Catastrophe mundi, or, Europe's many mutations until the year 1701 being an astrological treatise of the effects of the triple conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter 1682 and 1683, and of the comets 1680 and 1682, and other configurations concomitant : wherein the fate of Europe for these next 20 years is ... more than probably conjectured ... : also, an ephimeris [sic] of all the comets that have appeared from ... 1603 to the year 1682 ... : whereunto is annexed the hieroglyphicks of Nostrodamus ... / by John Holwell.

SECT. I. Of the Astrological Judgment of the Year 1683.

IN this year that hath been so pointed at by the Antients, the Ascendant of the Conjunction 1603. comes to the Op∣position of the Conjunction it self, and the Mid-heaven to the Trine of Mars and Mercury; comes also to the Sextile of the Sun and Trine of the Moon, and Sextile of Venus; these are notable directions, and will have as motable accidents to attend them; the Opposition of the Conjunction falls in Gemini, those places that are under that Sign, shall find great alterations both in matter of Trade, much affliction to the common People in general, a Plague or some Distemper as bad will destroy a great part of their Inhabitants, all things goes cross with them, an Insurrection is feared, the Magistrates grows Tyra∣nical and prove unjust in most of their Actions, the People grow weary of their Burdens, and are inclinable to Rebellion, the Gentry of those Kingdoms under Gemini, are also much afflicted both in their Body and Estate, some of them will suf∣fer Imprisonment, others Death, in short, a change may be expected this year in those places under Gemini; we have also the Sun in the Figure of the New-Star directed to the Quartile of Mars, Lord of the 4th. House, and the Sun is Lord of the 12th. in that Figure now shall those Villanies that has lain hid∣den for many years, break out, and shew themselves in their proper Colours.

The Quartile falls in Capricorn, the Ascendant of Oxford, I pray God that City may not be afflicted; the Heavens points something more then ordinary should befall that place, and all the places under Capricorn and Cancer; for the Moon meets

with the Quartile of Mars in Cancer, her own House, also at the same time: shall Holland be free from trouble? No; for Mars is a stirer up of Sedition and War, a suddain fear will possess that people of another Invasion. Likewise they shall suffer great losses by Inundation of Water; the Mid-heaven of the New star meets with the Quartile of Mercury, the Quartile falls in Leo upon the Cusp of the 12th. Now if the Mid-heaven Represents all Kings and Magistrates, then those shall find great trouble in those Countrys under Leo; the 12th. is the 3d. from the 10th. (viz.) Kings and their Kindred shall disagree, the New Star 1604. meets by direction the Quartile of Saturn and Jupiter 1603. Now this New Star (by the consent of Antients) is thought to be the forerunner of an universal Monarch, that shall be upon the Earth, which can never be without having a great deal of War and Bloodshed. First, therefore shall this Quartile excite mens minds to War and Contention to the utter Destruction of most of these Monarchs now in being, in those places under Pisces where the Quartile falls, and Mars the place of the New Star and the great conjunction, and Gemi∣ni the opposite signe, and Virgo the opposite signe to the Quar∣tile; will be the Places most subject to the effects of the Di∣rections.

In the year 1683 January. About the latter end, there is another Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, and the New Moon before that the Sun suffer an Eclips near the Cusp of the 9th. and Saturu and Jupiter both of them oppose the 9th. also; this shews that Religion shall suffer much this year, and so shall the Clergy in general; it doth presage publick forrow to the Gentry, or men of the highest Rank, those places under Aqua∣res, Leo, Scorpio and Taurus, will be subject most to the effects of this Eclips, the Moon also suffers an Eclips on the first of Fe∣bruary, about three a clock in the afternoon, upon the Cusp of the second House, in 23 Degrees of Leo; at which time Sa∣turn and Jupiter are in the Ascendant; this foreshews the loss of the great Cattle, (viz.) Horses and Cows, because the Moon

is Lady of the 12th. the Vulger People shall have great los∣ses as to their movables; for which they shall grow discon∣tended, and shall be desirous of changing of their Laws and Governours, in hopes thereby to better themselves; there will be also a second Eclips of the Moon, on the 28th. day of July, at eight in the morning, at which time the Sun, Saturn and Ju∣piter, and Mercury, will all of them be in the 11th. and Mer∣cury hasts to the Quartile of Mars, the Eclips falls in the 5th. and doth declare the ill success of Embassadours, the abortion of Women with Child, it also declares some strange Cata∣strophe or change to happen in those places under Aquares; Leo, Scorpio, and Taurus.

The many Oppositions of that Saturn and Jupiter meets withal a little before their second Conjunction, January. Doth deolare the unsetled condition of the vulger People, and that they fear some great Calamity falling upon them, whether a Plague or otherwise, let time declare about the beginning of May; Saturn and Jupiter makes their last Conjunction in Leo, a little before which the Sun meets with the Quartile of both Saturn and Jupiter, in or about 14 degrees of Taurus, this will afflict a very great Person of Europe, that has Leo Ascending, it will fling him into a great many troubles, it threatens the Death of some of his Children, loss of Honour and Esteem in the World.

London Repent and be humble; for God's angry Sword is almost drawn against thee; if thou escape from a Plague in the year 1683. then will England be happy, the many directions that fall this year, bring me to mind what Mr. Lilly writ the year 1656. in Verse.

In the Year of Eighty Three, Great changes there shall be, In England, but long are that, Poor Merline Sleeps In his Grave secure, poor England weeps;

Left he no Heir, Oh! unhappy Man, That this obscured Riddle can, Unfold.—No.

In this year 1683. the Comet that appeared in 1680. comes to the Quartile of the Moon in Taurus, and the Quartile of Mercury 1604. the Comet having passed through Capricorn, and now is entred Aquares.

The places subject to this Comets influence is Russia, they shall be much afflicted with the Sword and Fire: Sweadland will go nigh to be at War with their Neighbours, and shall suffer much by it; Lorraign, Holvetia, Franconia, and a many more Countries in Germany shall suffer by War and Famine; their People shall many of them dye by the Sword, now shall the Austerian Family be much afflicted; for the Princes of Germany will be unfaithful to him, and by their discention shall cause a Martial Prince to take advantage against him, to the disadvan∣tage of the Empire and the Death of many of the Inhabitants; if we confider Marce's long Trancit through the Sign; we may predict that those Lands under Aries will be great sufferers, that is, France, Germany, in general, Polonia; Burgundy, Denmark and England, in France we may expect to hear of the destruction of the Natives by treachery, if I mistake not my Judgment, there will go nigh to be another Massacre if not timely pre∣vented, the poor People shall suffer for a time but not much longer; for the common People shall joyn with some of his Nobles and shall cause a Rebellion in the very Bowels of France before which be over, that Monarch shall repent his being ru∣led; by the Church of Rome, in the persecuting of his Prote∣stant Subjects; Flanders and Brabant, and the Dukedom of Luxenburgh, shall find great trouble with Souldiers, and the People of those places suffer very much; they shall be forced to fly from their Habitations, they shall have their Houses bur∣ned by an insulting Enemy: Italy, the Comet comes now in Opposition to this Ascendant, thou may rest yet a little while in peace, but hardly tell the year 1683 be over; this Country

must expect to have but lean Crops of Corn, a great Plague will rage in the City of Rome, and a Fire of War will go nigh to break out that will not be quench't for some years, Austrea, Alsatia, Spain, Dalmatia, Hungary, all of them will go nigh to suffer this year by barrenness of the Earth, and searcity of Food, sit for the nourishment of Man-kind, the Hungarians are at the writing hereof in Arms against the Emperour, and have joyned with the Turks; they shall this year prosper in their War with the Emperour, they shall gain all Hungary to them∣selves before 1683 be over.

In the Figure of the Full-Moon, preceeding of this Con∣junction, the Ascendant meets with the Quartile of the Sun and Moon in Capricorn, the Sun is Lord of the 8th. House, this doth denote a mortality to those that live in those places under Capricorn, that is, Macedonia, Albania, Greece, Muscovia, Cities, Oxford, Gant in Flanders, Brandenburgh, the more because the Comet of 1680 passed through Capricorn, and there met with the Opposition of Saturn Lord of the Ascendant.

We likewise have the Mid-heaven by direction of the Con∣junction 1682. to the Quartile of Saturn and Jupiter and Quar∣tile of Mars 1682. and to the Conjunction 1683. these are worth our noting; for if the Mid-heaven represent Kings and Princes, and all Magistrates that Govern Towns and Cities, then all of these shall find great trouble and vexation in their Go∣vernment; some of them will be called to an account by their superiors, and go nigh to come to an untimely end; other (viz.) Kings shall find their Subjects ready to rebel against them, in short, all of them shall find great distempers in their Government, the vulger People will be inraged against them for some thing that they have acted against the Commons good.