A treatise against iudicial astrologie Dedicated to the right Honorable Sir Thomas Egerton Knight, Lord Keeper of the great Seale, and one of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell. VVritten by Iohn Chamber, one of the prebendaries of her Maiesties free Chappell of VVindsor, and fellow of Eaton College.

CHAP. XVI.

VVho first among the Greeks gaue themselues to Astronomie, and how farre.

IT is reported of Thales, that hee was the first among the Grecians that professed any skill in these matters. About 80. yeeres after came Anaxagoras, who was the first that durst aduenture to put any thing in writing, concerning the eclipse of the Moone, which had like to haue cost him his life: for being cast in pri∣son of the Athenians for that cause, he was hardly de∣liuered by the great sute and labour of Pericles. For the Athenians tooke the starres to be Gods, not thinking that they went about by any naturall course, but free∣ly at their owne election. After that, how many yeeres Nicias had like to haue marred the Athenian state, for not knowing the cause of the eclipse of the Moone, you may see in Plutarch and Plinie. Before Platoes time there is scarse mention of any that tooke anie thing vpon him in these predictions. Eudoxus Gnidius, Platoes great acquaintance and friend, hauing conuersed long with the Egyptians, where he attained to the perfe∣ction of Astronomie, and Astrologie, expressely disal∣lowed

the latter, and first of his nation, gaue himselfe wholly to embrace and studie the former. No Grecian is recorded to haue giuen himselfe so throughly to these studies. He did so diligently among the Egypti∣ans, obserue the course of the starres, that the high place where he made his standing to note them, euen in Straboes time, was called Eudoxi speculae, that is, Eudo∣xus beacon. This man among the Grecians, is said first to haue beene skilfull in this arte, which notwith∣standing he is reported to haue condemned, because he found it still false and fickle. If one thing onely a∣mong a hundred fell out true, hee did not vse that to make good all the rest that were false, but contrarie, rather discredited that one for the rests sake. He knew that one shooting all day must needs sometime hit the marke, were he neuer such a bungler, and that in oft casting the dice, where there is nothing but chaunce, one shall sometime turne vp that chance which they call Venereus. As Aristotle affirmeth nothing of Thales skill: so if Eudoxus had knowne any such memorable skill to haue beene in Thales, he would not haue con∣cealed it, comming welnigh three hundred years after him. But this storie of Thales is by Pliny reported of Democritus, so full of vncertaintie is the whole matter. These things would haue bin considered of them that slaunder Thales with Astrologie. As for Aristotle, hee writeth onely, that this was attributed to him because of his wisedome and prouidence: but that he was an Astrologer, he no where saith, nor could well beleeue.