AS the Stars of Heaven, are the most excellent Characters of the Divinity, Power, Wisdom, and glory of their Creator, in that they are written and ingraven by the finger of God himselfe (the father of lights) so the least of Gods workes are very considerable, and worthy of our chiefest regard, David infinitly admired at them, and de­clares the doome of those that dispise them or dis-regard them, Psal. 28.5. Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the opperation of his hands, the Lord will destroy them and not build them up, Did not God make the Sunne, the Moon, and the Stars? did not he set them to rule the day and the night? did he not appoint them for signes, and seasons? and can that be a signe which signifies nothing? [Page 2]St Origen tells us, Coelum instar libelli expansi est notis Syde­rum omnia futura in se Scripta continentis, the heaven (saith he) is like to a book laid open containing all future events written in those glorious Characters of the Stars: But to the businesse.

Solar Eclipses have been ever fatall to Kings, Princes, and States and their Dominions, and to all manner of Au­thorities and men in power, setting one King, one Prince, one State, one Great or Nobleman at variance with ano­ther: this Eclipse that wee are to expect on Monday March 29. 1652. falls out in the fiery triplicity in Aries, the ascendent of England, in the very degree of his exal­tation: Our present Gubernators (who have transmografide Monarchy into a Free State) must not esteem themselves exempted (more then other States) from the effects there­of, that remarkable Eclipse of the When the Son of righte [...]us­nes suffer­ed on the crosse. Sunne (when there was darknesse over the face of the whole earth (may fitly be paralelled with this; many gods (for so the holy Ghost is pleased to stile Rulers) shal suffer infamous deaths: Soone after this Eclipse we shall generally finde men mad to un­doe themselves; the Prince of Planets, the eye of the world, and the glory of the heavens is Eclipsed, just upon his throne, the fight whereof will terrifie all mortall eies, for we shal see the Stars shine as in a winters night, and (in all probability) strange and wonderfull signes (such as our fore-fathers never beheld) in the Aire, to the astonish­ment of all mankind.

All the evills the sword, sedition, famine or pestilence can doe to Europe, may be expected from the effects of this Eclipse; it is the greatest that we have had in England this many centuries of years.

There are many (I beleive) that would willingly give halfe their lives, to know the future Fate of the Scots King (at present, as it were an exile from his native clime) I am sure no man more compassionates the infortunities of that Star-crossed Gentleman, then my self, let his condition be a lively example to those, whether Soldier or Magistrate, who rule over their Fellow-Commoners, & let them know that their greatnesse being built only upon the uncertaine breath of that suspicious, humorsome, and skittish beast, the Peo­ple; is very uncertaine, and subject to various vicissitudes. But it were extream arrogance in me (at least I should be sure of such a censure) positively to predict his future con­dition, and therefore I shall only give you an old prophecy (fathered upon Baudensis and attributed by him to the pre­sent King of Scots) which is this,

The famous Ambrose Merlin (as is observed by our English Merlin (as he calls himself) Mr. Lilly) Nine hundred years since (though of many wise men approved no better then the story of the Knight of the Sun, or him of the Red Rose) prophesied of the Second Charles, thus, Nidificabit in summe rupe totius Britani: He shall build his nest in the chei­fest [Page 4]Rockes of all Brittaine; Importing, that he shall be­take himselfe to some mountainous Island, or Country belonging to his lost Dominions. But I shall passe from him, to him, viz. into France, and a while converse with the Prince of Conde.

Were I intended to dilate my selfe in relating the wo­full calamity, which shall within this halfe score yeares seize upon the French Nation, I might write a large Volume thereof, and tell them that present Prince of Conde (whom some report as religious as a Turk) shall (vexed for the losse of his Generalship, and not being countenanced by the King equally with his ambition) attempt to ore-turn and alter the whole frame of Government, the unruly Nobility adhering to him, shall by their civill dissention occasion the ruine of that famous French Monarchy, it was prophesied long agoe that the time of this mutation should be, when a certaine Capistra­num D. of Florence is of late turned Protestant Duke of Florence turned Pro­testant, pray peruse this Prophesie (by some thought to be Grebners) the words are very ominous and these.

‘REx Franciae depelletur á suis finibus á propriis subditis, exercebit enim in eo tyranidem in gentem & contra Eccle­siam Christi, instigatus ab Episcopis & pontificibus &c.—Verum cum fuerit amotus & falsus solus, relinquetur in exilio, ab his in quibus erat confisus in fine autem secundi incursus hoc fiet sic pendet clipeus in stipite.’

In English thus.
‘THe King of France shall be driven from his owne Coasts and Confines by his own Subjects, for he will exercise very great Tyranny against his Subjects and the Church of Christ, being instigated and stirred up thereto by the bishops and Romanists, who shall seduce him, and betray him traiterously with bribery of mony, but those misdemeanours hee doth, shall seeme to bee done in fa­vour [Page 5]of his Kins-men or Allies, but when he shall be re­moved, and (false man) shall alone be banished, or all a­lone in exile, apart from those he confided in, these things shall come to passe &c.’

I shall give you one Prophesie more, (more dreadfull and more positive then the former, never yet extant) which is this.