FOr asmuch as this matter tou­ching the end and consummation of the world shortly to happē, hath beene not long since amply hand­led, & sufficiētly debated: & of other throughly answered and confuted: I thinke it needlesse to spende any time vpon Doleta, concerning the same, and so much the rather for that he neither sheweth reason of his owne, or auethoritie of o­thers, for y^e maintenāce therof, but barely saith (if you please to credit him) that y^e best Astro­nomers of Alexandria, Spaine, Italy, & Grecia, are of the same minde and opinion with him v­sing the writers of the saide places like Mum­mers in a maske rather to make a shew, then to speake a worde, in that hee neither nameth the said Authours who they are, nor quoteth their testimony what it is: but they that are hitherto knowne to haue written thereof, vtterly disa­gree & discent from Doleta, in the determina­tion of the said fatall or Climactericall yeare, they accompting the same to bee in 1588. but hee in 1587. and neither of them with [Page]anye great reason for the maintaining there­of, for when their reasons are at the best, they are but Sortilegious, Arithmeticall, and Pi­thagoricall: rather then Naturall, Philosophi­call, or Astronomicall, depending Ex septenario & nouenario numero, & ex numerorum paritate & imparitate, wherein some of the fonder sorte, haue reposed such confidence, that they thought it very materiall (hauing occasion to vse Phi­sicke) rather to take fiue pilles then foure, sea­uen then sixe, and thinke that the foure-leaued grasse, ratione numerorum, shoulde be good for the quartaine ague, or as a three-leaued grasse for a tertian, & sic de caeteris: which opinions for that they are most childishe and ridiculous in the iudgement of the learned, I neede no lon­ger refutation thereof, but will proceede to the answering of Doleta his fatall predictions, as touching the ten great plagues, or calamities like to happen (as he saith) in the saide yeare, foreshowen by a Starre (as hee saith) seene in Calabria: whiche howe true it was, the man and matter will sufficiently declare. For ad­mitting it to bee the fourth Starre by him seene, then must it of necessitye follow, that ei­ther there were three other therewith, or seene before the same, which doubtles were of such small light & bignes, as they coulde not hither­to bee discerned of any except of Doleta who [Page]happely sawe further into a milstone then an other man, else was it the fourth of the nine sortes of Comets (if so bee there were any) re­membred of the learned in their works whose names are these following, Ʋeris Cenaculum Partica, Miles, Dominus Asconae, Matutina, Ar­gentum, Rosea & Nigra, the fourth whereof be­ing Miles (construing his meaning to the best) coulde not bee of much lesse biggenes then the Moone, as Guido alleadging Ptholomy, thus writeth thereof, Cometa illa, que dicitur Miles, est de natura veneris, & est magna, admodum Lu­nae, & habet radium longum & crines similiter, &c. And therefore of sufficient lighr and biggenes to be seene of other men as well as of Doleta, and to other Countries as well as to Calabria, had there any such apparance been. And before the prediction thereof, it had beene first requi­site he shoulde haue mentioned when it first be­gan to appeare, in what Asterisme and constel­lation was his apparent and true place, with what signe and degree it made his reuolucion, what his Altitude Meridian, his right Assen­tion, what Paralax it hadde, what Circle it de­scribed, what distaunce it had from the earth, the bignes of his Diameter, the content of the Solide, the length of the Taile, which waye it was extended: and lastly how long it was seen, and when it went out, which if he had done (as [Page]other learned men haue heretofore vpon y^e sight of a Comet) thē would I haue said that he had proceeded orderly and like a scholler, and haue bene ready to haue giuen the better credite to the rest.

But to the first where he saith, In the yere 87. vvhen the Moone shalbe in a watry signe, that the worlde is like to be in daunger &c. And the Sun shalbe couered with a Dragon, from fiue a clocke in the morning, till nine, and will appeare like fire, therefore it is not good for any to beholde the same, least vn­happely he may lose his sight.

The Moone to be in a watrie signe is no­thinge maruelous, sith that in eche Lunation, which is the space of twenty eight-daies, shee thrice passeth thorough watrie signes, making in the same no Deluge, nor working no such ef­fect, when as the rest of the Planets were pla­ced in the like signes with her, a thing hapning not long since, considering that the watrye Tri­gon or triplicitie is worne, his force decayed, & ready to make an end, and beginneth to yeelde ouer to the fiery triplicitie, at hand to enter &c. And to the rest, that the Sunne shalbe couered with a Dragon, if he vnderstand by the Dragō, Caput, or Caudam Draconis Lunae, the learned knowe that it is but an imagined intersection of two Circles or lines, the one called Circulus [Page]eccentricus, the other Linea ecliptica noni Orbis, without any bodily substance, and therfore can neither darken the sunne, or turne him into fi­rie colour, hauing in it selfe neither qualitie to heate or to coole the same. But in case his meaning bee rather that Iunonius Draco shal leaue his seate between the two beares, & crosse the Eclipticke, in Via solis. That in reason is more absurde, vnlesse he proue vnto vs, that the Dragon must come downe from the 8. Sphere to the fourth, where the place of the Sunne is, or the Sunne clyme aboue the starrie firma­ment, whereas the sayde Asterisme is, which well he cannot before Assention day, which is long after the 25. day of March, or els the said Asterisme cannot possiblye ouer-shadowe the Sunne, obscuring his light. And it is no waye to be feared, that a terrestriall Dragon (were there any, as Gelnerus maketh great doubt) shall flie so high, or beare a body of that breadth and bignesse, that it shoulde ouer-shadowe the whole bodie of the Sunne the space of foure houres, the said body of the Sunne being more then 160. times bigger then the whole earth: for in what part of the earth shoulde first be fo­stered a Dragon of the said bignesse, not in A­lexandria, Graecia, or Arabia, nor els where, vnlesse in the dizards of Calabria, from whence onely such marueiles do come.

[Page] To the second, touching The marueilous great water-floodes, vpon our Lady day in Lent, the 25. day of March, by feare whereof many people shall die. Being no reason shew­ed hereof, it may be thought, that Doleta tho­rough the ouer-muche moistnes of his braine, dreameth of inundations and flouds, vnlesse the Moone, being then Prope vrnam aquarij & ef­fusionem aquae, hee inferreth the same. And the same Flouds to exceed, especially, in Calabria, where no doubt, then Calaber-furres will bee deare, for that the Calaber-skinns wil be most drowned, which may cause some lamentation in the Budge-row in the VVinter following.

To the thirde, which is, There shall arise a maruelous great winde, for feare whereof, many shalbe cōsumed, or distraught of their wits. This prediction is very generall, he tel­leth vs not what winde it shall bee, nor out of what quarter it shall come, it is not like to bee the sweete Zephirus or Subsolanus, nor yet the blustering Boreas, that can blowe from Cala­bria, ouer all the world, or cause these inconue­niences by him resited, wherefore he doubtlesse meaneth, these windes ingendred in Microcos­mo, as Colica passio, Ʋteri ac Ventriculi inflatio, ca­pitis vertigo, and such like which may marre and consume many a good stomack, and dull, amaze, or distract the wittes and sences of the Parties [Page]troubled therewith, either els hee meaneth, the winde caused thorough the continuall motion and agitation, of the wings of the Calabrian Dragon so much mentioned.

To the fourth which is, The 12. daye of Maye, will arise an other wonderfull great Floud, and so great, as none the like since Noys-Floud, and continue three daies & three nightes, and many Cities and Townes stan­ding on sandy grounds will be in great dan­ger. Two great floudes within two monethes, that goeth harde, but if they bee generall, and throw downe Cities and Townes in Calabria and else-where: Sheperton-Church, must needes bee in great perill, for it is built vpon sandye ground, and already in hazarde. The best is, it must last no lōger then Ionas was in y^e whales belly, three daies, and three nights, the reason of which prediction, happely is, for that the Sunne principal Luminary obscured with his Dragon, at the same time will be in Longitudi­ne cum Orione, which Orion, as the Poets af­firme, was made Ex vrina deorum, and therfore so much wet and moisture to abound: either els for that the beginning of the Raine in the time of the Deluge happened in the saide moneth, now threatning the like.

To the fifth, which is, Infidels and here­tikes for feare will flie and gather together, [Page]and a great part of Christendome in danger to be ouerthrowne. That Infidels and He­retikes feare, it is no harme, that they wil wil­lingly flie, it is not lyke: I am sorie he hath no better groundes to builde his iudgement on in this pointe. But the ouerthrowe of a great part of Christendome is farre vnlike, for God hath promised to saue his owne, although he chasten like a louing father, and toward the ende of the worlde the number of the elect are promised to increase, and the Gospel to be plentifully prea­ched throughout all nations, & ioyfully of them receiued.

To the sixt, which is: After the great wa­ters in the saide yeare, on S. Margarets daye in the Dog dayes, will bee a great and feare­full death, for the pestilence will bee in such force, that fewe places in Christendome will be free. And howe is that like, insomuch that so great plentie of water going before, and clean­sing and washing away the filthie sliminesse, & vncleannes of the earth, the causes of vnhealth­fulnes and infection, as also his great & migh­tie winds dispersing the vnwholesome cloudes and ill vapours, and thereby clearing and pre­seruing the ayre from putrefaction and corrup­tion, the especial causes of pestilence, and lyke contagion, the heauens & heauenly influences threatning no such thing vnlesse that he feared [Page]that this day through the vertue of the Saint, whose name it beareth, might ende and destroy his Calabrian Dragon, for that S. Margaret is written to haue destroied the Dragon, & by reason hereof, such pestilent and corrupt vapors to euaporate and breath out of the said Dragōs bodie so wounded and corrupted, which may fill and infect the aire therewith, which dogtricke of his happening in the Dog daies, as it maye cause (when it happens) death and mortalitie, so will it againe cause Sanguis Draconis to bee verie plentie, good tidings and ioyfull newes to the Apothecarie.

To the seuenth, which is: There will bee through the world great chaunge of Religi­on, and wonderfull straunge newes vnto all people as touching the same. This of all the rest is a most vnlikely thing. For that towarde the ende of the worlde, Christ hath promised to increase the nūber of his elect, as also that his truth shall perseuer vnto the ende & in the ende. Vnlesse he meane the infidels shal be conuerted to christianitie, and the heretiks to recant their heresies, and acknowledge the gospel and veri­tie, as by the prediction following it seemeth he meaneth no lesse, in that hee saith, The Infi­dels shal flye vnto the christians, & the Turke shall lose his scepter. Which thing, although it seemeth straunge, yet hath it beene long of [Page]the faithfull hoped, and is of all true Christians hartely to be wished,

To the eight, which is. The Turke with his Mahomes shall lose his Scepter, and a great chaunge in his regiment thorough hunger and warrs, so that most will rather seek helpe of the Christians, then at his hands. This is as ye would say, to good to be true. For how is it like that an Empire which hath been so long establishing, in one yeare to bee ouerthrowne. Well maye it decrease, Peditentim as it were, but not sodainely ouerthrowne (although God at his pleasure can destroye it) it followeth not that he wil doe the same: for he is called omni­potent, Non quia ommia vult, sed quia omnia po­test, & a posse ad esse non valet argumentum, And meanes and not by againe, hee worketh by miracles in this age, I rather would wish that the Turke might bee conuerted to the faith of Christ, then lose his scepter. For in case he lose the same, and an egge harcht of the same birde succeede him therein, what auayleth it to the profit of the Church, or comfort of the congre­gation of the faithfull? And herein M. Doleta greatly forgetteth himselfe, where he saith that the Turkes shall seeke helpe at the christians, and before that the greatest part of Christen­dome shall be ouerthrowne. But happely he ca­reth not what he saith, be it neuer so contrary, [Page]so he may seeme to say somewhat at all.

To the ninth, which is: There will also a­rise great Earthquakes, and the fruit of trees will be very strange and hollow within. This is a thing possible, though not likely, and very hard for any to prognosticate, were he of much more sufficiency then Iohn Doleta, declareth himself to be. For were hee throughly apposed, I doubt he would hardly shew the causes Phi­losophicall and Naturall of Earthquakes, and whereof the saide Earthquakes are caused and ingendred, in that his doctrine hath beene so grosse and palpable in the rest. And as for the fruits which shall be hollow within. I am per­swaded he is moued so to thinke, for that (fur­ther reason see I none) because he seeth people so hollow harted at these dayes, thinking that other fruites of the earth woulde produe accor­dingly. Either els that much fruite the saide yeare will proue worme-eaten, & consequently hollow within, which thing is nothing strange.

Lastly to the tenth, which is: On saint Bartholomews day, will be great mouinges of the earth, both on hilles and vallies, for feare whereof fewe shall remaine aliue. This prediction of all other is most straunge and vn­likely, vnlesse Doleta be of opinion with other some, that the Sunne standeth still & the earth moueth about, and hilles, and vallies as parte [Page]thereof follow the same, and so fall or stumble into some of those degrees, termed of the Astro­nomers, gradus puteales, and to proue this con­ceite and opinion aforesaide, hee may happely make so good a Demonstration, as I knewe a young gentleman of like opinton, who sayling from London to Graues-end, imagined him­selfe and the vessell to stand still, and the trees and firme lande to moue and depart from him: this ye see the force and fruit of a strong imagi­nation, which with the rest I refer to your deli­berate iudgement, & good consideration. Else doth hee happely meane the mouing vppe of the earth, thorough the rooting of swine or casting of moles, which in truth may doe much hurt, es­pecially to the husband-man: I hope none o­ther mouings shalbe seen in this our Country, no more then any of the rest of his ten plagues presaged, and before mentioned: which as they were prognosticated without Art or learning, so shall they come to passe, Nusquam & Nun­quam, and all men say,

Thus hauing thoroughly viewed these newes from Calabria, I wish all men to be re­solued that as they are rashely published by the Author (a fellow of Brazenface Colledg) & not like to come to effect, so would they not worse esteem of good Artes (whose commodities are [Page]great, & conclusions most profitable) when they are published by those that are (in truth) learned therein, and of zeale and good meaning deliuer them to the worker, the rather when they see these predictions which the blind-Baiards and the vnlearned in Astronomye set forth altogea­ther w^t out effect, as hath of late (too often) béen seen, which I pray God almighty at his plea­sure to amende and long to continue the happy and prosperous estate of our dread & soueraign Lady the Queenes Maiestie, graunting her to haue such loyall, and obedient subiectes as may ioyfully, and willingly followe and obserue all such holesome, & profitable Lawes as her Ma­iestie and her honourable Counsell shall directe & appoint them, whereby it may be iustly veri­fied. Quod corpora inferiora reguntur à superiori­bus corumque sequuntur motum.