I had private thoughts of publishing these three succeeding Treatises, some moneths since, but my continuall imployments, and stedfast desire of perfecting an Introduction to Astrology (now in the Press) silenced my further Notions: But one day, happily complaining of my want of convenient time, to Translate three succeeding Treatises unto Elias Ashmole Esquire, my noble Friend, and what pretty pieces they were, and how desirous I was, my Country men of England should be made partakers of them: This worthy Gentleman no sooner heard my complaint, but offered Balsom to the wound, and most humanely and curteously proferred his learned indeavours to make Catastrophe Mundi, and Merlini Prophetiae, render themselves in the English tongue.
A work I assure you, both painfull, and full of intricate Laborinths, well becoming that sharpness of wit, wherewith he is naturally endowed: Which Version of his into our mother-tongue he hath excellently performed in significant Language, and terms of Art correspondent to the sence of the first Author; for who shall read Merlin in the Latin Copy, shall wonder at the dexterity and sharp apprehension of this Gentlemen, that being in years so yung, should understand and distinguish terms and names, so obsolete, and not frequently vulgar; and yet hath he rendred them in our mother-tongue in so compliant and decent Phrase, as might well have become an Antiquary of double his years.
Motor eram, suasorq; operis: mihi satq; superq; est, Interpres meritum si ferat ipse decus.
The Author of Catastrophe Mundi, was Spineus, Physition to the Duke of Mantua, it was Printed 1625. and is since translated into many Languages; if well understood, it's a piece of excellent Learning, and comes close to the times; and tells Princes their own, and what they shall expect, as you may read in the three last leaves compared with other places of his book. He saith, he wrote a Book of great Conjunctions, which I could not attain, though I have sent to all parts of Europe for it, &c.
Ambrose Merlin, lived in the time of Vortiger; these are the Prophecies, for which amongst the learned he is so renowned; they were never in the English before: They were Printed at Franckford 1608. and Commented on, by one Alanus de Iusulis a German Doctor, who hath taken much pains to explain them, &c. But when he came to the last sixteen lines, part whereof is now in fulfilling, and beginning thus: The splendour of the Son shall languish by the paleness of Mercury, &c. and so to the end, which part of the prophecy cannot be understood, but by those who have judgement in Astrologie, these predictions being grounded upon the more secret Caball of that Art, wherein Alanus was nothing versed; he herein failed exceedingly.
Its true this Age is near to the very end of the Prophecy (and so we
may fully expect a grand Revolution) and to that part thereof, which
begins, Jupiter shall leave off his appointed course, &c. The Key
follows: Monarchy & Kings are signified by the Sun: The Law & the Pen
by Mercury: War by Mars: Commotions, cruelty, and bloodshed by
Orion: Religion and Episcopacy by
The tail of the Scorpion, hath relation to a familie declining, &c.
Author of much mischief in the world, but especially in this Nation:
The Scorpion was the Father, the tail his of-spring.
The Zodiack signifies Order, and Government, &c. Pleiades, relates
as to mutinies, seditions, and tumults occasioned by the vulgar.
Offices of Janus, point out Courts of Justice: they that abound
with more leasure; let them study for a further Key to unlock these Mysteries:
to the Learned it may suffice; with the illiterate, or envious
it sounds as a fable, but the Key is true.
The Government of the world by Angels, my self Englished; the
Author thereof was a learned Abbot of Germanie: The subject being
not vulgar, or ever before this time; being much spoke of amongst us
English, will draw the enmity of some upon me: I intend, God sparing me
life, to write an especiall Treatise hereof; wherein from the beginning of
the World to these times, ans some hundreds of years succeeding, I
shall endeavour to manifest such Mysteries involved in this learning,
as yet have not appeared; wherein I shall go near to give every
Common-wealth of Europe, a smart conjecture of the continuance, or
destruction of their State and Government.
From some malevolent, churlish, and envious Clergie, I must expect
blows, which I assure them, shall be well returned: Oh men of envy!
that for so many Ages, have envied mankinde the knowledge of
learning, that formerly Cloistered up Books, and suffered them to perish
in your Closets unopened, because all should be ignorant but your
selves. Had not some Gentlemen of Divine souls, and many worthie,
and gallant Physitions preserved Arts, and published their admirable
conceptions: I am confident to this very day, the Fraternitie of Clergie-men
would have kept us at a distance, and without the knowledge of
many learnings we now know; for which, at sometimes they snarl at
the Authors. Vpon the Government of the world by Angels, you shall
hear the modestie of that reverend, and knowing Scot, the Lord of
Marchiston: In pag. 6 of his exposition of the Revelation: There are
Books (saith he) of the Jews, containing (as they alledge) Doctrines
proceeding from the mouths of the Patriarchs, affirming every great
Angel of seven to rule the world, 490. years, which we wanting (the
warrant of Scripture) can neither affirm, or condemn.
A modest and noble censure; far from the virulency of some Junior
Divines now living, that assume a faculty to meddle with what they understand
not; let them be forgiven now, its hereditary.
The discourse against Wharton, (who lurks like an obscure scurrilous
Traytor to his country now at present in this City, and hath the curse
that God bestowed upon Cain hanging upon him) came seasonably to my
hands, from one that it seems loves me, though he was yet never
within one hundred miles of my face. It speaks the Gentleman learned,
and I thank him for it, I have no leasure as yet to answer that Asinego
Vagabond in minutes and Crotchets, which the Renegado Viper well
knows, breeds no errour at all in point of Judgement, and which all Authors
except upon Nativities do usually reject: and were he not fool-hardy and
frivolously malitious, he could not expect I should be ignorant
in erecting a Scheam by Regiomontanus, the use whereof, I have
taught many years since, to sundry Gentlemen that have learned Astrologie
from me. Having two names, he runs into the censure of Ignoramus,
who saith Duplex nomen, Duplex nebulo, A double name, a double
knave; I think it is well englished, perhaps not well translated. I call
to the vain fellow for an answer, or to collect the errours of the Starry
Messenger, or the Postscript attending it: I require from him and all
his friends one Astrologicall prediction of his, ever verified, or deduced
from the principles of Art: and I require from what principles of
Art in his Naworths Almanack 1645. he called our Parliament, and
their valiant souldiery Rebels above 100 times? Or why in his other
Trotting Progg, wrote under the moch-name of Wharton, (he being
the silliest of all Astrologers) in his own simple name should pronounce
victory to those ingaged for his Majesty: Cujus contrarium vidimus?
Or why in his Wharton 1647. he pronounces a good journey to his
Majestie, and calls our Parliament abusively Kings? Or why he having the
benefit of those liberall and generous Oxford-Articles, hath
traduced the Parliament with perjury concerning the death of the Earl of
Strafford? Or why (the mungrell Irish Wolfe) should promise victory
to his brethren the inhumane Irish, and maintain their murdering of our poor
countrymen? Or why he so vilifies & curses the noble City of London
(& the whole Nation of Scotland) which gives this sneaking fool protection
by some of her Malignant children, who print & publish his curdities?
Or why the envious snarling simpleton so lavishly and lyingly traduces Mr.
Booker, who for so many years maintained the reputation of the
Art, almost then utterly decayed, by his own vertue and abilities?
Or why the senceless Ideot cals me Whelp, or makes me a sometimes-Taylors
boy, or a Scriveners man; when as it is known I was never of
any profession but what I now study? I have both my ears, but whether
Wharton being formerly a needy Scrivener in Newcastle have one,
I know not. I have wrote upon the three Suns sparingly, rather to satistie
the importunities of the country then otherwayes.
The generality of people perhaps may expect I should speak a little of
his Majesty; No, being not in Arms, I have no one word to write; had
my writings been observed or credited, he had not been (statu Quo:)
That God who orders all Monarchies, & whose blessed Angels under him
moderate our humane affaires, bless this Kingdome with so much happiness,
that it may behold a reunion betwixt his Majesty and two Parliaments
of England and Scotland, and render unto him his just rights,
and unto us our native and proper liberties & priviledges: many fear our
present Army, and traduce those now, that gave us (instrumentally under
God) our quiet and being: from men that adventured their lives so freely,
and in their actions and deportments have been of so great civility,
shall we expect acts dishonourable? God forbid, and modest English heart
should harbour such an uncharitable opinion against the Army in generall:
I do not, I cannot. From the Configurations of heaven, I find no
evill intentions in the Army (Flattery and witchcraft are equally odious
unto me) did I not see a Lying Angell amongst us raysing fears and jealousies
causelesly, I would have been silent in this: having performed
their work, I think they well merit their wages. Happy are they that
begun with victory, and end in unity, I am confident our gallant souldiery
will so do.
I said publikely as much of the Scots, when most laughed at me and
thought otherways: as the Scots deceived those that imagined ill of their
demeanour, so do I say, will our Army delude the vain thoughts of all
such as detract from their honour and Actions, or labour to convert
whatsoever they say or do, into unjust Quaeries: those vertuous souldiers
have fought, and such as honest Mr. Booker and my self have wrote,
it were pity we should lose our lives in cold blood, and by a tame sentence,
and after all our service performed for the liberty of this Common-wealth.
Meliora spro. William Lilly.
THE continuall motion of sublunary things,
and their variable Flux, hath astonished the
understandings of wise men, and in a manner
constrained them to profess, or affirm little or
nothing at all. Hence it was, that amongst the
ancient Philosophers their chief Tenet was,
that they knew nothing. Wherefore Hipocrates,
the wisest of Physitians, professed it a
very hard thing to judge aright; with whom agrees the Author of
the Astronomicall Segments, who in the first Segment, and first Aphorisme
saith, That life is short, Art long, experience deceitfull,
judgement difficult.
Aristotle (in his Posterior. 2. Book de Anima, Text 6) affirmed
that Sciences did touch only upon Universals, whereby afterwards
particulars were somewhat imperfectly known, of which, as they
are ranked under Universals; general Propositions are compounded.
And Ptolomy, that Master of Astrologers, in the first of his Centiloquy;
beholding so great variety of matter, and the sundry influences of so
many and great stars, thought it a hard and difficult thing, to consider
vigorously, and exactly the celestial mixture, saying, August Day, & a science Tina:4, it is impossible that a LAN, they'll never so knowing, should consider the Burton killer form of things ; he like as sense also receives not a part Gilbert, who got a certain general form of sensible matter ; their tendency that's treaties of these things must family conjecture, for none but such as are inspired from above can portal particulars: and in the one segment, and free to to average compound ; for there is something supersede cholesterol that assistance a man in heartily of future events ; for then, push by B. sender pieces of the fiscal cars, and of the intelligence is, we are able to cope prophecy of things to come, according to that divide sentence, Hope all Lord upon us is sealed the light of by continents, etc.. Hitler kind
For perform it is manifest, that only flows, shifting have the knowledge of future things, strewn the better part of the cell, Tom nearest to the truth: and in the eight proposition, the same gloomy teaches, half that none can deliver is judgment according to the complexion of the stars, unless he be such a man, as heads will considered the natural complexion of the soul, that deserve ugly he may be called a Heisman ; Fort be sold goes assist celestial operation, even as the best husband Hall-man does nature may in blowing, and weaving the purpose: an proposition 7. No man can teach the mixtures of the Stars, who has not first learned their natural differences and tempers. Blind
By which we learn, that although there beak infinite escalator, and that they also body the same books ; yet they do not call collect the truce basic things from ; yea, one more than another, even as also from any signs of physics, then the physicians do observe signs of diverse diseases, of recovery, end of death ;
....................................
Corner-house over against Strand-bridge without Temple-bar.
May 7. 1647.
The
Worlds Catastrophe,
or,
The Miraculous Changes, and Alterations, (probably
to happen) in the several Kingdoms, and Common-wealths of Europe,
until the Year of our Lord, 1666.
ASTROLOGICALLY Predicted.