Briefe introductions, both naturall, pleasaunte, and also delectable vnto the art of chiromancy, or manuel diuination, and physiognomy with circumstances vpon the faces of the signes. Also certain canons or rules vpon diseases and sickenesse. Whereunto is also annexed aswel the artificiall, as naturall astrologye, with the nature of the planets. Written in the Latin tonge, by Ihon Indagine prieste. And now latelye translated into Englishe, by Fabian Withers.

❧ The first Chapiter of the distinction of the hand.

THE auncient Grekes, who (as it may ap∣pere by y^t long and old vse of the word) did vse this sorte and kinde of Diuinatyon, whiche is ga∣thered by the beholdynge of manne his hande, called it by this propre name of Chyromancia. Wherfore I intendynge to write the rules & obseruations therof, do thinke it necessarye and mete first of al to discribe the hand of man, and point out & set forthe his partes, whereby such rules and preceptes as shall be geuen v∣pon this manuell diuination, maye the more easily be vnderstand and knowen. The hand therfore being extent or ope∣ned

abroade, the playne within is called the palme, in the middest whereof there is a certaine space called the concaue or holownesse, oute of the whiche the fiue fingers haue their originall and begin∣ning. Amongst the which, the first being the strongest and mooste grosse, is called the Thombe: the next is called the index or forfinger, because in shewing or poin∣ting to any thing, we do commonly vse that finger. The next that foloweth and is in the middest of the fiue, is by the same name called the middle finger: next after this, is the ringe finger: so called, because it is commonly to weare a ring of golde vpon it, and speciallye that on the lefthand, for because as learned men hold opinion, there dothe passe a certain small sinnowe from that finger to the heart of man: wherefore it semed good in times paste to the antiquitie, to wear a ringe as a crowne vppon that finger, or els as some do suppose, that goulds by nature doth comforte the heart. The laste finger and leaste of all, is called

the eare finger, because it is commonly vsed to make cleane the eares. And thus farre concernynge the fingers. More o∣uer, the hand beyng closed or shut wyth the fingers turned in, we call the fiste, the nether parte wherof (amongest such as vse this Arte,) is commonlye called the percussiō or stroke of the hand. Thē the place where the hand is drawen and gathered in, & ioyned to the arme, is also called the wreste. Furthermore, euerye finger hath his proper rising or swelling of the fleshe, whiche doth rise at the rote or nether parte of the saide fingers, and of some is called hylles, and are attribu∣ted vnto the names of the Planets. A∣mong the whiche is reckened the risyng or hyll in the nether parte of the fist, cal∣led the percussion of the hande, so that in the hande are limitted and appoynted seuerall places vnto euerye of the Pla∣nettes, whereby iudgemente maye be gathered. For the risynge or hyll of the thombe is assigned vnto Venus, and marked with this carecter ♀, the hyll

of the fore finger to Iupiter, and is thus noted ♃, the middle finger is attribute to Saturne, with this note ♄, the ringe finger to the Sunne, with this character ☉, the hill of the little or eare finger is vnder Mercury, with this marke ☿, the risyng or hill which is in the percussion, the Mone doth possesse, and is thus figu∣red ☽. Now what place Mars shal haue we will shew you hereafter, but first we will make discription of the incisions & diuisions of the hand, which we call the lines. Amongest the which there be two chiefe and principall, which be these: the wrest which diuideth the hand from the arme, and is almost ioyned to the line of life, or of the hart, the whiche beginueth vnder the hill of the forefinger, as it wer betwene the forefinger and the thombe, and dothe deuide the hande stretchinge downeward towarde the wrest. In the same side of the hande at the hyll of the forefinger, beginneth a line whiche pas∣seth ouerthwart the hande to the hyll of the Moone, and is called the middle cri∣nean naturall. And these two lines thus

beginning and passyng sundry wayes, make the forme and shape of a triangle. To the whiche••, if the line of the Liuer or stomacke, whiche beginneth ouer a∣gainste the wreste, and passeth vnder the hil of the thombe, to the hil of the Mone, by the end of the meane natural line, do apere, as in some it doth not, it finisheth the triangle. And the space conteyned within these lines, is attribute and geuē vnto Mars, and is called the triangle of Mars, noted wyth this figure ♂.

There is also an other line called the ta∣ble line, beginninge vnder the eare fin∣ger, at the ende of the hyll of the Mone, and runneth to the forefinger, and is so called, because the space betwene it and the middle or meane natural doth argue or shewe the fashion of a table, and that space is alwayes called the table or qua∣drangle of the hande, and the line is also called the lyne of fortune. And these be almost the chiefe diuisions or lines of the hand, to the which all other lesse & smal∣ler incisions and lines are referred. But nowe as neare as we can wee wyll dis∣cribe

them all, and as farre as partey∣neth to this Arte, shew their nature and signification. And first I thinke mete to speake of those lines, whiche take their denomination or name of the three prin∣cipall membres of mans bodie, that is of the hart, the brain, and the liuer. For as in those parts, whatsoeuer is in mā is al¦tered & chaūged: so bi those thre incisions and lines, a man may foresee & pronosti∣cate what soeuer shall happen, touching health, or aduersitie, or other thinges na∣turall. The which if any man thinke to be vaine and triflying: let him call to re∣membraunce the auncient Philosophers of Pythagoras secte, who chieflye by the proporcion and liniaments of mans bo∣dye, did declare and pronosticate the ma∣ners, state, and ende of man his life. For what is saide of Socrates, when that a certain man professying the Arte of Phi∣siognomye, or speculation: beholdynge Socrates, iudged hym by his outwarde habyte to be a verye euyll manne, of vncleane lyfe, libidinous, and geuen to

all euil, was therefore wonderfullye re∣buked of his scholers, as thoughe he had shamefullye flaundered hym. Socrates aunswered, that in dede naturallye he felte suche mocions and inclinations, so that if he hadde not corrected the vyces, his nature by the rules of reason, he had bene suche a one as he hadde pronoun∣ced hym to bee: meanynge thereby all those vices, whiche nature and destenye hath planted in vs, maye easilye by rea∣son and custome be amended, if we wyll striue agaynste destinye. And the prince of the Paripetecians Aristotle, saide, the hande of manne to be made of Nature, the principall organe and instrument in mannes bodye. For sithens it is his of∣fice to minister and serue all other partes of the bodye, and that in humaine gene∣ration, the vertues, powers, and strēgth, of all membres do come together. It is verye consequente and agreable, some certaine signes and tokens of the quali∣tie and complexion of man, to be knowen and perceiued by the hande.

Suche is the proporcion of membres a∣mong them selues, that they do partake one wyth another in all thynges. And further, that this arte of Chyromancie was vsed in the time of Plinie, he him selfe dothe affirme. Wherefore I take it to be my dutie to admonyshe you what you ought to attribute to this arte, and what is els to be ioyned wyth it, lest a∣ny man should thinke to include or shut vp the knowledge of so highe and great thinges into so straight and narow cor∣ners. Wherfore what I thinke herein I thinke good to shewe. As often as I must answere to any that enquireth, by and by as is accustomed, I loke vpon the hand, and therwithal beholde the whole bodye with the lineamentes, and pro∣porcion of the same, whiche is called his Physiognomie, (whereof in the boke fo∣lowing I will intreate,) then I cast my minde to the hour of Natiuitie, moneth, daye, or yere: the whiche knowen, I re∣ferre strait to the rules of natural Astro∣logye hereafter by mee written, then plainely iudgyng none of these by them

selues sufficient. And thinking it better to iudge them foles in geuyng light cre∣dite, then I to be counted rashe and fo∣lishe hastye in geuyng sentence. So that when I haue gathered all these thinges together, and taken holde of that which I thinke meete for my vse, I vtter my iudgment, estemyng the point of a mad manne by lokyng onely in the hande, to geue iudgemente of the life and all the states of mans bodye. And nowe I returne to the rules of Chyromancie.

[illustration] chiromantic diagram

• ...A The table line, or line of fortune.
• ...B The line of life, or of the heart.
• ...C The vvreste of a vvoman.
• ...D The pomell of the hande.
• ...E The middle naturall line.
• ...F The line of the liuer or stomacke.

[illustration] chiromantic diagram

• ...A The table line.
• ...B The pomell of the hande.
• ...C The vvreste of a man.
• ...D The line of the liuer.
• ...E The table or quadrangle.
• ...G The hyll of the thombe.
• ...H The line of life, or of the heart
• ...I The triangle.
• ...K The middle naturall line.

[illustration] chiromantic diagram

The names of the fingers after the Planets.

• ...A The imperfect table line.
• ...B The sister to the naturall line.
• ...C The line of the liuer or stomacke.
• ...D The sister of the line of life.
• ...E The line of life.