The five books of Mr. Manilius containing a system of the ancient astronomy and astrology : together with the philosophy of the Stoicks / done into English verse with notes by Mr. Tho. Creech.

NOTES.

1. Manilius having mention'd the chief Argu∣ments of Homer's Poems, concludes with a high Character, stiling him the Fountain of all Poetry. Ovid. Amor. lib. 3. El. 8. to the same purpose,

A quo, ceu Fonte perenni, Vatum Pieriis ora rigantur Aquis▪

And Longinus (de sublim. Sect. 13) says not only Stesichorus and Archilocus, but Herodotus the Histo∣rian, and Plato the Philosopher, owe their chiefest Beauties to that Poet.

2. Several Poems of Hesoid are lost, and Scali∣ger with other Criticks conjecture, That Manilius refers us to those lost Poems: But I think this and the preceding Verse ought to be Corrected, (of this Correction perhaps I may give an account in a Latin Edition of this Author) and then they will be found in those pieces of Hesiod that are now extant.

3. Eratosthenes a Greek Poet, flourished in the time of Ptolemy Euergetes, about the 138 Olymp. He wrote of the Stars and Constellations, and gave an account of all the Fables relating to them: I have not time to explain all these Fables and therefore shall only direct where they may be found. Concerning Perseus, Andromeda, her Fa∣ther Cepheus, and her Mother Cassiopeia, vid. O∣vid.

Metam, lib. 4. ver. 665. Concerning Callisto, or the great Bear, Ovid. lib. 2. ver. 405. The Fable of the Little Bear may be found in Diodorus Siculus, lib. 4. Of the Swan in the First Book of Manilius. Of the Goat in the First Book of Ma∣nilius, and in Casaubon's Animadversions on Athe∣naeus: The Maid or Erigone, is said to be the Daughter of Icarus, who upon the Death of her Father, hang'd her self. The Nemean Lion being slain by Hercules, was plac'd amongst the Stars for his shining Skin. The Crab for pinching Her∣cules when he fought the Hydra: The Scorpion for Killing Orion, or rather, for assisting the Gods against the Giants. The Stories of Venus taking the shape of a Fish when she fled from the Giant Typho, and of the Ram who swam over the Hel∣lespont with Phryxus and Helle on his Back, are well known, and may be found in Manilius, and Selden de Diis Syris.

4. This was a Fancy of the Antients, which some are not asham'd, after Experience hath so of∣ten Confuted it, to maintain still.

5. The Elephants do so, if we believe Pliny: Nat. Hist. lib. 8. cap. 1.

• 6. Aries is Male.
• Gemini M.
• Leo M.
• Libra M.
• Sagittarius M.
• Aquarius M.
• Taurus Female.
• Cancer F.
• Virgo F.
• Scorpius F.
• Capricornus F.
• Pisces F.

7. The Humane Signs are Gemini, Libra, Vir∣go, Aquarius. The Brute, Aries, Taurus, Sagit∣tarius,

Capricornus, Leo, Cancer, Scorpius, Pisces.

8. Of Double Signs some are Pairs, as Gemini, and Pisces: Others are made up of two different Species, such as Sagittarius and Capricornus.

9. The Tropick Signs are Aries, Libra, Can∣cer, and Capricorn.

10. Their Position is unnatural; but this, as well as the fore-going Differences, will be easily understood upon view of the Signs upon a Globe.

11. Concerning Day and Night Signs, there are different Opinions: Some fancy that Aries, Tau∣rus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, are the Days, and the other six the Nights. Others teach that the Male and Female are the same with the Day and Night Signs. But the Opinion that Manilius fol∣lows is this. Aries is a Day Sign, Taurus, Gemini, Night. Cancer, Leo, Day. Virgo, Libra, Night. Scorpius, Sagittarius, Day. Caper, Aquarius, Night. Pisces Day. So that begin with Pisces, and then you find two Day Signs together, and then two Night Signs, and so in Order.

12. The Water Signs are Pisces and Cancer. The Earth Aries, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Gemini, Sagitta∣rius, Libra, Virgo: Capricornus and Aquarius be∣long to both Earth and Water.

13. The fruitful Signs are Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces. The Barren are Leo, Virgo, Aquarius. The re∣maining six are partly Barren, partly Fruitful.

14. The Running Signs are Leo, Sagittarius, A∣ries: The standing or Erected Signs, Aquarius, Ge∣mini, Virgo. The Crouching Signs, Taurus, Cancer, Libra, Scorpius, Caper, Pisces.

15. The Maim'd signs, Taurus, Scorpius, Sagit∣tarius, Cancer.

16. The Season signs are Pisces, belonging to the Spring. Gemini to Summer. Virgo to Au∣tumn; and Sagittarius to Winter.

17. Suppose in the Zodiack Circle Twelve Signs, and in every Circle 360 Parts or Degrees, and 30 of these Degrees to belong to each of the Twelve Signs. Begin at any of the Signs, for in∣stance, Aries; and in this Circle inscribe a Tri∣angle, all whose sides are equal; it is evident that the Arch of the Circle which each of these sides subtends, contains 120 Parts or Degrees; and therefore between that Sign from which you begin to draw each side of this Triangle, and that to which you draw it, there must be Three Signs. But see Fig. 1st.

18. To shew what Signs are to be accounted Right, and what Left, the Poet mentions only the Trine of Taurus: Yet it is sufficient, upon View of Fig. 1st. direction for all the rest.

19. To know the Quadrate, begin from any sign, and in the Circle inscribe a Square, all whose sides are equal; the Angles shew the Signs, and what are Right or Left, you may find that in Qua∣drates, as you did in Trines.

20. The meaning of all these Cautions concern∣ing Trines and Quadrates, is in short, this, You must reckon by Degrees, and not by Signs; for if you reckon by Signs, the Figures, as Manilius shews at large in each particular, will not be equilateral. See Fig. 1st. and 2d.

21. The Signs which have an Opposite aspect are,

• Aries.
• Taurus.
• Gemini.
• Cancer.
• Leo.
• Virgo.
• Libra.
• Scorpius.
• Sagittarius.
• Capricornus.
• Aquarius.
• Pisces.

22. The Guardians of the Signs.

• Of Aries.
• Taurus.
• Gemini.
• Cancer.
• Leo.
• Virgo.
• Libra.
• Scorpius.
• Sagittarius.
• Capricornus.
• Aquarius.
• Pisces
• Pallas.
• Venus.
• Phoebus.
• Mercurius.
• Jupiter.
• Ceres.
• Vulcan.
• Mars.
• Diana.
• Vesta.
• Juno.
• Neptune.

The Reasons of this Assignment are to be ta∣ken out of the Old Fables.

23. Whether Capricorn was in the Horoscope of Augustus, when he was Born, or when he was Conceived, Is disputed: However 'tis certain, Augustus took Capricorn for his Sign, and many times its Figure is found upon his Coins. vid. Sueton. vit. Aug. cap. 94. and Spanhemius de Num∣mis. p. 210.

24. See the Figures of these Signs on a Globe.

25. Pylades and Orestes being taken Prisoners, Orestes was condemned to Die, but was allow'd to go and settle some Affairs, upon Condition that Pylades would stay behind, and engage his Life for his return: Pylades becomes Surety: Orestes goes, settles his Affairs, and returns at the Day appointed.

26. So call'd, because in the Sign Scorpius we see nothing but the Claws.

27. The Dodecatemorion is the Twelfth part, or two Degrees and an half of a Sign. Every Sign containing Thirty Degrees; for Twelve times two and an half make Thirty. Scaliger gives this Instance. Let the propos'd Degree be the Thirteenth Degree of Gemini, multiply Thirteen by Twelve, the Product is one hundred fifty six: Of these give Thirty to Gemini the propos'd Sign, Thirty to Cancer, Thirty to Leo, to Virgo Thirty, and Thirty to Libra: There remain Six, and therefore the Dodecatimorion of Gemini is in the Sixth Degree of Scorpius: But this instance doth not seem to agree with the Doctrine of Ma∣nilius.

28. Scaliger affirms, that Manilius proposeth two ways to find the Dodecatemoria or Twelfths of the Planets; Huctius says he gives but one: This Dispute will be best determin'd by observing the Poet himself, and illustrating his Doctrine by two Instances: Let the Moon be in the Sixth De∣gree of Aries, multiply six by Twelve, the Product ••s Seventy two: Out of this Seventy two give the first Thirty to Aries, the second to Taurus, and ••hen there remain Twelve; and therefore the

Dodecatemorion of the Moon is in the Twelfth De∣gree of Gemini, that is, in the Second of the Five half Degrees of the Dodecatemorion of Gemini.

29. To this Method Scaliger applies this Ex∣ample: Let the Sun be in the Thirteenth of Gemi∣ni, the Moon in the Twenty Third of Scorpius, the Arch of the Zodiack between the two Planets, contains one Hundred and Sixty Degrees: In this Number there are five Thirties, which being ta∣ken away there remain Ten; divide these Ten by Twelfths, or two and an half, the Quotient is four Twelfths, or Dodecatemoria; of which give one to Scorpius, another to Sagittarius, a third to Ca∣pricorn, and the fourth falling in Aquarius, shews the Moons Dodecatemorion to be in the twenty third Degree of that Sign.

30. The third sort of Dodecatemorion is this. In every Dodecatemorion or Twelfth, there are five half Degrees, and the Planets (which the Antient Astrologers counted but five, not reckon∣ing the Sun and Moon amongst the Planets) have in each Dodecatemorion or Twelfth, one half De∣gree assign'd to every one of them.

31. From this Verse to the end of this Book, Manilius treats of the Twelve Celestial Houses, which he divides into the Four Cardines or Hinges, and the Eight Spaces that lie between these Hin∣ges: The Hinges are the Eastern Point, the Middle Point, the Western Point and the lowest point of Heaven: The Spaces, &c. but see Fig. 10.

32. Manilius in the beginning of his first Book tells us Mercury was the Inventor of that Art, which he intended for the Subject of his Astrological Poem.

33. Either the Poet never finish'd this Part which he here promises, or it is now lost.