Astrologia Reformata: A Reformation of the Prognostical Part OF ASTRONOMY, Vulgarly Termed ASTROLOGY.

BEING An Experimental Detection, and clear Demonstration of the hitherto greatly mistaken, and dubiously con­troverted Grounds and Principles of that unvaluable Science.

And to this First Essay is also annexed the (Never yet publickly given) true Positures at the Birth, and a Prediction of the Death, of the present French King.

By ROBERT GODSON.

LONDON, Printed for George Sawbridge, at the Three Flower-de-luces in Little-Britain, 1696.

To the Most Illustrious Brother­hood of Wisdom, the Royal Philosophical Society of Lon­don.

Gentlemen,

IT can neither with Truth nor Modesty be denied, but must (and will by all truly Ast [...]philar Spirits) be freely and thank­fully Acknowledged, that those many accurate Observations of the places and motions of the Hea­venly Bodies, which have been happily and in­dustriously made in the present and some late prece­ding Ages (after Mankind was awak'd from that Monk-rock'd Security in which it had been lull'd for several generations, and Learning and Religion in some measure restor'd to their genuine use and design, of being means to attain to a due know­ledge of God, and even sensible conviction of his Nature and Attributes, and to be profitable helps to direct us in our Affairs and Conversations,) have by the diligence and Industry of sundry Learned Men of great skill and Dexterity in Cosmometrical Rations, Proportions, and Opera­tions, been so well and ingeniously used and im­proved [Page 2]to the end intended by the laborious Obser­vators, that they have greatly advanced that part of Sydereal Science, above what it had ever before attain'd to, if not almost to its utmost pitch of perfection.

Yet is it also but too bewailably manifest that the Institution of Coelestial Observations, and the thence detection and deduction of Planetary places and motions, and composure of Astronomick Tables, have of late been generally undertaken, by persons little skilled, if not rather wholly Ignorant, of Sydereal significations; and such as knew little else concerning the Heavenly Bodies, beside an uncertain and imperfect notion and ac­count of their number, order, revolutional periods, the quality of their orbs, and frame of the Mun­dane system, and the craft of wielding a Qua­drant or Telescope, and of performing the ordi­nary Trigonometrical operations; With which imperfect stock of Astral Skill, many have of late undertaken to frame Tables of the Heavenly motions, and do as confidently set up for Astro­nomers, as if they had the knowledge of Daniel or Abraham. A pretence altogether as Absurd and ridiculous, as if one should take upon him to write a Medical Dispensatory, without any farther knowledge of Herbs and other Simples, than only a lame and defective notice of their number, colour, shape, places of growth, yearly seasons, and other meer sensible accidents and out­ward Circumstances.

And in regard of the great mysteriousness of uranical portentations and the consequent difficulty of truly understanding them; which requires not only common Reason and Discretion, and a fame­or-gain-spurr'd diligence and Industry, by which alone the Metrical or Mathematical part of this Science may be laudably practis'd and culti­vated, and accordingly now-a-days commonly is so; But also a particularly adapted Temper and Capacity ( Astronomers as well as Poets, being rather the handy-work of Nature, than either of Art or Education:) A propension to it purely for its own sake, and a spirit unbyassed by lucre and partiality, without which the greatest endeavours will prove utterly vain and fruitless. And finding also that the unhappy thirst of se­cular gain, and of the frothy reputation of va­rious knowledge, is now so predominant in the minds of the far greater part of the pretended Votaries of Wisdom, and (amongst the rest) of the Professors and pursuers of this Science; Insti­gating (or rather seducing) them vain-gloriously to tamper with so many several Studies, and those also utterly unnecessary, and widely irrela­tive to each other, any one of which (to be duly skillful therein) were alone enough to employ the whole time and faculties of any one Man, That they never become competent, and much less perfect in any; but are generally so weak, im­perfect, and insufficient, that their practice is commonly successless or pernicious to their Clients, [Page 4]and no less Ignominious and discrediting to them­selves. It may still be sadly said and lamented, that Astronomy is but (or hardly) half restor'd, being but (as Adam before his Inspiration) a meer Body without a Soul.

For we live in an Age wherein as well the matter as the methods of Study and Learning are chosen rather for their fashionableness, and for their publick esteem among Gowned or Estated Men, especially who have long practis'd and profess'd them (though a Divine Pen has long ago assur'd us, that great Men are not always Wise, nor the Aged universally Men of under­standing) than for their own Intrinsick dignity or excellency; And rather for their promising­ness to the secular Fame, Promotion, or advan­tage of their Professors, than their tendency or necessity to the Benefit or Utility of such as consult or employ them. And wherein Youth is by the modern unhappy methods of Education, kept so long in the Porch of Wisdom's Temple, in Lear­ning a parcel of silly mis-called Arts and Old Foreign Tongues, little or nothing necessary for any but wrangling Clerkers (who are but a small and the most needless part of the Professors of Science) and in Conning and Contemplating those Paganish Fictions, Dotages, and Macrologi­cal Impertinencies, contained in the Books com­monly used for that purpose; That they never are permitted to enter her inner Courts, or have but a very small time to abide there, and much too [Page 5]short to gain a true knowledge of her solid my­steries. Beside that their native faculties are so distorted and depraved by such frivolous and Sophistical (pretended necessary) preparations, and their Heads and Fansies so stuff'd and cloy'd with Idle and Abstracted (and mostly or gene­rally Erroneous) Notions, who leave no time nor room for sound and practical knowledge: That if the Laws of the Land, or the weakness of their Patrons or Clients did not contribute to ensure them an ample or competent livelihood, the soli­dity of their knowledge, and success of their practice, would never be able to procure it, ei­ther by Physick, Astronomy, or Divinity, the three great branches of Mystical Science: Each of which may abundantly be proved to be ex­treamly corrupted and erroneous, even where they are vulgarly reputed and most confidently pretended to be most pure and Orthodox.

Neither indeed can it possibly be otherwise, when such an invincible variety not only of speculative, but even of the profoundest and most difficult practical Arts and Studies, are undertaken by one individual Person, for whom any one of them alone were sufficient, though as highly fitted and qualified for it, as God and Nature do enable any to be; nothing being now and for some Ages pass'd more common, not only in Colleges and Universities, but in other places abroad in the World also, than for one and the self same Person openly to Study, Profess, [Page 6]and practice Arts and Sciences so vast in them­selves, and mostly or wholly so irrelative to one another, as are Medicine, Logick, Rhetorick, Natural Philosophy, Astronomy, and all the several parts of Mathematicks and Geo­metry; Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriack, and sundry other both Ancient and Modern Languages, sometimes a dozen or fif­teen together; Musick, Drawing, Painting, Physick, Astrology, and some others; or at least such a considerable plurality of these, as that any modest and honest minded Man, who will not belye his Capacity to advance his Re­putation (as it is too plain very many do) may easily perceive and will freely confess them not masterable to any competent perfection (save only to make an empty noise and shew before such as little understand them) by any one Man whatsoever. And some of which are not only im­pertinent too, but even inconsistent with a due prosecution and intellection of the other; for what use of Logick, Rhetorick, or Geometry is there in the practice of Physick, which also is of it self alone a Science large enough for any one Man to master, and the like might be said of sundry others. And albeit that Astrological Information may be of good use to a Physician, (as well as Medical Instructions to an Astro­nomer, and to many other kinds of Persons and Professors beside) yet does it not therefore follow that he must of necessity Study both Sciences [Page 7]himself, (for then every Man should be master of all Arts and Trades, because he has oftentimes use for them.) But he rather should in his practice of the one, derive and receive all necessary helps by the other, from such as make it their whole Study and Profession; and the same may be said of Tongues, and all other Arts and Stu­dies: for while Men apply their Minds to so many several Sciences, each of which is so vast and profound, and so little pertinent or related to the rest, they only become meer pratling smat­terers in all, but are really Dexterous and suffici­ent in none.

Hence it comes that this transcendant Scien­ce, the most precious gem amongst the Trea­sures of Wisdom, the clearest Glass to behold Almighty Power, and the only Image of Divine Omnisciency; which the unbounded goodness of its supream Eternal Author, has ordained for the use and instruction of Man, to direct his steps in this vale of tryal and Tribulation, where­in he is wholly left to his own fate and discre­tion, and to his native will and disposition in the choice of good or evil, to shift for himself the best he can, though not without gracious pre­mises of providential reliefs and affistances upon his humble and earnest prayers to obtain them, in all such times and cases of extream affliction and adversity, wherein his own Wit and indu­stry fail him; and to enlighten his understan­ding clearly to see into the dark corners of di­stance [Page 8]and futurity; that he may not run blind­fold into places and enterprises, nor be taken unawares like a Bird in a snare, when an evil time comes suddenly upon him: Is become so utterly depraved and corrupted, that what now commonly passes by its name, is very little else but a heap of folly and falsehood; and so far from any appearance, and from shewing any effects of a divine and beneficial ordinance, that ma­ny are Opinion'd there is no such Science in nature; whatever others do affirm of its truth and excellency, is nothing but Fancy and Delusi­on; whereby this sacred Lamp of Divine and infinite Wisdom, which affords all satisfaction that the mind of Man can desire, concerning any thing past, present, or future, is dwindl'd into smoke and snuff, and fallen to the lowest degrees of contempt with many even of good knowledge and capacity, the sacred and venera­ble name and Title of Astronomy, being now-a-days wholly attributed to and arrogantly assu­med and usurped by the bare Metrical or Mathe­matical part of it, which is no more but its very husk or shell. It being sadly and shamefully obser­vable, that the Professors of this as well as of other mysterious and profound Sciences, do, through a base thirst after advantage and applause, and a sordid itch to gain the repute and benefits of a great and fashionable variety of skill and knowledge, not apply their Minds so wholly and solely to this sublime and immense Science, (the [Page 9]known fame and benefits of which alone if duly known and understood, were enough to satisfie any one modest Man) as is requisite to a full or com­petent perfection therein. To which they afford but some small part of only their spare hours, though vast and profound enough to employ their whole time and faculties, so that their skill and practice cannot but be as they are, and as I am even unwilling to think, and very much more to mention.—

The displeasing observation of those dis-inge­nious proceedings, and the sway of a strong in­clination and affection (by many affirm'd to be the certain symptom of an equal Adaption) to this tallest and beautifullest bravch of natural know­ledge; occasion'd by the sight of some rutilous specks of Truth discovered and found to be yet unextinguished, in stirring up the modern rubbish of its ruins, have prevaild with me to relinquish other employments more promising to my secular advantage, and for some considerable time to se­quester my self almost wholly from the World, so as to be but little publickly concern'd there­in, that so I might gain the greater leisures and opportunities to dive into the depths of this Science; for the certain discovery of whose sub­lime and excellent mysteries, rejecting the ficti­tious Volumes and veluminous fictions of meer guessing pretenders, as well ancient as modern; and laying aside all other practical Arts and Studies no way pertinent nor serviceable to this; [Page 10]I have closely applied my thoughts for several years together, to an experimentary examination of the Heavens immediately themselves, by a careful and impartial collation and discussion of sundry significant coelestial faces and positures concerning one and the same particular, the only true method of making and gaining experience: And this not only for the ad-invention of the practical rules of this Science, but also for the tryal of its principles and rudiments, to find which of those now variously delivered by sundry Au­thors for such, or whether none of those, and what others beside, are the only true and genuine. And herein as my ends have been honest, my affections impartial, my endeavours great, and my desires vehement, so by the favour and aid of the sovereign Author of Wisdom, my Travels have been not unproportionably successful, but ef­fectual to the discovery of many great Truths ne­ver hitherto known in the Christian World; and to the perfection and clarification of many others, whereof though some in former days have had some fleeting glimpses, yet was it with so much dimness and uncertainty, as render'd them wholly useless and unprofitable.

And though I shall not yet lay claim to such a degree of perfection therein, as to make all the predictions, and answer all the enquiries proper thereto and possible thereby (for what one Man can be sufficient for these things, who found the Science so defective and corrupt as I did) [Page 11]yet I shall I undertake to disclose and unfold so many great Truths and excellent Mysteries there­in, hitherto utterly concealed and unknown, and many others heretofore but darkly and dubiously understood, as shall be abundantly pleasing and acceptable to all who impartially examine and make use of them, and which shall be at least as conducive to advance both the Truth and Credit of the prognostical part of Astronomy, as even the very best of the many late observers and discussers of coelestial motions have contributed to the present improvements of the Mathema­tical; and shall abundantly prove to all who are endued with Reason, Judgment, and Modesty, that the great pains and expences employ'd by many, in making such observations, and cor­recting and perfecting the Doctrine of the said motions, are useful and serviceable not only to the mean and shallow arts and purposes of Geography, Navigation, and the civil di­stinction of Years, Months, and Days, (all which low and inconsiderable ends, which wholly or mostly tend rather to the gratification of Luxury and a needless-curiosity, than to promote any of the genuine ends of true knowledge, may be sufficiently serv'd without any such great ex­actness;) but to other ends as great and ex­cellent as the Heavens are high, their face illu­strious, their greatness stupendious, their courses and motions constant and harmonious, and Mens endeavours to discover them expensive and labo­rious; [Page 12]and that the excellent Mysteries contai­ned in and discoverable by this unparallell'd Science, even though we should wholly lay aside all prognostical use thereof (which yet may be very great and beneficial) but using it only as an in­genious speculation (as is all or most of that kind of Philosophy now in chief repute,) dis­playing that exact and wonderful harmony which Almighty God has ordained between the motions and positions of the Heavenly Bodies, and the actions and events of all sublunary creatures, is a thousand times more valuable and worthy to be prized and affected by all who delight to consider the handy works of God, than that fanciful Foolosophy now so much in vogue, of making blind guesses at the secret undisco­verable reasons and causes of both the ordinary and extraordinary effects and appearances in na­ture (such as Comets, Magnetism, Winds, &c.) and at the meaning and design of old defaced In­scriptions, and new found Relicks of Antiquity, and many other such trivial and useless matters, which many now-a-days make a great noise and stir with; or I may rather say it doth as much exceed them, as the Heavens surmount the Earth, and the Wisdom of God transcendeth that of Men.

Neither do I doubt but strongly and reasona­bly hope, and with God's Assistance fully pur­pose, by the use and help of due means and endea­vours, to raise it to that degree of claritude [Page 13]and perfection, that all who apply themselves hereafter thereunto, with honest and sincere af­fections and intentions, and a desire to be thereby serviceable to their generation; and who by cer­tain and never failing rules which shall fully and faithfully be given for that purpose, do find themselves duly qualified and capacitated for this Study, shall by their own experience and endea­vours be speedily able to supply what is wan­ting from mine; and by their honest and inge­nious practice and exercise thereof, and daily demonstration of its excellent use, and of the great good that may be done thereby, declare it as fit and necessary for the Courts and Dominions of Christian Prinoes, as it was and still is re­puted to be (though but very dimly and imper­fectly understood) in these of Heathens and Mahometans. This said Mantical or Progno­stical part of Astronomy (commonly though less properly termed by another name,) being a Science wholly consisting of real wonders, as great as ever the power of God did expose to the sight of Mankind; who may thereby daily behold the Tragedies and Comedies of secular affairs pre-act­ed by the Planets on the Stage of Heaven, in a far more exact and elegant manner than they are usually re-acted in Earthly Theatres; and thence may attain to a competent Assimilation of his Maker's Omniscience, in the Knowledge of what­soever his Mind or Spirit can desire concerning any thing past, present, or to come: And this [Page 14]by Means far more sure and infallible, than the ordinary ones of History, Report and Conjecture.

As a Testimony of my Successes and Improve­ments in this Science, and an Earnest of what I promise and purpose further to perform therein, I here offer to Your Sagacious Worthinesses (whose several distinguishing Titles and Dignities I shall not now insist on) the following Observations and Experiments; not by craving Your Patronage, and by the Prefixure of Your Name, to concile unto them any greater Favour or Esteem abroad in the World, than what their proper Merit shall be able selfly to procure them; a Shift, which, though now very usual with many others, yet am I as far from desiring as I hope these are from needing it: But rather to recommend to your Favour and Esteem this ancient and venerable Science, which as I am sorry to have been hitherto neglected by You, so I am in hope, that by means of the ensuing Illustrations, it will henceforth appear at least as worthy as any thing else whatsoever, to be en­rolled amongst the Subjects of Your generous Dis­quisitions. And therefore, hoping and desiring Your zealous Co-operation herein, so far as the Mattter shall be found meritorions thereof, (which for the future I do not doubt but it will,) I shall here with all due Respectfulness conclude, and al­ways humbly remain an unfeigned Well-wisher to the prosperous Success of all Your ingenious Tra­vails and Endeavours.

R. G.

Ʋranomantia Reformata.

The First ESSAY. Shewing how to rectifie the Genitures of de­ceased Persons, by the two principal and most common Accidents of Humane Life, namely, Marriage, and Natural Death. And thereby preparing a plain and easie Way to discover the true Method of per­forming the same by all others. And con­sequently, affording a never failing Key to unlock the whole Treasury of Genethlia­cal Mysteries: Which has hitherto lain hid from Ages and Generations; but is now here partly, and shall shortly be more fully laid open to the Sight of all Men.

FOrasmuch as that I now undertake and intend to unfold the sublime and sacred Mysteries of the Hea­venly Science, and to declare how and in what manner are represented and portended thereby, the Actions and Events of all Earthly Creatures; whether whole [Page 16]Nations in general, or single Persons in par­ticular. It seems most convenient to begin with that part of the said Science, which concerns the Genitures of Mankind, and shews how by the Positures of Heaven at the Moment of a Person's Birth, or first En­trance into the World, to fore-see the sun­dry Actions, Undertakings, Changes, Dis­positions, and all other Circumstances and Occurrences of his Life, and the Time and Manner of his final End, or Death: As be­ing a Branch of this Divine Skill, which many account, of all others, the most use­ful; and therefore is by most Modern Pro­fessors chiefly pursu'd and cultivated. And in the performance hereof, it will be safest and surest, and consequently fittest, to be­gin with those Actions and Events which are common to all, or the greater part of Mankind; and are also the Extremities of their several Kinds, and therefore most ob­vious to Experimentation, and their signi­fying Particulars most remarkable and dis­cernable. Which said most common Actions and Events I affirm to be, Marriage, and Natural Death: Of which, the former is the Extremity of Love and Courtship; and the latter, of Disease and Sickness; and be­ing both of them incident to very many, their true Signs in the Heavens are much more speedily and easily discoverable, than [Page 17]are the Signs of Chances that happen only to some few; and are therefore the surest means of Genethliacal Rectification.

Moreover, the better to prepare the Way to go through with this weighty Task, I must in the first place require my Reader to be moderately (if not perfectly) versed in, and acquainted with, at least some one Treatise introductive to this Science; of which there are already so many published, even in the Vulgar Tongue of this King­dom, by Mr. Lilly, Mr. Gadbury, Mr. Coley, and many others, that all who have them not already, may very speedily provide themselves. And nextly, I shall lay down some fundamental Maxims, or Propositions, whereon to raise, and firmly superstruct my intended Genethliacal Edifice; some of which are wholly novel to the World; and though others of them have languidly glimpsed to the Apprehensions of some few Authors, yet so very dimly, seldomly, and uncertainly, that they plainly appear to be doubtful and unre­solved whether they were true or no, or any whit more true than some which by others are opposed unto them: Whereas I certainly know, and shall in due time abun­dantly prove them to be beyond all Ex­ception.

1. That the only true, effectual, signifi­cant, and Divinely ordained, as well as [Page 18]most rational Division of the Heavens into those Prognosticative Partitions which Astro­nomers term Houses, is that which divides the visible or apparent Sphere of each parti­cular place or point of the Earth, whether City, Town, House, or other place of Birth or Residence, into twelve equal Shares or Portions, by Lines meeting at the North and South Points of the Horizon, and equal­ly distant in the said apparent Sphere's own Vertical Aequator, or Circle passing from East to West.

2. That those Essential Dignities and De­bilities, and Geocentrical Configurations of the Planets, handed down to us in these af­ter Ages, by Ptolomy, from the ancient Chal­dean and Aegyptian Astronomers, are suffi­cient, of themselves alone, to signifie all things properly significable by such Matters, either in a Nativity, or any other Face of Heaven; and are also the only true and significant Dignities, Debilities and Confi­gurations, by Almighty God ordained so to do: The Keplerian Aspects, Placidian Fa­miliarities, and pretended Planitary Digni­ties and Debilities vended to the World by some late and modern Authors, being only the hasty, groundless, ill digested Fancies of rash and idle Brains, and single vain-glo­rious persons; who, though but little read or skilled in this Science, and as little ac­quainted [Page 19]with the true Methods of making Experience therein, to which, by reason of their many other Studies, they afford but the very least part of their Time and En­deavours, would nevertheless pretend them­selves, and fain be thought able, by their very few and seldom Searches and Trials, to discover the true Grounds and Principles of this Science, better than the whole many­aged Succession of the zealous and indu­strious Ancients, who wholly devoted their Time and Endeavours thereunto.

3. That in all Humane Genitures, whe­ther of Males, or Females, the first Mar­riage is always signified by some Direction of the Mid-Heaven to the Body, or some Ray of the Lord of the Seventh House, agreeable to the Quality and Success of the Marriage, who or whatsoever Planet the said Lord of the Seventh be: For Saturn and Mercury are in this case as effectual and significant as the Moon or Venus; and these latter no more so than the former, but only by their being Lords of the Seventh; and never but when they are so; neither do the Directions of the Ascendent, Sun, or Moon, to any Planet or Aspect whatsoever, ever produce or signifie Wedlock; as shall in due time and place be plainly proved.

4. That Natural Death, by Sickness or Distemper of Body, is in all Nativities, of [Page 20]whatsoever Kind or Sex, denoted and ac­complished by some Direction of the Cusp of the Ascendent, or First House to the Malefical Body or Beam of some Lord of the Sixth House, or else to the Moon's Sou­thern Node, commonly called the Dragon's-Tale. And in this case, the evil Aspects, even of Jupiter and Venus; are full as effica­cious as those of Saturn or Mars; neither of whom have any Power or Significancy of Natural Death, but when they are Lords of the said Sixth House; and then so have the other five Planets also; that is to say, when any of them is Lord of the Sixth. The Di­rections of the Sun or Moon, and much less of the pretended parts of Life or Fortune, being never effectual or significant of Natu­ral Death; and the ordinary vulgar Rules of chusing Givers of Life and Death, being utterly fabulous, and extreamly erroneous.

5. That not all such Directions as those mentioned in the two last preceding Propo­sitions, are always effective of Marriage, or Natural Death; but only when the promi­sing or Menacing Planet is qualified with some certain Positions, and other Circum­stances, which are requisite to render the said Direction effectually Mortal or Conjugal, and free from certain others that may ob­struct or impede its being so; without which aid requisite Qualification and Vacancy, (of [Page 21]which there are several Kinds, that shall in due time and place be declared,) the Na­tive may persist in Life and Singlehood, notwithstanding any such Direction. The Ignorance or Inconsideration of which As­sertion hath caused some late and modern Professors to run headlong into the greatest Absurdities; vainly, weakly and rashly concluding, that because (in their Estimate, or Corrected Figures) the Ascendent over­pass'd the Body or ill Aspect of ♄ or ♂, in some Nativities, especially wherein, accor­ding to their rules, it was not Giver of Life, therefore such a Direction could never kill in any.

6. That though Rectification by either of these said Accidents, if duly and discreetly performed, will yield and produce the true Figure of Birth so sufficiently near as that Judgment may by a skillful Artist be safely given thereof, both as to the Native's gene­ral Fate, and Time of his particular Actions and Occurrences, without any considerable Errour in point of Time, but what may be redressed by other Means; yet is it not to be expected, that from any Figure so recti­fied, the very Year or Month, and much less the Day of any other fore-going or following Accident, will be exactly pointed out by Directions only, so as that the Directional Distance between any two [Page 22]promising or threatning Bodies or Aspects directed to, and the Temporal Distance be­tween the two Accidents signified by them, should (especially in Accidents which hap­pen many Years asunder) be always pun­ctually and precisely equal; which I clear­ly find they never are, though never con­siderably differing; but near enough for any necessary Occasion of the Fore-know­ledge of such Matters: For albeit that the precise Year and Month, and possibly also the Day of an Action or Event may be de­duced and discovered from a Geniture so rectified, yet not by the alone Directions of the Nativity, as some have fansied and sug­gested, who, had their Measure of Time, and Method of Directing been never so true and genuine, (as it is evident they were not) yet the Errour in their Planets places would have thwarted such a Co-incidence, and was manifestly the Cause of that punctual Agreement in some few Directions and Ac­cidents; which they therefore fondly con­cluded to be universal to all, and for which the best Tables yet extant are insufficient.

These are all the fundamental Maxims (besides what are common to the whole Science, and already publick from other Hands) which I think needful whereon to raise my intended Edifice; and which, as I have found them most indubitably true, by [Page 23]a clear and manifold Experience, so shall I by the same declare and evince them to be so to others also, even when and where it may to many seem altogether impossible: And though I could discharge my fore­promised Explication by many experienced Nativities, not only of my own private En­quiry, which by many Circumstances I find, and am assured to have been nearly estima­ted, and by which I have discovered the fore-given Propositions to be most true and certain; but also by many others already published by several, and in which I find the said propositions to hold true also; am­ply discussing and illustrating each indivi­dual Geniture, by instancing all its known and considerable Accidents, and assigning them to their proper Directions, and shew­ing the strange Agreement that is between them, both as to Quality, Time, and all other Circumstances, (save only the fore­mentioned immaterial temporal Discrepan­cy, otherwise easily redressable,) yet shall I confine my self to the number of only three, and those also already published by others, and such as are credibly said and granted to have been observed with great or moderate Care, and shall by me be Astronomically proved to have been so accordingly, at least near enough for an intelligent Practitioner truly to correct and reduce them.

With this said Number and Quality of Nativities I do the rather chuse to begin my Explications; partly that none may suspect or object them to be of my own Timing, or Estimation, a Crime wherewith some (how truly I know not) are now-a-days by others largely and loudly taxed; and partly because that as a Threefold Cord is not easily broken so a Threefold Testimo­ny is not easily disproved, nor reasonably dis­trusted, being held sufficient to ratifie the Matter debated, in all, as well Legal as Scientifical Decisions. Neither shall I insist on the Instance or Assignation of any other Accidents in these first illustrated Genitures, but of Marriage and Natural Death alone, unless they all three, and not only one or two of them, were concern'd therein; because I intend to insist upon nothing but what I give a threefold Proof of; as not at all ap­proving of that unsatisfactory Method now followed and practised by the generality of our Professors, who not only do confident­ly offer to the World for true and exact, when rectified only by one single Accident; and that also assigned to a Direction which has manifestly fai [...]'d of effecting the same in many others, without giving or know­ing a Reason why it should do so: But do also give us practical Rules and Aphorisms for the Judgment of a Nativity, deduced [Page 25]from only one single Geniture, and which therefore seldom or never holds true in any other, to the great Discredit of themselves, and of those who credulously practise or judge by their Doctrines.

THE first Nativity which I shall pro­duce, for the Eviction and Confirma­tion of my said Propositions concerning Marriage and Natural Death, (intending to do the like for all other Principles and practical Rules of this Science, by degrees, and in due Season,) is, that of the late King Charles II. In the Rectification where­of, to reduce it from the estimate Time, to the true, as nearly [...] can be done by acci­dental Correction, I shall make use of the Sun's mean daily Motion, as the Measure of Time for a Year: Not that I think this too fully, either natural or rational; or that it will yield an exact Equality between the Distance of Directions, and their signified Events; which I have already proposed, as a thing not to be expected; but because that, one time with another, it affords as great an Agreement both in all Nativities, and also in the various Accidents of one of the same Nativity, as any other Measure of Time that ever I saw propos'd, or could [Page 26]any way conceive or suspect to be true and rational, or which had any the least likeli­hood or appearance of being so. All and every of which said seemingly rational Mea­sures (save one or two which I have lately thought on, and shall very shortly bring to the Touch-stone) I have throughly tried by several experimented Genitures, but ne­ver found them to answer Expectation any more or nearer than this of mean Motion.

And whereas some may captiously object, that this confessed Unexactness may be oc­casion'd by a mistakeful Assignation of Acci­dents to improper Directions; To this I an­swer, That I can give a positive General Rule, not only for the two grand Accidents aforesaid, but also for several others; and expresly nominate all those Circumstances and Qualifications requisite to render the Promissor effective or ineffective of them; and prove by many indubitable Nativities, that the said Directions fulfill'd or fail'd ac­cordingly: Which is more than ever was yet done by any Author, and than can pos­sibly be done by the Rules and Methods they follow, who make or take so many both Significators and Promissors, for one and the same Accident, (as the Ascendant, Mid-Heaven, Sun, Moon, and sometimes For­tune also, for Significators of Marriage; and Jupiter, Venus, Sol, Luna, and the Lord of the [Page 27]Seventh, for Promissors; and the like for all other Accidents;) and so many sorts of Aspects, old and new, Mundane and Zo­diacal, that they can never miss of a Dire­ction fit enough by their Method, to which to assign any Accident, and by which to rectifie any Nativity, without any great Change from the given Time, how much amiss or mistaken soever; nay, even though both the Birth, and the Time and Quality of the Accidents be merely and utterly feigned, and that no such things really ever were; for having so many several Significa­tors and Promissors as aforesaid, they take that seemingly resemblant Direction to sig­nifie the Accident, which in their Estimate Figure happens pretty near the time of it, as in such a Variety some or other of them cannot fail to do; and do frequently assign Accidents to Directions which they grant passed over without any such Effects in ma­ny other Nativities, even when the Promis­sor had the same or other equivalent Quali­fications in both: And in each Nativity in which they assign any Accident to a Dire­ction, they allow many other Directions to pass over without the like Effects though they assign the fame unto them in several other Nativities. By all which Means, it is very common and easie to find a near Agree­ment of Directions with Accidents, or ra­ther [Page 28]impossible to miss of it, at any Hour of the Day, how far soever from the true Time of Birth; and oftentimes much bet­ter at a wrong Time, than the right one; so that a certain Rectification is by these Methods impossible. Whereas, according to the Method by which I practise, (the Grounds whereof I have discover'd from sundry Genitures of both my own and others Observation and Enquiry; and whose both given Year, Day and Hour, appear, and are proved by several observed and re­lated Circumstances to have been very true, and the Moment nearly also,) it is scarce ever possible to find an Agreement of Di­rections with Accidents, to any reasonable or tolerable nearness, but at the true Time of Birth only; at which time they never fail to agree, and that also with as great an Exactness in Time, as can be shew [...]d by any other Method whatsoever. All which is abundantly sufficient to evince the Truth and Excellency of this.

These things being premised, and the aforesaid Objection clear [...]d, I shall now pro­ceed to a Discussion of the Geniture of the Prince above-named; who is certainly known, and generally granted to have been born on Saturday, May the [...]th, in the Year of Christ (according to Vulgar Account) 1630 [...] near about Noon; some saying a [Page 29]little before, and others a little after: But Noon we may take for an Estimate suffi­ciently exact, in regard my Rule of Recti­fication is sufficient to lead me to the true Time of Birth, were it a whole Hour or two sooner or later; for that about that time of the Day it yields no Agreement of Di­rections with Accidents, but at one certain Point of Time only. Wherefore finding that at the said Estimate Time the Mid-Heaven is possess'd by 17 Degrees and an half of the Sign Gemini, and that this Native was Royally married at almost 32 Years old, and conti­nued till Death a Husband to the same Par­ty, without either Divorce, or open Dis­like or Repentance, I consider whether about that time of Day, and by the aforesaid Mea­sure of Time, the Mid-Heaven do meet with any good Direction to the Body or Beam of the Lord of the Seventh, or of a­ny Planet, who upon Rectification by such a Direction, will be found to be Lord of the Seventh, at a distance agreeable to such an Age: And accordingly, I find a Trine of Jupiter, who is not only Lord of the Seventh in the Estimate Figure, but also upon Recti­fication by the said Measure of Time, and Age of Marriage, is found to be so too; and gives the annexed Face of Heaven for the true Positure at Birth, with so small a Distance from the given or estimate Time, [Page 30]as is very consistent and reconcilable with the common and daily discernible un­exactness of Clocks, Watches, and Ocular Observations.

[astrological figure]

Thus have I rectified this Royal Geniture by one of the said grand Accidents: And though many others do give us many Nati­vities for true and certain, upon only one single Correction, yet I hold it not sufficient nor satisfactory to do so. And therefore let us examine whether, according to the fore-given Rule, there happen in this Figure, corrected as before, any dangerous Direction of the Ascendent to the Lord of the Sixth, at or near about the time of this Prince's Death: Upon which Examination I find, [Page 31]that the Ascendant comes to the Body of Saturn, Lord of the Sixth, nearly about that time, without any Discrepancy between the Distances of the Directions, and of the Ac­cidents, but what is, and has always been allowed of, as usual, by all the most skilful and experienc'd Artists in all Ages. And these two Directions do mutually confirm each other, not only by agreeing so nearly in Time, with their ascribed Effects; but also by their being Lords of those Houses, which, according to the traditionally deli­vered, frequently experienced, and general­ly received Doctrines of this Science, do signifie the Means of the said Accidents: And having also such Qualifications and Positions in this present Geniture, as are sufficient to render them effectual to those Purposes.

THE Second Experienced Geniture, by which I chuse to demonstrate the Ve­rity of the two said Propositions concern­ing Marriage and Natural Death, is that of Lewis XIII. King of France; who, by the Records of that Kingdom, is said to have been born Septemb. [...]. N. S. 1601. about half an Hour past Ten at Night; Royally Married in November, 1615. but Betrothed [Page 32]in August, 1612. and died in April, 1643. Which said given Time, how nearly it a­grees with the Time corrected by the said

[astrological figure]

Accidents, and (which is chiefly to be re­garded) the Time of the Acccidents, with the Directions to which they are, according to the Rule, assigned, any who considers, may easily perceive. The personal Circum­stances of the Promissors (besides their be­ing Lords of their proper Houses) being al­so very fit to signifie such Events, as shall in due Time and Place be declared.

But whereas some Currish-minded Pre­tenders, whose Annual immodest Railleries seem to insinuate, that they use this Science only as a Tool of Obloquy and Conten­tion, [Page 33]may captiously object, That I assign this Prince's Betrothal, rather than his Mar­riage, to the proper Direction, only for a Shift, because it better agrees with that for his Death. I answer, That instead of jar­ring at my so doing, they rather ought, as undoubtly every true Lover of Heavenly Knowledge will, be thankful for giving so fair an Occasion of making so useful an En­quiry, whether Sponsation, or Consumma­tion; especially when considerably distant, or that the former happens, and never the latter, be the Time of the Direction's Inci­dence: To the Decision of which Matter, though I could give some further Light, yet this here offer'd shall suffice for the pre­sent.

THE Third and last Nativity which at present I shall produce for Proof of my said Method of Rectification, is that of Capt. William Bellew, (improperly, though commonly, called Bedloe,) one of the Dis­coverers of the Romish Plot in the Year 1678. the published History of whose Life and Death affirms him to have been born at Chepstow, on the 20th of May, 1650. near about Noon; and that he died in August, 1680. having been handsomly married but [Page 34]some small time before, between that and his said Discovery. All which Accounts do so nearly agree with the Geniture corrected

[astrological figure]

by the Rule aforesaid, that Obstinacy it self, unless with the highest Ignorance or Impu­dence, cannot but freely acknowledge it; his Marriage happening upon the Mid-Hea­ven's Direction to the Trine of Jupiter, Lord of the Seventh; and his Death at the Ascendant to the Quartile of Saturn, Lord of the Sixth.

I Might here proceed to a further Demon­stration of the Genuine Truth and Cer­tainty of these Rectifications, by particular­ly shewing the wonderfully exact Agree­ment, which, according to sound and ne­ver-failing Rules, which generally hold true in all Nativities, appears, and is to be found between the Positions, Configurations, and the other unmentioned Directions of each of the said three Genitures, and the known Fates, Dispositions, Events and Circumstan­ces of the respective Natives. And the like I could also do by the Figures of their seve­ral Revolutions, for the Affairs and Occur­rences of each particular Year, wherein any thing remarkable happen'd, or was done: As also by producing and discussing the Ge­nitures of many other deceased Persons, and shewing the great and near Agreement of their Death and other Occurrences, accor­ding to a single and determinate Rule for each, with the Quality and Time of the Di­rections which by the said Rule do signifie them. But partly to omit a Superfluity of Testimonies, as unnecessary; and partly because the Time or Manner of Death of some of them is controverted, or void of Authentick Testimony; and partly because divers of them never married, or that I have received no Account of the Time when; [Page 36]and chiefly for that I intend not to instance any Particulars, but what I give a threefold Proof of; which the fore-going three Ge­nitures will not afford for any other Mat­ters; I shall leave them to be the Subject of succeeding intended Essays.

I could likewise give a further Confirma­tion to the said Truths, by examining the Genitures of sundry Persons who have mar­ryed, and have had a Direction for their so doing, according to the fore-going Rule: But as they are still living, or died some way un­naturally, (the radical and directional Signs whereof do greatly differ from those of the other, as well as from those many blind Rules already given by many for judging it,) so has there happen'd no Direction yet, or not before their said violent Deaths; which, according to my Rule, could denote a natural Expiration. But to avoid Prolixi­ty and Superfluity, I shall do this only by the Nativity of the present French King; and that not so much in order to the said Con­firmation, as to clear a great Mistake, or Uncertainty, which the Generality of the Professors and Students of these three King­doms are under, concerning the true Genesis of this crafty Monarch.

LEwis XIV. was certainly and attestedly born at or near Paris, in the Year 1638. [Page 37]on September the 5th, New Stile, at some time in the Morning, or Forenoon; the particular Hour of which Birth is greatly disagreed upon: Some saying it was about Four-a-Clock; and some, about Eleven: So that there must be a wide Mistake on the one side, or the other. But this Controver­sie will soon be decided by my said General Rules for Marriage and Natural Death; which yield or afford no rectified Time of Birth, whose Positions and Directions are agreeable, or consistent with the Incidence of the one, and hitherto Non-incidence of the other, and with the rest of his other

[astrological figure]

known Fates and Circumstances, but that which is expressed in the annexed Figure; [Page 38]which declares the former of the two Esti­mate Times aforesaid to be nearest the Truth, and the latter the most erroneous; as by many other good Reasons and Arguments I could strongly prove it to be.

This raking and designing Prince was Roy­ally Wedded when aged about 20 Years and 6 Months, at the Access of his Vertical Cusp to the Trine of Jupiter, Lord of his Seventh House; whose Qualifications here are such as may render him fully effective of that Ac­cident. And as this great Native is yet alive, so has there yet happen'd no Dire­ction in this Celestial Transcript, which, ac­cording to my Rules for Death of all sorts, could be in any manner mortal; neither is there any such likely to happen, till the Ascendant comes to the Quartile of Saturn, who is not only Lord of the Sixth, but other­wise killingly qualified also. And this said dangerous Direction takes place about the Sixty second Year of his Age; about which time (the precise Year whereof may be dis­cover'd by other Means, but not by Dire­ction alone) he will certainly and natural­ly expire, in spight of all the Means that can possibly be us'd to save him. Whose Death, though eagerly thirsted by many who pub­lickly profess this Science; and who, by what they have already done concerning it, do declare they would readily and publick­ly [Page 39]predict it if they could, yet do plainly appear unable (and therefore afraid) to do it; thereby visibly bewraying their own Ig­norance and Insufficiency for all such Un­dertakings, and Performances.

Thus have I compleated all that for the present I intended, concerning the two Di­rectional Propositions aforesaid; fully pur­posing, by God's Permission and Assistance, to do as much for the Confirmation of the other Propositions also, and for the Detection and Illustration of all other Principles and Practical Rules of this Science. And though, in handling the fore-going Genitures, I have neither consider'd some Circumstances of some of the given Accidents, nor used some other and further Means of Correction; which would yield a somewhat nearer A­greement than will result from what is al­ready done; yet these single (and only pre­parative) Rectifications, and the manifested near and regular Agreement of Directions with Accidents, are enough to render the Propositions strongly probable: Which is all that I either designed, or desired.

DAVID'S Astrological Hymn.

Psalm viij. 1.

GReat Sov'reign Lord of all created Things,
Whose is the Breath and Life of ev'ry Creature:
How most illustrious, O thou King of Kings,
Is thy great Name through all the Frame of Na­ture!
Who hast for ever firmly fix'd on high
The Boundless Glory of thy Majesty.
When with attentive Thoughts, and stedfast Eyes,
The Heav'ns, thy Works, I ponder and behold,
The Moon and Stars, and all that in the Skies
Thou didst create, and hourly dost uphold;
Oh, What is Man, I wondring cry! that he,
So frail! so vile! regarded is by thee.

Psalm xix. 1.

THE spangled Heav'ns admired Face and Frame
Do thy Almighty Power and Praise declare:
So doth the spreading Firmament proclaim
Thy Handy-work, thy Wisdom, and thy Care
Each several Day doth plainly Speech express:
And every Night doth Man with Knowledge bless.
There is no Speech that enters Humane Ear,
Nor Language spoke within the World's wide Coast,
But where they do the Voice distinctly hear
Of Heav'n's resplendent All-surrounding Host;
Whose guiding Line doth to all Nations reach:
Their Words all Corners of the World do teach.
FINIS.

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