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. 4

That the Diuision of heauen, the Astrologers noting of the Horoscopus, and the relation of the birth hower are all most deceiuable.

But for precisenesse in this point, it will not be amisse to relate out of Sextus Empiricus, how these Chaldeans were wont of old to take the true time, and what course they tooke for that pur∣pose Because the 12 signs are not bounded, and as it were chalked out to them, but very vncertainly circumscribed by the obseruation of Dispersed starres, they tooke this course to deuide a circle into 12 equall parts, marking some faire starre in the Zodiake, and filling a great ves∣sell full of water, they let that water run into another vessell, while that starre going from his rising in the Horizon, went round, and came to his rising place againe, taking from point to point to be the full re∣uolution

of a circle. Again they tooke the twelfth part of this water, and considered in what time it did like∣wise run out of the same vessell, for in that they held, that the twelfth part of the circle went round, & that part of the circle to the whole circle had the same pro∣portion, as had that twelfth parte of the water to the whole water.

By this relation to the twelft part, they noted the end by some faire star, which they spied in the Horizon, whe∣ther it were North or South. By this help & means they tooke vpon them to determine, and point out the as∣censions in the Zodiake, which notwithstanding by no meanes are determinable, but so that a signe which is not risen, may seeme to be risen, and contrary a signe which is risen, may seeme to be not risen: neither will this way by water running so much further & helpe them. For both the water it selfe, and the temperature of the ayre, and things stopping the fluxe, will cause the time of the running to vary and be vnequall. For it is like, that the water will run faster in the begin∣ning, while it is cleare, then at the end, when it waxeth thicke, and muddy. For the ayre, it is like, if it be fog∣gie & thicke, it must needs hinder the running by a sort of stopping it, but if it be cleare & pure, it will helpe and further it. Againe the vessell will not run a like fast, being ful, and neere empty, but sometimes slower, sometimes faster, the celestiall motions still continu∣ing the same swiftnesse, by this meanes they notwith∣standing thought to get the true Horoscopus, and the ascending signe of the Zodiake, in which how far they were deceiued may appeare, both by that which hath bin said, and more at large in Sext. Emp. cap. contra A∣strologos.

But for the matter of the Horoscopus, which is the ground of the rest, it can by no meanes stand. For when they say, that one sitting by the woman in tra∣uell signifieth the moment of the birth by the sound of the basen to the Astrologer viewing the stars vpon the hill top, where he marketh the signe rising: first we say, that seeing the time of the birth cannot be limi∣ted, as hath bin proued, it wilbe hard to notifie it by a basen, or such like. But suppose the birth may be ta∣ken: yet the time cannot be taken and noted. For be∣fore the sound of the basen can come to the hill top, will passe a good deale of time, as for example, we see it fall out in the cleauing of wood, or discharging of or∣dināce a far off: for a good while after the axe is downe & the peece shot off, we heare the sound, because the sound is long in going to him which heareth it. Ther∣fore the Astrologer cannot perfectly take the time of the signe rising, which is the Horoscopus. Againe, not only passeth much time, while the sound goeth be∣twene him which sitteth with the woman, and the A∣strologer tooting vpon the starres, but euen while hee tooteth vpward, and examineth in what signe is the moone, and the rest of the starres, the face and figure of heauen is changed before he can accommodate, and apply those things which he saw in heauen to the birth hower. Farther, this kind of noting may perhaps haue some successe in the night, when the Zodiake, and the starres in it may be seene. But because many are borne in the day time also, when nothing can be noted, but the motion of the sun, and many times scarse that, it followeth, that these figure-flingers may sometime hit, and some time misse quoad hoc. It may be also that e∣uen

in the night they may misse, if the night be misty and foggy. But to grant that the Horoscopus, and their Centers, as they call them, with the rest of their hou∣ses may be knowne: yet plaine it is, that none of these simple country-folkes, which come to the figure-flin∣gers, commeth with the precise obseruation of time, as is fit. For there is more cunning in that point then euery poore countrie man can attaine to, as hath been shewed before. Because therefore the figure-flinger hath not marked himselfe the birth-houre, but taketh it by the relation of an vnskilfull messenger, it remai∣neth, that no certaine prediction, but errour, and de∣ceit rather must ensue of this fantasticall & false arte.