Taken from the joynt consent of the most learned Astrologers and other famous Men, skill'd in the Astral Sciences.

As likewise a Prophesy of Mr. Lillies, and one of Bishop-Ʋshers found some time after their Death.

HEaven is God's Book which he lays open before Mortals, but wise men can only read it; Fools admire it, and Fops deride it. But 'tis most certain, that God shews not his Signs in the Heavens in vain, and that Comets, Eclipses and remark­able Conjunctions of the Luminaries and other Stars signify something to Mankind, since experience, the Mistress, even of Fools, teaches us that our Bodies, and the Bodies of all Animals and Vegitables, are sub­ject both to the benign and malevolent influences of the Heavens; we shall therefore let the ignorant and incredulous alone, and speak only to those, who with more judgment inquire into these Prodigies, which we may so call, though they are natural, because portentous, and are remarkable Signs of things to come.

We shall not in this narrow compass go about to declare our judg­ment of the matter of Comets, or how produced: the opinions of the Ancients about this matter are exploded, and some later have in­geniously enough judged them to be caused by the Actions of Spirits, [Page 2]and some other learned Vertuosi have thought them (and perhaps not amiss) by reason of the great height of most of them, that they are the Conflagrations of so many several Worlds. But as to this, we shall not discourse any farther, but procceed to let you understand, what the learned have predicted from those signal Apparitions, and that great Conjunction which will be celebrated in October next.

As to the first, the Comet seen in England, as well as in most parts of Europe, and also in America, in December 1680. According to our most learned English Merlin, it signifies great and unusual Tempests by Sea and Land, blasts of wind, strange Treacheries, Death of Cattel, Dearth of Grain, Plague, and Famine, with great Inundations of wa­ters. Which has been verified in the great Deluge in Flanders and Holland, and all the Low-Countries, to their unspeakable Damage, and the perishing of many thousand Souls, besides the loss of Cattel, and Land hardly ever to be regained. As this great and unusual Flood might be the effects of this Comet, so also it may have its signification and may predict Troubles, Wars, and great Devastations and Depre­dations to come shortly on those Countries, as it hath been observed in the like Cases. Therefore let Flanders this year and the next, look to it self, and Holland also, lest they become a Prey to the French Mo­narch; it is much to be feared. Besides this Comet, we have from very faithful hands, that three Suns have been seen at once several times, the last of which was in April 1681. As also several other strange Ap­paritions in the Ayre, of Armies Fighting; Ships combating and firing one at another, all which are not sent in vain, and do predict some­thing more than we are free to speak of at this time, but proceed in our discourse of the Comet. Fromundus saith, Cometa non est Physica causa calamitatum sed signum potius ad placitum Dei. That a Comet is not a Physical cause of Calamities but rather a sign thereof, at the plea­sure of God. So we may well believe that this remarkable Comet is a sign of many Changes to come, and we may thence predict or fore­tell great changes in many places, as Scarcity, Plague, Famine, Wars, and Cruelties exercised by some potent Prince.

Lilly in his Anglicus 1655. hath these prophetical expressions.

And I have heard of another Prophesy, concerning that year, found in the Papers of a learned Man.

Time will reveal all things, but it behoves all men not to slight such warnings from God, nor laugh at impending Judgments, but to amend their Lives. Hear what another learned man in the Science of Astro­logy tells you, in his Astrological Observations for this year, That the motion of a Comet from one place to another, manifests an hostile mo­tion of an Enemy, from one Region to another. God preserve us from an Invasion. We may Justly fear that this Comet portends more [Page 3]wars in Europe. I wish the Turk breaks not the League with the Em­peror, or invades not some other part of Christendom within these few years. He goes on and says further, the dreadful effects of this Comet will be the slight of many good people from their Habitations, the Ba­nishment of several persons into other Countrys, unusual Tempests, dark weather, piracies, and Shipwracks with many other Calamities, destruct­ion of Fruits, overflowing of waters, uncomfortable Harvests, Scarcity of all sort of Grain, many infirmities hapning to Cattel, as Oxen, Sheep, Hogs, &c. with many Melancholly Diseases frequent among the People.

But as this Comet was not in all respects as other Comets have ap­peared, being more remarkable in its progress, and bushy Tail or Stream measuring to many Degrees in the Heavens; Some learned Philoso­phers have predicted from it, some unusual mutation to be made in Re­ligion, to the great detriment of proud Persecutors, but whether Italy or some other part of Europe be poynted at, time only will reveal. We shall now proceed to the Lunar Ecclips

This Ecclips of the Moon hapned on the 11th of February last, and was plainly seen of us. Tho Ecclipses of either Luminar, are Natural, the one being caused by the interposition of the Moon betwixt us, and the Sun, which Shadows its light by its opacous body, the other, being caused by the interposition of the Earth between the Moon and the Sun, whose shadow causes the Lunar Ecclips; yet I say these Ecclipses by all the Ancients have been observed to have produced their very great Influences and Effects upon the people of the World. This Diliquium or total defect of the Moon, is celebrated in the Mid-heaven in three Degees, fifty three minutes of the Celestial Virgin, and portends some alteration in Religion, and that many careless Christians run into strange and unheard of principles destructive to our Faith. It also predicts great sicknesses arising from cold and driness, especially unto Princes, and great persons. We may expect to hear this Summer of the Death of some great and remarkable Prince or Potentate. This Ecclips, hapning also in a Northern Asterism, portends sudden Earthquakes, according to Ptolemy. Mercury is Ruler of this Ecclips, which signifieth great Change and Mutability in the minds of Men. Treachery, Shamplots, Subtle Contrivances, Craft and Cuning among Magistrates: promotes Innovations in Religion, and in Laws and Cust­oms, Causes high winds and a troubled Air. The effects of this Ecclips will appear among all people, and those Countrys subject to Virgo, Pisces, Sagitary, and Gemini, and that when the Sun and Mars come into those poynts, then will the effects be most powerful. We may expect a dry and unwholsom Spring, full of noxious and malignant fumes, which may give great detrement to the Fruits of the Earth. Thus much for this remarkable Lunar Ecclips, we will now proceed to the great Con­junction of Saturn and Jupiter which is indeed very signal.

This notable Conjunction of which we are now about to speak, is between Saturn and Jupiter, in the Regal Sign Leo, which predicts ve­ry notable things, being also seconded with a Conjunction of Mars, both with Saturn and Jupiter in the same Kingly Sign; the effects of which will last many years, and, as a knowing Astrologer says, will much alter the Affairs of Europe, and give the form of things another Face, from what it had before. Things that have long been a hatching will now be brought to Light. God preserve England from another new [Page 4]contrived Popish Plot, and private Enemies under the mask of Friend­ship. Mars junctus Saturno struet fraudes multas & deceptiones. Mars being joyned with Saturn, brings forth many frauds and Sham-plots, Robbing by Land, Piracies by Sea, great unfaithfulness of great ones one to another; and Teeacheries and Villanies of all kinds. God pre­serve this Nation from Pestilence, which seems to be threatned by the Malevolent influences of Mars and Saturn: also great Feavors and other Epidemical Diseases, towards the latter end of this year, and next Summer. Multa cadunt inter labia & Calicam: many mens expectati­ons shall be frustrated; there is a Square of Jupiter and Mars that will make a great noise and will very shrewdly shake if not break to pieces the Image of Nebuchadnezar, Verbum Sapienti.

This Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter and Mars in Leo, and all of them in Square to Venus in Scorpio, and the Moon also disposed of by Mercurie- and yet in Square to him, is one of the worst revolutional Fi­gures that may be seen. These Conjunctions hapning in Leo, near the Tro­pick of Cancer, will pour their effects on those Northern Regions to pur­pose, because their diarnal Ark or time above the Earth is near 15 hours, so that during that time, the power of their rayes have great influ­ence, to alter the Principles of the Ayr, and so by Consequence of all o­ther things living in it: we say, that this will be a cause of many pertur­bations; mens minds will be stirred up to fiery and furious Actions, to War, Battel, Murther, Treachery, Rebellion, and the like. In some of the Northern parts of Europe, because they have all North latitude in Leo. Saturn in a fixed signe Signifies Mortality, and Scarcity of Fruits of the Earth: and indeed a great Mortality is to be feared, for Saturn and Mars are in the 4th and both Dignities in the 8th House, which is the House of Death. But God may hear the prayers of the Faithful, these things invite men to Repentance, and to Supplicate Almighty God to divert his impending Judgments.

By it England, Ireland, part of France, all Scotland, and Holland, Polonia, Sweeden and Denmark, seem to be much Concerned: many inundations, tempests, Shipwracks, Pestilence, Famine, and un­usual diseases will ('tis very likely) be manifested in those Countrys. This famous Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, falls in about 20 degrees of the Regal sign Leo, on the 23d of October. 5 H. Post M. The fiery Trigon, or the Conjunctional returns into this Trigon, have always been attend­ed with very notable and Memorable Changes both of Church and state, and very great Actions and Alterations in Kingdoms and Countrys. This being the 7th Revolution since the begining of the world.

The famous Merlinus Anglicus tells you that the first Revolution of this Trigon after the Worlds Creation, fell in the days of Enoch, the second in Noah's time, when the universal Flood drowned the World, the third in the time of Moses when the Children of Israel were delivered from the E­gyptian Yoak, the fourth was about the setting up of the Monarchy of the Medes and Persians, the fifth fell about the time that our blessed Saviour lived here upon Earth, the sixth was when Charles the Great translated the Western Empire to the Germans. And now this is the seventh which has a sin­gular Mystery of Sabbatism, and promises great things more than ordinary to the World. Its ef­fects will last several years, and will be about the year 1801 e're this triplicity has its full period: about which time we may expect the utter overthrow of the Hirarchy of Rome, if not be­fore; and that about that time we may expect a Total Catastrophy of the world, and in the mean time we may look fot great and Marvellous alterations and Changes in the Constitutions of Em­pires, and strange Revolutions of Monarchies and states. But Leo being a Regalsigne, and in trine to Aries, England's ascendent, what ever Changes we may expect at home, Monarchy will be ad­vanced and we need fear no danger of a Common-wealth, for no such thing is threatned from its Influence, but rather that some petty states, should choose them some warlike prince, and become Monarchical. Who ever lives to 88 shall see such Revolutions as few expect but we shall at this time Conclude with this Prophetical Enigma. When the Eagle builds his Nest on the top of a Fir-tree, let the white Raven leave Croaking, for his end is neer: the Frog and Reremouse shal [...]ter into a League, but shall be both destroyed by the Sparow-hawke. Then shall a man arise with the Sun on his head, whose rays shall Illuminate the Northern parts of Europe, then Peace and Plenty shall flow thorow all his Dominions, which shall Extend from the North to the South haveing di­vers Princes his Tributaries.