The astrologer anatomiz'd, or, The vanity of star-gazing art discovered by Benedictus Pererius ; and rendered into English by Percy Enderbie, Gent.

The third Reason.

Let us lay aside the discourse of Twins, whose interrupt birth may well puzzle Star gazers, and behold and take into consideration, thousands of nativities, at the very same time, and in the same

Kingdome, under the same aspect and position of Heaven and Stars, and the Children begot by di∣vers Parents; Astrologers must needs give the same judgement, and pronounce the same fortune to all those being born under the same constellati∣on, and daily experience shews the contrary; for how many throughout the whole world, are conceived in the same moment, and at the same time born; and yet in their capacities, wits, manners, yea religion, life and death, there is a vaste dissimilitude and disproportion. In the great Battle which Hannibal fought against the Romans, how many, both great Commanden and ordinary Souldiers perisht and lost their lives and yet no man is so destitute of reason, or desti∣tute of judgement, as to think all those men born under the same constellation and aspect of the Stars; and in that admirable Sea fight, and glori∣ous Victory obtained against the Turks in these lat∣ter times, to the immortal glory of Christians; will any man be so foolish as to think and affirm, that all those miscreants who perished there and were swallowed up by the merciless Waves of the all-devouring Ocean, were born under the same as∣pect of Heaven and constellation? When Homer, Hippocrates, Aristotle, and Alexander the Great were born, were not also many others born, in the very same times and moments; yet in the se∣veral excellencies proved equal to them: Phavo∣rinus

tells us yet further, saying, How many of both sexes of all ages, born under several constella∣tions, either by earthquakes, falling of houses, taking of Towns, shipwrack, or the like, have come to the same sad end, and in the same mo∣ment of time, which could never have come to pass if the same fortune and destiny attributed to every one at his nativity, and the power of that moment had had its proper force and vertue, or laws pre∣scribed; and if some things and events concerning the life and death of men born at several times, by a likeness of constellations hapning after, may seem to acquire a near or like success and contingency, why cannot the parity bring it to pass, that many Socrates, Antisthenes, and Plato's shall have their existence, and being, in form, feature, wit, qualities, through their whole life and death all alike and semblable, which yet is impossible; and therefore Star-gazers have but a silly shift by this argumentation, to make us believe that men born under several and distinct constellations may have the same final end and Ca∣tastrophe.