encrease of their Grandure: though Histories ly open to attest, that no Princes have been so unhappy, as those who most confided in the pre­dictions of Astrologers, that promised them rare and singular felicities. We shall spare some of fresher me­mory and yet not go far off for Examples of this kind. How tragical were the Fates of Emmanuel of Portugal; of Peter, of Arragon; Simon the Bulgarian, Lodowick Sforxa Duke of Millain; who confided in Astrolo­gers that flattered them with the hopes of mountains of [Page 150] Happiness equal to that of the Gods, and yet came to be the most miserable Princes in all story. For Peter was murthered by his Bastard Brother; Lodovick despoyled of his Dukedom, and perished most miserably in Fetters; and the others suffered most grievious calamities.

Again, the wonder is alwaies much heightned by the greatness of the Person; For if any thing predicted be­fall an eminent Man, or Prince; then the Art is extolled to the Heavens. And this (forsooth) because Great men are conceived to be more favoured and respected by the Stars, then Plebeans; and so what ever befalls them, is beleeved to be decreed more especially by the Heavens: and if any thing predicted by Astrologers befalleth them, the predictions being commonly known to all, all men fall into admiration of their skill. And this for the most part relateth to the Death, Disposition, and Calamities of Princes. As if the same Sun did not with in­different beams shine upon the Cottages of Peasants, and Pallaces of Kings and as if it were not all one to the Stars, whether a Rich Man, or a Beggar, were born in the loyns of Old Inachus, or from those of one sleeping on a Dung­hill? As if those Fifty thousand Men, who fell in the Battel of Canna, had all their Fates inseparably connexed, by the Heavens to the rashness of their General, who unad­visedly engaged them to fight upon disadvantage? When they were born in so many several places, at so many se­veral times; can you think it easy to an Astrologer, from an inspection into all their Genitures before, to have found directions for them, such as might enable him to predict that they would all fall upon the same day? Lastly, it somtimes hapneth that when an Astrologer hath promised some great honour, or advancement to a [Page 151] young sprightly Courtier, who hath already a good share in his Princes favour: the confidence of this promise doth so elevate his spirit, quicken his industry, and en­gage all the nerves of his mind to endeavour the accom­plishment of his ends; as that he at length come's to attain some fruit of his services and hopes, and then who so much admired, so much cried up, as M ^r Astrologer, who fore-told his preferment? When indeed, he ought rather to sacrifice to his own witt and Confidence (both which conjoyned, do great matters in the World. espe­cially in Courts) or to the Bounty of his Prince, than to the indulgence of the Stars, which are as unconcerned in him, and his affairs, as in the Life, or Death of a Fly. On the other side, Predictions of Evil accidents, make men dejected in their Spirits, slack in their indu­stry, and somtimes desperate: and then it is no wonder, if they prosper not in their designes (diligence being the life of buisiness) but meet with such disasters, as were threatned them by Astrologers. And I could make you a true relation of some, who having been told by Astrologers, that they should dy by a rope, have, to pre­vent the shame of the common Gallowes, hanged them­selves when they had no other occasion of discontent. And these Events, we poor miserable Mortals account the undoubted Experiments of Astrology. As if many others had not lost their labours, and been defeated of all their hopes, whom the like glorious promises invited to make themselves Courtiers and Favourites? As if many had not died in peace and prosperity in their beds, to whom Astrologers had threatned violent and untime­ly deaths by the hand of an executioner? As if the good Fortune of successfull Courtiers were not to be [Page 152] ascribed to their own industry: or the miserable death of such as lay violent hands upon themselves, were not to be ascribed to their own madness and impiety, rather than to any decrees of the Stars?

It remain's only now, that we expede our selves from those particular Experiments of the verity of Astrologi­cal Predictions, that are related of Alexander of Ma­cedon and other Ancients formerly mentioned; the fame of these having given more reputation to the Art, than any thing else they pretend to, except the Creduli­ty of Men.

To these, therefore I Answer; First, that all those relations may be False: and that the Faithfullness of Historiographers in such things may be questioned. Not that I think they deserve to be accounted Lyers, when they record such Accidents, as they have either seen themselves, or heard from other credible Persons, though those accidents seem strange and supernatural; but that they may be justly suspected of affecting Rari­ties, when they studiously scrape together and set down all kinds of common Rumors dispersed among the com­mon People, concerning the Nativity, or Death of some great Prince, whose Life and adventures they write of; and by this means often impose upon the easy belief of their Readers. For it is well known, that most Histori­ans do somtimes invent many wonderfull passages and encounters to make the person of whom they write, the more illustrious; and somtimes jestingly, or inconside­rately vent such Romantick relations, which have no ground in truth, but being once admitted into the ears of the People, instantly gain credit, and become the more authentical, by how much the more they are di­spersed; [Page 153] especially if the Prince perished by some tra­gical disaste. For then the accident grows predigious and every Man dream's and talks of nothing but Night Ravens, Screetch Owls, Evil Genius's Bells ringing them­selves, Furies in the Air holding Ensignes, and flaming Torches, the sound of men walking invisibly, the im­pressions of feet going backward, Armies fighting in the Clouds, and a thousand such ridiculous Bugg-bears: so that the wonder is the less, if among all these Portents, they omitt not to add also the Prophesies of Chaldeans. And Historians, understanding that such relations will highly please the People, and be read with delight and greediness; will therefore by no means leave them out of their Papers and it is to be wished, they would not now and then amplify them, on purpose to engratiate their story. For my part, truely, I am sure I have read in the History of a great Princes Life and Death, such things as never befell him, nor any like them, so as to give occasion to those relations. You will take it ill, perhaps, that I give this digressive touch upon the infidelity of Historians; but if you please to hear Seneca's censure of them (lib. 7. quaest. natural. cap. 16.) upon occasion of Comets, you will find mine much the milder and more favourable of the two ‘There needs not much ado (saith He) to derogate from the Authority of Epho­rus; he is an Historian Some hunt after praise by the relation of incredible things, and by telling wonders stir up the Reader, who otherwise would lay aside their books, and betake himself to other imploy­ment, in case none but ordinary accidents were rela­ted. Some are Credulous, some Negligent: some are surprised with a Lie, others pleased. Those do [Page 154] not avoid it. These affect it. And this is common to all the tribe of them, that none thinks his works will be liked and become popular, unless he here and there lard them with Fictions. And Ephorus, being a Man of no very precise faith, is often deceived him­self, and doth as often deceive others, in his reports.’ And thus Seneca.

Secondly, it is possible some other bold pretender to Divinations might say to Alexander; Thou shalt loose thy Life at Babylon: but no man could say this, as a thing foreseen by the Stars, but that he might as well dy there, as any where else, either by Surfets and Drunken­ness (to which he more and more devoted himself) or by throwing himself into the thickest of the Enemies forces (which was his custome, out of an excess of Courage, or rather rashness) or by Treachery of his powerfull Captains (who were then perpetually plotting his Death) or by some other Accident. Again, being they accounted Alexander a Tyrant, the Chaldeans might well conjecture, that a Conspiracy against his life might be more easily plotted, and effected, in a spacious and populous City, then in the midst of his Army. Be­sides, being interrogated strictly concerning the fate of that great Conquerour, least they should betray their own ignorance by saying nothing: they might deliver that prediction, which if it succeeded, would commend their Art; and if not, would easily be forgotten: Mens minds being taken up with new successes, and new de­signes. And that you may be satisfied, that the Chal­deans did deliver this and the like prophefies, either by Conjecture, or meer Chance: be pleased to consider what is reported of Morius and Octavius. Both of [Page 155] them confided in the Chaldeans, that promised them wonders: but one met with what he expected, and the other the quite contrary. Now, is this a signe of the Constancy of the Art? Certainly no, the matter is wholly obscure and those prophesies are to be referred to meer Fortune not to any Certainty in the Art. For Augustus likewise; though I should grant those pre­dictions of his future greatness to have been realy deli­vered; yet it is not impossible but that they might be delivered out of Flattery: and since we are not to doubt, but many the like predictions have been given of sundry other yong Men of great hopes; no wonder, if those proved false in others, that this proyed true in him. Fur­ther, since Augustus could not acquire the Empire, unless Pompey, Cesar and some other great Romans were first removed out of his way by Death; and the Chaldeans had positively fore told that Pompey and Cesar should neither of them dye, but in extreme Old Age, but in their own homes, but in full splendor and renown (as we formerly observed out of Cicero▪) you may easily perceive with what certainty they were able to prophesy his ascending to the Emperial dignity. I omit how dangerous and treasonable a thing it would have been in Theagenes, to have predicted a Monarchy in Rome, in those ticklish dayes▪ when the names of Monarchy and Slavery were both a like odious to the high spirited People of Rome. I omit how Scaliger hath plainly demonstrated, that at the time of Augustus Birth, Capri­corn did not Horoscopize▪ but rather the Signe quite opposite.

I omit also, that many of my acquaintance have been born under Capricorn possessing the Horoscope [Page 156] (yea and the very middle of it too) who were never so vain for all that, as to dream of being made Empe­rours. And though many have boasted, that the Ge­niture of Cosmi Medices was very like that of Augu­stus: yet Cardan (lib. cent. Genitur genit. 49) observes therein the Signes, not of Empire, but Prudence. The same may be said of the other Emperours; and we need only oppose to them what Seneca hath of Claudius, who was no sooner made Prince, but Astrologers pre­dicted his advancement almost every Year, and Moneth.

As to that notable story of Ascletarions prediction of his Death by Doggs, to the enraged Domitian; truely it seems to have bee a tale invented and bruited abroad after the death of Domitian, to cast the greater odium upon his memory. For Ascletarion might indeed con­jecture the disaster of that Prince only from hence, that few Tyrants dy bloodless Deaths. He might also fore-see his own violent Death, from the anger and cruelty of the Emperour, who using to spill innocent blood upon less occasions, was not likely to let him escape, who told him of so sad a Fate attending him: but that himself should be torn in pieces by Dogs, either he predicted no such thing at all, but the people (who never diminish rarities) took occasion to forge that part of the adven­ture; or if he predicted it, he did it upon guess, that the angry Tyrant would set the Dogs upon him. Again, supposing he did really predict that accident, yet can he not be said to have predicted the true manner of his Death, because he was not torn by Dogs till after his Death, and Astrologers never extend their predictions beyond Death; but he intended that he should be torn alive, The same may be said of that Astrologer, who [Page 157] in the presence of G [...]leatius Duke of Millain predicted his own Death by the fall of a Beam upon him; for to omitt other objections, it is manifest there is no Apho­risme, or Rule in Astrology so precise, as to determine the instrument of Death, or define it to be rather a Beam. than a Tile, or Stone, &c. But the Common people are wont to note all circumstances with over­much curiosity; and to let no passage escape without referring it to portentous Causes. Historians, likewise are wont to take▪ less care in relating only what is true, than in Setting down Vulgar reports of extraordinary occurrences. Will you have a pregnant Example of this? A certain Astrologer having predicted, that Henry the Seaventh of England (a wise, Valiant, and Fortunate King, should dy in such a year; the King sent for him, and asked him, if he could tell in what place himself should be at the next Christmas (then neer at hand:) The Prophet being surprised with this unexpected question, stood mute a good while, and at length confessed he could not tell. Thereupon the King smiling, said, then my freind I am more skilfull in Divination, than you are; for I can fore-tell that you shall keep your Christ­mas in the Tower of London; and accordingly com­manded him to be sent prisoner thither. Nor did the King either dy in the Year predicted, or set the Astrolo­ger at liberty again, untill a good while after, when the heat of his Divining humour had been abated by the Waters of affliction; and that was an act of more Cle­mency in the King, than Princes usually shew to such impudent fellows. For to pass by other Examples of Astrologers, who have drawn suddain Death upon themselves, by adventuring to vent Prophesies concern­ing [Page 158] the Deaths of others; we have a memorable one, out of the Anthologia, of Diophantus the great Astro­loger.

If this seem too Ancient, we can furnish you with a­nother of fresher date, concerning Lucas Gauricus, whom we have so often mentioned. Could He, think you, who had sung the fatal Dirge of Johannes Bentivo­lio, Prince of Bononia, many years before hand; could he I say, fore-see and avoid his own untimely and mise­rable end? Historians tell us No; but Cardans testi­mony will do best in this case. Gauricus (saith he, lib. de Genit.) ‘Was put upon the Rack, by the Ben­tivoglios; which was more then he ever fore-saw. by the Stars: though he might portend the ruine of the Family, more from a wise Conjecture of affairs, than [Page 159] from Astrology; for he was an egregious Syco­phant.’

What say you to Cardan himself, who though he died at the time, when he had predicted he should die, (starving himself on purpose, to verify his prediction, as was noted by Scaliger, and Thuanus) yet as to the time, and manner of his eldest Son, John Baptista's death, he was grosly mistaken? Every Learned man, who hath perused his preface to Manilius, well knows, that he delivered sundry prophesies of his Sons Fate; but he never premonished, that that beloved Son of his should, in the 24 ^th year of his Age, loose his head by the stroke of the Hang­man for Poisoning his Wife. Concerning this sad and infamous Accident, Sextus ab Heminga saith most excellently; ‘What will the World think, when this tragical event shall be told to posterity, and all Nations? The most prudent, most sage, and most Learned Hieronymus Cardanus, a Physician, and Philosopher, and Astrologer, the most incomparable of the Age he lived in, and without doubt the most to be honoured; who took care for the education of his Children in Learning and piety, and omitted no­thing that might conduce to their erudition in know­ledge and virtue, studying their good as much as was possible. For he most exactly described their Fates, in those his voluminous Commentaries upon the Quadripartite Work of Ptolomie; and expressed all particulars thereof, that he might appear to have bin wanting in nothing for them, whereunto his utmost providence could extend. But unhappy man that he was, he all this while never suspected, from the Rules of his great Art, that his dearest Son should be con­demned, [Page 160] and have his head strook off upon a Scaffold by an Executioner of Justice, for destroying his own Wife by Poyson, in the Flower of his Youth; nor did he ever predict, or mention any the least parti­cular of all that Tragedy.’ And thus Sextus ab He­minga.

Finally, as to what Firmicus exaggerateth concerning the death of Plotinus; all I shall say of it, is that it is a meer vain Rhetorical aggravation. For Porphyrius, the disciple of Plotinus, doth particularly describe both the nature of his sickness and his constant deportment at his death ensuing thereupon: and He was more a Philoso­pher, than to charge his disease and death upon any fiery decrees of the Stars, and their fatal influences, as Firmicus did afterward. Again, what did befall Plotinus; which is not common and ordinary to all us Mortals; and which may not aswell be objected a­gainst the memory of many thousand other good and pious men, who never wrote against Astrology, nor e­ver thought of it? He died of a Consumption; and that is caused, not by any vindictive judgement of the Stars, but by weakness of Constitution derived from ones Parents, by ill Air, unwholsome nourishment, con­tagion, and divers other Causes, well known to Physi­cians. That good Man, therefore, suffered not any punishment for his judicious Book against Astrologers; but as he was subject to the common Condition of Mans Nature, so did he patiently undergo it. Unless you please to allow, that the Stars were more to blame, for exciting so learned a Person to write against their supposed power; or that they altered their former de­crees concerning him, and contrived a new Fate for [Page 161] him, as soon as they sure he durst inveigh against the fooleries and impostures of Astromancers. But to add more, were a shame. Concerning Picus Mirandu­lanus, we may say the very same. For it was the ten­derness and delicacy of his Constitution, his uncessant Studies, and exhaustion of his vital vigour by continual writing, which took away that illustrious Person out of the World so immaturely; and not any malignant in­fluence of incensed Mars. Gauricus, indeed much insults over him, because of his derision of Astrology: but may not wise men much more justly inveigh against Gauricus, who by reason of his foolish confidence in Astrology, brought himself to the torture of the Rack; and so was the Cause of his own most miserable Death: when Picus Mirandula did nothing but what was ho­nourable and pious, nor ever ran into such extravagan­cie, as might occasion his untimely Death? But A­strologers foretold his Death precisely, as to the time? That I deny; for (observe) Picus fulfilled not more than 31. Years of Life: and yet Gauricus reporteth, that Three eminent Genethliacks had punctually predi­cted his death before the 36th. There is only Bellantius, who wrote against him, and glorieth that he foretold he should die in the 33 ^d year from his Birth. But if Bel­lantius came so neer the matter (and yet he missed it a whole year and more) he might conjecture Picus could not be a long lived man, from his weakly consti­tution, continual labours of the mind, and other Signes; there being nothing more familiar, than for men who are no Astrologers, to guess that a young Man, of a fiery active Genius, a pregnant and capacious Soul, an over­lively wit, and a soon-ripe judgement will not live long; and to say of such a one

Though all this while, I see no reason why I should more beleeve Bellantius, in this point, than the rest of that arrogant tribe; since they all cry up themselves, and boast that they have predicted such and such Events long before they happened; when in truth, no Man ever heard of those predictions, till after the Events. But what I have said against Astrologers, is enough; especially since that Divine witt, Picus, hath said much more: to whose incomparable writings I remit my Reader, while I go Study some other Argument of more use to the Com­monweal of Learning, than Astrology hath ever been. And so adieu to both Astrologers, and their Art.