Those to be certain arguments of These Thus is the Poor Astrologer treated for all his Pains § 52. After this manner of dealing how shall I expect to Fare hereafter if it shall please God to lengthen my Life so far as to Methodize some of my many Hundreds or it may be Thousands of Experiments of several kinds which I have faithfully made and with great Labour and Industry accumulated in my long time of Study In vain have I visited Goals and Hospitals and used all other just and proper ways to gain and heap up Experiments in Art if after all I must hope to be no better dealt with for those my many years careful and painful endeavours after Truth If this be all the Portion the Poor Artist must expect all the Reward he shall meet with He that Studies the Stars is the most unhappy Person in the World § 53. Can my Learned Adversary believe all those great and voluminous Treatises which have been wrote by the Sages of Science to be only the works of Knaves and Mad Men. Cardan Gauricus Iunctine Goclenius Camerarius Argelus Rothmannus Orguinus Hassurtus and of late the Learned Mormus cum multis aliis c. All your Learned Labours are meer Trifles of nouse at all meer pieces of Iuggle and Leger-de-main Mists before the Eyes of Us Poor Star-gazing Idiots vain Phantoms and aery Idea's to make us believe only a Falshood for a Truth and force us with Ixion to embrace a Cloud for Iuno If it be thus why then our Adversaries are in the Right and our cause is lost But be it so then however I am not alone deceived I have a great deal of Good Company with me in the same predicament Nor have I alone been a Deceiver of the World others have trod the same Stage before me and with me and will do after me But to come out of our Dream we assuredly know That Day unto Day uttereth better Speech than this and Night unto Night teacheth more excellent Knowledge § 54. But è diverticulo in viam to come to my Point again my Adversary to shew his readiness to load me and render himself at the same time Partial which for his sake I am sorry he gives me occasion to mention He wholly omits my answer to such a Foreseen Objection He may see even by this that we Astrologers can Foresee something I wish we could as easily prevent them as now he brings against me viz. There are divers Eminent Persons about London that have heard me relate the misfortunes which happen'd upon that Expedition long before the conclusion thereof even as soon us the March it self was beginning Collect. Genit p. 167. What would my Learned Antagonist have I cannot imagine what he designs by his unkind curtailing my words and matter to make me speak as himself pleases unless he contrive to Stigmatize Me and the Truth together § 55. It is now more than 24 years since this Praediction and Experiment was made and therefore 't will be hard for me to procure Witnesses of what was then said or done Yet I affirm it an absolute Truth without any mixture of Design or Iuggle and believe I may be able if occasion require to produce some Evidence thereof which I might been able to have done had I been question'd sooner But should I be uncapable of producing any it is sufficient that I affirm the Truth there Printed and deny all Fraud Iuggle or Design therein And I do not doubt of bringing as it is usual and satisfactory in the Law in the Case of Spurious Issue Father'd on a Man very Honourable and Worthy Compurgators who will not be affraid to affirm that they believe I speak nothing in this matter but the Truth § 56. But alas If a Man must be question'd for any thing of Fact after such a time viz. 24 years 't is odds indeed were not the supreme Law of Reason on our side but that the Antagonist would have the better although in the present debate he must be content to be at a Loss But where all this while is our regard to Truth when we shall offer to Play at Push-pin after this rate with a Science more Antient than any other that the knowing World can boast of Where is our respect to Humanity when we shall provoke one another unjustly Where is our value for true Honour and Conscience when we shall without colour of Reason fasten pretended Frauds of our own Coyning upon the Names and Reputations of Men we know not and that never did us wrong Where is our Love to Christianity or the blessed Author thereof who hath taught us better Lessons than to injure the quiet of another or to cast Fiery Bombs at the Innocent and this without first asking a Reason of a difference or fairly proclaiming a War § 57. Had my Learned Antagonist in case of dissatisfaction about any thing I had wrote or published but sent me a Letter of his Objections as the Reverend Dr. H. More did to Renatus dos Cartes c. and that I had failed to give him a reasonable answer it had then been time enough to have hung out his Flag of Defiance and render'd me Odious in Print § 58. But no more by way of Exclamation or Complaint This Quarrel will I hope at least quickly cease I wish the Wars Troubles and Confusions of Europe and of Christianity were likely to be of as short a Date For I dare Augure and that without a Figure for in Schemes my Antagonist takes no pleasure though I really delight to contemplate them That less than 24 years more will cover and conceal both our Persons whatever it may do with our Errours which if either of us have committed any in Print they will lay a Title to a larger Alchocoden and not meet their Oblivion so soon 'T is natural for Men to live longer in their Issue good or bad than in their Persons § 59. Before I come to the second part of my Defence viz. the Genitures promised I have one or two more parcels of rubbish to remove out of the way which I shall do with all Speed One is this My Antagonist charges me with having affronted and abused the Learned Peter Gassendus p. 258. These are my Adversaries words I will recite him faithfully and wish he had so done by me Peter Gassendus poor Man because he wrote against Judicial Astrology and check'd and confuted the Art of Genitures had all things naught in his Nativity His ill habit of Body and worser if this censor is to be credited meaning me forsooth of Miud is plainly to be seen in the Heavens Never was wretch so Bespatter'd by Man of Art § 60. It is my Antagonists design by this passage to render me guilty of doing Injury to the Ashes of the Learned Gassendus and to that purpose He insinuates Me to be the real Author of the Judgment given upon Gassendus's Scheme But if He had pleased to
Study and Contemplate else the meerest Animal and most contemptible Creature in the World had equal advantage of them with the greatest Philosopher And the severest endeavours of the most Industrious and Painful Student would bear no price or be of any valuable esteem among Men But the Hog would be prefer'd to Venus For Men to believe the Stars in the Heavens are of no more use than the Signs at Shop-keepers Doors or that they are less Vertual and Attractive than a little piece of the Magnes Stone is to suppose them most unworthy the curious Design of their Maker and so to call his excellent Wisdom into Question for placing such Vast and Glorious Bodies at such Distance from us and in such exact and proportionate Order over Us to so Ignoble and Inglorious a Purpose And for a Man to know that there are Stars and not be acquainted with their Influences is to as little purpose as for a Physician to know the names of Drugs and yet be utterly Ignorant of their Virtues and Uses Of so mean nay so vain use is Astronomy without Astrology though the One be Vniversally beloved by Men the Other generally disesteemed So Erroneous so Partial are Men in their choise of things that they Elect the Shell before the Kernil believe the Body to be more Rich and worthy than the Soul that animates and invigorates it They are self tormentors saith the Learned Thomas Albius who fret that those things are unknown which are publickly known to others but are unknown to them because upon some extrinsecal prejudice they neglect enquiring into what others have said Which Race of Men is at this day most frequent with the Courtiers of Science but withall most insufferable For what can be viler than to shut the Eyes against things most manifest to the understanding upon the Calumnies of such as profess they know not these Things which others constantly affirm are most evidently comprehended Being sometime since in discourse with a Learned and Reverend Divine about this Vain and prejudicate humour of Men. That meerly because others had condemn'd Astrology They would do so too He very mildely and Iudiciously Replies That such Persons were Fetter'd in Chains of Darkness For saith he to be Ignorant only is to be in a State of Darkness but to be in an Ignorant Prejudice is to be in Chains The late Right Reverend Father in God the most Learned Doctor Saunderson Bishop of Lincoln happening upon the Doctrine of Nativities was pleased to expend not less than Five hours one afternoon in the perusal thereof Which when He had done His Lordship 's then Secretary and my very good Friend prayed his Opinion thereof and also of the Art it self Whose answer was That He thereby perceived there was some Learning in the World of which He was Ignorant That the Art might be Lawful if not Unlawfully used That He knew the Stars had Powerful Influences but that Gods Grace was more Powerful A most excellent and Divine Truth Worthy the Tongue of so great and so good a Prelate Worthy to be Written in Letters of Gold to be a Memorial for future Generations to follow Here you may see Mars was truly in Aspect to the Lord of the Second House and in opposition to the Governess of the Horoscope also posited in the Angle representing Fears c. Which proves that this thrice Learned and most Reverend Prelate understood Ptolemy in the sence he ought to be understood And it is for that end I produce the Scheme of Heaven which He in that His most Excellent Sermon referred to There is no question but this Good Bishop saw other remarkable things in the Figure but because His Grace was pleased to omit mentioning of them and remember only the violent Influence of Mars it will become me also to conceal Them None ever yet condemn'd Astrology that thorougly understood it Picus Earl of Mirandula who wrote largely against Astrology tho' a great Schollar in the General yet I dare not allow him such in this Learning For he died before the thirty third year of his Age And what Experience in so Abstruse an Art could he attain unto in so short a time had all his years since his Iudgement began to take place been imployed in this Study surely very little Many can talke of Robin Hood that cannot shoot in his Bow Dwarfs cannot tak off Giants Caps Falshood may be drest up in as fine words as Truth and a Painted Courtezan may sometimes look more Glaring than an excellent Native Beauty at least to common Eyes Let our pretended Refuters shew us their Experiences they would convince us by and if upon examination we cannot clear our selves we will submit But we expect then that They will do the like That is but Reason Picus was a Learned Man and a great Rhetorician and had read and wrote much for his time but that is not enough to make an Astrologer This Noble Man had an afflicted Mercury which made his Study in such Arts his Disease not his Delight And such a Native can never be a true Servant or Votary to Divine Urania Sextus ab Heminga was a very severe and sower Enemy to the Stars and Truths of Astrology yet the Learned Morinus Physician to the King of France is not affraid to pronounce Him therein a very Ignorant Fellow and one that understood Nothing of the Science he went about to Refute Mr. John Chambers wrote a bitter and Sarcastical Discourse against this Art He was Learnedly and Mildly answer'd by Sir Christopher Heydon which Book when he saw and therein found his Sapless Sophistry refuted he replyed not but soon after died If my Antagonist will only pretend to oppose the Errours practiced under pretence of this Art and keep to That He and I are at Unity and can never differ at all I am naturally a lover of Truth and so much do I abhominate and abhor Falshood that I can and frequently do fall at odds with my self when at any time I happen to discover an Errour in my Judgement although my Aim and Design be nothing but the Truth I am better pleased when people tell me of my Mistakes so they do it not upbraidingly than if they gave me Money and do really lament my misfortune in not knowing better and blame my over hastiness or negligence in not minding better the Rules which I ought to follow And no man can be guilty of Errours in Astrology but upon One of these two Grounds The Caelestial Clock-work always goes True though by reason of Humane Frailty we do not always truly observe it This excellent Art of Astrology though my Antagonist thinks it be now near its Vertex and therein allows some Truths to be discover'd by it though in other cases allows it no Kin to Truth at all Let him answer for that is God knows but very darkly and obscurely understood The greatest of our Knowledge in these Caelestial Speculations is the least
VVhereas by allowing them of what excellent use are they found in Astronomy Physick Musick Trigonometry Trade c. But as I have said before I will leave the general cause of Astrology to be defended by some more Learned and Able Pen and only concern my self to prove that the very Principle upon which I am Impeached is Firm and Good and so far from being shaken or weakened though briskly impleaded by the Antagonist that it carries the Face of Truth in it and ever will be found to do so The PRINCIPLE is this ☞ § 19. Cardinal Signs possessing all the Angles of a Nativity renders the Native Famous and Notable in his Generation This is a Truth so Conspicuous Great and Undeniable not only in the Genitures of Men but of Kingdoms Cities Castles c. and in all the other parts of Astrology the Cardinal Signs on Angles are ever of so Famous and Remarkable signification and import that it stands in need of no other Proof than the attestation of Antiquity and the consent of Modern Astrologers And thus it hath been proved before this Learned Opponent or my self were born and will remain a Truth when We shall be no more § 20. The year it self is govern'd by the Cardinal Signs or Points of Heaven The Moveable Feasts of the Church depend upon the Equinoctium Vernum the grand Cardinal Point of all The Church begins its Year at or about the Vernal Equinox Nay God hath honoured the Cardinal Points of Heaven by dispensing his greatest blessings and benefits unto the world under them and thus in the time of the Law as well as Gospel The Iews Pascha and their Feasts of Azymes and Tabernacles were appointed to be Celebrated under Cardinal Signs God sent his own dear Son our Blessed Saviour into the world and permitted him to suffer on the Cross for our Sins both under Cardinal Signs The greatest Actions of the world depend upon Equinoctial and Solstitial Points viz. Aries Cancer Libra Capricorn and if instances of Mens Births may pass for proof and I know no reason why they should not I could produce a Multitude to confirm it § 21. Now knowing it to be purely rational for us from a constant experience of an Effect to conclude the cause thereof Aphoristically true and that Ptolomy and all other Astrologers have made their Aphorisms from a continued Observation of the Truths they contain and so wrote Probatum's on them From the same ground of Observation I adventured in my Eighteenth Aphorism Printed at the end of my Collectio Geniturarum to assert That Cardinal Signs possessing the Angles of a Nativity makes the Native of any condition or capacity most Eminent and Famous in his Generation and to do such Acts that after Ages shall admire Which said Aphorism together with my illustration thereof upon the Geniture of that Immortal Arch bishop of Canterbury as the Reverend Dr. Pierce justly stiles him Printed in my foresaid Book of Genitures is the presumed ground of my Adversary's dissatisfaction I shall therefore endeavour to support the Truth thereof 1. By sundry Authorities and Reasons 2. By Experience from 10 Notable Genitures which Astrologically do little less than Demonstrate the Truth of it § 22. First by Authority Cardinal Signs as Cardan teaches Sig. 5. Aphor. 129. are the grand Distinguishers and Dividers of the several great parts of the World Nay we know the several prime Seasons of the Year are observ'd to receive their beginnings under the Cardinal Signs And thus the Learned Childrey my late worthy Friend Prebend of Salisbury hath truly termed ♑ Capricorne the conception of Vegitables and ♈ Aries the birth of them Iudag Astrol. p 13. Sect. 26. And suitably we see ♋ Cancer to be the Perfection and Glory of them and to ♎ Libra we most reasonably and justly attribute their decay And this is of so constant certain and undoubted verity that every Year gives us a fresh Demonstration thereof and no man that hath his Sences serviceable unto him will offer once to deny it The Learned Vossius who is willing to exclude Starry Influences yet affirms That the greatest motion of the Winds and Tides are observed about the Equinoxes viz. the two principal Cardinal Signs If then it be found reasonable to allow it the true office and business of Cardnal Signs to Distinguish Divide and Declare not only the Grand parts of the World but likewise the most Eminent and Observable Seasons of the Year viz. such as all the Creation are affected with Then by an Argument à Minori They may most reasonably be pre-sumed to Distinguish and Denote the most Active and Prodigious Persons of any degree when they shall be found posited on the Angles of their Genitures But Experience is a most constant and never failing Evidence of this Truth as shall be more fully shewn anon We might further confirm unto you the Truth of this Aphorrism or Argument by an Observation taken from the most common and ordinary acting belonging even to Domestick Imployments or House-keeping 'T is even become a Proverb that of all Drink your March-Beer bears away the Bell. And why so why should March have the Reputation but because the Sun is then in the Equinox i. e. the chiefest of the Cardinal Signs And let it be observed I pray you whether the rest of the Cardinal Points be not also peculiarly influential in this matter although not fully so much as Aries yet much more then any of the other Eight Signs termed By-corporeal and Fixed § 23. Nor is it thus in the grand Seasons of the Year only which are marked out by the Suns progress through the Cardinal Signs but in the peculiar Quarternions of the Moon also as she passes the Equinoxes and Solstices ever remembring that as the Sun hath the greatest virtue in Aries the Moon hath most power in Cancer And of this Truth every good House-wife may frequently make tryal if she pleases in Baking Brewing c. For the Lunar Year though it be a lesser is as compleat as the Solar and the Moon transiting the Cardinal Points in her Circuit is as surely though not so largely serviceable to the use and necessities of Humane kind as is the Sun Let any one for Experiment sake it is not much trouble make use of the same requisites as at other times either in Baking Brewing c. when the ☽ Moon shall be in ♈ Aries ♋ Cancer ♎ Libra or Capricorn ♑ and put those Signs on the Angles also at the beginning of the Work and having used your ordinary honest endeavours as when no such care is taken then observe the Issue and if you find a better effect of your Labour than at any other time when the Moon and Angles are not so related I hope you will not refuse with me to attribute somewhat to the Virtue and Dominion of Cardinal Signs beyond any of the other Eight Let Me also remember that it is happily observed by a
Birth or if we should grant that in changing Countreys Schools or places of habitation when this pretended Pope might be taking her Ramble she might for some particular reasons with much Craft and more Fear conceal her Sex for a time as many pretty Females we read of to have had odd vagaries sometimes could she think we be so happy as to do so always and not be discover'd What! No Green-sickness Longings or unnatural eating of Chalk Charcoals or Oatmeal c. at the time of her Virginity appearing Or when a grown Woman no prying Bedfellow Servant or Laundress that could make discovery of the Fraud either by a Vision of her Person in so long time or from her Mensurnal changes What! All sorts of People Tongue-ty'd or brib'd to silence Not a Person known neither to be made use of in the affairs of Venus when her Disires grew with her Years No diligent Matron to be found or heard of that pass'd between Her and Her Gallant Never any notice who was Her Amintor What Countrey-man Condition or Complection Sure she was in Psyche's Condition and had gotten such a kind of Lover that no Mortal ever saw 'T is strange that none of all these things could be made appear No proof at all to be found to corroborate the pretence Why this is just like Oates's Commissions great discourses of This That and the other from Iohannes Paulus de Oliva the General of the Iesuits and yet not One to be found § 86. The Learned Dr. More and his Disciple my Antagonist may bribe and blindfold their own Reason and believe the greatest impossibilities to be true but that is no Rule or Example for me I am a Man of free thought and hate Fetters upon my Vnderstanding I cannot believe any thing to be true that carrieth an improbability or unlikelyhood in the Front of it No though it should be liberally Sworn to § 87. The Author of the Female Prelate Dedicated to the late Earl of Shaftsbury and the writer of the Protestant Almanack may gulp down such a Gullery without either Examination or Consideration of what they imbibe They have large Swallows in some cases But for me to do it simple Idiot that I am I should run the hazzard of Choaking The Throat of my Reason is too narrow to Gobble down such a Crude Potion easily § 88. Hear what my Noble Dr. Brown saith to this matter in his Popular Errours who would have thought Doctors of Theology concern'd in Errours Popular He Sagacious and Honest Man could not digest it But thus argues Clearer confirmation must be drawn for the History of Pope Joan who succeeded Leo the Fourth and preceded Benedict the Third then many we yet discover And since it is delivered with aiunt ferunt by many since the Learned Leo Allatius hath discover'd that antient Copy of Martinus Palonus who is chiefly urged for it had not the Story in it since not only the Stream of Latine Historians have omitted it but Platina the Patriach Metrophanes Smyrnaeus and the exasperated Greeks have made no mention of it but conceded Benedict the Third Successor unto Leo the Fourth He wants not grounds who doubts it Dr. Thomas Brown Pseud. Epidem p. 320. Edit 1658. § 89. Let the worthy Dr. More and others affirm this Fiction for an assured Truth and let the Author of the Protestant Almanack tell us confidently that the name of this Prelate in Petticoats called Pope Ioau was at first Elizabeth Gilbert and born of Dutch Parents Let the witty Author of the Female Prelate acquaint us that her name was Ioanna Anglica and that she was a German Lady Yea no doubt the German Princess she is not forgotten yet was one of her Byblows § 90. For is it not strange that we hear not of any of this Female Popes Nephews preferr'd or of any Favours she extended to her Quondam Companions We find no account of any respect she ever paid to the places of her Birth or Breeding to satisfie succeeding unbelieving Ages or Persons None of her Deeds Religious Civil or Natural can we any where read of but only that improbable one of Her being deliver'd of a Child in the streets careless as well as Friendless Woman that she was and this too as she was going a Solemn Procession No notice at all belike of the approach of the Birth no Pains or Tokens attended her like other Women That the Procession might have been put off for a time But poor Pope Sick or Well she must Obey Why every Midwife nay every simple Woman that hath but wit enough to Get and Bear a Child is able to refute this Fabulous Story § 91. Sure this Scene was acted when Popes had not the power of the Keys Her Popedom being somewhat like to Sancho's Government was neither able to serve or preserve Her with the use of common necessaries and assistances that even an Alewife with us in such a case can easily procure if not command No news neither what became of the Child Whether it died young or lived to years of Maturity If died young where buried If it were so happy as to live in what place How Educated To whose care committed c. All Records of her Famous Acts obliviated no notice how she came to be Elected but in a Drammatick Poem no mention of any Strugling Interests at that time which Party should carry it Italy France Spain Germany c. No Monument Inscription Epitaph Or indeed place of Burial to be found The most unhappy Papess sure that ever was § 92. Old Time we know hath long Locks and can cunningly cover some things that never were Some Lies have the luck on 't to be told under a popular Ascendant or else they could never command the belief of the World so long as they do What is it that I would not give in Reason for to procure Pope Ioans Geniture Such a thing would more assure us of the Truth of the Story than any thing the many Authors which Dr. More talks of have said in the defence of it We can procure the Nativities of Ovid Iulius Caesar Nero Domitian c. Persons of greater Antiquity than Pope Ioan History and Cronology in these doth happily befriend us But in the Story of our Pope Ioan they are altogether Barren and unserviceable Partiality in divided Records says the late quoted Oracle of Reason Dr. Brown hath much depraved History wherein if the equity of the Reader do not correct the iniquity of the Writer he will be much confonnded with Repugnancies But Dr. More hath said it and therefore it must be true § 93. Now leaving this Digression of Pobe Ioan let us come to our business again My Antagonist pursues me thus Thus saith He should Dr. More Smart for writing against Dear Urania for daring to insert his Confutation of Iudiciary Astrology into the Mystery of Godliness and for Printing it lately by it self This is a groundless fear of my
Art of this is taken out of the first part of Apotelesmatical Constructions called by Ptolemy Catholicon Tetra lib. 1. VVhere he acquainteth his Astrologer in giving Iudgement of the Ascendant of a City to take knowledge of the Sun and Moons place in the Zodiaque which they had at the laying of the Foundation but especially of the Ascendant as the most principal Angle And in p. 32. He further says Now because that in the Nativities of Cities as in the Genitures of Men the Astrology is the same here you see that hard Stone and soft Flesh are under the same Astrological care and cognizance therefore after consideration had of the Life and Being of the City from the Horoscope the next care taken was of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or part of Fortune the second Ascendant so called in the Figures of Men. And a little before this in p. 31. we meet with a famous Instance of this practice for which we are indebted to this Author and Gauricus that in the Instauration of Rome by Pope Paul the Third Gauricus drew the Figure of the Heavens Vincentius Campanatius observed the time by his Astrolabe toward the Instant whereof he cryed out with a loud Voice Ecce adest hora precisa Decima Sexta feré Then immediately Ennius verulanus the Cardinal laid the first Stone He goes on saying these Catholique Nativities were so much believed by the Antient Kings saith Haly that they enquired into the Genitures of all the principal Nati under their Dominions VVhere if the Planets were found to look with a malicious Eye upon the Nativity of the Kingdom Interficiebant eum puerum quod ejus Regnum erat contra Regnum ipsorum § 111. 'T is possible the Superstition might go too far But allow it to be Superstition and to have over-shot it self yet that there is Truth lodged even in some Superstitious practices these Learned Men and Instances prove And that Ptolemy you see is mistaken and misunderstood by the Author of Cometomantia and so also are the rest of the Learned Astrologers VVhen he with a strange confidence asserts That the most Learned and Iudicious Astrologers have not asserted the Doctrine of Genitures VVhich in opposition to his said Assertion we see they have very remarkably and that not only of Men but of Buildings too Not only of soft Flesh but of hard Stone § 112. And although this practice of the Antient Arabians was by their Superstitious severity abused yet I see not but that very excellent use might be made thereof even among Christians For if any person were found to have a Geniture that should cast a malicious Eye upon that of the Government though I should not give my Vote they should therefore be barbarously or inhumanly Butcher'd Yet sure it were no injury to the principles of Humanity good policy or of Religion to have such persons kept from prejudicing the Government or of rendring it troubled and uneasy by preventing the Advancement of such into places of Trust and Honour For if it be a Truth and sure the Sages of former times were not all Blind that some Persons may be born Enemies to a Government The only way to make them so and prove the Stars true is to capacitate them by Preferment or great places of Trust to disturb and in time destroy it But this is a String ought to be touch'd very tenderly Astrology although it can lay a just Title to many excellent Truths hath not in this Age arrived to that strength of Perfection as to give a casting Vote in the case and it may be will not be able in many Ages to reach unto it And know good Reader that in all things I shall ever Submit but shall never presume to prescribe to Authority § 113. But Secondly Having proved my Antagonist to be mistaken in Ptolemy let us see how far Iunctinus is serviceable to him and his cause The Learned Iunctinus is also an allowed Pillar of Astrology by the Opponent and therefore the better Iudge in the present Controversy And if we but peruse his Speculum Astrology as well his larger as lesser Volumes bearing that Name we shall certainly find him so far from refusing to Ascert the Doctrine of Genitures that he hath as much as any Man nay more than many other Astrologers Install'd and Enfranchis'd the same Vid. Spect. Astrol. Printed at Lyons Anno 1572. And that the truth of this matter may more plainly appear and my Antagonist receive the great satisfaction he may find that this his Chosen Author Iunctinus hath owned the Doctrine of Genitures to be of so Large and Comprehensive an extent as to contain even the Horoscopes of Buildings no less than those of Men of hard Stones as well as of soft Flesh as Ptolomy had done before him In p. 313. of the beforesaid Book this Learned Author in favour of the Nativities of Buildings hath inserted the Nativity of the Noble City of Venice with an Astrological Iudgement thereon Which for the Honour of Astrological Truth and the advantage of Artists and full Conviction of my mistaken Adversary in this Point I will here produce as follows The Nativity of the City of Venice § 141. HAec Civitas hactenus suam libertatem conservat ex prudentia scientiaque suorum Senatorum Verum Anno 1551. Solis labor qui in 26 grad cancri in horoscopo ipsius civitatis Eclipsabitur pollicetur seditiones multa mala in statu Senatorio tandem plures ex plebe mala morte terminum significat Qua propter magna detrimenta patientur etiam prelio Navali superabuntur recipient damna maxima à proditoribus suis. Veruntamen exaltabuntur super alios Vrbes custodient suam libertatem ut insinuat Sol in radice positus in Culmine Caeli in suo theono triplicitate qui dabit audaciam in periculis ac pro Aristocratia conservationem sunt tamen ipsi Senatores ad literas apti ut insinuant Mercurius Jupiter in nona Domo conjuncti quae est Domus Scientiarum Vnde apparebunt sapientes in omnibus actionibus rebus publicis Et ad publicam utilitatem erunt omnes paratissimi qua propter nomen eorum erit insigne ac gloriosum ut ostendit Sol in Culmine ipsius Caeli positus Jupiter Mercurius in nona Domo decernunt Religionis conservationem ac utilia itinera per aquam cum Divitiarum augmentatione sed experientur aliquod accidens in eorum substantiis Quoniam Sol Dominus Secundae Domus est male affectus cum parte fortunae Si quis autem interrogaret utrum Mars in diametro Soli decernat Regnum diuturnum stabilia Responderem quod Imperia non sunt Eterna sed mutabilia secundum influxus Caelestes Et ut dicit Lucas Gauricus vir Doctus Excellens in judiciis Astrologicis quod venetiarum Senatores Dominii Sceptra ministrabunt ad calcem virginei part us 1880. Anni