fifth and about the year 1175. this Faith was at the highest for then the Othoman Family were much increased and setled their Religion by a Law which I confess was before this time done or else this had been but a birth of this Religion and because God hath said in the Holy Scriptures that all Nations shall be converted to the Christian Faith before the Day of Judgment therefore we will consider about what time this Faith may have a Dissolution which according to the Rules of Astrology and secondary Causes if we add 584. the greater years of Mars and the Moon to 1175. it will make 1759. so that about the year Anno Christi 1759. we may expect the Dissolution of the Turks Faith for I would have Mr. Holwel as well as my Reader know that as any Religion hath a rising and increasing before it comes to its full height so it will have the like time of Diminishing before it can have its full Dissolution CHAP. IV. Treating of the Nativity of the present Emperor of Germany IN this Chapter I will first shew you how that Mr. Holwel in his Appendix tells us that this present Emperor of Germany was born on the thirtieth Day of May in the year 1640. at nine hours three minutes post Meridiem or after Noon in the Latitude of 48 Degrees and that he had seven Degrees and forty five Minutes of Scorpio on the Mid-heaven and Jupiter in four Degrees and fifty four Minutes of Capricorn as may be seen in his Scheme which he affirms to be the true one because saith he it was rectified by the Mid-heaven to the Square of Saturn and Jupiter and the Square of the Moon at which time saith he the Emperor and Empire had much Suffering for the Turks did invade him but behold his grand Mistake for I will appeal to all Artists how the Mid-heaven can come to the Square of Jupiter as he is posited in less than 150 years whereas it was directed to the Square of Saturn and the Moon about the twenty fourth year of his Age and therefore in the year 1664. but any thing will serve with such Artists to fill a Book good enough for ignorant People to read and admire for it is nothing with too many now a days of our Godly Traitors Sanctified Hypocrites Religious Atheists and Protestant Turks as Mr. Pelling titles the Fanaticks in the twelfth page of his Sermon preached on the ninth of September 1683. being a day of Thanks-giving for deliverance from the Fanatick Conspiracy to blast the Honour of Christian Kings and Potentates especially those of other Nations when they can scarce forbear our own but I will forbear to speak any more of this Mistake and proceed to a greater This Nativity published by Mr. Holwel is taken out of Mr. Gadburies Book of Comets only the time a little altered and it is the true Day but not the true Hour as hath been proved by Mr. Gadbury since he wrote that Book for any one that hath had any Discourse with any man that hath seen him or hath but seen his Effigie may very easily conjecture that this noble Emperor hath not Capricorn ascending on his Horoscope but rather Gemini and therefore I will insert a Scheme of the true time of this Emperors Birth which is as followeth and given me also by Mr. Gadbury himself Leopoldus the present Emperor of Germany was born May the 30 th 4 h. Ante Mer. Lat. 48. ☽ ☌ ♂ add ☌ ♄ This present Emperor of Germany was born the thirtieth day of May in the year of our Lord 1640. at four a Clock in the Morning and christened Leopoldus Ignatius Franciscus Balthazer Joseph Falicimus in the City of Vienna At the birth of this Magnanimous Prince Gemini was on the Horoscope and the Sun in the Ascendent and Mercury Lord of the Ascendent in his own House and in the Sign of the Ascendent which are testimonies of the greatest Honour Dignity and Soveraignty and though Saturn Mars and the Moon be in the Mid-heaven yet will they not destroy the Natives Honour and Grandeur because they are not afflicted for Saturn is Lord of the tenth House and Mars and the Moon are in trine to the Sun in the Ascendent from the Mid-heaven which are rather testimonies of Honour than Disgrace and here we have Mercury Lord of the Ascendent stronger than Jupiter Lord of the Seventh the House of publick Enemies which is an eminent token that his publick Enemies shall not prevail against him yet his Position in the twelfth House may shew the Native to have many Enemies the rather being in square to Saturn but Mercury is strongest in the Figure therefore as aforesaid his Enemies can never prevail against him for the Lord of the Seventh is weak and in his fall neither can I suppose the Native to die in Battle as Mr. Holwel awards because the Lord of the Eighth doth not afflict either the Ascendent or the Moon nor is there any signification of a violent Death he hath about this time the Mid-heaven directed to the Sextile of Venus Lady of the sixth House a glorious Direction shewing that his Servants and Subjects will be faithful to him so that he need not neither will he fear either Turk or Tartar nor yet the power of Mahomet the Treachery of Count Teckely or Mr. Holwels idle Predictions nor yet any other of Mahomets lying Prophets whatsoever they shall write or predict against Christendom but let such Predictors know that God hath a Divine Providence over Christendom and will not suffer the name of Christ to be destroyed but this Emperor hath had many ill Directions in his Life past and he hath also had many Controversies and Troubles answerable to them but the main cause of this his present trouble is that he hath Lately had the Sun and Ascendent both directed to the 60 Anticians of Jupiter the Significator of the Christian Religion and I think he hath not been free from trouble since he had the Mid-heaven directed to the Square of the Sun and the Moon to the Square of Jupiter which was about ten years since and it is much to be feared he will not be free from trouble until he hath passed the Mid-heaven to the Square of Jupiter which will be about the year 1688. yet before that time he hath good Directions for about the year 1685. he hath the Moon to the Sextile of the Sun and the Sun to the Sextile of Venus Directions good enough in a mean Nativity to raise a Beggar to good Preferment much more in a Regal Nativity to give a King or Emperor Victory over his Enemies to a great degree of Worship and Adoration from all kinds of People The Moon directed to the Sextile of the Sun is held by all Astrologers to produce unto the Native honourable Acquaintance and Familiarity with some of great Rank and Quality whose Friendship he will make use of to his great advantage more
of these Configurations than Mr. Holwel sheweth in either his Catastrophe Mundi or his Appendix which he hath written to make ignorant People believe that the World should be turned immediately upside down by means of the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Leo 1682. and of the Comet that appeared in 1680. But let Mr. Holwel as well as my Reader know that there have been such Conjunctions and Comets before these which have had Effects bad enough but far different from what Mr. Holwel writes of these and therefore unlike to be true but I will shew you what hath hapned upon such Configurations already past and my Judgement on those lately hapned for the time to come The Scheam of the Nativity of the French King is the same that Morinus his own Physician published in his Astrologia Gallica and since printed in Mr. Gadbury's Defence of Scorpio that of the Grand Seignior is taken out of Mr. Gadbury's Book de Cometis but the Scheams of the Nativity of Mahomet Author of the Turks Faith and that of the German Emperour I had of my very good Friend Mr. John Gadbury's own Hand which he affirms to be the true ones for which I return him my hearty thanks And thus courteous Reader I have shewed thee according to the perfect Rules of Astrology the Fate that Europe will be like to undergo for near this twenty years yet to come both by the Nativities of some of her most Noble Princes the amazing Comet in 1680 and the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Leo 1682 which I do not question but Time will manifest to be true And in the mean time I crave nothing but thy kind acceptance judicial perusing careful observation of the Effects for the future and thy judgement of it according to its merits and this will encourage me to present thee with something of greater Consequence till then farewel John Merrifield From my House at the Hand and Pen at the lower end of Horsly-down near the Dock-head in Southwark London ♀ Feb. 22. 1683 4. ERRATA PAge 4. line 13. for Ascendent read second p. 6. l. 25. for thing r. think p. 9. l. 33. r. Religion excepting that of christ against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail p. 12. for 60. r. Co-Anticians p. 16. l. 1. dele by p. 20. l. 32. r. St. Stephen p. 25. l. 1. for heart r. hearts p. 26. l. 3. dele Christ p. 27. l. for too r. to p. 11. l. 11. for Joseph r. Josephus for Falicimus r. Ferdinandus CATASTASIS MVNDI OR The true STATE VIGOR and growing Greatness of Christendom under the Influences of the last triple Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Leo the late Comet c. CHAP. I. Treating of the Rise of the Ottoman Family which is accounted to be the Foundation of the Turks Empire IF we take the Original or Beginning of the Turks Empire to be from the Ottoman Family as I suppose we justly may although they had many Risings and Fallings after they left their Native Countrey Anno Dom. 844. and were then called Scythians for Ottoman taking upon him the Government of the Turks he first founded this great Empire in the year of Christ 1289. at which time Saturn was in Pisces and Authors tell us that Turky or the greatest part of it lies under Capricorn and therefore governed by Saturn And according to the Rules of Astrology Saturns greatest years are 465. which added to 1289. will make 1754. therefore this Monarchy seemeth to stand firm and stable no longer then unto the year of Christ 1754. but as it hath hitherto had at some times Risings and at other times Diminishings so it will be like to continue and had not Saturn at his Conjunction with Jupiter been in Aquarius his own House and a fixed Sign a little before the beginning of this Empire it had not continued so long But to take the time of this Conjunction and to work by directions from the New Moon preceding to find the Time of the good or evil Events of this Empire I think it frivolous and vain and an Abuse to Astrology as Mr. Holwel hath done for would not any rational man think it great Folly or Madness in an Artist to calculate a Childs Nativity and take the time thereof four months before it was born or first drew breath in the World but Mr. Holwel hath taken the Nativity of the Turks Empire four years before it began as he himself hath written but neither the Day nor Hour being as I suppose known nor attainable when this Empire was first established by a Law therefore to know when this Empire shall be most Honourable and Successful or most miserable and unsuccessful consider carefully the Nativities of the Emperors and chief Commanders thereof and an able Artist may give a good Astrological Judgment of the Success of that Empire during his Reign for as a King or Emperor is the Head and his People the Members so the Head cannot suffer Affliction but the Members must partake with it and what Increasing Decreasing Ebbing and Flowing have happened in this Empire in times past History relates at large and therefore I shall not here mention it lest my Book swell beyond my Expectation for I intend not to write a large-Folio but a few Sheets to shew the World that there is a more certain way of judging the State of a Nation than Mr. Holwel hath used in his Catastrophe Mundi or in his Appendix thereto The future state of an Empire or Kingdom may also be judged from the Conjunctions of the superior Planets Comets Eclipses and Solar Ingresses all which I shall give a hint at which I hope I may do without offence And first I will here insert the true Nativity of the Grand Seignior the present Emperor of the Turks and it is the same which Mr. Gadbury hath in his Book de Cometis which I alter only three Degrees on the Medium Coeli and dare affirm it to be the truest that is attainable as I shall prove by several Accidents The Nativity that Mr. Holwel hath taken cannot be the true time because the Accidents which have already happened will not admit of Sagittary to ascend in the Nativity of that Illustrious Prince CHAP. II. Treating on the Nativity of Sultan Mahomet the Turks Grand Seignior Sultan Mahomet Ham was born January the 1st 7h 26′ A. M. Lat. 43 deg ☾ ☌ ☉ add V. Cour. SUltan Mahomet Ham the present Emperor of the Turks was born at Constantinople on the first day of January 1641 2 26 minutes past 7 in the Morning That this is a most Illustrious Nativity here are many eminent Testimonies as may be seen by the Position of Jupiter the Sun Moon and part of Fortune in the Ascendent and other Testimonies which I will here omit and proceed to the general fate of the Native this Scheme was taken out of the Book de Cometis written by my very good Friend Mr. John Gadbury
passeth through one years effects which I suppose we justly may we shall not have much less than eight years expired before its effects be fully over and I think this will prove the exactest measure of time in the effects of this Comet and thus much of Comets in general and of the Comet in 1680. in particular with their significations But what Mr. Holwel hath written of Comets is nonsensical and the most part of it much varying from the Rules of Astrology especially what he mentioneth of this Comet in his Judgment of the year 1683 which was one great cause of my writing to shew the World the true signification of Comets according to what Authors more experienced than Mr. Holwel and daily experience have shewed CHAP. VIII Treating of and Confuting most of Mr. Holwels Judgments on the State of the years from 1683. unto the year 1700. mentioned in his Catastrophe Mundi MR. Holwel in his Catastrophe Mundi speaking of the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter saith according to natural causes Persons signified by the Sun should be afflicted in Person with Horror and Amazement and shall be in danger of their Lives Honour and Estate and be forced to fly for Safeguard for by bad advice they shall attempt to do that which they shall never attain to by which means they shall bring themselves and Fame to destruction for ever and therefore he adviseth Persons to beware that have ten or eleven Degrees of Leo ascending And in his judgment of the year 1683. he saith that a very great Person of Europe that hath Leo ascending will be afflicted and flung into a great many Troubles with the death of some of his Children Loss of Honour and esteem in the World Sure Mr. Holwel hath forgotten that he himself hath Leo ascending that he judgeth so hard of persons born under it but I could wish that he had named what great Persons of Europe he meaneth that we might have observed the Event but I shall here as I have already shew them that great Persons born under Leo shall not by the effect of this Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Leo receive Detriment or Loss either of Honour or Estate but on the contrary they shall gain both Riches and Honour by the effects of this Conjunction though Mr. Holwel gained the displeasure of the Honourable E. A. Esquire to whom he confidently dedicated his Book although he never knew him which nonsensical Stuff be disliking made the Epistle Dedicatory to be taken out again this was done when Saturn transited Leo Mr. Holwels Ascendant as also Saturn did when the said Book was written Neither do I judge of the death of any Prince in Europe that hath about thirteen degrees of Virgo ascending though it be said in Catastrophe Mundi if there be a Prince in Europe that hath about thirteen degrees of Virgo ascending he should in the year 1684. return to the ground from whence he was taken for I find no such matter by the Rules of Astrology as may signifie the death of any such Prince but I pray for all Christian Princes and particularly for such as have Virgo or Leo ascending on their Horoscope And whereas Mr. Holwel saith in his judgment of the year 1698. that Saturn in opposition to the place of the Conjunction 1682. and Jupiter in square thereto threatens Italy with no less than Confusion and utter Subversion of the triple Crown and although it may not be fully compleated in this year yet saith he this year sets a great say to it and in the following year its full destruction And that then the power of France shall be brought low and many thousands of his Subjects destroyed through the pride of an insulting King and envy of the Roman Clergy But if this Opposition and Square be the cause of all this why had not Rome been destroyed in the year 1639. when Saturn was in opposition to the place of the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Leo which was in the year 1623. I have searched into History and found that there was War at that time between the Swedes and the Germans and between the French and the Italians but not any thing to the Destruction of any Nation or People yet many eminent Persons died about that time some in War and some in Peace and many strange Accidents hapned and I suppose near the like may happen now but little or nothing of what Mr. Holwel writes in all his judgment on his several years will prove true there being no grounds in Astrology for them but what his own fantastical Pate hath imagined to raise himself a Fame in the World by predicting Lyes and to deceive the World by Delusions for I will appeal to all Artists what Rules there are in Astrology whereby to predict as Mr Holwel hath that in the Eastern part of the World a whole Army should be destroyed with fire from Heaven with their Wealth and Treasure or that there should be War and Plagues over the face of the whole Earth and that there should be so many men destroyed that there should not be men enough left to get in Harvest as he predicteth in his judgment of the year 1699. therefore I aver all that he speaks of that year and the next to be absolutely false nonsensical and erroneous in the next year with which he concludeth his Book he saith that Rome is now destroyed and Peters Seat thrown down and the Conversion of the Turks and Jews soon follows and Religion but what Religion he knows not truly preached universally over all the World sure this must not be Astrology but Prophecy and if Prophecy then Mahometal and if Mahometal then lying like Baal's Prophets and so deserving the reward that they received from Elijah ADVERTISEMENT THe Author hereof calculateth Nativities exactly by knowing the Hour of any ones Birth shewing thereby the general Fate of the Native and the greatest Accidents that will happen to any one through the whole course of his Life and the time when they will happen whereby one may withstand much evil and augment the good He also teacheth the whole Art of Astrology and by Astrology resolveth all Lawful Questions This for Mr. John Gadbury at his House in Brick-Court in Westminster SIR HAve you seen Saunder's Apollo Anglicanus for the year 1683 Written as I suppose by Mr. Henry Coley which if you have I question not but that you have seen therein how he unworthily derides both you and me about your Calculation of your ten and twenty-years Ephemerides which I dare presume himself is no way able to compose the like or any that shall have so much truth in it as those have as for the Ephemerides of ten years which you calculated your self he saith it was handsomly Transcribed from Hecker which that I suppose to be a very great Mistake in Mr. Coley and therefore unworthily taxed by him in an Almanack for I have heard you say when you