Art of this is taken out of the first part of Apotelesmatical Constructions called by Ptolemy Catholicon Tetra lib. 1. VVhere he acquainteth his Astrologer in giving Iudgement of the Ascendant of a City to take knowledge of the Sun and Moons place in the Zodiaque which they had at the laying of the Foundation but especially of the Ascendant as the most principal Angle And in p. 32. He further says Now because that in the Nativities of Cities as in the Genitures of Men the Astrology is the same here you see that hard Stone and soft Flesh are under the same Astrological care and cognizance therefore after consideration had of the Life and Being of the City from the Horoscope the next care taken was of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or part of Fortune the second Ascendant so called in the Figures of Men. And a little before this in p. 31. we meet with a famous Instance of this practice for which we are indebted to this Author and Gauricus that in the Instauration of Rome by Pope Paul the Third Gauricus drew the Figure of the Heavens Vincentius Campanatius observed the time by his Astrolabe toward the Instant whereof he cryed out with a loud Voice Ecce adest hora precisa Decima Sexta feré Then immediately Ennius verulanus the Cardinal laid the first Stone He goes on saying these Catholique Nativities were so much believed by the Antient Kings saith Haly that they enquired into the Genitures of all the principal Nati under their Dominions VVhere if the Planets were found to look with a malicious Eye upon the Nativity of the Kingdom Interficiebant eum puerum quod ejus Regnum erat contra Regnum ipsorum § 111. 'T is possible the Superstition might go too far But allow it to be Superstition and to have over-shot it self yet that there is Truth lodged even in some Superstitious practices these Learned Men and Instances prove And that Ptolemy you see is mistaken and misunderstood by the Author of Cometomantia and so also are the rest of the Learned Astrologers VVhen he with a strange confidence asserts That the most Learned and Iudicious Astrologers have not asserted the Doctrine of Genitures VVhich in opposition to his said Assertion we see they have very remarkably and that not only of Men but of Buildings too Not only of soft Flesh but of hard Stone § 112. And although this practice of the Antient Arabians was by their Superstitious severity abused yet I see not but that very excellent use might be made thereof even among Christians For if any person were found to have a Geniture that should cast a malicious Eye upon that of the Government though I should not give my Vote they should therefore be barbarously or inhumanly Butcher'd Yet sure it were no injury to the principles of Humanity good policy or of Religion to have such persons kept from prejudicing the Government or of rendring it troubled and uneasy by preventing the Advancement of such into places of Trust and Honour For if it be a Truth and sure the Sages of former times were not all Blind that some Persons may be born Enemies to a Government The only way to make them so and prove the Stars true is to capacitate them by Preferment or great places of Trust to disturb and in time destroy it But this is a String ought to be touch'd very tenderly Astrology although it can lay a just Title to many excellent Truths hath not in this Age arrived to that strength of Perfection as to give a casting Vote in the case and it may be will not be able in many Ages to reach unto it And know good Reader that in all things I shall ever Submit but shall never presume to prescribe to Authority § 113. But Secondly Having proved my Antagonist to be mistaken in Ptolemy let us see how far Iunctinus is serviceable to him and his cause The Learned Iunctinus is also an allowed Pillar of Astrology by the Opponent and therefore the better Iudge in the present Controversy And if we but peruse his Speculum Astrology as well his larger as lesser Volumes bearing that Name we shall certainly find him so far from refusing to Ascert the Doctrine of Genitures that he hath as much as any Man nay more than many other Astrologers Install'd and Enfranchis'd the same Vid. Spect. Astrol. Printed at Lyons Anno 1572. And that the truth of this matter may more plainly appear and my Antagonist receive the great satisfaction he may find that this his Chosen Author Iunctinus hath owned the Doctrine of Genitures to be of so Large and Comprehensive an extent as to contain even the Horoscopes of Buildings no less than those of Men of hard Stones as well as of soft Flesh as Ptolomy had done before him In p. 313. of the beforesaid Book this Learned Author in favour of the Nativities of Buildings hath inserted the Nativity of the Noble City of Venice with an Astrological Iudgement thereon Which for the Honour of Astrological Truth and the advantage of Artists and full Conviction of my mistaken Adversary in this Point I will here produce as follows The Nativity of the City of Venice § 141. HAec Civitas hactenus suam libertatem conservat ex prudentia scientiaque suorum Senatorum Verum Anno 1551. Solis labor qui in 26 grad cancri in horoscopo ipsius civitatis Eclipsabitur pollicetur seditiones multa mala in statu Senatorio tandem plures ex plebe mala morte terminum significat Qua propter magna detrimenta patientur etiam prelio Navali superabuntur recipient damna maxima à proditoribus suis. Veruntamen exaltabuntur super alios Vrbes custodient suam libertatem ut insinuat Sol in radice positus in Culmine Caeli in suo theono triplicitate qui dabit audaciam in periculis ac pro Aristocratia conservationem sunt tamen ipsi Senatores ad literas apti ut insinuant Mercurius Jupiter in nona Domo conjuncti quae est Domus Scientiarum Vnde apparebunt sapientes in omnibus actionibus rebus publicis Et ad publicam utilitatem erunt omnes paratissimi qua propter nomen eorum erit insigne ac gloriosum ut ostendit Sol in Culmine ipsius Caeli positus Jupiter Mercurius in nona Domo decernunt Religionis conservationem ac utilia itinera per aquam cum Divitiarum augmentatione sed experientur aliquod accidens in eorum substantiis Quoniam Sol Dominus Secundae Domus est male affectus cum parte fortunae Si quis autem interrogaret utrum Mars in diametro Soli decernat Regnum diuturnum stabilia Responderem quod Imperia non sunt Eterna sed mutabilia secundum influxus Caelestes Et ut dicit Lucas Gauricus vir Doctus Excellens in judiciis Astrologicis quod venetiarum Senatores Dominii Sceptra ministrabunt ad calcem virginei part us 1880. Anni
Cardines Coeli OR AN APPEAL To the Learned and Experienced Observers of Sublunars and Their Vicissitudes whether the CARDINAL SIGNS OF HEAVEN Are not most Influential upon Men and Things Proved by X. Remarkable GENITURES c In a Reply to the Learned Author of COMETOMANTIA Wherein the Character of GASSENDUS is Defended And sundry other Starry Truths are Justified By JOHN GADBURY Student in Physick and Astrology Qui Artem aliquam destruit longe deterior est imperito nec vacat mens illius Malitia Desidia Ignorantia Cardan Tantae dignitatis est humana Genitura ut in eam omnes Coelorum partiter atque terrarum potestates conspirent atque miraculosè suis in explicabilibus donis exornent Naibod Coment in Cap. 1. Ptolom Why Art should be Excluded from the Cognizance of Nativities I cannot see since Praedictions according to the Precepts of Art for many Ages known and approved have been found so True Dr. R. Gell. Stell Nov. page 9. LONDON Printed Anno Domini MDCLXXXIV To the Truly Honourable And constantly LOYAL my ever Honour'd Friend Sir EDWARD DERING of SHARSTED in the County of KENT K nt One of His Majesties Commissioners of the PEACE for the said COUNTY Honoured Sir NOt so much for your Countenance and Encouragement to Me though that 's a favour I shall ever covet as to the TRUTH do I at this time appear before you and pray your Iudgement in a Cause which against my will I am made a PARTY to by a Learned yet unknown ADVERSARY I am Learned Sir for the Truth 's sake assaulted And I cannot but with an humble security promise my self where I have ever found even in Arduous Cases a Refuge that Divine URANIA can never fail of finding her ASYLUM It is not I therefore but TRUTH that seeks your Noble PATRONAGE at this Time My ADVERSARY seems to be a Benefic'd Man though not the Poor One he Stiles himself that I look on only as Complement to my Lord Bishop and gives us to understand that he can by the Canon wear a ShortGown I hope he intends not to Lengthen his Garment by Plowing Furrows upon the Back of my Reputation I never did him wrong I do not know him But as for Me Learned Sir I have not the Honour of either Benefice or Gown to boast of Yet when I consider I have your Favour I esteem that every whit as Great and as Dear to Me. The Great Doctor of the Gentiles tells us as Truly as Eloquently That all are not Israel that are of Israel And I find a Man may be in Orders and Benefic'd too and yet have somewhat of the Salamander in him which may make even the Flames of Contention his Delight I could willingly hope better of my Learned Adversary though all things consider'd I have but little Reason For I believe I am the First Man that have been questioned for matter of Fact in Art after Twenty Four years time and I think my Antagonist is the First CLERGIMAN that ever serv'd any Man so whereas if either the Divine or Moral Law had been valuable with Him in this matter a Seven years space must have Limited us both and cover'd my Imperfections had I been guilty with an AMNESTIA or a JUBILEE It is my great unhappiness not to be acquainted with that most Noble Lord and Excellent PRELATE before whom my Adversary hath Arraigned me that I might have presumed to entrust my Cause with Him For I am fully perswaded He would do me Iustice as Fame tells me He doth to the whole World But I have an Humble Sign Ascending at my Birth and dare not be Confident but where I am thoroughly Known And that is another Reason most Honour'd Sir why I implore your Worthy Iudgement between Me and my Opponent I have had and ever shall have an Honour and Reverence for the Church and all the Worthy Dignitories thereof esteeming them the Lawful Ambassadors of the Blessed Iesus And could I be Reasonably perswaded that either my STUDY or PRACTICE of ASTROLOGY were UNLAWFUL and prejudicial to Either I would never Set a FIGURE or make an ALMANACK more So much unwilling am I Sir to Offend those I ought to Obey So far should I be from Opposing the truly Venerable Persons of that Sacred Order But Learned Sir when I know that many of our best Authors in ASTROLOGY have been DIVINES who have not only largely Cultivated but liberally Defended the ART I cannot believe that I ERR in pursuing so Harmless so Useful so Veritable a STUDY Sed sub Iudice lis est The Matter is before you Honour'd Sir and your Noble Iudgement is Prayed in the Case I will not be affraid or troubled at whatsoever CENSURE you shall please to Pass For I am well assured that your Knowledge in Art is such as renders you a most Proper and Capable JUDGE in this Affair and I dare believe That like Soloman you will Judge Righteous Iudgement Let the Mothers of both Children or Arguments Plead as animated by their Passions never so waywardly or in Favour of their own Cause or Issue Let the TRUTHS of ASTROLOGY Rise and Shine under your Favour and Protection and the ERRORS pretended to belong thereunto be ever Banish'd and Disown'd as by your Honour'd Self so by All that shall dare to profess themselves Subjects of URANIA Thus begging your Pardon for my presumption in this bold Address which I can almost promise my self from your Noble Nature the occasion consider'd give me leave hereby to Thank you for all your Manifold Favours chiefly those afforded me in the time of my greatest Distress when you so Generously interposed on my behalf and helped to stop the Mouths of LYONS that were then opened against Me and heartily wishing both to You and to your most Excellent and ever Virtuous LADY all Happiness both here and hereafter I remain Most Honour'd Sir Your ever Obliged and most Faithful Humble Servant and Honourer JOHN GADBURY To the Impartial Readers AS a very Learned Divine most truly said of Religion so may I as justly of Astrology It is a common thing for its Enemies to throw Dirt in the Face thereof and then perswade themselves that it is Natural Complexion They present it in a Shape most Ugly and Deform'd and then bring That as a Plea wherefore they esteem it no more or give it no better Entertainment Needs must the greatest and transporting Beauty in the World appear uncomly and carry a Cloudy Aspect with it if compell'd to wear the Vizor or bear the Marks of Pride and Calumny and to suffer under the Scars of Ignorance and Prejudice Might but Urania be permitted to keep her Native Colour and Complexion only Her brightness is such that it would Out-shine all other Objects and dazle the dull beholders But to be Beautiful is bless'd Urania's Crime Os homini Sublime dedit c. Nor were those Glorious Lamps of Heaven made only to stare on but to
else in this he hath said nothing that I only in my Collection of Genitures subjoyn to Mr. Lilly's Nativity Mr. Lilly's own words and what himself hath said of his having the Moon in Pisces in his Epistle to his Almanack 1645. which he says made him a piece of a good Fellow And this my Antagonist might have seen Quoted by me if he had pleased But none so blind as they that won't see § 101 But where doth my Antagonist find the words Wet and Drinking I am very sure my Book furnisheth him not That was my Opponents own wity addition for the Iests sake And let him be merry with all my heart And if he delight to Burlesque the Truth let him also be as Free with me much good may it do him I cannot suffer in better company § 102. Nay this my Antagonist may if he please find that in my Obsequium Rationabile or defence of Scorpio where I have occasion to bring in the Learned Doctor Fisk's Geniture who also had the Moon in Pisces I very plainly tell Mr. Lilly with a tacit reprehension for his jesting with serious things That the Moon in Pisces signifies something else besides a good Fellow Neither had I of any man any reason to make sport with the Moon in Pisces unless with the Bald Knight in the Apologue I resolv'd to laugh at my self it being one of the best positions in my Geniture and of which I have no cause I bless God to be ashamed § 103. I will now make my Adversary himself Judge whether he hath dealt truely with me in laying at my Door the Levity of another as also his soon after suggesting That such Fancies are oftentimes the products of a Capricious and Fanciful of a Spightful and Malicious Brain Good Sir not too fast Festina lente Fair and softly goes far Either what you have urged against me must be True or False If True I beseech you prove it to be such If False it will appear then that it is not my Brain that is Capricious Fanciful Spightful and Malicious but Yours In pure Justice Sir I expect your Retractation as you are a Clergyman and a Christian. § 104. My Antagonist as if he had been in the right all this while Rears another Story upon the former Sandy-Foundation for me to Demolish affirming thus And for this reason as well as some others particularly because these Men have undertaken to Calculate the Nativities of Buildings as well as of Humane Bodies of hard Stones no less than of soft Flesh the most Learned and Iudicious Astrologers have not ascerted the Doctrine of Genitures although in other things they have defended Astrological Judgements p. 260. Commeto § 105. Would not an ordinary Reader believe there were some Truth at least in a Story so smoothly told And that the Doctrine of Genitures was really Renounced and Reprobated by the most Learned Astrologers How hard is it for any man even the most Learned to oppose the Truth and escape undiscover'd 'T is difficult Learned Sir to kick against These Pricks and not to come off wounded § 106. If I should demand of my Opponent what Learned and Iudicious Astrologers those were which he talks of that have denied the Doctrine of Genitures I am perswaded it would very much puzzle if not confound him to name them Sure he doth not mean Picus Erastus Gassendus Doctor More c. for his Learned and Iudicious Astrologers These have been all Enemies unto the Art and have wrote most violently against it And I am very certain that Ptolemy and Iunctine both which he produces to confront Astrologers and confute their Follies in some things can be none of the Persons he means for both of Them very largely Assert the Doctrine of Genitures Yes and those of Buildings too Of hard Stone no less than of soft Flesh. And this I hope most fully to prove from them if that will satisfie the Learned Objector Who sure talks at this strange Rate not that he believes what he says but only to try what acquaintance I have with those Learned Authors and how able I am to defend the Art I profess § 107. First then for Ptolemy the Prince of Astrologers as this Antagonist most truely Stiles him That he is no renouncer of the Doctrine of Genitures but on the contrary a great Friend to the Genethliacal part of Astrology as the Third and Fourth Books of the Quadripartite most egregiously prove For in them he Handles the whole Art of Nativities And what thinks my Antagonist can this be true and yet he no Friend to the Subject Let but my Opponent seriously or indeed but cursorily consult those Books and if he please Cardan and Naybode their Commentaries upon them and he will quickly find cause to Retract this his Rash and Vnadvised Ascertion And if he do not take all Genethliaques for Mad-men or Fools and my self for the greatest among them he would never sure once offer'd to have impos'd such an Ascertion upon the World to believe and upon Me to answer § 108. A little further the Centiloquium which my Adversary allows to be Ptolemy's and makes use of it as such for Proof of his Doctrine of Comets c. abounds with Genethliacal Aphorisms And among the rest the 36 and 54 Aphorisms do evince most plainly the Nativities of Buildings proving to us that hard Stone no less than soft Flesh is liable to Caelestial Energy Hear how he speaks in opposition to my Learned Adversary thus Aph. 36. In Condendis Vrbibus stellis Fixis quae conferre habeunt utere In aedificandis vero Domibus Erraticis i. e. In the Building of Cities 't is necessary to make use of the Fixed Stars But in the Construction of Houses the Planets Now unless my Opponent can affirm and prove that Houses and Cities are not such things as cousist of hard Stone Ptolemy hereby proves them subject to the Influences of the Stars Again in Aph. 54. Dominatores in aedificationibus ubi copulantur stellae subterraneae edificii erectionem impediunt i. e. VVhen the principal Lords or Governours of Buildings are joyned to Planets Subterranean they impede the progress of them These are Ptolemy's words in his Centiloquium allowed by my Adversary VVhat thinks he now Doth Ptolemy deny the Doctrine of Genitures whether it be of hard Stone or soft Flesh Or not I cannot now methinks forbear blushing for my Antagonist § 109. And to strengthen this Argument a little more I shall here beg leave to borrow a few Lines from that excellent Divine and Philosopher Mr. Iohn Gregory of Christ-Church Oxon which will prove a great Ornament to Astrology and also to the Question under Debate § 110. The Ascendant of a City saith this excellent man from Haly is that Sign cujus ascensione quis incipit collocare primarium Lapidem which riseth in the Horoscope at the laying of the first Stone Notes on Script p. 30. He likewise affirms that the