An astrological discourse with mathematical demonstrations proving the powerful and harmonical influence of the planets and fixed stars upon elementary bodies in justification of the validity of astrology : together with an astrological judgment upon the great conjunction of Saturn & Jupiter, 1603 / written by that worthy, learned gentleman, Sir Christopher Heydon, Knight ; and now published by Nicholas Fiske ...

AN Astrological Judgment UPON The great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter 1603. being its first Entrance into the Firy Trigon.

Sent by way of Letter from Sir Christopher Heydon Knight, to Doctor Foster.

SIR,

UPon the 3 of Decemb. An. 1603. being desirous (as the Weather would give leave) to observe the places of Saturn and Jupi∣ter, that thereby I might attain unto the true time of their ☌ at hand, I fitted

my self as well as I could in the morning about 7 of the Clock to take their Di∣stances: but at that time the Air being cloudy, and the Heaven only favorable about the Horizon, I could perceive Ju∣piter only in his Matutine Emersion, new∣ly appearing out of the Sun-beams, but Saturn at that time was not to be dis∣cerned by the youngest eye there. Where∣fore I only at that time observed Jupiter his distance a lance Meridionali, 27. gr. 33. m. 30. sec.

The place of Lanx Merid: according to Tycho, was then 9. gr. 33. m. 30. sec ♏.

Wherefore seeing Jupiter his latitude by the Ephem: was 54. m. Sept. and the latitude of Lanx Merid: 26. m. Sept. agreeing thus in the denomination of your latitude, and so near the Ecliptick, it is evident that Jupiter his place was quoad longitudinem, without more Cal∣culation, 7. gr. 7. m. ♐.

The three day following, viz. 4, 5, and 6. were very foul and stormy, but the seventh being frosty in the morning, gave me reasonable opportunity to attend this business again, at what time we be∣held both Saturn, Jupiter, and Mer∣cury

in an Isoceles triangle almost, plea∣santly representing the beginning of the firy Trigon: But the day being broken, and the Sun approaching apace, we were fain to take such Observations as we could of Saturn and Jupiter, and let Mercury alone.

Wherefore, hor. 7. m. 25. I observed Saturn to be distant from Lan: Meri∣dional 28. gr. 24. m. 30. sec. bis.

And Jupiter from the same fixed Star twice also, hor. 7. m. 40.—28. 24 30. at what time Saturn his light, contend∣ing with the breaking of the day, was very weak; therefore we began with him, and ended with Jupiter: and by this Observation I then concluded, That I thought it the Will of God I should have opportunity to observe the true moment of the great Conjunction, which, as appeareth by these distances, happened in the 7 gr. 58 m. of ♐, for o∣therwise they could not both have had equal distance from the same fixed Star, lying parallel in effect with them to the Ecliptick.

I also observed both Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury upon the sixteenth day,

Hor. 7. m. 15. Saturn from the said Star 29. g. 28. m. paulo plus, 9. g. 1. m. ♐.

Hor. 7. m. 15. Iupiter from the same Star 30. g. 22. m. 30. sec.—9. g. 55. m. ♐.

Hor. 7. m. 27. Mercury from the same Star 32. g. 18. m. 0. sec.—11. g. 51. m. ♐.

All which Observations I set down, to the end you may compare them, hope∣ing you shall find they will rather con∣firm then derogate from the place and time of this great Conjunction of Saturn and Iupiter: yet, to speak ingenuously, not trusting my Observation more then I should, partly because the day-light would not suffer us to observe other fix∣ed Stars with the Planets, and partly by reason of the slow motion of Saturn and Iupiter, I layd them aside till after peru∣sing Kepler de Stella Nova, I was the more encouraged to make account of my Observation: for I found in pag. 48. that he, by such Observation as he could make, constituteth the time at Prage to be the 7 day, 8 hor. and 20 min. although afterwards he shew as little confidence in the hour as my self did before, I was confirmed by his Observation. Where∣fore if the Meridians be compared, the

difference of time between his Observa∣tion and mine is not above 13 m. which is not worth the speaking of, and may happen as well by the Error of Longi∣tude, as of the Observation. For the Lon∣gitude of Prage, as Ty••ho noteth in his Progymnasmat••, pag. 131. is 38. gr. 0. m. And the Longitude of London in Mr Cambdens Britannia is 23. gr. 25. m. the difference is 14. gr. 35. m. which wants but 2. m. of the whole hour. Wherefore if 58. m. being the common difference between the Meridians of Prage and London, be subducted from 8 hor. 28 m. the remainder sheweth the moment of the great Conjunction at London to be 7 ho. 22 m. by Kepler. But whereas my Observation of Iupiter was at 7 ho. 40 m. with me, whose dwelling is remo∣ved about 5 m. of time from the Meri∣dian of London to the East, by my Ob∣servation the same happen 7 ho. 35 m. at London, which is but 13 m. later then Kepler assigneth it, whose Observation, being only by the Quadrate and Azi∣muth with many operations and correcti∣ons, as you may read, I hold not so cer∣tain as my own.

Thus then having both observed the time my self, and confirmed my Obser∣vation by Keplers, and by Observations of my own, both preceding and subse∣quent, (for that the observation of Iupiter the 3 of Decemb. and those of the 16. be∣ing examined by the diurnal Motion, will vary little or nothing from the day and time before limited,) I will now erect the Figure of the Heavens for the Horizon of London at that instant, that so you may have a foundation of further Speculations then have hitherto been thought on.

[illustration]

The first things therefore in this Fi∣gure, whereupon I pray you curiously cast your eye, are the Ascendent, and the M: C: the degree ascending, being the very place of the new Star, which appear∣ed the year following 1604. in Serpen: the M: C: the degree of the Sun at the time of the great Eclipse the year after, 1605. The Conjunction it self you see hapned in duodecimo loco.

So as the places of the new Star and the Eclipses are thus celebrated with spe∣cial Prerogative in respect of us. But for so much as by the doctrine of Leovitius, and other Astrologers, the ☌ of Mars, with these two superiour Planets, is also requisite for the just complement of a great ☌, you shall also see how the end and accomplishment thereof doth an∣swer the beginning. I was not at leisure to observe the Planets my self the year following: but Kepler supplieth my want, who pag. 55. observed Mars to be joyned with Saturn the 16 of Sept. 1604. after out stile, about 8. in the E∣vening at Prage, in the 10 gr. 1 m. of ♐: and again, upon the 29 day of the same moneth an hour before Noon, he affirm∣eth

Mars to have passed by Iupiter, and ••o fully to absolve this great meeting and ☌ of the three superior Planets in the 19 gr. 12 m. of ♐. The degree of the E∣clipsed Sun, at what time the new Star was not seen, as he proveth by the Testi∣mony of many famous Astronomers, as of Fabritius, R••slinus, and others: But behold the 30 of Sept. (which was the very day following) in the Evening, this rare and wonderful Phaenomena appear∣ed just almost in the place where the great ☌ was accomplished, viz. in the 17 gr. 40 m. of ♐, the degree ascending at London in the beginning of the great ☌, and now 1. ½ gr. before the ending there∣of: at what time also, if you please to consider the place of the Sun by Tyeho's account, you shall find him an hour after Sun-set the 30 of Sept. at London, being 36 m. past 6 of the Clock at Even (when the Star certainly was first seen) to hold 17 gr. 30 m. of ♎, the place almost ex∣actly of his Eclipse the year following, and in a perfect ✶ to the new Star now first appearing, and the Ascendant in the great Conjunction.

Certainly when I consider first how

exactly all these dependances follow another, I cannot think that God hath observed this streight familiarity be∣tween the ☌, the new Star, and the E∣clipse in vain, or that they should thu•• concur with the Asc: and M: C: of Lon∣don at the time of the great ☌; but tha•• as the signification is general, so question∣less, in the participation of the effects, London, and with it England, is like to taste more fully thereof then other places.

Now a little to consider these Appear∣ances by the precepts of Astrologie, we see all these Conjunctions celebrated in ♐, which, as it is Signum Bicorporeum, by Ptolomy, signifieth of Kings, and as it is the house of Iupiter, it may both be applyed to matter and persons of State and Religion. Wherefore, as we may rightly call the sign of ♐ at this time the Court or Temple of Heaven, where al•• the Planets have made their Assembly So is it not unworthy the noting in what order they hold the same, which for cer∣tain was all one with that which the Pla∣nets themselves hold in Heaven; as Sa∣turn is highest, so was his Northern La∣titude greatest, viz. 1 gr. 40. m. Iupiter

next 36 m. Sept. also, and Mars lowest of all, having Meridional Latitude 1 gr. 36 m. at his Conjunction with Saturn and Iupiter. But the new Star shined a∣bove them all, both in respect of the E∣cliptick, and the Diameter of the World; which nevertheless is not out of order, if we respect the scituation of the Orbs: But herein to be admired, that as the same had no Motion, nor any prodigious Tayl, or Hair, (as Comets are wont,) but both in place, and form, and fixedness repre∣sented a fixed Star; so it may be propor∣tionably collected, That what was de∣creed in this notable Synod of the Pla∣nets, was also ratified by the fixed Stars, and by all the Spheres of Heaven. Nei∣ther is it to be neglected, that this new Star excelled all the rest of the Planets in Magnitude and Light: and whereas be∣fore perverse old Saturn (the President of Antiquity) both in respect of his scitu∣ation in his own Orb, being in Apogaeo Eccentrici et Epicycli, and also in regard of his Latitude, was elevated above Iupi∣ter in his own house: Now this new Star having Latitude, 1 gr. 53 m. 54 sec. Sept. by our Observation is elevated a∣bove

Saturn, and therefore when Satur•• hardly enduring to be thus over-topped, prepared against him, and toward the end∣ing of Novem. that year thought to have encountred him; behold he was also fain to come under the Lee (as the Sea-men term it) of the new Star, and so glad to pass away, and leave the new Star still keeping possession, and as it were master of the field, where it still continued, till at last the Sun returning the year follow∣ing to the place which he held in the con∣clusion of the great Conjunction, and the beginning of this new Star, as before is shewed, he there finished the Catastrophe of all this solemn Art, with a great Eclipse of his Light exactly in the Mid-heaven of the beginning of the great Conjuncti∣on of Iupiter and Saturn, and in a ✶ to the Ascendant thereof, and the place of this new Star. This is the true Historical Narration.

What the meaning hereof is, I leave to those that are indued with a more di∣vine and Prophetical Instinct then my self: Yet thus much we see, that he who overlooked proud Iupiter, and challenged Antiquity to himself, is here put down

by the brightness of this new Light. And further, as the Sun Metaphorically re∣presenteth Kings and Magistrates, and Nobility in Astrologie are resembled to the Planets about the Sun: So the fixed Stars are compared to the People, and Commons, amongst whom some excel others, and therefore whether there be a new Democraty or Aristocraty of the Church and Common-wealth founded while the Sun suffereth his light to be ob∣scured by the ☽, or whether the Gospel (often by the Scriptures resembled to the Sun) shall suffer an Eclipse, I take not upon me to decide. But this I verily believe, as far as I can look into it with any probable guess, that since the be∣ginning of this great Conjunction there hath been many Treaties of Peace over all the parts of the World, both between us and the French, the Lowcountry-men and the Spaniard, and also between the Emperor, Turks and Hungarians; all which are concluded, saving the Peace between the Low-countries and Spain: So you shall see (if I be not deceived) that Treaty will break off, and by that means the Wars be renewed, & the King

of Spain utterly beaten out of his Indies, and the Gospel propagated unto the Southern parts. For to what other end is this new Star Perpendicular to the Indian Seas, and to the best part of America? To what end also (though Mars seemeth in the Eclipse in respect of his Position, as also in the great Con∣junction in respect of his Latitude di∣rected) is he notwithstanding both in the figure of the great Conjunction elevated above all the Planets, while Saturn and Iupiter are in pessimo loco, and in the figure of the Eclipse, as your self materi∣ally noted, in imperante gradu & signo, over the place Eclipsed? Besides, you aptly note the dissembling and treache∣rous ✶ of Saturn in 12. loco to the place Eclipsed, together with the hostile and exact Irradiation of Iupiter to the same: I speak not these things as if I pro∣nounced them Ab Apollinis Tripode, but as I compare the likelihood of fu∣ture accidents by the state of things present, as they have any allusion to the apparition of the heavenly bodies: All which I submit to your grave Cen∣sure.

And so craving pardon for my tedi∣ousness, and not doubting your good ac∣ceptance of my good will, I commend my love unfeignedly, and rest,

Yours most assured, Christopher Heydon.

April 2. 1608.

FINIS.