28 Surrendred to the English S. John's Town surrendred Aug. 5 Scotch Army at Woodh 7 They entred England 8 Marched by Carlile 10 By Kendall 16 They forced their passage over at Warrington Bridge 22 Scotch Army at Worcester M. Love and M. Gibbons beheaded on Tower-Hill An Insurrect in Wales E. Darby landed at Weywater in Lancashire Sep. 3 E. Dar. defeat in Lancash 12. Scotch Army defeated the third time at Worcester 13 G. Cromwell returned to London Scotch Prisoners marched through London into Tuttle Fields 500 l. Sterling offered to any that should detect the Scotch King Oct. 2 King of Scots landed at New-haven in France 15 Forces Embarqued at Weymouth for reducing of Jersey E. Darby beh at Bolton Col. John Benbow shot to death at Shrewshery 16 17 Forces shipped at Chester and Liverpool for reducing the Isle of Man 18 They hoisted sail but driven by contrary Winds into Beumorris 19 Col. Hayn set sail with Forces for Jersey 21 King of Scots at Paris 22 Jersy Island taken 25 Sir Timothy Fetherstonhaugh beheaded at Chester 28 Forces design'd against the Isle of Man set sail for Beumor 29 Isle of Man surrendred Ald. Kenrick sworn L. Ma. of London Cornet Cast. in Guersey surrendred to the Parliament Nov. M. Gen. Massey sore wounded surrendred himself to the Countess of Stamford but the Lord Grey her son secur'd and sent him to London M. G. Middleton and L. G. David Lesley taken and secured The like several others of the Scots Nobility and Gentry at Ellet in Scotland Gen. Popham one of the English Admirals dyed 26 L. G. Ireton dyed at Limrick in Ireland 27 Col. Massey the Mayor of Worcester and others brought to London and secured in the Tower Dec. 17 Dutch Ambassadours came to Lond. 19 They had Audience Jan. 11 Barbadoes surrendred to the Parliament 15 M. Lilburn sentenced to banishment by the Parliament 30 An Act for execution of the Judgment given against him Mar. 11 M.S. Johns and M. Strickl sent Ambassadors from the Parliament into Hol. where they were several times affronted 13 Received at Rotterdam and conducted to the English-house Anno 1652. May 10 Master Henry Compton slain in a Duel near Putney by the Lord Shandoys 19 A Fight in the Downs betwixt the English and the Dutch 25 Sir George Ayscue returned from reducing the Plantations June 17 A great Fire in Glascow in Scotland 20 Much hurt done by Thunder at Church-Laiton in Cheshire 27 Holland Ambassadors craved Audience 29 Had it 30 Departed hence July Sir George Ayscue took sunk and dispersed thirty six Dutch Ships Aug. 16 Sir Geo. Ayscue fought the Dutch near Plymouth 31 C. Massey escaped from the Tower Septem 5 French Fleet beaten by the English under General Blake 6 Dunkirk taken by the Spaniard 19 Parliament Fleet consisting of 18 Sail set forth of Yarmouth to Convoy home the Merchants Ships who had put themselves under the Protection of the King of Denmark 24 Those Ships were demanded by the English 26 King of Dâ—nmark refused to deliver them 27 The Flâ—et returned for England 30 Antilop lost October 2 Portugal Ambassadours had Audience 15 The Fleet arrived at Burlington-Bay Mr. Bradshaw sent as Agent to the King of Denmark on the behalf of the Merchants November Master Thomas May dyed suddenly in the night 20 Dutch Fleet on the back of Godwin-Sands 29 General Blake worsted by the Dutch 30 Phoenix Frigot recovered from the Dutch February 18 19 20 A terrible Sea-Fight betwixt the English and the Dutch near the Isles of Wight Portland wherein the Dutch were worsted English Fleet in the Levant-Seas worsted by the Dutch Anno 1653. April 20 Parliament dissolved by the Army 30 A Council of State declared May 28 The English Fleet arrived from the Northwards in Plymouth Road. June 2 3 Another Sea-Fight between the English and Dutch who were worsted yet General Dean one of the English Admirals therein slain 10 M. Lilburn hearing of the change of Government returned into England without License 14 He sued to the General for Protection 15 He was secured in the Sheriff of London's House 16 Sent Prisoner to Newgate Jul. 4 New Elected Members met in the Council-Chamber at White-hall where the General made his Speech to them 13 M. Lilburn brought to Trial at the Sessions-b in the Old-Bayly 16 He put in his Exceptions to the Bill of Indictment the Sessions ended and so his Tryal was deferred till the next Sessions 20 General Assembly of the Scotch Kirk dispersed 29 30 Another bloody Sea-Fight betwixt the English and Dutch wherein their Admiral Van Trump was slain and his Fleet worsted Aug. 5 Chancery Voted down by the New Parl. 10 M. Lilburn brought again to his Tryal 20 M. Lilburn acquitted by his Jury but sent back to Newgate 26 Act for Marriages 27 M. Lilburn removed from Newgate to the Tower September 2. Londoners Petition the Parliament for continuance of Tythes Nov. 4 An Act for Redress of Mischiefs arising by Writs of Error and Writs of False Judgment 23 Dr. Wymberly a learned Divine and noble Friend of mine dyed 25 He was Inhum'd at Westm. Dec. 12 The second Parliament dissolved having sate about as many weeks as the former had done years 16 General Cromwell sworn Lord Protector 19 Proclaimed so in England 21 Proclamation made for continuing all persons in their Offices Jan. 19 An Ordinance declaring what Offences shall be adjudged Treason Another repealing the Acts and Resolves of Parliament touching subscribing the Engagement 20 Warm Blood Rained at Pool in Dorsetshire 31 Protector proclaimed in Ireland Feb. 8 He was magnificently Feasted at Grocers-Hall Mar. 15 Three Suns seen at Dublin in Ireland Anno 1654. April 5 Peace concluded with the Netherlands 26 Proclaimed June 9 Ordinance for Relief of Creditors and poor Prisoners 27 H. C. of Justice met in the painted Chamber 30 Ambassadour Whitlock arrived at Gravesend from Sweden July 6 Horse-Races inhibited H. C. of Justice sate in Westminster-Hall 9 Cavaliers again commanded out of London 10 M. Gerard beheaded on Tower-hill Don Pantaleon Sa beheaded likewise on Tower-hill M. Vowel executed at Charing-Cross August 21 Humphry Marston executed in Aldersgate Street 29 An Order for Ejecting Scandalous Ministers Sep. 3 A third Parliament met at Westminster 4 They began to sit 11 Souldiers authorized to exercise any Trade 12 The Recognition Oct. 6 G. Blake set sail from Plymouth 19 Col. Hammond buried Dec. 13 M. Bidle commiâ—ted to the Gatehouse 19 The Flâ—eâ— under General Pen set sail for Hispaniola Jan. 4 Col. Overton brought Prisoner to Lond. 16 Committed to the Tower 22 Parliament dissolv 29 G. Pen at Barbadoes Feb. 1 The Fleet together in Carlile Bay 12 A great Fire in Fleetstreet 26 Horse-Races again inhibited 27 L. Gray of Grooby Prisoner to Windsor Castle Mar. 1 An Insurrection intended about York 10 M. Wildman committed to the Tower 12 An Insurrection about Salisbury and some other parts 15 L. Tufton Prisoner
sect 1. Prop. 10. who by the help of a Geometrical Quadrant there described sets down the manner of observing the true time of the Aequinoxes whereby they may discover not only how far the Calculations made by the Tables differ from but also which Tables come nearest Observation and by this means make choice of the best whereon to ground their Judgments Astrological But forasmuch as all or the most of our Annual Prognosticks are commonly extant before the Vernal Aequinox on and about which day those Observations ought to be made it cannot be expected that we should here proceed upon those grounds the Birth of what now we present you with anticipating its fortune in the Press not less than Four Lunar Revolutions Wherefore all we can do here to do fairly will be to make choice of the best Astronomical Tables in which Number 1 rank the Philolaick as solving the Phaenomena nearest exactness when handled by a Skilful Artist and reduced not upon the bare credit of every prostituted Catalogue of the difference of Meridians but with regard had to Ecliptical Observations determining so near as may be the true Longitude otherwise great Errours may ensue especially in the time of Solar Ingresses Eclipses and other Lunations and yet the Tables Excusable These things well consider'd I cannot see with what shew of Equity we should be derided or Astrology exploded in case we arrive not at such preciseness in our Annual Judgments as is looked for from us by those which know not the handling of a Science whose subject is so remote whose paths be so variously winding and intricate Or why should Astrology be contemned or slighted for want of Perfection more than all other Arts or Sciences since really there are none without some defect or other nor any one that can truly say it is free from every scrupulous exception For omitting Physick and the rest which cannot justly boast of nigh so much Perfection what Geometrician can stand up and truly tell me he hath found out the exact Quadrature of a Circle or the Duplication of a Cube What Algebraist can resolve the so long sought for Equation of three discontinued Numbers in Algebriaque proportion And should therefore those noble Sciences be rejected as vain and foolish and the Professors be no better accounted of than Impostors when nevertheless we cannot but confess the most Excellent and daily use made of Geometry both at Sea and Land very well knowing that the Geometrician can Square a Circle though not precisely yet so near exactness as leaves the issue of his indeavours without any sensible Errour In like manner because the Astronomer determines not precisely the true places of the Planets howbeit very near the same and the Eclipses of the Luminaries to admiration the Astrologer sometimes strays a little in the Species and times of the Events thereon depending shall we therefore altogether excusing Astronomy lay the whole blame and weight of our Indignation on Astrology whose Effata suppose the Planets true places which are Scientiarum apices the Perfection of Sciences that God in his Wisdom would not have known ab initio but reserveth only to some peculiar Men and Ages I confess it is but too true that like as in all other Sciences so in this as there are and ever have been some Hereticks and Miscreants who rail and exclaim against Astrology for no other Reason but because they apprehend it not so there are a sort of loose and ignorant pretenders Spurii non veri filii Artis who expose to sail their lying Oracles do exceedingly blemish and disparage the Science administring thereby great advantage for the Malitious to inveigh and rail against it both from the Press and Pulpit and to bespatter the more able and honest Profession thereof with the Titles of Figure-Flingers Cheats Impostors and I care not what other abusive Epithets But should we which my Soul abhors set light of the Deity because Caligula and Lucian would not grant any or suspect the Regiment of the World because Sardanapalus Epicurus Lucretius and Nero denyed Gods providence or esteem of human things more than Sacred because the Machiavelists teach that Polity might consist without Religion accounting it nothing but an empty name and the Bond or Give of Polity Or should we condemn the whole Catholick Church because of the many Ravening Wolves and subtle Foxes crept into and now so miserably dispoiling her Or decry all the Clergy because some Time-buggering Changelings have dishonour'd the Function seduced their Auditories and prefer'd their Worldly interests and carnal Ends of Pride Vain-glory Strife Covetousness and desire of Preheminence above their Brethren to the Truth and Peace of the Gospel Should we I say for the incredulity of some condemn what for doing so might dâ—mn us Or for the impiety and hypocrisie of a few cast dirt in the Face of a whole Covent of Learned and Religious Men Let the Enemies of Uraniah themselves be Judges if we might not be justly taken for Fools or Knaves or Knaves and Fools in Folio And let all rational men say whether they be less or any other that have causelesly and publickly so derided and railed at us Of the Epochae or Aerae commonly used by Chronologers and Historians with a brief Explanation thereof EPochae is derived from the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to stop or stay as if it were an Inhibition or Retention whereby that which continually flitteth is restrained and fixed that so from thence the Remains may be measured For whereas the Coelestial bodies are Circumagitated by Motions and that time is the Measure of Motion they must necessarily require some beginning and determinate time from whence to be numbered as well in Praecedentia as in Subsequentia As therefore in the consideration of Coelestial Motions there is a certain place of Heaven described by a Line from which those Motions are Counted so likewise in Time a known and famous beginning whence the Years Months and Days both before and after the same are reckon'd This Epochae is vulgarly called the Radix whence that which remaineth is supputated as from a foundation and Term à quo It is also named the Aera which word was Originally but ignorantly taken from the Spaniards writings afterwards much used by Astrologers and at length translated to other writers For at the first Aera was not one word but several which being falsly and confusedly joyned the Spaniards used but as one and so at length it was also received by the Latins For whereas the sole delation of the Empire on Augustus Caesar became of happy consequence to the Spaniards they therefore in Honour of him so provided that the great and noble Actions of their Princes and People should be reckon'd from Augustus Caesar. For Example in this manner Acta sunt haec Toleti Calendis Martii A. E. R. A. Caes CCI. But in process of time the points being omitted by the Negligence or Ignorance of
be necessary that we first collect the particular Fortitudes and Debilities of the Planets according to their Situation and places in the Figure Whereby we mâ—y know which of them is strongest and which weakest and accordingly pronounce judgment good or bad as the Rule enjoyns The Dignities and Debilities of the Planets in the Figure of this Conjunction Saturn's Fortitudes Being in the 4 house 4. Free from Combust 5. Direct in motion 4. Swift in motion 2. Oriental 2. Conjunct with Venus 5. Sextile with Jupiter 3. 25. Saturn's Debilities Peregrine 5 Conjunct with Mars 5. 10. Jupiter's Fortitudes Exaltation 5. Being in the 7. house 4. In Sextile with Venus 3. Swift in motion 2. Direct in motion 4. 18. Jupiter's Debilities Subradiis 4. Occidental 2. 6. Mars his Fortitudes Being in the 4. house 4. Free from Combust 5. Direct in motion 4. Swift in motion 2. Oriental 2. Cunjunct with Vâ—nus 5. Sextile with Jupitâ—r 3. 25. Mars his Debilities Peregrine 5. In his detriment 5. Conjunct with Saturn 5. 15. Sun's Fortitude Being in the 7. house 4. Sun's Delibities Peregrine 5. Slow motion 2. Terms of Mars 2. 9. Venus her Fortitudes Being in the 5. house 3. Triplicity 3. Free from Combust 5. Direct in motion 4. Sextile with Jupiter 3. In her house 5. In Gaudio 1. In terms of Jupiter 2. 26. Venus her Debilities Oriental 2. Conjunction with 5. Saturn and Mars 5. Slow in motion 2. 9. Mercury's Fortitudes Being in his house 5. Triplicity 3. Free from Combust 5. Direct in motion 4. In terms of Venus 2. 19. Mercury's Debelities Being in his 6. house 4. Slow in motion 2. Oriental 2. 8. The Moon her Fortitudes Being in the 10. house 5. Free from Combust 5. Increasing in light 2. 12. The Moon her Debilities Peregrine 5. In her fall 4. Slow motion 2. In the terms of Mars 2. 13. Saturn hath Fortitudes 15 Jupit. hath Fortitudes 12 Mars hath Fortitudes 10 Sol hath Debilities 5 Venus hath Fortitudes 17 Mer. hath Fortitudes 11 Luna hath Debilities 1 By which it appeareth that the benign and bountiful Planet Venus is Almuten or chief Dominatrix in this Conjunction in that she exceedeth all the rest of the Planets in number of Fortitudes Saturn is next as having 15 Testimonies of strength Jupiter Mars and Mercury are likewise all very powerful The Moon is very infortunate and the Sun is the weakest in the Figure being out of all his Essential Dignities slow in motion and in the terms of Mars having no other considerable Testimony of strength but only his accidental position in the West Angle Thus much being rightly known and understood it will be no difficult matter to fore-see what in all probability may be the Natural quality of the Effects of this Conjunction if we stick but close to the known Rules of Art whence both Mr. Lilly and Booker do ordinarily deviate and avoid the vain and tedious loquacity wherewith they so often and much torment us You see Mr. Lilly I have followed Origanus in not making Venus and Mercury Fortified by their Orientality as I did Anno 1645. upon my Astrological Judgment 7. May according to Pezelius who maketh no distinction as you may see pag. 47. because I would avoid all future cavils upon this occasion But by the way I shall exhort you and John Booker to suspend your usual snarling touching the fallibility of that Discourse for your opprobrious speeches cannot injure me with Men of moderate judgment nor can the frequent and eager reiterating thereof cloak or excuse your ignorance in point of Art What I then writ was according to a supposed time taken and delivered me by a Gentleman of Quality And you know in this case the Tempus aestimatum is not to be rectified as in Nativities I know no true Trutina for that Sirs And a few Minutes error in time will alter the whole face of Heaven which must needs vary the judgment being derived from a different position I was requested to deliver my Opinion according to the time given me which was as you saw Yet I never intended it for the Press had not the importunity of some Friends prevailed with me And I am able to maintain the same Opinion in point of Art according to the time supposed against the proudest State-pleaser that dare oppose me But admit what you would have the World to believe That it had been an Error of Judgment without relation had to any mistake in time why I pray Sirs is not an Error in the Astrologer as tolerable as in the Divine Physician or Lawyer or in men of any other Profession Is the Divines Judgment always Gospel Does the Physician always Cure Is the Lawyers Opinion ever Infallible Does the Logician still prove Or the Rhetorician always perswade So long as we are Men we must be subject to Infirmities Over-sights and Errors Humanum est errare And which is more it is the pleasure of God many times to frustrate the portents of Heaven for the sins of the People who otherwise might partake of their Natural sweetness and benignity It was a wise saying of a Learned Divine yet living That When God will have a People beaten he ties their Hands behind them And this I am sure hath been the unhappiness of the Loyal Party But shall therefore the Astrologer be blamed for adhering to the Rules and Principles of his Art I wonder with what truth Mr. Lilly in July last Prognosticated of loss to the Parliament and of any Motion of their Army Westward and of so much Action there when all men know their Party prevailed in every place of the Kingdom by one means or other and that they had no need of sending any Forces into the West And in the same Month of July what intended he think you where he tatled of an Army wandring near Oxford You see by the course of Heaven he conceived Oxford should have been holden still by the Kings Forces when notwithstanding it was surrendred in June before I could instance many hundreds more of his Errors in the rest of his foolish Pamphlets as his Merlinus Anglicus Junior the Starry Messenger and especially in his fabulous and most ridiculous Prophecy of the White King and Dreadful Dead-man which me-thinks he should not think of without a blush there being not so much as one sentence in it derived from Lawful Art nor which hath answered one jot of his expectation I shall pass by his Super-natural Sights and Apparitions so much laughed at because it hath Imprimatur John Booker in the front of it I shall not meddle with his Mother Shipton nor his story of the Dumb Woman because they are all of them foolish frivolous and false and cannot become a Scholar Do but compare Bookers Bloody Prognosticks against the Kingdom of Ireland upon this Conjunction of Saturn and Mars in Taurus with the wonderful success the Irish have had against their Enemies whether English or Scots ever since and you
the Reader to consider but thus much with me that if as Sir Christopher Heydon hath said in his unparallell'd Treatise written in defence of Judicial Astrology against Mr. Chambers that Astrology is an Art which teacheth by the Motions Configurations and influences of the Signs Stars and Coelestial Planets to Prognosticate of the natural effects and mutations to come in the Elements and these inferiour and elementary bodies How I pray is it possible that this fellow can Prognosticate rightly of the natural effects and Mutations to come in the Elements and these inferiour and elementary bodies before he be able to Calculate exactly the true motions and configurations c. of the Signs Stars and Planets which you clearly see he is not And I marvel much that Lilly should be no more tender and cautelous of his credit then thus foolishly and frequently to divulge his unskilfulness for me thinks as he knows that he cannot Calculate the Houses exactly either by the Doctrine of Spherical Triangles or which is more ready and built upon the same foundation by the Tables of Directions in Regiomontanus to the degree and minute of each Cusp yet he should have held it a safer way if he purposed to palliate his defects to have set down the Cuspes only in whole degrees and not have published himself thus erroniously scrupulous which he might have done very easily by the Domifying tables without further help But I perceive him so impudent and shameless that he neither heeds nor cares what he does or otherwise he would have been more wary in supputating the places of the Planets For according to Eichstadius whom he endeavours to follow the Sun at the middle of the Eclipse should have been in 56 minutes of Aquarius and the Moon in 56 min. of the Opposite Sign Leo Venus in Capricorn 24 degr 29 min. and Mercury in Aquarius 3 degr 17. min. But this man's dscretion hath put the Sun in 53 min. of Aquarius iand the Moon in 53 min. of Leo Venus in 24. degr 39 min. of Capricorn and Mercury in the 3 degr 20 min. of Aquarius So that he hath erred 3 min. in the places of the Luminaries and Mercury and 10 min. in Venus as may appear to every man that will take the pains to Calculate the true places of these Planets by Eichstadius his Table to the Mean or Equal time of the said Eclipse And in like manner hath he playd the Botcher in his Figure at the Vernal ingress for according to the time therein posited the Cuspe of the tenth House ought to be 13 degr 44 min. of Taurus and the Ascendent 25 degr 48 min. of Leo yet he hath made the tenth House 14. degr 0 min. of Taurus and the Ascendent 26 degr 0 min. of Leo so that he hath committed 16 min. Error in the Cuspe of the tenth House and 12 min. in the Cuspe of the Ascendent nor is he less erronious in collocating of the Planets here than in the former Figure but especially in the Moon whom he hath placed in 27 degree 48 min. of Virgo whereas she ought to have been in 28 degr 14 min. of that Sign wherein he hath mistaken no less than 26 minutes And thus much I conceive sufficient to prove his ignorance in point of Art Now will I also unmask his Errors defects mistakes and mis-applications in matter of judgment I will not meddle with or question upon what grounds Prince Charles left his Native Country of England nor who were the original causes of this his so long absence It is sufficient that Wil. Lilly confesses him to be Enforc'd upon necessity exiled or banished for the honour of the English Parliament I will not enquire further then of the Scottish Papers whether the King be at present restrained from his Liberty as Lilly tells us he is Nor dare I interrogate by what Law of God or Man the King of Englands Person ought to be imprisoned or be disposed of by either or both of the two Kingdoms or by any or all of his Subjects Or whether His imprisonment c. be intended for the defence of his Majesties Royal Person c. and the Liberty of the Subject Or how it can consist with the Honour of the English Parliament to suffer his Majesties Honour thus to lye at the stake and his Sacred Name to be traduced by such Pamphlet-mongers as Lilly and Booker and that Pillory-man Walker without any restraint or punishment Neither do I care whether the Eclipse in Aug. 1645. pre-signified the P. of the Earl of Essex or whether he have merited so much Honour as to have a Statua in Crown Gold erected at the Charges of William Lilly and an Epitaph made and thereon engraven by Martin Parker or Mercer the Scot These things are all beside my Text my intention being only to examine Master Merlin's Astrological discourse and to shew him and all men wherein it is invalid and no more The judgment he hath given is generally deduced from the position of the Heavens at two distinct points of time viz. From the Lunar Eclipse the 10 of January 1647. Suns entrance into Aries March 10. 1647. The Eclipse he makes the first general subject of his Discourse the effects whereof as he tells us may be somewhat put forward by reason of a non-apparent Eclipse in the 15 th degree of Capricorn December 26. 1646. What the Simpleton meaneth by putting forward I know not 't is no term in Astrology but surely I have Put him out of doubt in my Prognostication 1647. that Eclipses are not hurtful at all to those Regions or Cities where they are not visible yet lest the Testimony of that Learned Author therein mentioned should not be enough to convince him of his Folly I shall further recommend unto him the words of Cardanus upon Ptolomy lib. 2. cap. 5. Text 26. if he can Translate them any better than he hath done the first fifty Aphorisms of the Centiloquie they sound thus Ut igitur locus à deliquio affici debeat in Luna duo sunt necessaria Unum quod Luna tunc temporis in hemisphaerio superiore illius loci sit cum Provincia illa concordet signo vel trigono saltem Secundo cum Civitate in solis loco vel Lunae vel Ascendent is vel cum medio Coeli illius qui regit Civitatem ipsam In sole verò necessarium est praeter id quod fit supra terram conveniat locus ejus Provinciae-vel Civitati Eclipsis ipsa appareat Whereby it is clear that unless in a Lunar Eclipse the Moon be above the Earth and likewise on the Sign or at least in the Triplicity of that Sign whereunto unto the Kingdom in whose Hemisphere the Defect happeneth is subject And unless that the Sun or Moon-place or the Sign Ascending or Culminating be also the Horoscopical Sign of the City or Town you live in or enquire after the Effects of such a Lunar Eclipse shall not any way
Aphorism of Haly's hath no signification here Saturn being neither infortunatus in alto loco nec sublevatus super omnes alios Planetas as William Lilly supposes him So that the South and Southeast parts of this Kingdom need not fear this Positure at all Next I desire the Reader to observe that he hath cut off corrupted and mis-understood that Aphorism in Bonatus 574. viz. Significat naufragia repente c. For that Aphorism is not deduced from the Dominion of Mars in the fourth and ninth Houses of the Figure but as you may see in Guido from the Situation of Mars in Cancer and his Triplicity and the words of Bonatus are these Et si fuerit Mars in Revolutione anni in Cancro vel ejus triplicitate Et maxime in Cancro erit apparitio eorum quae significaverit in partibus Septentrionalibus And thus much of that Aphorism Master Merlin hath quite left our which is thus much in English If Mars in the Years Revolution shall be in Cancer or his Triplicity but especially in Cancer the visibility of his Effects shall be in the Northern parts of the Kingdom Further In Cancro significat naufragia repente vâ—nientia ex forti atque subito flatu ventorum significat rixam atque contentionem bellum c. Mars in Cancer hath signification of unexpected Ship-wracks happening by fierce and sudden gales of Wind he also portends Strife Contention and War c. Lilly Gaudebunt Reges habebunt laetitiam securitatem that our Principal Governours and Officers that have with such Industry these many Years steered the Affairs of our Kingdom shall in this Year rejoyce Wharton Indeed Lilly you steer by a false Chart for there is no such thing absolutely signified to the Governours you speak of from the Sun as he is Lord of the Ascendant for he that will look into Guido pag. 575. whence he takes this judgment shall find the words to carry another sence viz. Et si fuerit Sol Dominus Anni ac Dominus Ascendentis fueritque liber à malis dixit Albumazar gaudebunt Reges habebunt laetitiam securitatem so that if you expect to have benefit by this Aphorism the Sun must not only be Lord of the Ascendant and free from the Malevolents but he must also be Lord of the Year which he is not in this Revolution and how far soever this Aphorism may be in force the King will have the best share thereof if the Sun be the Natural Significator of Kings as all Authors accord Nor shall those Governours he talks of want their part of what the Sun 's accidental Position in the eighth House doth signifie viz. Depressionem Divitum Magnatum seu Nobilium atque potentum eorumque diminutionem mortem ac improperium Bonat 577. I 'le lay my Life this Aphorism belongs to the Round-heads What Venus portendeth in the ninth as she is Significatrix of His Majesty I have told you in my Prog. And what Mr. Lilly hath added out of Bonatus 579. is not amiss only his application is like all the rest as idle and foolish as may be in that it concerns all the Clergy in general and not the Prick-ear'd Divines only as every Artist can testifie Now for that William Lilly seems to be very much offended with one Mr. Geere who as he saith was sometimes a Priest of Tewksbury and hath lately writ a Pamphlet called Astrologo-mastix which indeed is as full of old idle Sophistry as Mr. Lilly is of Malice and Ignorance yet I hold it no sufficient Answer to tell him a story of a Weather-cock or a Cock and Bull in stead of denying and avoyding his Arguments by better Reason Nor is it Scholar-like or savours at all of Common Civility to fall upon scandalizing of a mans Reputation when he hath not wit enough to requite him otherwise I think Lilly you would scarce accept of it as a sufficient Answer from me if instead of Correcting your Errors I should tell the World that you were but a Taylors Boy in St. Clements Parish and that the summity of all your Honour was to be afterwards a Scriveners Man and that he dying your Mistress taught you first to write Secretary in which respect I account you not worthy of the just Revenge of my Pen. This though it be true were but mean Logick but the truth is you are lame of that Leg and therefore you may do well to borrow a Crutch of Mr. Thomas Challoner that precise Logician c. Nor does it grieve me at all that I suffer so much for the justness of the Cause which I have undertaken and sworn to as to be traduced by you with the terms of an obscure Foot-man ungown'd and unbooted c. the time was when I have been on Horse-back where neither Lilly nor Booker durst have shewn their Faces and 't is no matter whether I wear Boots or Shoes either shall content me I have both And if I want a Colledge-Gown I believe Sir you are not in so much Credit as to take up one for me till my next Years Almanack may defray your Engagemenâ— however you are not so much Mâ—ster of your Tradâ— as to make it for me for to say the truth I was told your Master was a Womans Tayloâ— I find nothing left now worthy my Notice save only the Quadrate Aspect of Saturn to Jupiter which happeneth this Year which Mr. Merlin saith only signifieth mutationes res multas in Negotiis Regis similiter in lege very great alterations and many things concerning His Majesties Affairs and the Law But you see Mr. Merlin dare not tell us his Author and indeed he either will not or dare not yet nevertheless I have trac'd him and found Haly to be the Author of those words and of some other proceedings which you may guess he was unwilling to publish by the tenor of them Haly pag. 391. they run thus Significat saith Haly quod existent Rebelles qui adversabuntur Regi qui querent regnum c. The plain English is this it signifieth there shall be Rebels and Traytors who shall rise and oppose themselves against the King who shall endeavour to deprive him of his Kingdom c. And this together with the former is the genuine signification of the Square of Saturn and Jupiter and these very words I had noted in my Almanack but the Printer maliciously expunged and altered them and divers more whereby he hath unworthily abused me and made my Almanack look Weather-beat like himself As for the Conjunction of Saturn and Mars in Taurus which Mr. Merlin saith hath been so Learnedly handled by John Booker I have sufficiently laid him open in that Discourse I formerly mentioned and no doubt but it will serve both their turns Yet I cannot pass by one gross Error above all the rest committed by this wooden Prick-ear John Booker in his New Almanack for 1647. which may be easily known
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