rendring his Death no less Prodigious than was the course of his Life Or that of the Year 1572. in Cassiopâ—ia surpassing of the quantity of the Earth 500 times Or those of the Years 1604. and 1618. which were no less Miraculous than that the Sun should stand still as we read it did in the Days of Joshua or return ten Degrees backward as once upon the Dial of Abaz or be Eclipsed so near a Full Moon as at our Saviour's Passion being all of them alike â—strang'd from the accustomed Order of Nature In like manner the Eclipses of thâ— Luminaries are the Causes of many Changes that ensue in the World because their Effects are general pouring forth theâ—r Influence not only upon Cities but even whole Regions subject to the Quadrangle the Sign more especially wherein the Defect happens and no less on particular Persons who have any affinity in their Genitures with the Schemes of such Eclipses So likewise are the strong Genitures of Kings c. Geniturae validae Regna mutant Mighty Genitures change or translate Kingdoms Causes adjuvant are Revolutions of the World the Progression of the Great Orb of Great Conjunctions before the Flood the Birth of Christ Mahomet and the like I could much enlarge my self upon the Progressions of the Great Orb Great Conjunctions c. but shall forbear in regard the most of them concern Foreign Parts excepting that of the Great Conjunction before the Flood which in the Year 1653. was come to the Sign Cancer and did therefore afflict according to Albumazar Tract 4. Differ 4. the Countries of Scotland and Holland with many Changes and Conversions of things from one condition to another a Famine and Poverty proceeding from Siccity and Drought and a general Fear to possess the People of those places because of their Enemies Great Mortality and Slaughters amongst them with abundance of such Creatures as are destructive to the Earth Thus far have you seen the Superiour Natural Causes of the Mutations or Changes of Empires Kingdoms and Common-Wealths how far wherein and when they concern us and other Nations The Inferiour Natural Cause is either within or without Man That within is the Disposition of the Temperament of the Bodies both of Princes and Subjects aâ—d â—o both different Births and Deaths as well of them that Govern as those that be Governed in the Common-Wealth That without is a Mutation either of Fire or Water and of the Earth and place where the Common-wealth is constituted Unto which do belong House-burnings Earthquakes Change of Ports Barrenness Famine Pestilence and all other Natural damages by the which Common-wealths are changed The Moral Cause of Mutation is either Internal or External The Internal is either on the Prince's or Subject's part The Internal on the Prince's part admits this general Canon The beginnings of Princes are for the most part good but their Progress worse From which Change arise great Mutations in Publick Affairs and things The Internal Cause also of Changes in respect of the Prince is either Ethical or Political Touching Ethical Causes there are these Canons 1. Intemperance and Lust of Princes occasion change of the Common-wealth 2. The like when Princes are Effeminate and Cowardly For like as Empires are obtained maintained and kept by Warlike Fortitude so on the contrary are they lost or dangerously changed by softness and Pusillanimity Political Causes of Changes are either in respect of the Foundation of the Principality or of the Office and Care of the Prince As touching the Causes respecting the Foundation of the Principality there be these Canons 1. It is impossible any Common-wealth should long be safe where the Prince comes to Rule either by a violent Invasion or a crafty Subreption without any access to the Principality 2. The Perjuries of Princes that is when they keep not their Oaths made to their Subjects at the time they were called to Govern bring upon Kingdoms dangerous Changes and Conversions 3. The Authority of a Prince decreasing produceth Change and when the Periods of Empires are divolved the Authority of those that Govern faileth The Causes that respect the Care or Office of the Prince have these Canons 1. When the Prince listens not to Wise and Faithful Councellors Changes are imminent 2. When Publick Judgments are corrupted and hainous Impieties remain unpunished Changes are at hand 3. When the Prince affords not the Subject a Lawful and necessary Defence but suffers him to be vexed and trampled over by Incursions of Enemies Changes ensue 4. When the Revenues of a Kingdom decrease of necessity a Change must follow For Moneys are the Nerves of Empires 5. When the Prince doth too much Poll his Subjects with heavy Tributes and Exactions a Change succeedeth 6. When the Potency and Amplitude of Kingdoms arrive at an exceeding greatness a Change follows for the most part and the Empire falleth by its own weight 7. Foreigners rashly irritated or called into a Kingdom do introduce a Change thereof These are the Causes of the Prince his part there now remain the Causes on the Subjects part which are also either Ethical or Political Touching the Ethical Causes these be the Canons 1. When grievous Wickedness is committed amongst the Subjects and all Reverence of the Laws shaken off and that they Live Licentiously in Lust and Luxury Mutations follow 2. When Subjects degenerate from their Pristine Fortitude and become Unwarlike and Effeminate Kingdoms are Changed Political Causes have these Canons 1 When Subjects begin to have their Princes in hatred and grow weary of them Changes will assuredly follow 2. Pâ—nishments and Changes do ever succeed Infidelity of Subjects 3. Changes of things do always accompany the Disobedience and Contumacy of Subjects 4. Where neiâ—her the Laws nor Magistrates are had in Honour there the Common-wealth cannot be safe or durable An Excellent Discourse of the Names Genus Species Efficient and Final Causes of all Comets c. THE Order which Nature observeth in all things Created doth plainly enough teach us That whatsoever is Born passeth and hasteth towards Death And that all things which have a beginning necessarily and interchangably roul towards their End And as in Humane Bodies some are more strong vigorous and of better Constitution than others and therefore of longer continuance Even so in Empires Kingdoms and Common-wealths some preserve themselves longer for that either they are by Nature more strenuous and stable as having propitious Stars and they well Fortified at the time of their first Foundation Or because the Situation of them is Naturally stronger than others as we see at this day in the Signory of Venice The like holdeth in Cities and Towns in particular Families Laws Conclaves and Councils in Religions Heresies and Schisms The consideration whereof prevents my Wonder at the Vicissitudes and Changes here on Earth I account it no Miracle to see a Monarchy Eclipsed in its greatest Glory and the ruine of one the raising of another I stand not
Primary Foundations of the whole body of Astronomy are Confirm'd Evinc'd and Demonstrated For seeing that the Sun is Eclipsed only in his Conjunction with the Moon and the Moon in her Opposition to the Sun we conclude the cause of the Sun's Eclipse to be the Interposition of the Moon betwixt him and the Earth and the cause of the Moons Eclipse the Interposition of the Earth betwixt her Body and the Sun 's Thus the Solar Eclipses do manifest the Moon to be Lower and less than the Sun The Lunar Evince the Earth not founded infinitly below us as Xenophon Colophonius trifled But that the Heavens under us are distant from the Earth as far upwards in respect of those that be our Antipodes as here they are and consequently that the Earth is not Cubical nor Pyramidal Scaphoidal or otherwise Hollow Nor Tympanoidal nor Cylindroidal but on every side perfectly Round or terminated by a Globosous Figure Because that not only the Shadow of the Earth in the Moon 's Body is always and on every part observed to be round but also for that such as live Eastward do number more hours from their Meridian for the beginning or ending of an Eclepse than such as live Westward proportionally to their distance By Eclipses also of the Moon we know that the Earth is moved or Placed in the middle of the Zodiaque because that she is Eclipsed only in the Opposite Places thereof The Oriental or Occidental Eclipses of the Moon tell us one half of the World is always visible and that daily one half of the Zodiaque Rises above the Horison The Lunar Eclipses best discover to us the Longitudes of Places upon the Earth and assure us the Earth and Water make but one Globe That the Mountains of the Earth are not to be compared to the bigness thereof the equal roundness of the Shadow tells us Wherein we observe no Hiulcity or Cleft by reason of the Vallies nor yet any part thereof extended more than the rest because of the Mountains And although the true and certain place of the Moon cannot be takâ—n by any Instrument whatsoever because of her Parallaxes Nature or rather the God of Nature hath supplyed this defect by her Eclipses For the Moon posited in Mediis Tenebris is then understood to be in Opposition to the Sun By these defects therefore the Motions and Mutations of the Moon are found out and rationally Demonstrated Lunar Eclipses Demonstrate the Shadow of the Earth to be Conical Terminating in a Sharp Point And in the same places of the Moons Transits to be sometimes thicker otherwhiles more slender notwithstanding a certain Rule and Respect had to the Sun's Motion And consequently that the Sun is moved or so seems to be in an Eccentrical Orb. Hence likewise we gather That the Sun is far greater than the Earth and the Moon lesser so the Solar Eclipses demonstrate the Distances of the Luminaries from the Earth to be different and therefore to be moved in Eccentriques or Epicycles Hereby also is found out a Rule for measuring the Distances of the Sun and Moon from the Earth and the Magnitudes of their several Bodies And lastly by Eclipses of the Luminaries The God of Nature forewarns this sinful world of the Revolutions of Kingdoms and States the Death and Detriment of Princes Governours and Great men of Heresies Sects and Seditions in the Church Alterations of Laws and Customs of Drought and Inundations of Rivers Wars Famine Plague and Pestilence In a word the vicissitude of all sublunary things Levate in Excelsum Oculos Vestros videte quis creaverit ista Something farther touching the Doctrine of Eclipses Chiefly from Morinus NOw as touching the Effects of Eclipses it hath been an Antiently receiv'd Opinion That whatsoever the Sun and Moon and the rest of the Planets and Stars bring to pass upon these Inferior Bodiâ—s is done by vertue of their Light which if granted it must necessarily follow that the action of the Luminary deficient being diminished in Partil or wholly intermitted in Total Eclipses these Sublunaries should meet with and suffer great Alterations because the Sun and Moon are the Primary Coelestial Causes of all Sublunary Effects But Johannes Baptista Morinus Astrolog Gallic Lib. 11. tells us That Light doth only Illuminate and nothing else And Lib. 12. That besides Light there is an actual Heat in the Sun and in all the Stars proper and peculiar Influences which penetrate the body of the Earth and do not less affect and dispose it from the places beneath than such as are above it And therefore Eclipses of the Luminaries are not to be considered only as to a privation of their Light in these Sublunaries but as those Eclipses are never but in their Conjunctions or Oppositions whereby they emit their Influence more powerfully than in any other Aspect whatsoever Wherefore both Astronomers and Astrologers observe the same moment of time in which the middle of an Eclipse happens The first whereby to rectifie the Tables of their Motions the Later to the end that by a Coelestial Figure erected to that moment of time they may see what Effects an Eclipse may produce in these Inferiours not in respect of the Light deficient which saith he the Learned Astrologers regard not but of their Influence Which being permitted he further saith That in superterranean Eclipses of the Sun we are depriv'd of his Light and Heat Totally if the Eclipse be Total and in part if but Partil and that so long as the Eclipse lasts But we are not depriv'd of the Sun's Influence or at least no longer than while the Sun is under the Earth which every night causeth a Total Solar Eclipse for many hours together For as the Influence of the Sun whilst under the Earth penetrates the same as is evident from the Figures of those are born by night so the Influence of the Sun above the Earth penetrates the Dense and Opacous Body of the Moon Eclipsing him which neither the Sun's Light or Heat could penetrate she being as black as Ink it self whilst under the Sun 's Discus as by an Optique Tube may easily be observed But Subterranean Solar Eclipses at leastwise such as be Total do more affect the upper Hemisphere of the Earth then the Superterranean and the Reason is because the Influence of the Sun is not of infinite vertue and therefore if it should penetrate the Earth's Gâ—obe it could be but faintly through both the Globes of the Earth and Moon In those Eclipses therefore at least such as are Total we suffer by reason of the Imminute Influence of the Sun toward us which he thought might be the cause why for 30 years together so much War and all manner of mischiefs raged in this Hemisphere of the Earth which Europe divideth For as much as all that while very many Total and nigh Total Eclipses of the Sun happen'd in the Lower Hemisphere as may be seen in Origanus who very carefully
mutatis autem temperamentis mutantur mores mutatis moribus Principum Subditorum Sequitur mutatio Reip. Heaven saith he most effectually Operates upon a Human Body best agreeable to it self and so also on the Body both of the Prince himself and his Subjects to wit so as that it changeth the Temperaments of Mens Bodies and with those Temperaments their manners or conditions and the manners or conditions of Princes and Subjects being changed a mutation of the Commonwealth followeth And with him agrees that excellent Mathematician and Astrologer Origanus part 3. Membr 2. Cap. 1. Non modo in Regnis varias mutationes translationes animadvertimus dum modo hos modo illos Regnare atque aliis Dominari comperimus verum etiam in ipsa superficie terrae nihil esse perpetuum ex collatione temporum locorum Siccum humido humidum sicco permutari terrasque alias aquis aboleri alias assurgere deprehendimus We Observe not only sundry Changes and Translations of Kingdoms whilst these and these Planets reign and bear Rule with others but also that upon the whole surface of the Earth there is nothings perpetual and by comparing of Times and Places perceive Siccity chang'd into Moisture Moisture to Siccity some Countries destroy'd others increas'd by Waters Thus He and that very truly For although God the Author of Nature and the First Cause of every Good thing changes Countries and Transfers Kingdoms at his pleasure yet seeing he hath engraven in the Book of Nature and chiefly in Heaven which measureth Times the Motions and Mutations of all things things that be Invisible even his own eternal Power for the greatest part yea and exposed Heaven unto our view that it might be for signs of Present and Future things I shall not think it contrary to true Religion or Good Manners if with Fear and Reverence I enquire the Superior Natural Causes of those Mutations so long as I ascribe no necessity thereunto Maugre the Croaking and Coaxation of some few Epileptique Prophets and other Religious Lunatiques who prate and perswade the Contrary The First Cause is the Change of the Absides of the Planets whereby the Five Planets together with the Sun transfer the Places in which they are highest and most remote from the Center of the Earth so also the Places wherein they are lowest and nearest thereunto and together with those Places their swiftness and slowness of Motion into several parts of the Zodiaque according to the succession of the Signs whereof Cardan Seg. 1. Aph. 37. in these words Permutationes Absidum Regna Regiones Religiones mutant Changes of the Absides alter Kingdoms Regions and Religions Thus from the Change of Saturn's Absis into Cancer Mahomet had his growth and by the Change thereof into Capricorn the Sign Opposite thereunto receives he Detriment and at length a final Destruction Spinaeus an Excellent Astrologian and Physician to the Duke of Mantua in his Catastrophe Mundi Genuinely English'd by the Polite Quill of my Oaken Friend Elias Ashmole Esq tells us that Mahomets Destruction initiated Anno 1630 c. and this he chiefly deduces from the Change of Saturn's Absiâ— out of Sagittary into Capricorn which indeed I confess fell out according to the Prutenick Tables in the end of the year 1630. But by the more accurate observations of latâ—r Authors the Absis of Saturn continues in Sagittary for many years yet to come For by the Philolaique Tables the best extant it enters not Capricorn until the beginning of the year 1728. and therefore it could not in the least be unless we will have the Effect precede its Cause that Mahomets Destruction commenc'd in this respect in or near the year 1630. Nevertheless I believe with Spinaeus that the many Revolutions of the Heavens in and about that year have already produced a sensible Commencement of Detriment unto him yet conclude not his final Destruction until after the year 1728. Wherein Saturns Absis will be Changed into Capricorn and that several other Causes concur to extirpate him and his Law There is no other change of the Absis of any Planet falling out in our time save only the Absis of Mars and this happen'd according to Bullialdus in the latter end of the year 1647. which was from Leo to Virgo and what a strange mutation ensued the year following viz. A Dissolution of the English Monarchy c. the whole World can witness which very thing signally confirms that of Ludovic de Reg. Aph. 9. Mutantur Regna Dominia Fides Sectaeque ac opiniones hominum dum mutantur Auges Planetarum de signo in signum dico illarum gentium quarum significator erit Planeta Augis permutatae Kingdoms and Governments Faith Religions and Opinions of Men are changed when the Auges or Absides of the Planets are changed from one Sign to another I mean the Kingdoms Governments Faith Religions and Opinions of such Nations as have for their significator the Planet whose Auge is changed Now all men know who know any thing of this Nature that Aries is the Ascendant and Mars Lord thereof the significator of England and so he is of France Germany Denmark and several other places who are herein no less concern'd than the English as a few years will assuredly manifest Mutatioque erit ad bonum vel malum secundum Naturam significatorum superiorum illorum temporum secundum Naturam signi mutationis And this change saith that same Author and Aphorisme shall be to Good or Evil according to the Nature of the chief significators of those times and Sign of Mutation We know Saturn Mars and Mercury have born the greatest sway in almost every Eclipse Revoâ—ution and other notable Configurations of the Planets 〈◊〉 and since that year especially in Two of the Three Eclipses of 1652. and in the great and Total Eclipse Anno 1653. in March And as for the Sign into which this change was made it is Virgo the principal house of Mercury a Cold and Dry Melancholy Barren Sign whereby we may easily judge of what Nature the Change is I spare to Expatiate Another Cause is the Change of the Sun's Eccentricity described of Copernicus cap. 20 lib. 3. Revol by the Motion of a little Circle having the Center of the Eccentrick in its Circumference and finishing its Period in 3434 years The year 1653. Offers it the least that can be according to Rheinoldus and Copernicus being 32190. such parts as the Eccentrick hath 1000000 or Part 1. 55′ 53″ 24‴ where the Semidiameter of the Suns Eccentricity hath 60. The greatest viz. 2° 3â— 7″ happen'd 36 years before Christ about the beginning of the Roman Monarchy Georgius Joachimâ—â— Rheticus callled this Circle the Wheel of Fortune by whose Revolutions saith he the Monarchies of the world assume their Commencements and Changes For like as the Roman Empire obtain'd its Highest Dignity when the Eccentricity was greatest so the same decreasing it is very much Impaired
by the Sign of the Logger-head in the Front of it upon his judgmentâ— of the Year at the Vernal Ingress where he saith that Jupiter is in Ascendente hora revolutionis and accordingly draws fine Peaceable judgment from Jupiter being in the Ascendant when notwithstanding Jupiter is above 30 deg or a whole sign distant from thence and so in the 11 House as you may see in Wil. Lilly's Figura mundi in his Anglicus Erected for the same time and place by which the Reader may perceive what certainty can be in this dull Fellows Prognosticks who is thus palpably and intolerably erroneous as to miss no less than a whole Sign in the place of one Planet And thus have I diligently and carefully examined Wil. Lilly's Discourse wherein I find him very foolishly rash and even brim-full of Malice and Ignorance and do now assuredly know him unworthy the name of an Artist I could have taken notice of a great many more Errors c. and particularly in his Translation of those first 50 Aphorisms of Ptolomy's Centiloqui wherein he shews himself Ignorant in the Original so hath he infected some of them with his own foolish Commentaries and amongst the rest a ridiculous story of a Suit of Clothes that he tore many holes in in going a Nutting when the Moon was ill dignified in Leo which Suit he says did never do him any service after Whereby you see that Lilly is as bad a Taylor as he is an Astronomer that could mend his own Clothes no better the truth is he was not born to be a Workman But I shall reserve my other more serious Observations till I hear further from him which if ever I do I promiâ—e to lash him without Mercy in the interim I should advise such Gentlemen as desire to be Instructed in this kind oâ— Learning to shake off these Ignorant Fellows and apply themselves to Doctor Nicholas Fisk Doctor Scâ—â—borough Mr. Jonas Moor or Mr. Holland â—ho are all of them singular Artists and Men of Honeâ—t and clear intentions Multiplicatio Effectus Syderum Secreta HE that will know Great and Noble things must commit three Rules to Memory 1. The Rarity and Time of the Planetary Conjunctions and multiply one into the other if it be exquisite or perfect if not into the part thereof in respect of Days and the Factus shall be the number of the Days of that Effect For Example Suppose a Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in some point of the Zodiack and besidâ—s that of the Moon ad unguem The Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter is in Twenty Years and the Recourse of the Moon in Twenty seven Days and eight Hours Then Multiply Twenty seven and one third part of a Day by Twenty and they make Five hundred forty six Years and two thirds of a Year for the time of the Effect of that Conjunction But yet it may ere that be obstructed by another Conjunction especially after one half of the time be expired for the Effect will be Naturally increased for the space of Two hundred seventy three Years and one third part of a Year And this when the Conjunction of all the Three shall be in one Point But admit the Moon should then be distant Thirty Minutes we will take the Semi-diameters of the Moon and therewith compare the Proportion of her distance in such sort as that we allow thereunto one half of the time because her Semi-diameter is one half of her distance And so if the Moon shall be distant one whole degree we must give only a Fourth part Multiplying six Days and twenty Hours into twenty Years and the time of the Effect shall be One hundred thirty six Years The like must be done until the Moon shall be further distant than the quantity of her Beams which is twelve degrees and a half For although this Proportion be not altogether perfect yet it is sensible and near to the truth The Magnitude of Sun is 16 m. Moon 17. Jup. Venus 5. almost to 6 m. Sat. Mars 4. Mercury 2. 2. That the Effects be multiplyed in Strength like the Rarity according to an exquisite Application As if Saturn have Four Vertues Jupiter Five Mars Three and are all conjoyned in one Point then let us multiply Three Four and Five together and the Effect shall be Sixty in Strength viz. twelve times so much to the Effect of Jupiter alone fifteen times so much to Saturn and twenty times so much to Mars But if Mars shall be distant one degree at a time when Saturn and Jupiter are in Conjunction we must multiply three Minutes of the Semi-diameter of Mars into three the Number of his Strength and the Factus is Nine Then Divide the Number by Sixty the number of Minutes in the distance of Mars from Jupiter and Saturn and the Quotient is three twentieth parts which we multiply into Twenty the Number of the strength of the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter and the result is Three whiâ—h add to Twâ—nty and the strength of that Conjunction shall be Twenty three that is almost eight times so much as the strength of Mars six times so much as the strength of Saturn and five times so much as the strength of Jupiter And the like of the rest The strength of every Planet may be known by the Magnitude thereof and the slowness of its Motion for by how much greater the Planets be and by how much slower they are in Motion by so much stronger are they in General Causes but not so in Particular For Example I would know what Power Saturn hath in respect of the Moon as to length or continuance of their Effects I see that Saturn's Revolution is performed in Twenty nine Years and Three hundred fifty eight Days wherein are 10750 Days This I multiply into the Square of his Semi-diameter and they make 96750 Days In like manner I multiply the Circuit of the Moon into the Squared Minutes of her Semi-diameter and the Factus is 7899 Days and one eighth part of a Day I Divide the one by the other and the Quotient is Twelve And so much is the proportion of Saturn's strength to the strength of the Moon The same I say of Conjunctions in respect of the length or Continuance of their Effects And it may be demonstrated in one word because the Effects continue until the Return as the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter till another Conjunction and the Ingress of Saturn into the first point of Aries untill his next entrance into the same Point For Nihil datur inane in Natura And therefore if the Effects should not continue until the Return it were a Mathematical Circuit not a Natural a Cause without an Effect yea a kind of Impotency Wherefore Proportio Circuitus ad Circuitum ut temporis ad tempus quod erat probandum Nevertheless every one of these Circuits is reduced to the half thereof because that from the Opposition the force of the
Mid-heaven not of Rarity For as to this they are of equal Power as was before demonstrated But for that Reason that the Planets are joyn'd they do conduplicate their Power by the second Rule And hence another thing follows viz. That some Conjunction of Venus and Mercury shall be far more Powerful than the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter or of the Sun and Moon Because the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter or of the Sun and Moon may be in the same degree only and the Conjunction of Venus and Mercury Corporeal I call that a Corporeal Conjunction when the Planets are not more distant one from another than the Aggregate of their Semi-diameters as Venus and Mercury not farther than Eight Minutes in Longitude and so Venus from the Moon not above Twenty three Minutes And if such a Conjunction be made also in respect of Latitude it will be far more effectual and valid Nevertheless the Latitude doth not so much as the difference in Longitude because the distance of Latitude impedeth not but that both the Stars may be moved in the same Circle passing by the Poles of the Zodiack And the greatest distance that can be of two Planets in Latitude is betwixt Mars and Venus viz. When Mars is in the utmost extremity of his Southern Latitude and Venus in the like of her Northern Latitude for then they are distant fourteen degrees and a half A Second way whereby the Conjunction of Venus and Mercury may be greater than the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter I omit then what they might be with some Fixed Star or in the beginning of Aries and with Saturn and Jupiter in the end of Virgo for that were to multiply the Conjunction and make it Triple as for Example this Venus and Mercury may be in the Degree of the Ascendant and Saturn and Jupiter in the end of the second House And this by the third Rule A Third manner is That in One Nativity wherein Venus and Mercury are conjoyn'd they may be Lords of the Ascendant In another wherein Saturn and Jupiter are joyned neither of them may have any Power at all in the Ascendant as when the tenth Degree of Virgo or Taurus Ascendeth or but very little as when the tenth of Leo Ascendeth where only Jupiter hath but the Dignity of a Trigon and especially if the Nativity be by Day A Fourth Mode is if whilst Venus is joyn'd to Mercury a Comet should appear in the Heavens or that the Sun and Moon be in Conjunction the rather if there be an Eclipse for then also because it may not behold the Place this Conjunction of Venus and Mercury shall be more Powerful than the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter wherewith none of these great Causes happeneth And Note That there are six great Causes in Heaven The First is the Conjunction of the Ecliptiques of the Eighth and Ninth Spheres and of the Heads of Aries thereof for this excelleth all the rest The Second a Comet which confounds both Sea and Land and all things else The Third an Eclipse which for the most part troubles and disturbs one certain and determinate kind of Creatures The Fourth is the Conjunction of the Luminaries whereby all moist things are governed Therefore the Seas Crabs Fishes Diseases Fâ—ll'd or Lopped Wood and the like The Fifth is the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in what place soever it chanceth whereby Laws Empires and Regions are Governed The Sixth and Last the Conjunction of the Luminaries with the Fixed Stars whereof the Solar Conjunctions govern the Winds the Lunar the Seas 19. The Nineteenth Conjunction is that of Venus and Mercury which may be called Irregular for that it hath no certain Circuit Yet is there one assigned the same being Collected and Divided from many Conjunctions and this is called the Mean Circuit of Five Months and three Days or thereabouts 20. The Twentieth is the Transits of the Absides out of one Sign into another which is in the space of about Three thousand Years some say Four Thousand others Twelve hundred and another sort Sixteen hundred But it is not as yet determined in what time precisely the Apogaeon absolves one Sign nor consequently one Degree as Petavius hath Observed and therefore I forbear any Judgments thereon A Brief Account of the Causes of Earthquakes THere are Four Causes of Earthquakes as admitted and owned by Philosophers and Naturalists viz. Efficient Material Formal Final The Efficient Cause of all Earthquakes is the Heat of the Sun and therewithal the Subterranean Fires assisted by the Astringent Qualities of the three Superiour Planets The Material Cause is the Spirit or Vapour confin'd within the Bowels of the Earth striving to break out The Formal Cause the concussion of the Earth and the Agitation of the Vapours and Exhalations therein inclosed The Final Cause is a Sign of an Angry God justly provoked by the Scarlet Crimes or a Sinfâ—l People according to that of King David Commota est contremuit Terra fundamenta Montinuâ— conturbata sunt commota sunt quoniam iratus est eis i. e. The Earth shook and trembled the Foundations also of the Hills moved and were shaken Because He was wroth 2. Of their Species ARistotle Lib. 2. cap. 8. de Meteor maketh only two Species of them viz. Tremor and Palsus a Trembling and Beating or Thrusting Others have added a Third which they call Hyatus a Gaping Rending or Cleaving of the Earth Many more there are whereof you may Read in Pliny Seneca Possidonius Fromundus and others I willingly omit them 3. Of their Antecedentia THE Antecedentia or Signs preceding Earthquakes are Calmness and Tranquillity of the Air Dimness of the Sun a more than ordinary quietude and Solitariness of Birds Nevertheless a Raging of the Seas Putrefaction and Troubledness of the Waters of Pits and Wells of any Depth Great Noise and hideous sounds under Ground resembling groans and which is more the very Thunder 4. Of their Consequentia AND now the Consequentia or Effects of Earthquakes the which I only aim at are 1. Ruine of Buildings and the Destruction of many People as you may see in Lanquet and Eusebius their Chronologies Tacitus Lib. 2. Fromund Lib. 4. Meteor 2. The Conversion of Plain Fields into Mountains and the raising of Islands in the Sea as Thia Therasia Delos Rhodes and others 3. The Levelling of Mountains sinking of Islands and other Grounds as Helice and Buris So likewise of the Earth which once was where now is only that deep Pit in the County of Durham commonly called Hell-Kettles in the 24 of Henry 2 d. 4. The driving away or cutting the Neck of some Isthmus from the Continent For thus saith Seneca was Sicily divided from Calabria Spain from Africk and if Verstegan say true Britain from France 5. The Translation of Mountains Buildings Trees c. from one place to another As that did a whole Town in Lumbardy in the Reign of Henry the First And that other
stand whistling for a Wind Asham'd to see how far they lag behind The Orange Interest quite lay'd aside As thought too mean a Feather for their Pride 11. In October Forgotten are the Aids they had from hence And what at Newport done in their Defence Our great Discoveries whereof they brag How long they Traffick't under England's Flag Which proves as yet Japan true Witness bears They are no Christians but Hollanders 12. In November But know Ingrateful Stasiarchs you must Stoop and with Reverence lick our English dust The Coals long since stir'd up and blown by you Shall now your Fingers burn and blister too Th' Indignities once offer'd to our King Reduce ye from a Cheese t' a Chitterling 13. In December Those Renegado Regicids whom ye Protect and may annex your Pedegree Who would give Thanks to see or Turks or States Pull down their Fellow's Quarters from our Gates Shall speed your Ruine Nothing prospers well Which draws like you its Origen from Hell 14. Under the Table of Kings Whom Spain's vast Monarchy could not Command Nor any but Great Britain's Force withstand Victorious Charles most justly now Chastises Fills his fair Ports with Dutch not Christian Prizes What will he next but once more Subjugate And make 't as Poor as an Ingrateful State 15. Under the Table of Terms Would you the Reason why Old Causes cease Both Plaintiffs and Defendants are at Peace The Plague compos'd much Discord whilst we saw More Terms than ever Lawyer Terms of Law Yet brisk Executors New Suits Commence Which may prove Older than their Evidence This was the very last Year that this Learned Person wrote Almanacks His leaving off was a great Loss to Astronomers Philosophers Astrologers Poets c. as they will find by these several most Choice and Curious Collections There are divers other Curious Fancies of this Learned Author but they being more Astrological than any that are here mentioned and not very easily understood without a large Comment except by Persons skilled in that Science is the grand reason why the Collector hath omitted their Publication Multa renascentur que jam cecidêre cadentque Quae nunc sunt in honore vocabula si volet usus Quem penes arbitrium est vis norma loquendi Horat. de Art Poet. Next I shall present you with his Gesta Britannorum Or Brief Chronology for Sixty and Six Years of all the Remarkable Acts Perpetrated in the Islands of Great Britain FINIS Gesta Britannorum OR A SUCCINCT CHRONOLOGY OF THE Actions and Exploits Battails Sieges Conflicts and other Signal and Remarkable Passages which have happened in these Dominions From the Year of CHRIST 1600. In which the late King CHARLES was Born untill the Year 1667. Being the space of 66 Complete Years Collected by GEO. WHARTON Alta sedent civilis vulnera dextrae LONDON Printed in the Year 1657. To the Friendly READERS Gentlemen HEre followeth a Compendious Chronology for 66 Years last past which till the beginning of our late plus quam civilia Bella I have Faithfully Extracted either from the private Adversaria of some very Curious Observers or the Publick Writings of others exceedingly Eminent for their Performances The rest from the Store of my own Collections wherein yet I had either my own Eyes or the joynt consent of both Parties to Warrant their Entry The Impulsive to which was no other than have all Provident Husband-men who in Planting such Trees and Fruits as they cannot but know by the slender stock of their Nature they shall never live to taste of do nevertheless reckon it Guerdon sufficient but to think that thereby 't is possible they may gratifie Posterity and perhaps therefore have grafted on their Memories the Venerable Name of Good Common-wealth's-men For the very All I hereby intend is only an Infallible an Impartial conveyance to Posterity of the following Transactions in their due Series of Time By the Sanguine paâ—â— whereof I would not be thought Dolores renovare to set our Wounds fresh a bleeding but Tristium Breviarium dulce exhibere tâ— present you with a Sweet Summary of Britain bitter Calamities That there is a kind of Voluptuousness iâ— the rehearsal of past-Miseries a Pleasure evâ—â— in Misery it self my own Experience haâ—â— taught me For although I know it cannot but aâ—fect any Honest Mans Heart to reflect on thâ— exquisite Cruelties unheard-of Rapine 〈◊〉 Blood-shed common to Vs All of these mâ—cerated Nations in so narrow a period 〈◊〉 Years Yet contenteth it not a little to râ—collect view and re-view as in a Mirrouâ— with what Providence those Judgments besâ— us by what Instruments and Artifice Peâ—petrated with what Plots and Impieties acteâ— How the Sea of our Misfortunes Ebbed anâ— Flowed with the various Shapes of Alternatâ— Successes How Impetuous the Storm hoâ— menacing how dangerous the Waves Hoâ— unequal the Temper of best composed Spirits How inordinate the Pulse in soundest Constitutions Lastly What and how Wonderful the Vicissitudes and Changes thence emergent And if so then certainly from this Bulk of Miseries may be sucked some Honey as well as Poyson Besides if Chronology be the Eye of History I doubt not but that hereafter when by the Moss of Time our Scars are overgrown this despicable Brat may Digito Monstrare point at the Hands as well as Times that gave them 'T is true a Micro-Chronicon hath attended my Kalendar several Years together But the narrow room therein allotted so confin'd me that whensoever any New Matter came to be added more or less of the Old must needs be omitted it could not be otherwise Insomuch that unless all my former Chronical-notes were still in readiness you should one time or other be to seek for what you desired most to be informed in To prevent which was the present Collection of them all into this one portable Volume wherein you have also this Advantage for I presume still it will Prodesse as well as delectare That whereas the Aera of all my former Computations commonly preceded not the Commencement of the Long-Parliament this agrees with the Year 1600. soon after which the Two Crowns were Vnited under the name of Great Britain the lamentable Scene in this Tâ—agedy as the late King CHARLES the First that Enters To conclude I declare it That as there are and will be Mistakes and Defects in the best of Humane Actions especially in works of this Nature so none shall more Oblige me than such who can and will freely by Material Additions but assist me in the least or give civil notice of any thing that either for want of better Intelligence or through my own or the Printers Inadvertency hath escaped Erroneous Dabam Bradfieldiae è Musaeolo meo 5. Augusti Anni M.DC.LVI Geo. Wharton Gesta Britannorum or a Succinct Chronology c. from the Year of Christ 1600. in which the late King Charles was Born until the Year 1667. Anno 1600. Nov. 19. Charles Duke of Albany Born
Radical Place of the Moon in the third Indicative Jupiter benignly Irradiating the Moon by a Trine about the same time denounced a propitious Crisâ—s to â—nsue The Twenty-third day about Nine a Clock in the Evening the Moon perambulating 10 degrees 19 min. of â™ wherein fell the second Critical day applyed to the Trine of Venus At which time she Produced a wholsome and propitious Crisis For on this very day the Feaver began to leave him and soon after he râ—covered his Health Quod sanè miram rerum Medicarum cum coelo Harmoniam consensum arguit Now that the Cause of this Crisis arising from the Stars may yet more plainly appear I will hereunto add a Coelestial Figure erected after the Rational manner with a Judgment Astrological thereupon Judicium Astrologicum ex Figurâ Decubitus Rationali Figura Decubitus Rationalis Ad Annum 1641. Mens Januarii Die Hor. Min. 2. 8. 00. Lat. 480 50′ T. Ap. ☽ ad âš¹ ♂ ☌ ♀ The Principal significators of this Figure are 1. The Ascendant and 2. Mercury Lord thereof in Capricorn a movable Sign Retrograd and Combust in the Fifth House 3. The Sixth House and 4. the Lord thereof in Aquarius a Fixed Sign strong and powerful in his own House the Moon in the Cusp of the Sixth House in Aquarius The Sun in the Fifth afflicted at the beginning of the Disease by a Quadrate of Mars in Aries a Fiery Sign and Lord of the Eighth House Whence it appears that the Disease proceeded from Choller ingendred of a Churlish Melancholy Humor according to the Aphorisme Sol à Marte ad Initium Morbi quovis modo infortunatus aegritudo erit Cholerica ex humore bilioso orta Furthermore Jupiter in a movable Sign in the Fifth House which rules the Stomach Liver and the Sides c. combust and wounded by the Quartile of Mars brought the Pleurisie upon him and because Mercury Afflicted by the Malevolent Planets is hereby rendered Malevolent he gave him the Dry-Cough Moreover the Moon in Aquarius applying to Saturn argues that the Cause of the Disease proceeded from the Weariness of a Journey according to the Doctrine of Hermes and Hippocrates Now for determining the length or shortness of the Disease consider these Aphorisms Sexta Domus in Signo Fixo Morbi Longitudinem pollicetur Item Saturnus existens Dominus sextae in Signo Fixo longum praesagit morbum Rursum Saturnus Dominus Sextae Domino Ascendentis fortior Morbi Incrementum denotat Postremò Luna Domino Sextae applicans Incrementum Morbi portendir Seeing therefore that Mars in a fiery Sign afflicts both the Luminaries namely the Sun by a Quadrate and the Moon by a long Sextile which is equivalent to a Quadrate I gather that the Principal Authors of this Disease are Saturn and Mars which together excited a very long Burning Feaver Then Mercury the dry Cough and at last Jupiter the Plurisie the which together with the Cough sooner ended than the Feaver for that Mercury and Jupiter were both constituted in a movable Sign Of the Mutations Inclinations and Eversions of Empires Kingdoms c. IT will not be I hope ungrateful to the Ingenious if I recollect and commend unto their and my own contemplation the Causes of the Mutations Inclinations and Eversions of Empires Kingdoms and Commonwealths and the rather because as I suppose Time never produced an Age so full of Prodigies nor a Generation of Men so inclin'd to Novelty as now the present wherein every day presents a New Inquiry every Month a fresh Vicissitude The Politiques distinguish the Causes of all Mutations into Two sorts First and Second The First cause is God the Creator and Governour of all things For notwithstanding the Actions of all Individual Human Creatures be in a Human Power yet the Constitutions Governments and Conservations of Human Communions and Societies or Republiques are not so in the Power of Men but depend wholly upon the First and Supreme Cause and the disposition thereof And for as much as God performs his greatest works in the world by Angels it is not impossible or strange if I say and aver that every Empire Kingdom and Republique hath some certain Angel and Genius peculiarly appropriated thereunto as a Governour ordained by God For this is the constant opinion of the Jews who believe that every Person and Place hath a certain Guardian Angel set over it nor do a few Doctors of the Catholick Church believe otherwise whilst in Dan. 10 11. there is mention made of an Angel Governour of Persia and Grece and that the Apostle Ephes. 3. expresly constitutes a certain Order of Angels which he calls Potestates Rulers or Potentates or as our English Translation hath it Principalities and Powers God hath set certain Intervals and Periods of times to all Empires c. amongst which Periods the 500. and 700. years are accounted most Fatal as you may see in Bodin Lib. 4. Cap. 2. but especially in Richterus Ax. 1.2 seq And the natural reason hereof is for that in this space of time there clapseth the sixth Generation of Men which abateth of and more and more declineth from the simplicity strength and fortitude of those Men who at first obtained and preserved Empires by such vertues For like as the Bodies of Men became weak and feeble in the fourth and fifth Generation even so also decreaseth the strength and fortitude whereby Kingdoms are acquired preserved and propagated Besides it hath been observed that at the end of every 30 th year there usually falls out some one or other Mutation in Empires c. because that after so many years such men as formerly had the Government of Affairs and things therein do for the most part leave their Station and that from thenceforth New Ones succeed them who in the space of Thirty years more grow up and introduce new Customs and Opinions in the Commonwealth as you may read in Richterus Axiom 9. Moreover it is certain that as God hath appointed fatal Bounds and Limits of time to all Empires c. so hath he the like Bounds and Limits to all other particular places and when any change of Empires c. is imminent he commonly raiseth up some great Heroes whom he useth as Organs to punish or amend them yet first revealeth such future changes by certain Signs and Prodigies Vid. Bodin Lib. 4. Cap. 2. Richt Axiom 19. And thus much of the first cause of the Changes of Empires Kingdoms and Republiques c. The Second Cause is either Natural or Moral The Natural cause is either Superior or Inferior The Superior Natural Cause is the Motion and Influence of the Planets and Stars upon these Inferiours touching which the Ingenious Keckerman Lib. 1. Cap. 26. delivers this Canon Coelum Efficacissimè agit in Corpus humanum sibi maximè cognatum atque adeo etiam in corpus tum ipsius Principis tum Subditorum ita nempe ut in corporibus mutat temperamenta
and almost at the Brink of Destruction But the Turkish Empire began in the First Quadrant with the Law of Mahomet and hath been most swiftly augmented proportionably to the Motion thereof being at this Day wherein the Eccentricity is at the least in a Flourishing Estate But shall henceforward be diminished until the other Quadrant and alike swiftly God so pleasing hasten to Destruction Indeed according to Tycho and others of the besâ— Astronomers the Eccentricity is already notably increased viz. unto Part 2. 9′ or thereabouts Lausbergius makes it Part 2. 6′ 21″ Insomuch that if the Christians of Europe could but henceforth lay aside their Ambition and Avarice and Live at Peace among themselves the God of Nature presents them with an Age wherein they may totally subvert and lay waste the Empire of â—he Turks and put a speedy Period to the Law of their Prophet Mahomet A Third Cause is the change of the Obliquity of the Zodiack which when at the greatest according to Bullialdus is 23° 52′ 53″ And this was Anno Nabonassari 381. 367 years before the Nativity of Christ. When at the least 23° 31′ 7″ and that fell out Anno Christi 1434. so that the mean betwixt these is 23° 42′ 00″ In the year 1653. the greatest Obliquity of the Zodiack was 23° 31′ 55″ For the Motion of the Anomaly of the Zodiack's Obliquity was 6s. 21° 49′ The Prosthaphaeresis 0′ 48″ which added to the least Obliquity 23° 31′ 7″ gives us 23° 31′ 55″ as before So that the Obliquity of the Zodiack is now likewise increasing for it still increaseth and diminisheth with the Suns Eccentricity Whereby it appears that the Axis of the Earth's Poles by little and little changes its Inclination to the Plane of the Zodiack through some Motion of the Libration But to find out the Physical Cause thereof my Reason concludes it almost impossible For as Bullialdus truly saith Scimus rem esse sed causam motus illius ignoramus nâ—c potest humani Ingenii acumen pervidere causas illas We know saith he there is such a Motion but are ignorant of the Cause thereof nor can the subtilty of Humane Wit throughly perceive those Causes A Fourth Cause is â—he Conjunction of the â—wo Superiour Planets Saturn and Jupiter which according to Cardanus is three-fold Great Mean and Lesser The Lesser are they which happen in Signs of the same Nature or Trigon with others preceding them and so cannot occasion any great Change yet are not without their peculiar Effects as you may see in Cardâ—n Seg. 5. Aphor. 48. Of these there be ten in Number which do orderly succeed one another in the space of less than 200 Years The Mean are they which fall out in a differenâ— Trigon yet not in such as are altogether contrary is qualities that is when the Conjunctions pass from a Fiery into an Earthy Sign out of an Earthy into an Airy or from an Airy into a Watry Sign as from Ariâ—s into Capricorn out of Capricorn into Libra from Libra to Cancer As touching these it is certain they produce sundry Operations For they alter in one respect or other the Estate of Empires Kingdoms Common-wealths and Countries causing some new Empires and Kingdoms to emerge Like as that of Alâ—xander the Great in an Airy the Persians in an Earthy and that of Mahomet in a Watâ—y as you may read in Cardan Sâ—g 1. Aphor. 73. And of these Conjunctions if so be you account frâ—m the change of the Fiery Trigon into the Earthy thâ—re falleth out always three within the space of 596 Yearâ— The First in the Earthy the Second in the Airy and the Third in the Watry Trigon But they are called Great Conjunctions which begin to be Celebratâ—d in the Fiâ—ry Trigon chiefly in Aries the first Sign of thâ— Zodiack For when there shall be a Transit made from a Watry into a Fiery Sign which are as contrary â—ach to other in thâ—ir prime quâ—lities as Fire is to Water then also do great Mutations succeed all the World over And this is clear'd to all Men who have been â—ut never so little conversant in History For if we Calculate backward and allow for each of these Great Conjunctions 794 Years and about a half we shall be reduced from the Year 1603. in which there happened a Great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Sagittary to the Year of Christ 809. in which the Roman Empire Destroyed by continual Wars is at length reformed and augmented under Charles the Great Thence to the Year of Christ 15. soon after which succeeded a great Mutation both of the State Ecclesiastical and Political From thence to the Year preceding Christ 779 soon after which followed the Institution of the Olympick Games and Times the Birth of Romulus and Râ—mus the Building of Rome and a grievous Affliction of the Kingdom of Israel by Tiglath Pileser King of the Assyrians and at length a Destruction thereof by Salmanassar his Successor Hence we recede to the 1574. Year before Christ near unto which Moses was Born who afterwards led the People of Israel out of Egypt by a Divine Power Thence to the Year 2368. within one Age after which followed the Universal Deluge afterwards to the Year 3163. and at length to the Year 3957. about which God Created the World of Nothing And 't is good Reason that like as Rome was Built a little after the beginning of the fifth Fiâ—ry Trigon the first being that under which the World was Created and afterwards by little and little increased and amongst other Cities the great Assembly of the Inhabitants People and Kingdoms she has subdued bore up her Head until at length about the sixâ—h Fiery Trigon she had reduced very many Kingdoms of Europe Asia and Africa to the Form of a Monarchy and Sovereign Empire and flourished in great Glory and that from thence the Empire bâ—ing divided into two East and West was observed to be fallen to decay been troubled with Intestine Wars and exhausted by the Alienations of Kingdoms and Provinces until about the seventh Trigon it was restored by Charles the Great and in some sort received its Pristine Beauty So also shall this Empire at this time under the eighth Fiery Trigon sustain great Mutations which I rather leave to Experience than Prostitute my own Judgment at so easie a rate Nor do only the Great Mean and Lesser Conjunctions of the two Superiours but also their Opposite and Quartile Configurations design great Mutations in the World as you may read in Cardan Seg. 5. Aphor. 49. and Seg. 7. Aphor. 6. Other Causes are Comets or counterfeit Stars c. such as that whereof Josephus Bell. Jud. Lib. 7. Cap. 12. makes mention which appeared for a years space in the form of a Fiery Sword over the City Jerusalem fore-warning her Destruction or as that at the Death of Mahomet seen at High-Noon in the shâ—pe also of a Sword which continued the space of a Month
denuncianda mitti Principumque exitus calamitates confarcinare That a Comet is not a Physical cause of Calamities but rather a Sign at the pleasure of God using the Comet although by a Natural Effect to terrifie and amend Mortals like as he uses the Rain-bow to signifie the Covenant made betwixt him and Mankind And although Comets may be Fortunate or seem so unto some yet that they are not sent for that End but to denounce more sorrowful things and to heap up the Death and Calamities of Princes The like saith Franciscus Resta but the narrow room I am tyed to will not admit of all their Testimonies in the Original especially Cabaeus admits some Comets to be unfortunate others fortunate both per se and to all and also per accidens Because there is never any thing so pernicious to one but it profits another and if one lose an Empire another gets it and subscribeth to Cardan That Elementary Comets are generated of the great plenty of Sulphurous Spirits which cause or signifie Drought â—nd Distempers of the Air whereby the tenderest and weakest Bodies and those that be most delicately nurâ—ur'd and such as be subject to Cares and Watchings are soonest hurt and offended In which number are all Princes so likewise tender Bodies and delicate Females but that the Death of such is not so much taken notice of as Princes Of Astronomers let Tycho have Audience first He Progym Tom. 1. Ã pag. 800. condemns all such who because of the Errors of some Astrologers and the weakness of Humane Understanding in attaining the certain Presages of these Portents deprive them of all Energy and vertue of signifying as if God and Nature should dally with these appearances and would have nothing to be thereby fore-told the World Longomontanus his Scholar Append. ad Astr. Dan. cap. 7. sharply reprehends Thomas Erastus and others who allow of some Vertue to Ordinary Stars yet indulge no Power or Efficacy to Comets Because saith he God and Nature have made nothing in vain but ordain'd the Evils themselves signified by Comets to a good End That is to say Dearth of Corn and Barrenness that the Earth as it were by lying fallow might in the interim be fitted and prepared to a plenty of all Fruits So likewise Tempests that the Air thereby being tossed and tumbled might be purged from Dregs Diseases and Wars that wicked and ungodly Men being thereby routed out the World might be renewed according to these Verses of Palingelius Tales ergo homines imo umbras tempore certo Mittit in arma Deus crudeli morte necandos Sic genus humanum purgat multosque per annos Qui remanent vivunt hilares hac parte Remora Donec succrescunt iterum mala gramine rursus Evellendo acri bello gladioque secanda Tunc iterum immundas dispuniat Jupiter Ollas Tunc iterum immissis furtis purgamina verrit For although these new Phaenomena be lock'd up in the Cabinet of Nature in respect of the Matter and Efficient Cause thereof yet as to the end they were pre-ordained of God to signifie the Eversions and Changes of Publick things and to pull down the too much Security of Men. Hitherto Longomontanus Kepler Physiolog Comet saith that Comets were made to the End the Aethereal Region might not be more void of Monsters than the Ocean is of Whales and other grand thieving Fishes and that a gross fatness being gathered together as Excrements into an Aposthume the Coelestial Air might thereby be purged lest the Sun should be obscured as partly he was in the Year 1547. from the 24. to the 28. of April or for a whole Year together as in that wherein Julius Caesar was slain when being made weak by a Murrey or Bloody colour he cast but a dim and disdainful Light And lib. 3. he proceeds to the significations of the Comet in 1607. unto which he attributes Drought Scarcity of Corn and many other Evils adding withal that the wisest of Historians and Philosophers testifie That Infelicities and Miseries have always succeeded Comets not only by the Death of Princes and changes thence ensuing but by a thousand other ways And sums up the Troubles and Calamities which followed the Comet in 1531. in Helvetia Saxony and the Baltique Sea and that of the Year 1532. in Westphalia and Holland That of 1538. in England That of 1539. in Misnia Thuringia Marchia Brudenburgica and Brunswick That of 1558. again in England France and Holland So likewise that of the Year 1569. in Saxony and those in 1577. and 1580. in several places of Germany c. Which done he declares the Events of the Comet in 1607. and his Judgment of those in 1618. and 1619. unto which I refer the Reader I have been the larger in these Testimonies of Philosophers Poets Fathers Meteorologists and Astronomers to the end all rational and indifferent Men may see and judge what an awful regard hath ever been had of Comets and other the like Prodigious Meteors amongst the Learned and how far differing from the too prejudicate and uncharitable Censures of some silly Sciolists of this Age who judge of all things but according to the shallow Current of their own Fancies or to cherish the predominant Humour of these giddy times As for Astrologers I shall not produce them as Witnesses but Judges to decide the Portents of the aforesaid new Comet in December 1652. the Occasion of this Discourse and which now I come to handle Astrologically But first I will give you the Place and Motion thereof Of the Comet 1652. UPon Wednesday the Eighth day of December 1652. Stilo veteri about Nine a Clock at Night I first beheld this Comet below the hinder-most Star in the Constellation of the Hare but some few degrees to the East thereof It was likewise seen the same Evening by Mr. Childrey of Feversham in Kent as I have it from a good hand but neither he nor my self could as then perceive any Tail visible what it had before the Moon was up I know not I have heard of some who say they saw it the sixth or seventh day And 't is very probable the first appearance thereof might be about the Full Moon Dec. 5. or rather as I suppose upon the Quartile of Jupiter and Mars Celebrated the seventh day of December whereof more hereafter The 9 th day betwixt 7 and 8 in the Evening I saw it the second time under the Foot of Orion not far from the Hares Eye and then there appeared a dim Tail directly opposed the Sun but after the Moon rose the Tail was hardly visible This Evening also it was observed by the Astronomical Reader of Gresham Colledge as I am inform'd and afterwards so often as the Air would permit him till it vanished It is my unhappiness not to be acquainted with the Gentleman Yet by the means of a Noble Friend I obtained the Longitude and Latitude thereof as he had found the same by Instrument
the Office of the First Moveable That the same part of the Earth by the motion of the whole body thereof continually cometh into the Aspect of New parts of the Stellified Heaven whereby that part of the Earth shall be forthwith changed de novo unless we deny it all power of Operating thereupon Whether therefore there be no other Heavens above that of the Fixed Stars unknown I confess to the Aegyptians Chaldaeans Plato Aristotle Hyparchus and even to Ptolomy himself Or whether More according to the Alphonsins yet this is most certain and not contradicted by any That in Mundane Bodies as the Earth Water Air Fire and Heavens there is some First and Supream than which there cannot be any higher otherwise should they be infinite in Operation And also that these very Bodies are the universal Causes of Physical Mutations and subordinate one to another in Operation Therefore in that Subordination there must likewise be one first and supream Physical cause which acteth by it self and borroweth not of any former the power of Operation And from that the Middle and from these the Lowest do receive their vertue of Action Otherwise this Subordination of Causes should it self be quite overthrown For why should the Middle be said to be Subordinate to the Supream and the Lowest to the Middle in their Operation if that which is lower received no influx or vertue from that which is Superiour unto it And can the Lowest without the Influence of the Middle or these without the Influence of the Highest of themselves produce any Effect The First Cause therefore of all things can be no other than the Supream Heaven which if according to the Doctrine of the Ancients it move it moveth also the Bodies that be thereunto inferiour yet is not it self moved by any other Body superiour unto it And if according to Kepler it be immoveable and indued with Stars it hath influence at least upon the Bodies that be subordinate to it but receiveth not influence from any other Therefore either way the First Heaven shall be the First Cause or the first Physical beginning of Physical Effects and Changes For 't is but expedient that the First beginning in every kind should be the most perfect Therefore shall the First Heaven be in the Lineage of Efficient Causes which are of the most universal and powerful Active vertue which is the greatest perfection of an Efficient Cause so that there is no Inferiour Corporeal Cause which it moveth not or into which it instilleth not a vertue or power of Operation and nothing anew generated in the whole World which this vertue of it self toucheth not Which being granted how can any Man doubt but that every thing which is generated and born de novo should be referred to that First Cause thereof For it must be referred either to some part of that Heaven or to that whole Heaven But it ought to be referred to the whole Heaven For the First heaven is not the First and most Universal Cause secundum aliquam sui partem according to some part of it but secundum se totum according to the entire Body thereof Therefore every Sublunary Effect so far as it may be considered secundum se totum to wit in its Beginning Vigour Declination and Destruction must be referred to the whole heaven yet not confusedly but distinctly and orderly as the most orderly motion of Heaven it self requireth For as the whole Effect and whatsoever doth happen from Heaven during the same correspond to the whole Heaven and yet the Beginning is not the End thereof so what was in Heaven of it self the Cause of its Beginning this same thing shall not of it self be the Cause of the End thereof for so no Effect should continue nor indeed any be produced But as the Beginning Vigour Declination and End of things do differ and succeed one another So the Coelestial Causes of these likewise differ amongst themselves and must succeed one another But in Heaven Difference and Succession are not unless in respect of the parts thereof Therefore in Heaven are certain parts that be the Causes of the beginning of things or which do govern the same Others succedent to those which rule the Vigour others that rule their Declination and lastly such as govern the End or Destruction of things What part of Heaven then Nature her self guiding and teaching us shall we call the First Cause of the Natural Beginning of every thing Surely that which in the very Beginning of the thing ariseth above the Horizon thereof and arising causeth the thing it self also to arise For certain it is that of all the places of Heaven the East is more powerful than the rest as is testified by all Astrologers concerning the Rising Culminating and Setting of the Stars and as Experience it self convinceth in the Change of Air. But a Cause is said to be onely more Powerful in respect of a stronger and more difficult Effect Therefore the stronger and more difficult Effect of things must be attributed to the Ascendant Part of Heaven which none will deny to be the Rise or Production of those things But successively that Part of Heaven which is more elevated above the Horizon and possesseth the Mid-heauen in the Rise or Beginning of the thing shall have the Government of the vigour and Operative vertue thereof That which setteth at the same time the Declination of it from its perfect estate And lastly That which obtains the Bottom of Heaven shall be taken for the Cause of its Corruption And this is the simple and of all others the first Division of Heaven whereby it is truly and rationally fitted for the Begetting Increase and Alteration of all Physical things from their own Nature and at length corrupting them And which onely the Ancient Astrologers frequently used in their General and Particular constitutions of Heaven as appears by Holy in the Figure of the Comet which happened in his time For that either a more scrupulous Division of Heaven was harder in those days for want of Astronomical Tables Or because this Division might generically contain whatsoever another could more specially But when once some Astrologer had observed that Heaven was both made and moved rather for the sake of Man than any other Animate or Inanimate Creatures and how many things agreed to Man himself in respect of his more Divine Nature which did not in any wise to more ignoble Creatures He supposed that for Man's own sake also the whole Circle of Heaven was rationally Divided into Twelve parts by great Circles drawn through the intersections of the Horizon and Meridian and cutting the Aequator in so many equal parts which he called Houses the first whereof he placed in the East and delivered to Posterity That it governed the Life of Man and from thence might be had and drawn a conjectural knowledge and judgement concerning Life That the 2. which followâ—th the first according to the Motion of the Planets
Different Cusp Lat. 50. est 46 min. 60. 46. 30.   1380. 2.   46.   60.    180.   18. 3.   120.   6.    1380.   0.  Gradus Zod. est Sagit 5. 24. P. P. 23. min. S. Vera Cuspis XII est Sagit 5. 1. Pro cusp 1. Ascen 300. 4. Lat 53. 30. Sagit Lat. 53. Prox. major 300. 46. 26. 300. 4. Prox. minor 299. 37. 25. 299. 37.  Different 1. 9. 1.  27.  69. 60.  27.  1620 2.     60.  69. Gradus Zod. Sagit 25.   1620.  138. P. P.  23 min.    240. 3.       69.       207.       33. Cusp 1. Lat. 53. est Sagit 25. 23.   deg min.  deg min. Lat. 54. Prox. major 301. 7. 25. 300. 4. Prox. minor 299. 57. 24. 299. 57.  Different 1. 10. 1.  7.  70. 60.  7. 420. 6.     60. 70.      420. 0.  Grad Zod. est 24. Sagit P. P. 6 min. Cuspis 1. Lat. 54. est 24. 6. Sagit    deg min. Differentia Cusp Lat. 53. est 1. 17. 54. 60. 77. 30. 2310. 3.   77. 60.     18.    210.     210. 51. 8.    6.    2310. 48.  Grad Zod. Sagit 25. 23.  3.  P. P.  38 min. S.   Vera Cuspis I. est Sagit 24. 45. Pro Cuspis II. Ascen 330. 4. Lat. 49. 30. Aquar Lat. 49. Prox. major 330. 7. 4. 330. 4. Prox. minor 329. 25. 3. 329. 25.  Different  42. 1.  39.  42.  60. 39.  234. 5.     60.  42.       210.     2340.   Grad Zod. 3. Aquar     240. 5. P. P. 56 min.     42.       210.       30. Cuspis 2. Lat. 49. est 3. 56. Aquar   deg min. Aquar deg min. Lat. 50. Prox. major 330. 20. 3. 330. 4. Prox. minor 329. 38. 2. 329. 38.  Different  42. 1.  26.  42.  60. 26.  1560. 3.     60.  42. Gradus Zodaici 2. Aquar   1560.  126. P. P. 37 min.     300. 7.       42.       294.       6. Cusp 2. Lat. 50. est 2. 37. Aquar    deg min. Different Cusp Lat. 49. est 1. 19. 50.   60. 79. 30 2370. 3.   79. 60.   270. 18.   210.     57. 9. Gradus Zod. est 3. 56. Aquar 2370. 6. P. P.  39 min. S. 54.    30. Vera Cuspis II. est Aquar 3. 17. Pro cusp III. Ascen 0. 4. Lat. 34. 3.     Ariet.   Lat. 34. Prox. major 00. 38. 1. 00. 04. Prox. minor 00. 00. 0. 00. 00.  Different  38. 1.  04.  38. 60. 4.   240. 6.    60.   38. Gradus Zod. 0. 0. Ariet. 240.   228. P. P.  6 min.    12. Cusp 3. Lat. 34. est 0. 6. Ariet. Lat. 35. Prox. major 00. 38. 1. 00. 04 Prox. minor 00. 00. 0. 00. 00.  Different 00. 38. 1. 0. 4.  38. 60. 4.   240. 6.    60.   38.       228. Grad Zod. 0. 0. Ariet. 240.   12.  P. P.  6 min.    Cuspis 3. Lat. 35. est 0. 6. Ariet.    deg min. Differrentia Cusp Lat. 34. est 0. 0. 35.   Vera Cusp III. est 00. 06. Ariet. Collectio Cuspidum X. 2. 16. Scorp Taur 2. 16. IV. XI 19. 59. Scorp Taur 19. 59. V. XII 5. 1. Sagit Gem. 5. 1. VI. I. 24. 45. Sagit Gem. 24. 45. VII II. 3. 37. Aquar Leon. 3. 37. VIII III. 0. 6. Ariet. Libr. 0. 6. IX Thaema Coeleste ex tabulis Directionum Regiomontani ad tempus Apparens Conjunctionis Saturni Martis Anno Domini 1646. Junii 12. ♀ Hor. Min. Sec. 7. 54. 41. P. M Latitude 53 1 2. What think you now Mr. Booker have not I just cause to distrust and diligently to examine your work And to call your judgment in question which is grounded upon a wrong Basis Do you not blush to see your Ignorance your Errors your Impudence your Malice thus palpably discovered Have you not most grosly mistaken 2 deg 25 min. in the twelfth and sixth Houses 2 deg 35 min. in the Ascend and seventh House 2 deg 59 min. in the eleventh and fifth Houses 3 deg 46 min. in the tenth and fourth four degrees 47 min. in the eighth and second And no less than 6 deg and 10 min. in the third and ninth Houses Is any man so much beside himself as to give Credit to any of your Prognosticks when not one scruple of certainty can be found in your Calculations And are not you and Mr. Lilly alike ashamed to account your selves Masters in Astrology when I have made it appear that neither of you have yet attained so much skill as to set a Figure of Heaven exactly Will any man of understanding think you fit to Prognosticate the effects of the Planets and Stars who are not of your selves able to Calculate their true Places Motions and Aspects but are forced to take them upon trust from others For so Mr. Lilly himself confesseth in his England's Prophetical Merlin pag. 23. in these words viz. Having intreated my loving Friend Mr. Matthew Fiske to give me the true Scheme of the great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in 1603. for it was so he gave me the positure aforesaid exactly done by the Rodolphine Tables c. And Page 76. of the same Book I conceive it possible and do believe I have the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in 1642 3 exquisitely done by the same Learned hand and that either he or any as able as himself may compass the true moment of any Conjunction This is a modest and ingenuous acknowledgment of Mr. Lilly's want of skill in Astronomy for you see he was fain to be beholden to Mr. Fiske for Calculating the Conjunctions of Saturn and Jupiter in 1603. and 1642 3. or else he knew not where to have had them And he confesses that he doth but believe the last of them to be exquisitely done He cannot tell how to determine whether it be so or not of his own knowledge And by this I
thought upon that may ere long amaze the unjust Usurpers of his Royal Fathers Birth-right But no more of that this Year I will not trouble my self much longer with this Malicious Fellows Errors and Impertinencies nor with his scurrillous Language belch'd out against an Irish Gentleman who writ an Almanack Printed at Waterford in Ireland I never saw the Book and therefore I cannot judge of any thing in it nor admit of any such thing as Booker pretends to have Corrected him in For I have it from good hands that the Gentleman is so knowing a Scholar that it is incredible he should be guilty of such gross Errors as Booker hath charged him with And you have seen how able a Man Booker is to Correct any body But were I that Manapian he speaks of I would reward him with another Scheme for the future Opposition of the same Planets which happens upon the 20 day of October 1647. at half an hour past 6 a Clock in the Morning Saturn being then in 0. deg 27 min. of Gemini the Ascendant of London and Mars in 0. deg 27 min. of Sagit as appeareth by the Figure which I have Calculated exactly for the Meridian of London because it will much concern the South and West parts of England and that in a higher measure than the Conjunction before treated of doth the Kingdom of Ireland See the Scheme A Labente Anno. 1647 Octobr. 20 18 Hor 4 min 18 sec. Lost meridiem Latitud 51.32 And until the time of this Opposition do the Effects of the Conjunction vigorously extend themselves and then they have lasted 539 days which wants but 8 days of a Year and a half after which time the Effects of this Opposition shall begin and forcibly Operate until their next Conjunction which will happen again upon the 28 day of June 1648. in the 11 deg of Gemini which will be very ominous to some parts of England and especially the City of London For I cannot say the Effects of the Opposition shall cease when the Mathematical Circuit of their Conjunction finishes because that next Conjunction doth likewise happen in the Sign Gemini wherein Saturn is at the time of his Opposition to Mars which will not much differ in signification Although it be a received Truth that the Effects of the Opposition of these two Planets do commonly work more violently and quick Nam diametrae radiationes quemadmodum Tetragonismi mortes repentinas violentas mutationes faciunt congressus vero generalia accidentia And Haly the Arabian in his 8 Part Cap. 6. saith Quod Oppositio Saturni Martis est deterior eorum Conjunctione deteriores ac maligniores significationes demonstrant And indeed this is very Malicious in that they are both unhappily affected and afflicted Saturn being infortunate and Mars out of all his Essential Dignities and otherwise but meanly Fortified Haec oppositio significat quod homines in se invicem discordabunt prosequentur se mutuo odio cessabunt se familiariter invisere detrabet quilibet alteri Haly Part 8. Cap. 25. This Opposition signifieth that Men shall wrangle one with another and shall Prosecute themselves mutually with hatred And they shall forbear to visit one another familiarly And every one shall back-bite or speak evil of another It further praemonstrates great Pestilence and Mortality especially amongst Old Men Many Thefts and Robberies much deceitful dealing and that generally Men shall betray their Trust. That many unjust and unreasonable Taxes shall be imposed under several specious pretences to the undoing of many far worse than that of Ship-money I have taken the pains to set Booker the Scheme rightly for London and if he do not too much play the Fool or the Knave he needs must exceedingly terrifie the People subject to the Sign Gemini wherein Saturn is at the time of this Opposition in the 8. House the House of Death and Venus who is Lady of the 8. House is with the Moon in the latter end of the 2. House where likewise Mars afflicteth The 4. deg of Leo culminates Jupiter is in the latter end of the 10. House but Saturn and Mars do strongly besiege him He is miserably afflicted by their hateful square and is also in his Detriment Look now to your selves you of the Presbyterian-Cut the People are weary of your extemporary non-sence You Judges Officers and Magistrates who have betrayed or forsaken your Master and perverted the Law to serve your own wills expect to render an account of your Actions I unfeignedly protest you are all strongly threatned From the Sun and Mercury expect your comfort or none They cast a Friendly Sextile to Jupiter and they are free from the Malevolents though in the most viperous Sign of the Zodiack The Sun here represents His Majesty of England as being both Lord of the 10. House and Natural Significator of Kings Mercury as he is with the Sun hath signification of the Masters of the Houses of Princes and great Lords and their Secretaries and Stewards And they are both if not only Angular in the Figure This promises well to His Majesty and his Servants and not one jot of ill to Ireland By this time a Man may call a Spade a Spade Let me see the Face of him dare call the Queens Majesty a Traytor But the States have Voted her so for her Love so exemplarily shewed to the King her Husband Is there not one Lord nor Ten Commoners yet ashamed of it Yes some blush others are bold and impudent some stupidly senseless others wrangling away their Lives by strange and noisome Diseases some are threatned by Prodigious Births and those too of their own begetting And what not to render a People palpably accursed miserably and fully wretched Ireland now demands a reason for the Ordinance of the 24 of October 1644. And asks if you will buy any Land there Scotland tells you they have as great an Interest in the King as England and will in some of the Lands too if you will needs In a word we all look back and say Lord what have we done and been a doing for 7 Years Some make Question whether they be awake or in a Dream All Men are at a stand yet still in Action The besotted Crew do quake and murmure say little but think mischievously Furórne coecus an rapit vis acrior An culpa Responsum date Tacent Et ora pallor albus inficit Mentesque perculsae stupent Doth fury blind or greater Power command Is Sin the cause Oh let me understand They silent are Their cheeks are paler made And fears their horror-strucken Minds invade But it is the Conjunction of Saturn and Mars upon the 28 of June 1648. before mentioned will be assuredly Fatal to London and many other places of England I pray God avert the Judgments thereby threatned and incline the Hearts of His Majesties Subjects that as they are or ought to be all Christians so to be of
before he was taken as His Majesty once told them If he were I presume a man might purchase Lilly's share of the Land in Ireland at an easie rate And although out of his Malice he tells them their Ruine is approaching and threaten them with Cups and even brimmers of Vengeance I believe he may drink them there off himself before they once pledge him And although Booker in his Bloody Irish Almanack hath disgorg'd a filthy and confused heap and mass of Misery Ruine and Vengeance to befall that Kingdom yet you have not heard of any considerable loss that they have sustained since first that Malicious lying Pamphlet peep'd out into the World which bears date on Tuesday the 17 th of March 1645 6. But on the contrary have been exceeding Victorious and Successful beyond expectation and at this present have all or the most part of the Garrisons and strong Holds in that Kingdom under their subjection But I shall not at present take any more notice of that notorious piece of Non-sense of John Booker's because I have reserved the Examination and Confutation thereof to a particular Discourse coming out shortly wherein I discover his gross Errors and Mistakes in point of Art and plainly prove that his Pamphlet to be stuft with nothing but inveterate Malice and unparallel'd Ignorance Lilly I will add no distempered conceptions to this Discourse ensuing lest I be thought an Incendiary I can break out at what time I shall see my Pen may be useful and profitable for the Cause I so much Honour c. Wharton No Sir you must first have your Ink tempered before you can counterfeit without suspicion Those things you call your conceptions so naturally rough must be first Polished before they can advantage the Cause and run smoother and with more shew of truth ere they shall deceive me You dare not you will not candidly and impartially relate what you find recorded in the Register of Heaven lest you should be taken for an Incendiary That is one that moves not by the wyre of the great Engine one that speaks the truth without fear or flattery and 't were your utter undoing should the least scruple of ingenuousness be observed in your Lines Therefore say you I can break out at what time I shall see my Pen may be useful and profitable for the Cause That is to say when I perceive the Scots and the Parliament fall asunder and dis-joynted in their Opinions and Affections then will I make the Stars every minute pick Quarrels with the Scots I shall then break out of a sudden and Prophesie nothing but Loss Ruine and Destruction and Beggery to that perfidious Nation And that the States of England shall be Victorious over them I shall encourage our Souldiers and disanimate the Enemy c. whereby I hope to be useful and profitable for the Cause I so much honour and be rewarded well for my pains Lilly The English wearied with the sad attendants of War seem at this present Suns Ingress into Aries to be desirous of Peace yet not willing to be baffled or curb'd by any Neighbour-Nation Kingdom or â—eople or to have Laws imposed on them contrary to their Native Humours and Customs c. Wharton Great cause have the English and especially the poor Inhabitants of the North to groan under and to be weary on and to shake the intolerable burden from off their shoulders which so long they have been forced to trudge under like so many Asses But where is the Man that sometimes so much hugg'd himself with the very name of Liberty that endeavours now but to ease though not to free the poor Countrey from that Bondage and Slavery Who was the cause of their present Misery Who was it that hyred and brought your dear Brethren the Scots first into the Bowels of this Kingdom And where lies the fault now they are not sent home again Have the Scots baffled and out-witted your wise and grave Senators Have they put you in mind of your Covenant and thereby blasted the Fruit of your four Years What pity it is you must not enjoy your Humours What grief is it you must yet be troubled with a King Lilly I do still confiâ—e in the Integrity of the Scottish Nobility and Clergy and hope there may be Unity betwixt the two Nations c. Wharton You Confide and you Hope but what is that to the Portents of Heaven It is expected that you should Astrologically and thereby Impartially relate what the Signs Planers and Stars do premonstrate to happen in these Kingdoms what Signs they have of War or what of Peace Or in plain terms whether the former Unity and League betwixt the Scots and the Parliament is likely to be broken or continued And of this it is that People would be satisfied and not of your Hopes and your Confidence and yet any man that warily reads you shall find you very dubious in your expressions and to carry your self so cunningly and in so equal a poize that for ought I have observed the Reader may be as well satisfied in that point from Erra Pater as from your Anglicus as hereafter shall appear And now we have done with the Prologue the Play begins Lilly Come we now to the matter and let us believe this will be a Year of Admiration if we do credit Bonatus fol. 514. Aspice etiam in revolutione Anni utrum Jupiter ingrediatur in ♋ vel sit in eo quoniam tunc augmentatur ejus virtus majorificantur ejus significata significat enim res magnas mutationes mirandas nominatas durabiles ad bonum tamen c. Behold saith he if Jupiter in the Revolution of a Year be in Cancer or enter that Year into that Sign then shall his Influence Vertue and such Actions as he naturally signifies be exceedingly augmented and take place to purpose then are matters designed by him exalted and magnified thâ—n shall be wonderful alterations and eminent changes upon the Earth matters durable and tending to the benefit of Mankind or all things inclining to Peace and Tranquility c. Wharton Having already discovered his decrepidness in point of Art I come now to rip him up in matter of Judgment and shall begin with his first Aphorism wherein the Reader may observe himself sufficiently abused in the very quotation thereof For whosoever will peruse that place of Guido Col. 514. may observe that Lilly to fit the words for his turn hath left out at least two lines of the Aphorism For thus the words are in Guido Aspice etiam in revolutione anni utrum Jupiter ingrediatur in ♋ vel sit in eo maxime in 15 grad ejus quoniam tunc augmâ—ntatur ejus virtus majorificantur ejus significata Et eò fortius si receperit dispositionem alicujus fortunarum significabit enim res magnas mutationes mirandas nominatas durabiles ad bonum tamen c. So that the words here
Conscience and the Principles of Art Nor can in my Opinion the Sun and Venus their being within Orbs portend any kind of restraint to His Majesty but rather absolute freedom in regard they are both His Majesties Significators and behold the Cusp of the twelfth House with an Aspect of true and perfect Amity Lilly But let me examine Astrologically whether there be any Affection or Unity betwixt His Majesty and Subjects which you may discern saith Bonatus Fol. 526. Per Conjunctionem significatorum ad invicem viz. By the Conjunction of each Significator to other or with other vel per eorum aspectum cum receptione quia ille ex significatoribus qui recipit alium committit illi dispositionem or by the mutual Aspect of the Significators with Reception for observe whose Significators receives the other commits his disposition or vertue to the Planet received or more properly may be said to be ruled or directed by him Here do I find the Sun Significator of our Honourable Patriots at Westminster in his Exaltation receiving Venus His Majesties in her Detriment viz. in a low condition c. Wharton If the Conjunction of the Sun and Venus had been by Application or a perfect Conjunction you had said something to the purpose but Mr. Wisdom you see Venus is separated from him and the Moon who is Significatrix of your Honourable Patriots is hasting to an Opposition with them both which are signs of small Affection or Unity betwixt them and as for that Reception you mention to be betwixt them I will not grant any for I learned when I was in my A. B. C. of Astrology that Receptio est duplex una ex domicilio altera ex exaltatione It is either from House or Exaltation which you cannot find here betwixt the Sun and Venus for although the Sun be in his Exaltation yet Venus is not in hers so that there is no Reception in respect of Exaltation and for matter of House you will grant there can be none Yet I remember Zael admits of this and one more as a kind of Reception and Origanus takes notice of them in him and Schonerus and calls them Receptiones minores but he does not commend or allow them but rather sets a mark upon them for invalid and Superstitious for saith he Posteriores receptiones non nisi in particulari ad Superstitionem inclinante judicio locum habent Pag. 427. So that if the Commonalty or Kingdom be no more Obedient and kind to the King than this reception inclines them to I shall despair of any Peace or Tranquility this Year nor expect better success of their formal addresses than formerly Lilly If we run a strain above Astrology the Hermetical Learning will tell us that the Angels Samael and Malchidael are the Intelligences or presiding Angels of the English Common-Wealth and Kingdom and generally every Astrologer is satisfied that Mars is the Planet and Aries the Sign to which Great Britain is subject If the greater Angel and his Minister stand firm for us as it 's thought they do and if the Planet be well Fortified and the Ascending Sign of this Kingdom not afflicted I see no cause in Nature to mistrust any general misfortune to happen within this Kingdom to the Inhabitants thereof in this present Year 1647. For though we find Mars our English Astrological Planet in his Fall yet we have him very Potently placed in the Heavens in Conjunction with Jupiter and Caput Draconis in the eleventh House and what Authors deliver upon such a Position as this you shall be your own Judges that read the Discourse Si Jupiter fuerit in undecima significat lucra merces in omnibus rebus Haly 378. When Jupiter is in the eleventh House he intimates much Trade and Mâ—rchandizing and great Wealth obtained thereby Si quidem Jupiter fuerit in undecima significat laudem bonam famam ex parte amicorum quod gaudebunt homines erunt in alacritate bonus effectus profectus in rebus de quibus habebunt homines fiduciam de quibus sperant bonum Bonat 567. Jupiter as now Posited portends great Comfort from Friends and that they shall merit Honour and a good Name that Men shall rejoyce and be cheerful and have good Effect and Encouragement in the Actions they seek after and of which matters thâ—y themselves expectâ—d good If we would dilate or â—xemplifie why from hence may we not expâ—ct all faithfulness and Honourable correspondency from the Scottish Nation contrary to the expectation of some and those not a few that Divine othâ—rways Wharton If William Lilly run not quite out of his Wits I shall here make him understand if not acknowledge another very gross Error of his notwithstanding the Angels Samaâ—l and Malchidaâ—l do both of them take his part For though I grant him that Mars is more powerful than he speaks of yet is the Sign Ascending of this Kingdom sufficiently afflicted by the Platique Square of Mars unto it who is also within three degrees of Conjunction with the Lord of the eighth House which is the House of Death Labour Sadness and Heaviness Heritage of Dead Men and the end of Life and the Ascendant of the Revolution is no less afflicted by the Quartile of Saturn unto it And the Moon who is Lady of the Hour although he hath here forgot to mention her is separate from the Sextile of Mars and in a partile Sextile with Jupiter but comes immediately to a Diametrical configuration with Aries England's Horoscopical Sign whereby you might have seen if you had not been worse than pur-blind cause too much to mistrust some general misfortune to befall the Inhabitants of this Kingdom I do not love to create new Jealousies and Fears but I presume Wil. Lilly will not upon second thoughts deny what I have said nor that he hath plaid the Fool in giving Judgment of Jupiter's Positure in the eleventh only without mixing the nature of Mars with him who is there likewise so powerful and near unto Conjunction with him But I have elsewhere told you what their Accidental Scite there doth signifie and therefore shall not need to give him any further Answer in this particular since what he here reiterates is only to clear his Brethren the Scots lest they become unruly and kick out that small proportion of his idle Brains Lilly And surely were not Mars over-swayed by the presence of Jupiter in that Nations Ascending Sign I should somewhat doubt of them my self but I do not for the truth is Religion and Faith over-masters their Natural Policy Really Mars in undecima inimicitias amicorum praenotat Mars in the 11. destroys the Leagues and Friendships of People c. Wharton And surely William Lilly a Horn-bookblade he would not divulge so much of his Ignorance at one clap as to say that Mars is over-swayed by the presence of Jupiter cujus contrarium verum est for as before I have
proved Mars is the strongest save only the Moon and Jupiter the weakest but Mercury in all the Figure as will appear to any Man that will take the pains to collect the Dignities and Debilities of the Planets respectively in the Figure And therefore he hath good reason to doubt of himself and to suspect the Scottish Nation will become Converts which if they did not we Malignants should have questioned whether they had any Religion or Faith at all But to the matter Mars in the eleventh House presages something else than amicorum inimicitias if you had not abused Guido Bonatus Colum. 571. and in him the whole Kingdom whose words if he had not been interrupted by this unmannerly Clown had been thus Mars in 11 a domo significat paucitatem lucri seu profectus in rebus de quibus speratur utilitas quod cadent in inimicitias amicorum significat diminutionem substantiae desperabunt homines de rebus in quibus habebatur fiducia quibus sperabatur That is Mars in the eleventh House foretells but little profit or gain in those things by which profit was expected and that they shall fall at enmity with their Friends Also the diminution of their Substance and that men shall utterly despair of ever obtaining what they most trusted to and expected This Aphorism carries a great deal of Matter in it in relation it hath to the differences depending and impending betwixt the Scots and the Parliament And therefore it was not held fitting to be published or communicated by our Mysterious Merlin without a Fee The plain English of it is that according to Natural causes it is most evident that the Parliament c. shall be frustrated in their expectation that they shall be much deceived and deprived of the Profit and Commodity which might have accrued unto them by having the King at their own disposal And that for this cause they shall fall at difference with and incur the dislike and enmity of those that were formerly their Friends and Confederates who shall account them no otherwise than such as have forgot and neglected their Covenant with God and Man c. And hereupon they despair of the Scottish Religion because it is come nearer the Kings and of their Faith because they have not so much credulity as to interest them alone in the disposal of His Majesties Person And hence arise new Discords and Contentions and greater Taxes are imposed than ever upon the poor Kingdom whereby Mens Estates are exhausted and consumed and fresh Miseries daily approaching if not timously prevented What he cites out of Haly concerning Jupiter's positure in the eleventh House I have sufficiently Answered and explained before upon the words which he quoted from Bonatus for the same thing And thus far hath Mr. Lilly made his Progress in Preaching Peace and Tranquility to the People to what purpose I have sufficiently declared And now he comes to the Quality of the Year wherein I scorn to detract the least scruple from him of what 's his due but shall agree with him in every thing which he performs but any thing like an Artist though he stumble of it against his will his Quotation of Bonatus Pag. 55. by great Fortune is very true and pertinent whereby is proved a Year of scâ—rcity of Corn and other Provision for the use of Man But the application of his next Aphorism out of Haly is very illicite and ignorant for although he affirm it shall assuredly come to pass in those parts of this Kingdom which lye South-East and full South from London but nothing so violently as in the Kingdom of Ireland I shall prove him here an errand Botcher For if he had understood the Aphorism Saturn ought to be infortunate in alto loco and elevated above all the other Planets or otherwise it hath no signification which he is not in this Figure for although he be weak in his Essential Dignities yet considering his other Accidental Fortitudes he is indifferent strong and powerful so that the Aphorism will not serve for this Position And if you will know the principal ways by which a Planet may be said to be Elevated above another they are three viz. In respect of their Latitude from the Ecliptique Nearness to their Auges Position in the Figure A Planet is said to be Elevated above another according to Ganivetus cap. 1. differ 3. of his Book Entituled Amicus Medicorum who hath greatest Northern Latitude from the Ecliptique Now if we Calculate rightly we shall find Mars Elevated above all the rest of the Planets the Moon excepted for he hath 3 degrees of North Latitude and Saturn's Latitude is Meridional no less than 2 degrees 6 min. So Jupiter hath 0. degree 47 min. of North Latitude Venus 1 degree 10 min. and Mercury 2 degrees 5 min. both South and the Moon indeed hath 4 degrees 47 min. of North Latitude So that in respect of Latitude Saturn is the most depressed of all the Planets in the Figure and the Moon most Elevated next Mars and then Jupiter The next way is in respect of a Planets propinquity to his Auge according to Albohazen Haly in his Comment upon Ptolomy So that the Planet which is nearest the Summity of his Epicycle is Elevated above another which is further removed thence and if we consider here which of the Planets is most Elevated secundum Augem we shall find that Mercury is in Apog Epicicli 12 March Mars is in Apog Eccentr the 14 of March and Saturn is not in Apog Epicicli until the fourth of May following So that this way Mercury and Mars are both Elevated above Saturn And here by the way will I put Mr. Merlin in mind of one mistake in this kind committed in his England's Prophetical Merlin Pag. 78. Where he hath put Saturn transire Apog on 20 Martii Jupiter Epicicli sui superiorem partem 23 Martii whereas Saturn is in Apog Epicicli the 10 of March and Jupiter the 13. So but only ten days Error in each committed The third way by which a Planet may be said to be Elevated is in respect of their places in the Figure as he that is above the Earth is more Elevated than he that is under the Horizon he that is in the twelfth House is Elevated above another Planet in the Ascendant he that is in the eleventh above any in the twelfth and he that is in the tenth above any other in the Figure as indeed Saturn is now And if all the Planets were under the Horizon then that which is nearest to the Ascendant is said to be most Elevated but this is not so much considered by Astrologers as their Elevation in respect of Latitude and of their proximity to their Auges or if it were yet you see there is two to one against Wil. Lilly For Saturn is neither Elevated above all the other Planets in respect of Latitude nor in respect of his Auge and therefore that
4. In January Now CHARLES is dead the Senate in a ditty Sung in Wild Airs about the Holy City The ill-got-Lords made worse than Indian Slaves And Priests like Churches hovering o're their Graves Whose turn is next speak you as may be free I dare not meddle with SUPREMACY 5. In February Fetch Me a Ladder and a Broom that I May sweep the Cobwebbs from the Azur'd Skie Dispatch the fumes that cloud the subtile Air And make the Heav'ns look Maiden-smooth and fair Else is that Roof too mean for those that vie With Gods themselves for Crowns and Majesty 6. In March Justice now flows and Righteousness doth stream Throughout the streets the Conduits run with Cream Our Virgins Lamps be full of Holy Oyl Themselves o're-charg'd and ready to recoil Old Mâ—n dream Dreams and Young Men Visions see Their cloven Tongues are tip't with Prophesie 7. In April Well fare Gay knacks and men to change inclin'd They raise the dust and cloud the work design'd In gildâ—d Roofs who doubteth of dâ—ceit In troubled waters who can see the Bait He that would closely bring great things about Must mud as well as Fish the Rabble-rout 8. In June W' are all Reform'd and free as we were born Almost as naked too much more forlorn The Times are Tyrannous not Men for they Have brought to pass what Men b' asham'd to say But if one truth may slip my harmless Pen Times would be better had we better Men. 9. In July Sweet are the Sippets of a Diadem Shall Foreigners invade us or we them Victors but once grown bouzy with success Dream of nought â—lse but Gold and Gloriousness But we are lowly-minded and despise All Earthly Substance being Heavenly-wise 10. In September What fine new-nothing's this that I espy A Sect a Schism or a Heresie Or shall I Nick-nam't a Religion Say No 't relishès the sober water-way Yet wants no fire to make the Spirit beat Nor bucksome Creatures to allay the heat 11. In October Must Treasurers account 't is fit they do They shall in time make satisfaction too But these and other Pious Cheats we have Can quote us Scripture why they play the Knave Religion is a Cloak for all deceit And shrowds designs that be of greatest weight 12. In November Ho Presbyterians Prick up your Ears Advance your Troops of Jealousies and Fears Summon your Elders in their several Classes The Covenanters Directory-Asses And tell me now your blood and breath 's nigh spent Where 's one dares Fight for King and Parliament 13. In December A Blessing on the Common-wealth Affairs May that green Lady never know gray Hairs Let 's on with Courage and resolve to do What e're Necessity compels us to So long as God's with us what need we fear Whose turn it is to Reign another year In his Ephemeris 1655. I find these several Excellent Poems following 1. Over the Feasts LO here the Sacred Saint-offending days Religion's outward worth and splendent Rays Old Truth 's strong Evidence motives to Zeal Rich badges of a Christian Commonweal Fair Hieroglyphicks of what we profess ' Live shadows of Eternal Happiness Lasting Records on Earth wherein even they That won't be drawn to hearken what we say May by observing only what we do Read our Belief and reading do so too 2. Over the Table of Kings Here 's yet the Regal Table who can tell But 't may by thus long Prostitution swell Under the Table of Kings How Tyrants all what glory is 't to be Accounted Gods if Gods of Tyranny 'T is strange your Conquests were not claim enough Yet ours of one another Gospâ—l-proof Either your Titles to the Crown were good Or ours so Mystical not understood 3. Over the Table of Terms Away to Westminster and do not fear We will indulge ye yet another Year Under the Table of Terms Go to brave Hero's and Abridge the Law Teach in Epitome to Hang and Draw Mâ—ke Magna Charta speak us Lilburn-free That Treason which is writ without a T. Correct Old Littleton and Print him New The Sword 's one Tenure more he never knew 4. In January Rythm you whose measures charm you better luck I must be mute my Muse is Planet-struck Her Fancy's fetter'd and her Ink is froze Complaint is made her Pen's too broad at Nose I 'le to the Woods and find some Satyr out There 's now no fellow to the Cloven-foot 5. In May. The Pole's perplexed and the German dreads The horned Moon should pierce the Eagles heads Goths Huns and Vandals once had greatest Power The Tartars and the Turks have now much more If then success be it which best depaints A glorious Cause Turks are the only Saints 6. In September From th' Honour of our ill-begotten Peers From the sowre batch of Jealousies and Fears From slouds of Orphans and poor Widows Tears From twice-six other over-tedious Years Good Lord deliver us The Number Three Hath always in it some high Mystery 7. In December Now Falcifer Gradivus doth oppose Then through the Virgin hobling backward goes Hence th' Waters are corrupted Fishes die The Earth is Barren a Mortality Afflicts the Land Mars rageth up and down Not quiet with nor yet without a Crown In Hemerosc 1656. are to be read these incomparable Pieces of Learning and Ingenuity 1. I shall present you with his Chronology it being the last in Verse and the most compleat of all his others SInce all things were of God created good 5605 Years Since Noah ascended th' Ark t' avoid the flood 3949 Years Since God the Promise made to Abraham 3583 Years Since th' Israelites from Egypts Bondage came 3153 Years Since Solomon the Temple finished 2669 Years Since King Zedekias a Captive led 2246 Years Since JESUS of the Blessed Virgin born 1656 Years Since for Mans sins he suffered death and scorn 1623 Years Since Caesar's force the Britains overthrew 1708 Years Since hence the Rav'nous Roman Eagle-flew 1232 Years Since first the Saxons stept on English ground 1201 Years Since here the Danes the like advantage found 824 Years Since Norman William Britain over-powr'd 590 Years Since Maud the English-Saxon Blood restor'd 551 Years Since Second Henry Ireland first assayl'd 483 Years Since our first Edward hence the Jews expell'd 365 Years Since Tyler's Highness would the Throne ascended 274 Years Since he his Life with hiâ— Rebellion ended 274 Years Since Guâ—â— those mortâ—l Engines first were found 276 Years Since Pâ—inting made the world with Books abound 213 Years Since Protestants by Luther first so nam'd 127 Years Since Loiola the Jesuites Order fram'd 116 Years Since Ket and 's followers seduc'd the Nation 108 Years Since hang'd upon the Tree of Reformation 108 Years Since Kentish Wiat rose against Queen Mary 102 Years Since with Spain's Philip she did intermarry 102 Years Since London streets by Coaches first molested 101 Years Since Scotland with Geneva-trash infested 99 Years Since Lightning last consumed Paul's high Spire 95
't The Spirit 's in us why not we exhort Yet let 's beware before we farther boast And think who 't was receiv'd the Holy-Ghost 11. In September Let 's fell the Church and Colledge-Lands Away With Humane Learning that 's but for a day Down with the Steeple-Houses melt the Bells And own no Metal but what 's in our selves But stay first let us Learned Spelman read And then perhaps we may abhor the deed 12. In October Let 's tear our Ribbons burn our Richer Laces Wear Russet and contrive betwitched Faces With Thee and Thou let us go quack a while And cheat the World in Quakers garb and stile But do not trust 'em more than well befits Th' are Presbyterians run besides their Wits 13. In November Or were they not yet fool not over-fast For this Religion too shall flag at last Naylor himself will never for it burn Nor let us use 't but for our present turn On such sad Mummers grace will not be had Much longer than the Multitude are mad 14. In December But now th' Apostates are restor'd their Wits And Plots and Plotters crumbled all to bits A Blessed Reformation will I hope At last succeed in spite of Turk and Pope Till when and always let 's observe the Laws And truly Celebrate The Good Old Cause Which Good Old Cause England is now again by Gods especial Providence Blessed with to the great satisfaction and rejoycing of the Inhabitants thereof who by reason of their Sufferings in our late twenty Years Confusion cannot but give their joy the greater Latitude at this so happy and by many almost unexpected Revolution of Government viz. of turning from Anarchy to the most Natural of all other Governments MONARCHY In his Kalendarium Carolinum 1661. are found these Worthy Verses 1. Under the Table of Kings STand there Great Charles in your successive Might Our King by Miracle our King by Right The Number now is even and You are He Which must compose the Odds if any be Your Glorious Father by his Matchless Pen Made Jews turn Christians You make Beasts turn Men. 2. Under the Table of Terms 'T was Will not Law 't was Envy not Right Reason Condemn'd ev'n Majesty it self for Treason But now both Law and Reason taking place Who doubts the Issue of an Honest Case Yet with your Case bring Coyn and Cap in Hand Else Lawyers will it not well Understand 3. Explanation of his Kalendar Martyrs and Saints my Kalendar displays No private Fastings nor yet Lecture-days No nor such Martyrs pearch on Tow'rs and Gates To shew how truly High and Mighty States Triumphant Charles Blest Strafford Glorious Laud I Celebrate as Martyrs without Fraud These these and such as these deep-dye my Pages The Shame of this Wonder of After-Ages Nor do my Saints wear Buff or Bandaliers Or are they known by their Prodigious Ears Short Hair and Hatchet-Faces to delude A Monster-headed Giddy-Multitude No no th' are Saints rejoyceth Heav'n to see Yet would the rest were all such Saints for me 4. In January All hail Great King Thrice welcom to your own Your own good Subjects your Imperial Throne Renowned Charles whose Glory let it be Your blest approach hath set three Kingdoms free Whose powerful Influence whose chearful Rays Make all the Year consist of Halcyon-days 5. In February King Charles return'd What Heav'nly News is that Nay more Enthron'd where's Martyr'd Father sate Thanks Noble Monk whose gen'rous Vertue brought To pass this Miracle-transcending thought May all that 's Good requite you Let your Name Be Crown'd with Lawrels of Eternal Fame 6. In March King Charles restor'd how 't glads my wounded heart That Deathless Name breath's Life to every part Now now my Blood runs smoothly and my Meat And Drink 's Digested with more Active Heat My boyling Stomach rages craves full Mâ—als What surfeited before now Feeds and Heals 7. In April King Charles at Westminster How happy we Whom Heav'n reserv'd this Glorious Prince to see Whose greedy Eyes surcharg'd with fresh Delight Neglect all Mediums fix on that fair Light We Reverence both the Cassock and the Gown But Charles his Presence Consecrates the Town 8. In May. Holy silent are the Rumpers whilome steer'd Our Reeling Bark so furiously Carrier'd 'Gainst Truth Peace And trod down all before them Save the dull Rabble destin'd to adore them Observe the Good Old Cause how fast it sleeps See how Rebellion on the Belly creeps 9. In June Thus have we seen the modern Use of Saint What 't is to cozen with Religious Paint And Herod-like when you intend to Kill To offer Worship and profess no ill What fair Advantages the Devil affords To Frantick Garbs starch't Faces Canting Words 10. In July Thus have we seen what 't is t' insinuate And kindle Jealousies within a State To give Alarms of Dangers where are none And talk of Grievances were never known To hold forth Liberty and Freedom when Ye meant t' enslave your very Brethren 11. In August Thus have we seen what 't is to Preach and Pray 'Gainst Kings and Curse them in a Holy way T' incite the weak and wavering to Rebell Proclaiming To your Tents O Israel Absolve from Oaths and other Sacred Ties Suborning Scripture for the loudest Lies 12. In September Thus have we seen ye ' midst your Wickedness Exult and Prune your selves with wish'd Success Your Prosperous Mischiefs urged to invite Our troubled Reason to confess you Right Prevailing Sins dangerous Temptations prove Unless to him well Armed from Above 13. In October Thus have we seen ye Temporizing Slaves Act all things any thing like subtil Knaves Observe the Point whence came the fairest Gales Spread and receive them in your swelling Sails Abjure your God Religion all you know Might Skreen you from the Beams would make you grow 14. In November Thus have we seen what 't is to slight your King Stain the fair Model of his Governing Asperse his wisest Actions and pretend Gross Lapses which no Mortal yet could mend To dress him like a Tyrant and what 's worse Destroy him On your selves entail a Curse 15. In December And now I hope w'have seen enough to Pray God save the King And send him long to Sway Great Britain's Scepter That the grumbling Frie Will warning take and cease to cogg the Die For now their Cheats are so well known I fear Their Trading will not last another Year 16. After his Gesta Britannorum Thus ends the Chapter Here 's a Period To our Rebellion Charles that Earthly God Invested in his Throne The Traitrous brood Lurking in Corners gaul'd with Guilt and Blood They would have Built but Heav'n would no such And so confounded Language Tower and All. Wall His Dedication to the King Vouchsafe Dread Soveraign to accept this Mite This Pedlar's Trash this one Year's Over-sight I have not yet approach'd your Sacred Feet To beg one Boon Let that Great Sir be it I was none of the Crowd though now
Laws and to unfold Mens Secrets Generally such Men as are addicted to all manner of Sciences Venus the chief that participates in the Rule of the Geniture occasions such Commotions of the Native as be Delightful Merry Pleasant yet so as that he studyeth Good Works and Friendships whereof he is most observant and hereby becomes grateful to all Men He abhors all filthy but is taken with cleanly things comely Gestures decent Attires Ornaments and Elegance 4. Venus therefore and Jupiter do Promise great Felicity in Affairs both Civil and Ecclesiastical 5. There are most evident Testimonies of an Excellent Ingenuity 1. Mercury in Aquarius doth of himself suscitate the strength thereof 2. Besides there is a Reception from Houses and a Partile Trine betwixt Him and Saturn 3. Venus Angular doth the like 4. Especially for that the Moon and the Dragons Head are together in the same Angle 5. Mercury and the Moon are Asyntheti Pure and not vitiated yet both behold the Horoscope she by a Platique Trine he by a Partile Quadrature 6. Jupiter Lord of the Second Direct in Motion and Received of Mars plainly assures an abundance of Wealth The Part of Fortune most excellently augments this signification the same being posited in the Second where he is disposed of and Aspected by Jupiter These Riches take their Increase from Services faithfully performed from most Eminent Honours and Dignities and they more abundantly in the third or last Age. 7. Mercury Lord of the 10 th and having convenient society with Saturn presages Dignities not obscure We have spoken before concerning the Dominion of Jupiter and Venus wherefore seeing they equally share the Rule of the Geniture How can it be that they should not reward the Native with some or other most eminent Dignities 8. Your Neighbours or Kindred shall sometimes occasion your Damage in Houshold Goods or Affairs and you shall expend very much in Building 9. Mars Lord of the 6 th ingendreth Hot Infirmities yet they not so vehement because of Jupiter's Interposition Moreover Mars in Sagittary causeth most commonly a gravel in the Joynts of the Feet If he be found in that Sign and in the Sixth he inevitably brings the Gout the pains whereof are not to be taken away but by the Influence of Sagittary Pisces c. deduced from Heaven it self c. Some other Remedies also may do much yet not any that are got by Common Artifice 10. Your Death will be Natural by the means of some Chronical Infirmity proceeding chiefly from Saturn such as are Distillations upon the Jaws the Breast the Lungs Spleen c. Howbeit Old Age is a Disease and an easie Passage unto Death it self 11. The Sun and Moon disposing of the 9 th House do discern Honourable Journeys Mercury well posited in the Third occasioneth Journeys undertaken for the Cause of Honours and Dignities and to Persons most Honourable for Learning and Dignities Civil and Ecclesiastical 12. Venus Lady of the 11 th concerneth a Multitude of the best Friends Yet Mars beholding Venus by a Quartile shall stir up the Envy of some Persons sowing oftentimes Dissention and inverting all goodness 13. Venus shall give you Victory over your Enemies whereof indeed there are but a few denounced because she is Lady of the 7 th Angular and in her Exaltation 14. Your Marriage shall be Fortunate as to an Affluence of Riches yet herein beware of the Faithless Brawling and Luxurious Quadrature of Mars But this very much depends upon Mans Free-will and Young Men oft-times find themselves at a loss through their Ignorance and Rashness We will now consider the Signs of the Four Angles 15. Scorpio Ascending gives the Native an Elegant Acuteness of Wit Plenty of Discourse It also often Instilleth Great vices Infidelity Envy Covetousness Ingratitude which Learning and Right Reason Exterminate 16. Virgo Culminating is wont to Raise the Native to Magistracy It confers a toleration of Great Authority It transfers many Benefits to others from whom it returns not the like Favour 17. Taurus in the West-Angle presents you with such Adversaries as at length he will see oppressed by sundry kinds of Misfortunes He there incites you to Love Luxury Delights and Jeasting 18. Pisces posited in the Fourth indue the Mind of the Native with much Faith Integrity and Dexterity of Wit whereby they gain great Authority in their Administrations they delight to Walk and Dwell near Rivers But almost abhor uxorious Matters The Planets in the Houses of Heaven 19. The Sun in the Third presages Journeys in the Causes of Honours and Dignities He brings a Mutation of Places and Honour in Forraign parts 20. Mercury there well posited renders a Man most Learned in every Science whereof I could produce innumerable Examples Those shall invent many things by their own Ingenuity They are Fortunate in Church-Matters Writing and Merchandize 21. Venus most excellently well collocated in the Fourth will give you Large Possessions and Habitations chiefly in your Last Age she declares the Period of your Life Honourable and Praise-worthy 22. Mars in the First and there not Infortunate makes a Man Couragious Rash and somewhat Angry sometimes he presageth Wounds in the Head and Face 23. Jupiter in the 5 th doth sometimes confer the Great Rewards of Great Men He makes a Man Fortunate in Embassies 24. Saturn thus excellently seated in the 8 th gives many Inheritances He threatens death by Catharrs A Cough c. and often-times by the Plague The Planets in the Signs 25. The Sun in the House of Saturn makes the vital vertue more Robust and as it were more Compact whence he gives a Longer Life than ordinary 26. The Moon in the House of Jupiter promotes all things that are good yet being here Afflicted by the Quartile of Mars exciteth some strifes in Possessions often reiterateth small Fevers 27. Satuâ—n in the House of Mercury gives a Profound Wit Occult Sciences 28. Jupiter in the House of Mars indifferently well Affected makes one Victorious 29. The same is signified by Mars in the Mansion of Jupiter Thus they both of them render the Native very gracious with Princes and Noblemen and under them to have Authority 30. Venus in the House of Jupiter bestows many Benefits either by the means of Women or of some Ecclesiastical Preferments She makes you Discrâ—et Honest Healthful Sometimes she occasioneth strife and falling out with your Neighbours and some of your Friends for that Venus is expos'd to the Quadrature of Mars 31. Mercury in the House of Saturn gives always a profound Wit and a Man that is greedy of all Sciences The Lords of the Houses 32. The Lord of the Horoscope received of Jupiter from Houses plainly declares a Generous Mind 33. The Lord of the Second in the Fifth increaseth your Wealth through Rewards bestowed by Great Men. 34. The Lord of the Third in the Eighth occusioneth Journeys either on the behalf of some that are Dead or by reason of the Plague He
and Movable Vertue also and Action is partly Individual and Immovable so far forth as it agrees with Divine things stedfastly worketh And partly Divisible in some Respects both because it is manifold and also for that it declineth to a manifold and Divisible Body And Movable because it worketh Temporally Where we term it Intellectual we mean the Angelical Intellects which are properly Perfect and Indivisible according to Place in their Government of the Spheres And Immutable in respect of time the Natural Life and Form Corporeal being Opposite thereunto Divisible and Mutable That even these Angelical Intellects be in the Body of the World Necessity requires it because the Body of the World is through Life made fit for the Intellect Therefore look how it is in regard of Life and the like it is in respect of the Intellect And as it hath not only a Natural lying hid in the Matter of the World but an Animal also that is A Soul existing in it self So hath it not only an Intellectual Quality infused in the Soul but also an Intellectual substance therein remaining For certain Qualities are very where reduced to certain Substances As a Vital Quality to a Vital Substance so also an Intellectual Quality to an Intellectual Substance But as touching these things we shall explain our self more at large The whole Body of the World is a certain Body composed of all the Four Elements the Members or Parts whereof are the Bodies of all Living Creatures For the small Body of every Animal is a Part of the Worlds Body Neither is it composed of the whole Element of Fire Air Water or Earth but of some parts of these Elements By how much therefore the Whole is more Perfect than a Part thereof by so much is the Body of the World more Perfect than the Body of any one Living Creature Hence were it absurd to think that an Imperfect Body should have a Soul But that it neither hath a Soul nor can live Perfect None will be so mad as to say the Part Liveth and not the Whole Therefore the whole Body of the World Liveth whilst the Bodies of the Animals therein Live which are the Parts thereof And now seeing there must needs be One Soul of the whole World we will in the next place enquire in what part thereof this Soul may Reside whence she distributes her Spirit through all things and preserves the same so distributed She fixeth not her Seat and Pavilions in Bodies subject to variety of Change and manifold Corruption as are the Elements and Elementary Bodies Wherefore seeing that in Heaven there is no Corruption of Bodies there certainly is her Place of Residence And although those Elements also may be in Heaven but most Purely or Spiritually Yet is it manifest that the Element of Fire hath therein Dominion Even as here in this Inferiour Part of the World where the Soveraignty of the Elements remains in the Power of Fire And this we are sensible of in our own Bodies But much more if we do but consider how the Fire by no means Puâ—rifieth nor is any way Corrupted notwithstanding it often Corrupteth other Bodies where it gets Preheminency Moreover Nature affords it Earth Water and Air as a certain Subject Matter whereon to Exercise its Power The Air it self as also the Earth with the Water surrounding it whence we are Nourish'd and draw our Breath is indeed so Affected of the Fire about it that sometimes Heat doth therein predominate otherwhiles it is so Extenuated that for want of Heat it leaves its own Quality and is forsaken of Cold. In like manner we see such Impressions conveyed from the Fire above us upon the Earth and Water that sometimes the Nature and Quality thereof is capable of some Excess otherwhiles of Defect the Celestial Fire it self remaining Entire Wherefore seeing the Soul of the World hath its Residence in Heaven of Necessity it must live in a Fiery Substance For Heaven is a Fiery Essence but withall most Temperate Pure Lucid and Incorruptible Nor shall they trouble us who deny the Fiery Heaven in regard the Motion of the Heavens is Circular the Fires Motion Perpendicular For because our Fire is Peregrine and Impure therefore it tends directly upwards and by a kind of Veneration Covets the Place of the Proper and Natural Fire yet is it not to be supposed such a Fiery Hot Heaven as that 't is Burning or Heating By how much less Fire is mingled with strange Matter by so much the less it Burneth The which is seen in the Flaming of the Purer sort of Oyl but especially of Oyl Artificiously Extracted from Gold The which true Alchymists do Witness and as these Mortal Eyes of mine have sometimes tryed Therefore seeing there is not any Matter in Heaven estranged from the Celestial no Adustion no Heat is made there We see no Adustion in Comets running through the Celestial Spheres but only some Illustration for that doubtless the Matter thereof much participateth of the Nature of the Celestial Bodies But TYCHO-BRAHE A Dane A Noble-Man An Astronomer and a most incomparable Philosopher of this Age shall anon more plainly unfold to us this matter far different from the Madded Nursery of Peripateticks and that not without the Infallible Curiosity both of Observations and Demonstrations Now because some Matter Opposed is Heated and Burnt by the Rays of the Sun contracted by a Glass that is a sudden generation of Heat and Fire increasing by the Flagration of the Collected Rays in the Glass and applyed to fit Matter which are of another Disputation Some will have the Matter of Heaven to be Aërial But for that Light is a Property of Fire enlightning even the Air it self in my Judgment we do better in supposing it to consist of a Fiery Matter Besides Heaven is next to the Divine Seat and God himself Yet not so as that God is not every where God is called The Father of Light with whom there is no Change by whom the Light may be Extinguished or Diminished Neither an over-shadowing of Change whereby sometimes he either is turn'd into Night or suffereth an Eclipse GOD is Light in which there is no Darkness that is Form wherein there is nothing Inform Beauty in which there is nothing of Deformity As therefore GOD is Light Invisible Infinite the Truth it self the cause of every truth and of all things So the Light of Heaven is the splendour or rather the shadow of Heaven Visible Finite the cause of visible things For the whole Universe receiveth Light and Life from Heaven Moses Aaron Nadab Abihu and 70 of the Elders of Israel saw the God of Israel and under his Feet as it were a work of Saphire stone and as the very Heaven when it is clear c. Exod. 24.10 Whence we shall not speak absurdly if we say that GOD shineth upon us by his Light from Heaven and the Sun as a Candle shineth through Glass and Windows made
seldom happen do make the most Noble and Excellent Impression Such be the Conjunction and Sextile of Venus and Mercury the Conjunction and Trine of Saturn and Jupiter So also of Jupiter and Mars Jupiter and the Sun Jupiter and Venus likewise the Trine of Mars and Mercury The Moon also partily supputated in an Angle or begirt with the Favourable Ray of a Noble Star c. yet more or less according to the Quarters of Heaven and the Places of the Zodiack The presence of the more Notable Fixed Stars do hereunto contribute very much of strength So also they whom the Position of the Stars shall encline to the contrary But there is so Beneficent a Vertue Planted in this Science or Predestination and so great LOVE that to forewarn us of Future Events the Times whereof the Dirâ—ctions of places in Corrected Genitures which I certainly know by often Experience manifest she often premits her Signatures in this or that Place of the Hand thâ—t if Fortunate Events be near a Man might happily know thereof and by his Endeavour Nourish and Enlarge the same to his Benefit But if any Misfortunes that he would and might be careful in Averting at leastwise in Mitigating the Evils ensuing And indeed concerning the LOVE extended in the First Creation unto all things Celestial and Terrestrial not withstanding an Adjunct or Opposite Strife elsewhere a whoâ—â— Volume might be writâ—â—n See the Golden Commâ—ntaries of Marsilius Ficinus upon Plato's Bâ—nquet of Love We daily Observe how some Lines are quite Vanished which were but even now in our Hands and that other arise in Lieu thereof with a different Face Some to wax Pale and others to Flourish with a kind of Ruddyness c. and indeed deride them all as Vain and Casual But yet now that Experience her self hath by several practises reduced all to an Art we cannot be so Impudent and Stupid as to deny them to contain some Events Indeed 't is requisite that the Cause or Beginnings both of the Signatures themselves and the Affections therein should not elsewhere reside than in that very Science of the Soul oâ— the World sending as it were her Standard before-â—and by the peculiar Stars and Progressions of the Stars of every Man For unless this Imaginaâ—â—â—n Science Faâ—e or Predâ—stination preceded by a certain perpetual Power nothing could be Generated nothing Increased Visible cannot be made of Invisible things Corporeal of Incorporeal The Shapes Magnitudes Colours Odours and other Signatures of Bodies will not be unfolded whether the Efflux of Nourishment be Plentiful or but small For that they have not the Foundations Roots or Principles under whose Power Protection and Patronage they might be received into the Society of a New Republick He that is oppressed with Thirst conceives in his Mind a Species of Familiar Liquor That Appetite is an Individual Companion of this Imagination And such an Imagination is Thirst made by such an Appetite The same is the desired Liquor to this Imagination because the Species that made the Imagination is the Property of the Liquor and the Liquor by means of such Imagination may satisfie Predestination Science Fate Therefore what is a Nutriment requisite to a Living Body the same is the Impletion of the Events or Impressions the Conceptions and Signatures of Worldly knowledge whether it be for good or bad which very thing the most Laudable Idea of Philosophical Physick of Peter Severine the Dane a most Excellent Man in Truth and a very Nervous Writer doth also direct us to This therefore that effects so great things in the World by a Natural and Inseparable Love is also employed in delinâ—ating the Hands of Men signifying whatsoever things a Man doth and they for the most part are in one manner or other described in the Hand it self Here we except such things as ought to be excepted The Will of Man is not in every part subjected to the Decrees of the Stars neither also that saying If today I feed upon Flesh whether shall I Dine to Morrow with Cole-worts or Carrots c. which are here added to remove timely the Objections of Fools But if you desire to know wherefore these Signatures are found in the Hand and perhaps not in any other Part of the Body you must conceive that our Hands are the most Noble Members in perfecting of all manner of Actions they are the Executors of all our Primary Conceptions Insomuch that if we wanted the Benefit of our Hands for a few days it must needs be we should all of us Perish together That therefore our Fate for the most part and our Power are very much reposed in our Hands we even not knowing it openly testifie when with closed Hands we make them Petitioners to GOD or any Man truly declaring we can do nothing of our own strength we despise and reject these Flaggs of our Fate folded up like those of War and yet that one thing which we humbly crave they obtain and make good unto us as if some Sacrament were interposed betwixt them I know not of whom such things as these may seriously be considered on in their Prayers It may now be Asked wherefore the Excellent Positures of the Stars do not always shape and depaint the Lines very clear in our Hands I have seen a Noble Man in whose Geniture all the Seven Planets were Collocated in their Dignities yet were not the Lines perspicuous in the most parts of his Hands but rather Obscure I have seen another Nobly Descended in whose Nativity Mercury was Excellently well Posited in Gemini and in the Cuspe of the Tenth Yet the place of this Star had afforded him at that time no perspicuous Signatures in his Hand but such as were dark and slender when notwithstanding this Planet was both strong and Fortunate in the Geniture and also at the time of Conception Besides the same Planet dispos'd of the Horoscope and was moreover Lord of the New Moon preceding the Nativity Now how the Power and Dominion of this Star then so strong and Powerful should be thus Impedited is the Quâ—stion It may be again Demanded how it comes that sometimes you find a Diversity of the Principal Lines in both Hands I have seen the Epatica of the Right Hand adhering in some to the Line of Life but in the Left Hand the same Remote from the Vital by a notable space Which we have also mentioned somewhere else in our Practick part Touching these we must know that many times the Seed of the Parents proves a great Impediment to the Superiour Commotions For indeed the Seed receiveth one Condition from Parents that live in Concord and Temperately but another from such as live in Discord and Anxieties especially about the time of Conception Besides there is in either Parent a certain Pattern of the Imagination of the Macrocosm both of them receiving from every part thereof sundry Impressions And therefore when the Imagination of the Greater World is one way
affected about the Conception and the Fathers and Mothers another way it must needs be that some Discrepancy will hence arise But the Impression of the Mothers Imagination is vulgarly known as much as may be at the time of the Birth The finding out of all Causes is very Abstruse Nevertheless as touching those who have the Lines of either Hand appearing with a different Face we cannot otherwise appoint and Pronounce but that such are disposed and inclined to a double Fortune Good and Bad. And now at length being about to put a Period to this our Tract we earnestly desire all Learned Men that whatsoever they know in Chiromancy as having made some certain Tryal thereof they will be pleased freely to contribute the same to these our Endeavours I confess I have not every where in my Praxis satisfied my own self I know what Experience I have need of to Compleat an Absolute Praxis And other Men also may know I have Assay'd to dig at some such thing It had been requisite to have annexed somewhat of The Soul of the World and of what appertaineth thereunto as well lest some should Rashly Proclaim Incertain things to be Explained and Confirmed by Incertain As also that we might in some sort Admonish both the Ignorant and likewise such as Deride the Lethargy of the Celestial in these Terrene Bodies comprehending much in a few words from which Beginning there may be Degrees of confirming these truly sincere things in Philosophy Thanks be to GOD that it is not estrang'd from the Holy Scriptures See the Book of Wisdom Chap. 7. 13. wherein the Lethargy of Celestial things is separated from these Inferiours lest they should Feed on the Tares of Philosophy I shall be perswaded it is possible That the Knowing and Ingenious may Favour this my First Endeavours If otherwise it sufficeth me that I received a Sober Censure at least amongst those Wise and Learned Men to whom I presented this in writing Nevertheless there be some of that Profession who suppose it otherwise I have nothing to do with the Ignorant and Malevolent AN END ERRATA PAge 585. Line 1. Read adverse to Ibid. l. 25. r. hostilly Pag. 615. l. 3. r. Pag. 545. l. 16. r. 551. Speech at Oxon. * Capt. E. A. * A Child of his so Named in memory of the Victory near York (a) Bradshaw the bold Villain that Sentenced His late Sacred Majesty to Death Steel one appointed to draw up the Charge against him but by reason of Sickness was absent Cook the Wretch that Sollicited the whole Villany and prayed the pretended Court to Murther his Soveraign (a) Those two Worthy Persons were Murthered in the Month February though in different Years viz. 1. 1647. the 2. 1648. (b) Those three Worthies were for their Loyalty Murthered March 9. 1648. (c) April 9. 1648 there were several Apprentices c. kill'd in the Streets (d) The E. of Strafford was beheaded May 12. 1641. (e) Mr. Yeomans and Mr. Bowcher put to death May 30. at Bristol 1643. (f) Sir Nich. Kemish put to death at Chepsrow May 25. 1648. (g) June 2. 1648. The Kentish-men Murdered for presuming so much as to Petition for a KING (h) Mr. Tompkins and Mr. Challoner put to Death â—t London July 4. 1643. (i) Francis Lord Villiers slain at Kingston July the 7. 1648. 1648. August 28. Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle shot to death at Colchester after Quarter given September 18. 1648. The Treaty in the Isle of Wight begâ—n Basing-house taken by Storm and after Quarter was promised many were Murdered October 14. 1645. Mr. Dan. Kniveton put to Death for his Loyalty on Nov. 27. 1643. at London k Major Pitcher shot to Death in St. Paul ' s Church-yard for being Loyal Decemb. 29. 1648. Sir Alex. Carew beheaded December 23. 1644. for the same Crime * Some Lords after their House was Voted useless very contentedly turn Commoneâ—s * Meaning King CHARLES the First our late Dread Soveraign * Mars this Month being in Aries cast a Quartile to Jupiter in Capricorn * Meaning our now Gracious and Dread Soveraign Lord King Charles the Second This month there was a Trine of the Planets Saturn and Mercury from Cancer and Scorpio * Mâ—aning the Eclipse of the Moon that happened in Libra on March the fiftâ—enth day this Year (o) Iove and Mars thiâ— Month wâ—re in Quartile Aspect * This was purely Prophetical and is now most happily verified * We have had Preachers of all sorts and sizes in this Age of Liberty and Licentiousness * O. Cromwel the pretended Protector and his pretended Parliament had agreed together for Triennial Parliaments * There was then an Opposition of Saturn and Mars from Virgo and Pisces (a) The pretended Protectors Tyranny began now to be most notorious * The Author was Prisoner in Windsor-Castle when he wrote his this Years Ephemeris †Saturn and Mars this Month were in Trine Aspect from Virgo and Taurus * Sirius is the great Dog-star which in July toward the latter end thereof ariseth cosmicaâ—ly with the Sun inflaming the Air whence from that time toward the end of August are termed Dog-days These Lines deserve a Comment Luke Mills was the Tapster in Windsor-Castle at what time our Author was Prisoner there Here O. Cromwels Usurpation and Tâ—ranny together with hâ—â— praying Pretences to Justice and Honesty are Curiouslâ— though Aenigmatically taxed He would be a King in Re but not in Nomine * Monarchia à Monos Archon the Rule of one Prince In the Month April 1659. the Rump appear and put a Period to the Reign of Richard Cromwel and indeed extirpate that Family whose Honour was only built upon a Sandy Foundation On October 6. Parliament Council of State and Officers of the Army were Feasted at Grocers-Hall by the City The 12. the Parliament Vote Lambert and other Officers Commissions from them 13. They turn the Parliament out of Doors for it 26. The pretended Committee of Safety erected Quere Was not this quick work and crafty c. Lord General Monk beholding the Confusions of England Marches hither to put a stop to them The King of Sweden shortly after died which this Learned Artist must needs mean by this Eclipse of the Sun * The Author was suspected privy to and guilty of the Plot in which the Reverend Dr. Hewyt c. miscarried When the Florida Ambassador was in London Col. Pride being once at Dinner with him instead of propounding a Question like a Statist asked him Whether there were not good vent for Beer and Ale in Florida Whence our Author saith A Spungie Head c. * It wâ—â— the saâ—â—eâ—t and most dismal Tragedy that ever was Acted in Englâ—nd * Oliver Cromwel †The Play that pâ—â—vâ—nted Englands Happiness is now most happily ended * At the Death of Oliver Cromwel there was a most Prodigious Wind the like hath seldom been known in England Most Countries in England sent uâ— Addresses to Richard Cromwel with as much Zeal as if he had been the most Lawful and undoubted Heir to the Government of England It is observable that the Parliament this Month gave Order to warn all Lodgers out of Whitehall that it might be prepared the better for His Royal Majestes Use. This relates to the Apprentices and some Women that were stain in London streets April 1648. * E. of Sandwich The Stars have Life The Stars Rational and Intelligent Harmony of Heaven consisteth in Motion To deny Heaven to Live is not to be a Philosopher Herbs more just to Heaven then Men.