Reason why the Irish may not challenge as much freedom and Priviledge in the enjoyment of their Religion as is allowed the Independents Anabaptists Brownists and at the least a hundred more Sects and Schismes within the Lines of Communication who have Libeâ—ty without any restraint or limitation to exercise their Gifts as they term it both publickly and privately To Preach and Write what they please and even to cloy the Press with â—heir Heresies and Schismes And if we look back upon the Original ground of the Irish Insurrection was it not high time think you for the Irish after they were denyed any reasonable Answer to their Propositions which were sent and delivered in an humble and peaceable manner to the Parliament by Commissioners of that Kingdom who were dismissed hence without any hopes of having their grievances redressed which notwithstanding were far greater and more intolerable than those which the Scots pretended when they clearly perceived so many pernicious Plots and damnable Designs daily inventing against them and with what Acrimony the Roman Catholicks here were proceeded against after the third of November 1640. After so much swearing and forswearing to take off the Earl of Strafford's Head And the Parliament electing a new Deputy of their own mould and metal to be sent over in his stead And His Majesties Person in continual hazard by the frequent Tumults of the Sectarists and Schismaticks Was it not time I say their Nation being thus neglected and threatned His Majesties Person being not exempt from danger and all this occasioned by their own fellow Subjects to associate and unite themselves and to stand upon their Guard for the preservation of their Religion Lives and Liberties And was it more Rebellion in them by the known Laws of this or that Land to raise Forces for the necessary defence of their Kingdom than in the English or Scots to raise so many great Armies that have fought against His Majesty under the pretence of Fighting for him whilst yet there hath been no body to oppose him but themselves I remember a few Verses that were written by some body Anno 1641. they resemble the form of a Petition directed to His Majesty by the considerate Catholicks of Ireland They are pretty ones and therefore I will here give you them as I had them from a Friend MOst gracious Soveraign grant that we may have Our ancient Land and Faith 't is all we crave Your English and your Scots not so content Claim all that 's Yours by Act of Parliament Their Tyranny we hate Confess your Right 'T is not 'gainst you 't is against them we Fight Whilst you were King we were your Subjects Scorn To be their Slaves we 're Fellow-Subjects born Heavens bless your Majesty increase your Powers You being your Self again we still are Yours But to return again to John Booker for I will not lose him yet I would gladly demand a Reason from him in Art for his menacing of France or Spain with vengeance for assisting the Irish Or why the Pope should come in any danger of hazarding his Triple Crown in the Quarrel Unless the States intend to advance for Italy If they do they may do well to transmit the Directory to Rome as the pre-cursor of a new Reformation there But I am afraid Sir Thomas his Courage will cool at the conceit Nor is it pertinent to the handling of this Conjunction for Booker to tell us an old story of the Spanish Armado in 88. or of the Gun-powder Treason 1605. The wickedness of those Devilish attempts are both thought on and abhorred by every true English Christian. Or of what concernment is the Decollation of Mary Queen of Scots Anno 1587. to the Kingdom of Ireland because that when she was Beheaded Saturn was in Taurus as now he is Or of Saturn and Mars their being conjoyned in the Year 1588. a little before the Spanish Armado appeared upon the English Coast Does not John Booker here most wretchedly confound himself Instead of going about to prove Saturn's Progress through Taurus Ominous to Ireland he contrarily produces Examples which prove that Position dangerous to England and Scotland For whatever his meaning be he instances not any one thing hurtful to Ireland in either of those Years And then he robs Sir Christopher Heydon of more than a whole Page concerning the general Occurrences in the World which happened in 88. without any mention made of that most Learned and Judicious Knight And so he proceeds to fill up the remainder of his Malicious Pamphlet with railing at the Irish telling them how they have ever been most Rebellious and Treacherous to the English Nation and have most Barbarously and Inhumanely Murthered many thousand Souls c. But we know of another Kingdom that hath sometimes been more Rebellious and Treacherous than they for less cause But I never heard of any Souls that ever either of them Murthered I speak not this to justifie or maintain any inhumane Action in Ireland or elsewhere for my Nature abhors all manner of Cruelty to the worst of Men I think I could not harm either Mr. Lilly or John Booker in word or deed if I had them in my power but rather use them with all civil respect and courtesie if they were worse than they be nor to countenance Treason and Rebellion That I need not it hath been sufficiently done by a far greater Power But the thing I aim at is to unmask Booker's inveterate hatred to that distressed Nation who if he were but half so Charitable as he is either unreasonable or ignorant he would not attempt to Assassine the Honour of a whole Nation with his Invectives but rather suspend these his rash Censures and wish a happy Union than the confusion of so many Christians The remainder of his Pamphlet tends to the Defence of Astrology wherein he still plays the Thief with Sir Chr. Heydon and of the Planet Venus her appearance in the day time at the Birth of our most hopeful Prince Charles which he saith if she presignifieth any thing was the Miseries of this Kingdom Because saith he it is usual and an ordinary thing for Venus to be seen in the day time I grant him that it is both usual and ordinary but not always at the Birth at Princes It is both usual and ordinary for Saturn and Mars to be in Conjunction and shall we therefore say it presignifies nothing I confess I have not seen any Authors that handle such Appearances nor hath Booker any other Authority than his foolish Fancy for saying she was the Prodromus of these unhappy differences in England But he that shall make inspection into the Positure of the Heavens when Venus was in Apog Eccentrici or in her greatest distance from the Sun shall find matter more than ordinary whereon to fix his Contemplations And I am of Opinion that her glorious appearance at the Nativity of our hopeful Prince Charles did presignifie things not yet
mutatis autem temperamentis mutantur mores mutatis moribus Principum Subditorum Sequitur mutatio Reip. Heaven saith he most effectually Operates upon a Human Body best agreeable to it self and so also on the Body both of the Prince himself and his Subjects to wit so as that it changeth the Temperaments of Mens Bodies and with those Temperaments their manners or conditions and the manners or conditions of Princes and Subjects being changed a mutation of the Commonwealth followeth And with him agrees that excellent Mathematician and Astrologer Origanus part 3. Membr 2. Cap. 1. Non modo in Regnis varias mutationes translationes animadvertimus dum modo hos modo illos Regnare atque aliis Dominari comperimus verum etiam in ipsa superficie terrae nihil esse perpetuum ex collatione temporum locorum Siccum humido humidum sicco permutari terrasque alias aquis aboleri alias assurgere deprehendimus We Observe not only sundry Changes and Translations of Kingdoms whilst these and these Planets reign and bear Rule with others but also that upon the whole surface of the Earth there is nothings perpetual and by comparing of Times and Places perceive Siccity chang'd into Moisture Moisture to Siccity some Countries destroy'd others increas'd by Waters Thus He and that very truly For although God the Author of Nature and the First Cause of every Good thing changes Countries and Transfers Kingdoms at his pleasure yet seeing he hath engraven in the Book of Nature and chiefly in Heaven which measureth Times the Motions and Mutations of all things things that be Invisible even his own eternal Power for the greatest part yea and exposed Heaven unto our view that it might be for signs of Present and Future things I shall not think it contrary to true Religion or Good Manners if with Fear and Reverence I enquire the Superior Natural Causes of those Mutations so long as I ascribe no necessity thereunto Maugre the Croaking and Coaxation of some few Epileptique Prophets and other Religious Lunatiques who prate and perswade the Contrary The First Cause is the Change of the Absides of the Planets whereby the Five Planets together with the Sun transfer the Places in which they are highest and most remote from the Center of the Earth so also the Places wherein they are lowest and nearest thereunto and together with those Places their swiftness and slowness of Motion into several parts of the Zodiaque according to the succession of the Signs whereof Cardan Seg. 1. Aph. 37. in these words Permutationes Absidum Regna Regiones Religiones mutant Changes of the Absides alter Kingdoms Regions and Religions Thus from the Change of Saturn's Absis into Cancer Mahomet had his growth and by the Change thereof into Capricorn the Sign Opposite thereunto receives he Detriment and at length a final Destruction Spinaeus an Excellent Astrologian and Physician to the Duke of Mantua in his Catastrophe Mundi Genuinely English'd by the Polite Quill of my Oaken Friend Elias Ashmole Esq tells us that Mahomets Destruction initiated Anno 1630 c. and this he chiefly deduces from the Change of Saturn's Absiâ— out of Sagittary into Capricorn which indeed I confess fell out according to the Prutenick Tables in the end of the year 1630. But by the more accurate observations of latâ—r Authors the Absis of Saturn continues in Sagittary for many years yet to come For by the Philolaique Tables the best extant it enters not Capricorn until the beginning of the year 1728. and therefore it could not in the least be unless we will have the Effect precede its Cause that Mahomets Destruction commenc'd in this respect in or near the year 1630. Nevertheless I believe with Spinaeus that the many Revolutions of the Heavens in and about that year have already produced a sensible Commencement of Detriment unto him yet conclude not his final Destruction until after the year 1728. Wherein Saturns Absis will be Changed into Capricorn and that several other Causes concur to extirpate him and his Law There is no other change of the Absis of any Planet falling out in our time save only the Absis of Mars and this happen'd according to Bullialdus in the latter end of the year 1647. which was from Leo to Virgo and what a strange mutation ensued the year following viz. A Dissolution of the English Monarchy c. the whole World can witness which very thing signally confirms that of Ludovic de Reg. Aph. 9. Mutantur Regna Dominia Fides Sectaeque ac opiniones hominum dum mutantur Auges Planetarum de signo in signum dico illarum gentium quarum significator erit Planeta Augis permutatae Kingdoms and Governments Faith Religions and Opinions of Men are changed when the Auges or Absides of the Planets are changed from one Sign to another I mean the Kingdoms Governments Faith Religions and Opinions of such Nations as have for their significator the Planet whose Auge is changed Now all men know who know any thing of this Nature that Aries is the Ascendant and Mars Lord thereof the significator of England and so he is of France Germany Denmark and several other places who are herein no less concern'd than the English as a few years will assuredly manifest Mutatioque erit ad bonum vel malum secundum Naturam significatorum superiorum illorum temporum secundum Naturam signi mutationis And this change saith that same Author and Aphorisme shall be to Good or Evil according to the Nature of the chief significators of those times and Sign of Mutation We know Saturn Mars and Mercury have born the greatest sway in almost every Eclipse Revoâ—ution and other notable Configurations of the Planets 〈◊〉 and since that year especially in Two of the Three Eclipses of 1652. and in the great and Total Eclipse Anno 1653. in March And as for the Sign into which this change was made it is Virgo the principal house of Mercury a Cold and Dry Melancholy Barren Sign whereby we may easily judge of what Nature the Change is I spare to Expatiate Another Cause is the Change of the Sun's Eccentricity described of Copernicus cap. 20 lib. 3. Revol by the Motion of a little Circle having the Center of the Eccentrick in its Circumference and finishing its Period in 3434 years The year 1653. Offers it the least that can be according to Rheinoldus and Copernicus being 32190. such parts as the Eccentrick hath 1000000 or Part 1. 55′ 53″ 24‴ where the Semidiameter of the Suns Eccentricity hath 60. The greatest viz. 2° 3â— 7″ happen'd 36 years before Christ about the beginning of the Roman Monarchy Georgius Joachimâ—â— Rheticus callled this Circle the Wheel of Fortune by whose Revolutions saith he the Monarchies of the world assume their Commencements and Changes For like as the Roman Empire obtain'd its Highest Dignity when the Eccentricity was greatest so the same decreasing it is very much Impaired
silly Pamphlets by that profest Mountebank in Astrology John Booker to vindicate my self from the Calumnies Scandals and false accusations which his unsatiable Ambition and implacable malice hath most wickedly accused me of And thereby I shall discover how much his Envy to my Pen and Person hath transported him beyond the bound of modesty and rendered him incapable both of Reason and Knowledg in the Art whereof he professes himself to be a Master I have in part answered Mr. Lilly in my Prognostication for the ensuing year 1647. And here according to my promise I shall Catechise John Booker and both of them as occasion serves The subject or matter here intended is the notable Conjunction of the 2. Malevolent Planets in the Sign Taurus upon the 12 of June this year 1646. the effects whereof will be in great force untill the 21. day of October 1647. Which Conjunction hath lately been most ignorantly treated of by John Booker in a certain Pamphlet of his stiled A Bloody â—rish Almanack c. and many false observations hath he drawn thence and published not upon any 〈◊〉 grounds in Astrology but meerly out of his invâ—tâ—râ—t mâ—lice and hatred to the Kingdom of Ireland wherâ—by â—â—th that and this Kingdom hath been dâ—luded â—nd Astrology shamefully perverted and defumed In which respect as likewise upon this occasion to free my sâ—lf from his former Aspersions I have published the following discourse wherein the same Conjâ—nction of Saturn and Mâ—rs is more artificially handled and also their future Opposition with a touch concerning the next Conjunction which will happen in the Sign Gemini the Ascendant of London which will be far more terrible and of greater concernment to London and other parts of this Kingdom than the Conjunction in Taurus can be to Ireland I have palpably unmasked his malice discovered his ignorance divulged and corrected his Errors and misapplications of the Effects of this Coelestial meeting If his immodest Language hath any where incited me to too much freedom of speech I shall crave his excuse when he beggs my Pardon for his former Insolencies I hate not his or any mans person but his Sin The method is Rough cast like my self if the matter be better polished I care not I know I shall not please all neither would I some for want of Judgment and come for want of Love and others for lack of Loyalty will condemn me but none of these do I regard It is to the Impartial and juditious I appeal and to their judgment only will I submit And if they please to adventure but their Patience as I have done my Pains which is not a little I doubt not of the issue I have no ungodly ends in this or any other of my writings my Wishes are full as good as John Bookers I wish all happiness to the King and Queens Majesty and the Royal Progeny and an end to the Miseries of this languishing Kingdom I love and wish for the Book of Common-Prayer again that was Sealed with the Blood of so many Martyrs till which be I expect not to see Religion in its purity I delight not in War nor can I pray for an unjust or Dishonourable Peace From my Study in an honest Cavalierâ— houses in York-shire the 10 of Sept. 1646. So saith a true and free born English-man an abhorror of all manner of Treasons and Rebellions one that loveth all manner of Christians and is a great honourer of True and Lawful Parliamenis Geo. Wharton Bellum Hybernicale c. NOT many days before the famous and sometimes flourishing University and City of Oxford was sacrificed as a Peace-offering by some of the more Pacifical Lords and accordingly surrendered upon Articles otherwise honourable into the sacrilegious hands of the Sectaries and Schismaticks of this Kingdom viz. in this year 1646. which is from the Creation of the world 5595. to omit all other frivolous and fruitless computations and Chronologies wherein Booker hath foolishly stuffed and crammed up a malitious lying Pamphlet by him styled A Bloody Irish Almanack c. upon Friday the twelfth day of June there happened a notable Conjunction of the two malevolent Planets Saturn and Mars Which Conjunction notwithstanding it did not manifest it self with any storms thunder or lightning as John Booker prognosticated in his un-sainted state-lying-Kâ—lendar nor hath been the Prodromus of such loss ruin destruction and desolation to the Kingdom of Ireland as is mentioned in the said Pamphlet yet questionless the effects of that malicious meeting have already been notably shewed both in Ireland and in many other Kingdoms and Countries Cities and Towns and upon particular Persons who had any congruency therewith in the Radix or Revolution of their Nativities But to the intent that this barking mungrel may not delude the ignorant with his pedling trash nor detract from or otherwise abuse a whole Nation with his nauseous and menacing expressions I have assumed a liberty of publishing this following Discourse which is void of all Envy Malice or Partiality but freely modestly and sincerely relating whatsoever concerns this Coelestial Meeting according to the Rules of Art and the Judgment of the most approved Astrologers Ancient and Modern Wherein the judicious and indifferent Readers may plainly and orderly perceive the Ignorance and Malice of this trifling Parasite And rightly understand the Nature and Quality of the Effects of this Coelestial Congress when they shall begin to operate how long continue what Nations or Countries are therein principally concerned and how far the Kingdom of Ireland in particular concluding whether or no that so long oppressed Kingdom be ordained for the stage whereon such Bloody-minded Hell-hounds as himself are to perpetrate their Cruelty I will not trouble the Judicious Reader with any Examples of such Events as have formerly happened in England or elsewhere upon the like Conjunctions For that I acknowledge him to have Collected in part But I will first examine the Foundation whereupon he hath raised this so deformed a Structure and accordingly proceed either by adhering to him where he hath stumbled on any truth or in dissenting from and Correcting him where I meet with his Mistakes Ignorance and Malice And first I will Artificially erect the Figure of Heaven according to the Doctrine of Regiomontanus to the true or apparent time of this Conjunction and afterwards compare it with that which Booker hath published for I dare not take this or any other upon trust either from him or Mr. Lilly whereby I shall presume not only to discover his want of skill in this ordinary piece of Astronomy but likewise to benefit some others as Ignorant as himself if any such can be who desire to learn the exact manner of erecting the Figure of Heaven by this one Example for any moment of time out of the Tables of Directions First then we are to enquire at what time these two Planets are conjoyned I perceive that Booker hath endeavoured to follow Eichstadius and
concern that Kingdom or City But in a Solar Eclipse it is necessary besides that the Sun be above the Earth and that his place agree to the Kingdom or City that the Eclipse be also visible to the Kingdom or City or otherwise the Effects shall in no wise concern the one or the other Now the Solar Eclipse here by him mentioned is not visible at all to us for it appears in the Islands de S. Pedro Barbados de Don Alfonso de Praxaros and to such as Sail beyond the Equator and under the Tropick of Capricorn through the Persian Sea And indeed in 13 and 14 deg of North Latitude it will be a very great Eclipse but of what concernment is this to England or why should it put forward this Lunar Eclipse in January seeing it is neither visible to us for at London it happeneth at their 11 a Clock at Night and so the Luminaries are both under the Horizon nor yet is the degree Eclipsed in the Sign or Triplicity of that Sign whereunto either England or Scotland are thought to be subject which is required by Cardanus his Rule before the Effects can concern either Whereby it appears that this Non-apparent Solar Eclipse can no way help or harm us nor augment or put forward the Effects of the Lunar Eclipse and that William Lilly in thus preferring his own idle Fancy beyond the Experience and more solid Reasons and Rules of Campanella Cardanus and of all other Authors that ever I read or heard of hath very much abused the Reader and rendred himself a very Novice and fondling in Astrology As touching the Lunar Eclipse in January 1647. I have writ of it already in my Prognostication wherein you may see what the Effects of it are and those that desire further satisfaction may have recourse to Origanus pag. 460. upon Mercury's being Lord of an Eclipse as he is of this But although this Lunar Eclipse be visible and fall out in a Sign of the Fiery Triplicity and in that respect doth generally concern England Yet in regard it is so small viz. but 4 digits 47 min. 42 sec. its Effects will scarcely be felt or observed by any body For as Eclipses nihil nocent illis Regionibus in quibus non videntur So parvae Eclipses parum nocent in pauca operantur It is true as both Lilly in his Anglicus and I in my Prog. have in effect observed that in caeremoniis religione to which he adds in reditibus regiis ac legibus mutationes affert A likelyhood as he saith of some change or alteration in Church-Affairs in the Revenues of Kings or more properly in such matters as at present the Parliament make use of for maintenance of their Wars and Affairs and of altering or abolishing many Laws formerly in use All this I grant him and why may it not admit of thus much malignancy in the application thereof viz. That the Kingdom are weary of the Presbyterial Government and will not endure the smell of Elders for Gentlemen are commonly Scholars and do Naturally affect freedom in the Exercise of their Religion and scorn to be constrained to give an account of their Belief to Broom-men Coblers Taylors and Tinkers or to any such Illiterate Mechanick and Profane Fellows or to subject their Understandings to the sense and Interpretation of so unsanctified a Society and shall therefore wish for and must justly endeavour a change of Government in the Church So likewise may His Majesties Revenue so long detained from him be in a better possibility of regaining or in some part restored to him or at least great means used to perswade those that have Usurped the Possession and Profits thereof to resign and account And that many Ordinances Orders and Votes that have passed and been formerly enjoyn'd and observed as Laws must admit of alteration and abolishment But as I have formerly noted these things will not be done effectually this Year in regard of the smalness of the Defect so that we shall be scarce sensible of its Operation Yet without all doubt the Dragons Head in the tenth House in the intercepted Sign Cancer bodes very much good to His Majesty to be begun and wrought by the Scottish Nation who shall partake of that Influence And whereas Lilly adds that Celerem Regis Principis vel nobilissimi viri alicujus infirmitatem vel praeclari viri cujuspiam mortem adducit That this small Eclipse portends some sudden Infirmity or Casualty to a King Prince or Worthy Man perhaps some eminent and Famous Man's Death c. He had done well to have cited his Author or given his Reasons for what he says here for I cannot pick out any such signification from this Eclipse as Mercury is truly and really Lord thereof Nor as he hath made Mars and Saturn to be sharers with him Indeed Mars stirs up Wars Intestine Seditions Tumultuous Uproars the wrath of Princes and by that means some unexpected slaughter And Saturn premonstrates perturbation of the Humours Fluxes and Quartan Fevers Poverty and Banishment Dearth Penury c. But I find no such sudden Infirmity or Casualty to befall any King or Prince c. as he chatters of yet I 'le undertake for him that if Prince Griffith should but this Year fall asunder of the Pox the next Year after Lilly will tell you that this Prediction was verified in him Nor know I any Reason why Scotland should be at all concerned in it seeing the Eclipse happeneth in the Fiery Trigon and that the Ascendant of Scotland which is Cancer is of another viz. the Watry Triplicity nor at all Asspected by the Sign wherein the Eclipse happeneth nor afflicted by either of the Malevolents but rather Fortified by the presence of the Dragons Head in it as before I noted in the Mid-heaven and although the Eclipsed Body be Dispositrix of the Sign Cancer yet for the Reasons formerly given the Effects of the Eclipse cannot be at all discerned in Scotland or scarce in any part of England and therefore it is but a foolery in William Lilly to make such a fluttering and a noise about nothing But I am well pleased to hear him scatter that one truth if so it prove that the Scots will stand like Oaks unshaken to their first Principles c. It behoves some body else to remember their Covâ—nant c. And truly the Scots do owe William Lilly a great many thanks for his confiding Epithets But I fear I fear I shall hear him ere long lash out of his open Sepulchre as much and us vildly as ever he did against the King and the Cavaliers though now he Court them with the Titles of Prudent and Wise People I hope they will be Wise enough for those they are to deal with What he says against the Irish is not material The more the Fox is curs'd the better he thrives But I suspect Lilly to be one of those London Adventurers who were dividing the Bears Skin
proved Mars is the strongest save only the Moon and Jupiter the weakest but Mercury in all the Figure as will appear to any Man that will take the pains to collect the Dignities and Debilities of the Planets respectively in the Figure And therefore he hath good reason to doubt of himself and to suspect the Scottish Nation will become Converts which if they did not we Malignants should have questioned whether they had any Religion or Faith at all But to the matter Mars in the eleventh House presages something else than amicorum inimicitias if you had not abused Guido Bonatus Colum. 571. and in him the whole Kingdom whose words if he had not been interrupted by this unmannerly Clown had been thus Mars in 11 a domo significat paucitatem lucri seu profectus in rebus de quibus speratur utilitas quod cadent in inimicitias amicorum significat diminutionem substantiae desperabunt homines de rebus in quibus habebatur fiducia quibus sperabatur That is Mars in the eleventh House foretells but little profit or gain in those things by which profit was expected and that they shall fall at enmity with their Friends Also the diminution of their Substance and that men shall utterly despair of ever obtaining what they most trusted to and expected This Aphorism carries a great deal of Matter in it in relation it hath to the differences depending and impending betwixt the Scots and the Parliament And therefore it was not held fitting to be published or communicated by our Mysterious Merlin without a Fee The plain English of it is that according to Natural causes it is most evident that the Parliament c. shall be frustrated in their expectation that they shall be much deceived and deprived of the Profit and Commodity which might have accrued unto them by having the King at their own disposal And that for this cause they shall fall at difference with and incur the dislike and enmity of those that were formerly their Friends and Confederates who shall account them no otherwise than such as have forgot and neglected their Covenant with God and Man c. And hereupon they despair of the Scottish Religion because it is come nearer the Kings and of their Faith because they have not so much credulity as to interest them alone in the disposal of His Majesties Person And hence arise new Discords and Contentions and greater Taxes are imposed than ever upon the poor Kingdom whereby Mens Estates are exhausted and consumed and fresh Miseries daily approaching if not timously prevented What he cites out of Haly concerning Jupiter's positure in the eleventh House I have sufficiently Answered and explained before upon the words which he quoted from Bonatus for the same thing And thus far hath Mr. Lilly made his Progress in Preaching Peace and Tranquility to the People to what purpose I have sufficiently declared And now he comes to the Quality of the Year wherein I scorn to detract the least scruple from him of what 's his due but shall agree with him in every thing which he performs but any thing like an Artist though he stumble of it against his will his Quotation of Bonatus Pag. 55. by great Fortune is very true and pertinent whereby is proved a Year of scâ—rcity of Corn and other Provision for the use of Man But the application of his next Aphorism out of Haly is very illicite and ignorant for although he affirm it shall assuredly come to pass in those parts of this Kingdom which lye South-East and full South from London but nothing so violently as in the Kingdom of Ireland I shall prove him here an errand Botcher For if he had understood the Aphorism Saturn ought to be infortunate in alto loco and elevated above all the other Planets or otherwise it hath no signification which he is not in this Figure for although he be weak in his Essential Dignities yet considering his other Accidental Fortitudes he is indifferent strong and powerful so that the Aphorism will not serve for this Position And if you will know the principal ways by which a Planet may be said to be Elevated above another they are three viz. In respect of their Latitude from the Ecliptique Nearness to their Auges Position in the Figure A Planet is said to be Elevated above another according to Ganivetus cap. 1. differ 3. of his Book Entituled Amicus Medicorum who hath greatest Northern Latitude from the Ecliptique Now if we Calculate rightly we shall find Mars Elevated above all the rest of the Planets the Moon excepted for he hath 3 degrees of North Latitude and Saturn's Latitude is Meridional no less than 2 degrees 6 min. So Jupiter hath 0. degree 47 min. of North Latitude Venus 1 degree 10 min. and Mercury 2 degrees 5 min. both South and the Moon indeed hath 4 degrees 47 min. of North Latitude So that in respect of Latitude Saturn is the most depressed of all the Planets in the Figure and the Moon most Elevated next Mars and then Jupiter The next way is in respect of a Planets propinquity to his Auge according to Albohazen Haly in his Comment upon Ptolomy So that the Planet which is nearest the Summity of his Epicycle is Elevated above another which is further removed thence and if we consider here which of the Planets is most Elevated secundum Augem we shall find that Mercury is in Apog Epicicli 12 March Mars is in Apog Eccentr the 14 of March and Saturn is not in Apog Epicicli until the fourth of May following So that this way Mercury and Mars are both Elevated above Saturn And here by the way will I put Mr. Merlin in mind of one mistake in this kind committed in his England's Prophetical Merlin Pag. 78. Where he hath put Saturn transire Apog on 20 Martii Jupiter Epicicli sui superiorem partem 23 Martii whereas Saturn is in Apog Epicicli the 10 of March and Jupiter the 13. So but only ten days Error in each committed The third way by which a Planet may be said to be Elevated is in respect of their places in the Figure as he that is above the Earth is more Elevated than he that is under the Horizon he that is in the twelfth House is Elevated above another Planet in the Ascendant he that is in the eleventh above any in the twelfth and he that is in the tenth above any other in the Figure as indeed Saturn is now And if all the Planets were under the Horizon then that which is nearest to the Ascendant is said to be most Elevated but this is not so much considered by Astrologers as their Elevation in respect of Latitude and of their proximity to their Auges or if it were yet you see there is two to one against Wil. Lilly For Saturn is neither Elevated above all the other Planets in respect of Latitude nor in respect of his Auge and therefore that