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 ...

This for Mr. John Gadbury, at his House in Brick-Court in Westminster.

SIR,

HAve you seen Saunder's Apollo Anglicanus for the year 1683? Written (as I suppose) by Mr. Henry Coley, which if you have, I question not, but that you have seen therein, how he unworthily derides both you and me, about your Calculation of your ten and twenty years E∣phemerides; which I dare presume, himself is no way able to com∣pose the like, or any that shall have so much truth in it as those have; as for the Ephemerides of ten years, which you calculated your self; he saith it was handsomly Transcribed from Hecker, which that I suppose to be a very great Mistake in Mr. Coley, and therefore unworthily taxed by him in an Almanack; for I have heard you say, when you wrote the ten years Ephemerides, you had not Heckers Ephemerides in your House, until six years thereof was performed, which I dare believe you had not; for I have been acquainted with you many years before that time, and I never had seen Heckers Ephemerides in your Study, though I have perused many of your Books there, nor yet did I ever hear you say you had it, till since; and as for the twenty years Ephemerides, which was by me calculated by your Directions, it is his (the said Coleys) pleasure to say, that it is an inartificial Calculation, and done by adding one mi∣nute 56 Seconds, or 50 Seconds, or 48 Seconds, (or rather he knows not what) to the Suns place four years before, and so the Moons place to be taken on the first of January, from her place the 27th. of February, twelve years before, by adding some Signs, Degrees and Minutes thereto, and the Places of the rest of the Planets, much after the same method, with the help of Argol, and so imposed upon the World, under very plausible pretentions; because, saith he, the Author is ashamed to shew his Tables. But I would have Mr. Coley, and all others know, that he is mistaken in his judgment, for there was much more labour bestowed on the Calcu∣lation thereof, and many of the Calculations I have yet by me to be seen. But by what Tables I proceeded, I will not yet oblige Mr. Coley so much as to tell him; but I would have him bestow the like pains, and to calculate the Conjunctions of Saturn and Jupiter in Leo, and tell me whose Ta∣bles will come nearer to the observed Truth, than that Ephemerides did; and also in the Conjunction of Mars and Venus, which was on the 28th. of February 1684. for I did with mine own eyes behold that Conjunction, and it was so nigh, that Venus did eclipse part of the body

of Mars; now had the said Ephemerides been calculated by the Rules that he prescribed, or otherwise transcribed from Argol, it would have differed very much; but I could wish Mr. Coley would present the World with a better Ephemerides, and then I might have no cause to mention this following Verse.

Some are quick-sighted faults to find, But to perform, drowzie and blind.

He also saith that neither the Author, nor his Pupil (meaning me) hath yet learned to calculate the Eclipses of the Luminaries, or else that Task was too hard for them (as for being your Pupil, I own it) and indeed, I should think my time ill bestowed (and my self unworthy of being your Pu∣pil) if I could not calculate an Eclipse as well as he; but I shall at present say no more of him, but conclude with this Aphorism:

No wonder if some through Ignorance or Envy discommend, those Performances which those more learned as highly commend.

Sir, I desire your Answer, by the first opportunity, and you will very much oblige

Sir,

your Real Friend and Humble Servant JOHN MERRIFIELD.

From my House at the Hand and Pen at the Lower end of Hors∣lydown, near Dock-head Southwark, London. ☽ March the 3d. 1683/4.