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.

Certaine vvorthy notes concerning the sunne and Moone.

LEaste that any shoulde herein be de∣ceiued, we thinke it not mete to be let passe, concerning the sunne and Mone, the which al be it they be the chiefe and princes of the Planettes: yet are they ne∣uer Lordes of the natiuity, as for exam∣ple. If y^e Mone be in Gemini, or in Can∣cer, whiche is her owne house, when a childe is borne: yet shall not the Moone haue the dominion of the birthe, but it shalbe imputed to the Lord of the house folowing. So likewise, if a man be born the Sunne being in Leo, which is his pro¦per house: yet he loseth the dominion of the natiuity, and it is deriued vnto Mer∣cury being patrone of the next mansion Virgo. Againe, the Mone being in Vir∣go, Venus is Ladye of the birthe, because of Libra folowing which is the house of Venus. Neither is it vnprofitable to ad∣monish

you also of his, which I perceiue euery wher to be doubted of, that y^e euel planets as Saturn and Mars, are not so hurtful & pernicious in their own proper houses, as thei be in y^e mansiōs of others. I wil propound an example of the firste signe, wherby it may appeare more eui∣dent. We wil set the Sunne to be in the time of some natiuitye in Aries, whose nature you al ready know, and what ef∣fect he worketh being in the Horoscope. Then in therection of the figure, ioyne Mars with Aries beinge Lorde of the house: and therby iudge that he whiche is born shal liue long. Notwithstāding, Mars who although he be nought, & ill, yet he doth not so much pour out & shew his malice being in his own house; as if he were in another house, sacring that in stede of hurt by the sword, he threatneth sode••ne sickenesse, because Mars being in Scorpio, the .viii. house, neyther shall those sickenesse bring death. And this is for an e••āple. The like is also to be vn∣derstād of Saturn, being in Capricorn or in Aquarius. And left we may seine here

vtterly to neglect artificial Astrology, y^e which we do not denye, but to be requi∣••i••e, to the vnderstāding of the natural. Wherefore, we mindinge to declare the force & strēgth of the signes, we wil first do it by artificial Astrology: so that anye mā lacking Firmicus and his tables, ha∣uing a plaine Astrolobe, and beholding thascendent at thoure of y^e natiuity: may by these smal instructions geue iudgmet. And after this in order, in another phrase I wil do the same by natural Astrology the which shal helpe the artificial.

Of the first house and horoscope in Aries

IF any man wil peraduenture demaūd what operation & effect the Horoscope in Aries doth worke in vs. First of all I admonish thē that the stars or signes do not {pro}uoke or force vs to any thing, but onlye doth make vs prone & apt:•• being so apt, they do moue stir vs vp vnto the things we are so prone vnto. Frō whose motion we are fre and oute of daunger, that folowing the rule and gouernāce of reasō, they shal haue no effect in vs. But if cōtraciwise, we onli folow our natural

stinction they shal worke the same effect in vs, that they do in a manner in brute beastes. Wherfore, this Horoscope ma∣keth them which are borne, florishing in youth, withoute brethren, or one at the most, if they be fortunate: hauing a mu∣table inheritance, now gotten, now lost, and now lost, and st••ait recouered again, inclined to the diseases of the hed, rather then to ani other sicknesse (because Aries hath chief respect to the hed). For y^e most part bestowing his labor & good wil vp∣on vnthankful persons, & specially Aries being in the Horoscope. Nexte after the Horoscope, must hede be taken vnto the chiefe angles, & what signe is in eche an∣gle, which may easily be rekened, by the fingers or els bi a figure erect, as for ex∣ample. Aries being in the first house, Cā∣cer possesseth the nether part of the hea∣uen, Capricorne the midst, and Libra the west, and now we wil shew, what these principal angles do promisse.

Capricorne in the midst of the heauen, doth discern honors, riches, promotions, secretes of religion, and a suttel wit.

[illustration] astrological diagram

Libra in the west sheweth the life and courtly maners, the which life few do a∣low: for it is vnconstant, casting down a man from honor and reputation, into in famy and reproche: fortune nowe flatte∣ring and laughing vpon him, and bi and by vering him with sondry miseries and calamities, so that he shal haue no como¦dity or gaine, withoute incomoditye and losse. Al this shal happen throughe emu∣lation or y^e despite of his cōpanions. But

al these euils, whatsoeuer thei are Cācer in the nether part of the heauen doth a∣mend and recompence. We haue ioyned hereunto a figure, by the whiche as in a table you may perceiue all thinges per∣fectlye.