The Natures of the Planets;

Which are in number seven; viz.

• ♄ Saturn
• ♃ Jupiter

• ♂ Mars

• ☉ Sol
• ♀ Venus
• ☿ Mercury
• ☽ Luna

As for Saturn, his influence properly stirreth up colds and droughts, except in the first fif­teen [Page 10] degrees of Capricorn, his own sign and house, which is opposite to the watery sign Can­cer (but accidentally many o­ther ways) he excites abundance of moisture.

Jupiter is moderately humid and warm, and is a very windy Planet, chiefly in aery Signs. He sheweth himself most waterish in the Signs of Pisces and Cancer, and chiefly in his Conjunctions with Saturn, not only in them two waterish Signs, but also in the fiery Sign of Sagittary.

Mars is accounted hot and dry. Hot he is certainly, and may be dry in dry Signs; yet he many times in watry Signs, and in aspects of moist Planets; and when he thunders somtimes also with dry Planets, he can drop and weep as readily as any other Planet: when he raiseth up thunders, he is many times attended with impetuous and [Page 11] violent showers. As also in the aspects of Venus in summer he rains, and in winter he snows.

The Sun is hot, as every one knows, and temperately dry.

Venus is cold and moist, and gives both hail and snow in Winter, and sometimes in other quarters of the year. And in Summer can rain apace.

Mercury is a little windy, and strengthens every other Planet in their proper significations.

The Moon is a little moist; but mostly reneweth the influences of the aspects, by her manifold applications to the other Pla­nets; for she gives all and every one of them several visits every moneth.

The main business of the weather lieth most upon the In­fluences of Saturn and Jupiter; they are not only great Planets, but when the one looketh upon the other, they make a forcible [Page 12] alteration in the air: and al­though they do seldom meet one with another, nevertheless other Planets passing between them, do translate and carry the nature of the one to the o­ther, which is succedaneous, and almost equivalent to the great and proper aspectings of those two mighty Planets.

Be careful to observe this one thing: that Mercury, Mars and the Sun do in some manner en­force the other Planets to give an accompt of their natures and influences; Mercury after a mo­derate way, but Mars more strongly; and the Sun is the most active of all the three. As for example, when the moist planet Venus is in Conjunction with Mercury, suppose in the begin­ing of the sign Gemini (Mercury making Venus appear in her own nature) we have showers and sun-shine interchangeably: [Page 13] But when Mars is united to Ve­nus, we have more continued snows or rains; but most of all it powreth down rivers, when the Sun & Venus do meet together. These three Planets, not unlike unto Chymists, do distill and ex­tract the natures of the other Planets.

Now to draw to a close of this point, you must understand, that the seven Planets which are vi­sible in the Skies, have their se­cret correspondents throughout the whole body of the Universe; that is, there be seven Planets occultly in the air, and there be also hidden Stars and Planets in the bowels of the earth. There is a visible Saturn, and a visible Jupiter in the Firmament; there is an hidden Sarurn, and an hid­den Jupiter, and hidden Stars also within the obscurities of the earth. The matter is thus then; the Planets above do move their [Page 14] brother-Planets below of this inferior globe of earth and wa­ter, to move and keep harmony with them; so Saturn below sympathiseth with Saturn above, in sending forth cold exhalati­ous: for it is the earthly Saturn moved by the celestial Saturn, that bringeth forth the colds out of the bowels of the earth.

The Second Principle is, The Nature of the twelve Signs of the Zodiack:

Which are Aries, or the sign of the Ram; Taurus, or the sign of the Bull; Gemini, or the sign of the Twins; Cancer, or the sign of the Crab; Leo, or the sign of the Lion; Virgo, or the sign of the Virgin; Libra, or the sign of the Ballance; Scorpio, or the sign of the Scorpion; Sagittarius, or the sign of the Archer; Capricor­nus, or the sign of the Goat; A­quarius, or the Sign of the Skink­er; [Page 15] Pisces, or the sign of the Fi­shes. Their Characters be these,

• ♈
• ♉
• ♊
• ♋
• ♌
• ♍
• ♎
• ♏
• ♐
• ♑
• ♒
• ♓

These twelve Constellations are set about the Firmament like a girdle; through which the Sun maketh his way every year; and since the Creation of the world it is the only road in the starry frame which all the Planets do move in.

The Sun enters the Ram in March, and makes his progress through the Bull in April; and he perambulates the Twins in May, and so in order bestoweth a whole months time upon eve­ry Sign; journeying from one to another, he goeth round thorow all the Signs, until he come to the Ram again, and thence begin his travels for the next year. If you would know the Sign where a Planet hath taken up his quar­ters any time, you must procure the book of the motions of the [Page 16] Planets for that year, common­ly called Ephemerides.

The twelve Signs are divided into four sorts; for some be earthy, others watery, a third sort aery, and the fourth sort is fiery.

There be three of each sort: the earthy, which are so named, because like the earth they are cold and dry; namely, the Bull, the Virgin, the Goat: the watery are apt for rainy aspects, being cold and moist; and they are the Crab, the Scorpion and the Fishes. If any great Eclipse of the Sun or great Conjunction or Aspect of ♄ and ♃ do happen in them, we have store of rains. The three aery are the Twins, the Ballance, and the Skinker, which are tem­perately warm and moist, and hugely windy, and chiefly for Westerly winds.

Jupiter in the Skinker opposed by Saturn in the Lion, did raise [Page 17] mighty South-west winds. So Jupiter lately in the Twins, being in a trine-Aspect of Saturn in the Skinker, did bring us mighty winds from the South-West. The three fiery signs, which be most apt to thunder, are the Ram, the Lion, the Archer, moderately dry, but sensibly hot; they stir up heats, and so make the Pla­nets very active, while they re­side in them. When Saturn with­out mixture of other Planets is in them, we have excessive droughts. So then, to judg upon the Signs: Observe when a Pla­net is in an earthy Sign, he was lately dried up by perambula­ting a fiery Sign, and after that immediately having made his progress in an earthy Sign, he is quite bound up from moi­sture. So the Sun in the Bull is dry, and Jupiter having but a temperate moisture of himself, becometh sapless in an earthy [Page 18] Sign; and Saturn in them is dry and cold, except in the first 15 degrees of Capricorn he is moist. Then if there be an Aspect with Jupiter in an earthy Sign, the season is at least dry. In like manner, when a Planet hath been somewhat moistned in an airy Sign, and after that ha­ving made a pretty progress in a watery Sign, he is pretty well sap'd. So Jupiter in the watery Signs or Triplicity occasioneth a wet time.

When a Planet is in the be­ginning of one Sign, and in the end of another, he is indifferent to either of them two Signs: but when he is in the middle of any Sign, he is then well ac­quainted with the nature of that Sign. Mars in the midle of Leo, is hot; but in the midle of Can­cer he is moist, and a little aba­ted of his heat; but in the end of Leo, and the beginning of Virgo [Page 19] he is neither much heightned, nor much abated in his heat; yet he is purely dry: for both the Lion and the Virgin are dry Signs. So Venus in the begin­ning of the Ram, differeth not much from Venus in the end of the Fishes; and Venus in the end of the Ram is almost of the same temper with Venus in the begin­ning of the Bull.

Thirdly, Consider in what Sign the Planet is strongest.

Other parts of Astrology do ad­mit of 5 dignities of the Planets, viz. House, Exaltation, Triplicity, Tearm, and Face: the Planets are strongest in their Houses, next to that in their Exaltations, where there be some fixed Stars directly of the Planets nature; next to them they are strongest in their Triplicities; they have [Page 20] some strength also in their Terms, but least of all in their Faces. But Astrology, as it respecteth the weather, hath only reference to three of them; namely, House, Exaltation, and Triplicity. The Houses of Saturn are the Goat, and the Skinker; his Exaltation is in the Balance; his Triplicity, ac­cording to some, is the three airy Signs; these indeed have relation to Saturn of the Skinker, and in them Saturn is windy: but the earthy Saturn of the Goat, hath his Triplicity in the earthy signs, in all which he is cold; and in the Bull and the Virgin (if by mixtures of other Planets he be not accidentally changed) he is dry.

The Houses of Jupiter are the Archer, and the Fishes; his Exal­tation the Crab; and his Tripli­city the three fiery Signs: and I say for wind, in the three aery Signs.

[Page 21] The Houses of Mars are the Ram and the Scorpion; his Ex­altation they say is in the Goat. But the Triplicity of Mars in the Scorpion is the three watery Signs; and the Triplicity of Mars in the Ram, is the three fie­ry signs.

The House of the Sun, is the Lion, his Exaltation is in the Ram; his Triplicity in the three fiery signs.

The Houses of Venus are the Bull and the Balance, her Exal­tation is in the Fishes: they say her Triplicity is in the three earthy signs; but I think her as powerful in the watery signs.

The Houses of Mercury are the Twins and the Virgin; his Exaltation in the Virgin; his Triplicity, because he is a little windy, in the airy signs.

The House of the Moon is the Crab, her exaltation the Bull, her triplicity the three earthy.

[Page 22] Now for judging according to the dignities. Though the Goal be a dry sign, yet when Saturn is there, it raineth much in the first fifteen degrees of it. The Bull is a dry sign, yet Venus joyn­ed with the Sun, is not a little rainy; she is there in her own house. The Archer is a dry sign, and the house of Jupiter; yet when Jupiter entertaineth Sa­turn there, he is pretty moist.

Jupiter in the Fishes his own House, and in the Grab his Ex­altation, playeth Rex for rains. In aery signs he is windy, in fie­ry signs he is hot, in earthy signs he is very dry. Mars in the Ram his own house, in a Trigon, or Trine of the Sun in the Lion, is very hot, and so in the firy triplicity, though in the watery triplicity he is for rains.

The Fourth Fundamental is, The Observation of the Aspects.

As when one Planet doth be­hold another Planet at a certain distance, which according to the rules of the worlds harmony, do affect the spirit of the world, and particularly of the earth, water and aire; as musick hath an in­fluence upon the minds of men.

The principal and most pow­erful Aspects are a Conjunction, Opposition, Quadrat, Trine, Sextile. The Circle of the Zodi­ack, in which the Planets move round the Firmament, being divided into 360 degrees; when two or three Planets are in one and the same degree of the Zo­diack, they are said to be in a Conjunction; as Jupiter and Sa­turn in the 25 degree of Pisces, both at once in the year 1644, were there in a Conjunction. [Page 24] When one Planet is directly distant from another the half of the Firmament, that is, the half of the Circle, viz. 180 degrees, they be them in an Op­position, as Saturn in the sixth degree of the Lion. When Jupiter is in the sixth degree of the Skinker (remember that every sign containeth just 30 degrees) at the distance of 180 degrees from the sixth degree of the Li­on, Saturn and Jupiter are then opposite. When one Planet is distant from another 90 degrees, as Mars in the first degree of the Ram, when Jupiter is in the first degree of the Crab, they are said then to be in a Square, or Qua­drat aspect. So when one Pla­net is distant from another the space of 120 degrees, as Sa­turn in the fifth degree of the Crab, when Jupiter is in the fifth degree of the Scorpion; they be then in a Trigon or a Trine A­spect. [Page 25] And when one Planet is removed from another the di­stance of 60. degrees; as when the Sun is in the twentieth de­gree of the Balance, and Jupiter in the twentieth of the Archer, they be then in a Sextile. So an Opposition taketh up the half, a Trine the third part, a Square the fourth part, a Sextile the sixth part of the whole Circle: the which Aspects are profoundly demonstrated by the famous Kepler in his Harmonice Mundi, to the which he addeth some new Aspects upon the same grounds, as a Semisextile of 30 deg. a Quintile of 72 deg. a Decile of 36, a Semiquadrat of 45. deg. The Characters of the Aspects are,

• Conjunction ☌
• Semisextil Ss.
• Opposition ☍
• Quintil Q.
• Trine △
• Decil Dec.
• Square □
• Semiquad. S.
• Sextil ⚹

Quincunx is of 150 d. distance Vc.

[Page 26] To pass your judgment upon the weather, have a regard to the strength of the Aspects: for one Aspect is more powerful than another, and one and the same Aspect is more potent at one time than another. Fir [...] therefore a Conjunction is the most powerful of all others, nex [...] to it is the Opposition, then th [...] Quadrat, then the Trine, then the Sextile, then the Quincunx, then the Semisextile.

The Conjunction of Saturn and Mars, if the mixture of othe [...] planets hinder nor, is clear and frosty, so is the Conjunction o [...] the Sun and Saturn; but of Mer­cury and Saturn a little cold, louring and misty; that of Saturn and Vinus snow and hail in win­ter.

The Conjunction of Jupiter and the Sun, if the Sun come from the Aspect of Saturn, and if Mercury hath seen Jupiter a little before [Page 27] is warm and windy; but if they be tinged and mixed with Mars, chiefly in fiery signs is thund [...] ­ing. The Conjunction of Jupiter and Mars, is warm and thunder­ing, if they be not hindered with cold mixtures, for then they be a little showry, without the noise of Thunder; yet these showers are like unto thunder­dashes. The Conjunction of Iu­piter and Venus, if they be not impedited with strong mixtures of other Planets, is clear and pleasant. Otherways if Jupiter be strongly mixed with Mars or the Sun, some rains do follow; but if Jupiter be strongly mix­ed with Saturn, it is cold and a little moist. Conjunction of Jupiter and Mercury is misty. Conjunction of Mars and the Sun, if they be not dulled with cold mixtures, or in earthy, signs, is thundering, In dry signs, there may be lightning [Page 28] without thunder. Mars and Venus is showry or snowy, ac­cording to the season. Mars and Mercury warm and misty, if there be any wet mixtures. The Sun and Venus is showry, or snowy. The Sun and Mercury clear and fair, if strong watery mixtures do not intervene. What is here said of Conjunctions, the same, though not in so high a degree, may be said of the other Aspects. Venus and Mercury, is sometimes shining, sometimes showring.

Secondly, The Aspects which do more seldom come to pass, do make a deeper impression upon the earths interior Lamp, than those which are obvious every moneth, quarter, or year. So the Conjunction of Mars and the Sun, which falleth out but once every two years, is much more valid than that of the Sun and Mercury, which cometh to [Page 29] pass several times in one year: or of the Sun and the Moon once in a moneth. Thus an Eclipse of the Sun is of more force than an Eclipse of the Moon; and either of the Eclipses, is more effectu­al than other Conjunctions or Op­positions of the Sun and Moon be. The Conjunction or Opposition of Jupiter and Saturn, is more than the Conjunction of the Sun and Saturn; because it [...] doth occur; although the Sun be a great Planet, yet beca [...]se, once every year he accosteth Sa­turn, whereas Jupiter comes to him but once in fifteen years or more, and therefore the Con­junction of Jupiter and Saturn is called the great Conjunction, which is ever cold; and chiefly; if, it be mixed with Venus, is snowy or rainy.

Thirdly, The Aspects of the [Page 30] greater Planets be of greater ef­ficacy than those of the lesser Planets; so the Conjunction of the Sun and Saturn, and of the Sun & Jupiter, is more effectual than the Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury, or the Sun and Ve­nus, or the Sun and the Moon.

Fourthly, A potent mixture gives potent Aspects, as the Con­junction of the Sun and Mercury is warm; but if both of them have lately been in a forcible A­spect of Mars, and so are mixed with his nature, they do thun­der.

Fifthly, The Aspects in lofty or firy signs, are strong Aspects. So a Sextile of the Sun in Sagit­tary or the Archer, and Saturn in the Balance, or the Skinker, is stronger than a Trine of Sa­turn and the Sun in the Bull and the Virgin, two earthy Signs, although a Trine in it self be [Page 31] a greater Aspect than a Sextile.

Sixthly, The Aspects of the Planets in their Houses, are mighty, yea and in their exalta­tions also: as a Trine of Mars in the Ram, and of the Sun in the Lion, is hot and thundering.

Lastly, When there is no A­spect, or when the Aspects be weak, the season is quiet. If forcible Aspects in dry Signs rain not, yet the air may be lowring and cloudy.

Fifthly, or the fifth Rule is, Carefully to observe the mix­tures of Planets.

That is to say, a Planet not only acteth according to his own nature, when he is in an Aspect; but also carries along with him the nature of the Planet which did behold [...]im in the Aspect: which adven­titious [Page 32] nature got by the Aspect, is called a mixture: as for Ex­ample, the Sun a hot Planet, in the Sign of the Ram, his exalta­tion, a fiery hot sign, lately be­ing in Conjunction of Jupiter, a warm Planet, in the sign of the Fishes, becometh very hot and active coming to a Quadrat, (which is a strong Aspect of Sa­turn, a cold and dry Planet) yet being moist in the first fifteen degrees of the Goat, as also lately joined with Venus, a cold and moist Planet, the Sun potently stirreth up the nature of Saturn, which is tinged or mixed with the moisture of Vinus, and oc­casioneth a cold and moist sea­son: nevertheless after the cold is over-past, Saturn retaineth a little warm tincture of the Sun.

By these mixtures or tinctures also, I have observed Jupiter lightly tinged with Saturn, but lately united to the Sun, in the [Page 33] sign of the Lion: so Jupiter be­coming active through the mixture of the Sun, coming to the Conjunction of Venus, who was lately aspected of Saturn, did procure abundance of ruins; whereas our common Prognosti­cators would have predicted a fair season, because of the Con­junction of Jupiter and Venus, which doth many times make a clear sky, if mixtures do not contradict it.

Though Mercury, Mars, and the Sun do stir up cold Planets to shed forth their natures, and Jupiter, fortified by hot mixtures doth the same; yet if any of them be over-heated, they do then burn away the influences of the cold Planets, and do on­ly exercise the hot influence. So Jupiter in the cold winter, be­ing twice immediately warmed with the Sun, and once by Mars, free from the intervening of all [Page 34] cold aspects, is hotter than ei­ther the Sun or Mars are in themselves: for at that time, Jupiter being opposed to Venus, who was lately in Quadrat or Square with Saturn, after a little cold beginning, because of the nature of Venus, and mixture of Saturn, did at length thaw the ice, and banish the cold.

After the like manner there is a cold mixture of an high de­gree: for I have observed Mars damped with some cold Aspects, without intermission, when he came to the Aspect of Jove, a warm Planet, (the vulgar Astro­loger would then have fore told a hot and thundering time) did then emit a cold influence.

Mars also in the cold winter, in an aspect of cold Saturn, yet Mars being heated by the Sun, who was lately warmed with Jupiter, and Saturn also sepa­rating from a good Aspect of the [Page 35] Sun, lately fortified by the fire of Mars; this Aspect, even in the winter-season, did redouble the great Ordnance of thunder and lightning.

When a Planet is but lightly, or singly tinged, and immediatly applieth to another Planet, he first manifesteth the adventiti­ous mixture; and when that is past, he acteth according to his own nature: as the Sun coming from the Trine of Saturn, and so a little colded, and going to the Trine of Jupiter, separating from the Trine of Venus; at first meet­ing, chiefly in the watery or aery Triplicity, they are a little cold, moist and windy; but after that is gone, they are warm.

If a Planet be tempered with two contrary mixtures, the last is first manifested, then the first mixture doth appear.

The Sixth Rule is, Diligently to take notice of the re­newing, or anticipating the A­spects by the Moon.

Though the Moon it self be but weak; yet when it passeth be­tween two other Planets, that are coming to a strong Aspect, it maketh their influence operate before their proper time of a­specting, which may be called the anticipation of the Aspect. Or when two Planets do break up their Aspect, and so separate the one from the other, the Moon coming between them, doth re­new the bargain of the Aspect, and worketh the influence over again, which may be called the Renovation of the Aspect. And I advise thee to peruse all the Moons Aspects every day to this purpose.

[Page 37] An example of anticipation is, when the Sun strongly applieth himself to Mars, for the letting off the great guns of the clouds according to the course of na­ture. The Moon then coming from the Conjunction or strong Aspect of the Sun, she ushers the way to the Sun, and gives Mars the first salutation; and anon it thundereth, before the Sun come to act his part: or if the Moon apply from the Opposition of Mars, to the immediate Oppo­sition of the Sun, the same effect doth follow.

An Example of Renovation: At the time when Jupiter and Ve­nus in the Lion did give a drop­ping season, the Moon was then in Cancer, in her own house, in a watery sign, and shortly after presented her self to Jupiter, Venus, the Sun and Saturn, one after another, renewing the business by her progress among [Page 38] the Planets; and all that while for the most part, it rained a­pace: which work of the Moon is not vulgarly taken notice of; the neglect of which, I doubt, hath brought forth one, if not more false principles in Astrolo­gy. Yea, and as Physitians do observe her influence upon the sick of the fever, when she com­eth to the Quadrat of her own place, she worketh then also: even so it is in the weather, if she be not impedited.

The seventh Rule is, Of the Transits of the Planets, which by no means must be ne­glected.

That is, when either of the two Planets, that did aspect one another, comes first to that point of the Zodiack where the other Planet was, whom he did [Page 39] aspect in Sextile, or Trine, or Qua­drat; or when he passeth along the point himself was in. But in Conjunctions or Oppositions, when he also cometh to the Square of that degree wherein the Con­junction or Opposition was.

It may be admitted for a tran­sit also, when an aspect falleth upon the place of another Planet which he had in the time of a great Conjunction, or at the first appearance of a Comet, or in the time of a great Eclipse: or when an aspect falleth upon the same degree, where other Planets did not long ago aspect each other.

For an example of the first sort of Transits, Saturn in the Lion did oppose Jupiter in the Skinker, and did first raise up a South-west wind, and then a mighty cold aire: afterwards in the year 1669, Saturn transi­ting the place of Jupiter in the Skinker, in that threefold Opposi­tion, [Page 40] did raise up the same sort of winds, which did continue all that year for the most part; yea and did stir up the same sort of diseases that he had formerly occasioned at the threefold Op­position.

It is therefore fitting to re­view the Aspects of preceding years, if we would truly know the state of succeeding times; and to this purpose an old E­phemerides is useful for some years after they be expired.

Jupiter in the Twins aspected by Mars in the Ram, not only in the time of the aspect did they shew their natures, but also when Mars came to the place which Jupiter had in the aspect, it thundered. The like in the Trine of Mars in the Ram, and the Sun in the Lion; it thundereth (if not damped by cold mixtures) when Mars first comes to that degree where the [Page 41] Sun was in the Lion: the thun­der is re-excited, though more faintly; and the same effect fol­loweth, when the Sun first comeeth to the degree Mars was po­sited in at that Trigon; the which is little minded by our raw A­strologers.

An Example of the Second sort: The Sun and Mars united in the same degree of the Crab, which was Saturns place, at the eclipsing of the Sun in the Ram, in the year 1652. which did occasion a thundering, and showery season.

The Eighth Rule is, To consider the Sign which sympa­thizeth with the Country in par­ticular.

Which of necessity must be looked into: For an Aspect will operate in the Country which is [Page 42] subject to the Sign wherein it is celebrated, many times more powerfully, than in Countries agreeable to other Signs. Some Countries are subject to the firy Triplicity: England to the Ram, Italy to the Lion, Spain to the Archer. Some to the watery Tri­plicity; as Scotland and Holland to the Crab, Norway to the Scorpion. Some to the Airy; as Austria to the Balance, Tartary to the Skinker. Some to the earthy, as Ireland to the Bull. Thus the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, or of the Sun and Venus in the Crab, giveth abun­dance of rain in Scotland, where­as in the South of England they are but few, if some Aspect in the fiery Triplicity do not in­crease them. The Aspects may shed forth their influence in all Countries after some measure, but they work most potently in Countries subject to the signes [Page 43] wherein the Aspect is made. And to go no further for the proof of this than the year 1669, when the Conjunctions of Mars and Venus and of the Sun and Venus came to pass in the Crab, the which did abundantly moisten North-Britain; though they were not so operative in En­glands South parts: and when Jupiter the same year came to the Crab, these Aspects were again irritated by Sextiles with Jupiter, and the effects did fol­low in the North, though the South was wonderfully dry. Af­ter the like manner drought proceeding from an Eclipse of the Sun in the Ram, is much more felt in Countries subject to the fiery Triplicity, than in Countries related to the Crab, or the watery Triplicity.

The Ninth Rule. General causes are to be looked up­on; as Comets, great Eclipses, chiefly of the Sun, the great Con­junctions of Saturn & Jupiter.

Comets cause dry times for the most part, and more particular­ly in dry Signs, and their Coun­tries, as our days can witness by experience of the Comets in the year 1664. There was a great Eclipse of the Sun in the Ram, and about that time a Comet; to which also may be added Sa­turn in the Lion, the which did occasion a dry Spring and Sum­mer in England. It hath been wondered at by many, at the dry Summer and Harvest of the year 1669. But if they do consi­der the Eclipse of the Sun in the dry and earthy Sign of the Bull, and although it was not [Page 45] visible in our Horizon, yet in matters of the weather, it work­eth all over; for the fabrick of this world is like a Musical in­strument well tuned, of the which if a string be touched at one end, it will quiver all along to the farther end: And in the Bull and the Twins, the Comet of the year 1664 did move, and Saturn in the Skinker looking on the Bull with a Square, and on the Twins with a Trine Aspect, and in Opposition to the Lion, where he was in the time of drought, in the years 1652 and 1653. And likewise the Sign wherein Mars was in the time of the great Conjunction, in the year 1663. he may then wonder the less. However it is most true, that God sendeth extraordinary droughts, to punish sinners, as in the days of Elijah, for the space of three years and an half it did not rain upon the land of [Page 46] Israel. And God causeth it to rain upon one City, and not upon another.

The Tenth Rule. Observe the Nature of the most emi­nent fixed Stars, in or near the Zodiack, when the Planets are in Conjunction with them.

As when the Sun is joyned to Sirius or the Dog-star, of a fiery nature, the air is hotter than at other seasons of the year, if dou­bled or redoubled mixtures of o­ther Planets do not contradict.

So the Pleiades, or the cluster of Seven-stars, are accounted moist, if Venus be aspected when she cometh to them: so Hyades, and so of others.

The Eleventh Rule. The Season of the year must be looked upon.

For the influence of a cold rain in Summer, is snow in Win­ter, and snow or sleet in the Spring. Warm Configurations, if they be moist, are for rain, both Summer and Winter. An­niversary winds or rains which do come once a year, as in the moneth of March it raineth a­bout Rome: the winds, called the Etesii, do usually blow.

Moreover, take especial no­tice of this, that prediction for every days weather in an Alma­nack, is absurd: for an Aspect of rain, except it be very potent, is not at one and the same time generally all the Countrey o­ver. For suppose it may rain at London to day, tomorrow it may rain at Bristol, and be fair [Page 48] and day at London; it may rain at Norwich the third day, and that day the other two places may be without rain; and so it may move from place to place, while that rainy influence lasts. The common people do call this a falling out by Planets.

The Twelfth Rule. Forget not the Latitude, and Scituation of the Country.

The Latitude is, how far North or South it lieth.

The Scituation is, whether it be an Island, or Firm-land; whether it be hilly, or a plain champaign ground, a low vale. Now an Island is more windy than the Continent or Firm land; because the Sea is seldom without winds: and it is more warm in winter (except it be seituate in the Frozen-zone, as [Page 49] Island) than the main-land: therefore Britain hath milder Winters, than France.

In the low Vales and level grounds, which are not exalted with hills, the rainy clouds make but a short aboad, but swiftly move away through those aires, without stop; where­as among high tops of moun­tains, the clouds are hampered and arrested, and have not so free passage; but crouding to­gether, at length do discharge themselves by millions of drops into the lower bottoms.

The Scituation also doth tell us, what Winds are most fre­quent and familiar in any Countrey, if we do look how the Sea bears to the Land: The Western Ocean looketh broad upon Britain; from whence Westerly-winds do often blow upon this Island: The Mediter­ranean-Sea upon the East of Por­tugal [Page 50] giveth that Country moist Easterly-winds. These same great waters flowing from the South Regions upon the shoars of Italy, do furnish that Country with moist South-winds: but the land of Canaan, lying at the bot­tom of the Streights, to the East of the Mediterranean, doth meet with Westerly wet winds; but the winds that blow upon it from the South, coming from Sun-burnt Egypt, are hot. Thus our Saviour reasoneth with the Jews, Luke 12. 54, 55. We do use to say in Britain, that when it cleareth up in the West in time of raines, that it will be fair anon; because no more Clouds at that time do come from the Western Ocean. Under the Equi­nectial, in the middle of the World, there is a Trade-wind (so called, by reason of the great trading of Merchants in those Seas) one half of the [Page 51] year blowing from the East, and the other half year from the West, according as the Sun is on this or that side the Equi­noctial. And in the East-Indies, when the Sun, in or near the Aequinoctial, is Vertical, or di­rect over their heads, it raineth almost constantly; because of the great Indian Ocean, from whence the Sun with his mighty heat draweth great store of moi­sture.

The winds upon mighty high mountains, which are not adja­cent to the Sea, do vary accord­ing to the point of the Compass the Sun is in, any hour of the day.

The Sun in the Meridian, and upon the direct South of the airy Alpes, the wind at that hour upon Mount Viso, one of the highest among the Alpes, is quite contrary to the Sun, blowing directly from the North.

[Page 52] As for the Latitude of the Country; the farther North, as being more remote from the Sun, the colder it is; but the farther South, the warmer: it may snow in the High-lands of Scotland, when it but raineth at London: it may rain in a North mountainons Countrey, when it is dry weather in great Champains and Southern plaines.

The Northern Countries of Denmark, Norway, Swedeland, Russia, and the North of Germa­ny, are for the most part frozen all Winter, and then the exha­lations and mists are close im­prisoned, therefore the aire is calm and clear, and the star­ry lights glistering most beauti­fully. They can walk upon the narrow Sound, between Sweden and Danemark, as upon dry land, it is so strongly bridged with Ice. In the Spring-time, [Page 53] when the ice is chawed, and Winter must go lodg among the Antipodes, and the pleasant Spring and flowery Summer do enter the stage, then the impri­soned exhalations do break out, and fill the aire with warm fogs, bringing a warmer Summer than islands have, which lie farther South. In the South-parts Egypt is dried up, and hath little or no rain. Judea seldom is rained upon in June and Ju­ly: the East-Indies hath great rains, when the Sun is vertical, through the Suns vehement heat upon the Indian Ocea.