or the place of the Conjunction by an evil Aspect that is by Square or Opposition I do not say that all the places aforesaid shall be afflicted at one time neither that all the Calamities aforesaid shall happen to any one place it is enough nay and too much too if any one of them happen in any Country or City in Christendom Thus have I given an Astrological account of the effects of this Conjunction and I hope I have not varied from the Rules of Art and here I shall speak a little more of the effects of this Conjunction between the Turks and Christians in what may be the event of their present War In April 1684. Saturn will be again in Leo and in square to Mars in May following Saturn meets with a Square of the Sun Jupiter also meets with the Square of both the Sun and Mars intimating that about that time the Turks will be active against the Christians and then great preparation will be making on both sides but both Saturn and Jupiter are weak and therefore no great Actions will yet be performed but rather about August when the Sun comes to the place of the Conjunction or later in the year when Saturn and Jupiter meets with the body of both the Sun and Mars and then the Turks suppose to do great matters against the Christians but I find no reason in Art why he should have any more Victory in this year than he had in the last against the Christians neither do I suppose that their Differences will be reconciled until the year 1687. which if it be not then let the Turk look to be beaten to purpose for then Jupiter comes into Sagitary his own house and then when it is too late the Turk may repent of his Enterprises CHAP. VII Treating of Comets and their effects and particularly of the Comet that appeared in the year 1680. What a Comet is MOst Arologers of ancient times have told us that a Comet or Blazing-Star is a dry exhalation viscous and slimy drawn up into the upper Region of the Air by the Sun and there being set on fire by its Heat breaks forth into a Flame of which there be divers sorts as Pliny writeth in Lib. 2. Cap. 25. de Nat. some whereof move Direct some Retrograde and some not at all but are fixed as the other Stars But my Judgment of them is that they proceed not from natural Causes as before mentioned but from Divine Providence and sent by Almighty God as tokens of his wrath against mankind for their sins thereby threatning them with his Wrath and just Judgment thereby to try if their obstinate Hearts will relent and turn to the Lord that he might turn his Judgments away from them or else to be the forerunners of some more than ordinary Birth whom God is pleased to honour with a new Light from Heaven as he hath done not only at the Birth of Christ but also at the Birth of several Emperors Kings and Potentates Histories ancient Writers and common Experience in former Ages testifie to us that these signs in the Heavens or appearance of Comets are the assured forerunners of sterility of the Earth Famine Pestilence War Alteration of Empires Kingdoms Statutes Laws and Customs Winds Earth-quakes Inundations extream Heat and Drought with grievous Diseases and such like horrid evils also the Birth of some great Emperor King Governor or Learned Man That they are the cause of inordinate heat it appears by their burning in the Air as appears visible to the eye of the beholders Of Sterility by reason the fatness of the Earth is by them drawn out and the Earth left dry and lean and so the Moisture and convenient Humidity whereby it fructifieth all things growing thereon is extinguished whence there must needs follow Famine and Sterility in those Regions and Places from whence the Matter and Substance is drawn And of Pestilence and Diseases in that the Air is by them infected through hot cloudy Exhalations the which being drawn in at the Mouth of living Creatures infecteth and killeth them also by excessive Heat the radical Moisture of living Creatures whereby they subsist is dried up so they become no other than dead Carkasses Of War Alterations in Kingdoms States Laws and Customs in that when a Comet or Blazing-Star appears there are many Exhalations in the Air and those of nature hot and dry the which do so dry up the Humors in Men and move Choler that they are easily excited to Quarrels after which follows War and Bloodshed and so consequently alterations in Kingdoms States Governments Laws and Customs Also of Winds for that they are of the same matter supposed whereof Comets are and when any Comet or Blazing-Star appears many such Vapors are exhaled and when they vanish they become windly Vapors Of Earth-quakes for the same reason for they are occasioned of Winds and Winds are the occasion of Earth-quakes So of Inundations for the same reason also for the Comets cause wind and wind causes the Sea to roar and rage whence follows Inundations Authors give a description of several sorts of Comets both in name and form which I shall here omit and proceed to their Effects and particularly to the Effects of that most amazing Comet or Blazing-star which appeared not only to us but to almost the whole World in 1680. and it is credibly reported that this Comet was seen in Jamaica about the 12 th of November in five degrees of Libra to rise in the East in the Morning and moved direct as the Planets do and so ran through Libra Scorpio and Sagitary very swiftly it ran five or six degrees in one day but I am not certain whether it were seen in England until the eleventh of December and then my self saw the stream of it in the West of at least 40 degrees in length but the Star I could not see it being under the Earth but on the sixteenth day of the same month I beheld it about the middle of Capricorn and from thence I had the sight of it every night when the Element was clear until the 27 th of January following it was then in twelve degrees of Taurus and by observation I sometimes found the stream of it full sixty degrees and upward which is 3600 miles so that after it appeared to us in the Evening it ran through half Capricorn all Aquarius Pisces Aries and half Taurus so that accounting from the first appearing to its disappearing it did run through two Thirds of the Zodiac so that almost two Thirds of the World will be partakers of its Effects When it appeared first in the Morning it was said to appear very red therefore supposed to be of the nature of Mars but when it appeared to us in the Evening it was of a pale colour like unto the Planet Saturn and therefore of his nature and as it was a Saturnine Comet we must expect Saturnine Effects and to discover what a Saturnine
CATASTROPHE GALLIAE OR THE FRENCH KING 's Fatal Downfal Predicted to happen in or about the Years 1691. or 92. TOGETHER With his Nativity Calculated according to the Rules of Astrology As likewise That of the Present EMPEROR of Germany and the GRAND SIGNIOR WITH Probable Conjectures upon the Turks new Eruptions into EVROPE All Humbly Submitted to the Candid and Ingenuous Sons of Art By J. P. Student in Astrology London Printed for Rowland Reynolds next the Middle Exchange in the Strand 1691. To the Honourable and ever Loyal Sir Edward Dering of Sharsted in the County of Kent Knight one of His Majesties Justices of the Peace for the said County SIR AStrology as it is a Noble Science and therefore fit for the Study of the Noblest of Persons hath this Misfortune commonly attends it viz. to sink and suffer for want of Noble Advocates and Protectors Therefore it is Learned Sir that I am thus presumptuous to shelter my mean Endeavours in that worthy Science in opposition to one that hath abused it under your gentle Patronage being assured that both Mine the Adversaries Arguments will be justly weighed and considered by your more curious Judgment under which I am most willing to stand or fall Your exquisite Skill in this Learning is such that thereby like the thrice Excellent Knight Sir Christopher Heydon who defended Astrology so happily in the last Age you are able to judge and distinguish between Mr. Holwel's bold and fallacious dealing under pretence of explaining the meaning of the triple Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Leo wherewith he hath encouraged Mahomet and crucified our Saviour afresh and my humble Pains and Apology for the promotion of Christian Courage and imbasing of Turkish Power in expounding the same Conjunction Be not offended I pray Sir if I am bold to tell the World and your Honoured Self together that you are the only Person of Loyalty that I know of fit to be my Judge in this Matter as having for many years among other Nobler Employments diverted your self also with this abstruse Science even before the happy Restauration of his most Sacred Majesty and all the Royal Party and by your well-grounded Confidence therein you kept many of Them when beyond Sea from desponding with your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and an Assurance of the Return of Monarchy into England again which more than common Presage was to Yours and Astrologies Honour happily verified in the year 1660. and for the Hopes you conceived of that happy Year you affirmed your Loyalty even in the worst of Times thereby hazarding your Self to become a Victim for the Truth you had so happily avowed Nay so obliging a Patron and Maecenas have You been to the Glories of Urania that to your Pains and Search all the Sons of Art owe the Knowledge of that Illustrious Geniture of the Great Carolus Gustavus late King of Sweden which you Sir first transmitted out of Germany into England at that time when the victorious Arms of that King were the Astonishment of almost all Christendom Which hapning into the Hands of my worhy Friend Mr. John Gadbury by making some Remarks upon and printing it as I have heard Him say was one of the principal Causes of His as he was pleased to call it Little but envied Fame in the World so happy have You been to Art and Artists even then unknown to You as if You were born to befriend not only Astrology it self but all its honest Professors too Neither let me forget to mention it That You Honoured Sir in our now later Times of Confusion and Disorder have stood firm to your Principles in adhering and paying Homage to that Monarchy whose Return by this Art you had happily encouraged and are also the only Person of your Name and Family that have shew'd your Loyalty by Addressing when it was little less than Treason against that Monster the Republican and Antimonarchical Interest so to do and you have dared to own and to teach the World this Maxim That Loyalty to the King and a dutiful Regard to His Royal Highness are inseparable Pardon good Sir my Freedom in mentioning these Things for loyal Actions no more than loyal Persons ought never to be forgotten and excuse my humble Boldness in making use of your Noble Name and give me leave to end all with this cordial Vote viz. That Monarchy may have more such Friends and Astrology more such Defenders So prayeth ever Honoured Sir Your humblest Servant and Votary John Merrifield To the Impartial READER Courteous Reader IT having been my Chance amongst the rest of my manifold Studies to light of a small Book entitled An Appendix to Holwel's Catastrophe Mundi on which carelesly casting mine Eye I beheld all Christendom or at least the greatest part of it over-run or speedily to be over-run with Turks which put me into a very great Amazement to behold the Hand of the Lord so sorely stretched out against those Nations which do profess the Name of Christ and do acknowledge him to be the Son of God and Saviour of the World and doubting in my self the Author of the said Book might have any divine Revelation of Prophesie against those Nations as Jonah had against Nineveh and as the other Prophets had before Christ came in the Flesh but considering that Christ came to fulfil the Law I thought whether this Holwel might be a Prophet of Mahomet to encourage the Turks and to dishearten the Christians as all Ahab's Prophets did Micaiah excepted encourage Ahab to go to Ramoth gilead which were in comparison no more than Mahometal Prophets possess'd with lying Spirits which caused Ahab to go to Ramoth-gilead there to be slain as the Turks fell at Vienna But taking a more serious View of it I found it to be predicted Astrologically and then I was resolved to peruse it more carefully whereby to see if such Judgements were determinate by the celestial Influences according to secondary Causes not doubting of a divine Providence of God over Christendom against the tyrannical Turks and Power of Mahomet And also I soon procured Holwel's Catastrophe Mundi it self and with a careful and judicial Eye I thorowly perused them both and found it judged not really from Astrology but rather from Fancy I also found many Mistakes both in the time of the Nativities of those magnanimous Princes there mentioned and in many other places which I shall hereafter make appear and give you the true Nativities with an Astrological Discourse thereon shewing you how that the Turks shall not over-run Christendom neither shall the French King come to be the poorest Prince in the World as Mr. Holwel in his Appendix saith he shall But I shall shew Astrologically what may be the Fate of those Nations both by the true Nativities of their Emperours Kings c. and by the Effects of Conjunctions Comets and other Configurations shewing my Reader a more fafe and rational way of Judgement of the Effects
fifth and about the year 1175. this Faith was at the highest for then the Othoman Family were much increased and setled their Religion by a Law which I confess was before this time done or else this had been but a birth of this Religion and because God hath said in the Holy Scriptures that all Nations shall be converted to the Christian Faith before the Day of Judgment therefore we will consider about what time this Faith may have a Dissolution which according to the Rules of Astrology and secondary Causes if we add 584. the greater years of Mars and the Moon to 1175. it will make 1759. so that about the year Anno Christi 1759. we may expect the Dissolution of the Turks Faith for I would have Mr. Holwel as well as my Reader know that as any Religion hath a rising and increasing before it comes to its full height so it will have the like time of Diminishing before it can have its full Dissolution CHAP. IV. Treating of the Nativity of the present Emperor of Germany IN this Chapter I will first shew you how that Mr. Holwel in his Appendix tells us that this present Emperor of Germany was born on the thirtieth Day of May in the year 1640. at nine hours three minutes post Meridiem or after Noon in the Latitude of 48 Degrees and that he had seven Degrees and forty five Minutes of Scorpio on the Mid-heaven and Jupiter in four Degrees and fifty four Minutes of Capricorn as may be seen in his Scheme which he affirms to be the true one because saith he it was rectified by the Mid-heaven to the Square of Saturn and Jupiter and the Square of the Moon at which time saith he the Emperor and Empire had much Suffering for the Turks did invade him but behold his grand Mistake for I will appeal to all Artists how the Mid-heaven can come to the Square of Jupiter as he is posited in less than 150 years whereas it was directed to the Square of Saturn and the Moon about the twenty fourth year of his Age and therefore in the year 1664. but any thing will serve with such Artists to fill a Book good enough for ignorant People to read and admire for it is nothing with too many now a days of our Godly Traitors Sanctified Hypocrites Religious Atheists and Protestant Turks as Mr. Pelling titles the Fanaticks in the twelfth page of his Sermon preached on the ninth of September 1683. being a day of Thanks-giving for deliverance from the Fanatick Conspiracy to blast the Honour of Christian Kings and Potentates especially those of other Nations when they can scarce forbear our own but I will forbear to speak any more of this Mistake and proceed to a greater This Nativity published by Mr. Holwel is taken out of Mr. Gadburies Book of Comets only the time a little altered and it is the true Day but not the true Hour as hath been proved by Mr. Gadbury since he wrote that Book for any one that hath had any Discourse with any man that hath seen him or hath but seen his Effigie may very easily conjecture that this noble Emperor hath not Capricorn ascending on his Horoscope but rather Gemini and therefore I will insert a Scheme of the true time of this Emperors Birth which is as followeth and given me also by Mr. Gadbury himself Leopoldus the present Emperor of Germany was born May the 30 th 4 h. Ante Mer. Lat. 48. ☽ ☌ ♂ add ☌ ♄ This present Emperor of Germany was born the thirtieth day of May in the year of our Lord 1640. at four a Clock in the Morning and christened Leopoldus Ignatius Franciscus Balthazer Joseph Falicimus in the City of Vienna At the birth of this Magnanimous Prince Gemini was on the Horoscope and the Sun in the Ascendent and Mercury Lord of the Ascendent in his own House and in the Sign of the Ascendent which are testimonies of the greatest Honour Dignity and Soveraignty and though Saturn Mars and the Moon be in the Mid-heaven yet will they not destroy the Natives Honour and Grandeur because they are not afflicted for Saturn is Lord of the tenth House and Mars and the Moon are in trine to the Sun in the Ascendent from the Mid-heaven which are rather testimonies of Honour than Disgrace and here we have Mercury Lord of the Ascendent stronger than Jupiter Lord of the Seventh the House of publick Enemies which is an eminent token that his publick Enemies shall not prevail against him yet his Position in the twelfth House may shew the Native to have many Enemies the rather being in square to Saturn but Mercury is strongest in the Figure therefore as aforesaid his Enemies can never prevail against him for the Lord of the Seventh is weak and in his fall neither can I suppose the Native to die in Battle as Mr. Holwel awards because the Lord of the Eighth doth not afflict either the Ascendent or the Moon nor is there any signification of a violent Death he hath about this time the Mid-heaven directed to the Sextile of Venus Lady of the sixth House a glorious Direction shewing that his Servants and Subjects will be faithful to him so that he need not neither will he fear either Turk or Tartar nor yet the power of Mahomet the Treachery of Count Teckely or Mr. Holwels idle Predictions nor yet any other of Mahomets lying Prophets whatsoever they shall write or predict against Christendom but let such Predictors know that God hath a Divine Providence over Christendom and will not suffer the name of Christ to be destroyed but this Emperor hath had many ill Directions in his Life past and he hath also had many Controversies and Troubles answerable to them but the main cause of this his present trouble is that he hath Lately had the Sun and Ascendent both directed to the 60 Anticians of Jupiter the Significator of the Christian Religion and I think he hath not been free from trouble since he had the Mid-heaven directed to the Square of the Sun and the Moon to the Square of Jupiter which was about ten years since and it is much to be feared he will not be free from trouble until he hath passed the Mid-heaven to the Square of Jupiter which will be about the year 1688. yet before that time he hath good Directions for about the year 1685. he hath the Moon to the Sextile of the Sun and the Sun to the Sextile of Venus Directions good enough in a mean Nativity to raise a Beggar to good Preferment much more in a Regal Nativity to give a King or Emperor Victory over his Enemies to a great degree of Worship and Adoration from all kinds of People The Moon directed to the Sextile of the Sun is held by all Astrologers to produce unto the Native honourable Acquaintance and Familiarity with some of great Rank and Quality whose Friendship he will make use of to his great advantage more
passeth through one years effects which I suppose we justly may we shall not have much less than eight years expired before its effects be fully over and I think this will prove the exactest measure of time in the effects of this Comet and thus much of Comets in general and of the Comet in 1680. in particular with their significations But what Mr. Holwel hath written of Comets is nonsensical and the most part of it much varying from the Rules of Astrology especially what he mentioneth of this Comet in his Judgment of the year 1683 which was one great cause of my writing to shew the World the true signification of Comets according to what Authors more experienced than Mr. Holwel and daily experience have shewed CHAP. VIII Treating of and Confuting most of Mr. Holwels Judgments on the State of the years from 1683. unto the year 1700. mentioned in his Catastrophe Mundi MR. Holwel in his Catastrophe Mundi speaking of the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter saith according to natural causes Persons signified by the Sun should be afflicted in Person with Horror and Amazement and shall be in danger of their Lives Honour and Estate and be forced to fly for Safeguard for by bad advice they shall attempt to do that which they shall never attain to by which means they shall bring themselves and Fame to destruction for ever and therefore he adviseth Persons to beware that have ten or eleven Degrees of Leo ascending And in his judgment of the year 1683. he saith that a very great Person of Europe that hath Leo ascending will be afflicted and flung into a great many Troubles with the death of some of his Children Loss of Honour and esteem in the World Sure Mr. Holwel hath forgotten that he himself hath Leo ascending that he judgeth so hard of persons born under it but I could wish that he had named what great Persons of Europe he meaneth that we might have observed the Event but I shall here as I have already shew them that great Persons born under Leo shall not by the effect of this Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Leo receive Detriment or Loss either of Honour or Estate but on the contrary they shall gain both Riches and Honour by the effects of this Conjunction though Mr. Holwel gained the displeasure of the Honourable E. A. Esquire to whom he confidently dedicated his Book although he never knew him which nonsensical Stuff be disliking made the Epistle Dedicatory to be taken out again this was done when Saturn transited Leo Mr. Holwels Ascendant as also Saturn did when the said Book was written Neither do I judge of the death of any Prince in Europe that hath about thirteen degrees of Virgo ascending though it be said in Catastrophe Mundi if there be a Prince in Europe that hath about thirteen degrees of Virgo ascending he should in the year 1684. return to the ground from whence he was taken for I find no such matter by the Rules of Astrology as may signifie the death of any such Prince but I pray for all Christian Princes and particularly for such as have Virgo or Leo ascending on their Horoscope And whereas Mr. Holwel saith in his judgment of the year 1698. that Saturn in opposition to the place of the Conjunction 1682. and Jupiter in square thereto threatens Italy with no less than Confusion and utter Subversion of the triple Crown and although it may not be fully compleated in this year yet saith he this year sets a great say to it and in the following year its full destruction And that then the power of France shall be brought low and many thousands of his Subjects destroyed through the pride of an insulting King and envy of the Roman Clergy But if this Opposition and Square be the cause of all this why had not Rome been destroyed in the year 1639. when Saturn was in opposition to the place of the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Leo which was in the year 1623. I have searched into History and found that there was War at that time between the Swedes and the Germans and between the French and the Italians but not any thing to the Destruction of any Nation or People yet many eminent Persons died about that time some in War and some in Peace and many strange Accidents hapned and I suppose near the like may happen now but little or nothing of what Mr. Holwel writes in all his judgment on his several years will prove true there being no grounds in Astrology for them but what his own fantastical Pate hath imagined to raise himself a Fame in the World by predicting Lyes and to deceive the World by Delusions for I will appeal to all Artists what Rules there are in Astrology whereby to predict as Mr Holwel hath that in the Eastern part of the World a whole Army should be destroyed with fire from Heaven with their Wealth and Treasure or that there should be War and Plagues over the face of the whole Earth and that there should be so many men destroyed that there should not be men enough left to get in Harvest as he predicteth in his judgment of the year 1699. therefore I aver all that he speaks of that year and the next to be absolutely false nonsensical and erroneous in the next year with which he concludeth his Book he saith that Rome is now destroyed and Peters Seat thrown down and the Conversion of the Turks and Jews soon follows and Religion but what Religion he knows not truly preached universally over all the World sure this must not be Astrology but Prophecy and if Prophecy then Mahometal and if Mahometal then lying like Baal's Prophets and so deserving the reward that they received from Elijah ADVERTISEMENT THe Author hereof calculateth Nativities exactly by knowing the Hour of any ones Birth shewing thereby the general Fate of the Native and the greatest Accidents that will happen to any one through the whole course of his Life and the time when they will happen whereby one may withstand much evil and augment the good He also teacheth the whole Art of Astrology and by Astrology resolveth all Lawful Questions This for Mr. John Gadbury at his House in Brick-Court in Westminster SIR HAve you seen Saunder's Apollo Anglicanus for the year 1683 Written as I suppose by Mr. Henry Coley which if you have I question not but that you have seen therein how he unworthily derides both you and me about your Calculation of your ten and twenty-years Ephemerides which I dare presume himself is no way able to compose the like or any that shall have so much truth in it as those have as for the Ephemerides of ten years which you calculated your self he saith it was handsomly Transcribed from Hecker which that I suppose to be a very great Mistake in Mr. Coley and therefore unworthily taxed by him in an Almanack for I have heard you say when you