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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	evil_a	good_a	know_v	2,974	5	4.2147	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01297	Antiprognosticon that is to saye, an inuectiue agaynst the vayne and vnprofitable predictions of the astrologians as Nostrodame, [et]c. Translated out of Latine into Englishe. Whervnto is added by the author a shorte treatise in Englyshe, as well for the vtter subuersion of that fained arte, as also for the better vnderstandynge of the common people, vnto whom the fyrst labour seemeth not sufficient; Antiprognosticon contra inutiles astrologorum prædictiones Nostradami, Cuninghami, Lovi, Hilli, Vaghami, & reliquorum omnium. English	Fulke, William, 1538-1589.; Painter, William, 1540?-1594.	1560 (1560)	STC 11420; ESTC S116544	28,693	82

to returne into the way agayn seyng the cause of the wynde is not forsene by the starres no more can the wether that is partly caused by it nor yet the dearthe or plentie whiche chaunceth by occasion of the weather bee by Astrologie foreshewed Then wi●… al those ●…ut of your Prognostications for what shoulde they doo there of whiche it is impossible that you shoulde prognosticate Sycknesse and healthe depende vpon dyuers causes but nothyng at al vpon the course of the starres for what way soeuer the starres runne their race yf there be in the body abundance or defect or from outward by corruption of the ayre infection it must nedes be sycke and it none of these bee though all the starres in heauen with all their oppositions and euil tokens shuld meete in the howse of sicknesse yet the body shoulde bee whole and in good healthe But you wyl say that those causes of sicknesse are wroughte by the constellation of the starres Wel ones we haue a good con fort of Hieremy the prophet that those are not to be feared And to aunswere this obiection I woulde haue taken paynes 〈◊〉 that the moste parte of Astrologians ar by profession phisitions whiche yf they be in dede as they professe and haue learnyng accordyng to their degree which I doubt not but they haue they knowe assuredly that the causes of sycknes and helth hang nothynge vppon mouyng of the celestiall bodies The more shame is it for theym yf they stiffely and stoutely maynteyn and defende that which they know to be moste vayne and false But leaue sycknesse and healthe to theym that haue chiefely to doo with theym and comme to Natiuytyes or Fortune tellynges If I hadde not beene my selfe seduced by suche a vayne credyte that I gaue to the wrytyngs of Astrologians I would neuer beleeue that any manne endewed with common sence and reasone shoulde haue respecte to castynge of Natiuityes or Fortune tellynges For what madnesse ys yt to thynke that beeynge but twelue sygnes and seuen planettes euery syngular manne hath of theym his singular constellation I confesse that euery syngular manne by the prouidence of God is guyded and preserued but that euery man that is borne hath his syngular influence it is to muche incredyble For I dare be bolde to saye and if I were dryuen to it by good reasone proue it that at one instant or Nunc there is somtyme borne a kynge and a sclaue a warryour and a cowarde a wyse man and a foole a learned manne an vnlearned persone a true man and a thefe a ryche man and a poore a Christian and a Pagan a manne and a beaste Howe thenne shall the Astrologian telle all these theyr Fortune by one constellation Furthermore what a straunge matter is it that one constellation should woorke to so sundrye effectes as yf an Astrologian hadde erected a fygure for one mannes natiuytie a nother commeth to knowe of a thynge loste at the same instant the thyrde commeth to heare yf a sycke man shall dye or recouer All these muste haue theyr aunsweres shapen theym oute of one fygure But they wylle say perchaunce that all these canne not happen at ones then lette theym answere me to this question Is there but one kynde of thyng done in the whole worlde or vnder one meridian at one instāt or moment And be allother ydle for that tyme ▪ As for exāple when one stealeth is there nothyng done at that tyme but ●…alynge When a kyng is borne is none borne el●… but kynges Or when a sclaue is brought forth is thir none els that season brought foorth but sclaues Therefore yf they can not auoyde the mischefe of this answere let them bee ashamed to practise any more suche vayne predictions yea let them be astayde to vse tellyng of fortunes lest they be counted in that poynte as yll as wicked Ma●…asses of whome the scripture reporteth that amonge other his synnes he had also regarde to soothsayenge and fortune tellynge As for Consurynge I wyll not charge them bycause theyr predictions ar not so sure as they are wonte to make But perchaunce they wyll say that al that I haue yet sayde eyther agaynst their arte generally or against these particulars y●… of no more strength then stubble or straw Wherfore to shut vp the gappe I entende to laye a greate blocke in their waye And I shall desyre theym when they make answere if they make any at all that accor ●…ynge to the prouerbe They wylle not stoumble at a strawe and leape ouer a blocke And the blocke that I wyll laye is of the heauy burthen that the Lord by the prophere Esays 47. Chapter threatneth vnto Babylon the inuentresse of this art where h●… sayth Nowe let the heauen g●…sers and beholders of starres the moone prophetes come and delyuer thee yea and lette theym shewe thee whan these thynges shall come vpon thee Beholde sayth he they shall be as strawe whyche yf it be kyndled with syre no manne maye rydde it from the ●…hamence of the flame Doo you not heare O you Astrologians that the prophets saythe that you canne haue no knowledge of thynges to came as of warre syckenesse dearthe vnseasonable weather destruction and suche other whiche he threatneth vnto Babylon For it is manyfests that this phrase or maner of speakynge which the Prophete vseth Lette them shewe when these thynges shall come to passe is a stronger ●…gation or denyall thenne yf in playne woordes he hadde sayde They can not shew●… the●… when these thynges shall comme to passe Marke also what rewarde is promised to the vsers of this foreshewynge that they shal be●… in Goddes wrathe as straw●… kyndeled with syre But I leaue this to theyr wysedom and discretion to consyder and wyll proce●…ede to the second kynde of particulars that is Elections or chusynges of dayes And here haue I nothyng to do with Galeues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it is meruayle yf that it be not obiected against me but I begynne with good dayes to let bloude And what is the cause of bloudde lettynge surely I thynke eyther to dyminishe humors in the body or els to abate heate or at least some suche cause in the body whiche if it be vrgent wyl not sticke to kyll the body without consideration of signe or planet orels if it be not so vehement wyl hurt the body without respect of good days or yll Therfore seyng this abundance of bloude wyll not tarie for good dais or yll but wyll procede to annoy the body wherfore shuld the body tarye for good sygnes to bee rydde of it And lykewise of purgations what sort soeuer they be If any thynge bee nedefull to be pourged yt wyll not ceasse from annoyeng vpon good dayes and woorke his malice onely vpon tuyll dayes but who so euer is troubled with any suche thynge shall feele that his disease lyttle regardeth the course of the starres and he yf he bee wyse wyll as little

notw e standing the argument is in force seing you know not what y e stars do signify you can not by their aspects tell of thyngs to come But there be som whi che as they thinke wil defend their science w e much more strength requiring that we shuld grant them y t al things in erth ar ruled gouerned by the power of y e heuēly signes Truly I am not so hard to be entre●… ted y e. I wold deny the Astrologiās being oppressed w e such calamite so litle a matter but rather I wil geue thē more thē they de mād such thigs as I wold beni thē if thei were obstinate and stubburn now flying to their shoote an●…re and last helpe I wyll gentilly graunt them All higher thynges saith Aristotle woorketh in the lower bebies Let al the power in these lower thinges be confessed to come from aboue Nei ther wyll we greatly at this tyme striue against that deriuation of causes deuysed by M●…rcutius Trismegistus from God to the angels from them to the heuens that it perteyneth to Fortune or fate which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither doo I see how it shoulde hurt oure cause that we haue in hande if we graunted theim that whiche they moste desire and moste earnestly require that is that the starres haue dominion exercise their power on mens matters contingently that is as it were a certaine inclination or some secrete motion for yf destenye consisted of the starres it coulde not be chaunged but as for the signification of the starres bothe we learne by experience neither doo the Prognosticators denye but that they may by diuers meanes be auerted or tourned to some other effect Therfore seyng we haue granted this that coulde not bee compelled I long to see what helpe you can from thens transferre to youre selues And nowe me thynketh I heare an Astrologian triumphyng on this maner If the course of the starres their reuolutions and aspectes do so strongly woorke in these lower bodies that they shuld be causes of many effectes in the earth what felowe is this that will denye a proposition bearynge witnes to so many learned mens writynges beyng allowed by so many authorities of all ages That the cause beeyng graunted the effect must needes folowe by what reason dare he affirme the cause and denye the effect●… But these so thretnyng wordes what are they at the length but very words in dede For geuynge to euery cause her propre effecte yet wyll I not graunt effecte to that whiche is no cause or if it be a cause I wil not graunt that to be the offect which they wyll haue For they knowe not what the starres doo cause or sygnifie but embracyng an art delyuered of their ancestors without any sure grounde or foundation haue it in estimatiō as a diuine knowlege whiche conteineth in it no more diuinitie and truthe then the rest of the Chaldeans superstitions that yet remayne of whome this science was receyued whiche learned wise philosophers in all ages contemned and vtterly despised And not only heathē men as Porphyrius whiche to Iamblicus saythe That it is impossible that a manu●… shuld knowe the signification of the celestiall reuolutions Iamblicus hymself whi che denyeth that any vertue or power descendeth frome the starres dyuers other contemned the vayne ostentation of this art But the prophete Hieremye himselfe with lowde voyce forbyddeth the Israelites to feare the influence of the starres as the heathen doo But therfore say you do they signifie nothyng Wherfore I pray●… you are they not to be feared eyther bycause they signify nothyng or bycause the signification of them to men is vncertain and vnknowen What doothe not Paule thapostle of the Gentiles exhort his scolar Titus that he regard not foolyshe and su perfluous questions of Genealogies and natiuities F●…r what cause then dothe Ieremie forbydde to feare and Paule to regarde Predi●…ions of Astrologye yf in theym were any thynge eyther to be feared or regarded Go youre wayes nowe and make the people afrayd with horrible threatnynges proclayme great calamitie to follow●… Of pestilence bat tayle and famyne or yf any thynge bee more greuous then these Warne them of a sodayn destruction that shall falle vppon theym As two yeares ago Cunyngham threatned to Egypte Babylon Constantinople and the Cities of Italye a mooste lamentable and vtter subuersion Had not the Italyans Egyptians Grecian●… and Chaldeans greate cause to feare consyderyng that by the iudgemente of astrologians so great ruine hanged ouer their heades Who wolde not in this case haue be●… afrayde except it were such as I can not tell howe preposterously woulde preferre Hieremies pro●…hecie before Cunynghā●… prognostication Lykewyse he that had rather gyue credyte to the Prognosticatours thenne to sainct Paule shoulde he not hauynge his natiuitie caste forsee by it what good thynges and what euyll●… thynges he shoulde in all his lyfe attayne so shall he deuyse to auoyde the euylle and brynge the good thynges to effecte O blockeheade that must haue thy Natiuitie caste howe dooest thou determyne to leade thy lyfe lyke a bruite beaste that thou wylle suffer all thynges to woorke vpon thee Wherefore serueth thy reason which thou dost not vse nay rather which thou dooste abuse in suche vanities ●…wynge thy fortune y e saist by thy natiuity thou wilte endeuour thy selfe to seeke for good thynges and auoyde euyll thynges Why wouldest thou not haue doon so although thou haddest neuer asked counsell of the 〈◊〉 Alas when wyl the world leaue to haue in admiration suche curious vanities But now an other obiection Berosus the Chaldean a most auncient histo riographer reporteth that the holy Patriarke Noah dyd forsee the vniuersall floud by the aspect of the starres and to the intent that he myght auoyd the danger therof he made the arke to preserue the life of hymselfe his sonnes and their wiues and beasts of euery kynde Then is not so auncient a science muche profitable ●…omans ▪ lyfe whiche the holye patriarke dyd practise and by helpe of which mākynd beasts and what soeuer in al the worlde was plesant or profitable in tyme past was preserued from vtter destruction This no lyght or contemptible author hath reported but euen Be●…osus the Chaldeā But Moses the Hebrue beyng also a most iust lawe geuer and historye writer as moste auncient so moste faithe worthy witnesseth That the Lorde God spake vnto Noah and foreshewed the vniuersall ●…loude commandynge hym to make the Arke And lest the Astrologians shulde dreame of a reuelation by the starres prescribed vnto hym a determinate forme and measure of the ship that he willed to be made Then where is your boastyng of the antiquitie and necessarys vse of Astrologie where be your bragges of the patriarke Noah whom you would haue to be a patron of your foly Shal we beleeue Moses whiche write that whiche was reueled by God orels Berosus whic●… studieng to aduance an art inuented of the

well for the vtter subuersion of this fained art as also for the better vnderstandyng of the cōmon people The preface to the Reader COnsyderyng with my selfe gentyl reader that so manynotable workmen at thys tyme hathe by theyr cunning also by their diligēt laboure haue layde the foundation of a moste woorthy buildynge also brought the same a good waye aboue the grounde intendynge by gods helpe not onely to finishe the playne worke thereof but also to garnishe it with suche ornamentes as myghte beseeme so princely a palayce I thoughte it not my parte for the good affection that I heart to the woorke to stande altogyther ydell yf by any meanes I myghte be profytable in the same And walkynge about to see the compasse and fasshion of it I perceyued that the great stones whiche pertayned to the structure were suche as neither by my strengthe I was able to lyste theym nor yet by my cunnyng in that kynd of mas●… ry to place and ioyne theim but as for hewyng or fashionyng them I sawe it was so farre aboue my knowledge and vnderstandyng that I dyd not ones applye my selfe to haue any medlynge with them At the last when I had ●…ewed all other thynges sufficiently I espied a lyttle heape of rubbyshe whyche not only hyndered them that wente to and fro o●…er it in specdynge their worke but also semed to be no small deformitie to the leuelled playnesse of the statte forme whereon the buyldyng should stande I myghte see also that some of the master masons them selues had taken paines in remouynge the same vnprofytable Chaos which caused me to thynke that I coulde not be better occupied then to conney the same quight out of the way that it shoulde neyther be a lette nor an yll sight in the procedyng of so necessary busynes Wherefore I prepared and made for my selfe as it were a lyttell wicker baskette whiche I myght easily beare so cary away this hyndryng heape where it shalbe confused and utterly dispersed abroade And although the substance of my bas kette be symple and weake yet it is good enoughe to cary tubb●…●…he and suche lyght stuffe as I put therin But as soone as I beganne to tourne vp the vpper parte therof I vnderstode that because it had lyenge longe compacte togyther thers was bredde in it a great numbre of toades and snakes that beganne to hysse and spewe out theyr poyson agaynst me bycause I diseased theim of their nesle and barrborowe But God be thanked I come not naked among them I haue an armoure called Veritas that is able to withstande the malice euen of dragons and crocodiles Som men perchāce wolde meruayle why I woulde not strike ●…eim that so furiousely haue gone about to stynge me In deede I haue prepared al redy moderate defence but I staye vppon certayne dóubtes that are these Fyrst whether it be the poynte of al●…ned manne to rayle or no●… Secondely whether the conclusion in Syllogismo litigiolo bee good or no And thirdly whether there be a kynde of argument called Syllogismus conuciatorius or no these doubtes resolued I wold●… procede As for Uaughan I haue nothing to dooe with hym but to wysshe hym his tyghte wyttes and a good tongue I haue taken vpō me to dissolue this masse at astrologie and that by goddes helpe I wyll doo to the vttermoste of my power so that my contention is agaynst no mā But my labour is to remoue this obstacle out of good menues waies and if any yll men hereafter exercise their malyce vpon me I must nedes say as Socrates sayde Though an asse spurne agaynst me I wil not go to lawe with hym Therefore they that haue delyte in railyng let them rayle and spare not They that haue pleasure in scoffyng lette theim scoffe and flowte tyll they haue proued theym selues cōmen parasites and sycophantes in so dooynge I wyll not ones be moued with suche vnhoneste meanes But yf any man shall propounde any probable argument to mayntayne this cause I wyll doo the best I can to answer it and if I be not able as I haue always offered I wyll yelde vnto hym Wherefore gentyll reader if thou cansts fynde thy selfe eased with any of these two small trauayles I haue my request TO begyn playnly as we entende to procede we must fyrst calle to remembraunce what matter we haue in hāde and then with like plainnesse declare what playne order we ent●…nde to take in discussyng of the same Therfore omyttynge all colours of rhetor●…ke and all impediments of paynted speache our pur pose is to speake it at one breathe vtterly to ouerthrowe the science of astrologie Astrologie leste any man shoulde doubte bycause it is no Englishe worde is sayd to be a knowledge wherby the practisers of it saye that they can tell of all thyng that are not come to passe before they come to passe by the course mouyng of the starres or els to describe it more plainely is y t knowledge by whiche the prognosticatiōs be made that tell of rayne and fayre weather sickenes and health warre peace plentie and dearthe with suche lyke By whiche also they cast your natiuities tell you ●…oure fortunes pretende to gyue you knowledge of thinges that be lost and last of all appoynt you dayes and tymes good or euyll for all thynges that you haue to doo As for workes of phisike to let bloud to take purgations and al other medicins for other cōmon matters to sow to plant to iourney by lande to iourney by water to bye and sell to marye to begynne anye woorke and fynally to attempt any thyng that men vse cōmonly in their lyfe to doo Our intent is therfore in this shorte Trea tise to persuade all such as he therto beyng deceiued by a false opinion of learnynge haue gyuen credite vnto them that herafter yf they see that all is not onely vayne but also vngodlye they cleane forsake them and theyr prophesie●… as thyngs that lette them to prosper well in theyr busines and also hynder theim to put theyr truste in God and his promyses For what confidence hathe be in god or his worde that dare not take in hande any honest and ver●…ous affaires in which God hath promised to ayde and set forwarde all theim that loue hym except ●…e must fyrste aske counsayle of a blynde southsayer and Astrologiā And let them not be offended though I call theim blynde for accordynge to the prouerbe Who is so blynde as he that wil not see But perchaunce so●…me will say●… that bycause I am blynde and ignoraunt in so goodlye a science therefore I 〈◊〉 dysprayse it As towchynge that matter they haue no cause to say so for be it spoken withoute diswoorshyp of any of theym and with smalle pryde in my self I knowe what the arte is as well as they and so muche the rather doo I condemne it leste seynge the vanitie and vncertaintie thereof I shoulde bee counted as they are wylfully

blynde and not seyng when theyr eyes bee open Thus much for oure entente our order shall be suche as best maye be perceyued For wee wylle fyrste speak●… agaynste the wholle knowledge generally and thenne particularly agaynste euery membre and parcell thereof And because wee wylle spende no paper in superfluous sentences we must remembre what was sayd in the former booke that it was impossible for any man to haue any knowledge of thynge●… to comme ●…y the course of the starres Wherevnto wee wyll adde for playnner ●…nderstandynge this that foloweth As towchyng t●… mouynge and course of th●… hea●…ens bycause menne may see th●…ym they myghte also as they haue doo●… by longe and dilygent obseruation fynd out a learnyng that shuld ●…each the truth of thē but seing the starres be all of one forme or facion y t is sphericall or rounde like a ball although some be greatter then some also some hygher then some it can not be that a man beholdyng or lookyng vpon them shoulde vnderstande of what qualities or significations they are As for the coloure of them although to speake exquisitely by the rules of natural philosophie they haue no colour is ●…o lyke in moste exceptynge the sonne and the moone that in so smalle varietie of colours a man can not discern so dyuers and manye qualities And not withstandynge that they ymagine the planette Saturne to bee blacke or blewe and Mars to be redde or fyery they can if they were disposed I meane the learned sorte gyue an other reason of theyr colour nothynge seruynge for the auauncement of theyr pretende●… knowledge By this it is manyfest that by seeyng lookynge or beholdyng the starres no man can knowe what they signifye forasmuche as by the syght nothyng can properly be perceyued but colour and fashion Then what waye is it possible that a man shuld vnderstand what those hygh bodies all of one colour●… and fashion shoulde betoken Some wyll say peraduenture that as the course of the starres was founde out by diligent obseruation so lykewyse theyr sygnifications were learned by earneste markyng wha●… chaunced alwayes vnder euery sygne or planet Howe vntrue this is we shal part ly nowe declare and partly leaue tyll we come to the particulars Fyrst therfore that their significations coulde not so be learned it is manyfest by this reason That those thynges whyche chaunce or come to passe bee infinite that is innumerable to men howe then coulde a certayn numbre of men know or learne whether all those thynges came to effecte as they had marked in a few for although they had taken their obseruation in as ma ny as they coulde yet were there manye mo yea tenne thousande tymes as manye whiche they knew not of that myght happen clean●… contrary to theyr deuise Dothe it not then playnly appeare that by obseruation no man coulde discerne what those sygnes and heauenly bodies dyd forshew Then if neither by beholdyng thē nor yet by marking or obseruatiō of thē it might be that mans witte coulde fynde out their signification there remayneth no waye howe to knowe them but that fonde fantasy of reuelation by some spirite or aungelle Whiche I haue not without a cause before touched although some wold think that I ymagin that obiection of my selfe because that of some it is so obiected not onely in woordes but also in writynge Concernynge reuelation we haue some ●…ynge sayde all readye wherevnto we wyll ioyne this that God vse●… not by his mynysters to reueale any knowledge vnto menne but suche as is to his glory and theyr profyte Nowe what auayleth it to Goddes glorye that mortall men shoulde haue vnderstandynge of all thynges that he purposeth to doo as who shoulde saye he woulde haue men as cunnynge as hym selfe or as thowghe he shoulde rule the world by theyr prognostications And no profyte canne it bee to menne to haue suche knowledge whyche yf it were true as it is moste ●…alse they were not able to preuente If God therefore dooeth not reueals any thynge whiche is not to his glorye and the proufyte of his creatures me thynke that vayne obiection is cleane put out of the waye Lette this suffise for our purpose of inueyenge generally Therefore proceede we to the particulars whiche althoughe there bee as many as there bee dyuers actions yet we wyll intreate onely of two●… sortes the one of foreshewynge the states of thynges and tymes that other of chusyng dayes and oportunyties And to begyn with that whyche semeth chieffest amonge theym to prognosticate of warre and peace I meruayle that menne are so madde as to looke for warre oute of theyr predictions knowing that the cause therof proceedeth not of the starres but of the deuyll whyche alwaye labourethe to breake the bondes of vnitie and concorde that shoulde be among christian men And where doothe he plant the cause therof but in the kyng whose heart the scripture witnesseth that as the diuisions of waters so is it in the lordes hande and whether he will he moueth it Seyng therfore that the kyng is not subiect to the influence of the starres neyther is anye thing that procedeth from hym gouerned by theim and thenne consequentlye and necessarilye it folowethe that all matters concernynge the commune wealthe as warre and peace discorde and rebellyon lawes and suche lyke can neyther bee forshewen nor foreseene by Astrologie dearthe and plentye bee caused by reasone of seasonable weather or vnseasonable Then yf the starres haue nothyng to doo with wether they haue lesse to dooe with plentie or scarcity which ar caused therby As for clowdes wherof rayne commeth they are drawen vp in thynne vapours by the heate of the sonne into the myddle region of the ayre and there by colde are made grosse then by some wyndes they ar dissipated and dryuen abroade or elles by some resolued and drop downe And thys is the cause for the moste part of rayne fayre wether so y e except the vncertayntie of the wynd may be knowen by the stars rayne and fayre wether can neuer be foreshewed But wherof commeth the wynd ▪ I am sure they wyll not denye the Philosophers definition gathered oute of the seconde booke of his Meteors which is that the wynde is an exhalation whot and dry drawen vp by the heate of the Sonne and for the weight of it selfe fallyng downe is laterally or sydelonges caried aboute the earthe By this definition all power of signifying starres is cleane excluded And as towchynge the place frome whens the wynd bloweth the same philosopher doth also declare that as it hapneth the matter thereof to be caried so frome that place it moueth And here by the way where as I vse the wordes of Happen and Chaunce you muste not take me that I meane the thynge shoulde come by blynde fortune or case For I am of opinion that nothyng commeth to passe without a cause but my meanyng is that by the causes and occasions therof so it came to effect But