putrefactions and the Sun gives no other 11 If you find Mars in a fiery sign judge the disease either a burning Feaver called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or else the pestilence if Saturne beare a share in signification with him melancholy beares a share or else a duske choler which is more usuall 12 Mars in common signes varies the disease take heed of relapse the Crisis is as certaine as a weather-cock so exceeding swift and sudden will they come even as swift as the wind not waiting the Moons leasure In such a case you may more safely iudge by the aspects of the Moon to the Planets then by the Crisis 13 Mars in Leo afflicts the heart the disease is a Feaver and the cause of it Choler 14. Alwayes when Mars signifies the disease it is very short but extream acute 15 If the Sun at the decumbiture be afflicted by the body or Quartile Opposition Antiscion of Saturne the disease is Saturning Melancholy and will in all probability last longer then you would willingly have it 16 If the Sun be afflicted in the same manner by Mars the cause is choler the motion of the disease is as swift as the wind and as violent as the whirlwind 17 If Venus be ill affected to the sicke the disease comes of Intemperance either one way or another perhaps with drinking perhaps by venereall sports what ere the cause be those parts of the body signified by Venus suffer for it 18 Venus in fiery signes causeth one day Feavers but if Mars joyne with her in signification the Feaver is rotten and proceeds from flegme 19 If Mercury be infortunate and cause the disease he proclaimes that the infirmity lies in the braine perhaps madnesse or falling sicknesse or it may be the man dreams waking 20 If Mercury joyne in signification with Mars you may be confident the disease is a frenzie 21 The Lord of the ninth in the sixth witchcraft is to be feared or else the disease lies very occult I doubt my Author is mistaken surely it should be the Lord of the 12th in the 6th for the Lord of the 9th should rather occasion the disease about some whimsies in Religion 22 The Moon in Aries in the 8th afflicts the head with a disease to hot for it to bear whether the disease lie in the mind or in the body CHAP. XI How to know whether the disease be in the mind or in the body ALL the Aphorismes of my Author upon this question are got so deeply together by the ears and in such a hubbub that I know not in the world which way to goe about to reconcile them every following Aphorisme thwarts him that goes before in one he affirmes that the Sunne Moone and ascendent rule the body and the Lord the mind The very next Aphorisme affirmes the contrary most of them contradict one another in such a hideous manner that I was forced to leave their companies and search other Authors for a resolution of this point and they conclude that the Sun Moon and Ascendent signifies the body and their Lord the mind and if this may be taken for truth the directive Aphorismes are these 1 The Sun Moon and Lord of the Ascendent impedited and their Lord safe shewes the disease lyes in the body and not in the mind 2 If their Lord be impedited and they safe the disease lyes in the mind and not in the body 3 If both Sun Moon and the Ascendent and their Lord also be impedited or the greatest part of them both body and mind are diseased and this I confesse is something rationall 4 Saturne generally signifies melancholy and by consequence alienation of mind madnesse c. and therefore alwayes you find him to be significator of the disease or in the ascendent or in the 6th house afflicting the Lord of the Ascendent or either of the Luminaries the sick is afflicted with care or griefe or something else that 's as bad be sure the mind suffers for it 5 If Jupiter be significator of the disease it lies in the body if it lye anywhere for Jupiter never troubles unlesse it be that Monster which men call Religion 6 It were a good thing when a man is troubled in minde if an Artist could tell the cause of this his trouble that you may do so make use of these two or three rules there is enough of them though there be but few if you have but witt enough to know by a penny how a shilling is coyned they are these 1 If the Sun be Author of the distemper as he may be if he be Lord of the House Ascendent 6th or 12th houses the distemper comes through pride ambition or vain-glory 2 If it be Jupiter it comes through religion some idle Preist hath scar'd the poor creature out of his wits 3 If it be Venus Love luxurious expence or something else of like nature is the cause 4 If Mercury be the afflicting Planet the sick is pestered with a parcell of strange imaginations and as many vaine feares attend him great vexation or study or both is the cause By these you may find out all the rest for this is the sum of the businesse CHAP. XII How it may be knowne what part of the body is afflicted THat this may be knowne for t is not onely possible but also probable be pleased to consider 1 If the signe the Lord of the 6th possesseth especially if he be an infortune or a fortune infortunated And then 2 Consider what part of the body the signe he is in governs as Aries governes the head Taurus the neck and throat c. and be sure that part 's afflicted 3 Consider what parts of the body the afflicting Planet rules which are under that signe and you need not question but that 's afflicted for example Venus though she rule many parts of the body yet in Scorpio she rules under the privities 4 Saturne Lord of the 6th and in the 10th in Taurus afflicts the body universally but especially the left side 5 Saturne Lord of the sixth in the last degrees of Gemini or in the first degree of Cancer causeth paine in the left side as though an Awle were running to it 6 Saturne Lord of the 6th in Leo in the second house causeth pains in the back and heart the originall of which saith my Author is bloud but I should rather thinke it Melancholy 7 If he bein Virgo the 12th house signifies paine in ths head If he be in Mars orientall and slow in motion signifies diseases in the Reines as the gravell stone and pissing bloud I confesse I can give no reason for all this 8 If Saturne be Lord of the disease and in Aquarius the disease comes by travaile 9 Mars Lord of the 6th and in the 5th and in Scorpio gives an internall pain in all parts of the body if it be a woman she is not well in her wombe the illnesse of which afflicts all her body
Palsies Cholick Belly-ach diseases in the Stones Bladder and instruments of Generation stopping and overflowing of the Terms in Women Dropsies Fluxes all cold and Rhumatick diseases Gout Sciatica Wormes in the Belly Rhumes and hurts in the Eyes Surfets rotten Coughs Convulsions Falling-sicknesse Kings-Evil Aposthumes small Pox and Measles all coagulated and crude humours in any part of the body Lethargies and all diseases of Flegme thus my Author Amongst these I except against 1. Apoplexies and you shall find my reason within a quarter of an hour unlesse you fall asleep with reading 2. Diseases in the Instruments of Generation for they are caused by Venus and Mars by the one by Sympathy by the other by Antipathy 3. The Gout is caused by Saturn Who knows but that 's the reason why he moves so slowly Now must I leave the Moon and mount up to Saturn for I am like the World never in a Station Under Saturn say Authors are Apoplexies Tooth-ach Quartain Agues all diseases which come of Melancholy cold and drinesse Leprosie Rhumes Consumptions Black-Jaundise Palsies Trembling vain-feares formidable fancies of a Hob-gobling Dropsies Gouts of all sorts a Dog-like-hunger Hemorrhoides broken Bones and Dislocations Deafness pain in the bones Ruptures if he be in Leo or Scorpion or in an ill aspect to Venus Iliack passion Chin-cough Catharr's pains in the Bladder all long diseases all madnesse that comes of Melancholy fear or griefe If you will give me leave after I have been first a little Critical I will be secondly a little instructive 1. I except against Apoplexies and if you would learn why you shall so soon as you have learned a little Patience 2. I except against Dropsies for they are under the Moon 3. I except against Catharr's for they are under Jupiter or Mercury or both 4. I except against Dog-like hunger for it 's under Mars A few instructions would I very willingly give you if I thought you would be so wise to heed them I had as good give them you under Saturn as under another Planet I will not give them you under each Planet because hee 's a foolish Musician that harps alwayes on on one string A planet causeth diseases 1 By Sympathy 2 By Antipathy And as the cause is so must the cure be unlesse you wic do as Scogging did strike him that stands next you because another another abuses you These diseases Saturne causeth by Sympathy Tooth-ach broken bones the reason is because he rules the bones Deafnesse he cavseth because he rules the eares Melancholy and all diseases of the spleen by the same argument 2 Also he afflicts all the parts of the body that are under the Moon by antipathy and likewise he playes the same tricks with those that are under the Sun you shall know what they are by and by The great wisedome of a Physician is to know whether Saturne cause the disease by Symapthy or Antepathy and then take nothing that as the cause is so is the cure Sympatheticall or antipatheticall and withall do not forget that sympatheticall cures strenthennature antipatheticall cures in one degree or another weaken it And now your owne mother-wit if you have any wil teach you that antipathetical Medicins are not to be used unlesse to such patients whom Doctor Ignorance or Doctor Carelesnesse hath had so long in hand that sympatheticall will not serve the turne To bring all this to the point in hand that so it may be usefull If Saturne cause the disease by sympathy cure it by the sympatheticall hearbs of Saturne If he cause the disease by antipathy note whether it be antipathy to Sun or Moone or if it happen in the instruments of generation be sure it is by antipathy to Venus Make use of the sympatheticall hearbs of those Planets respectively for cure you shall not live the age of a little fish before I give you rationall instructions for them all I now leave Saturne and come a little lower to Jupiter Jupiter they say causeth Apoplexies all infirmities of the Liver and Veins inflammations of the Lungs Plurifies and other Aposthumes about the Breast and Ribs all diseases proceeding of putrefaction of blood and wind quinsies feavers and other diseases which Authors either for want of witt or super-abundance of ignorance are pleased to attribute to him Against these I except 1 Against Apoplexies for it cannot come about that all the Planets should cause Apoplexies if so they would be more frequent then they are 2 Against corruption of blood For Saturne corrupts the blood by melancholy and Mars by choler Mars Diseases under Mars are pestilences burning feavers tertian and quotidian agues megrim carbuncles and plague sores burning scalding ring-wormes blisters phrensie furie hare-braines sudden distempers in the head coming of heat yellow-jaundise bloody-flux fistula's All wounds whatsoever Diseases in the instruments of generation the stone in the reins and bladder scars and pock-holes in the face all hurts by iron and fire the shingles falling siknesse calentures St. Anthonies fire all diseases coming of choler anger or passion Amongst all these I can justly except but against one and that is the falling sicknesse which is under the Moon And your selfe will be of my opinion if you please but to take notice that those hideous fits usually come at conjunction opposition and quartile of the Moon to the Sun Venus Diseases under Venus are all diseases of the wombe whatsoever as suffocation precipitation dislocation c. All diseases incident to the members of generation the reins and navel as the running of the reins the French pox c. All diseases coming by inordinate love or lust priapismus impoteney in the act of generation ruptures of all sorts All diseases belonging to the urine as disuria iscuria and stranguria iliack passion diabetes c. Against these I except 1 Impotencie in the act of generation for that 's under Saturne 2 Ruptures for he hath a share in them also 3 Diseases of the urine for they are under Mars 4 The Iliack passion which is under Mercury Mercury Under Mercury are almost all the diseases of the braine as vertigo's madnesse c. all diseases of the lungs as Asthma Phthisicks c. All imperfections of the Tongue as stammering lisping c. Hoarsnesse coughs snuffling in the nose all defects of the memory gout stopping of the head dumbnesse folly and simplicity the Epidemicall diseases of the time and whatsoever hurts the intellectuall faculty Against these I except 1 Against the defects of the memory for Saturne hath a great share in that 2 Against the Gout for Saturne wholly wholly rules that I have now done with this part and if any youngsters aske Why I have not given a Reason for all I have spoken Tell them the Reason is cleare in the matter and he that is not able to see it is as unfit to give Physick A blind man cannot see the Sun in a clear day when he is upon the Meridian PART II. What
was the cause of it perhaps a surfeit by drinking If Venus be Lady of the 6th 't is women or it may be sports and pastimes or such gewgaies as Venus delights in you know how to judge of the rest of the Planets according to their severall natures 10. If the Lord of the sixth apply to the Quartile or Opposition of the Lord of the ascendent the disease increaseth and is not yet come to his height I confesse this and many other Aphorismes hereabouts belong not at all to the Decumbitures but to questions upon Urine and most of them if not all of them will hold true in them also 11. The Lord of the 6th and 8th is but a scurvy unlucky signe and shews the sicknesse will end in death if it be in the 4th it shews the sicknesse will end in the Grave 12. The Lord of the 6th and the 12th cryes aloud that the Patient opposeth his own health 13. The Lord of the 8th in the 6th and the Lord of the 6th in the 8th if they be in friendly aspect the sick soon recovers 14. I confesse the former Aphorisme seems a paradox to me I should rather think sicknesse and death had made a match together to take away the life of the Patient and shall do so still till I have spoken with Doctor Experience about it 15. If there be an Opposition Sextile or Trine between the Lord of the sixth and Jupiter the sick soon recovers for Jupiter will handle him without mittons and 't is very probable Venus will not come much behind them in the businesse 16. Even in such a case Jupiter be in the ninth House the sicknesse comes by reason of some Physick formerly taken which will at last much conduce to the Patients health I doubt my Author mistooke the ninth House for the tenth did I say I doubted it nay I know it It is the tenth house that it is the house of Physick and not the ninth 17. A malevolent in the 6th is an ill signe but a benevolent there is as good a one for all that 18. The Lord of the 12th and the 6th shews Witch-craft or possession by the Devil that 's as bad and if he be a malevolent you may take it for granted 't is as sure as a club 19. The Lord of the ascendent in the 6th and the Lord of the 6th in the ascendent shews long diseases and such as will continue till one of them if not till both of them make his exit out of the signe he is in 20. If in such a case the malevolent cast ill aspect to her bid her Physitian use his wits as far as he can though the fear of death is not small 21. The Lord of the Ascendent and 6th house in Quartile Opposition or Conjunction in such degrees as Artists call Azemini and in Angles threatens such perpetuall pain which none but Doctor Death is likely to cure 22. The Lord of the 6th in the ascendent shewes the disease will continue long enough nay longer then 't is welcome but it doth not signifie the sick must needs dye for that belongs to the 8th house and his Lord 23. 'T is no good signe of quick recovery when the Lord of the 6th house is a malevolent 24. If the Sun Moon and Lord of the ascendent be free from ill beams of ill Planents and apply to fortunes that are any thing strong and like to do good the cure will come as soon as you can in reason hope for it 25. T is alwaies bad when the Sun moon or Lord of the ascendent apply to the Lord of 6th 8th or 12th houses and t is not a whit better if they be Lord of those houses 26. It is an exceeding good signe at the beginning of a sicknesse if neither the Lord of the ascendent Sun nor Moon behold the Lord of the 6th or 8th houses 27. It s very ill when the Lord of the ascendent is afflicted namely if he be retrograde or in an ill house in his detriment or fall or besieged the malevolents All houses which behold not the ascendents are ill houses namely the 6th 8th and 12th I will take no notice at all of the second in this case because it is succeeding to the first but the 7th shall not scape so because it opposeth the ascendents it is very bad when the Lord of the ascendent is there 28. In such cases t is true the disease may happily be cured if good courses be taken but either a relapse into that disease is to be feared or else the disease is subject to a change out of that disease into another as bad whereby the sick is in danger of death unlesse in the mean season the Lord of the ascendent grows stronger for the stronger he is the better able he is to preserve life 29. The Lord of the ascendent infortunated by the Lord of the 6th though he be but in his terme prolongs the sicknesse 30. If the Lord of the ascendent be infortunated by the lord of the 8th gives feare enough that none but death can end the quarrel between the sick and the sicknesse 31. If the lord of the ascendent be slow in motion the sicknesse will be as slow in the parting and slower if Saturn be lord of the ascendent but if the lord of the ascendent be swift in motion according to the haste he maks such speed you may expect of the disease 32. The lord of the ascendent angular and strong and no way impedited let the disease be never so violent the feare of death is more then the harme 33. The lord of the ascendent entring into another signe though it be out of his own house into another provided it be not into the house of the lord of the 6th 8th or 12th the disease soon ends in health if it be into the house of the lord of the 8th the sick dyes at the time if it be into the house of the lord of the 6th the sicknesse is increased if into the house of the lord of the twelfth the sicke either keeps ill dyet or is unruly or is mad to takes supper in another word in such a case he that will not be ruled by reason must be ruled by force 34. If the lord of the ascendent be weak of himself yet if he joyned to a fortune the recovery will be very speedily for if the fortune be any thing strong he will helpe it forward with tooth and naile 35. The lord of the ascendent the Sun or the moon joyned to an infortune prolongs the disease and the weaker they are the longer is the disease like to last 36. If the significator of the disease be in a signe of the nature of the disease for example suppose the disease proceeds of melancholy if the significator be in an earthly signe it exceedingly prolongs the disease judge the like by the rest of the humours in such cases the cure is exceeding difficult vis unita fortior 37.
he wrote true that writes that pride goes before a fall and a haughty mind before destruction my Genius is too dull to commend my Author or to give him the thousanth part of his due praise I desire to be censured by Dr. Experience who will give judgement without partiality and I hope 't is no disparagement to Monsieur Duryat that I deliver him in my own Language CHAP. I. The Definition of the word Crisis as Vse Cause Kinds Division and Difference CRisis according to Galen is a swift and suddain change of any disease whereby the sick is either brought to recovery or death and a sick man can be brought to nothing else unless you will make him a beast of a man For every swift and suddain change where-ever it happens whether in the Moon or the Aire or sick body Galen playes the man and calls a Crisis and from this Crisis is Judgement given whether the sicke be like to live or dye The word Crisis is a Greek word derived {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth to judge or discern or pass sentence upon a thing therefore Criticall dayes are nothing else but dayes wherein a man may discern a disease or give Judgement upon it be it good or bad it matters not much 't is taken by a Metaphor from the Judiciall Court to the Art of Physick because 't is something like to plead mans cause for his life and to labour acutely under a disease to be drawn by Inimicall accusers before the Judgement Seat and to run the hazzard of life with a cruell and hoftil Disease Moreover there are three things requisite to a judicial Court the Accuser the Person indicted and the Judge So likewise are there three things by which the Art of Physick consisteth and by which every cure is perfected 1. The Disease 2. Nature and the Physitian which is natures servant or at least should be so and 3. the accidents which manifest what the disease is and stand as witnesses The cause of the Crisis is twofold inward outward the internal cause is taken from i'ts one proper principle if you will believe Hippocrates and that is double or two-fold for either nature labours to expell the humour that causeth the disease or else the humour it selfbeing drawn to a place and not fit for Excretion by i'ts own weight or quality burdens nature and soares break out Hippocrates was but a man and I am no more a man saith he is troubled when he is in a Fever and the sign is horror trembling running hither and thither throughout the Microcosm this is one internal cause The second internall cause Others there be 't is no matter who that ascribe the efficient cause of the Crisis to nature it self Nature if she be strong as 't is pitty but she should not is a good Physitian for all diseases and concocts the humour which causes the disease and separates that which is good from that which is bad and having done so prepares that which breeds annoyances for Excretion and at last makes a shift to cast it out The externall cause of the Crisis is caused by an alteration of the Aire whence ariseth an alteration of the breath a man draws in from cold to heat from dry to moist or the contraries to them both For Hippocrates himself in his six Aphorisme three Comment and in his Treatise De {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} speaks in down dunstable language that heat and moisture in the body moves forward the Crisis for diseases some saith he come by ill Dyet other by the Aire we draw in So then the Dyet as it breeds such and such humours in the body is internal but the Aire we draw in is the externall cause of the Crisis And now give me leave to leave my Author and yet I will not forget him quite neither The Lord eternall in the beginning when he made the Creation made it of a composition of contraries discord makes a harmony as in Musicke if the World be composed of a composition of contraries various must needs be the disposition of mans life Hence comes sometimes health sometimes sicknesse sometimes melancholy sometimes choler to the body of man and happy is that man that knows himself These qualities in man being altered by the various influences of the Stars the Sphere of the one carrying a swifter motion then the Sphere of the other then various must needs be the disposition of mans body The Luminaries carry the greatest strength in the heavens and so do the time-servers in the State and this needs not be doubtful to any body if you consider that the sound of a Drum or Trumpet incites a man to valour and the sound of a Fiddle to dancing Besides other manifest effects of the Luminaries appeare to our eyes Who makes hours and dayes and seasons in the year is it not the Sun who makes alterations in the Aire in Plants and in living Creatures What is the reason that Oysters are suller at the ful moon then at the new To the number of Oysters joyne Crabs and Lobsters nay the marrow in the body of Man is it not the Moon A man if he pleaseth may say his right hand is his left and a prating Priest may preach his pleasure let Doctor experience be judge Now then we have brought the matter to this purpose that the Universall cause of the Crisis is the influence of the heavens for the Celestiall bodyes either by heat light motion or aspect configuration or all of them or some of them act not onely in the four Elements but Elementary bodyes for if they act in the one they must needs in the other and then by consequence in man which is but compounded of Elements The earth is a great lump of dirt rolled up together and by an onely wise God hangs in the Aire the Stars are no more neither is the Moon onely what mettle the Sun is made of I know not If the bodies of men are Elementary composed of Fire Aire Earth and Water he must needs participate in one measure or other of all these Elements The Elements being contraries cannot alwayes agree hence comes the cause of health sometimes of sicknesse sometimes death it self and Aristotle was halfe of my opinion when he wrote these words From the Rain and Dew of Heaven both good and bad things are caused to bud The kinds of Crisis are two one in acute diseases and they are to be judged by the Moon the other in long and lasting or chronick diseases which are to be judged of by the Sun For those Crises which come from their own proper principle are from the internall cause depending onely upon the motions of the Moon and her Configurations and aspects to the place she was in at the Decumbiture But you must note in acute diseases the aspects or radiations of the Moon to wit her Quartile or Opposition are not taken from the Coniunction of
that 's the question For a lusty stout man beares the disease longer and is longer before he takes his bed then a puny weakly sickly man is a meer suspition of a sicknesse will send a faint-hearted man to bed you may perswade him he is sicke whether he be or no Notwithstanding this is most certain that in most acute diseases as also in many other diseases as the Falling sicknesse Palsies Apoplexies Pluresies c. 't is an easie thing to find out the beginning or the preci e time of the invasion of the disease The common opinion of such as are learned in Astrology is and according to their opinion I affirm that that moment of time is to be taken for the beginning of the disease in which a man finds a manifest pain or hurt in his body for instance when a man hath got a Fever usually the head akes certain dayes before this is not the Fever but a Messenger or forerunner of the Fever the true beginning of the Fever is when the disease appears sensibly or when a horror or trembling invades the sicke as does usually in the beginning of a Fever that is the beginning of the disease when the disease appeares manifest to sence And this was the judgement of Hippocrates one of the honestest of Physitians And you shall find this alwaies that the more acute the disease is the more manifest the beginning of it is to sense yea so manifest that it is almost impossible that the beginning should lie hid from any one that wants reason if he have but sense CHAP. III. Of the Sympathy and Antipathy of the Signes and Planets BEfore we come to prognostick we must know that there is a Sympathy between Celestiall and Terrestiall bodyes which will easily appear if we consider that the whole creation is one entire and united body composed by the power of an All-wise God of a composition of discords Also there is friendship and hatred between one sign of the Zodiack and another for fiery signes are contrary to watry and nocturnal to diurnall c. The Planets are also friendly and inimical one to another but in their friendship and enmity what ever the matter is I cannot agree neither with ancient nor modern writers And when I cannot do so I le fly to Dr. Reason for advice they hold Mars and Venus to be friends And what your opinion is of all the rest you may find by Mr. Lillies Introduction My own opinion grounded upon reason is this that there are two causes of friendship and enmity between Planets Essential and Accidental Planets are essentially inimically three wayes First When their Houses or Exaltations are opposite one to the other and so Saturn is an enemy to both Luminaries Jupiter to Mercury and e contra Mars to Venus 2. Planets are Inimicall one to the other when their temperatures or qualities are opposite and so jupiter is an enemy to Saturn he being hot and moist Saturn cold and dry So Mars is enemy to Venus he being hot and dry she cold and moist 3. Planets are Inimical when their conditions differ so there is enmity to Sol and Jupiter for he loves the Court and he the Country Jupiter is enemy to Mars for he loves Peace and Justice Mars violence and oppressions Mars is enemy to Venus for he rejoyceth in the field she in the bed he loves to be publique she playes least in sight And thus you see in every respect what a difficult thing it is to make Mars and Venus rationally friends Accidentall inimicalnesse to Planets is when they are in square or opposition c. the one to the other Also Inimicalnesse must needs be in the Signes for if cold and heat moisture and drynesse be inconsistent together in one and the same place as your eyes will tell you if you will but please to take a pale of water and throw it into the fire then can they not be in one and the same place in the heavens And if so as is most true then must some signes be cold some dry and some moist one sign must needs cherish one quality more then another and seeing the first qualities are adverse the one to the other there is a necessity that sometimes one must yeild and sometimes overcome and this is the reason of the corruption generation and vicissitude of things Moreover the Moon constituted in a signe commonly strikes upon the nature of the signe she is in as if she be in a fiery sign she stirs up Choler c. Also as every Climate hath two qualities so hath every celestiall sign the Aereal signes are hot and moist the Farthly signes cold and dry the Fiery signes hot and dry the Watry signes cold and moist And thus you see how the concords are made of discords for Aery signes are joyned to fiery by heat and to watry by moisture Watry are joyned to aery by moisture and to earthly by coldnesse the Earthly are joyned to the watry by coldnesse and to fiery by drynesse this is an old true maxime of Philosophers which I shal not at this time be captious against Besides the congresse and configurature of the Planets and fixed Stars is diligently to be heeded of these some are obnoxious and hatefull a Quartile and Opposition as also the Conjunction of bad Planets others are healthful as Sextile and Trine and Conjunction of good Planets and indeed the chiefest part of Astrology consisteth in the due observation of configurations for by these come alterations in things below either to better or worse according to the nature of the Planets or Stars that signifie them for when two Stars are joyned with 〈◊〉 aspected to one another they seminate something in Sub-Lunary bodies according to their owne nature It dissention be between the starres the sperme proves malicious and destructive and tumultuous even as the opposition of winds especially the North and South winds produceth thunder lightning and pestilentiall vapours and this we find never failes if the South-wind prevails and the Moon and Mercu ry behold one another Thus you see a reason if you know but what a reason is or ever heard of such a thing why diseases in the body of man are either exasperated or remitted according to the good or evill meeting of the Planets Of the Aspects opposition is the worst of all not by any contrariety or diversity of nature of the Signs in which the oppositions fall out but in respect of the Planets themselves opposing which being at greatest distance are most inimicall they being in a posture to outface one another and this is the most principall cause of enmity A Quartile is inimicall because the Stars so aspected be in signes of contrary nature as Sol in Aries Luna in Cancer the aspect is hatefull because Aries is hot and dry Cancer cold and moist Aries masculine Cancer feminine Aries diurnall Cancer nocturnall Andnow by the leave of my Author and also of
my Author left it out though he promised it And indeed the ways of God are all easie very easie T is the ways of men that are crabbed and difficult I shall first of all shew you the way how to doe it secondly give you an example of mine owne upon it First of all if you would know how to make such a critical a figure upon a decumbiture make you a Figure after the vulgar form then note what signe degre and minute the Moon is in at the decumbiture set that signe degree and minute on the ascendent and thirty degrees to that and the same degree and minute of the next signe will be upon the Cuspe of the second house the worke is as easie walking upon and downe without a staffe as I shall by and by make appeare by an example Then be pleased to take notice that the first house is the decumbiture the second the judiciall time the third the intercidentall which word Dr. Phage of Midburst in Sussex in his Book called Speculum aegrotorum So sillily translates Mortals mistaking the word Caedo to kill for Cado to fall wherein the man most egregiously shewed his deficiency both in Scholler-ship and Phisick yet this commendation I le give him his heart was more free to do good then his braine was able The fourth house brings the first Crisis about and when you are come to that begin againe as you did before you may see the way without a paire of spectacles by the decumbiture what I have quoted you may take it pro confesso if you please that I have many decumbitures by me But I want time to insert them or if I did not I would not blot paper with them Be pleased to accept of this one in lieu of all the rest A Rationall Figure on the Decumbiture THis unhappy creature being untowardly matched with an unnaturall husband came up to London and lived in a service and in her service was surprised with a furious disease at the time and under the face of heaven before noted I shall first give a rationall judgement of the Figure and afterwards treat of the Crisis The Person of this young woman is signified by Venus in Sagittarius and truly I beleeve she was an upright dealing creature that the cause of her disease lay hid or at least very obscure is plainly signified by so many Planets being under the earth That she procured her owne disease because the Lord of 6th is in the twelfth As also because the Lord of the ascendent is disposed by a Planet in the 12th Pisces is the Cuspe of the 6th her disease came by wet taken at the feet Jupiter in Virgo gave corruption in bloud and infirmities in the bowels with what they were more anon Venus with the Scorpions heart shews a violent Feaver neither proved it to be any lesse The Sun and Mars in the Fourth house with the Dragons-tayl in Quartile to the ascendent shew violence in the disease danger of poyson and an ill end of it her Physician is signified by Mars which was a French quake which lay in the house and he was like Mars in Capricorne as a Pomewater is an Apple He was also troubled with sore eyes a man of forlorne fortunes view the position of Mars and you shall easily see the reason without a paire of spectacles The position of Mars in the Fourth cumbust with the Dragons-tayle and in the Quartile of the ascendents First clouded his judgement Secondly corrupted his practice Thirdly set hard for her life T is a sad thing when the Lord of death must be the Phisician in the disease Her disease was the smal pox in which being exceedingly bound in body not going to stool in a week together and above he applyed her all that time with strong purges oh acute Physician never one of them working nor so much as coming from her though there was Scammonie in every one of them that had not I so soon as I knew of it perswaded her Nurse to give her a Glister every day she had absolutely perished her purges increasing her Feaver and poysoning her body and this I am confident was the reason both of her being so much disfigured by her disease And of her Aches and swelling in the knees for Mars was in Capricorne which continued upon her untill her dying day which followed about a year and a halfe after Neither was her Drs. judgement one jott inferiour to his practice for in the beginning of the disease viz. the next day after she fell sick I came accidentally to the house and found all the household weeping every one that could eat an egge shed a teare A Joyner was busie pulling down the bed-steds the whole houshold preparing for a flight with bag and baggage And what was the reason thinke you the Dr had passed a wilde peice of Non-sence that she had got the peftilence and was full of the tokens up run I to se the Creature I found her in a strong Feaver that 's true but I could see no tokens unlesse t were tokens of the Doctors ignorance I demanded the time of her falling sick which she very exactly gave me And having taken the paines to erect the figure I did what I could to cherish up her spirits I told her my judgement was that she would live I certified the houshold that she had no such disease as the Pestilence much lesse any tokens And thus whoever lost the Joyner he got money by the bargaine on both hands First pulling the bed-steds and tables to peeces and for setting them together againe And thus you see t is an ill winde that blowes no body no profit I have but two questions to answer and then I come to the Crisis 1 Will she live or dye 2 Will her sicknesse be long or short To the first of these I answer That Mars is Lord of death and also an afflicting Planet in trine to the Lord of the Sixth And in Sextile to the Moon he with the Sun are in Quartile to the Ascendent this is all the Signs of death that is besides the great signe viz. her Doctor swore she would die and could not possibly live having as the Cox-combe said not so much of her lungs left as amounted to the quantity of three of her fingers a likely tale for sooth was it not I was a diligent observer of every passage in this sicknesse and I found it always true that during her sicknesse the Moone by transit to the body or beames of Mars afflicted her sorely But not so to the beames of Saturne for that onely possessed her body with coldnesse and chilnesse That she should live is very cleer the Moon being with the Sextile of Jupiter and the Lord of the Ascendent no way afflicted save only by the Scorpions heart To the Second Question namely whether her disease should be long or short The Angles being all Cardinall and the Moon swift in motion and in
especially her head by reason of that admirable congruity betwixt that part and her wombe kind women take notice of it for it is as true as that the Sun is up when he is upon the meridian All Cephalick medicines helpe the wombe and remedy its griefe I am confident you desire a reason of it you shall not fail of your desires It is because Aries and Scorpio are both the Houses of Mars 10 If Mars be retrograde in Scorp io and in the Ascendent the whole body is universally afflicted but externally viz. the man breaks out in boils and ulcers or iteh perhaps it is the small pox or measles if Venus set forward the mischiefe the French pox is shrewdly to be suspected 11 If Mars be Lord of the 6th in Leo the sick is extreamely pained in his back in this you need never fear failing 12 If Mars be Lord of the 6th in Virgo my Author saith it will lye in the left side or left legge But after I had had halfe an houres talke with Dr. Experience he proved to me it was alwayes the Colick and heat in the bowels take heed it comes not to the gravell in the kidneys when Mars comes into Libra and to the stone in the bladder when Mars comes to Scorpio He that is a Physician knowes as well how to prevent a disease before it comes as how to remedy it when it is come 13 The Moon in the Ascendent afflicted by Saturne or Mars bestowes difficulty of breathing and infirmities in the lungs upon a man I confesse I can give no reason for it 14 Venus Lady of the 6th and infortunated by Mars gives suspitions enough in the French pox Here is enough to teach you more lot not all your wits lye in your books be diligent and studious or else you may happen to dye fools let not all you wits lye in your books but some in your heads it is within you and not that without you must do you good As for the side of the body afflicted my Author hath left a few rules to know it which I will declare to you and leave them to the approbation or exprobration of Dr. Experience they are these 1 If the Lord of the sixth house be afflicted above the earth and in a diurnall signe the sicknesse is in the right side of the body and in the upper part of it 2 If the Lord of the 6th be under the earth and in a nocturnall signe the sicknesse lyes in the inferiour parts of the body and on the left side 3 Whether he be under or above the earth in a diurnall the sicknesse is in the forepart of the body imagine the forehead face breast belly or some other visible part 4 If it be in a nocturnal sign the disease lies in the backe parts of the body or else in some part but lies invisible as the bowels c or perhaps the disease lies occult for take this for a generall rule the diseases are more hid from the eyes of your understanding when the significators of them are in nocturnall signes then they are when they are in Diurnall 5 If the significators be corrupted by other Planets and a difference in these rules between the significator and the planet that corrupts them the patient is afflicted both wayes namely according as he signifies and according as the Planet corrupting signifies 6 In such a case view diligently which of them is most afflicted and your reason if you have any will tell you that the most part of the malady lies in that part of the body signified by the Planet which is most afflicted 7 To wind up all in a word Masculine Planets denote the right side of the body Feminine the left all of them afflict that part of the body which they governe CHAP. XIII Whether the disease shall be long or short or whether it shall end in Life or Death FOr judging of this take a few cautions by the way 1 Consider if the Sun Moon Ascendent and their Lords be much or little afflicted 2 Consider the age of the sick party for old age brings longer sicknesses then youth 3 Consider the time of the year for Autumne and Winter bring longer sicknesses then Spring or Summer 4 Consider the complexion of the Patient for a melancholy man is more subject to retaine a sicknesse then a cholerick 5 Consider the Planet afflicting for Saturne produceth longer sicknesses then Mars 6 The Planets generally and briefly order the sicknesses they give in this manner Saturne gives long sicknesses the Sun in Jupiter short Mars shorter then either of them but acute Venus meane Mercury various and unconstant according to the Planet he is joyned with or aspected The Moon gives such sicknesses as often returne as Agues falling sicknesse c. And therefore tht direction of the Moon to the body or in aspect to Saturne will sooner cause a falling sicknesse then the direction of any other significator These are the cautions and according to these cautions so understand these following Aphorismes which you shall find marshalled into these three divisions First Signs of long or short sicknesse Secondly Signes of recovery Thirdly Signes of death PART I. Signes of long or short sicknesse 1 FIrst the 6th house being possessed by a fixed sign argues length in the disease if the signe that possesseth the Cuspe by the 6th be moveable the disease will be short if the signe be common the disease will either be meane in respect of length or else a change of the disease or a relapse is to be feared 2 If the latter degrees of a signe be upon the Cuspe of the 6th the disease will quickly end either one way or another 3 A fixed signe under Cuspe of the 6th shews tough and hard humours to be the causes of the disease and such as are hard to be expelled they stick to the body like birdlime 4 Saturne Lord of the 6th shewes long diseases Jupiter Mars and the Sun short Mercury such as are as constant as the weathercock 5 If the Lord of the 6th be stronger then the Lord of the Ascendent the sicknesse gets strength against nature if you find it so upon a figure in urine judge the disease increaseth 6 If the Lord of the 6th be weaker then the Lord of the ascendent nature gets strength over the disease and will at last put him to a totall rout 7. Common signes shew the disease will stay in one state as long as a Cat is tyed to a Pudding 8. The Lord of the 6th if he be a Malevolent it is an ill omen if he be a benevolent you need not so much as feare a long sicknesse for the disease will be cured both speedily and easily unlesse the said benevolent be Lord also of the 8th 9. If the Moon apply to the Lord of the 6th the disease will be increased till it has put life to it's trumps If the moon be Lady of the ascendent ill dyet