An entire body of philosophy according to the principles of the famous Renate Des Cartes in three books, (I) the institution ... (II) the history of nature ... (III) a dissertation of the want of sense and knowledge in brute animals ... / written originally in Latin by the learned Anthony Le Grand ; now carefully translated from the last corrections, alterations, and large additions of the author, never yet published ... by Richard Blome.

CHAP. XXVI. Of the Influence of the Stars, and of Judicial Astrology.

I. The sense o•• the Question stated. IT is a Question frequently handled by the gravest Authors, Whether the Stars act upon these Inferiour Bodies; and whether the Things that happen here on Earth do depend on their Influences. Or to speak more plainly, Whether the Stars be the Cause of those Effects we see in this Sublunary World; or at least, contribute some∣thing to their Production. For the better under∣standing of this Question, it will be necessary to examine the Virtue and Power of the Stars, and thence gather their manner and way of acting.

II. The Sun influenceth this sublu∣nary World. There is no doubt, but that the Sun concurs by a real influx to the Production of Terrestrial Bo∣dies; yea, if we give heed to his Virtue, we shall find him to be the only, or at least the Principal Cause of all things that are generated in the Earth; for the Growing of Plants, the Nourishment of Trees, the Ripening of Fruit, and the Springing of Corn, are all to be referr'd to the Sun, by whose Heat they are cherished, grow, and are brought to perfection.

III. An Obje∣ction a∣gainst the Virtue of the Sun. If you say, That many things happen in the Earth which cannot be imputed to the Sun; as Cold and Moisture, which require a Cause distinct from that of Heat. For how can Heat be con∣ceiv'd to be the Original of Cold? Or, how can the Sun, who is of a fiery Nature, produce Moi∣sture, since the Natural effect of Fire is to dry, and deprive a Body of all Moisture? And there∣fore the Sun can only be said to be the Cause of some particular Effects.

IV. Answer. I Answer, It is true that Cold and Moisture do not proceed from the Sun, as their productive Cause; yet doth not this contradict their pro∣ceeding from the Sun accidentally. For as his presence drives away the Cold, and suffers it not to prevail on the Earth; so his absence suffers it to prevail, and exposeth Terrestrial Bodies to its con∣striction. In like manner, tho' Moisture doth not descend from the Sun; yet because the same abounds in the Earth, and that the Sun doth not always elevate the same into Vapours, therefore he may be said to be an Accidental Cause of it.

V. The Sun is the General Cause of all Effects produced in the Earth. The Sun therefore is to be considered by us as a General or Universal Cause, which every where diffuseth its Beams; yet it happens by Accident, that he illuminates one part of the Earth more than another: As it is accidental to Fire, that this or the other thing comes near to it, to be heated and cherished by it, or not. And hence it is, that all that variety, which we see in Nature, doth not so much proceed from the Sun, as from the various situation and disposition of Bodies. For the reason why in one part of the Earth it is Spring, in ano∣ther Autumn, in a third Summer, doth not proceed from the Sun as a Special Cause, but only as a Ge∣neral, the Sun being always the same, and equally diffusing his Heat. For that it is now, suppose, Summer with us, by the Sun-beams falling more directly upon us; this is owing to that Part of the Earth wherein we live, whose situation is so di∣rected towards the Sun, as to receive his Beams more directly, at the very same time that it is Winter with our Antipodes, to whom the Suns∣beams are obliquely directed.

VI. The Pla∣nets contri∣bute no∣thing to any sublu∣nary Ef∣fects. I know that some Philosophers refer the Cause of this diversity to the Planets, as supposing Saturn to be Cold; Mars, Hot; Venus, moderately Warm∣ing; Mercury, Various; the Moon, Cold and Moist. But these I take to be no more than meer Fictions, since we perceive no Cold from Saturn, nor Heat from Mars; and so from the other Planets: Because it cannot be, that we should feel or perceive any of these Qualities, but that at the same time all the other Inhabitants of the Earth must perceive the same, seeing that they are sen∣sible of these Vicissitudes of Seasons, as well as of the Sun's Heat; and therefore these Changes de∣pend on the various position of the Parts of the Earth. As we see, that the South-Winds, which produce Warm Weather in the midst of Winter; and North-Winds, which cause Cold in Summer, do not arise from the Aspects of the Planets, since the same Aspects are over the whole Earth, and yet we do not find the same Winds every where; so that they proceed only from the various disposi∣tion of the Regions of the Earth.

VII. The Fix'd Stars send down no Influences upon thes•• Inferiour things. Neither do the Fix'd Stars seem to dispense any Influences to us here below, because their vast di∣stance hinder them from producing any Effects here: For tho' by their Light they may put the subtil Matter contain'd in the Pores of the Air into motion, and by means thereof agitate other grosser Matter, which thereby may produce a sen∣sible Effect; yet because we know of no other Virtue that is in them, whereby they might act upon these Inferiours, save only their Light, we cannot attribute to them any Effects, besides those that proceed from Light: And forasmuch as the Light of the Sun is incomparably greater than that of the Fix'd Stars, we are to attribute all Natural Effects to the Light of the Sun, as the General and Pri∣mary Cause of them.

VIII. The Fix'd Stars do not always Rise and Set at the same time; and yet we find that the General Changes of Seasons in the World keep the same time. This Opinion may be further confirmed, if we consider that the Fix'd Stars do not Rise and Set now at the same time as formerly; but because of their turning round from East to West, they Rise now almost a whole Month later than of Old: And yet the Seasons and General Changes that are in the World still observe the same Tenour, and correspond with the Suns Course through the Zo∣diack. For the Dog-Days, by Example, or that great Heat, which in old Times was perceived about the midst of July, still continues about the same term, neither is changed to the midst of Au∣gust, at which time the Dog-star, which they make the Cause of its Heat, doth now Rise. Neither can we suppose, that 6000 years hence, this Heat will be removed to the midst of November, at which time the Dog-star will then Rise. Besides, if the Heat we perceive in Summer be to be ascribed to the Dog-star, how comes it to pass that at the same time the said Star is almost 40 Degrees distant from the Sun? Since it might be rather expected it should display its Heat in the Winter, when it is conjoyn'd with the Sun, viz. about the 29th of October.

IX. The Cause of the great Heat in Summer. The Cause therefore of these great Heats is, because the Sun at that time sends down his Beams more perpendicularly upon us, and continues longer above our Horizon; and forasmuch as this perse∣veres for some Days after the Solstice, during which time new degrees of Heat are still added, it cannot be otherwise, but that the Heat during that time must be increased.

X. The Moon produceth no Effects upon the Earth. Neither doth the Moon, tho' she be so near unto us, produce any Effects here below. I know that several Effects are attributed to her by some; as the Breaking or Splitting of Stones, and the increasing of Oisters, and other shell-Fish, at the Increase of the Moon, and their decreasing at the Wane of the Moon; as likewise that the Bones of Animals, at the Full-Moon, are full of Marrow, whereas at the New they are almost empty.

XI. What is the Cause why Stones are broken. But all these Effects may be with more Truth attributed to other Causes, than to the Moon. For as to the breaking of Stones, the same may with more Reason be attributed to the Sun, than to the Moon; seeing it is certain, that some Stones, after many years lying expos'd to the Sun, have been calcined. And therefore seeing that the Sun's beams reach the Stones, as well as those of the Moon, it seems very reasonable that this Effect should rather be imputed to the stronger, than the weaker Agent.

XII. The increase or decrease of Oysters, doth not proceed from the increase or decrease of the Moon. So likewise it is a Popular Error to imagin, that Oysters and other shell-Fish, are bigger and fuller at some times of the Moon, than at others: For tho' they are sometimes bigger than at other times, yet is not this to be ascribed to the Moon, but rather to Chance, because they have not had sufficient Food, or because the tossing of the Sea hath forced them to some Evacuations. This is apparent in those Fishes which are taken in the same place, and in the same day: For those which are caught in a Net, and immediately taken out thence, are fuller Bodied and better Fed, than those which having been long kept up, have lost much of their flesh by striving to get out. The original therefore of this Error hath been, for that some have taken that to be caused by the Moon, which was meerly for∣tuitous. And accordingly we find, that indiffe∣rently at any time some Oysters are found to be fat and full, and others lean and poor.

XIII. The Cause why more or less Marrow is found in the Bones of Living Creatures. And the same may be said of the Marrow that is found in the Bones of Animals: For several who have examin'd the matter, have found that there is no more Marrow in the said Bones, at any one precise time, than at another; but that the want or defect thereof sometimes is caused, by want of Food, or for that the Beasts have been tired by long Journeys before they were kill'd.

XIV. What Ju∣dicial Astrology is, and of how many ••••rts. Astrology is an Art, which foretells future things from the motion of the Heavenly Bodies, and their Aspects to one another. And is therefore called Judicial, because from these it judgeth of the Events of things. Astrology is twofold; the one is that Art, which from the position of the Stars at the time of Birth, judgeth of the Inclinations and Tempers of Men, whether they will be Passio∣nate, Melancholy, Wise, Venereal, &c. because the Hour of their Nativity was accompanied with such or such Aspects of the Stars, which have a Virtue of causing the Gall, Melancholy, or Spirits to abound. The second kind of Judicial Astrology is that Art, which from observing of the Horo∣scope, judges of Future Events, Children, Manner of Life, Marriage, Honours, Misfortunes, Losses, &c.

XV. Who were the first Professors of it. This Judicial Astrology was first cultivated by the Chaldaean and Babylonian Philosophers, who not only affirmed that they could Foretel Future Events from the Aspects of the Stars; but also boasted that by them they could discover the particular Actions of Men, and the special Events of their Lives. But that both the one and the other of these are vain and false we prove as follows:

Reasons against Judicial Astrology. First, Because the Astrologers had no exact know∣ledge of the Virtues of the Stars, no not of such as were most Notorious. Secondly, Because they were ignorant of the Nature of most Stars, which might variously alter or hinder the operations of those Stars they knew. Thirdly, Because no sufficient Rea∣son can be given, why Schemes for Nativities are erected from the point of Birth, rather than from that of Conception. Fourthly, Because the Astrolo∣gers themselves own, that they have no Principles whereby they might be informed, that the Stars have such Virtues as they assign to them, and that consequently their Predictions are not any deducti∣ons from Premisses, but the Dreams of Idle men.

XVII. Astrologers can have no certain Experience. Besides, how can they be assur'd of the certainty of the Events they pretend to guess at? Not by Experience: For who will conclude that it will lighten, for Example, upon the Kings entring into St. James's Park, because once it hapned so? Or that some King will dye at the Appearance of a Comet; because it hath been found, that upon the Appearing of a Comet some Prince hath died? And much the same Evidence the Astrologers have for their Pre∣dictions, since it is but once in many thousand years, that the Stars are found in the same position.

XVIII. What hap∣pens to one part of the World can∣not be brought as an Argu∣ment to prove that the same will hap∣pen in ano∣ther part. But let us grant the Astrologers, that some Changes have been observ'd to come to pass in certain places of the Earth, under such Constellations; yet can these only be of use to those Countries where they hapned: Seeing it is most certain, that the same Fair weather, or Tempests, do not happen to all parts of the Earth at the same time: For we see it Rain in one part, whilst it is Fair weather in ano∣ther. And thus the Dog-star, which most suppose to be Hot by Nature, and to be the Cause of the greatest Heat when it Riseth in July, is notwith∣standing a sign of Cold to our Antipodes, and to those that live in the South-part of the Earth; because they at the same time that this Constellation Riseth, together with the Sun, and we feel the greatest Heat, experience the greatest Cold: Not∣withstanding that it is then directly over their Heads, and sends down its direct Rays upon their Country.

XIX. The Con∣clusion. Conclude we therefore, according as we have said at the Beginning, that the Sun is the General Cause of all the Effects that happen in this Sublu∣nary World, forasmuch as by his presence he is the Cause of Heat, and by his absence of Cold; and that all the rest of the Stars or Planets, cannot be the Cause of any Alterations in these Sublunary things.