Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A33536
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[Meteorologia, or, The true way of foreseeing and judging the inclination of the air and alteration of the weather in several regions ... by William Cock ...].
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Cock, William.
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1671
(1671)
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Wing C4794; ESTC R4959
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21,118
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84
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Treatise to supply Secondly There be other things which they do meet with in the books of the Ancients which be pure Riddles as dark as night which our Astrologasters look upon as literal truths of clear light and set them down for fundamentals of their skill as for Example The erecting of a Figure of the twelve Houses to the obtaining of the fore-knowledg of the Weather And here Reader I will reveal one secret unto thee which in the books of Astrologers thou shalt rarely find That the erecting of a Figure is a mistie cloud overcasting the light of starry Literature and a black masque over Vrania's bright face debarring thy eyes from seing her true beauties and from reading the proper meaning of the Stars not only in this but also in all other parts of genuine Astrology It is true that learned Astrologers can play the hocus in blinding your eyes with their judgment upon the Figure whereas they do secretly ponder the essential dignities of the Planets but to others they speak by a figure as Rhetoricians do wresting the meaning of the Houses which are only accidental according to their secret knowledg of the essential figure which is known but to a few And when at any time an accidental figure speaks truth it is because sometimes the rules of it are coincident as a blindman sometimes though seldom hits the mark with the rules of pure Astrology But in particular for judgment upon the weather the absurdity of a figure may clearly be evinced by these arguments 1. A figure is either for the birth of a body at a certain time entring this worlds theatre as infants newly coming from the womb whom the constellations which at that time do arise make an impression upon and in some manner do stamp with their essential figure and seal but the birth of a year or a quarter of a year for which they do set up a Figure in Marâ—h or June c. is the birth of neither body spirit nor substance Or a Figure respecteth some actions of mortal and transitory bodies here below which do sympathize with the motions of their proper and significant Planets above and do admit of a direction to the time when these things shall come to pass it may be many years after the figure is calculated as the Doctrine of Nativities can tell But there is no such thing in prognosticating the season for suppose in the Spring quarter at the ingress of the Sun into the sign of Aries the Lord of the figure be an hot fiery Planet as Mars or the Sun and so do portend a warm Spring yet if the Quadrats or Oppositions of the two cold Planets Saturn and Venus do afterterwards occur in that Spring it will prove quite contrary to the Figure that is it will be a most cold and sharp season 2. The Houses of a Figure are for Parents Brethren Marriages Children Friends Enemies Servants Trades Professions Wealth Journeys c. I hope you will grant me that the knowledg of the weather calleth for no such matters 3. Let there be a Figure calculated for Paris of France which may fore-token great rains and storms at the same time let another Figure be fitted for the north part of Scotland which sometimes doth appear which may signifie great droughts yet aged experience and clear reason will contradict those Figures for the Scotch season will prove rainy but the French aire will be much more dry and if the year be dry in Scotland it will not be wet in France The third ground of mistakes is that the yearly Prognosticators do misapprehend the very first Principles of the Art as instance they hold that Jupiter raiseth North-winds when observation guarded with reason doth tell us he is altogether for South-winds And they do charg Saturn and Mars in their Conjunctions or Opposition with tempestuous storms whereas I have seen a most clear and calm air occasioned by their aspect and they do give out Mercury for a stirrer up of mighty winds It is not my purpose to fill the paper with their erroneous tenets I am for truths which God willing shall adorn these sheets CHAP. II. Of the true grounds of predicting the Weather FOr the due consideration of Meteor-Astrology which is the skill of foretelling by the Stars hot and cold clear and dark calm and stormy dry and moist thundring snowy rainy times of the year c. we must take notice of these twelve Hypotheses upon which as so many magnificent pillars we do set this stately Edifice of Starry knowledg Namely 1. the Natures of the Planets 2. Of the Signs 3. The dignities of the Planets 4. The observation of the Aspects 5. The mixtures of the Planets 6. The renewing of the Aspects 7. The transits of the Planets 8. The Sign which sympathizeth with the Country 9 General causes and influences 10. The Nature of eminent fixed Stars 11. The Season of the year 12. The Latitude and Scituation of the Countrey Now to these in order And first for The Natures of the Planets Which are in number seven viz. ♄ Saturn ♃ Jupiter ♂ Mars ☉ Sol ♀ Venus ☿ Mercury ☽ Luna As for Saturn his influence properly stirreth up colds and droughts except in the first fifteen degrees of Capricorn his own sign and house which is opposite to the watery sign Cancer but accidentally many other ways he excites abundance of moisture Jupiter is moderately humid and warm and is a very windy Planet chiefly in aery Signs He sheweth himself most waterish in the Signs of Pisces and Cancer and chiefly in his Conjunctions with Saturn not only in them two waterish Signs but also in the fiery Sign of Sagittary Mars is accounted hot and dry Hot he is certainly and may be dry in dry Signs yet he many times in watry Signs and in aspects of moist Planets and when he thunders somtimes also with dry Planets he can drop and weep as readily as any other Planet when he raiseth up thunders he is many times attended with impetuous and violent showers As also in the aspects of Venus in summer he rains and in winter he snows The Sun is hot as every one knows and temperately dry Venus is cold and moist and gives both hail and snow in Winter and sometimes in other quarters of the year And in Summer can rain apace Mercury is a little windy and strengthens every other Planet in their proper significations The Moon is a little moist but mostly reneweth the influences of the aspects by her manifold applications to the other Planets for she gives all and every one of them several visits every moneth The main business of the weather lieth most upon the Influences of Saturn and Jupiter they are not only great Planets but when the one looketh upon the other they make a forcible alteration in the air and although they do seldom meet one with another nevertheless other Planets passing between them do translate and carry the nature of
To the READER IN Astrology there be commâ—nly two Queries one of the lawfulness of it the other of the truth of it to both which as touching this present subject of the Planetary Influence for the Weather and Meteors The lawfulness of this although that of some other parts of Astrology be much disputed is and must be acknowledged by every one Gen. 1. 14. and Job 38. 31 32 33. But as for the truth and certainty of predictions though it be the most infallible piece of all Starry knowledg yet the ignorance of pretenders to it hath rendered it so ridiculous that our Almanacks or rather Almanack-makers through their many absurd mistakes of the weather 〈…〉 ased to thâ—mselves the sorry name 〈◊〉 Jack the Liar And were it not the learned experience and solid judgments of some few that do maintain the dignity of it by their more certain Prognosticks this knowledg had been degraded from the honour of Learning long ag As for this Discourse were it not a matter of conscience with me to hide my talent in the ground it had never seen the light and now when it is come abroad let me tell thee what is here contained is not to be found in all the Books this world doth contain This discovery by the goodness of God was gained by the Observations of many years and the Rules of it I have a thousand times put to the touchstone of trial and a thousand times I have found them to be true therefore give Glory to God the supreme Author and own me his instrument for Thy Christian Friend William Cock Pertho Edinburgensis To his Ingenious Friend Mr. WILLIAM COCK Upon His Excellent Tract of Meteorology or Judgment of the WEATHER AStrology is an Art though much abused Whereinlies hid great Mysteries unknown To many Mortals yet some are infused With those great gifts of knowledg this all own All are not born to know this secret skill And those that search the depth of Natures myne Are oft condemn'd although they act none ill By such as value Pearls like hungry Swine In this small Tract a Secret is disclosed By which the World shall clearly see and find Much truth in Starry knowledg though opposed Only by such whose words pass like the wind Here 's a Discovery made till now unknown Which may convince those which so much deny The change of aire by man may before shown To the great Credit of Astrology Let all men therefore much respect my Friend And for his pains let no man him despise But rather give him thanks unto the end Who now at length hath made us Weather-wise Sic dixit Henry Coley Philomat To my Ingenious Friend Mr. WIL. COCK Upon His ASTROLOGICAL Judgment of the WEATHER SIR to your praise our profit have you wrought What Haly Guido and the rest nere taught Your surer Observations have made known What most pretenders never could have done When Bookers worth to Lilly did appear Surpassing others in this work Oh where Were thou my Friend to inform us all A Scheme for Booker was not radical Yet to his praise we ever shall attest With famous Lilly he was one o'th'best For others skill they who have eyes may see Our errors are with them the truth with thee W. Harrison R. S. I. D. P. Philomat THE INTRODUCTION FOr their sakes that as yet understand nothing of this kind of Learning I thought good to premise this by way of Introduction to the right understanding and application of the following Work 1. They ought to acquaint themselves with the right use of an Ephemeris which they may have annually for a smal price To which purpose after they understand the Characters of the seven Planets the twelve Signs and those of the Aspects which are the only furniture of an Ephemeris they should also learn to know the distance of each Aspect in the Ecliptick or Zodiack which is briefly shewed in the following Work 2. To be exceeding ready by the help of their Ephemeris to discover what Planets are in Configuration the one with the other as also how the Moon beholds them as she passeth through the Zodiack 3. Learn to be well acquainted with the Nature of the Signes as which are Fiery which Earthy which Aery and which Watery 4. Be careful to observe the several Separations and Applications of the Planets as also their Natures and â—he Nature of the fixed Stars by whose bodies they frequently pass in their Diurnal and Annual Motions I say these and such like things as these are necessary to be known by all such as desire to be acquainted with this kind of sublime â—nowledg which leads to â—he contemplation and admiâ—ation of the great and wonderful Works of our Creator Now those that are as yet Strangers to this kind of Study may if they please acquaint themselves with the Fundamentals of Astrology by the help of a small Treatise lately published entituled Clavis Astrologiae to be sold at the Raven in Duck-lane wherein they shall receive full satisfaction in what is convenient to be known by way of introduction to this Art as also the Genethliacal part of Astrology viz. the exact handling and calculating Nativities and other things of good use to all such whose Genius leads them to this kind of Speculation Lastly Note that it is the opinion of some good Artists and curious Observators that not only the Geocentrick Aspects ought to be considered but also the Heliocentrick Aspects of the Planets which are found to cause much variation in the Weather when there hath been nothing to signifie the same otherwise Vale. THE True way of Foreseeing THE WEATHER CHAPTER I. AS in Architecture we do take inspection if the ground upon which we are to build be firm enough to bear up the weight of the house before we do provide materials and go to work with the building even so in this Discourse we will first take a view of the Fundamentals and therein discover the sandy Foundations upon which the vulgar frame of an Almanack is totteringly erected Secondly we will make choice of better Principles for a surer ground-work of weather-knowledg And Thirdly proceed to the rearing up a more trusty fabrick of Starry learning to foreknow the Seasons and their Meteors by the signs which God hath set in the firmament for that purpose For the first of these viz. the mistakes of our common Astrologer whereof the principal reasons be First Because of many things which our paper Astrologers are ignorant of which must of necessity be known before the knowledg of Influences can be attained A great sort of usurpers of this profession ignorant of Philosophy and Nature and void of well-grounded experience and if they have made observations upon the influences they are not able to try their experience by the touch-stone of true natural knowledg in which they are meer strangers and so no wonder they go wrong This defect I shall endeavour in the second Chapter of this