Catastasis mundi, or, The true state, vigor, and growing greatness of Christendom, under the influences of the last triple conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Leo, the late comet, &c. together with the true genitures of Mahomet the imposter, the Grand Seignior, the German Emperour, the French monarch : proving thence that the Turks will be defeated in all their attempts against Christendom, &c., notwithstanding Mr. Holwel's menaces to the contrary in his Catastrophe mundi, and his appendix thereunto : also the said Holwel's monstrous falshoods and errours discovered, retorted, and confuted, and himself remitted to the Turks, to comfort them now after their losses before Vienna / by John Merrifield ...

CHAP. II.

Treating on the Nativity of Sultan Mahomet, the Turks Grand Seignior.

[illustration]

Sultan Mahomet Ham, was born January the 1st. 7 h. 26′ A. M.

Lat. 43 deg.

SUltan Mahomet Ham, the present Empe∣ror of the Turks, was born at Constantinople, on the first day of Ja∣nuary, 1641/2. 26 minutes past 7 in the Morning.

That this is a most Illustrious Nativity, here are many eminent Testimonies, as may be seen by the Position of Jupiter, the Sun, Moon, and part of Fortune in the Ascen∣dent, and other Testi∣monies, which I will here omit, and proceed to the general fate of the Native; this Scheme was taken out of the Book de Cometis, written by my ve∣ry good Friend Mr. John Gadbury.

The Sun, Jupiter and the Moon, in the Ascendent, are sure Testimonies of Honour, both from great and eminent Persons, as also from the vulgar People, it makes him extreamly proud, so that he will esteem none so good as himself, but will be apt to quarrel with those of his neighbouring Nations; but the Moon in this Nativity, applies to void of Course, shewing most of his Un∣dertakings to be unfortunate; in this Nativity, Saturn, Lord of the Ascendent, is in square of Mars, Lord of the tenth House, the House of Honour, so will he himself act something that will be prejudicial to his own Honour. Mars, Lord of the Tenth, is in the Eleventh, the House of Friendship, and there in Conjuncti∣on of Venus; shewing the Native will have many Friends, that will procure Honour to him by their means, which will be Lea∣ders

and Generals of his Armies, the rather, because Mars is Lord of the eleventh House, the House of Friendship; but Jupiter Lord of the Twelfth, is in the Ascendent, shewing that he will have se∣cret Enemies about his own House or Palace, and that there will be many Seditions and Tumults raised against him, by his own Sub∣jects, but they will not prevail against him, but will be defeated in their Designs.

The Lord of the Eleventh, is in square to the Lord of the As∣cendent, which will cause the Friends of the Native to prove de∣ceitful to him. Saturn, Lord of the Ascendent, posited in the Second, shews the Native to use industry to increase his Sub∣stance, and to inlarge his Territories; but Saturn is an Infortune by Nature, and by being posited in the Ascendent, will rather de∣stroy the Natives Substance, and diminish his Empire; the Dra∣gons Tail, in the Third, makes his Inland Journies not to be very Fortunate, therefore not much like to inlarge his Dominions by Land-Armies; but Saturn must be spiteful, though he be defeated of his Enterprise; as the Moon is Combust, so hath he been all his Life-time in Combustions and Troubles, even from his Mino∣rity; his Sea-Affairs seem more successful than his Land-Affairs do, yet he hath had his Affairs by Sea often defeated by the Venetians, which have taken, sunk and burned, many of his Ships and Galleys.

The Moon, Lady of the seventh House, the House of publick Enemies, is stronger then Saturn, Lord of the Ascendent, shewing that he shall not prevail against them, neither will his Enemies be apt to quarrel with him, seeing the Moon, Lady of the Seventh, is in Sextile to Saturn, Lord of the Ascendent; but he disposing of the Moon in the Ascendent, and in the Sign of the Ascendent, makes him think that he can over-power the whole World, and especially Christendom; not considering the Moon is in her own Triplicity, and in an Angle, and therefore not to be prevailed a∣gainst; for though Mr. Holwel, in his Appendix, page the 25th. faith, that the Turk is ordained within a few years, to gain a great part of Christendom, yet I do aver, that according to the Rules of Astrology, they shall not gain one foot of Land in Christen∣dom, but what they shall pay dear Sawce for (let them have a care they lose none of their own) for I would have Mr. Holwel, as well as my Reader know, that the influences of the Stars, have not limited so short a continuance for the Christian Religion.

But the main thing that provoked this Emperor to give such an Alarm, against Christendom in general, and Vienna in particular, are, because about this time, he had the Sun, Moon and Ascen∣dent directed to the Square of Mars, and Germany being under A∣ries, drew him with a vast Host that way, supposing that Germa∣ny had been his own with little or no Resistance, and so his Ambi∣tion was against Rome, Italy, France, Spain, and all Christendom; but let not him boast that putteth on his Armour, but he that puts it off.

But had Mr. Holwel rightly understood the Grounds of Astro∣logy, he might have rectified his Scheme by Accidents, and he might easily have seen, that there had been but little hope, that the Sultan should gain Honour, or enlarge his Territories about this time by the Sword, nor need he have judged Vienna to be ta∣ken upon such Directions; but that is like the rest of his nonsensi∣cal stuff. I have wrought out the Directions of this Nativity, and will acquaint you with some of them, to shew thereby the truth of the Scheme, and others, what Fate the Grand Seignior is yet like to undergo.

In the year 1648. on the 17th. of August, Ibrim, Father of this present Emperor of the Turks, was strangled in Prison, and his Son Mahomet being not full seven years of age, was proclaimed Emperor in his Fathers stead; but he being in his Minority, the Government was wholly left to his Mother, who, by the Advice of the Councel, took on her the Regency; he had then the Mid∣heaven directed to the Sextile of the Sun and Moon; when he was about nine years of age, he had his Mid-heaven to the square of Mars, then were Domestick Troubles, as well as Loss by the Ve∣netian War; he was for the most part of his Life healthful of body, but he hath often been unfortunate in War, although he have had many good Directions of both the Sun, Moon and Ascendent; but the general fate of his Nativity, and the many ill Directions of the Mid-heaven, hath made him often unsuccessful in War.

At seventeen years of Age, he took on him the Regency, about which time he had his Ascendent, Sun and Moon, directed to the Anticians of Mars.

About twenty one years of age, he had the Ascendent, Sun and Moon, to the Sextile of Mars; then was great care taken for the carrying on the War, both against Transilvania, Hungary and Venice.

About the year 1669. came the Ascendent, Sun and Moon, to the Sextile of Venus, and soon after, to the body of Jupiter; then was concluded Peace with the Venetians, and he prevailed in War against the Polanders, and he much delighted himself in Pleasures and Recreations; but about the same time, he had his Mid-hea∣ven to the Conjunction of Mars, and see the effects of it; for in the year 1673. the Poles deny paying to the Turk their promised Tribute; General Sobieski, now King of Poland, fell upon the Turks Camp, then under the Command of Chusalin and other Ba∣shaws, killed about twenty five thousand of their Men, with most of their Officers; this was very considerable; for besides the or∣dinary Baggage, they took two thousand Purses of Money, that were brought to pay the Souldiers, and twenty five thousand Wag∣gons of Provision and Ammunition; and about this time, he had the Mid-heaven to the square of Saturn, Lord of his own Ascendent.

But since that time, he hath had the Mid-heaven directed to the Conjunction of Venus, and to the Sextile of Jupiter, also the Sun, Moon and Ascendent to the Sextile of Mercury, which hath lifted up his heart with Pride; but to abate his haughtiness, in this year 1683. he hath the Sun, Moon, and Ascendent, directed to the square of Mars, Lord of both his House of Honour and Friends; Mars is also Lord of the third House, shewing that his professed Friends will be at variance, and break their Leagues with him, and so will some of his neighbouring Nations, to his great Loss. Surely a great Oversight in Mr. Holwel, to thing the Grand Seignior should over∣run Christendom, upon such Directions, yet he will certainly come against Christendom again.

About the year, 1687. he hath the Sun, Moon and Ascendent, directed to the Body of Saturn; I cannot positively say that he will lose his Life then about; but I am certain he will undergo Afflicti∣ons of body, and all his Affairs go unsuccessful for some consi∣derable time; he hath also about the same time, the Mid-heaven directed to the Co-Antiscians of the Sun; sure, under these Di∣rections, the Christians may regain what the Turks formerly took from them; and thus much of the Nativity of this great Prince. I will in the next place, insert the Nativity of that grand Impostor Mahomet, the Author of the Turks Faith, shewing thereby, how some men are born to make and forge Lies, as he did, and others born to believe them.