A general Judgement of this Nativity.

I Shall not be very tedious in the general Judgement of this Nativity, because it would be very painful, and unprofit­able; and Lilly himself would never do any thing without a reward. However, for Astrologers honor I shall remark the most eminent and considerable things therein, and that in the form following.

Here we finde ♓ ascending, which Lilly himself p. 99. of his Introduction, terms, A Sign double bodied, idle, effeminate, and sickly, representing a party of no action. Perhaps a main reason of his juggling, and his playing fast and lose with all he hath dealt with, and of being so lazy and ignorant in the Art be pretends to, that he seldom did any thing true therein, unless he had the assistance of other men, better acquainted with the Art than himself. But to shew that William Lilly was never like to make a good Artist, or be of any admirable conception, we finde that he hath Mercury in Taurus, a dull, heavy, earth­ly sign, and ☽ diminishing in light in another earthly sign. In his Introduction p. 584. he says, Luna diminished in light, Mer­cury in Taurus, signifies the Native will prove a very Ass or Wid­geon. [Page 7] And I remember it is nearly from the same reasons, that in his Epistle to his Almanack 1645. he confesseth his concep­tions dull, and his speech and discourse, (and he might have said writings also) defective. But I cannot devise what Configu­ration should make Mr. Lilly drop this truth! The Moon to the quartile of Mercury cannot I am confident, though Mer­cury be Lord of the ninth. It is very probable, that ☿ in △ to ♂ might do it; for that sometimes makes the veriest Ideot in­genious. If yet a little further we enquire into this Natives manners, adhering still to his own Book, (because he shall have the less occasion to be offended) we finde in p. 538. That when the significator of Manners is in ♎, as ♃ is in this Nativity, it denotes one inconstant, crafty, a contemner of all Arts, yet con­ceited of his own parts. But that I remember to have read this Aphorism in several other Authors, I should have believed that Lilly had made it from the experience he had of his own inclination and temperature; For how exactly this hits him in every part, I leave all those to judge that know him, by either his writings or actions. In p. 536. Lilly adviseth us to judge of the Natives manners more particularly thus, If there be no Planet in the Ascendant or joyn'd to the ☽ or ☿, or that the Lord of the Ascendant be not aspected of his Depositer, then have recourse to that Planet that forcibly aspects the ☽ and ☿ with a partil aspect; which in this Nativity is ♂, and he ill dignified. And therefore by Lilly's own rule, in p. 450. signifies a person cruel, quarrelsom, and tyrannical, rash and head-strong, bloody-minded, unshamefac't, sumptuous; a bragger, impious, a shedder of blood, impudent in provoking, but timerous when it comes to action, a thief, author of dissentions, tumults, sedition. And thus much of the man, and his manners and inclination.

2. Of his Riches: Venus is Lady of the second, and in page 543. he sayes, That she signifies Riches by friends and womens gifts. And that way indeed hath Lilly been somewhat enrich­ed. And in p. 561. When a benevolent Planet is significator of Riches, and combust, the Native thrives by indirect and unlaw­ful means. And Venus Lady of the second, being in exact op­position [Page 8] of ♄, the means should be the more indirect. All men (almost) know how Lilly hath got his estate; some by wives, but most by somewhat else, but what I will not say, let those that have a desire to know, ask the Swedes, and the Mem­bers of the Long-Parliament, Oliver Cromwel, and Richards friends, and they perhaps can inform them. If we enquire whether the estate shall continue, Lilly tells us in page 563. the Sun in the second is ill, and it is very bad when [...]he Lord of the second is combust, and the pars fortuna infortunate, it usually portends confiscation of estate, banishment, &c. And he saith page 564. Caput Medusae, with pars fortuna, or joyned to his Lord, expresses loss of Riches, and threatens poverty; which positions exactly happen in this Nativity, and something else to aggra­vate them, viz. Saturn being in exact opposition to Sol and Venus; but I hear Lilly hath made over his estate already, in hopes to prevent these evils that his Nativity unhappily threa­tens.

3. He saith page 567. the ☋ in the third, portends little a­greement between the Native and his brethren, or kindred; And this is true enough in his Nativity, for although he hath a poor Brother in the Countrey, and a poor Sister a Washer-woman, in Milford-lane, he seldom gives them a penny; and besides hath passed away his estate to strangers.

4. If we enquire whether this honor shall continue, himself saith, page 623. the Hyades, Hercules cor, Scorpio, Lanx Au­stralis, in Angles, in □ or ☍ of the infortunes; whom they raise from the dunghil they at last cast down with a vengeance. In this Nativity, although these Stars are not in Angles, yet Mars casts a quartile to two of the eminentest of them, from an An­gle; which is every whit as forcible, as if they had been in Angles. If two and four make six, then four and two makes the same number. Thus you see the demonstration is familiar and easie.

5. If we make enquiry after the Natives imprisonment or restraint, it is apparent he must suffer by such means: For in page 642. he saith, If ♄ afflict ☉ or ☽ with partil or platick [Page 9] Aspect, it denotes imprisonment to the Native. Here you see Sol is most exactly opposed by Saturn, and he Lord of the twelfth, and Retrograde in the eighth house. I hope better for him, than that he die in a prison: but that I have made a promise to quote no Authority herein, but Lillyes own, I could produce divers that relate such a position to be most cruel and ominous.

6. Having treated of the most material passages of Life, we come now to treat of Death; And shall question first, whether it may be natural, or violent? In page 644. Lilly saith, If ei­ther the Sun or Moon be in violent signs, and the other Light with a violent fixed star, it denotes a violent Death, chiefly if any of the infortunes invest either Sun or Moon, or Lord of the eighth. This Aphorism takes full place in this Nativity, for the Moon is in Capricorn, and the Sun with Oculus Taurus, in op­position of Saturn; Ergo, it stands the Native upon, to be­ware of a violent end. In page 645. he saith, A malevolent in the eighth, and either of the Lights afflicted, or in a violent sign, portends violent death. He saith also, The Lord of the first in a violent sign, and the depositer of the Light of the time in a violent sign, or afflicted, intends violent death. ♃ Lord of the first, is in ♎, a sign violent, and ♄ disposer of the ☽ is in ♏, a sign violent; Ergo, the dint of the Aphorism is to be feared. The kinde or quality of death is known from Saturn, because he is in the eighth, thence afflicting the Sun, the Fountain of Life. And the kinde of death that Saturn in this case signifies, Mr. Lilly saith, page 646. is by drowning, shipwrack, ruine of old buildings, poison. And Saturn being in Scorpio a poisonous sign, 'tis the more likely to be by poison. In pag. 647. he saith, Saturn in opposition of the Sun from fixed signs, many times de­notes stoning to death, or suffocation by fire, or water, sometimes beheading, (that is if the person be honorable) death by a Gun, or great instrument, or hanging, or strangling, &c. But of all, I suppose the former, viz. poison, because it is so natural to Sa­turn, and to the sign he is in. And perhaps it may so fall out, that the native coming into danger to prevent a publick shame, may turn his own Executioner, and poison himself, But in this [Page 10] matter I leave Mr. Lilly to do what he will, I will promise him before-hand it shall never trouble me. And this shall serve for a general Judgement upon the Scheme of his Nativity.

I shall set the Figure of his next years Revolution, it being most probable to prove a prodigious year unto him, and the most remarkable that ever he had, yea far more notable than that in which he received a gold Chain from the King of Swe­den And I shall give a particular Judgement upon the same, with considering the directions and other things that con-comi­tate it, and so end my intended Task, and leave Mr. Lilly to shift for himself, and baffle if he can, his bad fate, as he hath done all he ever had to deal with.

Of his Revolution for the Year 1661. being the 59th year of his Age.

To finde the true Revolutional Figure, I equate for the Suns true place, thus:

Then I work b [...] the Rule of proportion, and say, if 57′ 53″ give 24 h. what shall 7′ 24′ give? Answer 3 h. 4 m. which sub­stracted from Noon the 30 of April, leaves the true time of the Revolution sought, April the 29 da [...], at 20 h. 50 m P. M. Astronomically, or more vulgarly, April the 30 at 56 mi­ [...]u [...]es past eight a Clock in the morning; for then the Sun comes to his Radical place, viz 20°. 5′ in Taurus.

The Figure of Heaven, is as followeth.

The Planets places are as followeth.

The Figure it self follows.

A general Judgement of this Revolution.

IN this Revolution the sign of the sixth house of the Radix ascends, and the Moon Lady thereof, is in exact opposition of ♂ Lord of the eighth in the Radix. To the first, Mr Lilly saith, page 727. If the sign of the sixth ascends, in that year the [Page 12] Native may fear sicknesses, imbecility of body, or other very ma­ny casualties &c. but to the latter he says nothing. Howbeit, other Authors say, it is many times fatal to Life, and truly it is the more to be feared, because opposition happens from An­gles, and Saturn in the return so near the opposition of the Sun, (who is Lux temporis) and exactly returned to his Radical place, and the Lord of the eighth wholly, in the Revolution. If Saturn be naturally an enemy to Life, and accidentally Ana­reta or Lord of Death, then must his influence be the more ma­lignant and cruel. Sed verum prius, Ergo, &c. the 59th year of his age, (a year more dangerous by reason of Saturns double re­turn, than either 42. or 63.) we may upon better grounds than himself predicted Prince Roberts death, pronounce this year most fatal to him; And seriously Lilly ought to thank me for my plain dealing with him, if he shall but consider what a mu­ster of cruel and ominous Directions are coming towards him; for they are such as his own Book (whom all along you may see I have made his Judge, and fairer play he cannot desire to have of any man) terms fatal, as you shall largely hear from thence—

1. He hath the Sun to the sixth house, whose Ark of dire­ction is 59°. 18. which direction he saith, page 668. signifies to the Native himself sickness, &c.

2. He hath the Ascendant to the terms of Mars, whose Ark of direction is 60° 23′. And in page 660. he saith, It inclines the temperature of the Native to choller, and incites him to rash actions, and to have a hand in many idle and wicked matters, all tending to a general distemper of the body, subiect to scandal, and not undeservedly.

3. He hath the Medium Coeli directed to the quartile of Sa­turn, whose Ark of direction is 61° 14′. And Lilly saith p. 669. This direction discovers many laborious, difficult and unfortunate mischances unto the Native, deprives him of his Honor, Office, Magistracy, Employment, or Reputation, by means of Saturnine and vulgar persons, or of sly dissembling Courtiers, Countrey-clowns, Husbandmen, Colliers, Day laborers, who seem all to conspire and agree herein against him. And as this portends to [Page 13] vulgar persons, beggery, poverty, disgrace; so unto people, dis­credit, (surely he esteems vulgar persons not worth the terming people) accusations, and treacherous informations, dammage by thefts. These are Mr. Lillies own words.

4. He hath the Medium Coeli to the quartile of Venus by di­rection, which Ark of direction is 62°. 6′. And he saith, page 673. This direction is ever full of scandal and ignominy, and de­tracts from the Natives fame and honor, by means of women, and stirs up strife, hatred, and contentions against him; the Native subject to be deluded by women, to wooe many, and to be rejected by most, or all women, they putting tricks upon the Native, scor­ning and deriding him, who will be jealous of his Mistriss upon every sleight occasion: It shews death many times to the mother or wife, and an unquiet and uncheerful life — with his wife, ma­ny times divorce, jealousies, and great discontents, sale, or loss of much estate, or many costly Jewels. Now beware the Gold Chain!

5. He hath Pars fortuna directed to the quartile of Jupiter, whose Ark of direction is 61°. 42. He saith, page 704. Such a direction signifies— Loss of wealth by means of Gentlemen, or Law-suits, and vexations by such, and against such, much labor and difficulty to procure the preservation of his estate, loss of Of­fice, or less increase thereby than formerly.

6. He hath the Medium Coeli also directed to the quartile of Sol, whose Ark of direction is 62°. 54′. And he saith, page6 672. That it renders the Native obvious to many discommodities, makes him odious to great men, to loose his offices, honor, or pre­ferments upon a sudden, and changes and perverts all his former good fortunes, a Trades man cracks his credit, or turns Bank­rupt, &c. For now he is in danger of being imprisoned, banished, and many times (if the Nativity threaten, a here it doth) he is sentenced to death by the judgement of his Prince, or some of his Officers.

These are the dire directions that are coming toward Mr. Lilly apace; some of which have partly seized on him already; and let Mr. Lilly tell me whether I have not dealt like a faith­ful [Page 14] friend by him, and as truly as Damboyse, and the Kings Bro­ther did by each other in the Tragedy Here are no Sycophan­tique tow'ring strains, nor have we flattered Lilly in hopes of reward, as he hath done many to their ruine; Nor have we used any stick Heraldy, no clawing Epithetes, nor charms to cheat his understanding; we have not consulted Mother Ship­ton, the Sybills, or that crack-braind fellow Merlyn, &c. nor Dic mie, nor any such like cheats and knaveries; we have kept close to Astrology, and because we would not be adjudged partial, in that, to Lillies own book; a civility, that young Merlyn never merited from any Artist in the world.

But perhaps Lilly will say, when he sees this, that some of these directions come not yet a while, according to the measure of time allowed in a direction, I shall easily concede thereun­to they do not; two of them especially. But nevertheless if Lilly remembers what Sir Christopher Heydon says, Fol. 412. That events proper to men, may be both anticipated and continu­ed before or beyond a direction, as other things shall occurre; the objection is cleerly invalidated, and Lillies dancing days neerer unto an end, then he is aware of.

Let Lilly or the best Astrologer of his acquaintance, tell me what they think of July 1661. when ♄ is stationary upon the opposite place of the ☉, and suddenly after meeting with the ☉ by a quartile? And of ♂ his being stationary to Retrogradation upon the degree Ascending in the Revolution, in November following, a place that Mars so mischeivously hate; And pre­sently meeting an opposition of Venus, (Lillies best friend) and this in ♑ neer the twelfth House of the Radix? Nor will the four Eclipses in that year, in the Angles of his Revolution speak better things unto him, that in September of the ☉ especially; it happening so directly upon the place of the ☽ in the Revolu­tion—

If Mr Lilly be unsatisfied in any thing herein written, let him publish his doubts, and I hereby promise him In verba Astrologi, in the word of an Artist, to dilucidate any thing to him that is therein contained. Or if he shall he captious or [Page 15] quarrelsom (which is somewhat probable he may) at me, for my serious pains in his Nativity taken, I shall then call back my civil offer, and will undertake to justifie what is here perform­ed, either by dispute, or which way that he shall think proper for to ingage, provided it may be for the honor of Astrology, unto which end alone I have published his Geniture.