ASTROLOGIA

Why? Didst thou ever offend the Heavens in thy life, Astronomia? As how, I prithee? With me? O! I can easily guess why she speaks against me: I perceive all eminency of gifts is attended on by en vy: but ush, Old — I say no worse: let her chide the gods that gave me my Foreknowledge of things above her apprehension: believe me, I saw this great contention be before, in the present Conjunction of Saturn and Mars: But for Geographus, I would wish your Height of worth, Astrono mia, would not Descend unto his Baseness. Nay, then I perceive there is somewhat of fate in love; and that the Stars do not rule men, but men the Stars; why there's no Proportion of worth between him and Geometres, a man cut out by the very Square of all virtue. Pretty, pretty, why these Poets, they are all of them born, I think, upon Friday at the sixth hour, for then Ʋ enus has the dominion of the Day, & Mars of the Hour; now the Planet of the Day does chiefly govern their Actions, and the Planet of the Hour does admix a Subordinate In fluence, and that's the reason that your Poets have more of Venus in them then Mars; yet sometime they are in come bats, as lately Poeta: so on the other side your Warriors for the most partly are born upon Tuesdays at the third hour, for then Mars has the dominion of the Day, and Venus of the Hour, and therefore your Warriors have more of Mars then Venus. Fear not, I know already by the Stars it'll take effect. Exit Astrologiam. In troth I have been drinking my Belly full of Ne ctar; but joust now, my thoughts were upon the present Con junction of Mars and Ʋ enus. I saw this disastrous chance in the stars, for as Mars and Venus were sporting, they were beheld by the rest of the envious gods. Exit. Come, come, Medicus, the strictness of your pre scriptions must be dispensed with, a little. I'll warrant you, shee'l never die of this disease, I have calculated her Nativity, to know so much beyond your Art: the sixth House of her Horoscope, wherein all her diseases are Prefiguratiuely registered, promises a better issue of her sickness then so: beside, she shall have and happy Womb, for I find in her Horoscope, Ʋ enus in her Exaltation, to wit, in Pisces, and Jupiter in the fifth House, the Radiation of Ʋ e nus falling on the First House, and of Jupiter on the Eleventh, Luna being in the Seventh, illustrating the Fifth House with a Sextile Radiation; she shall have a beautiful Daughter, her name shall be Optica: there shall appear at her Birth four Suns, and as many Rainbows, and the Air over-against these Rainbows, shall seem to be full of Looking-glasses, and in the middle of each Rainbow shall appear a Pea cocks tail, which being reflected from the Looking-glasses, shall project and infinity of colours in the Air. Why? had you any terrible dreams? I wonder I waked not; why did you not tell me of it before? Why you're of my mind joust: for I had and unto ward dream, and was verily resolved not to tell you, but now I will: me thought I and Astronomia fell out exceedingly a bout Geographus, because she kissed him, and me thought shee-forbade forbade me her house, and that her mother Physica did soar joyce at it, which angered me most of all. Indeed I do not Like the effect which I see the heavens likely to produce ere long, against somebody, but I hope it'll not be to us. We? We yield our selves to your Honours mercy. Glassialabolas, Glassialabolas, Glassialabolas. O violence! Melanch. and Sanguis search their pockets by force, and take out Kings. O violence! We go. Heaven and Hell conspite Magus and Astrologia's ruin; and yet they will not ruin us. Indeed, me thinks, she keeps always the same pace.