more diligently searched their work-houses or mines Wherefore Aristotle hath truly delivered that life is contained by heat and that neither Animals nor Plants could live without heat Again he defining Death he opposed not cold as a contrary to heat but extinction which is a privation of heat To which also Hippocrates ascribeth all the actions of the whole Animals he also affirmed that all and most diverse faculties are absolved and perfected by the benefit of this heat at fit seasons and places Philosophers searching the nature of this heat they have fallen into strange errours in that they did not distinguish the ethereal and celestial heat from the elementary heat which is in all things rising from the mixtion and temperature of the Elements but this is fruitless and void or a companion or adjunct-embassadour of the thing compound But the natural or vital heat is altogether alienated from the conditions of the Elements whereupon they called it Celestial and altogether Divine Again any man may easily distinguish and discern the vital heat from the elementary heat in Plants and cold animals as in the Poppy the Lettuce the Mandrake and the Serpent which being exceeding cold in their temperature it is certain that they do not live by this but by sole vital spirits and heat Again they brought it into controversie whether heat which is the worker of life be a substance or an accident Lastly after much contention of words they concluded it to be an accident but yet altogether celestial and divine as the light or the heat of the Sun is and every other virtue or power conveyed from the Heavens unto the prepared body They also affirm that that nature or form which consists in the matter by the mediation of the spirits or heat to be altogether one substance and that wholly celestial and divine not participating at all of the Elements The later is beaten upon and vulgar amongst the more secret Philosophers but they have not received the first But because Philosophers do intreat of vital heat they do not consider it as an accident but they comprehend together the in-bred spirits and the radical matter that is the native humidity in which the heat is seated under the name and appellation of heat for truly every thing may be found forth by it self The cause of this errour is because they have not known the original of forms which thing we wil demonstrate and explain more amply and copiously in the Chapter Of the original and differences of Forms The The divers names of Vital Heat more profound Philosophers have called this Vital Heat the Internal Sun the Internal Element and the Mineral Sun in which all the grounds of Nature are contained Arnoldus de Villa nova in his book of Conserving youth and deferring old age the third chap. he consirmeth it in express words saying That which hath not an equal is the Mineral Sun And wise men have compared the prepared body to the natural heat and sound youth for which similitude the wise men have used to call this heat by the name of an Animal for vital Sulphur and radical humidity is the store-house of all Nature for by the onely power of it all the cures of all diseases may be accomplished Galen being adduced by the notable and wonderful power of the actions in the second book of his Art unto Glauco he calleth the native Heat the Substance of the faculties and vertues which thing he doubted much in another place concerning the substance of Nature and the Soul Aristotle in the second book of the Generations of Animals the third chap. ascribeth all the faculties of all natural things to this vital heat in these words There is something in the sense of all things which causes the seed to be fruitful namely that which is called vital heat not fire for it is not any such faculty but the spirit which is contained in the seed or foamy body and the nature which is in that spirit in proportion is correspondent to the element of Stars Plato which came nigher to the shut gates of Nature called this heat or spirit the Defence of the form which heat is incident in Animals and Plants from the original He also writes that from this universal spirit of the World which alone consociates and conjoyns the soul to the World and contains the virtues that it was thereby caused and conserved for it comprehends the The Seed of every thing and the power of Procreating seminal reasons and hidden proprieties of all Procreants it filleth all and it is diffused through all and it is propagated into all Animals Plants and Metalls and these as it were of the green wind of Sulphur Concerning the native or first-begor Humidity there First-begot Humidity is required an accurate distinction of the Humours in every natural body for the attaining of the true knowledge thereof seeing that there is one humour Elementary another Alimentary another Native or first-begot and that there is much difference of them For the Elementary and Alimentary humidity do differ much from the Native and first begot humidity in the substance essence and nature The Elementary humidity is a waterish humour by which as it were with glew the dissentient and repugnant Earthly parts of the body do cohere and are united and this is common to all things which are generated by the commixtion of the concreated Elements The Alimentary is that which is attracted spiritually The spirit are â—o 〈◊〉 ed for diâ—â—erence or distinction from vapours or mists which are called spirits of the mechanical Spirits existing in the parts of the body and is exhibited or communicated to the body for nourishment or aliment which humidity all Individual things namely Vegetables and Minerals both greater and less which lie occult in the Centre of the earth attract untill they come to the predestinated limit or tearm of their continuance Afterwards the Planet ceaseth Every nutrition or nourishment is spiritual or it is made by the spirits From hence is the dewish moistening of the Microcosm and forsaketh the compound as the Philosophers affirm in these the Spirit ought neither to serve for sence or motion The Native or Inbred moisture which is also called the Vital moisture is called of the Philosophers the quintessence which may be extracted from all living roots There inhereth a matter representing Oil which is the subject of Heat and Spirits it is also indissolvable from which natural spirits and vital heat floweth as forth of a seminary and perfuseth the whole living body from which also the strength and firmness of the parts arise This fat humour which is very like Oil is not fat with Of the Microcosm which we see many parts of the body covered but it is other fat very much different and aery which flyeth the sight of the eye nevertheless it may be distinguished by art and industry and this is the Original both of spirits and
heaven which should be unto us for signs and seasons and that he filled the World with all kind of living things which things being mortal lest that their continuance and kind should decay he gave a foreseeing divine vertue in his Wisdom to seeds whereby by propagation they might conserve unto all ages the living herb and fruitfuful tree likewise he commanded the fruit and the seed every one in his kind to bring forth and multiply to conserve their kind Therefore they are worthily to be laughed at which ascribe the Original of forms not only to the Sun and Moon but also to the position of other Stars for how shall Vegetables receive the Original of forms from the Stars which were created before the Stars were formed for he hath had dominion over the Whales of the Sea and all kind of fishes birds beasts and man that they by their multiplying might fill the World So the chief workman of all things while he framed all by the word and breath of his mouth he inspired procreative vertues by which the wonderful continuation and order of things might be conserved Therefore farewel Aristotle farewel Galen and all those which do not agree with the sacred Scripture and those which hear not Moses the Interpreter of the living Philosophy We do not say as Zarabella would have That the Heaven is the universal efficient cause of the generation and corruption of all things in this inferiour world but they are all vegetant in the seed which are seen to flow and reflow by the course of generation and corruption that is to be made or to decay So that the form of every thing ariseth freely and naturally and it is native natural and happeneth not outwardly It is not deduced from Heaven nor it rises not from the commixtion of the Elements nor it is not derived from the momentany position of the Stars in regard of the inferiour nature But that soul is in man and that diversly These are the Opinions of Paracelsus not straying from the sacred Scripture nigh unto the decrees of the Platonicks with whom Hippocrates agrees altogether in his book de diaeta Notwithstanding I do not deny the superiour and inferiour conspiration consent and conflux which thing Hermes would seem to have signified in these words It is true without falshood it is certain and most true that that below is as that above and that above is as that below Scaliger the most subtil of Philosophers saith that the inferiour forms are sustained by the superiour and the superior are not destitute of the benignity of the inferior CHAP. II. Of the difference of Lives and the varieties of Baulms in the Macrocosm FOr the solid and exquisite knowledge of Nature three things are especially required First the nature of the Soul the essence of this hot fire and the substance is to be enquired after with chief study and diligence from whence the forms of things arise and to what end they tend by their absolute preordinance which manner of Doctrine we have hitherto imitâ—ted that we may suppose it to be altogether absolute and perfect Secondly though all living things by the unity of their life do imitate their beginnings their examples yet we must consider whether there be any differences and degrees of their Lives as of the vital Baulm Thirdly how we may come to the vital fountains of Nature by what proportion and by what means and by what mechanical process it may best be fitted for mans use and necessity The perfect knowledge of these three if that it concur in any it constitutes and makes a true Philosopher Concerning the other which necessarily is required in a Philosopher namely the differences and degrees of Lives as also of Baulm The difference of Life as the Philosophers speak consists in this that some live manifestly some occultly and hiddenly Again in natural things Life is either corporeal or spiritual The spiritual is apprehended to be in all Animals It is decreed by the wonderful mystery of Nature that all the kinds of things should excell by a divinity of their actions because it was meet that many instruments of their actions should actually be manifested for the solid and similar firm matter of Baulm could not admit such actions For all the actions arise from the spirits in the living body and for the diverse tincture impression and confluence which they receive in divers places they produce divers actions So that if they occupy the movable parts then they cause motion if the sensible parts then they cause sense in other places the concoctions and separations of the excrements distributions of the nutriments and nutritions shall be governed and ordered thereby Here they admit the memorable tinctures of formidity and the necessary preparations to be begot We have above said that the Vital spirits in Animals Cap. 6. de Natura by reason of their force of operation consume the animal Baulm hourly and therefore there is need of daily instauration mixtion and replenishing to propagate and produce life From these we understand that the stable life in Animals hath not admitted the matter of Baulm wherefore it is not subject to the will of Artists These are confirmed of Paracelsus in his Archidoxes for he said that neither the Quintessence or the true Balm can be derived or deduced from the company or bodies of Animals Those Medicines which are made from Animals as from their flesh bloud morrow or fat ought to be referr'd unto the order of the Vegetables from which they are nourished and are begot The Corporeal life is in all things lurking and lying hid in the centre of the Elements Those which do live obscurely are those which do manifest either no differences of the Sex or else hidden which are not distracted with the variety of sensible and movable operaions and offices and therefore they exhibit a matter subject to the wills of the Artists which administer in the Hermaphroditical nature of the Baulm the mere generations and transplantations of the Because the foundation is in one root the Sex is Male and Female Muffetus in his Apologetical Dialogue of the Chemical Medicines fol. 28 29 30. The twofold life of things thing generated or bred Of which kind are Minerals Metalls Stones Vegetables in which the Vital spirit or the soul hath made as it were a constant and durable wedlock with the bodies but yet not with the external crass and compounded bodies which are obvious to the sense but with the internal and spiritual bodies in which bodies which are subjected to the workmen the powers of Hippocrates are vegetant and forcible and the Chironeâ—a of Paracelsus in which the virtues of Colours and Tastes yea the Colours and Tastes themselves are immediately rooted and grounded And this is the First Matter of Minerals Metalls and Stones and Vegetables diffused through the whole body in which the mechanical powerful Spirits of every kind of all anatomy do live hidden and
of Salt is to congeal Bodies and to make them solid and firm from hence is the hardness of the Adamant and the solidness of Gold which Aristotle and Galen ascribe to Cold. The office of Sulphur is being of a fat and clammy substance to temperate the foresaid congelation with a benign commixtion lest that the mechanical Spirits being bound and girded with the solidness and commixt proportion of Salt should commit unjust losses of their actions and offices The office of Mercury is to repair and cherish by continual moistning those which hasten unto driness and age and to make the mixtion of them to be of a sluid and moveable substance for this necessity Mercury is adjoyned to Salt and Sulphur but more sparingly and in a less measure in the Vital beginning the Elements are in the Vital sulphur the First Matter and the Balm and these three Bodies Salt Sulphur and Mercury that is the Balm makes and compounds the Domestical principles or beginnings like unto themselves from the Elements so that it requires the common and latter Elements as external Vestments These three by whose ministery or benefit all things are connext and do conspire together are the Bonds of the corporeal continuity of all Bodies Sometimes Hippocrates designs these spiritual Bodies by the name of the Soul as when he saith that the Soul of Man is united to the Soul and that by a Physical liberty Those three beginnings of Bodies in which the faculty of every beginning doth manifestly shew it self are adorned of Philosophers by the name of Spirits These means in Nature and mean Bonds that is the three beginnings of Bodies seeing they agree most highly with the Architectonical spirits and roots or seminary beginnings of things they are named of Philosophers by the name of the First Matter Now follows the tractate of the Causes and Cures of Diseases The general and special Explication of all Diseases Astral and Material or of all Elementated and Hereditary Diseases from the Book of Nature the Book of Philosophical and Physical truth with the Opinions of Ancient Writers added as Hippocrates Galen and Celsus and others In the particular curing of Diseases it is handled of the mysteries of Cures of the brevity of the Signs of the secrets of the Remedies And first the old Precepts of Galen and of others are brought and afterward it is demonstrated by the Experience of Paracelsus Thurniserus and of Excellent new Writers and Philosophers and the Medicines for all the Diseases from anatomy and the signed art as well simple Remedies as compound by shewing the work Man the Microcosmus or little World out of the Macrocosm or great World containeth in him the anatomy of health and sanity In Man are threefold Diseases Namely 1 From Fire and Air. Which two Elements generate and infect the Spirit of man from whence there are Diseases in man which they call Epidemical or Astral Diseases 2 From Water and Earth These two Elements cause the Tartar and the â—tone and all Tartaâ—ous Diseases which â—â—â— many in man 3 From the seed of Parents and they contain in them 4 courses 1 The 4 courses of the Elements from whence all sharp Diseases arise 2 The 7 courses of the Planets from whence the Chronical Diseases arise which ensure as long as the couse of the Planet 3 4 courses of the humours from whence are Salts and that of divers Tasts 4 Courses of the qualities from whence the complexions are The Microcosmus man hath not been only created according to the Macrocosm but also made subject to Diseases and Death as in the book of Theophrastus of the Astral Diseases so also of the Invisible Diseases as also of the falling Sickness as also of the Meteors and that part is called Astronomy read the books of Theophrastus of the Tartareous Diseases The old Physicians have writ nothing of these things neither knew they any thing of them if they knew any thing it was not much Saturn Hath Dominion in the Milt Jupiter Hath Dominion in the Liver Mars Hath Dominion in the Gall Sol Hath Dominion in the Heart Venus Hath Dominion in the Reins Mercury Hath Dominion in the Lungs Luna Hath Dominion in the Brain Bloud Phlegm Choler Melancholy Is Savory Sweet Bitter Sowr Salt The Galenists call the Salts Humours when as they are Salts and of divers Tasts and qualities Of these Galen writ Hot and moist Cold and moist Hot and dry Cold and dry But Theophrastus from the light of Nature found forth that all beginnings consist in Salt Sulphur and Mercury In these three the substance of all creatures consists and is conserved to the Predestinated term or limit as Paracelsus in his book de tribus Principiis and in his book Paramid Philosoph de quatuor Elementis which four Ements do arise from three beginnings Of Generation Mixtion and Transplantation The solid and firm ground of Nature being laid and the truth and Nature of the Principles being found and established and confirmed and the original differences and degrees of Forms being set down we come to the engendring of Diseases And first it is needful to prepose the Generation of natural things and the Laws and grounds of mixtion and Transplantation And then we will shew whether the beginnings of generation be spiritual or corporeal Again it is behoveful to consider whether Animals Minerals and Vegetables are generated after the same manner for those that know not the Laws and Foundations of Generations Mixtions and Transplantations and those which do not consider the Powers and Vertues and Courses of the Spirits they persist in a great Errour that bodies are only of bodies Veâ—ily they cannot tell how to free themselves in the Inquisition of Diseases which are from the bodies from whence it comes to pass that many proclaim divers Diseases to be incurable Concerning the Foundation or ground of Generation Three things are required necessary to the administration of every Generation First the Elements and Matrices Secondly Seeds Stars First Matter or Soul Thirdly the beginnings of bodies All which though divers yet they are contained in the least portion of the matter which is altogether similar as appeareth by the testimony of the sense and so they command us to worship the Divinity of Nature neither are they confusedly or rashly comprehended but they are instructed with a Vital and most forcible Power or Vertue and with an infallible science It will bring much light to our contemplations if we explain the offices of these There are more common offices of the Elements the Matrices or Receptacles and they obtain the name of the matter they are the offices of the seeds the first matter or stars Furthermore they are called fruitful because they are the Bonds of visible and invisible things and because they contain in them the Laws of Motions the Predestination of Times and the Laws of Generations Mixtions and Transplantations as in the efficient agent cause from which all actions proceed
Galenists offers it self unto our consideration namely that they say that the young one is nourished with Menstruum in the mothers womb which is the greatest poison upon Earth when as Aristotle saith in his third book de historia animalium cap. 19. that that bloud which flows forth at set circuits in women is a kind of viciated and corrupted bloud for by the benefit and work of Nature especially the Moon decreasing is separated from the purer bloud This Menstruum flowing forth if a fresh Vine be toucht therewith it decays altogether Fruits toucht therewith are made barren Plants die Herbs and Grass in Gardens wither If a pregnant tread upon the Menstruums of another woman or if she be sprinkled with it she hath an untimely Birth It altogether takes away the hope of conceiving from those women which have not conceived already The breath and vapours which come from the mouths of women purged of their Menstruums obscure and darken glasses and brightness of Ivory Mercury or Quicksilver which commonly is put in looking glasses with tinn attracts through the glass poisonful Menstruum and the glass is not hurt which appeareth if that the Quicksilver be shaved off the spot will appear no more in the glass Gress Furthermore if this bloud be tasted of a dog he becomes mad This Menstruum torments men with grievous pains for it brings the falling sickness the falling of the hairs and the Elephantiasis therefore it was counted amongst the most grievous poisons by the Ancient hereupon it cometh to pass that in the woman in which it is suppressed that it flow not forth at the appointed and ordinary time unto her which it should be proper and benign it brings divers incommodities and Diseases Namely obstructions of the bowels pining the cancer the falling sickness and very many more mortal Diseases Seing therefore that the annoiance and discommodity of it is so great and the violence is so pestiferous who will be so mad or sottish to affirm that the young one hath nourishment from it in the womb yea All nourishment is caused by Spirits but yet by such as of which bodies may be produced which appears in things which increase where the Spirits are resolved into the bodies that there may be made increase then she is wont to conceive best in the womb when she is clensed and purged from this filthy flux and when the bloud is pure where with the young shall be nourished as likewise when the womb is clensed And though in the other time the vicious and pure are collected tother and do encrease together for it is mixt with the other pure and profitable bloud yet notwithstanding the young is not sustained nor liveth thereby neither doth it attract it for nourishment but only the sweet and most pure bloud as far as it is able but after the young is come to perfection and complement and stands in need of more aboundant food and suffereth not the spirits any longer to be included all the bonds being burst it comes forth into the light of the World The Galenists ascribe the distinction of the Sex to the qualities by this reason if that the seed of the Parents excell very much in heat and driness man will be procreated on the contrary if cold and moistness domineer woman will be procreated But profess both the Sexes to be contained in one Root and vital Principle the mixtions and tinctures superadded mans strength may degenerate into womans weakness and facility of bringing forth so that woman is nothing else but a Transplanted man not as Aristotle affirmed that she was a monster rising from Transplantation But we profess that this Transplantation is necessary and administred by the Laws of Nature wherefore this Transplantation is not to be ascribed to heat or cold but to the superadded tinctures of mixtion which superadded tinctures we will largely explain in the differences of Transplantations And these concerning the Generation of perfect animals which have obtained strong and powerful seed which will endure for an age howsoever it be agitated and tossed with divers mutations of Transplantation But here we had almost forgot the subtilty of the Galenists which say that the young in the womb hath the faculty of sense about the 36 day I marvel who of them hath peirced into the secret Closets of Nature or who of them hath observed at what time the young one receiveth sense in the womb If that they say they found it by anatomy it is false for the young can live no longer when the mother dies If they object and say that the mothers observed it I ask of them by what means and how Certainly if they had understood the sciences and powers of the seeds they would never have alleged and brought in such old wives Fables But that which Hippocrates professeth that the male his bones being strengthned and made somewhat harder moves in the third moneth but the woman in the fourth we likewise grant this for the pregnant may observe the first leaping of the Child and perceiveth it as the tickling of a flie Imperfect animals are those which generate without a manifest putting forth of seed as Eels Frogs and almost all insected animals by their mutual embracings do send forth the flowr of Balm into the Matrices and Receptacles for Generation wherein all things are absolved and perfected which are needful and necessary to Generation Again they profuse or pour forth a fruitful seed which is crass and clammy resisting external injuries which seed is stirred up and compelled to work by the benefit of the heat of the Sun and then it constitutes the Elements and adjoyneth such like Principles of bodies and perfects the offices of mixtion which things being perfected it absolveth and finisheth the Generation correspondent to the science of the mechanical spirits In the procreation of fishes when as the female hath laid down her Eggs the male comes and sprinkles his seed upon the Eggs and how many soever have been sprinkled with his seed take life the rest which are frustrate and destitute of the heat of the male do pine away and corrupt There is the same reason of the Generation of birds which bring forth Eggs in the place of seed and then they keep them warm by their heat and so bring forth young birds The Generation by putrefaction which the Philosophers call the Generation from seed and from putrefaction differs from this manner of Generation The Generation by putrefaction is of that kind which the Generation of mice and bees is which Paracelsus calls Generation ex cagastro so worms are generated in cheese and hornets in the excrements of horses But concerning those animals which do make congress and generate with animals of divers kinds as the Horse and the Ass the Wolf and the Dog we will handle of them in the difference of Transplantations This Generation of Animals differs from the Generation of Vegetables because the seeds of animals neither
onely deprehended and known from the affects CHAP. VI. Of the differences of Stars namely of the Benign the Mean and the Extreme hurtful IF the inferiour bodies be as the superiour which is confirmed by the Testimony of the Holy Ghost and of Hermes then all the stars in the Firmament do contain in them the anatomy of Diseases and Death but many are found forth whose resolutions are wholsome for in the inferiour Globe Nature hath set before our eyes Gold Silver Gemms Balmmint Roses Violets Betony Wheat Barley Wine Milk withall which Nature refreshes the vital spirits continually as with food and aliment Again we see the herbs and medicamental simple bodies Lettice Cassia Rheubarb Polypody or Oakfern Vinegar Agarick the herb Trinity Arsemart Cuckowpitle and others of that kind Lastly some do shew poison manifestly as Arsenick Wolf-bane Poppy Hemlock Antimony Vittiol Mercury Scammony Devils Milk Colocynth all which resist mans Nature and intend present death As the inferiour Globle yields unto us three Orders of all fruits of the Earth and Water common to things and kinds namely that some are wholsome unto men and necessary for life as is said of Wheat and Wine Some are indifferent and mean as is said of Cassia of Lettice Polypody and Rheubarb Some are altogether contrary to mans Nature as Arsenick Hemlock Woolf-bane Even so we distinguish all the stars in the visible Heaven into three Orders First some stars have the anatomy of Soundness whose resolutions are necessary for the health of Animals and they have also the sincere conditions of Nutriment neither is there any poisonful property found in them by sense or effect These stars answer in the inferiour Globe to Gold Silver Gemms Balmmint Rose Wheat Wine Milk Secondly some stars have tinctures and medicamental properties but yet lighter admixt in their exaltations and their resolutions which rise at the several times of the year and are frequent These stars in the inferiour Globe agree with Lettice Cassia Cuckowpintle Arsemart Agarick and others of this kind Thirdly some stars in the resolutions of the seeds shew the poisonful properties of Arsenick Auripigmentum Sulphur Woolf-bane Libberdsbane by manifest testimonies of the effects These stars in the inferiour sphere have these nigh and of affinity with them namely Mercury Antimony Arsenick Sulphur Woolfbane Scammony Ellebor the herb Devils Milk Colocynth c. From these it is manifest that natural things and fruits of the Elements as well of the superiour as of the inferiour sphere are divided into three Orders Into those which are benign and friendly unto mans Nature and into those which are indifferent and mean and lastly into those which are extreme hurtful and bring present death and destruction as all fruits of aliments and resolutions of seeds whether they be alimentary or medicamentary or extreme hurtful CHAP. VII Of the differences of Stars of which some Benign some Malicious THough it be not our purpose to handle of the differences of stars in this place and to explain their Nature and properties in particular Seeing that it belongs rather to Astronomy and Astrology notwithstanding seeing that this knowledge of stars in this Doctrine is especially required we will briefly say somewhat of it The first of all we must consider which Planets are benign which are malicious and hurtful and this of erring stars Concerning the fixt stars we have distributed them into seven Orders cap. 1. of this Treatise and that in regard of the Planets and dominant stars to whom the fixt stars do as it were serve and imitate the Nature of their dominant Planets That the benignity and clemency as on the contrary the malignity of the Planets might be made manifest we have divided the erring Stars or Planets into two kinds The clement or benign and the malignant The benign or clement Planets are the Sun Jupiter Venus Mercurius The malicious or malignant are Mars and Saturn The indifferent Planet is the Moon After the same manner the signs of the Zodiack are to be explained which the Planets or erring Stars illustrate and illuminate and for the Nature of the guests the Houses or Guesthouses are made friendly or malignant Notwithstanding for the most part they shew and exercise their malice in their proper houses as Saturn in Aquarius Capricorn and Libra which is the house of exaltation So Mars in Aries Scorpio and in Capricorn which is the house of exaltation It is to be observed that there are four triplicities of the Stars in the Zodiack and there are three signs attributed to every Planet which are indued either with good or malignant qualities by reason of the quality of their Planet Again those signs in the Zodiack are twofold in regard of the Elements Some are fiery and aery Some watery and earthly Saturn hath a triplicity in the fiery and aery signs Mars in the watery and earthly signs so that Saturn and Mars are thought to comprehend the whole necessity of things by their malignity for the Moon and Venus which otherwise are numbred amongst the benign and mild Planets when they are in the ends of Saturn or Mars they are made partakers of their malignity so that they are deprived of their good and friendly Nature unto men and take upon them the unfriendly Nature and malignant to their inseriours for these signs which are very much Saturnal and too much Martial are hurtful and unfriendly spirits naturally to the spirit so that we say the Signs or Planets are infortunate and contrary to mans Nature by Saturn or Mars unless they be in their Houses or Kingdoms that is either when they are there or have their Aspect thither either in Opposite or Quadrate We call the Opposite Aspect that which is betwixt those which are distant very far amongst themselves We call the Quadrate Aspect that when as one is distant from another the fourth part of the Heaven that is it is distant the third space of the signs and then the confluence doth somewhat mitigate the malice of Mars so Jupiter doth temperate the malignity of Saturn and bruises his poisonful glass The Aspect of Saturn or Mars unto the Moon exists every where ill and malignant And thus much of the Nature Property and Difference of the erring stars Now concerning the fixt stars and especially the signs All are not indued with poisonful and malignant properties manifestly but use and experience hath observed four namely Piscis Aquarius Scorpio and Cancer these are also malignant Pleiades Hyades the Constellations of Pisces which represent stupefactive somniferous Poppies and the Mandrakes tinctures as also the Sulphureous and Vitriol tinctures In like manner Bootes and Vrsae have the poisonful properties of Aquarius so also of Scorpio and Cancer The Satuâ—nine and Martial stars obtain the poisonful properties but more forcible and grievous of Auâ—ipigmental spirits Arsenick Armonial and Sulphureal spirits The revolutions or circular motions of these stars are made with great Eclipses and Conjunctions Hippocrates lib. Epidem