Tittle of Authority nor Reason for it because the Rays are measured a different way from those in the Zodiack Nor did ever any of them pretend to any Intersection of the Orbit of any Planet with the Mundane Circle and it is upon that alone this Project of half Latitude c. depends and till that is done there is no man that will make Reason his Judge can believe this Fancy of directing to the Angle with half Latitude when at the same time their own Operation contradicts them and tells them Their Trine is not a compleat Quartile And besides it is most certain That the Rapt Motion doth not make any alteration in the Aspects if considered in the same Circle they are made for the Body by whose Rays the Aspect is made is in the Rapt Motion always the same distance from it But in this Example before us they tell us of a Trine and yet when the pretended Direction is finished the Point where the Trine falls is not 90 degrees distant from the Body that makes it so that it is dwindled into Something that wants a Name which can never happen in the true and natural Motion Thus it appears by these pretended Directions That the Motion this Man and those that swallow his Opinion use is Fictitious Groundless and False and wholly beside the Order of Nature and true Motion And indeed I have much more to say on this Subject but because I think it much more fit for the following Chapter I shall omit it here Sixthly Another pretty Invention they have is To direct the Angles to the Antiscions of the Planets which are indeed the Zodiacal Parallels This Likewise is a most notorious Mistake and proclaims them totally unacquainted with the Motion they make so much Noise about and pretend to know so perfectly well I shall not in this Place trouble you with the Description and Nature of Antiscions but refer that to its proper Chapter where I shall speak at large of their Nature and Circumstances and only give a Hint or two here about the Angles being directed to them it being the proper Place to mention it in Argol kills several on the Horoscope directed to the Antiscions of Saturn Mars and sometimes Jupiter as you may see in Cardinal Crescentius page 314. where he says He dyed on nothing else but the Ascendent to the Antiscion of Mars so in the Case of Cardinal Justinian page 304. on the same Direction and Prince Frederick page 250. both dyed on this very Direction of Mars And to mention no more take only that merry one about the Archbishop of Urbin whom he says dyed on this also having a little before past the Body of Mars which he takes no notice of only mentions the Antiscion The like inadvertency you may see also in Collection of Genitures page 71 page 123. by which it appears That they do all generally use and approve this Method and Doctrine which is full as much amiss and out of method as the last thing mentioned and the Reason is plain Because Antiscions or Zodiacal Parallels are nothing else but certain Points of Distance in the Zodiack only nor can they be used in Directions to any Bodies or Points but those who move in and near the Zodiack and to direct them to the Angles or the Angles to them is to no more purpose than to direct the Midheaven to the North Pole and the Effects will be equally the same both in Force and Vertue For Antiscions are not Bodies and therefore not to be thus applied in Directions to the Angles as they constantly have done in their Practice and I dare be certain if things were to be duely and truly examined without any Success and Effect But if that which Argol says is true they have Authority enough for what they do and have done And indeed I have the same Opinion of the Angles being directed to the Terms of the Planets and for the very same Reason I have just now mentioned because they are Points in the Zodiack and are only to be considered when Bodies are directed therein I also except this Part of Fortune from being directed to the Terms of the Planets nor can the Part of Fortune be directed to any Antiscion but when the Moon is directed so too The Reason of that will appear hereafter when I come to that Chapter CHAP. IV. Of Directions to the Sun and Moon in the Zodiack THE Sun moves in the Zodiack only and meets all Bodies and Aspects in his own way therein and whatsoever Directions the Sun meets that have Latitude are not said to be in Zodiaco but in Mundo Though Mundane Directions in a strict Sense are something different from them In Directions of the Sun they cannot make any Mistake considerable unless it is in taking his Pole of Position and directing to the Antiscions of the Planets with Latitude but if the Sun is under the Earth the way of directing in the Crepusculine Circles and in the Obscure Ark are both of them different from the Common Way which I shall not take the Pains here to enlarge upon by shewing the Ways and Methods to do it And for directing the Sun with half Latitude as I have before been shewing in the Ascendent's Directions that is indeed erroneous and false which will more plainly appear in the Directions of the Moon and her Motion which I will immeately make plain and clear to you That the common Authors neither know right nor work true And the Cause of the latter depends on the former for it is certain that he who knows not the Truth of a thing can never report it well oâ— teach it as it ought to be taught What I told you of the Sun is also true in the Moon That she meets all Bodies and Rays in her own Way wherein she moves and whatsoever Directions are wrought by any other way than that which agrees with her true Motion is not true but erroneous And to make this appear more plain I will illustrate the matter in two Directions i. e. The Moon to her own Square and to the Body of the Sun by which you will see and they will confess too that they do not understand Directional Motion for all the Noise they make about it Let us suppose a Time and let it be 1692 3 March the 21st in the Morning the Moon then in 8 degrees of Aquary with 1 degree North Latitude and let 6 degrees of Aquary ascend in the Latitude of 52. and then the Moon will be just risen above the Horozon and yet under the Pole of the Horoscope In this Position I would direct the Moon to the Body of the Sun in 11 degrees of Aries The common way of directing the Moon to the Body of the Sun in this case is To take the Oblique Ascention of the Moon with the Latitude she hath at the Time of Birth and substract that from the Oblique Ascention of the Sun under the Pole
year 1642. And yet a little after he says That he did predict his death from the Revolution for that Year Page 686. he says Cardinalis Richâ—lius ab acuta Febre superveniente morbo lâ—ngo quo nonâ—um perfecte curâ—tus â—rat tandem moritur diâ— 4 Decemb. 1642. quâ— Horosâ—â—us Radicalis dirigebatur ad oppâ—sit Jâ—â—is in Octrâ—â— This being allow'd I do from hence infer That Mâ—rinus had no fiâ—â— Principles nor Rules but ramâ—led as most of our Pretenders do now-a-days from one thing to another and if any thing could be found that lookt like a mortal direction though contrary to Rule 't was no matter and if the Readers can but believe all is well and the Trick runs currently In the next place let us compare this with some of his other Nativities and see how these Rays of Jupiter are made use of there for like Causes always ought to hâ—ve like Effects or else Rules laid down to know when they shall and whâ—n they shall not produce such things In the Nativity of Charles Câ—ndren the Ascendent to the Square of Jupiter is not observed to have done any thing of Injury to his Health and yet he is by Morine's Rule Lord of the Eighth as being exalted there Nay his Square fell near the Body of the Sun Lord of the Eighth and yet we see he out-liv'd them both In Monsieur Tronson's Nativity Jupiter is in Conjunction with Venus Lady of the Eighth House in the End of Leo and yet the Ascendent to both their Squares could not kill him and yet they fell in Scorpio a violent Sign and they with a violent Star in Leo that is the Lyons Heart and besides the Direction fell at 50 years of Age. In the Nativity of Monsieur de Bonne Jupiter is in Opposition to the Sun and to Venus Lady of the Twelfth and yet the Ascendent to all their Squares could not or else they would not kill him Nay after all this the Ascendent to the Square of Saturn and Mars could not kill him notwithstanding Saturn was Lord of the Eighth and Mars exalted there which by Morine's Rule are both Lords of the Eighth House What think you of this man Was he not fit to be a Mâ—rshal of France that could bid defiance to all these murdering Stars And yet that peevish Churchman Cardinal Richelieu sneakt away upon the Ascendent to a single Opposition of Jupiter But no matter Morinus doth this man's business afterward with the Moon to her own Square notwithstanding it is a Diurnal Nativity and the Sun giver of Life Can you forbear laughing Well but perhaps you will say In all these Jupiter is neither Lord of the Eighth nor in it and therefore doth not come up to the Point To that I answer You may imagine what you please of the matter but I do assure you Jupiter is the same when he is out of the Eighth as when he is in it And he is no more violent when he is Lord of the Eighth than when he is Lord of the Tenth But because I will please you I will come to the Point in your own way In Morinus his own Nativity Jupiter is wholly Lord of the Eighth House and in Conjunction with the Sun in the Twelfth and yet you do not find that Morinus tells us of any Sickness or other Injury he had on the Ascendent to the Squares of them both which plainly shews that he doth not allow the same Directions the same or Adequate Effects but rambles from one thing to another according as it serves his turn In Philippus Bandeyra's Nativity Jupiter modo Morini is Lord of the Eighth and Dispositor of Saturn and Mars and yet he passed the Ascendent to the Square of Jupiter without dying and after that the Squares of Saturn and Mars too for ought we know I am sure by the true Rule he ought to do it Thus you see by comparing one with the other he doth not use a regular Method nor doth he build his Doctrine on any fixt Principle For which reason we cannot rely on this Say so of his That the Ascendent to the Opposition of Jupiter killed this Cardinal And now to sum up all in a word or two I do tell you I am certain the Ascendent to the Opposition of Jupiter did not kill him and my Reason is Because the Sun is giver of Life in that Figure he gives for his Nativity But perhaps this Nativity may fall into hands more capable than my self to Correct and Regulate it and therefore I will give them the time and Planets places I find in Morinus Cardinal Richeliâ—u was born at Paris on the 9th of September S. N. at 34 minutes past 9 manè 1585. and the Planets Places from the Rudolphine Tables R. M. A. C. 230. 58. ♄ 17 56 ♈ â„ž ♀ 3 17 ♌ ♄ 2 47 M. ☿ 0 50 S. ♃ 10 42 ♊ ☿ 25 39 ♠♃ 0 6 M. ☽ 3 45 S. ♂ 1 48 ♠☽ 19 48 ♓ ♂ 0 19 M.  ☉ 16 19 ♠☊ 6 57 ♠♀ 4 7 M.  Lastly if you will have my Opinion in the matter as to the time of this man's Birth I really think he was born above an hour before this time and then he might dye â—n the Ascendent to the Squares of the Sun and Moon Or else an hour later and then the Sun to the mundane Parallel of the Moon and rapt Parallel of Saturn might do it But I dare not venture on a Correction my self unless he had given us the estimate time which I believe was at some distance from this The next Nativity I meet with is Monsieur Lewis Tronson a Privy Councellor to the French King who was born as says Morinus September the 1st hor. 9 min. 19 manè 1576. at Paris And that this is the true Nativity of this man he endeavours to prove by these four Accidents and Directions following Anno 1617. aged 40 and a few months he had two great Places given him at Court that made him Prime Minister of State for this he had the Midheaven directed to the Body of the Sun and by this I suppose the Figure was corrected Anno 1618. February the 19th he was married he had the Sun then to the Sextile of the Moon by Direction Anno 1626. August the 2d he was degraded and turn'd out of all his Places at Court and was not any more restored he had then the Sun to the Square of Mars by Direction Anno 1642. December the 8th this great man dyed of a Quartan Ague and Fever Morinus says It began the year before and was then a Double Tertian which degenerated afterward into a Quartan The Figure followeth from whence these Directions are wrought set to my Division of the Heavens As to that Direction for his Preferment no man can deny it had he made all things else agree with that Correction but to say the Midheaven to the Body of the Sun gave his Preferment and the Ascendent to
Den. 283 Picus Mirandula 283 Duke of Albemarle 292 Four Pâ—pes 295 Melancton and Luther 296 Bishop Hall 298 Minister 303 Judge Reeves 300 Sir Robert Holâ—urn 308 Sir John Reynolds 314 John Booker 319 Mr. Vincent Wing 321 Mr. John Gadbury 326 Madam Taylor 328 The Nativity printed by Coley in his Clavis 336 The Nat. of a Young Gentleman 341 Gentleman 356 Young Woman 358 Young Lady 359 ERRATA PAge 1. line 3. read Prooemium l. 5. dele à . p. 23. l. 27. r. Erroncè p. 118. l. 4. r. Semiquadrate of Mars p. 119. l. 30 d. in p. 127. l. 13. r. Tronson p. 135. l. 10. r. Martem adflictus p. 149. l. 21. r. 1553. p. 154. l. 19. r. A. R. M. C. p. 161. l. 30. d. I. p. 179. l. 12. r. Dominator p. 203. l. 25. r. Genitures There are some other Literal Faults and Mispointings which the Ingenious Reader will soon observe and mend by his Reading In the Flagitiosus Mer. Flagellat p. 10. l. 15. r. Return l. 35. r. these are p. 20. l. 38. r. Opprobria Defectio Geniturarum CHAP. I. PROAEMIUM THE Learned Cardan begins his Aphorisms in imitation of Hippocrates with à Vita brevis Ars longa and it is a Sentence fit for every Man's Memory and Consideration that thinks himself able by Writing to transmit the Mysteries Principles and Practice of any Science to Posterity to remember That as Man's Life is short so he ought to make his Rudiments Matter and Method both short and comprehensive and to the best of his Knowledge to deliver no more than he hath really found true in his Practice and Study and not to lay down Suppositions and Whims which he conceives in his own Opinion only for substantial Doctrines without either Reason or what is more authentick Experience for by so doing instead of making the Art he writes of plainer and easier to be understood by Learners he clogs it with more Difficulties and unintelligible Matter than it was before And by such Maeanders instead of an Introduction and Tutor to what they desire he brings them into a Labyrinth and Confusion so intricate that it is very hard if ever possible to extricate themselves again And this I speak knowingly my own laborious Experience having taught me this Lesson and how rational it is for you to believe me will be seen hereafter in this Treatise following There are no Errors in being that I have met with that want some Author or other to countenance and promote them And if there is but an Author to be produced and quoted by a young Student for any thing in his Practice how erroneous soever it is in it self and contradictory to Reason and Nature he is well contented and remains satisfied with its Truth because such an Author says it I believe you may find it upon your own Enquiry I am sure I have that there are a great many of our Authors set up with a very small Stock if any Man may be Judge in the Case besides themselves and therefore our Errors are not of Yesterday but convey'd and brought down to us by the Stream and Current of Antiquity and Tradition And to say the Truth most of our Authors have but transcribed one from another a little Truth with a great deal of Error and I think he is the true Artist that can make a true Separation and draw the Line between them both and I am sure there was never more need of such a Work than at this Time If what I have now said is allowed to be true then it will appear that our own Authors have deceived us in our first Rudiments and even at our beginning we took a great deal of Pains to learn Falshood and Errors a thing so much detested and declaim'd by all Men and if so it is almost impossible for us while we keep that way we began to come to any probable Point of Resormation And to this purpose Physicians tell us That what Errors soever are begun in the first Digestion are by no means regulated or amended in the second and third and therefore Truth and we seem like two Lines drawn from one Centre the farther extended the wider and further distant And to keep such a Course is to resolve never to meet Now in my Opinion the way to amend these Enormities in Science and regulate and reform these Errors is to examine our Authors by whom we have been misinformed and also misled and if upon the whole we find any Cause to dissent and differ from them upon very good Grounds I think it is no abuse or injury done to them nor will the Students of the present Age suffer thereby if by so doing they better inform their Judgments And again if upon this Enquiry our Authors are not found in the wrong their Authorities are no ways abused but will appear more valid and reputable than they were before and though we should find them to be in the wrong in some things yet I acknowledg it my Duty and every man 's else to pay a due Respect to their Ashes and Memory for the Advantage that they intended or we have received by them and in examining of their Labours and Writings to do it with Respect and not to trample upon the Dead But if any man shall seem to impose any thing upon us because it is of a long standing or because it was writ by an Author of great Authority long since and for no other Reason I must beg his Pardon if I do not believe it for Antiquity and Tradition of that nature hath no Power to prevail on my Belief unless they bring with them more demonstrable Arguments of Verity than the Power of Antiquity and the dubious Proof of Three Four or Five Hundred Years ago for I am very weil assured there are Old Errors as well as Old Truths and the former seem to exceed the latter in Number and therefore if I give Credit to an Old Author it must be for something else besides his Antiquity and great Burthen of Time The Learned Author of the Pseudodoxia Epidemica lays the Source and Original of Error to the Charge of our first Parents who in that pristine State were deluded and deceived and after that deluded and deceived one another to the discovery of their own Shame and the Entailing the Curse on their scandalous Offspring who notwithstanding if Posterity may take leave to judge of the Fact as they are assured to suffer in the Punishment were grosly deceived in their Perfection And so weakly deluded in the Clarity of their Understanding that it hath left no small Obscurity in ours how Error should gain upon them It is too true indeed that Error did begin with the Order of Nature and the first Injunction laid upon us In the Sweat of thy Brows c. seems to inform me That one part of that Curse was Man's continual Labour and Endeavour and that either through Frailty Oversights and Errors the
right or not see Morinus in his Astrol. Gall. lib. 16. pag. 368. and I doubt not but you will believe him Also see Ptolemy lib. 1 cap. 13. and some others Now the Reason why our modern Professors have decryed Antiscions and â—â—id they could find no truth in them is Because they neither know how to take them nor direct them when taken and I will make it appear to any one That let any of them direct the Sun or Moon to such Antiscions as I shall appoint and I will also work the same Directions with them and when we have both done there shall be 10 15 or 20 degrees difference between my Directions and theirs and therefore it is no wonder they can find no effects in the Antiscions and their Directions Mine I can demonstrate but they work theirs as a Parrot talks by rote they have learned a Notion but it is indeed a groundless one nor can they give you any Satisfaction if you desire the reason of them For Example Why must there be Contrantiscions of a different nature from the Antiscions Or what reason can they give why the Contrantiscion should not be of the same nature with the Antiscion Besides there are some parallels or Antiscions that cannot be directed to of which sort they are that be out of the Ecliptick c. And so I come to give you an Example in the thing to shew you that what I have said is truth and that they do differ from me as I have told you Let the Example be of the Moon and Saturn in this Cardinal's Nativity as being most apt for the illustration of the thing I do here intend The place of Saturn is 7 degrees 16 minutes in Virgo with 30 minutes of North Latitude hence you will find his Declination is 9 degrees 21 minutes answering to 6 degrees of Virgo and 24 degrees of Aries in the Ecliptick and to 6 degrees of Pisces and 24 degrees of Libra The Longitude of the Moon is 21 degrees 39 minutes in Leo with North Latitude 4 degrees 33 minutes her Declination is 18 degrees 38 minutes and her Parallels fall in 6 degrees 48 minutes of Leo and Aquary and in 23 degrees 12 minutes of Taurus and Scorpio when at the same time their Parallels or Antiscions c. fall in 21 degrees 39 minutes of Leo and Taurus and in 8 degrees 21 minutes of Aquary and Scorpio so that you see here there is no less than 15 degrees of difference between them and Truth Now if I should as they do direct the Moon to 23 degrees of Libra she hath there 4 degrees 23 minutes of Latitude and 5 degrees odd minutes of Declination which doth not come near the Declination of Saturn which is 9 degrees 21 minutes Therefore I observe what Latitude the Moon hath in 4 degrees of Scorpio and I find she hath there 3 degrees 47 minutes in which Point she haâ—h 9 degrees 21 minutes of Declination and in that Point she really meets the true Parallel of Saturn and as he is so is she equally distant both from the Tropicks and Equator and to this Point and with that Latitude there I direct the Moon whose Ark of Direction is 76 degrees 50 minutes Which turned into Time gives 70 years and about 5 or 6 months And at that time the Moon and Part of Fortune comes by Direction to the Parallel of Saturn's Declination and so of the others in the like case Thus I have given you One and thirty Nativities out of Argol's De Diâ—bus Criticis to prove that there were Reasons to be given for their Deaths and Preferments by a regular method in taking the Hileg and using of it to the end it is chosen without running from one point to another and at last perhaps kill them on some Directions that were never imagined nor believed to have any such mortal power before And in some of these Nativities I keep close to Argol's time without any alteration at all and in others of them where I do differ from him it is with good reason to believe that he strain'd the point to make his Direction that he did imagine hit the Accident And I do believe in some of them he hath made considerable alteration from the estimate time Like C in his Key filed bigger to shew himself a man of Skill alters his Estimate Time almost Three Hours the Consequence you shall hear hereafter in this Treatise And yet for those Nativities that I have not altered as well as those I have I do not engage for the Truth of any of them nor doth it matter any thing to the intent of this Book whether they are true or not If they are true he hath wholly mistaken the Principles of his Art and misguided his Reader and Pupil in his Instructions and justly deserved the modest Correction that I have made of the whole If they are not true Nativities it is the same thing as if they were for he would have given the same Reasons for true ones as he doth in these and to be plain with you he gives his Reasons for them believing and supposing them to be true And so I take them and the same Reasons I give will hold and have adequate effects in any true Nativities carefully taken In these Three last Nativities here given I have made choice of them on purpose because in each of them the Part of Fortune is giver of Life according to the Doctrine and Principles of Ptolemy and that point I have directed to their several Anareta's in each of them to give the time of Death which perhaps may seem to some Old Professors a method strange to their practice notwithstanding they have talked of the Part of Fortune being one of the Five Hilegical places oftentimes but did never allow it to be directed on any occasion of Life and Death but when nothing else would do never considering the Rule when it is to be allowed giver of Life and when not and concerning this I suppose there will be divers Professors and Pretenders to this Art that will raise several doubts about it and debate the Point pro con whether it ought or ought not to be admitted into practice and I doubt not likewise but the Verdict will go against me in the case debated Therefore the better to guide these Sceptical Animadverters Judgments I will say something in order to the reasonableness of its admission to the probability of its power and to the Authority I have to plead for both from our Great Patron and Master Ptolemy Notwithstanding it is but a Point and for that Reason controvertd by many there seems as much Reason for its being directed if it is truly taken as the Sun and Moon for the point of the Zodiack that the Sun and Moon are in at the Time of Birth is gone from that part of Heaven when the point directed to comes up to them as we say And therefore the Promittor never
some occasion to do the like by him when time shall be no more in his account As to the Nativities I will not print them all but give you some of the most remarkable ones and make Remarks from them on those I shall mention to illustrate the Doctrine and Method that I intend to pursue therein and my reason for so doing is because the Book it self is not so scarce to be had but I believe in the hands of most Professors or may be had if they think it is worth their while and charge to purchase it And so I come to the matter it self without detaining you longer in this Introduction As to the Nativity of the World I think it is not worth mine nor any other man's time to consider it and the rather because the Learned Sir Thomas Brown doth conclude it was not made in any one Quarter of the Year but in all four And though Firmicus hath taken notice of this nicety yet I am no more satisfied that he knew the Birth of the World than I am of Morinus's knowing the Birth of our Saviour and though I should allow his Curiosity in knowing something of it I am sure it would puzzle a good Artist to correct it notwithstanding the World hath Accidents sufficient but if this should be allowed too they have no measure of time nor did they ever yet agree under what Pole of Position the Figure ought to be erected With this we may very reasonably join the Nativities of Nero and Alexander the Great the last of which we are told had Saturn Lord of his Ascendent in pitted and azimene Degrees which made him wry-necked then by the same Rule the Moon Lady of the Ascendent at the Creation ought to have had some such effect also of Deformity to bestow either on the World in general or on its Inhabitants in particular because she was also in a dark degree that is three of Tauâ—us as they have made her As to Nero's Nativity they may have some pretence of exactness more than in Alexander's because our History is more certain since our Saviour than before but for the reason of his Death which was the Moon to the Body of Mars that I am sure is false because the Opposition of Jupiter is in the next degree after it and the Body of Venus four degrees from that therefore they must find out some new Cause for his Death And as to Aleaxnder's Birth I must beg their excuse if I cannot believe a word of it But when the Chronologers have certainly fixt the Year of our Saviour's Birth I will tell them more of my mind Alstedius and Helvicus say he was boâ—n Aâ—â—â— Mundi 3947 or 3948 they cannot well tell which Isaaâ—kâ—â—n says He was born in the end of 3947. and yet afteward he tell as he was born in 3950. and after all these a private Gentleman a Friend of mine doth affirm and maintain he waâ— born Anno Mundi 4000. and of the same Opinion is John Swâ—â— and in this Confusion I will leave them but when they are agreed bring me Alexander's Nativity and I will give you my Opinion on the Position till then I think this and a great â—any more serve only to waste Paper and spend time to no purpose King Henry the Sixth of England was born says our Author at half an hour past one after noon But Stow in his Annals says he was born at four hours P. M. the same Day and indeed this is most likely to be true because then the Moon will be in the Twelfth in Taurus in Opposition to Mars in Virgo in the Sixth from fixed Signs which I think naturally shews his long Imprisonment and then the Sun and Mercury will be in Opposition to his Horoscope which are likely Arguments of his Unsuccessfulness both in War and Peace nay in every thing But as to Mr. Gad.'s Figure pray what reason have we to believe that he was murdered on the Ascendent to the Square of Saturn when he had escaped the Ascendent to the body of the Moon among the Pleiades and at the same time to the Opposition of Mars and to make it the more dangerous the Moon Lady of the Fourth After this twenty Years he passed the Ascendent to the Opposition of the Sun and Mercury out of the Eighth and never stirred for it till the Ascendent to the Square of Saturn came followed with Jupiter's Sextile a very likely Story but besides the Ascendent was not Hileg but the Moon and she must be directed for Death and you see she had passed this fatal Square of Saturn and did nothing in order to kill This is a miserable sort of Astrology if well considered Now if you please to take Stow's Time of 4 h. P. M. or at 3 h. 52 m. P. M. you will have the Sun Hileg directed to the Zodiacal Parallel of Mars and to the Mundane Square of Saturn and with these the Midheaven to the Opposition and Ascendent to the Square of Saturn likewise but I leave the Particulars to those that love to spend time about uncertain Nativities and satisfy my self that this is false in its Correction as well as doubtful and uncertain in the Time Henry the Eighth King of England is brought by Mr. Gadbury to prove the truth of Astrology and this I find he hath taken from Cardan who hath it among his Hundred Genâ—ures who makes it to be on the 28th of June before Noon only a degree differing in the Ascendent Now if you please to have recourse to Gauâ—icus he tells you he was born the 29th day of June Hemminga and Junctine agree with Cardan exactly from whom I suppose they took it But if you look into Stow he tells us he was born June the 22d which is a horrid mistake in one of them for the difference is here six Days and I believe you will imagine that may make some difference in any Nativity I shall say but little in general to this Nativity only the Direction he says he died on is false for that could not kill because the Sun is Giver of Life in the Tenth House and besides it came up Sixteen years before he says it did and if the Scheme he gives should be true I am sure he did not dye on the Ascendent to the Square of Saturn but it serves for them that know no better Edward the Sixth King of England is allowed by all to be born or cut out of his Mothers Womb on the 12th of October at two Manè and our Author here makes it 9 minutes sooner which Alteration must be allowed to any man if his Rules agree in every thing else That he died on the Ascendent to the Body of Saturn is by all Professors and Pretenders believed this seems to me more strange than all the rest how they can reconcile this to their own Reason if they believe their own Rules for in the common way the Trine of Jupiter comes just
into twelve equal Parts and that for the very same Reasons above alledged against the Division of the Vertical Circle For though they do not err on the same Bottom and Principle yet they err equally in the Consequence and thing they aim at which is a true and equal Division of the Heavens Many things more might be said in the matter but I think these are sufficient 6. The Division of the Heavens and the true parting of the Houses by the Pen of Nature do each of them consist of two Temporal Hours either of the Place or Star That is by a proportional Division of the Motions of the Moveable Arks from one Angle to another for it is most certain every thing that moves measures its own Distance by Motion and that Motion by Time as you have in effect heard above This Division of the Heavens is natural and freely offers it self to the Principles of Reason for Authority and Proof for according to this Measure and Motion the Houses are all equal and a Star or Constellation hath an equal tarriance in time in its Passage in and through every House which they have not by any other Division but by this of two temporal Hours For the Stars do dispence their Influence to us by a constant and successive Motion both in their Ascention and Descention in all Hemispheres and if they do continue longer in one House than in another the Effects as well as the way of judging thereof must be both false and irregular and it cannot be denied but that such a Division is false and the reason is because those Mansions Portions or Houses of Heaven are unequal Again a Star according to this Division being in the Center of the Eleventh House doth behold the Ascendent by a Sextile in the Tenth by a Square and in the Ninth by a Trine according to the Doctrine of Ptolomy Lib. 3. Cap. 11. de Loco Prorogatore which is not re vera to be found in any other Division whatsoever which proves this Distribution to be truly natural and also agreeable to the Rules and Precepts of Ptolomy And the Reason is plain because a Star found or placed in the Center of the Eleventh House is exactly one third of the Diurnal Ark distant from the Ascendent in the Tenth half the same Ark distant and in the Ninth two thirds of the same Ark exactly from the Horoscope which no other Division till this time discovered is able to perform besides this of two temporal Hours to a House which I have elswhere shewed more at large But perhaps it may be objected That though two temporal Hours are used as is here laid down yet the Houses are not equal because out of the Equator those above the Earth toward the North are greater than those under the Earth to the South the contrary And therefore this Division cannot be Regular and Equal To this it may be answered That an Equality among the Houses is only required in the same Hemisphere the World being divided into four Quarters or at leastwise into two Hemispheres one above and the other beneath yet the Hemisphere below differs nothing in Quality and Figure from that above nor can they differ one from another in any thing but Quantity therefore although a Star should perform its Diurnal Ark by a lesser Circle than his Nocturnal or the contrary yet still that Star passeth through the four quarters of the two Hemispheres nor doth the smalness of his Ark in any of them abate of his Power and Effect his Distance considered As we do experience in the Moon who passeth more swiftly through the Zodiack and in a far less Orb than any of the rest and yet we see she doth not less affect the Times and Seasons than they do From whence it is plain that the Stars do not less produce their Effects in the smaller Quarters by a swift Motion than in the greater by a slow Therefore this is no rational Objection to the Division of the Heavens by Temporal Hours seeing they are really and truly proportional parts in all quarters of Heaven and are all equal one to another as well in Influx as Motion notwithstanding the Hemispheres are different in their Measure And besides this Foundation being laid the Prorogator must remain immoveable in Mundo that is in the horary Circle of Position Which is confusedly jumbled hither and thither by the increase and decrease of the Ark in the common way according to their Motion and Method of Directions For whosoever pretends to the Art of Directions and doth not understand the horary Circles of Position I am sure he doth not know the Motion by which all Directions are made for all Directions are made by one and the same Motion both direct and convers and this according to the Doctrine and Method of Placid de Titis Thus I have endeavoured to shew the several ways of Dividing the Heavens into Houses and the Errors that do attend them and that this of all the Methods yet used is the only true and natural one and most agreeable to Motion which every one may use or refuse according as they are informed in their Understanding Nor is it my Design to impose upon any if I had Power so to do but I offer it to the Judgment and Censure of the Ingenious and for the Ignorant and Capricious they may let it alone CHAP. III. Of Directions to the Angles c. DIrections are of two Sorts and Denominations i. e. in Zodiaco in Mundo The Sun and Moon are capable of being directed both ways but the Angles of a Figure can be only directed in Mundo they being subject to the Accidents and Division of no Circle but that which constitutes the Measure of each Quadrant and is also measured by the Parts of the Diurnal and Nocturnal Arks And of these Directions only I shall take Liberty to speak in this Place and also shew those monstrous Absurdities invented by witty men that knew nothing of the Art and imposed them upon such who swallowed the Errors without asking Why or Wherefore and are at this present in general Repute among most of our modern Professors and this not only by those that pretend to be Teachers of the Art but also in Print under the Hands of some of the greatest Masters of this Science by which means the Professors of this Age are mis-led in their Practice as well as misguided in their first Rudiments and very hard to be retrieved when once Custom and Age hath confirmed them therein First It hath been and still is the common Method in Practice to direct the Midheaven and Horoscope to the Bodies and Oppositions of the Planets with and without Latitude and according as occasion serves they are both equally violent in giving Diseases and Death as you may see in their own Books and under their own Hands For example Argol says Henry II. King of France died on the Ascendent to the Body of
heard some of them say that have used this Method Hence if the Ascendent hath such a virtue in it to give so great a Power to that degree at Birth it must do the same to the next to the third and fourth and so to all which if true then hath that Native had the Ascendent directed to the Square of the Moon every Year ever since he was six Years of age because there comes a fresh and successive degree to that Point every Year Which being allowed we shall have the Midheaven and Horoscope alwais directed throughout the whole Life to the same Body or Ray when it is once begun by Convers Motion which seems very idle and extravagant to me But again if they will allow this mighty Power to the degrees on the Cusps of the Houses why should not the Sun or Moon Hileg in the Seventh kill when they are directed to the degree on the Eighth House seeing the Lord of that House hath the Power of Death as they say he hath For if the Ascendent can give that degree an Aphetical Power the Cusp of the Eighth according to the common Opinion being the House of Death must give the degree thereon at Birth an anaretical Power which I am sure no man ever yet experienced or found We have one English Author that hath taken abundance of Pains with very little Skill to teach how to work these Directions Clavis Astre page 611. and in 612. he directs the Ascendent backwards which is a fixed Point and cannot move by which it appears to me that either he doth not understand Directional Motion or else he trifles with his Reader in the Point Fourtbly They have in all their Books taught how to direct one House to another and in the Effects of Directions they all tell us likewise what it gives and to say the Truth this is not less vain and ridiculous than the rest before delivered and indeed it is much of the same nature with that I just now mention'd i. e. the Ascendent and Midheaven Convers and built on the very same Foundation The Houses as you have heard are certain Distances in the Heavens measured by Arks of Motion they are also determined to be immoveable and always keep an equal distance and therefore how is it possible that one House should ever be directed to another when they have no Motion And therefore to talk of directing one House to another is but to set them to quarrelling which shall move first Yet among all the Whims they have invented of this kind contrary to the Ways and Laws of Nature I wonder they have never found the Mystery of directing the Ascendent to the Twelfth and Eleventh the one to give Sorrow and the other Friends And the Tenth likewise to the Ninth and Eighth the one to give Long Journeys and the other Death and loss of Honour as well as the Ascendent to the Second to give the Native rich Housholdstuff and to the Third to visit his Kindred The Midheaven to the Eleventh to give honourable and new Friends and to the Twelfth to give Banishment and damage by four-footed Beasts But the Mystery of these Directions in their Sense depends on the motion of the Zodiack and therefore when the degree of the Second House comes to the First they then conclude the Direction is finished and call it the Ascendent directed to the Second House when indeed it is no such thing for the Houses never stir But if the Moon had been on the Cusp of the Second she had certainly moved to the First and when that Direction was compleat her Body would really have been there But besides suppose we should allow what they say and that this Direction of the Ascendent to the Second hath some Influence on human Affairs How comes that degree to have more Power and Virtue in it than all the degrees that successively pass that House afterwards And why should not all the degrees of the Eâ—liptick within the Limits of that House have as remakable Effects as that one single degree that they do all pretend to when they come by Direction to the Ascendent But above all Why should we imagin and delude our selves into the Belief of a thing without Ground or Foundation For we all allow that the Cusp of the Second is but an imaginary Line and no such thing in reality If so then why should this powerful Nothing give Vertue to Something that hath none and is Nothing it self Or why should this invisible Line give that individual degree such a Power and no other And by what means doth that single degree carry the mystick Power received so great a distance as from the Second to the Horoscope One would imagin it should have faded decayed and vanished in its Passage from one Point to another for it is no more but an imaginary degree of the Ecliptick passing by an imaginary Line called the Second House in its way to the Ascendent or Horizon But if we suppose and allow it to be all real true and visible yet it will not make any more for their purpose than before and to say That York comes to London twice every Week because the Post comes from thence to London twice every Week would be such a piece of Nonsence that should it be said publickly all Mankind would laugh at it And yet our Case now in dispute is equal to that and full as ridiculous To be short I judge really That this and some other Fooleries now much in use were invented out of a malicious Design to make the Art ridiculous and contemptible in the Judgment and Opinion of Learned Men And these imposed upon weak men they have swallowed these Errors without being able or willing to consider whether they had any Foundation in Nature or not and they are now so generally received that in the Opinion of some it is almost a Crime to question them though out of a good Design to set the Age right Now why we should be led away and deluded both into the Use and Approbation of Groundless and Empty Innovations I see no Reason and this not only to use them in our Practice but print them and lay them down as Theorems not to be omitted Thereby giving Opportunity to all to become Enemies to the Truth of the Art by mistaking its false Principles for true ones when we have Reasons sufficient in true Motion to satisfie any Enquirer into the Mysteries of Nature and its various Effects by its variety of Motion for there are various Aspects and Rays in motion which either through Ignorance or Idleness are not taken notice of but they are hunting for new Inventions to load the old Rules with Error and make them precarious building their greatest Errors on some supposed Mathematical Foundation and if they can but impose upon us by a Diagramatical Demonstration those less capable of Enquiry run away with it for absolute Truth I would very fain know how they can
Saturn was then in Opposition to his Ascendent By this you may see that Transits and Eclipses do little or nothing in order to Death or any great mutation in a man's Life without some very considerable Directions and then too they do only assist by their Motion to give or rather shew the Time when a Direction begins to operate But this I lay down as a positive Rule That they never kill per se. Under this Rule I might also bring Great Conjunctions Revolutions Profections Climacterical Years c. all which are made use of to the same End and Purpose as the former are when there are no Directions to be assigned for Death and of each of these a Word or two Great Conjunctions falling on the Angles or on the Sun and Moon in Nativities may give great Troubles and Losses but by no means Death Nay Directions that fall near those Places of the Conjunctions or opposite to them c. shall give more cruel Effects than they do at other times but not Mortal unless they would have been so without the Conjunction had influenced them And in most Nativities where the Conjunction is on the Places of the Luminaries or in Square or Opposition to them or the Angles those People of what Quality soever are generally sufferers in and through that 20 years Revolutions are also vainly thought to have the Power of Death and many men contend earnestly for the Truth thereof Schonâ—r's Imitator tells us in his Doctrine of Nativities page 228. That the Opposition of the Sun and Saturn from the Second and Eighth in a Revolution gives Death and proved true in the Death of Sir John Reynolds And yet in his Câ—â—â—c Genit page 164. he says He dyed on the Ascenâ—ent to the Body of the Moon and Square of the Sun and so sets the Stars together by the Ears who shall have the Honour to kill him I know a man who had lately his Moon in a Revolution in Conjunction with Mars Lord of the Eighth in Opposition to Saturn and all these in Square to his Ascendent Hileg and the Sun in Square to Jupiter Lord of the Fourth And yet this man did not dye in that year nor indeed was he Sick Ay but this was not from the Second and Eighth Houses Say you so That may be something indeed That is a special Reason Ex Grumulo Mâ—ntem facis In a Word There is nothing in Revolutions in order to Death but as they Quadrare with Directions Notwithstanding Morinus doth so strenuously contend for their Power and Force in his Astrol. Gall lib. 23. where he tells us about the Death of Richelieu that to several of his Friends he predicted his Death from that very Revolution of his in 1642. And in several other Places of that Book he lays mighty Weight upon them as the Causes of many and various Accidents And Argol in his Ptolomâ—us parvus labours as much as the former to assert that Doctrine and in his De Diebus Criticis he hath in many Nativities rendred very inconsiderable Reasons for Death besides what he lodged in the Power of Revolutions Nor doth the Authority of Campanella any way sway me to believe what he asserts and concludes ought to be done in the Judgment of Revolutions For though I have an honourable Esteem for Authors and the Truth they hand down to us yet I am not bound to believe all they write because it comes from men of Learning and Credit Nay you will do a substantial Author both Honour and Service in examining his Works before you set your Hand to the Truth of them Profections as they are now stated and understood are nothing else but a confused Motion neither agreeable to Reason nor Nature and no ways probable to have any Power to kill But of this matter see more in my Opus Reformatum page 94. 95. Climacterical Years not only among Astrologers but among all other Learned Men besides have for many Ages had a known Reputation for Danger to Life but especially that of 63 But Origanus tells us of another dangerous one which he calls Climactericus Heroicus and that is the 56th Year and this for no other Reason but because the Ascendent at Birth comes then to the Eighth House But how I cannot tell unless he means by allowing 7 Years to every House and so if you multiply 7 by 8 it gives 56 Which hath no sway at all on my Belief So that now it is grown so commonly known among the Vulgar that there is not a Plowman but can tell you That every seventh Year carries a Face of Danger in it and threatens a Change and Alteration to every one either in Life or Fortune But before we take it for granted let me premise a Word or two and enquire into the Ground and Nature of the thing Whatever the Opinion of Pythagoras was concerning the Mystery of Numbers it doth no ways prevail with me to believe That the Number 7 hath more Power than the Number 6 in order to the Mutations of Human Life and especially Death Nor doth the doubtful urging of this Doctrine by Marsilius Ficinus lib. 2. cap 20. De Vita longa make it any more plain true or probable than it was before Nor do any that have wrote of it give it any other Authority than Probability And when they are put to the Proof of that they run back to their old Authors from whom both they and we derive those known and common Errors with which all Sciences are at present clogged and loaded But if any one is willing to read of it at large the Learned Dr. Brown will furnish them with an account from Authors of all Kinds and Nations by which it will appear it is founded only on Precarious Principles and no Authority in Nature but groundless Supposition bearded Antiquity and an ipsi dicunt and yet it is assigned by J. G. in his Almanack for 1693. That this likewise of it self doth sometimes kill which I utterly deny to be true By this and what we can else derive from all Authors the whole matter depends and proceeds from a superstitious Opinion they have had of the Mystery of Numbers and there have always been some to promote it and because it comes by Accident something near to Truth it hath obtained a Place in the Opinion of divers Credulous men which if they would but examine and consider would neither support nor believe it either in general as it is commonly understood or in particular to this of Death which I am now about to discuss And to say the Truth the Mystery of Numbers is in this Sence nothing else but Pythagorean Whims or Rosicrucian Maggots and Delusions set on foot to undermine Truth and turn those out of the Way that are in Pursuit after it and though I do allow a Harmony in Numbers equal to diverse other things in Nature yet I can by no means be brought to consent and believe that the
to the Body of Mars in 17 degrees of Libra a Point that no Soul in the World could at that time see him in that they should also appoint us an invisible Midheaven and Ascendent and then we shall be always plentifully furnished with Directions on all occasions whatsoever But besides should we allow these Directions to the Heliocentrick Places of the Planets as in the Nativity before-mentioned to the Earth as he says Shall we direct the Midheaven and the Sun also to the opposite Point of Mars in 17 degrees of Aries Certainly no Man will venture to persuade me or any body else that the Midheaven comes to the Opposition of Mars in 17 degrees of Aries when his opposite place is 8 degrees distant from it nor do the Inventors of these Mysteries tell us which we must depend on or which is most dangerous in that Nativity the Sun to the Heliocentrick or Geocentrick Opposition of Mars And after all pray tell me is not the Sun to the opposite Point of Mars his Heliocentrick Place as dangerous a Direction as the Earth to the Point it self if so then what need was there to croud in the Earth as if a Man would study for a way to expose himself and his Reputation by unintelligible Mysteries that deserve another Name And to direct the Earth to the Heliocentrick Place of Mars is as possible as to direct the Atlas in Africa to Mount Taurus in Asia or in a word London to York I have as I promised in my Almanack for 1693. said something to the matter in hand and I think enough to any considering Student that will imploy his Reason in the Controversy and for those that resolve they will believe without reason I take my leave of them and wish them good success but pray remember that what I have said here is in order to Nativities and their management in Answer to the Innovator's Doctrine and Foolery As to the Helieocentrick Aspects in general I do not condemn the use of them in any thing where Reason and Experience can testify their Power and therefore in the Weather perhaps there may be something to be said for them and yet I do not think half so much as is pretended for among all the endeavours that I have seen I do not find any thing mightily remarkable out of the Geocentrick way but because this of the Weather is not my Province so much as that I did before insist on I will leave that to those that believe they understand it better and are able to prove by Observations that there is undoubted Effects attends those Motions But that they have any thing to do either in Questions or Nativities I wholly deny and I think they that believe it do it without reason That there are such Aspects is most certain and that they make their Angle at the Sun is likewise without question hence it is not improbable to apprehend the Great and Capacious Orb to be divided into such parts as we call Aspects made by the common motion being beheld from every one of the Seven Planets and if so why should we not believe upon as good grounds that the Aspects form'd at the Bodies of Saturn Jupiter but especially Mars have an equal share in the Weather and alterations of the Air with the rest This I will leave to be considered by those more curious on that Subject CHAP. XII Of the Errors in Nativities handed down to us by our Authors IN my Opus Reformatum I have mentioned something of this matter and also promised to be larger here on that Subject because it is one of the principal Causes of Scandal to the Art and Error in the Professors For by the handing down false Nativities perhaps only mistaken without any design for true ones they oftentimes make groundless Corrections and Impertinent Aphorisms too many of which we are abused with at this day Thus for want of true Information and being too apt to take things upon trust our Authors have abused us with false Nativities and what the Consequence of that is and hath been you may easily guess And so I come to shew you how and by whom these have been done and what Credit is to be given to our Authors in general in such Nativities that are of Ancient date and some also of the last Age a short view of which I will here give and could many more if I would take the pains to examine them as I have done these Argol gives us the Nativity of Alexander the Great and tells us he was born August 12. hor. 16. min. 46. P. M. 355 years before our Saviour under the Pole 41. and makes him 20 degrees of Leo Ascending But Lindhout says he was born the 1 st of July hor. 9. min. 26. P. M. 357 years before our Saviour and makes him to have Aquary Ascending and under the Pole 42. And I have one by me given as a great rarity which is set to August the Sixth at 3 hours 45. min. manè 356 years before Christ and gives him Cancer in the Ascendent Here you see three several Years and all several days of the Month and times of the day and yet brought by Argol and Lindhout as Examples to prove Astrology by nay and by my old Friend J. G. in his Collections too In a word I believe they are all equally true and there is room enough left for any Nativity-maker to give him a new one when he pleaseth if he doubts the truth of these three which he may take his choice of at his pleasure Lindhout and others tell us M. T. Cicero was born August the 5th 105 years before Christ so says Garcoeus and Cardan likewise and according to that Account they conclude he was born Anno Mundi 3843. as by the Collection of Genitures pag. 119. But if our Saviour was born in the Year of the World 3947. as Alstedius proves he was in his Thesaurus pag. 19 20. why then it alters the case very much and he must be born in the Year of the World 3842. differing one whole Year from the former So that till the Chronologers can agree on the Year of Christ's Birth we must be uncertain of the Year of Cicero's Birth Can any man imagine what they bring these uncertain Nativities for or to what end they fill up their Books with them when all men know there is no use to be made of a Nativity that is not allowed to be true within Twelve months And though I believe they are not so uncertain in the Nativity of Christ as to differ a Year from Truth yet I am satisfied that the Figure given by Cardan and Morinus is doubtful for though Mr. B. in his Treatise of that matter did agree with those two Authors yet he hath told me since that Christ had not Libra but Sagitary ascending at his Birth and if so we may rank this also among the uncertain and guessed Nativities Some years since I had
reasons of it Morinus says he had a Fever with an Erysipelas in his Face at 5 years and 7 months old and the Small Pox at 9 years and 2 months old with danger to his Life and all this from the Square of the Moon well managed The first of these Disorders he says was caused by the Direction of Jupiter to the Square of the Moon without Latitude which by his Pole of Position gives an Ark of 4. degrees 55 minutes and by Naibod's measure is too short by 35 minutes but that I will pass by and excuse But if you direct Jupiter under the true Pole of Position the Ark will not be full 4 degrees which I cannot allow by my measure and method in Direction to hit the time of that Disease But why must Jupiter be a significator in this Case He is Lord of the Fourth and Second and in my opinion that gives him no Power Mars is indeed Lord of the Ascendent and had he directed him there might have been some Pretence for it but Jupiter hath none for he makes but 10 degrees of Sagitary on the Second House and 5 of them 10 must be allowed to the Second so that he can have but 5 in the Ascendent and how those 5 can entitle him to be Lord of the Ascendent I cannot imagine and it is that I suppose he builds upon He might as well have directed Saturn to the Opposition of the Moon and with the same Authority The Second Disease which was the Small Pox he says was from Jupiter directed to the Square of the Moon with Latitude and the A cendent convers to the Square of the Moon with Latitude likewise These are choice Notions if we can but understand and believe them First you must know though the Moon hath but 2 degrees 36 minutes South at Birth he makes her Square to have 4 degrees 17 minutes South or else the Triâ—k will not do neither to Jupiter nor the Ascendent no nor with it neither without the help of his new Table pag. 550. The main Question is as I have observed before in the Queen of Poland's Case Why the Moon 's Square must have 4 degrees 17 minutes and her Body but 2 degrees 36 minutes at Birth Perhaps you will say She hath such Latitude when she comes to 6 degrees of Scorpio and therefore it ought to be allowed here That I utterly deny and this First by their own Principles for they have all taught it for Doctrine hitherto That the Square always falls in the Ecliptick as supposing the Intersections of the Ecliptick and Orbit to be 180 degrees distant and each of them 90 degrees distant from the Planet And they were forced into the Belief of this because the Latitude at the Opposition is always of a different Denomination from that of the Body and therefore by that Rule this Square of the Moon could have no Latitude as it is said to have by this Learned Author Secondly By Morine's own Principles who hath blamed Blanchinus and Regiomontanus for their fictitious and imaginary Circles and set up one of his own more confused as you may see pag. 358 359. and so on if you please where you may read the Basis and whole Project of this Business as he hath there stated it with a Diagram annexed And the ground of all is placed in the apparent Inclinations and Orbits of the Planets so that though the Planet hath no Latitude in the place it is in yet the Sextile or Square of that Planet shall have 1 2 3 4 or 5 degrees of Latitude according to the utmost Inclination of that Planet's Orbit at that time and this Inclination makes way for the Use of his Table to correct the Aspects And after he hath learnedly discoursed De Mâ—tu reali Planetarum and answered several Oâ—jections he leaves us iust as he found us and full as ignorant of true Directional Motion as we were before for though I allow and all men will grant he talks learnedly of the matter he handles yet what is that to directional Motion that is performed per Mâ—â—um in Orbitis suis this per Moâ—â—m Raptum And I am of opinion that this is the reason that so â—ew Mathematical heads understand Astrology because they have conceived a motion of the Heavens in their way which puts them out of this Nay I had rather teach a Plowman Astrology that is wholly ignorant of it than any one that hath been educated and taught by the best Pretenders in the Town and I am sure I shall do it with less trouble But to the point again Mori us tells us That the Planet's visible Latitude is the way of the Planet and the Circle that the Aspects are made in I will allow it But then I ask him What that is to any other Planet in Direction Why truly nothing at all for every Planet moves in his own Orbit and therefore is directed in his own way and meeâ—s all Rays there and no where else but it is the Zodiack that is the Standard of the measure of these Rays whetâ—er the Inclination be North or South and for all Directions that have large Latitude they are indeed most properly measured by the Mundane Circle which is really more exact than directing by the Poles of Position in that case Besides he is forced to make use of the same Diagram they do to demonstrate his Project only he turns the Whim another way and I think really further from Truth than they are with much more trouble in the Operation by his way than theirs in dividing the Latitude into Halves and Quarters And to omit more Words and Arguments I will give you this one That he doth not pursue this Rule he hath laid down in the managing of any Nativities but where Necessity obligeth him take an Example or two In the Nativity of Franciscus de Bonne he tells us That he dyed on the Moon to her own Square which if so then he breaks his own Rule for the Moon to her own Square with Latitude is undoubtedly more forcible than without And he lets him out-live the Moon to her own Square cum Lat. and kill'd him above a year and a half after on the Moon to her own Square sine Lat. which is much the weaker Ray. So that you see either he doth not believe his own Rule or else he darâ—s not trust it Besides this Direction of the Moon to her own Square ought to be with Latitude and no otherwise because she is Significator it is to her own Rays and falls in her own way and she can meet that no otherwise but with Latitude which you see he here â—vades But for Jupiter to meet her Square with Latitude South when his own was North is such a Doctrine as no man of Reason can believe A Second Example is in his own Nativity where though there are no less than Five Planets in the Twelfth House and Three of them Violent ones yet he
between them both Ark 38 degrees 25 minutes as you may see if you please to try them your self The Moon you see is in Square to Mars and in this case specificates the Disease which he says was a Cholerick disorder and considered together are much more likely to give death then the Ascendent to the opposition of Mars which you find kills but seldom and in this man's case wholly denied the Directions follow ☉ ad paral ♄ D. C. 36 42 33 8 1626 ☉ ad 8 ☽ S. L. 38 25    ☉ ad paral ♄ D. D. 38 43    There is one thing I have to observe on this Nativity and the position of Mars in the Eighth House Morinus forms it into a Rule and tells you that whenever Saturn or Mars are in the Eighth on the Midheaven to their Square in Zodiaco the Native dies by violence and for the most part the Hand of Justice And Argâ—l in the case of Montmorancy the French man follows that Rule and tells you he dyed that is was beheaded on the Midheaven to the Square of Saturn Indeed he joins another Direction with it which is the Part of Fortune to the Antiscion of Mars but for that he knew nothing of it for the other Direction bears the burthen Now pray compare this of the Duke of Montmorancy with Marsilius Landrianus who had both Saturn and Mars in the Eighth and yet did pass both their Squares by 36 years of Age and I believe he had no trouble upon either But whether he had or not he lived 30 years beyond them Likewise Cardinal Gypsius before mentioned hath Mars in the Eighth and yet was not put to death on the Midheaven to the Square of Mars but outlived it at least Thirty years for he dyed at 75. Also Cardinal Spinellus had Mars there and outlived that Direction Eleven or Twelve Years Cardinal Burghesius had Mars there also and so had Cardinal Sabellus Pope Clement the 8th with others that did not dye violently nor yet fell by the Hand of Justice Then what shall we think of this Rule and their Examples in Practice when there is not one in ten of them succeed according to Expectation and the Method laid down by our Rule-makers Octaviâ—nus Cardinal Ubaldine's Brother was born on the 17th day of September hor. 12. min. 12. P. M. 1587. Sub. Lat. 42. Argol says this man suffered extreamly from the Directions of the Moon to the body of Saturn at 36 years of Age and to the Opposition of Mars at 41 years of Age but this will by and by appear to be a mistaken Doctrine And that he died on the 12th of August Anno 1632. being almost 45 years of Age and this from the Ascendent directed to the Square of Mars and this followed by the Lyons heart â— fiery Star He first sickned August the Fifth in the Evening with a shivering which turn'd to a Fâ—ver and kill'd him in Seven days And this Man's death was predicted says Argol some time before it happened by the Astrologers of France and from the Direction here asserted If the French Astrologers did predict this man's sickness and death from that Direction of the Ascendent to the Square of Mars I dare swear thaâ— they were better Guessers than they were Astrologers and that the fate of some good Direction they were under themselves gave success to the prediction and that more by Chance than Skill And to say the truth in short I cannot imagine why they should predict death more on the Ascendent to the Square Mars than to the Square Saturn which came up seven degrees before the other of Mars Nay let me tell you according to their own Rule the Square of Saturn ought to have kill'd him because he is Lord of the Eighth House I would very fain be satisfied by some of the most skilful Mâ—sters in this Doctrine what reason is to be given in this figure or any other of the like position why the Ascendent to the Antiscion of Mars to the Antiscion of Saturn and to the Square of Saturn did not kill before the Square of Mars came up For the Antiscion of Mars fell according to their opinion in 7 degrees and the Antiscion of Saturn in 14 degrees and the Square of Saturn in 16 degrees of Leo. Now is it not a wonder that he should pass the Ascendent to all these Malefick Beams and at last dye on this single Square of Mars Oh! the wonderful skili in the management of the serviceable Ascendent But here by the way pray take notice That in the Nativity of Cardinâ—l Justiniâ—â— pag. 304. De Diâ—bus Criticis and Cardinal Cresceâ—tius pag 314. the Archbishop of Urbin with divers others in that Book of Argol's he renders no other reason for their death but the Ascendent to the Antiscion of Mars without any thing to assist in each of them If so why should not the Antiscions in this case kill as well as in those three before mentioned By this way and method of Practice no man can be able to say any thing by way of prediction positively for by these Pâ—ules you shall never know what will and what will not kill Sometimes they will kick a man out of the World with the Ascendent to the Sextile of Mars to the Antiscion of Jupiter especially if Lord of the Eighth to the Dragon's tail or some such idle Story When at another time three or four stout Directions will not shake him and is not this a hopeful kind of Astrology and a fine way to teach Young men to be skilful Artists in their Profession If the Master understands it no better I doubt the Pupil will be fit to be a Pupil all the days of his Life And so I come to correct the Scheme and shew what was the true cause of his death and shall also hold good in other Nativities but first take the Scheme it self I shall not alter the Figure a minute but take it as Argol hath printed it both Midheaven and Ascendent And the Planets places as they are there also though I believe the Mâ—on is some few minutes too far in Aries yet that will make little or no difference in the matter notwithstanding the Moon is Hileg and must be alone directed for death The Pole of the Moon is 5 degrees and her Oblique Ascension under that pole is 6 degrees 20 minutes The Oblique Ascension of the Opposition of Mars with Latitude is 48 degrees 11 minutes from which taking that of the Moon leaves the Ark of Direction of the Moon to the Opposition of Mars 41 degrees 51 minutes which turned into time will give almost 45 years and so long he lived for had he continued a little more than a month longer he had been compleatly 45 years old and this Direction if you please to consider fell near the Pleiades At the same time likewise the Moon came to the Zodiacal parallel of Saturn which she meets in
at the heels of Saturn's Body and Venus the other Fortune goes just before him Now if Saturn can in this Case kill without any thing else and the two Fortunes so near him I am sure you may depend upon it that he can always kill without Exception when directed to the Hileg as here I know your Answer will be He had also at that time the Sun to the Square and the Moon to the Opposition of Mars why what is that to the Hileg if he had If he hath 20 Directions to the Sun and Moon not Givers of Life they shall not kill provided the Hileg is free and supported by good Rays Pray why did not the Ascendent to the Body of Saturn kill John Casimir King of Poland Pope Paul V. honest Parson Marckerness Sir Christopher Heydon Mr. Eastwood the Geneva Merchant in all which the Horoscope was Hileg as it is in this of Edward VI. and yet they all passed it and this poor Gentleman alone must fall by it What course shall we take now to reconcile these things and make the more thoughtful part of mankind believe what we say of the Stars And before we proceed any farther take the Figure it self with the Sun Saturn Mars and Venus calculated with their Latitudes The Nativity I do allow to be a very weak one yet I can by no means allow him to dye on the Ascendent to the Body of Saturn unless they will disown the Trine of Jupiter to be brought to the Ascendent by Direction 4 or 5 degrees after the Body of Saturn for if it did come up as they say it did I am sure the Body of Saturn could not kill if I understand the Rules But the Body of Saturn did kill and there was no such thing as a Trine of Jupiter to the Ascendent at that time see the Train of Directions Ascend ad ♂ ♀ 11 22 11 10 1549. Ascend ad ♂ ♄ 15 20 15 9 1552. Ascend ad âš¹ ☿ 22 27    Ascend ad semiquad ♂ 24 5    Ascend ad semiquad ☉ 25 20    Ascend ad â–³ ☽ 27 22    Ascend ad â–³ ♃ 30 5    Thus you see here was no good Direction to save Mercury he was malefick by being in Square to Mars the Moon was malefick by being in Square to the Sun and both Sun and Mars the mortal Promittors in this Nativity notwithstanding their Rays so far distant nor was there a Jupiter to help or save this hopeful young Prince Mary I. Queen of England is said by our Author to be born February the 18th near 6 of the Clock in the Morning Anno 1516. And yet Stow says She was born on the 11th of February in that year being seven days sooner than the former And after all Hemminga page 135. Astro Refut says She was born on September the 8th in the year 1515. differing Five Months from either of them and brings this Nativity to prove Astrology vain and false I think I had best leave it as I found it lest I spend time to weary my self and deceive my Reader which I would not willingly do Elizabeth Queen of England was as our Author says born on the 7th of September at 26 minutes past 2 Afternoon John Stow agrees with him in the Year and Day but says It was at half a Hour past 3 in the Afternoon Anno 1533. To the day and time of the day Sir Richard Baker agrees with Stow but differs from them both in the Year for he says it was Anno 1534. and you know Sir Richard is a good reputable Author in other things and why not in this And yet I do own Mr. Cambden agrees with Stow in the year and says She was born in 1533. Mr. Gadbury makes her Sagitary ascending the estimate is Capricorn and Hemminga makes Aquary I confess Mr. Lilly agrees with the estimate and makes Capricorn ascending but I can by no means agree with him in the Direction for her Death which is the Ascendâ—nt to the Pleiades as he saith The principal Objection our Author hath against the estimate time is because Capricorn in the Ascendent is a cold dull eaâ—thy feminine Sign and she a Virago a Masculine Spirited Princess endued with a high and lofty mind and therefore could not signify her Why truly this very thing makes me believe Sir Richard Baker may be true in the Year he says she was born in i. e. 1534. because on the 7th of September that year Jupiter was in about 22 degrees of Capricorn in her Ascendent and in Trine to the Sun and I hope he will allow that Position to signifie her exactly both in Body and Mind If so then they must to work again and make not only a new Nativity but give us also new Reasons for her Death For those that have been given hitherto will not do However I will take some notice of the Scheme and Correction in general as he gives it Whether the Nativity be true or not you may guess at the Author's Skill by the Reasons he gives for Two of the Three Accidents he corrects by The First is She was crowned on the Ascendent to the Trine of the Sun That cannot be for the Ascendent cannot come to the Trine of the Sun till about 100 years of Age. Secondly She dyed as he says on the Ascendent to the Square of Saturn That is also impossible for in that Scheme he gives the Ascendent cannot come to the Square of Saturn till 83 years of Age and she dyed at 69. And besides the Ascendent to the Square of Saturn did not kill Bishop Hall nor Mr. T. Gataker nor Mr. Vaugban nor Dr. John Britland nor Mr. Stepkins with divers others where the Ascendent was Hileg as in this Nativity As to the Third I do not deny the Direction to be probable to give her Imprisonment But I will leave the Consideration of that and all things else in this Nativity till they do agree in the year she was born for till then it is all but peradventure And I hope a man may ask him How he makes Henry VIII Edward VI. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth Kings and Queens of Great Britain King James I. is said by our Author to be born Anno 1566. June the 19th with 7 degrees of Virgo ascending and dyed in 1625 in March being 59 years and 9 months old on the Sun to the Body of Saturn now how can I believe this Doctrine what reason is there to believe that Saturn hath more power to kill than Mars had who was with the Regulus and yet he lets him pass that 3 years before and doth no mischief in order to Death nor was he sick then as ever I heard This I do confess is a method perfectly remote from my Practice and Understanding The truth is he had not Virgo ascending but the 28th degree of Leo and then the Sun Giver of Life will be in such a
Position to give the Ark of Direction to the Body of Mars 58 degrees 13 minutes which turned into time gives 59 years and 6 months and soon after he dyed For it is impossible if the Sun is Hileg that he should outlive the Sun to the Body of Mars And for his coming to the Crown of England he had the Sun to the Zodiacal Parallel of Venus Lady of the Tenth her Latitude by Stadius from whom he took the Planets places being almost one degree South which gives her Zodiacal Parallel Ark 35 degrees 44 minutes and that in time gives 36 years and some months I do believe to make the Ascendent to the Body of Jupiter give his coming to the English Throne this Nativity was corrected which was the reason they let the Sun pass the Body of Mars the Sun's Pole being too small to meet it in that point they have made him But why Mr. Gadbury hath so strenuously maintained That this Native did not dye by Poison I cannot tell telling his Reader That no such thing was to be read in the Heavens at his Birth and therefore not to be allowed at his Death when there is nothing more plain and visible to be read both at his Birth and Death For he dyed on the Sun to the Body of Mars Square of Venus and Body of Saturn or to take it in his own words to the Conjunction of Saturn and Square of Venus Is not Venus with the Dragon's Tail among the Pleiadâ—s and the Author of the Doctrine of Nativities tells us The Moon is made poisonous by bâ—ing with the Dragon's Tail page 148. parag 14. and why not Venus be made poisonous too by that Rule But Ptolemy tells us in plain Words Sed cum Venus est simul significat Veneficia c. Lib. 4. Cap. de genere Mortis Here you see Venus is joyned with the Maleficks and makes good the Rule to a hair And to â—nforce his Opinion for Doctâ—ine he argues with us very odly saying Jupiter is Lord of the Eighâ—â— and so Lord of Death And when he is so the Native dyes of a Plurisy an Apoplexy an Angina Convulsions of the Hâ—ad and Stomach c. but by Poison it is absolutely impossible Before he said The Cause of Death was from the Sun Hileg to the Body of Saturn if Saturn gave Death most certainly he gave the Disease also If a man be killed with a Swâ—rd that very Sword and not another that gave the Wound gave the Death also If Thomas Blood should kill a man in the County of Cornwall and they should take up Tom. Chance in the County of Nâ—rfolk prosecute him and hang him for that Murder though he knew nothing of the matter it would be most barbarous and cruel Why just so they deal by Jupiter for Saturn murdered this man and poor Jove is like to be hang'd for it Is this Philosophick Astrology Out upon it Charles I. King of England born November 19th at 10 at Night as he says 1600. He makes him 25 degrees of Leo ascending but not one Direction suitable to the Accidents mentioned except the Midheaven to the Trine of the Moon for his Coronation But to talk of the Ascendent to the Square of Mars for his Death is such a rough Doctrine not only unpleasant to the Ear but improbable to reason for if you have any faith in Ptolemy's Doctrine the Ascendent is not giver of Life but the Part of Fortune see Quâ—dri Lib. 3. Cap. 13. Besides how many doth he allow passed the Ascendent to the Square of Mars and never killed them As Qâ— Elizabeth the Earl of Essâ—x pag. 45. the Duchess of Sfoâ—â—â—â— Pope Gregory XV. Bishop Hall Mr. John Beale Dr. Geoffery le Neve and many others who had the Luminaries not in Aphetical Plaâ—cs as this Prince likewise had them nor is Mâ—rs any more made Malefick by position in this then in any of those Nay Mars is here in Conjunction with Venus and therefore the mâ—re unlikely to kill And in a word I do positively affirm That the Asâ—â—ndent to the Square of Mars was not the cause of this Prince's Death And the reason for this seems plain to me for we must walk by a Rule and if they will allow this to be a positive effect of the Ascendent to the Square of Mars I would desire some Gentleman to make a Rule of Exception to it and shew us why those Natives abovementioned did escape with Life on this Direction And till that is made clear and plain I must believe this to be a very doubtful Nativity as well as his Father's I have told you the Part of Fortune is Hileg in this Nativity and if I were to correct it I should direct the Part of Fortune to the Square of the Moon to the Zodiacal Parallel of Saturn and to the Mundane Parallel of Mars and this by making but a small Alteration for the Part of Fortune is but 10 degrees distant from the Midheaven and the time would be a little later I do not desire any man should be confined to my Notion or Opinion in this matter but then I desire they would let their Directions in their own way do the same thing at one time that they do at another and not bubble us with sham Stories and Tricks If they do but nearly hit the Mark it is no matter what Bow they shoot in The Duke of Glocester is said by our Author and I suppose believed by many to dye on the Sun directed to the Opposition of Saturn which cannot be because the Sun is on the Cusp of the Eighth and not Hileg if his Figure is true and the Division of the Heavens likewise but the Mâ—on because of her Latitude is there certainly Apheta Why did not the Sun to the Opposition of Saturn kill Henry VIII Frederick III. Emperor of Germany Duchess of Sfertia Mr. Sâ—epkins Mr. Jâ—hn Mallet Mr. John Booker Mr. John Gadbury Examine these Nativities where it came up in some young others in old age and yet in none it kill'd with divers others I could have mentioned Therefore we may reckon this also among the doubtâ—ul Nativities The Lady Mary eldest Daughter to Charles I. was born November the 4th at 17 minutes past 5 in the morning 1631 as saith our Author page 20. and that it nearly agrees with the Bishop's Diary And tells us also He was imposâ—â— on by a Pretender to print a false one for this Lady 's true Birth before but now he says he is certain it is true And yet 15 years after this he printed another forher true time of Birth and which of these three we may rely on I know not In the first he made 19 degrees of Scorpio ascending in the second 27 degrees of Libra and in the third in his Obsâ—qui Rationab 2 degrees of Scorpio Now if this last is the truest which indeed it ought to be then the Directions that he gives in his Collection for her
Elevation and Sleswick in particular So that I judge that 51 should have been 55 or 56 unless he was born in his Mother's Country at Berlin in the Dukedom of Brandenburg which I do not think he was And therefore I will conclude him born under the Pole 55 degrees 43 minutes He was first Bishop of Bremen elected King of Denmark and Norway in 1648. was block'd up in his City of Copenhagen in the year 1659. by the Swedes and he dyed February 9th 1670. This NatIvity we are told hath not its fellow among the most Illustrious Genitures and for that Reason I think it worth my Consideration and Pains How this Gentleman did get this Nativity I know not and if I ask it will be to no purpose The principal thing that this Author values himself upon in this Nativity is His Prediction from the Scheme and Directions when the King was a Prisoner in Copenhagen that he should again recover his Liberty his Kingdom and his former Honour but if he had given me the Reason for his Prediction I should have been better satisfied in the point for one would think Saturn in the Seventh and the Moon Lady of the Twelfth in the Sixth in Square to the Sun Lord of his Ascendent in the Tenth and Venus oppressed by Mars and Jupiter by Saturn were but cold Encouragements for such an Adventure notwithstanding the Sun was in the Tenth which I know he did depend on Now the first Query that I make upon these Directions of the Midheaven and Sun to the Body of Mars which he says gave those Mischiefs and perhaps they might do it is why should we believe or how could he by his own Rules that these Directions would terminate in Liberty and not in Death For First in Charles Gustavus's case he tells us â—e dyed on the Mid-heaven to the Body of Saturn and his Nativity no more violent than this is there was only one Aphetick Point afflicted by a single Direction and yet that kill'd Here is two and yet this could not do it notwithstanding Mars was with the Pleiades Secondly in the Earl of Strafford there he makes the Midheaven to the Body of Saturn likewise kill and this by Beheading but here the Sun and Midheaven to the Body of Mars go off and give only loss of Liberty and Honour Thirdly Why the Midheaven to the Opposition of Mars should kill the Earl of Essex pag. 45. and the Body not kill this Prince Indeed it is strange to me that he or any man else should think this Doctrine is possible to be received by any man that will not betray his Reason And the same Cant passeth still Fourthly Why should we believe this could give him Troubles and Confinement when the Midheaven to the Body of Mars married the Princess Royal of England page 20 Why should not Mars in this King's Geniture and on this Direction give Honour and Fame because Lord of the Tenth as well as give Marriage in that Lady's because Lord of the Seventh Fifthly Why should we believe the Midheaven to the Body of Mars should give this Prince any Mischiefs at all when we find that Sir T. Mayern had it and gave him nothing at all Now what shall we say to these Contradictions And who is able to reconcile them For my part I cannot nor do I think the Author of them able to do it These are but a few of this kind I could give you many more and perhaps I may so before I conclude Now upon the whole we may conclude That the Midheaven to the Body of Mars by common Practice gives a King Confinement in his chiefest City gives a Princess Marriage gives an Earl Death by being beheaded gives a Bishop Imprisonment and gives a Doctor of Physick nothing at all Well but these things were written and done while this Prince lived and he doth not tell us one Word what he thinks did â—ill him for he lived above 10 years after these Misfortunes and dyed February the 9th 1670. being then almost 61 years of age I doubt this will prove an ugly knotty odd sort of a business to find out a cause for his Death that may agree with these Directions and Figure corrected and confirmed by them and prove satisfactory to the intelligent Reader and to tell you the Truth it makes me Shrug for I am not over-fond of the work whatever you think on it but it must be done and therefore let us to it You know it is their method when a man is dead and they are to sâ—ek a Cause for Death any of the Five Hilegicals serve and an indifferent Direction will do for the most part and I will pursue their own Doctrine in their own way for I know what they can do and say in such cases as these are And to this end we must certainly allow this Scheme without alteration or else all the fine things said by our Author on those Directions of the Midheaven are out of Doors and of no effect I will begin with the Sun The Sun we find on the Midheaven and therefore is to be directed by the Right Ascention and by that motion I find the Sun is got into 9 degrees of Gemini by Direction at the time of his Death to his own Sextile a year and two months past to the Bull 's Eye 3 year past and to the Trine of Saturn wanting eight months What a plaguy thing this is to be so near and neither of them hit exactly had the Aldebaran but hit we would have depended on that and the Sextile of the Sun The Midheaven is got into 8 degrees of Gemini and just past the Sextile of the Sun shall we dâ—pend on that No I doubt we shall not make that pass We 'll go on The Ascendent is by the Oblique Ascention got into 15 degrees of Virgo and there we find the Lioâ—'s Tail shall we depend on that No no they will not believe it and besides that Star riseth with the beginning of Virgo The Pole of the Moon is about 53 and under that Pole she is by Direction got into 21 degrees odd minutes of Aquary just past the Square of Venus Lady of the Fourth Sure that will do or else the Devil is in 'em what believe nothing No no it is too far past a year and a half else it would have done bravely Why then we are undone if the Part of Fortune doth not help us out The Pole of the Part of Fortune as they say is about 25 degrees it s O. A. under that Pole is 24 degrees 22 minutes O. A. of the Opposition of the Moon sine Lat. 84 degrees 32 minutes Ark of Direction 60 degrees 10 minutes which by Nâ—ibod gives almost 61 years Sure this will do without dispute Ay ay this is as clear as the Sun and therefore now let us agree and settle the point The Sun to his own Sextile began his Disease the Part of Fortune to the Opposition of
a Wager he did not dye then and a man may wonder when J. G. knew that he did not dye on the Ascendent to the Opposition of Saturn Lord of the Eighth House how he could imagine the Body of Mars could kill him or give him any real danger But to the point in hand what might probably kill him The first dangerous Direction the Moon meets with is the Square of Saturn about 26 or 27 years but that could not kill because it is but a single Direction and the Moon to the Square of Venus followeth it The Second is the Moon to the Square of Mars at 41 yeâ—â—s of age this should have been a very dangerous time and I doubt he hardly did escape because it is followed by the Mundane â—quare of the Sun and the Mundane Parallel of Mercury there is nothing can be supposed to save but the Trine of Jupiter and I think he is too near the Sun to do it but in this case much depends on the Position and how exact that is we know not But beyond the Moon to the Square of the Sun I should by no means allow it because she meets his Zodiacal Parallel there at the same time And had I been to correct this Nativity I would have been particular with you which of these two times I would have pitched on for his Death But to talk of the Ascendent is downright Foolery and Deceit And this is the Method I would have taken had it been propounded to me Dr. James Sibbalds's Geniture seems to be one of the truest that he hath given us according to what he says of it without giving us the Estimate Time for the Direction of his Midheaven to the Opposition of Saturn for his Imprisonment seem proper and rational and it is very likely to be true The only Nativity in the whole Book where he hath given us the Estimate Time is in Mr. Joshua Childry's which was October the 2d hor. 3 min. 50. P. M. 1625. Lat. Rochester And he says His Correct Time differs somewhat from the Estimate and this somewhat is 28 minutes almost half an Hour By which you may judge at his Correction in other cases I know nothing of this Gentleman nor hath the Author left me any ground to say much on this Nativity The next is Parson Maâ—kernes which I also pass by Mr. Vaughan born March the 24th hor. 3. min. 39. P. M. 1605. Lat. 51. This man he says from 41 years of age to 53 was much troubled with Sectaries and could not be quiet in his Living and this from the Ascendent to the Body of the Moon Opposition of the Sun and the Midheaven to the Opposition of Jupiter Now if you look into that of Mary de Medices Queen of France he kills her on the Ascendent to the Opposition of the Sun and Frederick III. Emperor on the Ascendent to the Body of the Sun and yet in this Nativity the Moon in direct Opposition to the Sun the Ascendent to the Body of one and Opposition of the other could not kill and yet the Horoscope in their way giver of Life Pray what think you of this Doctrine The Reason he gives for Mr. Richard Morgan the Minister's Death seems a little probable i. e. That he dyed on the Moon Hileg to the Opposition of Saturn But then I would ask him one Question What Venus her Trine must do there for Saturn hath South Latitude by which means the Trine of Venus falls after Saturn's Opposition and by the Rule Ptolemy gives must save if there is no other Direction but that of Saturn They must find me out something else or I cannot set my Hand to the Truth of this Nativity Our Author tells us That Judge Reeves was born in 1589. on December the 24th paulo post Meridiem Lat. 52. and that he dyed at Kingston near London suddenly in his 58th year current on the Sun directed to the Square of Saturn See the Scheme I could make several Objections about the Planets places which are indeed most of them false if you believe Leovitius but I let those things pass and come to those of more concern He tells us This man dyed on the Sun to the Square of Saturn The Sun I must own is Giver of Life as being in the prime Aphetick Place and must be directed for Death without doubt but why to the Square of Saturn and why a sudden Death What Reasons he gives are not satisfactory to me Do you think it reasonable that the Sun should pass the Body of Mars in the Twelâ—th and the Square of the Moon in the Eighth and not kill and yet the Square of Saturn must do it Besides if you believe Leovitius Saturn is in 11 degrees of Gemini which will mightily alter the Case if it is true But the main thing I lay the stress of my Argument on is Why he should outlive the Sun to the Body of Mars and Square of the Moon I should be glad to hear his Reason for it for I assure you I know none and should be glad to be informed Secondly Why should Saturn give a sudden Death If the Direction had happened in Aries or Cancer I know what they would have said but why give a sudden Death in Pisees I know not They would do well to lay us down some Rules to know beforehand when Saturn shall give a sudden Death or a Chronick Disease or nothing at all If I were gaping for their Instructions this would be a hopeful Doctrine to nauseate my Understanding and instead of teaching me would prevent all future Information that might lead me into Truth And to be short I do believe this Nativity of Judge Reeves is much about the same Standard of Truth as that of Judge Hâ—les's was and under that Sentence I leave it Dr. John Britland was born December the 25th hor. 9. min. 17. marè 1606. sub Lat. 53. and that he dyed January 1654. having lain under a long Melancholy for the space of 7 years And for this he tells us He had his Horoscope directed to the Square of Saturn and the Sun and the Medium Coeli to the Square of the Moon and for the continuance of his Melancholy the Sun to the Body of Mars and Square of Venus and the Moon to the Square of Mars and for the time of his Death the Sun to the Body of the Moon in Domo Martis Did ever man hear such a Cluster of Reasons before Do you think that the Sun in Conjunction with Saturn being directed by Body or Aspect can give Melancholy It is impossiâ—le But besides that Square came up at 33 or 34 And then to make the Directions of Mars continue his Melancholy certainly he wrote this without thinking But for his Death he hath outdone himself in saying He dyed on the Sun to the Body of the Moon and the Sun in the Twelfth House You see it did not kill Ann Queen of Hungary nor Frederick the Third
Mars without Latitude differing three degrees from the Direction with Latitude vide de diebus Criticis pag. 162. He also says That Cardinal Burgbesius died on the Ascendent to the Opposition of the Moon without Latitude and nothing else to affist it page 212. Which if it is true is of the same Force with that Direction with Latitude and every whit as effectual He likewise kills John Vidman with the Ascendent to the Body of the Moon without Latitude page 310. only he allows something else to assist it He tells us That Francis Orsatt had a violent Haemorrhage at the Nose on the Ascendent to the Body of Saturn without Latitude page 362. Mr. J. Gad. in his Collectio Geniturarum page 19. tells us That the Lady Elizabeth died on the Ascendent to the Body of Mars without Latitude And that Mr. Tho. Gataker died on the Ascendent to the Opposition of Saturn without Latitude page 103. And indeed if this be true it is a very remarkable Proof of its Power for the Ark without Latitude came up five Ecliptical Degrees before that with Latitude And Mr. George Mills had the Worms to a strange degree on the Ascendent to the Opposition of the Moon without Latitude and yet the Moon had five degrees of Latitude And that Clement Bareford had the Epilepsy likewise on the Ascendent to Opposition of Saturn without Latitude page 196. And in his Doctrine of Nativities he teacheth his Reader by an Example in his own Genesis in his Table of Directions to direct the Midheaven to the Opposition of the Moon without Latitude as if the Moon did pass the Mid-heaven twice as she must do both there and in the Ascendent if they think those Points are to be directed with and without Latitude That is she must dance backwards and forwards Nay the great and learned Morinus kills Du â—â—â—ssis alias Cardinal Richlieu on no other Direction than the Ascendent to the Opposition of Jupiter without Latitude vide Astrolog Gall. pag. 612 614. And indeed of all that is here mentioned this is the most absurd and ridiculous That Jupiter should kill because in the Eighth House and without Latitude too is very strange and yet the Sun Hileg in the Eleventh House in that Nativity By what hath been said it appears That the greatest Professors in this Science make use of this Method in their Practice of Directions and allow a Direction without Latitude to kill which is the greatest Power it can have anâ— therefore let us consider it well and throughly and also what Foundation it hath in Nature for I am of Opinion it is only a Sham and that these Directions to the Angles without Latitude are only made use of to serve a turn when nothing else will do Let the Pitcher have two Handles and either of them will serve to hold it by on any occasion Must I be bound to believe because the Sun and Moon may be directed to a Star with and without Latitude That the Ascendent also by the same Rule must be directed so too No no the Sun is directed to a Planet without Latitude in Zodiaco with Latitude in Mundo and so the Moon But the Angles in Mundo only and this shall immediately more plainly appear A Star is said to pass or touch the Horizon by Direction or any other Motion when it begins perfectly to leave the Subterranean Hemisphere and begins to appear in ours for the Horizon is such a Line as the Meridian and both but imaginary in reference to a real Line Yet we are sure there are two such Points as the Meridian and Horizon and this we are demonstrably convinced of every Morning that we see the Sun rise for no sooner the upper part of his Body toucheth the Horizon but immediately we may see it begin to rise And every day that the Sun riseth and sets we are sure there is a middle Point between both and an exact half way although he makes no Stop nor Stay there and how broad or narrow soever you think these two Circles are they are nothing else but two Marks like Points in a Line drawn on Paper the one to shew where the two Hemispheres are parted and the other where the two Quadrants in our Hemisphere are divided and this by a certain Law of Nature Hence it appears That the Ascendent and Midheaven directed to the Body or Opposition of a Star is nothing else but the Body of a Star coming to those Points or their Oppâ—sites and this with Latitude and not without it as you may observe every day and that the Stars do not dance up and down backwards and forwards like Puppets in a Show to verify the false Rules of a few ignorant Astrologers Suppose a Star to have North Latitude as Venus for Example who had 8 degrees of North Latitude in February 1691. and she ecliptically in 5 degrees of Aquary when the 5th degree of Aquary which is the place of Direction without Latitude comes to the Horoscope Venus is at least 7 degrees above the Horizon for she passeth the Ascendent with the 17th degree of Capricorn and the Midheaven with 3 degrees of Aquary and therefore can there be any philosophical Reason given why the 5th degree of Aquary should have any force in either of those Points when she is really and virtually past in both But it may possibly be objected That she doth by some secret way influence the 5th degree of that Sign in both those Points of the Ascendent and Midheaven To this I answer If there is any Ground to believe such a secret way it must depend upon something If upon her Body that is impossible because she is out of the Ascendent by their own Rule 5 degrees nor can she virtually influence a Point when she is so many degrees past it as is before mentioned If on the vertue of the 5th degree her Ecliptical Place then we are not more obliged to her Bodv and Rays than we are to the Magnetiâ—k Power of the Ecliptical degree which doth possess an equal Force and Power with her Body which if allowed then a Rush for the Rays and Influence of the Stars If there is a secret Train of Influence from the 17th degree of Capricorn to the 5th degree of Aquary which I should be glad to see proved and demonstrated for I must believe if that thing be allowed That every degree between those two must have an equal Share of Power and Influence as well as they which if so we shall quickly fall into a strange Confusion about Directions which are no more but the degrees of distance either of a Body or Aspect from some determined Point in a Circle and for all secâ—et ways of Influence that have not some probable Ground to be believed I cannot readily nor fairly comply with them without an Affront to Reason and Truth Therefore you may conclude that there is no other Direction to the Angles of Bodies or Oppositions but
with Latitude and that all other are indeed and in Truth Fictitious and both invented and used to serve a Turn when nothing else will do Secondly They generally direct the Midheaven and Horoscope to the Aspects of the Planets in the Zodiack Which is not true because they are two distinct Circles and each of them have different and distinct ways to measure their Aspects the one being measured in the Zodiack and the other by the Rapt Motion by which Motion only the diurnal Circle is measured the Houses divided and the Mundane Aspects proportionally limited I say that way of directing is not true and therefore take an Example or two Suppose the 29th degree of Capricorn on the Tenth House at Birth at which Time the beginning of Gemini Ascends and suppose Saturn to be in the 20th degree of Taurus in the Latitude of 52 then is he if he hath no Latitude 6 degrees above the Ascendent and yet for all that they will tell you That the Midheaven comes to his Square at Twenty one Years of Age. By which it appears that his Square as they call it in the Ecliptick falls 21 degrees from the Midheaven and he is 6 degrees above the Ascendent so that these two numbers added together make 27 degrees which taken from 90 leaves this imaginary Quadrate to consist but of 63 degrees And yet the same Authors tell us That the Circle or Figure consists of four Quadrants or Quarters and each of them have 90 degrees if so then here we have a Quadrant within a Quadrant and by consequence more than Four or else we must have a little Quadrant and a great one of which we may take our Choice as occasion serves Again Let us suppose the beginning of Aquary to be on the Tenth House and Saturn in the 18th degree of Cancer in the third House and in the common way I would direct the Midheaven to the Trine of Saturnâ— to do which I must by the Right Ascention direct the Midheaven to the 18th degree of Pisces which they say is the true Direction of the Midheaven to the Trine of Saturn Now observe when the 18th degree of Pisces comes to the Midheaven the 18th degree of Cancer is on the Ascendent and they all do allow That the Ascendent is just 90 degrees from the Tenth House and that every 90 degrees is a Square If so then the main Question is Whether this Direction is in Truth a Square or a Trine and also what effect it must have on the Native Thus you see what a confused Jumble they make of Astrology and yet with these most absurd Rules and Methods they contend for the Truth of it and some men are angry with those that cannot go an equal length with them to believe against Reason or shew an equal Zeal to the Temples of Ignorance and Folly To make it yet more clear to the Reader Let us suppose a Figure that hath 26 degrees of Leo on the Tenth House 10 degrees of Scorpio Ascending and the Sun in 20 degrees of Capricorn as in the Nativity J. G. calls his here I would direct the Midheaven to the Square of the Sun To do which as they say I must direct the Midheaven to the 20th degree of Libra which being done there will be at the same time 17 degrees of Sagitary on the Ascendent and the Sun above 33 degrees distant below it toward the Second Hence observe in the first Example of these three their Quadrant or Square is 27 degrees less than 90 and here you find it is 33 degrees more than 90 which shews that their Rules and ways of working are very uncertain and indeed next to no Rules because irregular Or else That we Astrologers are men of a mighty Power and can Enlarge or Contract the Heavens at our Pleasure as we find occasion to make them comply with our Doctrine and Notions Thirdly They have a new invented way to direct the â—scendent and Midheaven Convers by which Method they discover their Ignorance in Directional Motion for Convers Directions are allowed to none of the Hilegical Points but the Sun and Moon as you may see in the third Book and fourteenth Chapter of Ptolomy's Quadripartite This Method I have seen used in Nativites by some of our Modern Professors but the first Author I find it in is Morinus page 555. Astro. Gal. in the Nativity of Lewis XIV where he directs the Ascendent Convers to the Square of the Moon for the Small Pox and Eryfipelas The Ascendent and Midheaven are as you heard before certain fixed Points and therefore uncapable of any Motion either backwards or forwards for in direct Directions the Bodies and Rays move to those Angles and not the Angles to them as some fondly imagin For let the Moon be in the Eleventh House in a Nativity she moves to the Midheaven not the Midheaven to her and so of the Ascendent By which it appears from their own Operations that they tacitly allow these Points to be fixed for otherwise there could be no Directions to those Angles which they all tell us there are and I believe too many have found to their Sorrow either in Life or Fortune to be true By this it appears and I suppose will be allowed by all that the Angles are fixed Points and immoveable if so then the Angle it self doth not move to the Body or Ray of any Star but the degree of the Ecliptick only which I allow to be true and that the degree of the Midheaven or Ascendent doth by the Rapt or Convers Motion move to such a Point as they say suppose therefore the Ascendent to the Square of the Moon before mentioned but this cannot be done in the Zodiack but by proportional distances in Mundo under their proper Horary Circles of Position Yet suppose this Direction is or can be wrought true how comes it to pass that this single degree that possest the Ascendent at Birth comes to have this Power they pretend to For the Mystick Force of the Horoscope must either lie in the Fixt Point it self or else in the Ecliptical degree that is on it at Birth or in both If they say it resides in both there they put us into a greater Confusion than before for the next 5 minutes after Birth gives us two Ascendents and in Directions of Life and Death we shall not know which to make use of nor which hath the greatest Power If they say it is in the degree then they can never have any direct Directions to the Ascendent through the whole Life because that degree passeth into the Twelfth and so to the Eleventh and at last we have lost our Ascendent in a Fog it is run away from us and so let it go If they say the Power resides in the fixed Point it self then by their own Method and Rule they must allow the Ascendent it self to give Power to the degree that did then possess it at Birth which indeed I have