St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Of Nigidius the Astrologians argument, in this question of the twinnes, drawne from the potters wheele. CHAP. 3.

FRustrate therefore is that notable fiction of the Potters wheele, which

Nigidius (a) (they say) answered to one that plunged him in this controuersie, whervpon he was called (b) Potter. Turning a potters wheele twice or thrise about as fast as he could, he tooke inke, & in the turning made two markes (as it seemed) in one place of the wheeles egde: and then, staying the wheele, the markes were found far a sunder one from another vpon the edge of the wheele, (c) euen so (saith he) in the swift course of heauen, though one child be borne after another in as short a time as I gaue these two markes, yet in the heauens will be passed a great space. And that (quoth he) is the cause of the diuersity of conditions, and for∣tunes betwixt two twinnes. (d) Here is a figment now farre more brittle then the Pottes that were made by that wheele, for if there bee thu•…•… much power in Heauen (and yet cannot bee comprehended by the constellations) that one of the twins may bee an heyre and inherite, and not the other, how dare those As∣trologians giue such presages vnto others that are not twinnes, when as they are included in those secret points in natiuities which none can comprehend? But if they say they do prognosticate this to others, because they know that it belong∣eth vnto the knowne and discerned spaces that passe in natiuities, and that those moments that may come betweene the birth of two twins do but concerne slight things, and such as the Astrologian vseth not to bee troubled with; for no man will aske the calculator when he should sit, walke, or dine? How can this be said when wee shew such diuersity in the manners, states, actions, and fortunes of two twinnes.

L. VIVES.

NIgidius (a) they say] P. Nigidius figulus was borne of a very honest family, and came to be Praetor: he was of great wit, and exellent both in many other worthy sciences (so that hee * 1.1 was compared with Uarro, in whose time, or thereaboutes, he liued) and especially in the Mathematiques. Tully nameth him often. Suetonius saith that out of Octauius his figure of natiuity, he presaged that he should be Lord of all the world. Lucane. lib. 1.

At Figulus e•…•…i •…•…ra deos Secretaque caeli, N•…•…sse fuit, quem non stellarum Aegiptia Memphis, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…isu numerisque mouentibus as•…•…a. &c.

But Figulus whose study was to scan, Heauens high presage, whome no Aegiptian, In Mathematique skill could paralel. &c.

(b) Called Potter.] In latine Figulus. This man was of the Nigidian family; there were other Figuli of a more honored house, namely the Martians, whereof one was confull with L. Iul. Caesar, two yeares before Ciceros consulship. Another, with Nasica, but was put from his place, because the auguries were against his election. (c) So (quoth he.)] How much time thinke you (saith Quintilian) was betweene the first birth, and the second? but a little truely in mortall mens iudgement, but if you will consider the immensity of this vniuerse, you shall find much passed betweene their two productions. In geminis langu. (d) Here is a figment.] This one an∣swere of Nigidius (which the Mathematitians thinke was most acute) doth vtterly subuert all their presages, positions and calculations in natiuities, for if so little a space of time bee capable not onely of diuersities but euen of contraries, who can prognosticate any thing of any childe borne, when as the moment both of his conception and his natiuity is so hard to be knowne? So that were it graunted, that the starres haue power in vs, yet vnto man it is incom∣prehensible: the moments whereto the figure must be erected being impossible to bee found, and the swift course of the Heauens ouerrunning our slow consideration. Iulius firmicus, a man idlely eloquent, hauing obiected this reason against him-selfe and his arte, and promising to dissolue it, after he hath tumbled himselfe sufficiently in a multitude of common places, lets it * 1.2 alone with silence, and thinkes he hath done very wel, supposing that this whirle-winde of his eloquence had cast dust inough into the readers eies to make him forget the aduerse argument. But it is neither he, nor any Chalde of them al that can answer it. Thomas Aquinas in like man∣ner entangleth himselfe exceedingly in circumstances of times, and minuites, and places; for in his booke De fato, he saith that twins are of diuers dispositions, because the seed of generation

was not receiued into the place of conception al at one time, so that the center of the heart, be∣ing not one in both, they must needs haue different egresses and Horizous. But how small a space is their spent in the full receiuing of the •…•…eede? how little a time passeth betweene the coagulation of the hearts, that this should be sufficient to t•…•…asmute the whole nature of man? So that hereby it is not sufficient to tel the Mathematician that such an one was borne at Pari•…•… or Ualencia, but hee must know in which streete, in which chamber, nay in what part of the chamber, But in another worke, I will handle this theame of another fashion, and proue, that there is no trust to be put in those vaine superstitions, but that all dependeth vpon our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, whome we are to intreat for them all.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Nigidius Figulus.
• * 1.2

  The stars out run ou•…•… slacke thoughtes.