A prognostication euerlasting of right good effect fruitfully augmented by the author, containing plaine, briefe, pleasant, chosen rules to iudge the weather by the sunne, moone, starres, comets, rainbow, thunder, clowdes, with other extraordinary tokens, not omitting the aspects of planets, with a briefe iudgement for euer, of plentie, lacke, sicknes, dearth, warres, &c. opening also many naturall causes worthie to be knowne. To these and other now at the last, are ioyned diuers generall, pleasant tables, with many compendious rules, easie to be had in memorie, manifold wayes profitable to all men of vnderstanding. Published by Leonard Digges Gentleman. Lately corrected and augmented by Thomas Digges his sonne.

Now ensue extraordinarie tokens for the knowledge of weather.

SOme haue obserued euill weather to followe, when as watrie fowles leaue the sea, desiring land: the fowles of the lande fly∣ing high: the crying of fowles about waters making a great noise with their wings: also the seas swelling with vnaccustomed waues: If beasts eate greedily: If they licke their hooues: If they sodainly moue here and there making a noyse, breathing vp to the ayre with open nostrels: raine followeth. And the busie heauing of Moules: the appearing or comming out of wormes: Hennes resorting to the perch or roust couered with dust, declare raine. The ample working of the Spinner in the ayre: the Ant busied with her egges: the Bees in faire weather not farre wandring: the con••inuall prating of the Crow, chiefly twise or thrise quicke calling, shew tempest. When the Crow or Rauen gapeth against the Sunne in summer, heate followeth. If they busie themselues

in proyn••ng or washing, and that in winter, looke for raine. The vnaccustomed noise of poultry, the noise of swine, of peacocks, de∣clare the same. The swallow flying and beating the water, the chirping of the Sparrow in the morning signifie raine. Raine sud∣denly dried vp. Woody couerings straighter then of custome. Bels heard further then commonly, the wallowing of dogges, the alteration of the Cocke crowing, all declare rainie weather. I leaue these, wanting the good ground of the rest. If the learned be desirefull of the aforesaid, let them reade graue Virgil, Primo Georgicorum. At Bor. &c.

There be a multitude of other not extraordinary, but of the best known causes: many for breuity here omitted, the most part not mentioned, because they passe the capacitie of the common sort, vpon all the which the Astronomer doth well and learnedly con∣clude. I doubt not, there be also sometime vnknown matters, mit∣tigating the aforesayd, or prouoking tempest vnlooked for, which neither experience, ne learning hath established. How vnkind (these considered) yea how farre from worthie thankes giuing are they, which in generall headdely doe blame, checking bitterly the Astrologer, with these Iudiciarie matters (the least part among a number of his most certaine doings) when things fortune con∣trary to expectation? Understand gentle Reader, the consent of a multitude famously learned in their buckler, euen in these mat∣ters Iudiciarie: who haue wayed a long time prudentlie, the great strength, the vehement force and marueilous natures of all erraticall, and celestiall constellations, with their Angles, Radia∣tions, Aspects, Affections, Stations, Progressions, Defections, Dispositions, Applications, Preuentions, Refrenations, Contra∣rieties, Abscissions, Coniunctions, Quadratures, and Opposi∣tions, &c. Therfore extreame folly, yea more then madnes doth he vtter, which imbraydeth or backbiteth these knowledges, not re∣membring the great and manifold benefits had through them, and that with most certaintie in all other doings.

What Meteoroscoper, yea who learned in matters Astrono∣micall, noteth not the great effects, at the rising of the starre cal∣led the little Dogge? Truly the c••nsent of the best lea••ned doe a∣gree of his force: yea Plinie, in his historie of nature affirmeth the

Seas then most fierce, wines to slow in cellers, standing waters to moue, dogs enclined to madnesse, then most wood. Further, these constellations, Orion, Arcturus, Corona, rising, prouoke tempestu∣ous weather. The Kid & Goat, windes. Hyades, or Succulie, raine. What Meteorologer consenteth not to the great alteration and mutation of ayre, at the Coniunction, Opposition or Quadrat aspect of Saturne, with either two lights? Who is ignorant yea meanly truailed in Astronomie, that Iupiter with Mercury or with the Sunne, enforceth rage of winds? What is he that perceiueth not the fearefull thunders, lightnings and raines at the meeting of Mars and Venus, or Iupiter and Mars? &c. Leaue for shame to op∣pugne these iudicials strongly authorised. He that any other part carpeth, may seeme more then mad. Al truth, al experience, a mul∣titude of infallible grounded rules are against him. Certum est om∣nibus{que} notum. quòd ••oeli motus, signorum ortus & occasus▪ planetarum aspectus & coniunctiones luminarium Eclipses, &c. certissimam 〈…〉〈…〉 habent causam. Quis iam sanaementis negabit eorum effectus saepe innotescere, vtpote bella, fames, grandines, aeris per∣turbationes, elementorum commotiones, terrae mot••s, & similia? Positis causis natu••alibus, & non impeditis, sequitur effectus.

The learned that listeth ingeniously to prognosticate of wea∣ther, will not onely discreetly wey all before written, but consider also with them the aspects of the Planets following, and their combustion in the 12. Signes, with the coniunction of fixed stars, mansions of the Moone, Ascendent, Climes, &c. Also the times or quarters of the yeare must bee noted diligently, (as ensueth) and iudgement accordingly pronounced.

Notes

• Orionis, Ar∣cturi, Coronae Captae, Sucu∣larum effe∣ctus.

  ☌ □ & ☍ ♄ cum ☉ & ☽. ☌ ♃ □ & ☍ cum ♀ aut cum ☉, &c.