every Hour is equal to 30 Stadia and for the same Reason each Hour containing 60 Minutes every Stadium is equal to two Minutes 18. The rising and Setting of the Signs according to Manilius Rising Signs Stadia Hours Minutes Degrees Aries 40 1 20 ' ' ' ' ' 20 Taurus 48 1 36 ' 24 Gem. 56 1 52 ' 28 Cancer 64 2 8 ' 32 Leo. 72 2 24 ' 26 Virgo 80 2 40 ' 40 Libra 80 2 40 ' 40 Scorp 72 2 24 36 Cent. 64 2 8 ' 32 Capr. 56 1 52 ' 28 Aquar 48 1 36 ' 24 Pisces 40 1 20 ' 20 Signs Stadia Hours Min. Deg. Setting Signs Stadia Hours Min. Deg. Aries 80 2 40 ' ' ' ' ' 40 Taur 72 2 24 ' 36 Gem. 64 2 8 ' 32 Canc. 56 1 52 ' 28 Leo. 48 1 36 ' 24 Virg. 40 1 20 20 Lib. 40 1 20 ' 20 Scorp 48 1 36 ' 24 Cent. 56 1 52 ' 28 Capr. 64 2 8 ' 32 Aquar 72 2 24 ' 36 Pisces 80 2 40 ' 40 Signs Stadia Hours Min. Deg. 19. Let the Child be born in the Fourth Hour of the Day add five to four the Sum is 9 Multiply 9 by 10 the Product is 90. Let the Sun be in the 10th Degree of Gemini add 10 to 90 the Sum is 100 of this 100 give 30 to Gemini the Sign in which the Sun is 30 more to the following Sign Taurus 30 to the next Aries 10 remain therefore the 10th Degree of Pisces is the Horoscope 20. Let the Birth be in the Seventh Hour of Night add to that the Twelve Hours of the Day and that Seventh Hour will be the Nineteenth from the Suns Rising Then add multiply and work as in the former Method 21. Let the longest Day in Cancer be of 16 Hours the shortest Night of 8 Divide those 16 Hours into 6 parts each part contains 2 Hours 40 Minutes Therefore allow Leo 2 Hours 40 Min. for his Rising time Divide likewise the 8 Hours of Night into 6 parts each part will contain 1 Hour 20. m. and that is the rising time of Taurus The Difference between the Rising Times of these two Signs is 1 Hour 20 Min. Divide this Difference into three equal parts each part will contain 26 Min. 40 Sec. Add these 26 Min. and 40 Sec. to the Rising time of Taurus and the whole Sum makes up the Rising time of Gemini viz. 1 Hour 46 Min. 40 Sec. To this add another third part to make up the Rising time of Cancer viz. 2 Hours 13 Min. 20 Sec. And so of the rest as in the following Scheme Signs Hours Min. Sec. Signs Aries 0 53 20 Pisces Taur 1 20 0 Aqua Gem. 1 46 40 Capr. Cancer 2 13 20 Cent. Leo. 2 40 0 Scorp Virg. 3 6 40 Libra But it must always be observed that the Southern or Winter Signs are oppos'd to the Northern or Summer Signs The Rising-time of the Summer is the Setting-time of the Winter and the Setting-time of the Summer the Rising-time of the Winter Signs 22. The Example which Manilius himself gives sets this Doctrine in its true Light Let the longest Night in Capricorn be of 15 Hours the Day consequently must be of 9. Thus the Night exceeds the Day by 3 Hours Divide these 3 Hours into 3 Parts give one Part that is 1 Hour to the Middle Sign viz. Aquarius and thence conclude that in Capricorn the Day encreases half an Hour and in Pisces an Hour and half Aquarius being the Middle Sign in which the Days encrease one Hour 23. According to the Doctrine of Manilius let the Example be the same with that in the preceding Note in Aries the Day encreases one Hour and half in Taurus one Hour in Gemini half an Hour 24. There being 24 Hours belonging to each Day and but 12 Signs more than 24 Days in each Month and 12 Months in every Year 25. A Table of the Years and Months that belong to each Sign Signs Years Months Signs Aries 10 8 Pisces Taurus 12 8 Aquar Gemini 14 8 Capr. Cancer 16 8 Sagit Leo. 18 8 Scorp Virgo 20 8 Libra 26. This was never finished by the Poet or is now lost MANILIUS The Fourth Book After a short Reflection on the vain Cares of Mankind he brings several Arguments to prove Fate 1. Several unaccountable passages in the Roman and Grecian Histories 2. Sudden Death and unexpected Recoveries contrary to all the powers of Art and Physick 3. The difference between the Children of the same Parents 4. The fewness of Worthy Men and the certainty of Death 5. The ill successes of Wise and Good Men and the prosperity of Knaves and Fools 6. Monstrous Births 7. Prophesy And then endeavours 8. to take off some Objections that might be rationally propos'd against this Doctrin Then 9. He shews what Tempers and Inclinations the twelve Signs singly consider'd do bestow and to what Arts they incline 10. Vnder the Ram are born all sorts of workers in Wool Broakers Men of unsetled Fortunes fearful inconstant and covetous of Praise 11. Vnder the Bull Plowmen Aspiring Reserv'd Strong and Amorous 12. Vnder the Twins Musicians Songsters Men of merry Tempers and Astronomers 13. Vnder the Crab Covetous Fellows and Vsurers 14. Vnder the Lion Hunters Beast-keepers Plain Open-hearted easily provok'd and easily appeas'd Vnder the Maid Philosophers Orators Notaries shamefac'd and indifferently good 16. Vnder the Scales Measurers Gagers Accountants Lawgivers Lawyers and Judges 17. Vnder the Scorpion Hunters Gladiators Men of Warlike and Military Dispositions 18. Vnder Sagittarius Chariot-Racers Horse-breakers Tamers of Wild Beasts Men of acute Vnderstandings and strong and nimble Bodies 19. Vnder the Goat Miners Coyners Goldsmiths Bakers Broakers Inconstant and Lascivious in their Youth 20. Vnder Aquarius Men skill'd in making Aqueducts and Water-works and Spheres and Globes tractable and prodigal 21. Vnder Pisces Mariners Pilots Shipwrights Rowers Fishers Fruitful but Inconstant 22. He Discourses of the Tenths of each Sign and what Sign is Lord of each third part of every Sign 23. He encourages his Scholar to go on tho the Task seems to grow upon him and to be very difficult because 't is a Noble Study and the Object truly great 24. He shews what degrees of each Sign are hurtful what not 25. He Teaches that the Tempers of those that are Born when the Sign riseth are different from those that are Born at other times 26. He draws a Map of the Earth and Seas and Teaches what Signs govern particular Countries 27. He shews what Signs are call'd Eccliptick and why 28. He proposeth such Objections as are made to deter Men from this curious search and answereth them WHy should our Time run out in useless years Short Reflections on the Cares of Men. Of anxious Troubles and tormenting Fears Why should deluding Hopes disturb our ease Vain to pursue yet eager to possess With no Success and no Advantage crown'd Why should we still tread on th'
Vid Salmatium ad Solinum p. he is call'd Mamilius Pliny doth not say one word of his skill in Astronomy he only 4 Vid Plin. Nat. Hist lib. 10. cap. 2. affirms That he was the first of all the Romans who wrote concerning the Phoenix that never any Man saw it feed that in Arabia it is Sacred to the Sun that it lives 660 Years and that with the Life of this Bird is consummated the Conversion of the Great Year in which the Stars return again to their first points and give significations of the same Seasons as at the beginning And all this any one may write who is in an entire Ignorance of the Courses and Influence of the Stars But when Mr. Tristan farther observes that Pliny insinuates besides a particular respect a kind of Intimacy and Acquaintance between this Manilius and himself he gives us a very convincing Argument against his own conjecture for there is good reason to believe this Manilius the Poet dy'd before Augustus and therefore could not be intimate with Pliny To set this whole matter in its due light I shall as the learned and ingenious Sr. Edward Shirburn hath already done in his Preface to the Sphere of Manilius take a view of those who have been by the name of Manilius deliver'd down to Posterity as Men of Letters and then consider which of all those or whether any one of them was this Manilius the Poet. Of that Manilius whom Pliny mentions in the second Chapter of his tenth Book I have already said enough and about that Manilius whom Varro 5 De Ling. Lat. lib. 4. et 6. cites I shall not be concern'd there being no ground to think he was the Author of this Poem 6 Sir Edward Shirburn's pref Pliny lib. 35. cap. 17. tells us of one Manilius surnam'd Antiochus who with Publius Syrus and Staberius Eros were brought to Rome all three of Servile Condition but persons of good Literature His words are these Pedes Venalium trans mare advectorum Creta denotare instituerunt Majores Talemque Publium Syrum mimicae Scenae conditorem et Astrologiae consobrinum ejus Manilium Antiochum item Grammaticae Staberium Erotem eadem navi advectos videre Proavi Our Ancestors us'd to mark with Chalk the Feet of those Slaves who were brought over from beyond Sea to be sold And such an one was Publius Syrus the Founder of the Mimick Scene and his Cousin German Manilius Antiochus of Astrology and Staberius Eros of Grammar whom our great Grandfathers saw in that manner brought over in one and the same Ship This Manilius Laurentius Bonincontrius who near two ages agoe commented on our Author conceives the same with Manilius who wrote this Astronomical Poem to confirm which opinion he produces the evidence of a Silver Medal in his possession whereon was the figure of a Man in an Exotick Habit with a Sphere plac'd near his Head and this Inscription MANILI The same is affirm'd says Lilius Gyraldus by Stephanus Dulcinus and the said Gyraldus farther assures us that a familiar Friend of his one Nicolaus Trapolinus had another Medal of the like Stamp and Inscription But against this opinion of Bonincontrius and Gyraldus Scaliger opposes a double Argument one drawn from the seeming inveracity of that suppos'd Evidence no such Medal being at this day to be found in the Cabinets of any no not the most curious Antiquaries the other from the reason of Time for Manilius Antiochus being brought to Rome in the beginning of Sylla's days for he was brought in the same Ship with Staberius Eros who open'd his Grammar School in Rome whilst Sylla was alive must needs if he were the Author of this Poem have been 120 Years old when he began to write this piece being written in the latter years of Augustus Besides the Author in the Proem of this work wishes for long life to compleat his intended Poem and therefore certainly he was not of that Age it being ridiculous for a Man to wish for long life when he is at the Extream already The same Pliny lib. 36. cap. 10. speaks of one Manilius a Mathematician who when the Obelisk which Augustus erected in the Campus Martius for finding out the Hours of the day by the Shadow of the Sun with the Increase or Decrease of the Days and Nights plac'd a guilded Ball Cujus Vertice Umbra colligeretur in semetipsam alia atque alia incrementa jaculantem Apice ratione ut ferunt à capite hominis intellecta says Pliny who commends the design To this Person Scaliger conceives this work may with fairer probability be ascrib'd than to the former which Opinion is by divers other judicious Men embrac'd The excellently learn'd Isaac Vossius conceives yet that the Manilius Antiochus and the Manilius Mathematicus before mention'd are not two distinct Persons but one and the same under different Titles and Appellations and the very Author of the Poem we now publish whose particular Sentiments upon this Subject and Arguments confirming the same he was pleas'd not long since to impart to me by his most obliging Letter in answer to some Queries by me propounded in one of mine to him upon occasion of my intended publication of this piece which for the Readers satisfaction I shall here make publick tho' not in his own words yet as near as may be in his own Sense And first in answer to Scaliger's Argument drawn from Reason to Time against Manilius Antiochus upon the supposition of Staberius Eros one of the Three before mention'd set open his Grammar School in the time of Sylla ninety five years before the death of Augustus and that therefore Manilius could not probably be according to Scaliger's Computation less than 120 Years old at the time when this Poem was written he urges by way of reply that Suetonius from whom Scaliger takes the ground of his Argument doth not say that Staberius Eros open'd his School in Sylla's time but that he taught gratis the Children of those who in Sylla's time were proscrib'd The Words of Suetonius are these Sunt qui tradunt tanta eum Staberium honestate praeditum ut temporibus Syllanis Proscriptorum liberos gratis et sine mercede ulla in Disciplina receperit How long that was after the times of Proscription will be needless here to declare and that Manilius was not so old as Scaliger conceives when this piece was written may be made out from this that he was the Cousin German of Publius Syrus who that he was brought a young Boy to his Patron Macrobius affirms from whom likewise and from the Verses of Laberius it may be collected that he was but a Youth when he came upon the Stage against Laberius which was but a little before the death of Julius Caesar and Laberius also to whom he succeeded on the Mimick Stage in the second year of 184 Olympiad that is in the Year of Rome 711 as Eusebius testifies And therefore seeing
Birth began When the Birth belongs to Day The Planets join'd to Signs to form the Plan And Scheme erected for the future Man If then the Sun with an exalted Ray Above the East and West commands his way Then safely fix and give the Birth to Day But if through lower Skies he wheels the Light The Day resigns and yields the Birth to Night This settled if the Birth belongs to Day The Rule is short and not obscure the Way From that Degree where then the 9 Sun presides To that Degree where gloomy Luna rides Count thro' the following signs and as you pass Exactly mark what Numbers fill the space Thence from the Eastern point which artful Greece Hath stil'd the Horoscope an equal number of Degrees Following the circling Zodiack as it bends Count thro' the Signs and where the Number ends There fix the Seat of Fortune thence confine In order every Labor to its Sign But if when Night her sable Wings hath spread The Birth starts forward from his Genial Bed When to Night In different manner then thy Numbers range With Nature's Order let thy 10 Method change The Moon who imitates her Brother's Light And governs in her own Dominion Night Observe Thence thro' the Signs in order run To find how far she 's distant from the Sun The Native's Horoscope be next thy Care And from that Point begin to count as far As those Degrees permit thy Thoughts to pass And where they stop there settle Fortune's place And then to following Signs the rest confine In order every Labor to its Sign Perhaps these Precepts may appear too nice V. How to find the Horoscope For who can find the Horoscope in Skies Immense still circling with impetuous force In Motion restless and so swift in Course Yet this not rightly fixt our Art can boast No certainty and all our Labour 's lost As wretched Travellers are doom'd to stray When those mistake who should direct the Way Because the Points which all the rest controul Misplac'd at first must influence the whole And since the rouling Skies move swiftly on A different Face is every moment shown The Scheme must be uncertain and the Birth unknown Yet tho' of greatest Vse 't is hard to gain This Knowledge and our Search is oft in vain For who can in his narrow Breast comprise The World immense and who observe the Skies Which with eternal Revolutions move And Circling measure the vast Orb above What Diligence can e're describe its Face What Art can fix in so immense a space Those Points where East and West exactly fall Which Crowns the Top and which supports the Ball VI. The Chaldaeans refuted I know the Method the 11 Chaldaean Schools Prescribe but who can safely trust their Rules To each ascending Sign to find their Powers They equal time allow that time two Hours And then from that Degree from which the Sun Begins to start his daily Course to run Two Hours to each succeeding Sign they give Still thus allowing 'till their search arrive At the Degree and Sign they seek for where The Number ends the Horoscope is there But false the Rule Oblique the Zodiack lies And Signs as near The first Argument against the Chaldaeans or far remov'd in Skies Obliquely mount or else directly rise In Cancer so immense his Round the Ray Continues long and slowly ends the Day Whilst Winter's Caper in a shorter Track Soon wheels it round and hardly brings it back Aries and Libra equal Day with Night Thus middle 12 Signs to the Extreams are opposite And Signs Extream too vary in their Light Nor are the Nights less various than the Days Equal their measure only Darkness sways In Signs 13 adverse to those that bore the Rays Then who can think when Days and Nights are found In length so differing thro' the Yearly Round There should be given to every Sign in Skies An equal Space an equal Time to rise But more than this The 14 Hours no certain space Of time contain The Second Argument but vary with the Days Yet every Day in what e're Sign begun Beholds six Signs above the Horizon Leaves six below and therefore Rules despise Because the Hours no equal time comprise Which give two Hours to every Sign to rise The Hours in number Twelve divide the Day And yet the Sun with an unequal Ray Now makes a shorter now a longer stay Nay farther tho' you many ways pursue To find their length you 'l never meet the true VII How to find the different lengths of Days and Nights and to find the Horoscope But thus Take all that space of time the Sun Meets out when every daily Round is Run Let equal Portions next that time divide And then those Portions orderly apply'd To Days will shew their length from thence appears Their varying Measures through the rouling Years The Standard this by which our Art Essays Winter's slow Nights and tries the Summer's Days This must be fixt when from th' Autumnal Scales The Day declines and Winter's Night prevails Or in the Ram whence Winter's Nights retire The Hours restoring to the Summer's Fire In those two Points the Day and Night contain Twelve equal Hours For with an even rein The Sun then guides and whilst his Care doth roul Thro' Heaven's midd Line he leans to neither Pole But when remov'd he to the South declines And in the 15 Eighth Degree of Caper shines The Winter 's hasty Day moves nimbly on Nine 16 Hours and half so soon the Light is gone But Night drives slowly in her gloomy Carr Takes fourteen Hours and half for her unequal share Thus twice twelve Hours in Day and Night are found To fill the natural Measure of the daily Round Thence Light encreases still as Nights decay 'Till Cancer meets her in the Fiery way And sets sure bounds to her encroaching sway Then turns the Scene and Summers day descends Thro' Winter's Hours still losing as it bends And then the Days of equal length appear With Nights ' th' adverse Season of the Year And Nights with Days For by the same Degrees That once they lengthened now the Times decrease These Times our Art can shew but these belong To future Rhimes and claim another Song Thus measure those who live where fruitful Nile With Summer Torrents swoln o'reflows the Soil Whose seven large Mouths the Skies can boast no more Of Planets The rising and Setting of the Signs first By Stadia and Hours vomit with impetuous Roar And beat the Ocean from the foaming Shore Now learn what 17 Stadia learn what times in Skies Signs ask to Sett and what they claim to Rise Observe short rules my Muse but full she brings And Words roul from Her crowded up with Things For Aries Prince of all the Signs comprise Full forty Stadia for his time to rise But Eighty give him when He leaves the Skies One Hour and one third part his rise compleats This
next comprise What Signs appear what Times they claim to rise In all Positions of the moving Skies That when you follow Art and boldly press To find the Horoscope a just Success May meet thy search and into knowledge raise thy guess But who can all their various times reherse Compute so much and state Accounts in Verse Therefore this part let general Rules define Let those that follow my advanc'd Design Apply them right but let the Rules be mine Where-ever plac'd 9. Another way to find the Trine the Signs Rising and Setting by Hours by these few Rules proceed By Nature settled and by Art decreed First count how many 21 Hours compleat the Night Or Day when Cancer in the Summer's height Bears Phoebus and short darkness bounds the light Day 's Hours by Six divide one sixth devise To following Leo as his time to rise Night so divided too one Sixth bestow On Taurus that his rising time will show But then observe the difference of the time Which Leo takes and which the Bull to climb That into Three divide and thence apply Beside the time which Taurus takes to mount the Sky One single Third to Naked Gemini The like to Cancer and the like Account To fiery Leo as his time to mount Then reckon all you 'll find the Sum the same Which from the first Division to Leo came When one sixth part of Day was given to raise his Flame By the same Method Virgo's time define But this Condition runs thro' every Sign The following keeps those Hours the Sign before Obtain'd to rise and vulgarly adds more As these an orderly Encrease maintain So Signs from Libra still decrease again But different Order they observe in Skies The Hours these claim to Set those take to Rise But if you count by Stadia By Stadia change the Name But keep the Method for the Rule 's the same Seven Hundred Twenty Stadia fill the Round No more in Day no more in Night are found Hence take as many as compleat the Night When glowing Cancer in the Summer's hight Bears Phoebus and short darkness bounds the light The rest by Six divide one Sixth devise To fiery Leo as his time to rise Night 's Stadia so divide one Sixth bestow On Taurus Take the Difference twixt the Two That Sum divide by Three and thence apply Beside the Stadia Taurus takes to mount the Sky One single Third to naked Gemini Thus to the rest proceed but still confine To following Signs the Stadia of the former Sign With one Third Part 's Encrease till Libra's Ray This Reckoning stops and shews another way For Signs from Libra different Rules comprise A different Order they observe in Skies The Stadia others claim to Set they take to Rise Those Stadia too in which the rest ascend These Winter Signs in slowly setting spend Thus having fixt the Stadia now pursue The Horoscope 't is open to thy view From that Degree in which the Sun doth mount Observe my Method and begin to count Give proper Hours to every Sign to rise And proper Stadia to ascend the Skies Work by those Rules which I have shewn before Securely work for you can err no more By what advance the Winter Months encrease 10. How Days encrease from Capricorn 〈◊〉 Cancer For they advance not by the same Degrees Thro' every Sign till on the Ram they light Which equals Time and Day adjusts to Night Must next be shewn to all that press to learn Short are the Rules but yet of great Concern First take the measure of the shortest Day And longest Night when with unequal Ray Thro' Caper Phoebus drives the narrow way Then count the 22 Hours which Day must yield to Shade And in three Portions let the Sum be laid One of these Parts to th' Middle Sign apply'd Shews the Increase of Day on either side For as the First is by the Midst surpass'd One Half so that 's exceeded by the last Thus thro' Three Signs the Day 's Increase is shown The following takes what to the Last was grown And adds an equal Portion of its own For Instance To the Conquest Night assign Full Fifteen Hours and give the Day but Nine Three Hours the difference Now the Goat hath Power To lengthen Day the space of half an Hour One Hour Aquarius adds the Fishes joyn As much as Both and with the rest combine Thus three Hours fill'd adjusted Time they bring To Aries and he equals Day and Night in Spring The Sixth part of the Time or more or less Whate're it proves is the first Sign 's Increase The Second doubles what the First surpass'd And gives it to be trebled by the last But from the 23 Equinoctial point the Day Receives increase but in another way For Aries takes as many Hours from Night As Pisces seiz'd before in their own Right And to compleat the Rapine Taurus joins One Hour one Half is added by the Twins Thus whilst these Signs the Time to Day restore Night justly loses as it gain'd before From Caper thus Decreasing Nights appear And Heaven turns up the right side of the Year The Day proceeds to lengthen all the way Till high in Cancer rais'd it finds a Stay The Solstice then when Day and Night are found Equal to Night and Day that drove the Winter round Then by the same degrees again the Light Decreasing what it took returns to Night Thus far advanc't in Art my Verse defines The proper Years 11. The Years Months Days and Hours of Signs Months Hours and Days of Signs These must be shewn for Signs have Days Hours And Months and Years when they exert their Powers First then that Sign in which the Sun appears Because the Sun measures out the time in Years Claims the first Year On following Signs bestow The following Years as they in Order go And so the Moon for as she rounds the Skies She measures Months to Signs the Months applies Of Days and Hours the Horoscope possest Of the first parts to following Signs commits the rest This Nature orders all her Months and Years And Days and Hours she parcels out to Stars That as they run their Course they all may find The different Signs and vary in their kind This Nature orders too and hence there springs That various Discord that is seen in Things In one continued Stream no Fortune flows Joy mixes Grief and Pleasures urg'd by Woes Inconstancy in every part appears Which Wisdom never trusts but Folly fears Thus Years from Years and as they roul the round The Months from Months and Days from Days are found To differ no returning Hours restore That sort of Fortune which they brought before Because the Times as round their Course they run Meet different Signs and are not bound to One The Days and Hours their ruling Signs obey The Month 's the influence which they give convey And temper all things by their fatal Ray. Some Author's
by Signs the Sphere Divide and mark the Seasons of the Year One drawn from Heaven's high top descends from far The Aequinoctial Colure And cuts the Serpent's Tail and the dry Bear The Equinoctial Scales the Snake's Extremes And next the Southern Centaur's middle Beams Then thwarts the Adverse Pole and next divides The mighty Whale and parts its scaly sides Bright Aries point and splendid Trigon past The fair Andromeda below the Waste And next her Mother's Head it cuts and then The Pole and closeth in it self agen Cross this The Solsticial Colure and from the Pole doth first appear The Other through the forefeet of the Bear And through its Neck which when the Sun retires First shines and spreads black Night with feeble Fires Then parts the Twins and Crab the Dog divides And Argo's keel that broke the frothy tides And then the Pole and other Circle crost To Caper turns contracted in his Frost The Eagle cuts and the inverted Lyre Black Dracos folds The hinder Paws o' th' Bear and near the Pole It 's Tail and closing there compleats the Whole These Rounds immovable their site the same Here Seasons fix nor vary in the frame Two more are movable The Meridian one from the Bear Describ'd surrounds the middle of the Sphere Divides the Day and marks exactly Noon Betwixt the rising and the setting Sun The Signs it changes as we move below Run East or West it varies as You go For 't is that Line which way soe'er we tread That cuts the Heaven exactly o'er our head And marks the Vertex which doth plainly prove That it must change as often as we move Not one Meridian can the World suffice It passes through each portion of the Skies Thus when the Sun is dawning o'er the East 'T is their sixth hour and sets their sixth at West Though those two hours we count our days extremes Which feebly warm us with their distant Beams To find the other Line cast round thine Eyes The Horizon And where the Earth's high surface joyns the Skies Where Stars first set and first begin to shine There draw the fancy'd Image of this Line Which way soe'er you move 't will still be new Another Circle opening to the view For now this half and now that half of Sky It shews its Bounds still varying with the Eye This Round's Terrestrial for it bounds contains That Globe and cut the middle with a Plain 'T is call'd the Horizon the Round's design For 't is to bound gives title to the Line Two more Oblique The Zodiack and which in adverse Lines Surround the Globe Observe One bears the Signs Where Phoebus drives and guides his fiery Horse And varying Luna follows in her Course Where Planets err as Nature leads the Dance Keep various measures undisturb'd by Chance It s highest Arch with Cancer's beams do glow Whilst Caper lies and freezes in the low Twice it divides the Equinoctial line Where fleecy Aries and where Libra shine Three Lines compose it and th' Eclyptick's found i th' midst and all decline into a Round Nor is it hid nor is it hard to find Like others open onely to the Mind For like a Belt with studs of Stars the Skies It girds and graces and invites the Eyes To twelve Degrees its Breadth to thrice sixscore Its Length extends and comprehends no more Within these bounds the wandring Planets rove Make Seasons here and settle Fate above The other Round from Bears oppos'd begun Runs adverse to the Chariot of the Sun XV. The Milky way It leaves the Pole and from its Round retires And cuts inverted Casiopeia's Fires Thence still descending and obliquely drawn It passes through the Body of the Swan Then Cancer's fires the headlong Bird of Jove The Line and Zodiack where the Planets rove And thence in various windings turns to meet The other Centaur and entwines his feet And thence to mount through Argo's Sails begins The Line and lowest portion of the Twins Then joyns the Driver and from thence ascends O'er Perseus and to Cassiopeia tends There 't is receiv'd in her inverted Chair In her the Round begins and ends in Her Twice cuts the Tropicks Zodiack and the Line And is as often cut by those agen Nor need we with a prying Eye survey The distant Skies to find the Milky way It must be seen by All for every night It forcibly intrudes upon our sight And will be mark'd for shining streaks adorn The Skies as opening to let forth the Morn And as a beaten Path that spreads between A troden Meadow and divides the Green Or as when Seas are plow'd behind the Ship Foam curls on the green surface of the Deep In Heaven's dark surface such this Circle lies And parts with various Light the Azure Skies Or as when Iris draws her radiant Bow Such seems this Circle to the World below It all surpriseth our inquiring sight It upward draws when through the Shades of Night It spreads its Rays and darts amazing Light Fond Men the sacred Causes strive to find And vainly measure with a feeble Mind And yet they strive they madly whirl about Through various Causes still condemn'd to Doubt Whether the Skies 20 grown old Various Opinions about the Milky way here shrink their Frame And through the Chinks admit an upper Flame Or whether here the Heavens two Halves are joyn'd But odly clos'd still leave a Seam behind Or here the parts in 21 Wedges closely prest To fix the Frame are thicker than the Rest Like Clouds condens'd appear and bound the Sight The Azure being thickned into White Or whether that old 22 Tale deserves our Faith Which boldly says that this was once the Path Where Phoebus drove and that in length of Years The heated track took Fire and burnt the Stars The Colour chang'd the Ashes strew'd the Way And still preserve the marks of the Decay Besides Fame tells by Age Fame reverend grown That Phoebus gave his Chariot to his Son And whilst the Youngster from the Path declines Admiring the strange Beauty of the Signs Proud of his Charge He drove the fiery Horse And would outdoe his Father in his Course The North grew warm and the unusual Fire Dissolv'd its Snow and made the Bears retire Nor was the Earth secure each Countrey mourn'd The Common Fate and in its City 's burn'd Then from the scatter'd Chariot Lightning came And the whole Skies were one continued Flame The World took Fire and in new kindled Stars The bright remembrance of its Fate it bears Thus Fame nor must the softer Fable die That Juno's Breast o'erflowing stain'd the Skie And made that Milky way which justly draws Its Name the Milky Circle from its Cause Or is the spatious Bend serenely bright From little Stars which there their Beams unite And make one solid and continued Light Or Souls which loos'd from the ignoble Chain Of Clay and sent to their own Heaven again Purg'd from all dross by
space of time He doubles when He sets The following Signs to Libra rising claim Eight Stadia more and Setting lose the same And thus in order following Signs require Still sixteen Minutes more to raise their Fire And lose as much when setting they retire Thus signs to Libra 18 as they rise increase And thus they lose when they descend to Seas For all the Signs that do from Libra range Take equal measures but the Order change For Signs adverse to equal times engross But setting Gain and still arise with loss Thus Hours and Stadia which bright Aries gets When rising Libra loseth when she sets And all the time which when He leaves the Skies The Ram possesses Libra takes to rise By this Example all the rest define The following imitate the leading Sign This rightly fixt if you these Rules pursue The Horoscope lies open to thy view Securely work since you can fix in Skies The times and Stadia for the Signs to rise From that Degree and Sign in which the Sun Begins to start his daily Course to run Count fairly on and all the work is done Another method if you this refuse Shall lead thee right Another Method and be as plain to use For if the Horoscope you seek by Day Observe these Rules which shew the surest Way First find what 19 Hour the Birth is born and then Add five to that and multiply by Ten Add five for every Hour the Signs ascend Thrice five Degrees in the Celestial Bend This done take that Degree in which the Sign Then rouls the Sun and to this Number join From this whole Sum one Thirty parts apply'd To the Sun's Sign nor to the rest deny'd As following they in order lie will show The thing you sought for and design to know For where the Number ends that Sign and Part Is Horoscope Thus speak the Rules of Art By Night your search demands a different way To the Nights Hour 20 add all the twelve of Day From this whole Sum the Thirty parts apply To following Signs as they in order lie And where the Number ends that Sign and Part Is Horoscope Thus speak the Rules of Art Thus you may find the Horoscope in Skies And tho' Oblique the Circling Zodiack lies This Point determin'd you may fix them all What Crowns the Top and what supports the Ball The Signs true Setting and true Rising trace Assign to each their proper Powers and Place And thus what stubborn Nature's Laws deny Our Art shall force and fix the rowling Skie Nor is o're all the Earth VIII Third Argument against the Chaldaeans the length of Night And Day the same they vary with the sight Nor would the Ram alone and Scales agree In Day and Night in every Sign would be The Equinox if as these Rules devise Two Hours were given to every Sign to rise In that Position where Direct's the Sphere The length of Days and Nights in a Direct Sphere And in the Horizon both Poles appear The Day maintains an equal length to Night And that Usurps not on the others Right No Inequality in Skies is found But equal Day and equal Night goes round Those Days and Nights which Spring and Autumn bear They see unvary'd thro' the rowling Year Because the circling Sun in every Sign Runs round and measures still an equal Line Whether thro' Cancer's height he bears the Day Or thro' the Goat oppos'd He bends his way The Day 's alike nor do the Nights decay For tho' Oblique the Zodiack Circle lies Yet all the Zones do at right Angles rise Still Parallel and whilst the Sphere is Right Half Heaven is Hid and half expos'd to sight Hence take thy way In an Oblique Sphere and o're Earth's mighty Bend From this midst Region move to either End As weary Steps convey thee up the Ball By Nature rounded and hung midst the All To either Pole whilst you your way pursue Some parts withdraw and others rise to view To you thus mounting as the Earth doth rise So varies the Position of the Skies And all the Signs that rose Direct before Obliquely mount and keep that Site no more Oblique the Zodiack grows for whilst we range Tho fixt its place yet ours we freely change 'T is therefore plain that here the Days must prove Of different Lengths since Signs obliquely move Some nearer roul whilst some remoter rove And measure still unequal Rounds above As nearer to the Arctick Round you go The Hours increase On this side the Arctick Circle and Day appears to grow The Summer Signs in ample Arch invade Our Sight the Winter lie immerst in Shade The more you Northward move the more your Eyes Their Lustre lose they set as soon as rise But pass this Round Beyond the Arctick Circle as you your way pursue Each Sign withdraws with all its parts from view Then Darkness comes and chaces Light away And thirty Nights excludes the Dawn of Day Thus by degrees Day wasts Signs cease to rise For bellying Earth still rising up denies Their Light a Passage and confines our Eyes Continued Nights continued Days appear And Months no more fill up the rouling Year Should Nature place us where the Northern Skies Creak round the Pole In an erect or parallel Sphere and grind the propping Ice Midst Snows eternal where th' impending Bear Congeal'd leans forward on the frozen Air The World would seem if we survey'd the whole Erect and standing on the nether Pole Its sides as when a Top spins round incline Nor here nor there but keep an even Line And there Six Signs of Twelve would fill the sight And never setting at an equal Hight Wheel with the Heavens and spread a constant Light And whilst thro' those the Sun directs his way For long Six Months with a continued Ray He chaces Darkness and extends the Day But when the Sun below the Line descends With full Career and to the lower bends Then one long Night continued Darkness joins And whilst he wanders thro' the Winter's Signs The Arctick Circle lies immerst in Shade And vainly calls to feeble Stars for Aid Because the Eyes that from the Pole survey The bellying Globe scarce measure half the way The Orb still rising stops the Sight from far And whilst we forward look we find a Bar For from the Eyes the Lines directly fall And Lines direct can ne'er surround the Ball Therefore the Sun to those low Signs confin'd Bearing all Day and leaving Night behind To those that from the Pole survey denies His chearful Face and Darkness fills their Eyes Till having spent as many Months as past Thro' Signs he turns and riseth to the North at last And thus in this Position of the Sphere One only Day one only Night appear On either side the Line and make the Year What different sorts of Days and Nights are known In all Positions thus my Muse hath shown Her Work goes on and she must
Write Some Astrologers Opinion concerning the Years Months and Days of Signs for who can hope to see Opinions join or find the World agree That from the Horoscope our Art defines The Days the Hours the Years and Months of Signs From that alone let the Account begin And all the rest will orderly fall in And whilst the others as before 't was shown Three Heads of reckoning ask the Moon the Sun And Horoscope these still demand but One Yet still as great their difference must appear Month disagrees with Month and Year with Year And Hours and Days For with uneven pace Tho' starting all together they run the Race And never make Returns in equal space Twice to the Signs each 24 Hour the Days restore Twice every Month brings round the Days and more Once every Year the Months to Signs are born And when Twelve Years are run the Years return 'T is hard to think Refuted and Nature's Laws reject One single Time so differing in effect That when one Sign for Years and Months appears Bad Fate should clog the Months Good Crown the Years Or that the Sign which thro' the Months conveys Bright Fortune should with Black infest the Days Or that the Star which with afflicting Power The Day oppresseth should exalt the Hour Vain therefore their attempt who fondly hope The Times to reckon from the Horoscope And think because with an unequal Date They come to Signs that these Returns create Their different odd varieties of Fate Absurd Opinion which with fruitless pain They strive to prop with mighty Names in vain It sinks and falls with its own stupid weight again This sung 12. How many Years belong to each Sign and Station and Times to Signs apply'd the Muse Would beg release and further Task refuse But lo the Subject grows The next must show What length of Times the several Signs bestow This must be known when in your search for Fate You measure Life and fix the gloomy Date Ten Years and One but one third part withdrawn The 25 Ram extends the wretched Life of Man Poorly he gives as frugal of his Store Whilst Taurus adds two Years to these the Twins two more Full sixteen Years Eight Months from Cancer flow But two Years more the Lion's rays bestow From Virgo twenty Years eight Months convey'd Enlarge the Birth The Scales give equal to the Maid Scorpio's as much as Leo's Rays dispense The Centaur equals Cancer's influence Of Years twice seven eight Months the Goat conveys Though young Aquarius shines with feebler rays Four Years he trebles and doubles six score Days To the same space with which the Ram began The Fish plac't next extend the Age of Man But farther yet 't is not enough to know The length of time which single signs bestow For you may Err when in your search for Fate You measure Life and fix the gloomy Date Because the Heavenly Stations claim their share As Planets intermix their Force declare In this Contrivance and make Life their Care To single stations now what Years belong With Planets join'd they claim 26 another Song In well wrought Numbers let the Muse impart And teach the simplest Elements of Art This done these things prepar'd and sitly join'd With greater Ease she 'll raise the Work design'd If when the Moon is in the Hinge at East The Birth breaks forward from its native rest Full Eighty Years if you two Years abate This Station gives and long defers its Fate But if in Heav'ns midst point this large Decree She shortens giving fewer Years by three With Eighty Courses in the Zodiack Round Substracting Four the Western Hinge is Crown'd The lowest Hinge on all its Births derives Years sixty two Vid. Fig. 9. and then concludes their Lives The ninth which makes upon the Right the Trine Gives sixty Years and bates but One of Nine The Fifth o' th' Left as frugal of its store Gives sixty three and can enlarge no more Th' Eleventh station that which rises high Almost an equal of the Middle Skie Yields six score Springs and lest that Gift should be Too scanty lengthens that vast Summ by Three The Third which lies at equal space below The Eastern point doth fifty Years bestow Mean is the station and its Gift is so The second Forty Courses of the Sun And two bestows and when that term is done The Man goes off e're half his race be run The Twelfth gives twenty three then hasty Death Comes on and in his Bloom the Youth resigns his Breath The Eighth next o're the Western Hinge can bring But fourteen Years nor adds another Spring The sixth but Twelve bestows then Death destroys The Parents Hopes and crops the growing Boys Diseases following from their Birth create A feeble Frame and sit the Prey for Fate Now nicely view the Tropick Signs that lie Oppos'd in the four Quarters of the Skie 13. The Tropick Signs Call'd Tropick Signs because when these appear The World then Turns the Seasons of the Year Thus Spring in Cancer in Autumnal Scales The Summer turns in Caper Autumn sails Thence shivering Winter creeps congeal'd with Frost Yet melts again and in the Ram is lost These loose the Seasons to their full Career And make the Course of the Revolving Year And these being Hingers of the World create New Powers in Stars and fix new Rules for Fate In Heavens high Arch Cancer and on the utmost Line Of Summers progross Cancer seats his Sign There stretches out the greatest length of Day And then declines and makes it soon decay But all the time which as he bears the Light He takes from Day He still conveys to Night Then Corn grows yellow on the fruitful Soil And lusty Reapers bare their Limbs for toil Then Seas grow warm the Floods forbear to roar And Billows languish on the quiet Shore Then Mars goes forth nor is the Scythian Coast From Roman Arms defended by her Frost And whilst their Pools and Marshy Grounds are dry Fearing our Force the conquer'd Germans fly Then Nile o'reflows and Egypt's fruitful Plain Rich Harvests yields nor needs the aid of Rain Thus lies the World when with exalted Ray I' th' Summer Solstice Phoebus bears the Day Thro' Cancer's Sign and drives the highest Way Oppos'd the Goat in narrowest rounds of Light Wheels Winter on Capricorn but long extends the Night Yet soon Ascending He contracts the Shade To Day returning all the waste he made The Fields unwrought then lie unplough'd the Seas And Mars in Quarters lies consign'd to Ease Rocks cleave with Frost and by the Cold opprest All Nature's Powers are stiffned into Rest The next in Power are those two Signs that rise With equal Revolutions of the Skies Which times of Day and Night adjust Aries and bring The Autumn on or else advance the Spring The Sun returning in his Yearly Race To Cancer's Sign meets Aries midst the Space Seated between the Point from whence he bends
His upward Course and that in which he ends There plac'd as Umpire in the midst o th' way Contracted Night he well adjusts to Day And as thro' him the Sun goes on to climb The Heavenly steep He makes a change in time For Day that shorten'd in the Winter Bend The Ram first lengthens and the next extend 'Till rais'd in Cancer to the utmost height Of Summer's pitch He wheels the longest Light Then Seas lie husht Then Earth grows bold to bear And trusts young Flowers to the serener Air Then Beasts in Fields and Birds in every Grove Press on with Fury to consummate Love With joyful Songs the vocal Forests Ring And various Leaves adorn the gawdy Spring With such brisk Powers are Nature's parts possest When wak'd she rouses from her Winter's Rest Oppos'd to Aries Libra's Stars appear With the like power to sway the rouling Year Libra She equals Day and Night But soon the Scale O'repois'd by Darkness le ts the Night prevail And Day that lengthned in the Summer's height Shortens 'till Winter and is lost in Night Then from the burthen'd Elms the generous Vine Descends and Presses over-flow with Wine Then Wheat is sown whilst Autumn's heats remain To loose the Clods and mollifie the Grain These have their Powers and as these Signs create A turn in Seasons so they doe in Fate From Tropick Signs for by their name we guess Their turning Natures who can hope for less But wide in their mistake who think to see These Powers spread equally in each Degree Not every Portion of the Tropick Signs Turns Seasons What Degrees in the Tropick Signs are to be considered and the Planets force confines But one Day only in the blooming Prime Of Spring in Autumn One adjusts the Time One Day in Aries doth to Time restore Equality and Libra boasts no more One Longest Day in Cancer's Sign is born One Night of equal length in Capricorn The other Days roul on with different Light Now gaining from now losing time to Night Thus One Degree in Tropick Signs creates A change in Heaven and turns the Rules of Fates No fixt Decree's secure their boundless sway Extends to all and makes the Stars obey But which that is that governs Fate 's Decree There Authors differ nor can Art agree For some the Eighth and some the Tenth assign The First Degree is only Thine Thine but the Muse with scorn forbears the Name Unworthy mention and too mean for Fame The End of the Third Book NOTES 1. This and the seven following Verses relate to the several particulars of Medea's story 2. I use this Interpretation rather than that of Scaliger and others because I think Manilius speaks only of that famous Siege of Thebes when the seven Generals attackt it and as the Story says Capaneus had almost ruin'd the Town before he was struck with Thunder 3. Oedipus Married his own Mother Jocasta and had Children by her so that each Son was Brother to the Father and Grand-Child to the Mother 4. This respects the Story of Atreus and Thyestes 5. Xerxes is said to have dug a Channel round Mount Athos and to have made a Bridge over the Hellespont 6. Thus for instance in whatever Sign the Lot of Fortune is plac'd the next that belongs to the next Sign is the Lot of Warfare Civil Employments must be given to the third c. 7. For the Lot of Fortune being in all Nativities that belong to Day to be accounted for from the Sun and in all Nativities that belong to Night from the Moon and those two Planets not always possessing the same place in every Nativity and the other Lots following the disposition of that of Fortune it is very evident that the same Lot is not to be always applyed to the same Sign 8. The Poet never finisht this part or it is now lost 9. For instance let the Sun be in the 20th Degree of Aries the Moon in the 10th Degree of Libra from the 20th Degree of Aries counting thro' the following Signs Taurus Gemini c to the 10th Degree of Libra are 170 Degrees Let the Horoscope be the 10th Degree of Cancer from that 10th Degree of Cancer count thro' the following Signs viz. Leo Virgo c. and you will find the Number 170 to end in the 10th Degree of Capricorn Therefore in the 10th Degree of Capricorn place the Lot of Fortune This I take to be the meaning of Manilius 10. Suppose the Sun to be in the 21 49 ' ' ' ' ' of Leo the Moon in the 26 31 ' ' ' ' ' of Virgo the Horoscope in the 1 0 ' ' ' ' ' of Leo The Moon is distant from the Sun 325 18 ' ' ' ' ' which number being distributed amongst the Antecedent Signs viz. Cancer Gemini Taurus c. ends in the 5 42 ' ' ' ' ' of Virgo that there is the place of the Lot of Fortune 11. To explain this Method which the Chaldeans us'd to find the Horoscope Scaliger gives this instance Let the Sun's place be the 13 25 ' of Libra let the Birth be at the end of the Seventh Hour of the Day Now because every Sign hath thirty Degrees and fifteen Degrees make one Hour these Seven Hours are three Signs and an half or one Hundred and five Degrees Now reckon those Degrees thro' the following Signs viz. Scorpius Centaurus c. The Number ends in the 28125 ' ' ' ' ' of Capricorn and therefore that is the Horoscope 12. Sic media extremis c. The middle Signs here are Aries and Libra and these are said to be opposite to the Extremes Cancer and Capricorn because in them the Days are equal but in the others unequal to the Nights This I take to be the meaning of the Poet rather than what Scaliger and other Interpreters pretend 13. Thus in Cancer the Days are longest in Capricorn which is a Sign adverse to Cancer the Nights are of the same length that the Days were of in Cancer The like holds in Leo and Aquarius and so in the rest 14. The Italians divided all the time betwixt the Rising and Setting of the Sun into Twelve Hours and all the time between the Setting and Rising of the Sun into Twelve Hours And therefore those times being various and unequal the Hours must likewise be unequal 15. According to the Opinion of some Ancient Astronomers who plac'd the Winter Solstice in the Eighth Degree of Capricorn the Summer Solstice in the Eighth Degree of Cancer and the Equinox in the Eighth Degrees of Aries and Libra Thus in the End of this Book Has quidam vires octava in parte reponunt 16. Eudoxus wrote of the Sphere at the 36th Degree Elevation of the Pole and Manilius follows him 17. A Stadium in Manilius is half of a Degree and therefore in the whole Zodiack there are 720 Stadia In the Zodiack are 360 Degrees to every Hour we reckon 15 Degrees therefore