A manifest and apparent confutation of an astrological discourse, lately published to the discomfort (without cause) of the weake and simple sort, as will by the sequel of that which foloweth, euidently appeare. With a briefe prognostication, or astrologicall prediction, of the coniunction of the two superiour planets, Saturn and Iupiter: which shalbe in the year of our Lord God 1583 the 29. of Aprill, at three of the clocke in the morning. VVritten the 25. of March by Thomas Heth, Master of Art.

The Epistle to the Reader.

GENTLE READER, IT may seeme a thing some∣what more then needful to write of that, whereof ano∣ther hath vvritten so lately, yea and as the most thinke, so largely and learnedly, as is possible in that behalfe, and nothing omitted therein that might any way tend to the declaration ther¦of. The consideration vvhereof caused mee at the first to pause at the matter, and in so doing, found them that had hitherto vvritten thereof, to haue mistaken the grounde of all their iudgement, presupposing a vvrong and vntrue time of the coniunction of the saide Planets, wherevpon they seeme to grounde the principles of al their iudgements, and ther¦fore I could not but certifie you thereof, and with the best of my endeuour, seeking to sa∣tisfie you with the trueth, haue enterprised to write this treatise following, in humble wise

praying you well to accept the plainesse and simplenesse of the stile, as of one, not so well exercised in the eloquent pēning or the retho¦rical flourishing of any peece of work (though the same be a thing very commendable and requisite) as in the contemplacion and prac∣tise of the art, cheefest to be expected herein, hoping that no indifferent person vvill thinke the worse of so excellent a science, for that the students in the same profession, seeme to vvrite the one directly contrary to the other: the first, threatning great harme to the vvhol world, the second, promising good hap to the same, the rather, because that contrariety in writing, is a thing not onely incident to this profession, but also vnto sundry other studies vvherin the learned in ech faculty are to con∣sider and iudge; who in his profession vvri∣teth most learnedly and substantially, vnto vvhose censure I submit my selfe, and this my trauell, vvishing that as well the vnskilfull A∣stronomer, vvhich takes vppon him the Art vvithout knowledge thereof, making moun∣tains of Molhills, and myracles of meere tri∣fles, might be better aduised ere hee publish his doings to the vievv of the vvorld, discre∣diting himselfe and the Art thereby, as also that the vnlearned & ignorāt sort, which in∣iuriously vpbraid and defame the same, tho∣rough their dispightfull and malicious spee∣ches (for that the predictions which the vn∣skilfull

in this science prognosticat, answere not their expectation to the full, either to suspend their iudgements (for that the blinde are not able to iudge or discerne colours) ei∣ther els to impute the fault, where of right it ought, vnto the artist and not vnto the Art VVhich doing, their credite vvoulde be the more, and the commendation of the Art no lesse then in truth it doth deserue; and other∣vvise their rash and indiscreet iudgement, wil no lesse appeare herein, then in the condem∣nation of the common lawes without cause, when as their humour is not pleased, and their cause iustly condemned. But the Godly and learned through their example admonished, whose iudgement is more, and meaning bet∣ter, will I hope well conceiue of my simple & plaine meaning herein, to whose good consideration I referre the de∣claration of that which followeth.