contend with such Antagonists I am sâ—fe enough But methinks I see some and hear others dissatisfied with what I have already said on this Nativity and think it is nothing else but Talk and Flourish and that I am not able to make good what I have said by plain proof That he dyed by the Force and Power of other Directions to the Giver of Life as I have before intimated Pray have but a little paâ—ience and you shall be entertained with that too What the estimate time of this Prince's Birth was I know not that is indeed the Fault of all our Authors for they think we ought to rely on their Skill in Correcting and for that Reason give no estimate time but believe it to be something nearer Sun rise than the Time Mâ—rinus takes for truth however because I will pull no Controversies about my ears I will work all my Directions according to this Position of 6 degrees of Sagitary ascending and the Pole of the Sun in this Figure and they are these that follow i. e. the Sun to the Parallel of Saturn to the Opposition of Saturn and Square of Mars thus ☉ ad Parall ♂ in Zod. 32 55 29 6 1624. ☉ ad Parall ♀ in Zod. 35 3 31 8 1626. ☉ ad Corp. ♀ sine Lat. 38 51 35 5 1629. ☉ ad Parall ♄ in Zod. 41 50 38 5 1633. ☉ ad Oppos. ♄ sine Lat. 43 52 40 5 1635. ☉ ad Quad. ♂ in Zod. 44 19 40 10 1635. ☉ ad Oppos. ♄ cum Lat. 46 7 42 8 1637. Here you see I bring Four Directions for his Death the Parallel of Saturn that toucheth first the Opposition of Saturn S. L. the Square of Mars in the Zodiack and the Opposition of Saturn C. L. Object But this is false that you endeavour to prove true for your Direction that you call the Parallel of Saturn and comes up first gives 38 Years and 5 Months which is 6 Months after he dyed for he was killed when he was 37 Years 10 Months and 19 Days old and I hope you will not make your Stars kill him after he is dead as we do Answer No no soft and fair my Friend I will clear this Doubt to you presently I told you before That the Scheme is not the estimate Time but of Morinus's Correction and I am certain it is false and that it was altered to make the Square of Saturn kill him and the Time was undoubtedly a little later I likewise told you That all these Directions that I have wrought are by the Oblique Ascentions under the Pole of the Sun in this Figure of his Now if you will permit me to alter the Pole of the Sun but one degree or not so much which will not alter the Ascendent 2 degrees and instead of 6 make 8 of Sagitarius there and all will agree very well and the Aâ—k of the Sun to the Parallel of Saturn will be about 41 degrees and 12 minutes which gives in time 37 Years and 10 Months Anno 1632. And by altering that Pole all the rest of the Directions will proportionally vary as much as this doth This is my Judgment of the Cause of Death and I am sure a great deal more rational to give it and its Violence than those before alledged But if any of you think they are not pray produce me better Authority than I have for it in Quadripart lib. 4. cap. 10. where he begins that Paragraph thus Erunt autem Mâ—rtes Violentae Insignes c. Perhaps I may meet with a second Objection and that is Why the Sun to the Zâ—diacal Parallel of Mars did not kill as well as that of Saturn In answer to this I shall refer you to my Opus Reformat pag. 161 and 163. and the better to assist you in your Search I have wrought that Direction and those that attend it that are of concernment in the thing you propound The next Nativity I find brought by him as an Example is that of the Duke of Montmorancy and that is brought to prove the same Foolery that this last was i. e. That the Midheaven to the Square of Saturn took off his Head October the 30th 1632. he being then 37 Years and 6 Months old He lets him pass the Midheaven to the Opposition of the Sun and Square of the Moon Lady of the Eighth and kills him on the single Square of Saturn which is indeed no Square and for the better deciding this Point I wish he had given us the estimate time of his Birth The Figure follows the Planets Places from the Rudolphine Tables Here you see the Birth is Nocturnal and all the Planets under the Earth except Saturn in the Eighth House so that the Ascendent or Part of Fortune must be Hileg If the Ascendent be Giver of Life there can be no Pretence to any Direction to that Point nor is it vitiated by any Malignant Beams at that Time as I can discover nor doth he take any notice of the Part of Fortune Argol I confess in de Diebus Criti. pa. 239. tells us the Part of Fortune is Aphaeta and that it was directed to the Antiscion of Mars for his Death but withal he brings in likewise the Midheaven to the Square of Saturn I must needs say Morinus is the fairer man of the two for he depends solely on the Midheaven to kill but Argol hath two Strings to his Bow the Part of Fortune and Midheaven both And yet when all is done I do not believe that he ever understood how to direct the Part of Fortune to the Antiscion of Mars nor could it be done in that Nativity that he hath given us I shall have little or no occasion to say any thing in particular to the Direction it self that he says killed or to the Improbability of it as to the Rule I having done that largely in the last Example which is a parallel Case to this And both indeed built upon one bottom and by him both imbellish'd with the same Arguments to create a Belief in the Reader that they are true And therefore I will proceed to give you my Opinion concerning this Nativity and its Correction according to those Principles of Astrology that I am Master of for as to the Scheme he hath given us I am sure it is false because there is no ground nor reason for it in Nature nor will it hold in other Nativities no not one in twenty nor is there any Rule in substantial Authors to justifie it I have already told you That either the Ascendent or the Part of Forâ—une must be giver of Life and to make his Death correspond with Rational Rules we must alter Morinus his Figure If the Ascendent is admitted then it must be directed to the Square of the Sun or to the Body of the Moon and Opposition of Saâ—â—rn If to the first it must be about 38 minutes sooner than the time that he prints if the latter is allowed then it must
approve thereof An◠〈…〉 â—â—â—lingly be thought a man of so weak-a 〈…〉 so foolish a Doctrine They tell us it comes from Aloum◠〈…〉 perhaps it may so But neither 〈…〉 can beget a good Opinion of 〈…〉 because it neither seems rationâ—l 〈…〉 it any Foundation in Nature But th◠〈…〉 have of late promoted this Doctrine are 〈…〉 â—â—uido Bonatus in Latin and our Pious Countrymâ—◠〈…〉 English among which you shall find such ridiculous 〈…〉 this The part of the Hileg 〈◊〉 the part of Life The part of the Spirit The part of Understanding The part of things to come The part of the Love of Brethren The part of the Father The part of the Father's Death The part of Plays and Junkettings The part of Sickness The part of Slavery The part of Beasts to ride on The part of the most dangerous Year The part of Faith The part of Travels by Water by Land The part of the Interficient Planet The part of sudden Advancement The part of Honour The part of Honourable Acquaintance The part of Imprisonment is found by substracting the Part of the Spirit from the Part of Fortune c. Ha ha He And the most of these J. G. saith he hath proved by Experience to have a great Signification in the things they are appointed for by their Titles But let the Students in general take Notice There is no ground at all for these Parts that they pretend to because their Originals from whence most of them are deduced are but imaginary and he that useth them will find his Time ill spent and his Pains ill rewarded and indeed they who have published them ought to prove them true in Print Which if they do it will be both Recreation and Trouble to me for if it be any one that I think is my Match I will Reply to him otherways not CHAP. VII Of the Alchocoden THis Alchocâ—den is nothing else but the Dispositor or Lord of that Sign in which the giver of Life is and this is magnified as a thing of great use For when the Number of Years are expired that the Alchocoden allows any Direction almost will kill and according to the Strength of the Alchocodâ—n must the Number of the Native's Years be And for the more exact judging after this Method they do appoint each Alchocodâ—n three numbers of Years his Least his Mean and his Oldest according to his Strength or Debility In which it may be observed That Venus and Jupiter who are the only two Balsamick Stars give the least Years the one is allowed but 8 and the other 12 for their Least Number of Years when the Moon who is Inferior to Venus gives 25 and Mars who is Inferior to Jupiter gives 15 But these things are not to be questioned and therefore I shall proceed to examine how they keep to their Rule and whether every one lives a Greater or Lâ—sser Number of Years according to the Strengâ—h or Weakness of the Alchocoden In the Figure of J. G.'s Birth he hath the Ascendent Hileg and Mars Lord of the Alchccoden in Taurus his Detriment and among the Plâ—iades which tho' in Trine to the Sun can give but his Mean Years which are 40 but he hath already lived to the Age of 69 which are 29 more than the Alchocoden allows and yet he had very bad Directions at 62 Years old and a little after In the Princess Royal Collecti Genitur pag. 20. the Moon is Lady of the Alchocoden in her own House in Trine to the Sun and Saturn and no ways afflicted which may be allowed to give hâ—r Mean Years 66 and yet this illustrious Lady at a little more than 29 Years of Age changed this Life for one immortal so that you see she wanted 37 Years to compleat the Number of Years allowed her by her Alchocoden she having not lived to half the Number In the Nativity of Lewis XIV King of France the Sun is Hileg and Mercury Lord of the Alchocoden under the Sun Beams and in Square to Mars which can allow but his mean Years which are 48 and yet you see he â—â—â—h outstript that almost 10 Years already and how many more he may I leave to time to shew In the Nativity of Ben. Gadbury Collect. Genit pag. 193. The Sun is Hileg in Gemini and Mercury by this Rule is Giver of Years in 7 degrees of Tourus in Trine to the Moon and in Trine to Saturn whiâ—h will allow him at least 48 his Mean Years But this Child did not live two Years In the Nativity of Sir Râ—bert Holburn Collect. Gâ—nit pag. 124. the Moon was giver of life in Scorpio and Mâ—rs then must be giver of Years who we find in Sagitaâ— with the Scorpion's Heart and Combust in the Eighth House which can be allowed but his Least Years which are 15 and yet he lived to almost 50 Years of Age. In the Nativity of Mary Sawyer Collect. Genit pag. 193. the Moon is giver of Life in Conjunction with Jupiter in Aquary and Saturn Lord of the Alchocoden in Leo Angular in Trine to Mars in the Tenth House and in Square to the Sun hence we may without doubt allow him his Least Years whlch are 30 if not his Middle which are 43 Yet this Child lived but 6 Years to the Scandal of her Alchocoden that let her dye so soon In the Nativity of Doctor Laford Collect. Genitur page 133. the Sun is Hileg in Taurus in Conjunction with Mars and Venus giver of Years in Conjunction with Saturn and the Dragon's Tâ—il in the Twelâ—th House hence she can be allowed but her Least Years which are 8 or her Mean Years at most which are 45 But he lived to above Sixty In the Nativity of Henry Duke of Glocâ—ster Collect. Genitur page 17. the Moon is both giver of Life and giver of Years in Conjunction with Venus and the Sun in the Seventh Angular and no otherways afflicted therefore she may very well be allowed to give her Mean Years which are 66. But this Prince died at the Age of 20 Years leaving the other 46 in Possession of his Alchocoden to be disposed of to whom she thought fit I could have given you instead of these Eight an Hundred of the like nature but he that will not be brought to consider with this Number let him hug his own Opinion and go on till he finds a more just occasion to alter his Mind By this it appears That the Length and Shortness of Life doth not depend on the Strength or Weakness of an Alchocoden but on some other Cause from which the Period of Life doth take its Length and Date and that is in my Opinion the Directional Motion For in any Nativity let the Hileg be directed to Two three or more for it is very rare that any full grown Body dyes on one single Direction Stars or Rays of a Malefick Nature and I dare assure him It will be very hard and next to if not
Issue of Life and Death is lodged there without some better Proof than I have yet met with to convince me and to say the Truth the common Astrologers have foisted in so many idle Fooleries that they are never to seek for a Cause let the Case be what it will but especially in Death concerning which the only thing that remains yet undetermined is to know beforehand which of all the Lethiferos Causes shall give Death Whether Revolutions Transits Eclipses Alfrydaries Profections Climacterical Years or any of the other Chimera's that they so often talk of but not a Man of them will venture to predict Death on any one of these Causes no nor on half a dozen of them they believe them so well And now give me Leave not to part with you in the Dark about this matter but shew you how I understand Climacterical Years and from what Cause they derive their Power and by what measure of Years they are to be understood Climacters are not from a Mystery in Numbers as some vainly think but from the Motion of the Moon and therefore sometimes it is the Sixth and sometimes the Seventh Year according as the Moon is swift or slow so that Critical Days in Diseases and Climacterical Years have both the same Foundation only one is a Measure in Days and the other in Years Thus suppose one born the 12th of March at Noon 1694 5. the Moon then is in 00 degrees in Cancer when she comes into 00 degrees in Libra by telling the Days and the pâ—â—ts of a Day if you will be so exact it shews â—ou when the first Climâ—cter is which will be at the Age of 7 Years and almost 5 Months The second will be at almost 14 Years of Age the third at a little above 20 the fourth begins at 27 and 3 Months c. So that the Age of 42 is not a Climacter but 41 nor 63 but 62 is the dangerous time as supposed And yet for all this it signifies nothing at last unless the Hileg at the same time is directed to the Rays of a Violent Star which if so it addeth to the Danger of Death and when the Causes or Arguments on both sides seem to be equal in guiding your Judgment you may consider this as one and that is all the Use I ever make of it And I believe when you have taken as much Pains on the matter as I have done you will not be far different from me in the Conclusion When in a Nativity the Hileg shall be directed to the III Rays of a Malefick Star and that this Direction begins to work in a Climacterical Year it hath the same Effect and Power on the Life of a Man in Health and Vigour in order to a Change for the worse as the Moon hath on a Sick Man when she passeth by the ill Rays of the Sun Saturn Mars on a Critical Day And to say all in a Word Climacterical Years are the same in Nativities that Critical Days are in Decumbitures and as I have already told you they are both from the same Cause the Moon and her Motion And if any one else will be pleased to let us understand them in any other way that is intelligible I am not too old to learn and shall be ready to withdraw this my Judgment when my Reason shall be better Informed But methinks I hear some pert Capriciâ— object and say What! do you allow the Crisis and the Climacter to be both from the same Cause and yet allow the one to kill and the other not Yes that is my Assertion and yet if you will have but Patience to hear I will make that clear also for that is my next thing to insist on Critical Days in acute Diseases are only Time of Judging the good or ill State of the Patient because then both the Disease and Nature exeâ—t their â—ower to the utmost and the Superior carries the Point for the most part especiâ—lly if the same carries it in two successive Cryâ—es if the Patient lives so long but if the Dâ—cumbiture be viâ—leâ—t and the first Crisis so likewise they generally dye about or near the first Crisis and yet this is not caused by the Crisis but by the Fury of the Direction or Directions that give the Disease For if the Direction is not mortal a bad Crisis tho' never so ill â—hall not kill So likewise in Climacterâ—cal Years though it be that of 63. the most celebrated of all yet if no bad Direction concur the Native shall not then dye For if it did or doth certainly kill no man would live beyond that Year which we see daily contradicted Therefore when it doth kill it must be from some other superior Cause assisting it or rather giving it Power as it doth that of Critical Days I could say much more on this subject were it proper here and because I think I have sufficiently spoke to what I promised I shall conclude only advise those that would read more on both these Subjects to have recourse to Origanus pag. 770. de Effectibus Franciscus de Bonattis lib. cap. 14. 16. of his Astrosâ—phia Didac Prit in his Coelestis Philosophia lib. 1. cap. 19. where you may see that he calls them by no other Name than Anni Critici or Critical Years CHAP. XI Of Heliocentrick Aspects and Directions c. AMong all the Fooleries that have been set on foot to puzzle the Cause and make people stare this is not one of the least though it be one of the last and most groundless of all and carries no Reason in it self to make any man that hath the Use of his Senses believe that it any ways concerns us Geocentricks any more than those Aspects c. made or beheld at the Body of Saturn or the Moon And if the Interest of those that promote the Whim have Power to delude Mankind into the belief of it we may shortly expect to hear some mighty Champion asserting the Truth of the Chronocentricks Zeuocentricks Areocentricks and Selenâ—centricks and all of them maintained and justified with Reason and Truth equal to the Heliocentricks and indeed full as useful to help out at a dead lift when nothing else will do as we have seen already in a Nativity where we are told That the Earth was directed to the Heliocentrick Placâ— of Mars He might as well have told us That he saw a man with a Pot-Gun kill an invisible Ox and I should have been as ready to believe the one as the other For if we should allow the Earth to be directed which is real Nonsense will they direct it to a Point or Body not visible from the Earth For we see Mars in 25 degrees of Libra and at the same time they say his Heliocentrick place is where they direct him in that example in 17 degrees of Libra yet no Soul upon the Earth could see him in that degree at that time but he was to be seen
of him That â—he hastened his own Death by Abstinence c. Yet I cannot think that these Directions could any ways cause or further his Death But on the contrary fortifie his Life if Ptolomy is to be believed and therefore there must be some other Cause found than the Quartile of Venus and Mercury by Direction to the Ascendent for his Death Pray observe he tells us himself That at 29 Years old he was seized with a Cough and violent for 7 Months during which time he spit up much sanious purulent Matter and was near Death And he adds That he was cured of it the Year following when the Moon came to the Opposition of Venus and Mercury at 30 Years of Age Venus and Mercury saved him to a Miracle and at 75 Years old they killed him to a Miracle A very pretty kind of Astrology if you can but believe it I do not find that Cardan assigns any Accident for the 44th or 45th Year of his Age when the Suâ— came to the Opposition of Mars and Quartile of the Moon Nor for 53 when the Sun came to the Opposition of Saturn Nor at 39 and 40 when the Sun was directed to the Zodiacal Parallel of Mars all which are violent Directions and do seldom pass over without something worthy the Native's Memory and especially in a Nativity attended with the Violence that this is I dare not venture on the Correction of this Nativity though I am sure it is not exact for Two Reasons The first is Because he hath not given us the estimate Time And the second is He is too great a man to be questioned by me Nor would I have any think that I do in this to Eclipse or Deface the Fame and Learning of this most excellent Man who hath deserved so well of all but what I aim at is nothing more than to justifie the Science from the Abuses and Incoherences that its Adversaries catch at and are so often objected to us by those that know little of the matter The Third Nativity that Morinus brings is his own pag. 397. But the Accidents and Directions brought for its Verification you will find them pag. 648 649 661 662 and 663. He makes 27 degrees of Aries to Ascend and 13 degrees of Capricorn in the Midheaven and the Accidents and Directions that he brings to prove it true are these following Aged 8 Years almost he had a Quartan Ague the Sun then was directed to the Quartile of Saturn Aged 22 Years and 4 Months July 9th 1605. wounded dangerously in a Quarrel about a Woman Ascendent then to the Quartile of Venus Aged 29 and 3 Months Anno 1612. May 30. he fell into a long and dangerous Disease by Heat and Drinking and at the same time there was an Eclipse of the Sun For this he had Jupiter and the Moon directed to the Ascendent and the Ascendent to the 9th degree of Gâ—mini the Place of that Eclipse Aged 30 Years and 2 Months he took his Degree of Doctor in Physick May 9th 1613. For this he gives the Midheaven to the Dodectile of Saturn that is the Semisextile and the former Directions of Jupiter and the Moon to the Horoscope Aged 31 Anno 1614. he was received a Physician in ordinary to the Bishop of Bollâ—ignc then the Sun was directed to the Ascendent Aged 32 Anno 1615. went into Hungary which Journey was attended with great Dangers by Water by Quarrels by Duels and Luxury the Ascendent then to the Square of Saturn without Latitude Aged 33 in April â—616 he was seized with a dangerous malignant Disease the Ascendent to the Quartile of Saturn with Latitude Aged 38 in October 1621. Physician in Ordinary to the Duke of Luxemburg Sun now to a Sextile of Mars sine Latitudine Aged 46 in August 1629. Professor Regius in the Mathematicks he had then the Midheaven to the Body of Mercury Aged 51 March 30th 1634. he publickly demonstrated the Longitude found by which he had great Fame throughout all Europe Midheaven then to the Body of the Sun Aged 59 November 2d 1642. he was seized by a long lingring Fever with strange Evacuations of Choler he had then the Ascendent directed to the Body of Mars Aged 61 1644. he sollicited for the Royal Allowance for the Longitude found He quarrelled with Bullialdus and some others He had now the Midheaven directed to the Body of Saturn Mars to the Opposition of the Sun and Saturn to the Quartile of the Moon Aged 62 1645. April 8th he had an ample Pension and a noble Reward out of the Treasury Mars then was directed to the Opposition of the Sun and Jupiter and the Part of Fortune to the Trine of the Moon without Latitude Aged 73 and 8 Months on November 6th 1656. he dyed of a Fever and no Cause appears for it in his Nativity as I can find He gives us more Accidents which because I think they are not to the purpose are omitted Of all the Arguments and Directions brought to verifie any Scheme and Accidents that I have seen these are indeed the weakest and most improbable especially coming from so great a Man as Mâ—rinus was both for Labour and Learning and therefore I will modestly give you my Thoughts on each of them and leave you to your Opinion and Choice when I have done There are as you see Thirteen of them of which I allow but Two and that is the Sun to the Body of Saturn for his Quartan Ague for one As to the Second I suppose a few Words will serve because there are very few will believe a man should be wounded very dangerously on the Ascendent to the Quartile of Venus as he says he was And yet nothing on the Ascendent to the Square of Mâ—rcâ—â—y and after that to the Square of the Sun If he had said He had been given to Drinking Whoring and Lewdness I might have believed it But as to the Third I think he hath outdone himself there to tell us he was seized with a dangerous Disease when the Sun was Eclipsed and to direct the Ascendent to the â—lace of the Eclipse and Jupiter and the Mâ—â—n to the Ascendent to give this dangerous Diseâ—se As to the first it is impossible it should give a Disease before it was in bâ—ing it self for you cannot believe the Body was brought iâ—to a diseasy Habit in an Houâ—s time as you must if you think that the Cause And for the Second there is no such thing as directing those Two Stars to the Ascendent Nor is there any such thing in directional Motion to bring the Ascendent up to Jupiter and the Moon I know what you have to say for your selves in this Case which is That the degree of the Ascendent comes up to them Why yes that I will â—llow But that is not the Ascendent for when that degree is pâ—st that Point it hath no more Power than the First Second or Third that follow iâ— Hence if the Ascendent
caused by the Direction of Jupiter and Mercury in Conjunction to the Body of Mars which certainly can never be allowed nor believed by any man but him that can believe any thing And the better to enforce and fortifie his Doctrine he tells us That Jupiter Lord of the Seventh with Mercury Lord of the Ascendent are directed to Mars Lord of the Seventh so that he hath two Lords of the Seventh to effect the business And had the Direction been in the Seventh by this Rule and Opinion of his it would certainly have been more forcible But suppose this were all true Why should Jupiter c. being directed to Mars be more likely to give Marriage at 38 than the Sun to the Body of Mars at about 22 years of Age even in the Heat and Fury of Youth at which Age Women are generally more bent to Marriage than at 38 and yet at both Ages under proper Directions we find such Examples frequent enough Nay he tells us That his Friend Monsieur Goulas from this only Direction predicted this Queen a Second Marriage while her First Husband was living If he did it was a bold Venture attended with a good Fate more than the Direction he gives nor indeed is there any thing in it worthy of our imitation or credit though it did his business as well as if it had been true for it got him the Queen 's good Opinion and Favour But it would have been no small Service to us had either of them told us by what Rule the First Husband should dye so soon which would be of more use than this new Project For Jupiter Lord of the Seventh is strong and so is Mars and both Lords of the Seventh as he says And so I come to correct the Figure and give my Reasons and Directions for these Four Accidents The estimate time is 3 minutes after 8 manè and the Figure by my Correction is 58 minutes after 7 and is but 5 minutes differing from the time given the Right Ascention of the Midheaven is 87 degrees 24 minutes and the Directions are these following  d. mi y. m.  Ascend ad â–¡ ☽ 13 46 15 00 1626 Dangerously sick ☉ ad Par. ♂ Zod. 16 28 18 00 1629 Courted to Marry ☽ ad 8 ♀ S. L. 17 30 19 02 1630 ☽ ad 8 ♀ C. L. 18 57 20 08 1632 ☽ ad Corp. ♂ 19 19 21 01 1632 ☽ ad Pa. ☿ mo rap 30 29 33 10 1645 Married first ☽ ad Par. ♃ mo rap 30 30 33 10 1645 ☉ ad ♂ ♀ mo conv 31 14 34 07 1646 M. C. ad ♂ ♀ 31 51 35 03 1646 ☽ ad Par. ♀ in Zod. 34 49 38 04 1649 Married again ☉ ad âš¹ ♀ in Zod. 36 42 40 02 1651 ☽ ad Par. ☉ mo rap 38 46 42 03 1653 If I understand the business these Directions are far more agreeable and more natural too than those given by Morinus and besides I am nearer to the estimate time than he is which seems to be given very exact even to 3 minutes as you may see The Ascendent to the Square of the Moon for her Sickness is no ways strained but a true and a fair Direction and yet Morinus himself never knew what made it so violent as to be like to kill her for in his own Nativity it gave nothing at all nor doth he take notice of it Nor did he ever know what saved her Life under those two Directions of the Moon and Saturn for in that of Zaga-Christi he makes the single Square of the Moon kill him and yet here it gave a disease and did not kill And in my opinion it would have been worth your knowing had he been so free as to have told us the reason of these things for every Astrologer that is Master of his Profession doth or ought to know this Mystery The Sun ad paral Mars in Zodiaco and at the heels of it the Moon to the Opposition of Venus looks like a Courtship but to her injury and discontent as we may suppose because two such great People as the Qâ—â—en-Mother and the Cardinal undertook to break the business and prevent the Marriage Pray consider whether these are not much more likely than the Ascendent to the Sextile of Jupiter The Moon to the Parallels of Jupiter and Mercury and the Sun to the Body of Venus motu convers are Directions probable to give Marriage as well as that Direction of the Body of Venus to the Midheaven and though that doth not touch in this of mine yet it is just at the door and doth certainly influence the matter But the Cause of her Second Marriage is the great and only thing in dispute as you have heard for which I say she had the Moon to the Zodiacal Parallel of Venus and at the same time under the Influence of the Midheaven to the Body of Venus that began its effects in 1647. But perhaps you will say That the Direction of the Moon to the Parallel of Venus in the Zodiack comes up at 38 years and 4 months and she was married at 37 years and 9 months and therefore this is not to the purpose To this I answer I have followed Origanus for the Latitude of the Moon as having no other for that year and you know he is none of the exactest in those Calculations Therefore if the Moon 's Latitude be allowed to be 12 minutes too much and I am certain it is greater than it ought to be the Direction will touch exactly at the time she Married and the former of the Body of Venus gave the beginning of that Second Courtship But besides those Zodiacal Parallels are generally in Operation before they perfectly touch and the nearer the Tropicks the longer So that it is possible one of these Directions falling near the Tropicks may be in operation 10 years nay I may say 20 tho' there are many I know that will think it is very improbable and so let them and welcome Thus I have endeavoured to shew you That this Nativity was to be proved by the same Accidents and yet by other Directions than those given by this Learned Author and this by keeping closer to the estimate time than he did But perhaps you may say You do not understand some of these Directions and therefore you have nothing but my word for it Why really I think you may as well take my word for these as take Morine's word for his for I am certain there is not a Reader in the world can imagine why the Square of the Moon should be taken with 4 degrees of Latitude in the Ascendent when her Body hath not two as you have already heard The next Nativity we meet with is that of Lewis XIV King of France whom he says was born September the 5th at 15 minutes past 11 before noon S. N. 1638. in the Latitude of 49 but he corrects it to 4 minutes sooner which we shall immediately consider with the
Direction to give such an effect as is reported by our Author For as I have before given it in positive terms That the Ascendent directed cannot kill so I am as positive on the other hand that in this Nativity the Sun must be directed for death its time and quality But perhaps since I have asked why the Ascendent to the bodies of Saturn and Mars did not kill I may also be asked why the Sun to the bodies of Saturn and Mars did not kill seeing he passed them both I confess it is a fair Question and ought both to be asked and answered First The Nativity is vital and those Directions came up young and when the Sun came to the body of Mars he came also to the Sextile of the Moon followed with the Mundane Sextile of Venus and when the body of Saturn came up that could by no means kill because it was succeeded by the Sextile of Jupiter and Square of Venus according to the Doctrine of Ptolemy Argol tells us Lewis XIII King of France was born the 27th of September at half an hour past 10 at Night 1601. under the Pole 48. and he makes 9 of Cancer Ascend it is the same Figure that is printed in the Collect. Genitur by J. G. He says That by Saturn's being in the Fifth House he was kept without Issue for 20 years but upon the Midheaven being directed to the Trine of Venus in 1637. the Prolifick Faculty was restored and in 1638. he had a Son or at leastwise his Wife had one Now who would not believe Astrology that sees it so fairly and so fully verified That after 20 years being sine Potentia Generandi the Midheaven to the Trine of Venus should set him in order and stir up that Faculty which was either deficient from his Birth or long debilitated by some accident This is a mystery that ought to be recorded in the memory of every Artist if it be true Indeed had there been no other man within Five hundred miles of her I might have been wrought upon But we at this day are better informed than to believe as Argol did And besides if this should be true it would make every Woman that hath a barren Husband wish to have this happy Trine of Venus come up often nay twice a year if possible The truth is the Queen had Two Sons but that the King or the Trine of Venus did get them I do not believe one word of it He tells us also That in 1639 and 1640. he had his Ascendent directed to the Square of Saturn which caused a Defluxion of Humors and a Debility and Decay of the natural Heat and in the year 1643. upon the Ascendent directed to the Antiscion of Mars he dyed Pray consider the whole matter together Mars is in 5 degrees of Leo and Saturn in almost 9 of Scorpio So that the Ascendent must come to the Body of Mars before the Square of Saâ—uâ—n and yet neither of these Two had power to kill him though Saturn was Lord of the Eighth House But when these Two were over the Ascendent to the Antiscion of Mars killed him which is indeed no Direction for it is not possible to direct the Angles to the Antiscions of any Planets with success not withstanding the custom of doing it often But if we should allow that Direction for his Death as he gives will any man believe that the Body of Mars had not as good an Authority to kill as his Antiscion had that came after it I know what Answer they will make me in that case and that is That the Body of Mars and Square of Saturn gave him that Jingring disorder of which he dyed afterward If so Why do they bring in a third to do it if the two did it before and in that of the Square of Saturn by their own Rules as Lord of the Eighth he ought to do it himself without a partner Compare this with the Nativity of Sebastian King of Portugal where only a single Square did the work and yet not Lord of the Eighth neither and yet the Moon giver of Life In the Nativity of Cardinal Pius Ascend ad â–¡ ♄ killed with the help of the Terms of ♂ In the Nativity of Feltrius Duke of Urbine the Ascendent to the Trine of Saturn killed and in Cardinal Ludovisius the Ascendent to the Body of Saturn did it with divers more I could give you out of this Author and yet in this of Lewis Mars and Saturn together could not do it and now I leave it to you to judge of this kind of Doctrine Franciscus Maria Cardinalis Farnâ—sius was born says Argol August 14th hor. 15. min. 7. P. M. 1619. Pole 44. and Cancer 28 Ascending This man was made Cardinal December 4th 1645. on the Mid-heaven to the Antiscion of the Sun And he dyed July the 12th 1647. on the Ascendent directed to the Sextile of Saturn in Signs of long Ascention having for 6 months laboured under a Disorder of the Bowels and a constant excretion of Cholerick Humors Can any man believe these two Reasons given for his Preferment and Death two so improbable if considered in themselves though he brings in the Sun to help for his Death and it is reasonable to believe something of that but for the Antiscion of the Sun for his Preferment it is very vain and idle The truth of all is if he was born near this time he was made Cardinal on the Midheaven to the Sextile of Venus and he dyed on the Ascendent Hileg to the Square of Mars and Body of the Sun but the disorder of his Bowels was caused by the Moon directed to the Square of the Sun cum Lat. and that was the Ground and Cause of the Morbifick Matter that gave those constant Excretions Ann Queen of Poland Daughter to the Archduke of Austria was born says Argol the 16th of August at 44 minutes past 5 Afternoon 1573. This Queen being great with Child and troubled with a Catarrh was on the last day of January in the Evening anno 1599. taken with a great Pain about her Heart and suddenly after a violent Palpitation attended with a slight Fever of which she dyed the next day And after she was dead the Child was taken out of her Body and Baptized and dyed also within an Hour For this Accident of her Sickness and Death he gives the Ascendent to the Opposition of Mercury Lord of the Fifth because she was with Child and to the Trine of Saturn who hath Dignitiâ—s in the Eighth and yet the Sun in the Seventh giver of Life Ob this wonderful Ascendent You have heard her Disease and Death and the reasons assigned for both which I cannot by any means allow or be induc'd to believe for if the Ascendent by Direction could kill her then why did not the Ascendent to the Square of Saturn and Opposition of the Sun kill her long before Nay by the Rule that Argol manageth his Practice
refer you it being plâ—in and easy to understand when in this case nothing could save on that Direction but on the contrary great Aggravations and Arguments of death by Ptolemy's Rule and therefore I can by no means allow this Native to pass and outlive the Moon to the body of the Sun and dye six years after it on the Moon to the Square of Mars in Zodiaco which Direction I am certain had not power to kill if the Sun could not Now if you please to take a little pains upon it you will find all things may be composed and made agree without any trouble or difficulty The Moon by Origanus being reduced to the time of the day and the Meridian of Rome is 8 degrees 57 minutes in Aquary and by altering the pole of the Moon about two degrees which is not above 12 or 13 minutes in time you will find that the Moon came at that time to the body of the Sun Sine Lat. The Moon 's pole in this Figure is 10 degrees And if you please to make it 12 degrees and a half you will find the Moon 's Oblique Ascension 315 d. and 22 m. the Oblique Ascension of the Sun 354 17 minutes which gives the Ark of Direction of the Moon to the body of the Sun S. L. 38 degrees 55 minutes and this turn'd into time gives 42 years and six months and this should give him some Hectical Habit of body if not a Consumption or else a Fever that may leave such a habit behind it Cardinal Matteus was born says Argol January the 13th min. hor. 19. 17 P. M. 1591. under the Latitude of 42. That he was made Cardinal by Pope Urban the Eighth July 13th 1643. on the Direction of the Sun to the Antiscion of the Moon having before passed the Square of Mercury and Venus who is Lady of the Ninth House in which was the Virgin 's Spike That Saturn in the Sixth gives defluxion and pains of the Gout with Running pains throughout the whole body from Cold humours that from these Complicated Diseases and the Ascendent to the Sextile of Saturn and Square of the Sun he dyed on the 19th of April 1650. being then Aged 59 years and three months The Figure followeth being set to his Time but my Division of the Heavens As to the Direction urged by Argol for his Preferment and the Arguments used to give it Credit they are so weak that no man will imagine there is any thing in them when he hath well considered the case For what signifies the Moon 's Rays to his Preferment she being by her Latitude near the Square of Saturn and he in this Scheme not likely to give or contribute to the Native's Preferment Then for the Squares of Venus and Mercury which he says the Sun had passed before the thing is true but they were so long before that they could give no assistance at all to this Direction for their Antiscion of the Moon falls in 16 degrees of Aries and those Squares fell in 12 degrees But suppose they had fallen nearer what good could they do It is the first time that I ever heard the Squares especially of Mercury were brought as an Argument and Cause to give Church Preferment But besides there is no such thing as the Antiscion of the Moon in 16 degrees of Aries for that falls in 20 degrees of Aries so that his Direction is no Direction nor his Arguments of any use to the end he hath brought them As to his death he uses such weak Arguments and impâ—â—per Directions as before for his Preferment Nay they are such as would make a man both angry and merry to read them for do you think it is reasonable to suppose the Sun could pâ—ss his own Square and not kill and the Ascendent to his Square should do it And why should the Ascendent to the â—extile of Saturn kill when it passed the Opposition of the Moon and Square of Saturn and it could not do it But besides all this Is it not more strange that the Ascendent should pass the Square of Mercury Lord of the Eighth and the Antiscien of the Moon who is in the Eighth and do no injury to his Life and yet dye so soon after on these two Directions by him mentioned If the Ascendent hath power to kill by Direction as he pretends it is strange he should escape on dangerous Directions to it and dye at last when there were none at all for the Square of the Sun and the Hexagon of Saturn did not come up till 12 or 14 years after he was dead Thus we are fitted with Rules to make us skilful in our Profession By these means have the Astrologers made Enemies to Astrology and indeed it is a wonder it hath any Friends being dressed up so scandalously as it is at present and hath been for Ages past And the way to make it reputable is to stop the mouths of its ignorant Opposers by making it appear First Rational and Secondly Certain But the Methods and Practices of the Professors of the last Age as well as the present I am sure will never do it and so I come to the Correction I shall make but a small alteration from Argol's Figure but what it is will be sooner and that about 12 minutes At which time the Right Ascension of the Midheaven is 221. d. 30 m. the oblique Ascention of the Ascendent 311 d. 30 m. Hence that Direction that gave his Preferment was the Midheaven to the Sextile of Jupiter And for his death the Sun Hileg to the parallel of Saturn Motu Rapto to his own Square to the Mundane Square of Venus and to the Zodiacal parallel of the Moon and all these in Terminis Martis which is and ought to be considered likewise in this and such like cases The Pole of the Sun is almost 41 degrees and his oblique Ascension is 315 degrees 31 minutes The semidiurnal Ark of the Sun is 4 deg 37 min. the semidiurnal Ark of Saturn is 4 deg 33. min. The Sun's distance primary from the 10th House is 74 d. 4 m. the part proportional 16 d. 31 m. which substracted from that leaves the Ark of Direction of the Sun to the Rapt parallel of Saturn 57 degrees 33 minutes This turn'd into time gives 58 years and 6 months and this Direction was the cause of the humours first falling into Rebellion and gave him the first stroke for his death The next was the Sun to the Mundane Square of Venus Ark 58 degrees 10 minutes this turn'd into time gives 59 years Then came the Sun to his own Square in Zotiaco Ark 58 degrees 18 minutes gives 59 years and two months And â—astly the Sun to the Zodiacal parallel of the Moon Ark 58 degrees 43 minutes and this was the fatal Direction that cut off his Life and now see them in their order as they stand ☉ ad par ♄ motu rapto 57 33 58 6 1649 ☉ ad â–¡ ♀ in
Saturn was then in Opposition to his Ascendent By this you may see that Transits and Eclipses do little or nothing in order to Death or any great mutation in a man's Life without some very considerable Directions and then too they do only assist by their Motion to give or rather shew the Time when a Direction begins to operate But this I lay down as a positive Rule That they never kill per se. Under this Rule I might also bring Great Conjunctions Revolutions Profections Climacterical Years c. all which are made use of to the same End and Purpose as the former are when there are no Directions to be assigned for Death and of each of these a Word or two Great Conjunctions falling on the Angles or on the Sun and Moon in Nativities may give great Troubles and Losses but by no means Death Nay Directions that fall near those Places of the Conjunctions or opposite to them c. shall give more cruel Effects than they do at other times but not Mortal unless they would have been so without the Conjunction had influenced them And in most Nativities where the Conjunction is on the Places of the Luminaries or in Square or Opposition to them or the Angles those People of what Quality soever are generally sufferers in and through that 20 years Revolutions are also vainly thought to have the Power of Death and many men contend earnestly for the Truth thereof Schonâ—r's Imitator tells us in his Doctrine of Nativities page 228. That the Opposition of the Sun and Saturn from the Second and Eighth in a Revolution gives Death and proved true in the Death of Sir John Reynolds And yet in his Câ—â—â—c Genit page 164. he says He dyed on the Ascenâ—ent to the Body of the Moon and Square of the Sun and so sets the Stars together by the Ears who shall have the Honour to kill him I know a man who had lately his Moon in a Revolution in Conjunction with Mars Lord of the Eighth in Opposition to Saturn and all these in Square to his Ascendent Hileg and the Sun in Square to Jupiter Lord of the Fourth And yet this man did not dye in that year nor indeed was he Sick Ay but this was not from the Second and Eighth Houses Say you so That may be something indeed That is a special Reason Ex Grumulo Mâ—ntem facis In a Word There is nothing in Revolutions in order to Death but as they Quadrare with Directions Notwithstanding Morinus doth so strenuously contend for their Power and Force in his Astrol. Gall lib. 23. where he tells us about the Death of Richelieu that to several of his Friends he predicted his Death from that very Revolution of his in 1642. And in several other Places of that Book he lays mighty Weight upon them as the Causes of many and various Accidents And Argol in his Ptolomâ—us parvus labours as much as the former to assert that Doctrine and in his De Diebus Criticis he hath in many Nativities rendred very inconsiderable Reasons for Death besides what he lodged in the Power of Revolutions Nor doth the Authority of Campanella any way sway me to believe what he asserts and concludes ought to be done in the Judgment of Revolutions For though I have an honourable Esteem for Authors and the Truth they hand down to us yet I am not bound to believe all they write because it comes from men of Learning and Credit Nay you will do a substantial Author both Honour and Service in examining his Works before you set your Hand to the Truth of them Profections as they are now stated and understood are nothing else but a confused Motion neither agreeable to Reason nor Nature and no ways probable to have any Power to kill But of this matter see more in my Opus Reformatum page 94. 95. Climacterical Years not only among Astrologers but among all other Learned Men besides have for many Ages had a known Reputation for Danger to Life but especially that of 63 But Origanus tells us of another dangerous one which he calls Climactericus Heroicus and that is the 56th Year and this for no other Reason but because the Ascendent at Birth comes then to the Eighth House But how I cannot tell unless he means by allowing 7 Years to every House and so if you multiply 7 by 8 it gives 56 Which hath no sway at all on my Belief So that now it is grown so commonly known among the Vulgar that there is not a Plowman but can tell you That every seventh Year carries a Face of Danger in it and threatens a Change and Alteration to every one either in Life or Fortune But before we take it for granted let me premise a Word or two and enquire into the Ground and Nature of the thing Whatever the Opinion of Pythagoras was concerning the Mystery of Numbers it doth no ways prevail with me to believe That the Number 7 hath more Power than the Number 6 in order to the Mutations of Human Life and especially Death Nor doth the doubtful urging of this Doctrine by Marsilius Ficinus lib. 2. cap 20. De Vita longa make it any more plain true or probable than it was before Nor do any that have wrote of it give it any other Authority than Probability And when they are put to the Proof of that they run back to their old Authors from whom both they and we derive those known and common Errors with which all Sciences are at present clogged and loaded But if any one is willing to read of it at large the Learned Dr. Brown will furnish them with an account from Authors of all Kinds and Nations by which it will appear it is founded only on Precarious Principles and no Authority in Nature but groundless Supposition bearded Antiquity and an ipsi dicunt and yet it is assigned by J. G. in his Almanack for 1693. That this likewise of it self doth sometimes kill which I utterly deny to be true By this and what we can else derive from all Authors the whole matter depends and proceeds from a superstitious Opinion they have had of the Mystery of Numbers and there have always been some to promote it and because it comes by Accident something near to Truth it hath obtained a Place in the Opinion of divers Credulous men which if they would but examine and consider would neither support nor believe it either in general as it is commonly understood or in particular to this of Death which I am now about to discuss And to say the Truth the Mystery of Numbers is in this Sence nothing else but Pythagorean Whims or Rosicrucian Maggots and Delusions set on foot to undermine Truth and turn those out of the Way that are in Pursuit after it and though I do allow a Harmony in Numbers equal to diverse other things in Nature yet I can by no means be brought to consent and believe that the