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

Of the use of casting Lots amongst the Ancients to discover future things.

AMongst the Ancients was a solemn custom to select certain verses out of Poets, and roll them up as we see in Lotteries of our age, or chusing of Valentines, and to draw them out of boxes, hats, or aprons, by which it often happen∣ed that men drew verses, which contained that which was agreeable either to their present for∣tune or future condition; as it happened in Alex∣ander Severus being then but a youth or strip∣ling,

(and far from any hopes of aspiring to a Monarchal Diadem) who being amongst divers of his associates at this interlude and pastime, extracted out of the box or scrutiny some Verses of that illustrious Poet Publius Virgilius Maro, contained in the sixth book of his Aeneids, which predicted the Command of the whole Romane Empire.

Be carfull how to rule the Romane State. 'Twill be thy charge allotted out by Fate; The humble cherish, and the proud cast down, Cut Traytors off, and thou shalt keep thy Crown.

And it is no wonder that such things now and then come to passe through the permission of God, moving the mindes, moderating the tongue, and sorting and mingling the lots according as he will have things to evene and fall out; for not onely Balaam the South-sayer and false Prophet, but his Asse also foretold most certain veracities and future events.