Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	effect_n	natural_a	1,661	5	6.1187	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02779	A discoursiue probleme concerning prophesies how far they are to be valued, or credited, according to the surest rules, and directions in diuinitie, philosophie, astrologie, and other learning: deuised especially in abatement of the terrible threatenings, and menaces, peremptorily denounced against the kingdoms, and states of the world, this present famous yeere, 1588, supposed the greatwonderfull, and fatall yeere of our age. By I.H. physition.	Harvey, John, 1564-1592.	1588 (1588)	STC 12908; ESTC S103904	90,621	134

infallibly expresse the right Naturall and Morall causes of Naturall and Morall effects and being thoroughly acquainted with the whole state and qualitie of superior and inferior bodies of Heauen and Earth and finally of Nature hir selfe as well in euery particular facultie as in hir vniuersall power could absolutely declare the whole Concordance or Discordance of the one with the other and as it were make a perfect Analysis or rather a perfect Anatomy of Nature in hir true and intire likenes Which Tully in part séemeth to haue conceiued in making so very speciall great account to vnderstand Certum ordinem seriemque causarum tanquam ex omni aeternitate fluentem veritatem sempiternam But neither Tully nor any other Latin or Gréeke philosopher either more sufficiently with breuitie or more bréefly with sufficiencie declareth my meaning than the Poet in that famous verse Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas Without which felicitie neither Persian Magician nor Indian Gymnosophist nor Aegyptian priest nor Assyrian or Babylonian Chaldeest nor French Druyde or Bardist nor Sicilian Galeot nor Athenian Mantist nor Lacedaemonian Augurer nor Memphiticall Oracler nor Cabalisticall prophet nor Hetrurian Aruspex nor finally any Greeke philosopher or Latin wizard or other learned man whatsoeuer albeit he should otherwise be reputed equall vnto Budda or Hyarchus or Zoroaster or euen Hermes Trismegistus himselfe as well in their diuinatorie faculties as in their other profound Magique shall euer passe with me for a prophet Signes and tokens are commonly but accidentall and fallible arguments our verie soundest and substantiallest and most essentiall proofes or reasons are the very Internall and Externall causes themselues wherin I would to God either our knowledge were greater or our presumption lesse especially for this high matter of propheticall diuination Something we may assuredly foresée and something probably coniecture as appéereth throughout this Conclusion but in comparison either of diuine prophesies or of our owne humane ignorances and defects otherwise alas Hoc aliquid nihilest Schoolemen may phantastically dreame or philosophically discourse of new Adams Salomons and diuers putatiue wisemen euen in that omniscious and omnisufficient veine but I wis such blacke Swans are very rare birds and true prophets in the rightest purest and diuinest kinde euen full as rare or percase rarer than they as may haply be discussed more fully and exactly at more conuenient leisure Now I am instantly required and importuned to hasten immediately vnto that most notorious supposed prophesie so terribly denounced against this present famous yéere 1588. euen now the onely prophesie of the world and great specialtie of specialties in this Prognosticall veine THE SECOND PART OR SECTION specially examining and discussing the speciall Prophesie of this famous yeere 1588. HAuing hitherto summarily and generally to speak of but in very truth hastily and perfunctorily declared and reprooued the Authors the Materiall contents the Formall stiles and the Finall ends that is the fower Causes of our later supposed prophesies togither with all such pretended traditions or forged rumors by which discourse euery sensible and reasonable man may easily perceiue what slender account we are to make of so slender reckonings as well in the particulars as in the total summe I am now at the earnest and vrgent request of certaine worshipfull Gentlemen and diuers other my familiar friends more specially and seuerally to labour and examine one more speciall notorious prophesie touching this long expected woonderfull yéere 1588. A prophesie not so seldome as once or twise termed of the said Gentlemen the onely particularitie of particularities and specialtie of specialties in this later propheticall kinde I shall not néede to expresse mine owne seuerall considerations moouing me likewise to the dutifull vndertaking of the same argument howbeit I cannot denie but this whole Treatise was originally occasioned by that onely famous prophesie as also therat it finally aimeth God knoweth with what good successe I assure you with good intent as wel in publique as priuate respects Therefore presuming so much the more of courteous fauour I hope no indifferent Reader or reasonable man being not disguised with a contradictorie and ouerthwarting spirit nor disposed to altercate or cauill without cause will greatly doubt of the truth or at least the probabilitie of the former allegations considering there neither haue nor may any better than fantasticall vaine or troublesome conclusions be inferred or inforced from the premisses of such fantasticall vaine and troublesome oracles or prophesies and consequently of all other extraordinarie and irregular visions fantasies traunces dreames Anabaptisticall reuelations Seraphicall illuminations Metaphysicall extasies Enthusiasticall furies rauishments and excesses of spirit fascinations inuocations incantations adiurations exorcisines suspensions alligations characters seales rings pertacles images balmes consecrations periapts amulets sacrifices suffumigations purifications lotteries orizons collects ceremonies and such like superstitious and diabolicall implements togither with their semblable Aequiuocations Amphibologies Allegories Anagogies Hyperboles Mysteries Mystagogies Metamorphoses and other whatsoeuer spritish Sophistrie or hellish Rhetorique But touching the substance and circumstance of the peremptorie dismall prophesie of 88. as in phrase and stile it séemeth more directly simple plaine and sensible than the rest and in fame surpasseth them all being commonly handled and canuassed euen amongst the best in most places of Europe so it is vniuersally more feared or at least suspected and doubted than any of them or than all they togither as being more credibly or probably grounded vpon some surer foundation of lawfull Art or profound science or autentique experience or I wot not what other ancient approbation not to be déemed any idle fansie vaine speculation or forged inuention as some euen of the learnedest sort haue not only imaginatiuely presupposed but also resolutely beléeued insomuch that therupon they haue nothing doubted to publish their censures and like letters patents or commendatorie Testimonials to commit the same vnto the common view and perusall of the world Which censures or testimonies how reasonable they are in effect or how warrantable by sound and infallible grounds of lawfull art or assured knowledge let vs equally and directly consider without any particular affection to any one or priuate emulation to any other But first lo the very platforme it selfe in the originall Latine togither with the later Dutch and English Translations The famous Prophesie of 88. vulgarly fathered vpon Ioannes Regiomontanus but woorthily suspected by some learnedermen neuer to haue proceeded from that excellent Mathematician or any like notable Scholler Post mille expletos à partu virginis annos Et post quingentos rursus ab orbe datos Octogesimus octauus mirabilis annus Ingruet is secum tristia fata feret Si non hoc Anno totus malus occidet orbis Si non in nihilum terra fretúmqueruet Cuncta tamen mundi fursum ibunt atque retrorsum Imperia luctus vndique grandis erit Iwis that messenger or Nuntio or if haply it

his second comming determined in respect of any such astrologicall coniecture when the science it selfe being Humane and Natural hath not any ascertained intelligence or experience of such diuine and supernaturall vnsearchable mysteries which being onely inrolled in the great volume of Gods owne secrets cannot possiblie by any secundary causes or passe remitting the studious reader in this kinde vnto his foresaid Commentaries Finally such violent mutations or mortall warres and slaughters as Leouitius and other haue inferred are they not the proper acts and effects of Mars rather than of Saturne as Messahalah saith Or is there at all any Astrologicall science or assured prediction of such Martial sturs and garboils which euen Cardane himselfe a great protector otherwise of this prognosticall art durst neuer auow Segment 7. Aphor 120. Why then néede we feare any such sudden hurliburlies or confusions from this Coniunction of Saturne and Iupiter where Mars hath little to do in respect who must play such bloodie and deadly feats Or if he had neuer so much to do why should we be dismaied or discomforted thereby when this art cannot any way determine of such militarie and Martiall euents being in this behalfe no lesse vncertaine Quàm ipsi incerti bellorum exitus What then May it be still imagined that the Coniunction of Saturne and Iupiter was originally or may consequently be reputed the true foundation of this prophesie Or that it is the liker to be true or credible bicause that concurreth therewith in effect Neither is that in any my knowledge expressed either by Leouitius or any other fauourer of that threatening said sawe so that if there were indéed any such terrible coincidents to be ascribed or imputed vnto that congresse we haue yet no vndoubted or assured proofe that they should take place rather in 88. the yéere of this oracle than in 87. or in 89. or in any former or later yéere Cardane in his Commentaries vpon Ptolomeys second Apotelesmaticall booke Cap. 9. Text. 54. writeth that the effects of such a Coniunction take place and hold out vntill another Coniunction or at least vntill such time as the said planets shall be in Opposition but he maketh no certaine difference or distinction of yéeres and Leopoldus Austriacus affirmeth that the yéere it selfe shall be the woorse wherein the Coniunction appéereth but Albumazar 2. diff tract 1. auoweth that the significations of this Coniunction happening in the watrie Trigon are procrastinated or prolonged vntill after sixe Coniunctions immediately insuing How then by any of these obseruations or other like determinations shall the consequents of the Coniunction 83. be appropriately and singularly reduced or particularized to the yéere 88 Besides the present prophesie threateneth either an vniuersall consummation finall dissolution of the world or at least a generall subuersion and alteration of principalities kingdoms monarchies empires wheras not the greatest Coniunction of superior or inferior planets that euer did or shall happen can by any artificiall argument or intelligible conceit extend the force or preuaile any farther than such places onely and such territories as are vnder the subiection of the signe of the Copulation or at the vttermost vnder the partition of that Quadrangle wherof the signe of the Coniunction is presently recounted Wherfore neither that way can 88. be so terrible a yéere bicause of the Coniunction as the prophesie specifieth nor the Coniunction at any time so terrible in works as the prophesie in words appéereth to be Which either in respect of the Annuall Progression thereof or the consent it hath with the Reuolutions of this yéere or with Eclypses héerafter mentioned which kind of naturall Accidents Eclipses I meane are by the sounder doctrine of Ptolomey the principall effecters or abrogaters of the Consequents of such Coniunctions or any like present circumstance or coincident consideration as it is vnlike extraordinarily or excessiuely to afflict this yéere vnlesse peraduenture now and then with some vnaccustomed cold and decay in the fruit of the earth so néedeth it not in my simple opinion to be finally regarded or commonly feared as any notable or powerable author of the pretended Martiall calamities thereof How then Are there yet remaining any other farther causes or artificiall likelihoods of such imminent calamities Be there any forcible or notable Eclipses or fierie Comets to be séene or the sights therof being already passed are there any such to take déepe roote or mightie effect this yéere To which alone as to the most naturall causes or most effectuall Arguments of future horrors Ptolomey and with him the soundest Mathematicians ascribe most certaine and actuall significations Indéede there was an Eclipse of the Moone the last yéere 87. the sixt day of September being Wednesday about 38. Minutes after 8. a clocke at night but what Can that worke any such consequents being but a Partile not a Totall Eclipse Or are not the effects thereof alreadie in a maner consummated Besides who is chéefe gouernor or disposer thereof Was it not Iupiter And what I pray you are his significations when he so ruleth Peruse the 8. chap. of Ptolomeys 2. Apotelesmaticall booke and shall you not there find that Iupiter deliquij assequutus dominium generaliter rerum omnium incrementa contribuit sed peculiariter hominibus largitur gloriam corporis salubritatem animorum tranquillitatem gaudia pacem bonorum copiosa subsidia with such like wished prosperities and blessings And what may be déemed more ioifull fortunate or happie than these Iouiall contributions and bounties Howbeit some will stil obiect that the vnluckie Mars was partaker with him in this gouernment in respect that he was lord of the Terme and Decane wherein the Eclipse happened but what if he were principall gouernor too so he hurt or annoy vs not And how can he hurt or annoy vs this way when the date of the force or operation of the Eclipse it selfe is already worne out Or alas how silly should the effects of any such Defect haue béene in comparison of the gréeuous and huge terrors of this prophesie albeit Mars or Saturne himself had béene sole disposer thereof and his most malitious despitefull and rancorous actions continued most part of the whole yéere Wherefore it is not this Lunarie or a far greater Eclipse that so mightily must do the déede or verifie this prophesie But pawse there awhile I hope you cannot gainsay but that it may notwithstanding helpe somwhat toward the working of such a Tragedie Neither are you yet thoroughly entred into the very depth of the matter for lo in the self-same yéere 88. thrée other eclypses also imminent Yea that which is more you shall haue two of them in one moneth and what is or may rightly be said more fearfull or tragicall than such a reckoning The Sunne shall be eclipsed the 16. day of February at the change and shortly after at the very nextfull namely the second day of March there shall follow a Totall Eclipse of the Moone

Empyreall or Chrystalline heauens Did the holy Ghost descend miraculously vpon them in the likenes of fire or other visible shape Is not the date of such diuine mysteries and heauenly miracles expired many hundred yéeres ago Were extraordinarie and irregular operations euer durable Are we still to make account of supernaturall or seraphicall illuminations and rauishments of spirit Will either sound Diuinitie or discreete Humanitie beare any such doctrine either at these dates or by the time of our ancestors Are not Oracles vtterly ceased as well by the theologicall iudgement of best Diuines as by the philosophicall position not onely of Tullie in his second booke De Diuinatione or of Plutarch in his discourse De Abolitione oraculorum but also of Plinie in the thirtith booke of his Naturall historie of Porphirie in his Inuectiue Contra religionem Christianorum and of sundry other later philosophers Are not the préests of Vrim long ago dead Or were not the prophetical informations by the secrét and diuine vertues of the twelue pretious stones therein comprized altogither antiquated and extinct at least 200. yéeres before Iosephus as himselfe auoweth in his Iudaicall Antiquities Misticall men pretend diuers and sundry misticall causes but you must be faine to pardon many sensible and reasonable personages of good reckoning and sharpe conceit accompanied with discréet consideration and iudgement that will not easily be induced to beléeue more than either humane reason shall probably persuade or diuine authoritie canonically inforce I sée not any naturall or supernaturall excellencie neither am I so melancholique or furious as to attribute much vnto melancholy or furie howsoeuer some against Morall and Naturall reason account of these moodie and rauing passions as Delphicall or Sybilline properties procéeding in truth of very bad and distempered constitutions both of bodie and mind as elsewhere I am to discourse more at large both physically and otherwise But peraduenture for art they might be incomparable for what art Sacred or ciuill philosophicall mathematicall or other theoricall or practicall lawfull or vnlawfull white or blacke There neuer wanted many professors and vaunters of many arts but how few perfect or sufficient artists actually and infallibly approoued by their excellent artificiall works And amongst those pettyprophets what one in maner of any singular or especiall reckoning in any déepe and profound feate of art The greater part God knoweth full silly and sorrie artists in any kinde especially in the sound Theorie and effectuall practise of the woorthiest and noblest sciences mathematical philosōphicall and other of like auailable effect Lift vp your eies and looke into the Diuinitie Schooles were Saint Augustine S. Ierom S. Ambrose S. Gregorie or any notable Diuine either ancient or moderne coiners or fosterers of prophesies Descend to the Mathematicall Schooles heare you any such matter from the mouthes of Ptolomie Copernicus Rheniholdus Iofrancus Offusius or any singular Mathematician Procéede to the Philosophicall chaire and will Aristotle Plinie Cardane Scalliger Ramus or any excellent philosopher busie your brains with any such rauing and senselesse conceits You may well passe by the Physique and Law lectures where I warrant you is some thing else to do than to mispend their golden time or waste their vitall breath about idle and vaine fantasies credulously termed prophesies I could neuer yet learne that Galen or Iustinian or any good Galenist or Iustinianist did greatly lend his eare or bend his mind vnto any such trifles And as for the famous professors of other liberall sciences and faculties how far are they from musing or buzzing vpon those melancholie imaginations Euen such as otherwise haue béen déepliest plunged and almost drowned in the profoundest Acroamatiques and Metaphysiques yea and Magiques and Negromantiques to yet haue little or nothing regarded these phantastiques Haue recourse to all ages and consider their notablest and woorthiest wits and doth it not manifestly appéere as well by histories and chronicles in all languages as otherwise by other credible writings and records that few or none of the learned were euer addicted to the maintaining fostering or fauouring of any such paultry as matters commonly repugnant and opposite to all good learning and to the very grounds of Arte The smaller skil the greater credulitie the lesser knowledge the more passiō Ignorance in many cases the moother of Deuction Simplicitie is soone perswaded and beguiled nothing more easie than to blind the rude multitude most cosenage where least suspition light men light of beléefe want of vnderstanding causeth want of iudgement alas blinde men are faine oftentimes to swallow downe flies and poore soules make as much of homely porrage as other do of finer and daintier fare It is néedles to dwell in this point and happily their actuall experience exercise and practise sheweth it selfe euen as great as their learning Most what solitary and forlorne men melancholy men Saturnine men cloystermen péeuish and wayward men méere Theoristes and phantastes onely delighted in themselues and offended with all the worlde besides vnfit for any ciuill company and vnméete for any practicable action whose whole action nothing but contemplation whose exercise idlenes whose practise vanitie whose finall experience what but selfe-conceite and selfe-liking with contempt of all things else and defiance of all men else whose soveraigne repose and felicitie in their owne priuate speculation and others publique confusion whose totall study and trauell to cosen the world to terrifie the credulous to fill mens mouthes and eares with lamentable and horrible rumours to bréede continuall matters of dreadful suspicions ielousies vndermininges commotions agonies vexations and tribulations of all sortes Mad companions and mates of strange and monstrous disposition but such and such hath béene the very nature and qualitie of our common melancholique and Saturnine prophets wherwith the worlde hath a long space béene perilously seduced and disguised till now at last it beginneth to be somewhat quicker sented and to smell out the sophisticall and hypocritical practises of these terrible skar-crowes and bul-beggers that ment still and still to play their furious parts on the stage and like Demiapolloes or rather like Elphes and Goblins to affright and distraught simple creatures Do I mistake the matter or maner of their procéedings I speake but vnder correction of my betters and am content to submit my slender opiniō to euery sounder iudgement neither dare I peremptorily or affirmatiuely auow euery part of the premisses but onely assay problematically and as our schoolemen tearme it disputatiuely what may therin appéere most probable My intention is not to teach but to learne neither do I affect the credite of a déepe Artist but am content to be reputed a reasonable Questionist I would be loath to misuse any person or disguise any matter in tearmes and therfore will not presume any farther but to put the case and like a tractable Peripatecian or rather Academique by demaunding and arguing to procéede tentatiuely and discoursiuely as the foresaid schoolemen vse to call

in reason and conscience to reprooue that which I find amisse and reprehensible in the foresaid subiect or argument of later prophesies so God forbid but I should maintaine and commend that which I find both allowable in cause and auailable in effect as being either warranted by lawfull art or approoued by actuall experience and no way condemned either by the sacred word of God or by the soueraigne lawe of man I dare not simply defend or altogither iustifie those famous predictions whereby princes or other mightie potentates and noble personages haue béene truly admonished and certainly forewarned of their death imminent as when Socrates foretold the death of Crito Calanus the Indian the death of Alexander the great Spurina the death of Iulius Caesar Sulla the death of Caligula the Chaldaeans the death of Agrippina the Emperesse by hir own sonne Nero when he should be Emperour Ascletarion the death of Domitian the last of Suetonius twelue Caesars as also his owne death and sundry other later philosophers mathematicians astrologers and physitions the certaine deaths of diuers other princes and great persons as appéereth by infinite examples of credible authoritie in all histories both new and old Howbeit who in learning can denie the lawful and warrantable vse of philosophie the mathematiques astrologie and physique euen in such prenotions and premonitions so far as with modest discretion and without curious search aboue their naturall artificiall or practicable reach they may prouidently and reasonably foresée the consequence of Naturall or Morall effects by déepe and due consideration of the antecedent causes or apparent signes either Naturall or Morall Neither are we in modestie or good reason so preiudicially or peremptorily to discredit so excellent histories as either not to beléeue any such narration but to passe it lightly ouer as incredible and fabulons or by and by to affirme that vnlawfully and impiously done which we for want of like skill imagine to be very difficult or impossible to be done without forbidden and profane meanes howsoeuer there reported as done by the onely helpe and direction of lawfull and commendable learning Neuertheles I am wholy to refer the determinate resolution vpon this point concerning the certaine or vncertaine prediction of such deaths vnto men of greater and déeper iudgement especially in soundest Diuinitie wherunto I humbly submit whatsoeuer humanitie or other learning is alreadie or shall héerafter be héere alledged But he vnderstandeth litle that knoweth not what notable Accidents haue béene foreshewed by the furtherance of Naturall philosophie and sharpe insight in physicall causes effects subiects appurtenances and other agréeable or disagréeable simple or comparatiue Arguments and instruments of nature As for example did not therby Anaximander foretell the Lacedaemonians of a dangerous and gréeuous earthquake imminent aduising them to preuent the perill and terror thereof by forsaking their houses and auoiding the citie which earthquake shortly after burst out in so violent maner that the whole citie was vtterly ruinated a great part of the mount Taygetus horribly ouerwhelmed Or did not therby Pherecides Pythagoras master and Callisthenes the philosopher make semblable proofe of their artificiall prouidence through naturall skilfulnes Or did not thereby the prince of our physitions Hippocrates foresée a mortall plague pestilence amongst the Grecians Or did not thereby Thales Milesius inrich himselfe forespying a great scarcitie or dearth of Oliues in the Milesian fields and territories adiacent Or did not thereby Democritus and Sixtius a Roman philosopher as Plinie testifieth play vpon the same aduantage Or did not thereby many other learned men in all ages prognosticate diuers strange euents and casualties in the world somtime è terrae motu aut hiatu sometime Ex inundatione maris aut puteorum aquis cruentis aut amnium cursu inhibito sometime Ex armorum sonitu crepitu in aëre aut ex cantu funestarum auium vt bubonum noctuarum strigum sometime Ex apparentia Cometarum aut crebrorum fulgurum aut defectu solis sometime from other natural signes and accidents as might particularly plentifully be exemplified out of Plinies Naturall Historie besides sundry Politique histories incidently mentioning and approouing such presentions Looke into the Semeioticall or presignificatiue iudgements of phisitions into the Aëromanticall rules directions of nauigators into the Georgical Meteorologicall Astrological prognosticatiōs of good husbandmen cunningest tillers of the ground or into many like artificiall and practicable experiments drawen from naturall obseruation and can you condemne or gainsay all foreknowledge of future consequents I must not stay vpō particularities haue not or may not many strange and almost incredible conclusions as well in the Diuinatorie as Prognostical kinde as otherwise be cunningly experimented and actually wrought by the right vse and skilfull application either of the Mathematiques or of méere Natural Magique as it is lawful and allowable before God and man without any corruption or mixture of demonicall or supernaturall Magique Schollers are not ignorant what pretious account diuers learned men haue made of the true right Naturall Magique as the supreame science perfect consummation of philosophy as the worker of many very notable and most woorthy feats of especial and singular vse vpon manifold occasions as well publike as priuate Which point our countriman Roger Bacon a man déepely séene in such Magicall and Mathematicall experiments hath plentifully discoursed in his Apologeticall tract De mirabili potestate Artis Naturae and Iohn Dee a man sufficiently knowen for his long studie and skill in such matters hath effectually confirmed in his Speculum vnitatis and Apology of Bacons profound cunning in philosophy as himselfe not many yéeres since professed vnto me But what néedeth farther proofe in defence or auerment of any such foresight by naturall philosophy séeing as Tully saith Sagae anus dictae quia multa praescire volunt sagaces canes quia acutè sentiunt and Praesagire which signifieth Futura antè sentire is not onely appropriate vnto man but in sort also granted vnto beasts and creatures deuoid of reason as by induction of examples might largely be specified Do not Bées Speculari aquas nubila coeli as Virgill writeth Nay do they not Praediuinare ventos imbres as both Pliny in his 12. booke and Aristotle in Historia Animalium reporteth Do not also Corui singultu quodam latrantes séque concutientes si continuabunt ventos si carptim vocem resorbebunt ventosum imbrem praenunciare as the same Plinie witnesseth And what fairer signe of faire weather or serenity or of a calme and nauigable sea then Nidificatio Alcedonum as likewise Plinie testifieth in more then one or two places but namely in his 18. booke where is also a notable triall of Democritus Meteorologicall and Prognosticall skill thus expressed Praesagia tempestatum placuisse Virgilio magnoperè video siquidē in ipsam messem saepe concurrere praelia ventorum damnosa imperitis refert Tradunt

and doth not the famous Messahalah Libello de coniunctionibus planetarum rebus Eclipsium Cap. 7. giue generall iudgement Quod in Eclipsi Solis non poterit fieri quin significetur magnum aliquod accidens in mundo That it cannot choose but there must needs follow some great accident in the world after an Eclipse of the Sunne And doth not the most ancient and renowned Hermes Trismegistus awarde this particular peremptorie definitiue sentence Aphoris Centiloquij 53 Plurima in mundo fient incommoda quando in vno mense accidet vtriusque luminaris Eclipsis There insue manifold incombrances or mischiefes in the world when the luminaries that is the Sun and Moone are both eclipsed in one moneth What say you now to these iudicials or how dare you contradict or gainsay such threatnings Indéed it is very true there are thrée Eclypses to happen in this yéere and two of them within the space of one moneth neither can I deny but Messahalah and Hermes haue written as is before specified whereunto also accordeth Pliny in the second booke of his Naturall Historie Cap. 30. and euen Virgill to in his Georgiques as notably significantly as any of the former where amongst sundry other apparances signes or prognostications of humane affaires he reckoneth Solis defectum for one after this maner expresly woorth the noting Sol tibi signa dabit Solem quis dicere falsum Audeat Ille etiam caecos instare tumultus Saepe monet fraudemque operta tumescere bella that is by my hastie translation The Sun yeeldeth signes who dareth falsifie the Sun He notes blind tumults foretels fraudulent attempts With fostred garboils before they swel to their outrage But now pause you a while for doth not Messahalah himselfe in that very place aboue recited adde moreouer by way of distinction Secundum quantitatem ipsius eclipsis hoc est vt sit ex quarta corporis solis vel supra That the euent of the said Solarie defect shal be but according to the quantity of the euen those effects too which it shall vtter shall not be set abroach vntill towards the very later end of the yéere being then and about the beginning of the next yéere 89. especially and chéesly to preuaile by which time the date of the woonderfull propheste shall be welnigh determined Finally to conclude this point with the saying or rather Axiome and principle of Cardane Seg. 7. Apho. 121. Nulla Eclipsis c. No Eclipse howsoeuer totall or vniuersall can portend vniuersall calamities or threaten the whole world with generall future mischéefs whose consequents regularly are alwaies to inure or take place in such onely regions territories and cities as are obnoxious or subiect Deliquij ipsius signo vel tetragano vel diametro as is generally agréed vpon by the best Mathematicians and cunningest Professors in this facultie Wherefore we must yet looke farther about vs and inquire after sounder proofes for the establishing of this Oracle if we would haue it allowable and iustifiable by Scientificall Arguments or any artificiall collections Then to come once againe to the right Astronomicall doctrine of Ptolomey he in the 98. of his 100. Aphoristicall sentences directed vnto his brother Syrus assigneth the second place of tragicall significations vnto Comets or blazing stars what Are there any such sterie exhalations to be kindled this 88 Or must we be daily expectants of new Comets Surely formine owne part as I sée not any ordinarie or extraordinarie naturall or preternaturall causes Meteorologicall or Astronomicall concurring toward the present working or furnishing of any such sterie apparition this yéere nor indéede any such probable likelihoods as might in some yéeres immediately passed haue artificially béene alledged to presume vpon such a matter so neither is there in my knowledge by reading or otherwise any like Meteore already passed still remaining to be effected for albeit I should fauourably allow of their counsell which haue aduised a continual obseruation of euery Criticall yéere from the strange new star which appéered in Cassiopeia Anno 1572. as though in euery such yéere there were still some notable vnaccustomed Accidents to be expected yet forsomuch as 88. cannot be reputed any such Criticall yéere from that star as there is therefore no singular or speciall note to be taken thereof so are there not any singular or speciall effects of any such cause to be seriously looked for therein What What then I beséech you is it or at least what may it séeme to be that should thus and thus maruellously disguise the world this 88 Is there no apparant naturall or philosophicall argument to confirme our affiance or rather presumption reposed in this oracle Is it credible that it was either priuatly framed without reason or commonly published without warrantize of some woorthy testimonies Diuine or Humane But alas Diuine we can alledge none either directly or indirectly in this behalfe as is sufficiently declared in the former Section why then Must there not yet of necessitie lurke some secret abstruse physicall causes or mathematicall inclinations as they terme them For Si effectus est causa praecessit As euery mans logique and philosophy can readily tell you How now Is there happely any commutation of the great Orbe Or is there any concourse or congresse of the 8. and 9. supernall Orbes Or is there the shifting of any Absis from one signe into another which are indéed of great and memorable consequence as Cardane testifieth Or perhaps are the superior planets conioined in the first Terme of Aries wherof Guido Bonatus maketh so very especiall reckoning Or is the Sunne in his greatest or least Excentricitie or is the Center of his Eccentrick come Adalterutrum quadrantem terminúmque mediocrem which both Ioachimus Rhaeticus in his first Narration of Copernicus Reuolutions and Cornelius Gemma eftsoones standeth so excéeding much vpon As if forsooth the Periods of states monarchies and kingdomes yea of the whole vniuersall world it selfe depended vpon the course of that little Circle as the verie true and right whéele of fortune Or is it peraduenture to be supposed that the Verticall Perpendicular or Topicall stars haue now conspired togither to desolate or oppresse the seuerall regions which they aspect Or what other graund astrologicall natural or supernatural consideration remaineth Or finally what other peremptorie iudgement or Neronian tyranny are we to vnderly Or Quid tandem magni monstri alit qui tam horrendas canit ambages antraque remugit For as for these later circumstances obseruations and censures of Cardane Bonatus Rhaeticus Gemma and other their sectaries as I know not any of them to enure or to be expected so if percase they were presently in Esse neither could any of them notwithstanding all their greatnes or mightines worke any such great maine vniuersall terrors as the prophesie portendeth And what then should we estéeme of particular Configurations or peculiar Caelestiall theames which Ptolomey wisheth vs to obserue in