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. XIII. Of the Productions of the Stars.

I. How the Sun is said to be the Author of the works of Nature. IT hath hitherto been the common belief of most Men, that the Stars govern these inferi∣our things; and by an universally diffused Virtue, preside over Human Affairs. Hence it is that they have attributed Heat to Mars, Cold to Mer∣cury, Moisture to the Moon, as supposing their Dominion chiefly to consist in these qualities, and that they impart these to all their inferiour Sub∣jects. Therefore it is that they call the Sun, the Parent of the Universe, and the Great Artificer of all Natural Works; because they find that his pre∣sence imparts Life and Vigour to all Natural Things, as his absence, on the contrary, is the cause of their failing, wasting and Death.

Some Fancy Influences in the Sun, by which he concurs to the production of all sublunary things. But would they diligently give heed to the Suns Action, they would find him to have no other but that of Illumination; or if they meet with any other, that they are reducible to it, as to their original. For that the Sun doth heat, dry and burn Bodies, proceeds from this Act of Illumina∣tion, which produceth these various effects accord∣ing to the different disposition of the Subjects.

II. How the Sun may be said to be the Cause of moisture and cold. If any one say that Cold and Moisture, where∣with Bodies are affected, cannot be derived from the Sun.

I Answer, That these also by accident do pro∣ceed from the Sun; forasmuch as during his ab∣sence, the moisture is no more discust and extenu∣ated, and therefore the Vapours, either by their abundance, or by supervening Cold, become con∣densed, and moisten.

III. How the Sun produ∣ceth fair weather and tem∣pestuous. The Sun is the Cause of the Tempestuous and Fair Weather; and therefore when he is about the midst of Sagittary, upon the dissolution of those hu∣mours which before were bound up, and the Earth being watered with them, he produceth fruitful Western Winds: He stirs up the forces of the Pleiades and Hyades in Taurus; those of the Kids towards the North; those of his Neighbour Orion towards the South; and of Arcturus over against him, which stir up Southern blasts, and for some days together, do moisten with Rains the sown Seeds.

These and the like effects do not proceed from the Sun, as from a special Cause, but only as from a General, who diffusing his Rays every where, and promiscuously illuminating all Bodies, is not determined more to this effect, than to another. But if the Sun produce stormy Weather in one part of the Earth, and Fair in another, this is not so much to be attributed to him, as to the situation and disposition of the several parts of the Earth, which receiving his Beams after a different man∣ner, are differently affected by them. For that we, for instance, have a pleasant Summer, and that our Antipodes, at the same time, suffer an unpleasant and sluggish Winter Season, doth de∣pend on the Sun, who with a constant and even Course runs through the Zodiack, and uniformly diffuseth his heat. Who will say that the Sun is the Cause of Tempests and Fair Weather; when at the same time, he is the same on this side, or beyond the Equator? The reason therefore why

the Sun doth more copiously impart his Light and Heat, when it is Summer with us, is to be imputed to the situation of the Earth, that we tread upon, and which makes the difference between us and the Antipodes, with whom it is Winter; but not all to the Sun, to whom it is meerly accidentary, that they are cold, whilst we have heat, or who darts his Beams obliquely upon them, whilst he is per∣pendicular to us.

IV. In what sense the Stars are said to be for Signs and Seasons Neither doth it contradict any thing that we have said, what the Scripture declares concerning the Sun, Moon and Stars, that they were to be for Signs and Seasons, and for Days and Years. Because these things are no otherwise signified by the Stars, than by the Swallows, who by their coming and going, do presage the Spring and Winter; or as Rainbows, Lightning, Darkness and other changes of the Air, do indicate Showers, Thunder or Fair Weather. For as Swallows are not the Cause of the Spring, nor the Rainbow of Fair Weather, but only signs of either of them: So neither is the Dog-Star a cause of the great Heats we have at the latter end of Summer, but only a sign of the time wherein they happen. As shall be declared hereafter.

V. Whether the Moon hath any Dominion ••ver Sublu∣nary things. The Moon contributes very much to the chan∣ges we have here below, for she not only raiseth violent Winds, excites Storms, and reduceth con∣densed Vapours into Rain: but moreover doth make Seeds to grow, and ripens the Fruits of the Earth, and encreaseth or lesseneth moisture, ac∣cording as she encreaseth, or is in the wane.

Tho' all these things pass with the most of Peo∣ple for indubitable, yet we have good reason to af∣firm, that they are taken up without sufficient ground or reason; because Storms are raised, Showers moisten the Earth, and Plants encrease and ripen, as well when she is opposite to the Sun, as when she is in her first, or last Quarter; except we should say that she hath the power by the weak light she draws from the Sun, of moving or stirring those humours, which she is not able to discuss, and therefore is said to foment and encrease them. But let that virtue be what it will, sure it is that it cannot with any reason be ascribed to her, seeing that it belongs only to the Sun as a Gene∣ral Cause; who by his Beams produceth all the vicissitudes of times and things, which we see here on Earth. Hence are those Rules of Astrologers, that Millet should be sown in April, whilst the Sun is in Taurus; and Wheat in October, when the Sun riseth together with Scorpius, and when the Pleiades sink out of sight, as the same is elegantly described by Virgil, in the first Book of his Georgicks.

And Millet then your Annual care awakes, When Taurus Golden-horns open the Year; And Syrius leaves to other Stars the Sphear. But if for Wheat and stronger Corn, thy ground Thou exercise, and but a Crop propound; First let the Eastern Pleiades go down, And the bright Star of Ariadnes Crown: Commit due Seed to Furrows then, and here Trust•• Earth with hope of the ensuing year.

Hence it is that the Poets call Orion, Stormy or Tempestuous; the Vergiliae or Pleiades, Showery or Cloudy, because upon their appearance the Seas are troubled with Storms, and the Earth with Rainy and Cloudy Weather. I do not deny but that the Stars may be said to be the Signs of changes of weather and seasons; but by no means the Causes of them, as if by their Influence and Activity Plants did grow, and attain their Matu∣rity; but only point out those times, wherein the Sun is more favourable to the growth of Corn, or when the Sea is most subject to Storms.

VI. The Dog-star hath no virtue for the pro∣ducing of Heat or Diseases. The Dog-star excites extream heats, and is sometimes so malignant, as to produce dangerous and Epidemical Diseases.

But this event is to be resolved as the former; for this intense Heat doth not proceed from the Dog-star, as if there were any virtue in him, to cause, and excite some extream hot Spirits, proper to inflame and destroy the healthful temper of mens Bodies: But because this Star doth arise at that time, when the Sun by his nearness to the Earth, doth very much dry up its moisture, and draw forth those exhalations, which infecting the Air first of all, do afterwards communicate the same corruption to Bodies. Hence it is that the Air at Rome is at that time counted very unwhol∣some, because the Country thereabouts abounds with may Caves and Holes, whence the Sun raiseth many exhalations that are very prejudicial to health. But it is evident, that these effects can∣not be attributed to the Dog-star, because that Constellation, when the Heat is at the height, is not advancing towards our vertical point, but withdrawing towards that of our Antipodes, and therefore ought rather to affect them, than us. For this is common to all Stars and Constellations, that they affect most those parts of the Earth, on which they dart their more direct Rays. Which since it doth not happen in the Dog-star, and that our Antipodes, at that time, are opprest with Cold, when our Climate is scorcht with Heat; we may safely conclude, that the Heats we are sensi∣ble of, at that time, do not proceed from the Dog-star, but that there is a quite different Principle to be assigned for our heat.

VII. It is absurd to ascribe acute Dis∣eases to the Dog-star. How absurd it is to attribute Acute Diseases to the Dog-star, is evident from hence, because whereas that Constellation about 2000 years since, did arise about 23 or 24 days after the Solstice, that is, about the 7th of July, of our Style; it is still supposed to rise at the same time; whereas in∣deed the Dog-star doth not rise now till a month after, by reason of the motion of the Fixt Stars towards the East, according to the order of the Signs. And notwithstanding Acute Diseases, Fe∣vers, &c. are commonly attributed to the former term, beginning at the 7th day of July. But who can believe that those extream Heats, we are sensible of in July, will ever be translated to Ja∣nuary? When yet it is most certain, that after 10000 Years, if the World continue so long, the Dog-star will arise about that time.

VIII. The Planets do not con∣tribute to the Moi∣sture or Drought of Sublunary Bodies. The Virtue and Efficacy of the Planets are proved by certain Experiments; as that some of them influence Cold, others Heat; some under such an Aspect communicate Moisture, and under another Drought. Whence is that of PLINY, When the Grass and Herbs are grown, and that they stand in need of more Moisture, whereby they may arrive to their full growth and perfection; the Sun by entring the Constellation of Cancer, doth furnish and supply the same.

This also, in a good Sense, may be said to be false and erroneous; for seeing that all the Planets, act only by the light which they borrow from the Sun, and that they reflect nothing but it, there can no diversity of Effects be inferr'd from the va∣riation of it. For all that can be gathered from their Conjunction with the Sun, is only this, that the Air is Hot in Summer, and Cold in Winter. But as to what Weather it will be the next Year, when the Sun shall enter this or the other House; when the Dog-star shall arise; or when Arcturus shall set; whether the Winds will be boisterous; whether we shall have a hot Summer, cannot with any certainty be known from any presage that can be taken from the Stars; since it frequently hap∣pens that the very Seasons of the Year are con∣founded, so as that we have cold Summers, clear and mild Winters, a hot Spring, and Winter-like Autumns. For the World is not governed in such an exact and setled order, but that great alterati∣ons happen in the Seasons of it, and make it look as if it were governed by hap and chance.

IX. The Stars have no Power over Sublunary things. Conclude we therefore, that no Stars, besides the Sun, who acts only by his Light and Heat, have any influence on things here below: And that therefore it is a vain thing for Astrologers to predict Wind or Rain from the Position or Aspects of the Moon, or from the same indication to pre∣scribe the taking of a Potion, or Blood-letting, or to determine that it will be good or bad Sailing Weather; that Trees are to be planted, Flowers and Herbs watered in the encrease of the Moon. From all which notions, I question not but men will be delivered, by considering their vanity, and that they are only grounded on such supposi∣tions, the truth whereof can never be proved.