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. III.

That the difficulties of this Arte by ignorance, first of the number of stars, then of the constellation, thirdly of the birth-houre are such, as must needs spoyle this Arte, as also may appeare by examples brought.

FIrst therefore the ignorance of these Wisards shall be sufficient to ouer∣throw all their arte: the greatest and grauest Philosophers are not agreed of manie controuersies in heauenly matters. And Aristotle lib. 2. de Coelo, text. 17.34.60.61. confesseth him∣selfe in many of these points to be so far to seeke, that he is forced oft in steed of sound arguments to vse pro∣babilities and coniectures. And if it fared thus with Aristotle the prince of Philosophers, what is to bee thought of these companions, but euen that which is commonly said, who is so bold as blind Bayard? No

doubt, there are in heauen a number of starres, which, since because of their distance, no man can discerne, no man can know, which notwithstanding haue their operation. If therefore the starres, which cause the ef∣fects, be vnknowne, how can the effects themselues be knowne, seeing euerie thing must bee knowne by his causes? Further, Astrologers confesse, that they haue no certaine knowledge, euen of many of those starres which are seene: how then can these paltry wi∣sards, of a few starres, which they know, so confidently pronounce of things to come: as if by the influence of those which they know not, the effects of those which they know might not be hindered and altered? Vnlesse perhaps to this they will answere, that the vnknowne starres are without force or influence: which were most sottish and absurd. Among Astrologers it is plaine, that in the eight Spheare are starres 1022. euerie one bigger then the earth; wherefore their force and power must needs be such as the poore star∣gazers can hardly apprehend, considering their arte is bounded and limitted specially & principally, with the obseruations of Planets only, their spending and occupying it selfe. But that the starres haue no such force or power at all, is plaine, for if they haue it, they must haue it of God; but of God they neuer had it, for then he would not haue forbidden the vse of them, no more then he hath the vse of meates, fruits, herbes, &c. to which he hath giuen power to nourish & cure mans bodie. As we are bidden to take meat and drinke with thanksgiuing: so no doubt he would haue willed vs to vse the helpe of starres, if there had beene anie such force in them. But now that he hath forbidden

them, what shall we thinke? Againe, to what end had he forbidden the tree of knowledge, if he had left a star of knowledge. The Magi were led to Christ by a star, but not by a figure. Hence it is plaine that the starres do not performe that which is said; for were there not starres enough before, but they must haue a new one to guide them? Will a figure mention the death of meane and base people, and say nothing of Christ? where, when, and how he was borne, but we must haue a new starre? Although indeed Iulius Firmicus lib. 2. cap. 33. seemeth to be of opinion, that certaine persons are so great, that the starres do not reach to their na∣tiuities and actions: his words be these. Only the Em∣perour is not subiect to the course of starres, neither haue the starres any power in his destinie: so that Fi∣gure-flingers and wisards cannot certainely foretell anie thing either of the state of the cōmon-wealth, or of the life of the Emperor. If this be true, great reason it is, that Christ should be free from the necessity of starres. Neuerthelesse some of them haue beene bu∣sie, calculating and casting his natiuitie.

As for this starre because it was directed immedi∣ately and extraordinarily by God, let them not med∣dle with it, nor pollute it with their diuelish arte: if they wil needes be doing, let them rather meddle with those two starres, the one mentioned by Marcus Varro, being Venus: which he saith went before Aeneas from Troy to Laurentum, & there left him: the other, which directed them that found Saint Anthonies body, going before them till it came ouer his bodie: for so Lilius Giraldus saith it is recorded in the antitiquites of his countrie. These be more fit for them to deale with, and

so shall that be verified of them, Like lips, like Lettuce. For Firmicus, as hee here denieth the force of the hea∣uens ouer excellent personages: so some others of this profession haue renounced it in base and meane crea∣tures, as it is said hereafter: and shall we beleeue them in a little remnant left in the middest? surely we would gladly haue somewhat to beleeue, that are thus ready to beleeue all their sottishnesse.

O curuae in stellas animae, & pietatis inanes!

But doth not Firmicus see how by his opinion, one of their 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or rather the verie Palladium of their arte is quite ouerturned, to wit, that Nondum abiere I∣dus Martij. Was not Caesar an Emperour, and there∣fore no starre-subiect?

About 22. yeares ago, 1578. was for halfe a yeeres space together at least, seene a new starre in Cassiopaea, which by the iudgement of all the best obseruers of it, was out of the reach of Meteors, as being as high as the Sunne from the earth at least. In this case we must grāt either that this star was bred & corrupted in hea∣uen (which being granted, it will follow that the like may, and doth happen in others also) or that there be more Planets then seuen, whose courses are vnknowne to vs; or lastly that the fixed starres do not keepe their eighth orbe, but haue their seuerall circuits and mo∣tions. Which doubt, as it seemeth of old, troubled that famous Hipparchus, if we beleeue Plinie, cap. 25. lib. 2. his words be these: That neuer sufficiently commended Hipparchus, in his time obserued a new starre; where∣upon he began to doubt whether the like might hap∣pen oft, and whether those which we cal fixed, are also mouable. And some (it seemeth) were of opinion, that

all the starres were not made at once, but some at one time, and some at another, as may appeare by that, that the Arcadians are more ancient then the Moone: and that of Apollonius lib. 4. ver. 261.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Not all the starres were yet found out, Which run the heauen round about.

Some were of opinion, that heauen without was compassed round about with fire, and that the eighth Sphere was full of holes, through which the fire made shew of starres. But how this opinion can either help or hinder our new starre I do not see, and therefore I passe it ouer as most ridiculous.

Concerning the aspects, & positions of stars in na∣tiuities, that must needs be a brittle, & slippery point, very subiect to errour and mistaking. For first, it must needs be very hard to obserue the very instant, or moment of times wherin one is borne. Secondly there is no lesse difficultie in marking the aspect of the starre which was at that instant. For both the midwife may mistake the time, and the Astrologer may mistake the aspect, by reason of interposition of fogges, or va∣pors, which may either happily quite take away and hide, or at least darken, and obscure the aspect. Nei∣ther is that to be forgotten, that often times the swifte reuolution of the heauen causeth the constellation to be past before it can be noted, considering that eue∣ry moment the figure and face of heauen with the po∣sition of the starres is varied. Notwithstanding, these wisardly wise Astrologers take vpon them to tell euery mans Fortune, if they may once knowe the time of his birth.

Which time notwithstanding precisely and suffi∣ciently for his purpose he cannot knowe. For suppose one were borne such a yeare, such a day, such an howre in the beginning or in the end of the same howre, yet that will not serue the figure-flingers turne, who must not knowe in a certaine latitude, but very exactly the very momēt of time, which he is not to hope to learne of either midwife, or parents, who make their account so, that they thinke they come near, if they misse not too too much. Farther we may doubt, how the birth is to be taken, & considered, whether when the child first sheweth, or when it is half out, or when it is quite de∣liuered. Neither can we exactly fit the time for any one of these. For either for the stoutnesse of minde, or strength of body, or disposition of nature, or skilful∣nesse of the midwife, the strength of the child, or innu∣merable such like causes, euery one of these times may vary, to wit, both the time of pearing first, & the time of farther bearing, and the time of full deliuery. Be∣cause in the casting of these the Astrologers faile, they can neuer hit right vpon the howre of natiuitie, there∣fore though they neuer so much professe to knowe the figure of heauen in the natiuitie, yet by this we may see they do not attaine to it, and so their Horoscopus, and houses must needs goe to ground. Againe how will they finde the houre of natiuitie in such as may be thought to haue had no natiuitie, as Scip. Africanus, Manlius &c. who after their mothers were dead were cut out of their mothers wombes. If the birth be nixus matris, or cum nixu, then these had no birth, no more then they had many times after, when they were taken out of their swadling clouts. Ioan. Schen∣chius

reporteth lib. 4. obser. 189. of one Burcardus comes de Lintzgroue, who because he was cut from his dead mother was commonly called Ingenitus. If therefore they which come thus into the world by art, can not properly be said to be borne, or to haue a birth, how cā the figure-flinger cast such natiuities, or tel their de∣stinies. If the astrologer had bin to cast the natiuity of our first parents Adam & Eue, to tel thē how long they were to stay in Paradise, how they should be deceiued by the serpent, how many children they shuld haue, & how long they should liue in this case, what wold they say, what hower would they take, when there was nei∣ther cōception, nor natiuity. Nay in Adam, by the per∣fection of his creation being so full of all wisedome, & knowledge, in him I say, what an astonishment would the very first sight of heauen haue wrought, when looking vp thither he should haue seene his owne de∣stiny in the starres? Diodorus Sicul. reporteth that some Philosophers, among whome was Anaxagoras, and his scholler Euripides, were of opinion, that the first men were made, as all other things were, by the sun wor∣king vpon the slime, and moisture which is found in the new made world. This kinde of breeding they confirme with that which is to be seene about Nilus. For after Nilus hath a good while ouerflowed all, and throughly soked & moistned the earth, the heate of the sun comming vpon it, by a kind of putrefaction, it sil∣leth all the cuntry full of mise. At this day saith Dio∣dorus, are certaine litle creatures still so bred, as flies, and wormes, but not greater, as men, and Lions, see there the Cause. Of this opinion seemeth to haue bin Lucretius, and, which is to be maruelled at, euen Aui∣cen

also, who farther saith, that euen at this Day, a man might be framed out of the earth, contrary to Diodor. to Lucret. lib. 5. you may adde two poets moe Ouid. lib. 1. Metamor. Natus homo est &c. Horace. od. i6. lib. 1. Fertur Prometheus.

Addere principi limo coactus particulam vndique defe∣ctā. If this were true, how would the Astrologer doe, or what shift and shufling would he make to get the Horoscopus for the first man, who had neither concep∣tion nor birth, whereby hee might be guided?