The Five Books of Manilius

The Five BOOKS OF M. MANILIUS, Containing a SYSTEM OF THE Ancient Aſtronomy AND ASTROLOGY: Together with The Philoſophy of the STOICKS.

Done into Engliſh Verſe with Notes. By Mr. THO. CREECH.

Nunc autem quid eſt ſine his cur vivere volimus? Mihi vero cum his ipſis vix: His autem detractis, ne vix quidem.

Cicero ad Var.

LONDON, Printed, and Sold by the Bookſellers of London and Weſtminſter. 1700.

[〈1 page duplicate〉]

AN ACCOUNT OF MANILIUS.

SIR,

THE Campaign being over, and Councils not yet begun, the World is very much at quiet; nor can I find News enough to fill a Letter: But to keep up our uſual Correſpondence, I ſend you an Account of an old Latin Poet, very little known, tho' as worthy your Acquaintance, as many of thoſe who are in Credit. He lay buried in the German Libraries, not heard of in the World, till Poggius Publiſh'd him from ſome old Manuſcripts found there; and tho'^[1] Burde Cotzus, thinks Lucian conſulted this Poet when he wrote his little Treatiſe of Aſtrologie; tho' Julius Firmizus is^[2] accus'd as an ungrateful Plagiary, for not acknowledging from whom he Tranſcrib'd the chiefeſt parts of his Books; yet there is no good Evidence, that any one Writer mention'd this Author before Poggius. Pliny is ſuppos'd to ſpeak of him as a^[3] Mathematician, and Gerbertus, as an^[4] Aſtrologer; but concerning the Poet, there is as dead a ſilence as if he had never been; nor can his greateſt Admirers find any Character of him in old Writers.

Yet it muſt be own'd, that he is an Author of ſome conſiderable Age; for the Manuſcripts which Poggius, Bonincontrius, Scaliger, and Franciſcus Junius us'd, were ancient: Tanaquil Faber, Spanhemius, and the ſevereſt Criticks allow him to be as old as Theodoſius the Great, and pretend to find ſome particular Phraſes in him, which are certain Characters of that Time.

Others, who believe they have very good Reaſons to place him higher, find it very difficult to account for this univerſal ſilence: What they offer, is either bare May-be and Shift, and ſcarce ever amounts to a tolerable Reaſon: 'Tis true, they ſay, he is not mention'd by Ovid in his^[5] Catalogue of Poets, and no wonder, ſince he did not begin to write before the^[6] Baniſhment of Ovid, and Publiſhed nothing before his Death; Perhaps he was one of thoſe Young Men,

—^[7] Quorum quod inedita cura eſt

Appellandorum nil mihi juris adeſt.

or his Fame did not reach ſo far as Pontus: Otherwiſe they are confident there are too many Graces in his Poem to be neglected; at leaſt, the ſingularity of his Subject would have deſerved to be taken notice of, as well as that of^[8] Gratius. But why Quintilian doth not propoſe him to his Orator, tho' he encourages him to^[9] read Macer and Lucretius, and ^[10] affirms, that a competent skill in Aſtronomy is neceſſary to make him perfect in his Profeſſion? Why the following Philologers never uſe his Authority, tho' it might very often have been pertinently cited by Gellius and Macrobius? Why the Grammarians and Mythologiſts, ſeem to be altogether unacquainted with his Writings? They confeſs theſe are Queſtions not eaſie to be anſwer'd.

Of this Poet, who is acknowledged by all Parties to have lain very long unknown, and about whom, ſince he firſt appear'd in the World, ſo many Controverſies have riſen, I am now to give you an account.

His Name is commonly ſaid to be Marcus Manilius, which in ſome Copies of his Poem is ſhortned into Manlius, in others ſoftned into Mallius: This variation is inconſiderable, and the common fault of unaccurate Tranſcribers; but^[11] Bonincontrius affirms, that the Title of his very Ancient Copies was, C. Manilii Poetae illuſtris Aſtronomicon; and that he had ſeen a Medal, in which was the Figure of a Man, but in a Foreign Habit, with a Sphere plac'd near his Head, and this Inſcription, C. MANILI. ^[12] Lilius Gyraldus mentions another of the ſame ſtamp; But that theſe Medals belong'd to this Poet, may be as eaſily deny'd, as 'tis affirm'd, or rather, as 'tis conjectured: However all Parties agree, that the moſt Ancient Copies conſtantly bear the Title of Manilius; but whether the Books of Poggius and Bonincontrius, which call him Caius, or thoſe of Scaliger and others, in which we find Marcus written, are to be follow'd, is ſubmitted to every Man's Diſcretion; the Matter is not of any Conſequence, nor a fit Subject for Diſpute, becauſe impoſſible to be determin'd: Tho' if Conjecture may be admitted, I ſhould fancy that it is more probable a Tranſcriber may err, when he puts M. before Manilius, than when he writes a C. becauſe in the former caſe, the Sound of the following Word, which is the moſt conſiderable in the Title, and conſequently the chiefeſt in his Thoughts, may pervert him; but in the latter, He hath no temptation to miſtake. This M. or C. Manilius, was born a Roman, and liv'd in Rome when Rome was in her Glory; commanding the biggeſt part of the known World, and full of the greateſt Men that ever any time produc'd: For the ſame Age that ſaw Manilius enjoy'd Varro, Lucretius, Cicero, Caeſar, Virgil, Varius, Horace, and (to cloſe the Catalogue) Auguſtus. In the beginning of this Aſtronomical Poem that Emperour is^[13] invok'd, that very Emperour who was the^[14] adopted Son of Julius Caeſar, who^[15] beat Brutus and Caſſius at Philippi, ^[16] overthrew Pompey the Great's Son,^[17] who ſent Tiberius to Rhodes, ^[18] who loſt three Legions in Germany under the Command of Varus; who^[19] routed Anthony and Cleopatra at Actium, and ſav'd the Roman Empire by turning that overgrown diſſolute Republick into a well regulated Monarchy. Here are ſo many Characters, that the Perſon cannot be miſtaken, not one of them agreeing to any but the firſt Great Auguſtus. So that this Author liv'd in that Age to which He pretends by ſo many very particular Circumſtances, or elſe He is a moſt notorious Cheat, and one of the greateſt Impoſtors in the World.

It ſeems^[20] Tanaquil Faber thought him to be ſo, ſince without giving any Reaſon He brings him down as low as the time of Theodoſius: ^[21] Voſſius was once of the ſame Opinion, having obſerved, as He then thought, ſome Meaſures, Words and Phraſes peculiar to that Age, and therefore He concludes againſt Scaliger, that Julius Firmicus did not follow Manilius, but Manilius wrote in Verſe what Firmicus had publiſhed in Proſe under the Reign of Conſtantine the Great: But upon ſecond Reading this^[22] Critick alter'd his firſt Sentiments, and allows him to be as ancient as the Poet himſelf deſires to be thought. ^[23] Gaſſendus often quotes him, and always ſets him after Firmicus, as may be ſeen in many places of his Writings; but gives no reaſon why he conſtantly obſerves that order: But Gevartius, who had ſtudy'd and deſign'd to publiſh Notes upon this Author, ſays in a Letter to Mr. Cambden, ^[24] I have been long acquainted with this Writer, and know him well, but cannot, with Scaliger and other learned Criticks, allow him to be as ancient as Auguſtus, for in my Notes I will demonſtrate that he liv'd in the Age of Theodoſius and his Sons Arcadius and Honorius, and that he was the ſame with Manlius Theodorus, upon whoſe Conſulſhip Claudian writes a Panegyrick, in which he mentions his Aſtronomicon. The ſame thing he aſſerts in his Comments upon^[25] Statius, and promiſes to do Wonders in his^[26] Electa upon this Subject; what his performance was I do not find taken notice of by any of the Criticks, nor am I concern'd for it, being certain that he fail'd in his Attempt, becauſe it was ridiculous and raſh: Yet the learn'd Ezechiel Spanhemius endeavours to ſupport this Conjecture of Gevartius, ^[27] and tells us, that ſub Armis, a Phraſe familiar to Manilius, as lib. 1. v. 795.

—Matriſque ſub Armis

Miles Agrippa ſuae—

Lib. 4. v. 656.

—Regnum ſortita ſub Armis.

And in another place,

—Quumque ipſa ſub Armis

Pax agitur—

was us'd in the time of Theodoſius, as appears by the following paſſage in that Emperour's Code, ^[28] Quicunque ſub Armis Militiae munus Comitatenſe ſubierunt. Scaliger himſelf unwarily gave a very great advantage to this Opinion, when he^[29] affirm'd, that the word Decanus, which Manilius uſes, was brought from the Camp, and that a Sign which govern'd ten Degrees was call'd Decanus, becauſe an Officer who commanded ten Men in the Army had the ſame Title: But^[30] Salmatius, who diſcover'd the Miſtake, (for Decanus was not heard of in the Roman Camp before the time of Conſtantine the Great) hath ſo well corrected it, or rather ^[31] Huetius hath given ſo good an Account of that Word, that tho' an Argument drawn from it may be ſtrong againſt the Critick, it will never be of any force againſt the Author. It is almoſt needleſs to mention the Exceptions of thoſe Criticks who think his Stile impure, or, as they pleaſe to ſpeak, too barbarous for the Age he pretends to; Indeed^[32] Gyraldus endeavours by this very Argument to prove he was no Roman born: But ^[33] Scaliger laughs at him for his Attempt, tells him that he does not diſtinguiſh between Idiotiſms and Barbariſms, and that Vitruvius (to whom he ſhould have added Lucretius) might be call'd barbarous as well as he:^[34] Franciſcus Junius commends the propriety of his Language, ^[35] Salmatius and^[36] Huetius have approved many paſſages which leſſer Criticks thought to be impure; And the accurate Voſſius, ^[37] after he had ſtudied and conſidered him well, found nothing in him inconſiſtent with the Age of Auguſtus, and the Politeneſs of his Court. Indeed moſt of the Inſtances that are produc'd upon this head, do not faſten on the Author himſelf, but on the Tranſcribers and Publiſhers of his Writings. There ought to be a new Edition of his Aſtronomicon, and I do not deſpair of ſeeing one which will have a pure genuine Text, and free that Text from many of his Interpreters Comments, eſpecially from the Notes of the miſerable wretched^[38] Fayus.

You ſee, Sir, I have brought this diffus'd Controverſie within a very narrow Compaſs; Tanaquil Faber and Gaſſendus keep their (if they had any) Reaſons to themſelves. Their Authority I confeſs had been perſwaſive, had they conſidered, and after a fair hearing determin'd the Controverſie; but an incident declaration, and an unweigh'd Sentence concerning the Age of any Writer ought not to be ſubmitted to, but appeal'd from: And therefore if I can ſhew the Obſervation of Spanhemius to be unconcluding, and refute the bold Conjectures of Gevartius, I ſhall leave Manilius in poſſeſſion of that Age, which he ſo often, and with ſo much aſſurance claims. And here I am ſure we ſhould not have been troubled with Spanhemius's Obſervation, had he been pleas'd to conſider, that ſub Armis, and ſub Armis Militiae, being very different from one another, might be us'd in very different Ages of the Empire; and that he argues very ill, who ſays, the one was known in the Time of Theodoſius, and therefore the other was not common in the Court of Auguſtus: 'Tis certain that it was, for Virgil (whom Manilius often imitates) hath

—Sedet circum caſtella ſub Armis,

—Equitem docuere ſub Armis

Inſultare ſolo—

And in another place, —Ludunt Belli ſimulachra ſub Armis. And this Virgil himſelf borrow'd from Ennius, who ſays, Ter me ſub Armis malim vitam cernere. I could produce more Authorities, were not theſe ſufficient to ſecure Manilius from Spanhemius's Obſervation.

But Gevartius, as he is bolder, ſo he is much more unhappy in his Conjectures; he fixes upon the Man, and ſays this Manilius is Mallius Theodorus, celebrated by the Poet Claudian; for the Author of this Aſtronomicon, is in many of the old Copies call'd Mallius, and this Mallius Theodorus, was a good Aſtronomer, and a Writer of great Induſtry and Reputation: But did Gevartius ever meet with the Aſtronomicon, under the Title of Fl. Mallius Theodorus? Or of Fl. Mallius and not alwaies of C. or M. Manlius, Mallius or Manilius? Doth Claudian commend the Poetry of his Conſul, or mention his Acquaintance with the Muſes? or could a Poet forget, or not celebrate that Talent which he himſelf muſt look upon as a very great Perfection, and the Age would have highly valued, had he been the Author of this Poem? Doth he ſay he wrote Books of Aſtronomy, knew the Depths of Aſtrology, and was admitted into the Councils of the Stars? Here was a large Field for that luxuriant Wit to have wanton'd in, and it cannot be thought he would have conceal'd the deſerts of his Patron when he ſtudy'd to commend him: But inſtead of this he praiſes his Juſtice, Integrity, Clemency and Honor; he extols his Eloquence, and prefers the ſweetneſs of it before all the delicate Charms of Poetry and Muſick.

^[39] Ut quis non ſitiens Sermonis Mella politi

Deſerat Orpheos blanda Teſtudine cantus?

And tho' all the Muſes are concern'd for him, and buſie in his Service, yet he is devoted to none of them but Ura[•]ie, who aſſiſted him in his Aſtronomical Diverſions.

^[40] Uranie redimita comas, quâ ſaepe Magiſtra

Mallius igniferos radio deſcripſerat Axes.

Gevartius very well obſerves that this Conſul Mallius was an Aſtronomer.

^[41] Invenit aetherios ſignantem pulvere curſus,

Quos pia ſollicito deprendit pollice Memphis:

Quae moveant momenta polum, quam certus in Aſtris

Error: Quis tenebras Soli cauſiſque meantem

Defectum indicat numerus. Quae linea Phoeben

Damne, et excluſo pallentem fratre relinquat

That he publiſh'd ſome admir'd Books

^[42] Conſul per populos, idemque graviſſimus Author

Eloquij, duplici vita ſubnixus in aevu[•]

Procedat, libris pariter, faſtiſque legendus.

But how doth it appear that Aſtronomy was his Subject, when Claudian himſelf tells us it was the Origine and Conſtitution of the World? He repreſents him as well vers'd in all the ſeveral Hypotheſes of the Natural and Moral Philoſophers, acquainted both with the Phyſicks and Ethicks of the Greeks, and able to diſcourſe of their Opinions very properly, and very elegantly in Latin.

^[43] Graiorum obſcuras Romanis floribus Artes Irradias—

But when he ſpeaks of his Writings he ſays he deſcrib'd the Origine and Diſpoſition of the World,^[44] and gave very convincing proofs of his own Wit, Capacity, and Judgment, by his exact account of the beautiful Order, and regular Contrivance of that wonderful Machine.

^[45] Qualem te legimus teneri Primordia Mundi.

Scribentem, aut Partes Animae per Singula, Talem

Cernimus, et ſimiles agnoſcit Pagina mores.

From theſe Verſes and other paſſages in Claudian, as

—^[46] Quae vis animaverit Aſtra,

Impuleritque Choros, quo vivat Machina motu;

it may be inferr'd that this Conſul Mallius, was as to Natural Philoſophy a Stoick, and built his World according to the Hypotheſis of that Sect, and therefore wrote ſomething very like what we find at large in the firſt Book, and hinted at in ſeveral paſſages of the other Books of Manilius. But this being the leaſt part of our Author, and ſubſervient to his greater and general deſign, it muſt not be ſuppos'd that Claudian ſhould enlarge only upon this, and leave his whole Aſtrology untoucht; unleſs we think Claudian as ridiculous as that Painter would be, who being to fill his Canvas with a noble Family ſhould draw a ſingle Servant, or paint only a Finger or a Nail when he had a large beautiful Body to repreſent.

I have been the more particular in this matter, becauſe Gevartius pretends to demonſtration, tho' to confute his conjecture it had been ſufficient only to obſerve, that it is the moſt ridiculous thing in the World to imagine that Mallius a Man well known both for his perſonal Endowments and publick Employments, who had been Governour of ſeveral Provinces, and at laſt Conſul ſhould publiſh a Treatiſe under his own Name, and yet in almoſt every Page of the Book endeavour to perſwade his Readers it was written four hundred years before. For it muſt be granted that the Prince whom he^[47] invokes in the beginning of his Poem, who is ſtiled Patriae Princepsque Paterque, who is deify'd whilſt^[48] alive, and (not to repeat the other particulars I have already reckon'd up) whoſe^[49] Horoſcope was Capricorn, was the firſt Great Auguſtus, and therefore there is no need of calling in the Authorities of^[50] Horace, ^[51] and^[52] Suetonius to prove it.

This laſt Character puts me in mind of another Objection that may be drawn from F. Harduin's^[53] Obſervation, for he ſays that Suetonius was himſelf deceiv'd, and hath deceiv'd all thoſe who have thought Capricorn was concern'd in the Nativity of Auguſtus: For if this be true all the Pretences of Manilius are ruin'd; but ſince that Writer doth not back his Aſſertion with any Reaſons, I ſhall not ſubmit to his bare Authority, nor waſt my time in gueſſing what Arguments he may rely on, being not bold enough to conjecture what the daring Author may produce. Having thus fixt the Age of this Author, and prov'd him to have liv'd in the time of Auguſtus Caeſar, I ſhall venture farther to affirm that he was born under the Reign of that Emperour, not only a Roman, but of illuſtrious Extraction, being a branch of that noble Family the Manilij, who ſo often fill'd the Conſul's Chair, and ſupply'd the beſt and greateſt Offices in the Roman Commonwealth. And here I muſt oppoſe many of the Criticks, and be unaſſiſted by the reſt: For^[54] Scaliger confeſſes, that from his own Writings, it cannot be known what Countryman he was, and no other Authors give us any Information. Bonincontrius and Gyraldus endeavour to prove from the Medal already mention'd, that he was no Roman; the Learned^[55] Iſaac Voſſius thinks he was a Syrian, and all who look upon him to be the ſame with that Manilius mention'd by Pliny, Nat. Hiſt. lib. 35. cap. 17. ſay he was a Slave: Only Petrus Crinitus ^[56] affirms, he was Nobly Born, and Mr. Triſtan will^[57] have him to be that Manilius, of whom Pliny gives a very Honourable Character, in the Tenth Book and Second Chapter of his Natural Hiſtory; where he ſays, He was of Senatorian Dignity, an excellent Scholar, and (If we believe Mr. Triſtan) a very good Aſtronomer. But ſince Crinitus doth not prove what he ſays, and Mr. Triſtan but conjectures at beſt, and upon Examination, will be found to be very much miſtaken in his Conjectures, therefore I cannot expect any aſſiſtance from either of theſe Authors. Now it is not certain that the Gentleman whom Pliny ſpeaks of in the Second Chapter of his Tenth Book was Nam'd Manilius. Copies differ, and in the M. SS. of Salmaſius ^[58] he is call'd Mamilius: Pliny doth not ſay one word of his skill in Aſtronomy; he only^[59] affirms, That he was the firſt of all the Romans who wrote concerning the Phoenix, that never any Man ſaw it feed, that in Arabia it is Sacred to the Sun, that it lives 660 Years, and that with the Life of this Bird is conſummated the Converſion of the Great Year, in which the Stars return again to their firſt points, and give ſignifications of the ſame Seaſons as at the beginning: And all this any one may write who is in an entire Ignorance of the Courſes and Influence of the Stars: But when Mr. Triſtan farther obſerves that Pliny inſinuates, beſides a particular reſpect, a kind of Intimacy and Acquaintance between this Manilius and himſelf, he gives us a very convincing Argument againſt his own conjecture: for there is good reaſon to believe this Manilius the Poet dy'd before Auguſtus, and therefore could not be intimate with Pliny.

To ſet this whole matter in its due light, I ſhall, as the learned and ingenious Sr. Edward Shirburn hath already done in his Preface to the Sphere of Manilius take a view of thoſe, who have been by the name of Manilius deliver'd down to Poſterity as Men of Letters, and then conſider which of all thoſe, or whether any one of them was this Manilius the Poet.

Of that Manilius whom Pliny mentions in the ſecond Chapter of his tenth Book I have already ſaid enough; and about that Manilius, whom Varro ^[60] cites, I ſhall not be concern'd, there being no ground to think he was the Author of this Poem.^[61] Pliny lib. 35. cap. 17. tells us of one Manilius ſurnam'd Antiochus, who with Publius Syrus, and Staberius Eros were brought to Rome, all three of Servile Condition, but perſons of good Literature. His words are theſe, Pedes Venalium trans mare advectorum [Creta] denotare inſtituerunt Majores; Talemque Publium [Syrum] mimicae Scenae conditorem, et Aſtrologiae conſobrinum ejus Manilium Antiochum, item Grammaticae Staberium Erotem, eadem navi advectos videre Proavi. Our Anceſtors us'd to mark with Chalk the Feet of thoſe Slaves who were brought over from beyond Sea to be ſold; And ſuch an one was Publius [Syrus] the Founder of the Mimick Scene, and his Couſin German Manilius Antiochus of Aſtrology, and Staberius Eros of Grammar; whom our great Grandfathers ſaw in that manner brought over in one and the ſame Ship: This Manilius Laurentius Bonincontrius (who near two ages agoe commented on our Author) conceives the ſame with Manilius who wrote this Aſtronomical Poem, to confirm which opinion he produces the evidence of a Silver Medal in his poſſeſſion whereon was the figure of a Man, in an Exotick Habit with a Sphere plac'd near his Head, and this Inſcription MANILI: The ſame is affirm'd ſays Lilius Gyraldus by Stephanus Dulcinus, and the ſaid Gyraldus farther aſſures us that a familiar Friend of his, one Nicolaus Trapolinus, had another Medal of the like Stamp and Inſcription.

But againſt this opinion of Bonincontrius and Gyraldus, Scaliger oppoſes a double Argument, one drawn from the ſeeming inveracity of that ſuppos'd Evidence; no ſuch Medal being at this day to be found in the Cabinets of any, no not the moſt curious Antiquaries; the other from the reaſon of Time, for Manilius Antiochus being brought to Rome in the beginning of Sylla's days (for he was brought in the ſame Ship with Staberius Eros, who open'd his Grammar School in Rome whilſt Sylla was alive) muſt needs, if he were the Author of this Poem have been 120 Years old when he began to write, this piece being written in the latter years of Auguſtus. Beſides, the Author in the Proem of this work wiſhes for long life to compleat his intended Poem, and therefore certainly he was not of that Age, it being ridiculous for a Man to wiſh for long life, when he is at the Extream already.

The ſame Pliny, lib. 36. cap. 10. ſpeaks of one Manilius a Mathematician, who when the Obelisk which Auguſtus erected in the Campus Martius for finding out the Hours of the day by the Shadow of the Sun, with the Increaſe or Decreaſe of the Days and Nights, plac'd a guilded Ball, Cujus Vertice Umbra colligeretur in ſemetipſam, alia atque alia incrementa jaculantem Apice, ratione (ut ferunt) à capite hominis intellecta, ſays Pliny, who commends the deſign.

To this Perſon Scaliger conceives this work may with fairer probability be aſcrib'd than to the former; which Opinion is by divers other judicious Men embrac'd.

The excellently learn'd Iſaac Voſſius conceives yet, that the Manilius Antiochus, and the Manilius Mathematicus before mention'd are not two diſtinct Perſons, but one and the ſame under different Titles and Appellations, and the very Author of the Poem we now publiſh, whoſe particular Sentiments upon this Subject, and Arguments confirming the ſame, he was pleas'd not long ſince to impart to me, by his moſt obliging Letter, in anſwer to ſome Queries by me propounded in one of mine to him upon occaſion of my intended publication of this piece, which for the Readers ſatisfaction, I ſhall here make publick, tho' not in his own words, yet as near as may be in his own Senſe.

And firſt in anſwer to Scaliger's Argument drawn from Reaſon to Time, againſt Manilius Antiochus, upon the ſuppoſition of Staberius Eros (one of the Three before mention'd) ſet open his Grammar School in the time of Sylla ninety five years before the death of Auguſtus; and that therefore Manilius could not probably be (according to Scaliger's Computation) leſs than 120 Years old at the time when this Poem was written; he urges by way of reply, that Suetonius (from whom Scaliger takes the ground of his Argument) doth not ſay that Staberius Eros open'd his School in Sylla's time, but that he taught gratis the Children of thoſe who in Sylla's time were proſcrib'd. The Words of Suetonius are theſe, Sunt qui tradunt tanta eum (Staberium) honeſtate praeditum, ut temporibus Syllanis Proſcriptorum liberos gratis, et ſine mercede ulla in Diſciplina receperit. How long that was after the times of Proſcription will be needleſs here to declare; and that Manilius was not ſo old as Scaliger conceives, when this piece was written, may be made out from this, that he was the Couſin German of Publius Syrus, who that he was brought a young Boy to his Patron, Macrobius affirms, from whom likewiſe, and from the Verſes of Laberius it may be collected, that he was but a Youth when he came upon the Stage againſt Laberius, which was but a little before the death of Julius Caeſar and Laberius alſo; to whom he ſucceeded on the Mimick Stage in the ſecond year of 184 Olympiad, that is in the Year of Rome 711, as Euſebius teſtifies. And therefore ſeeing it is, manifeſt that Manilius publiſh'd this Poem ſoon after the Varian Defeat, which happened in the Year 762 of Rome, it is as evident likewiſe that between the Youth or Adoleſcence of Manilius, and the time wherein he wrote this piece, there could not paſs above one and fifty Years, and conſequently there is no reaſon to aſſign ſo great an Age to Manilius, as Scaliger here doth, ſince perhaps he was not ſeventy years old when he had finiſh'd this his Aſtronomical Poem.

As to what Scaliger ſubjoyns touching Manilius his wiſh for long life together with a cheerful old Age, and the Inference he thence makes that he could not reaſonably be thought to be old then, who wiſh'd he might live to be ſo. The Argument is but weak, for Senium is one thing, and Senium Annoſum is another; Nor doth he ſimply wiſh for Vitam Annoſam, but Vitam Annoſam quae conjuncta ſit cum molli Senecta, which may be wiſh'd for even by thoſe who are very old.

As for the name of Antiochus, he ſeems to have taken it from the famous Philoſopher Antiochus Aſcalonita, often mention'd by Cicero, Plutarch, Sextus Empiricus, and others, whoſe School not only Cicero, but Varro, Brutus, and divers others are ſaid to have frequented, and in all probability this our Manilius alſo, as being not only of the ſame Nation, but happily born in the ſame Town (Aſcalon.) So that it may ſeem no wonder if after the manner of thoſe times, he took upon him the Name of his worthy Tutor and Inſtructor. For that he was a Syrian is not only manifeſt from his Conſanguinity with Publius Mimus, but may likewiſe be collected from the Title or Inſcription of this work, which is an ancient and excellent Manuſcript in the Poſſeſſion of Voſſius is this M. MALLII POENI ASTRONOMICON DIVO OCTAVIO QUIRINO AUG. That the Phaenicians were by the Romans called POENI is manifeſt out of Horace, Cicero apud Nonium, and our Author in this very Poem; he concludes therefore than this our Manilius, or (as he is rather pleaſed to call him) Manlius was a Phaenician, and in all probability Native of the ſame Town as Antiochus his Tutor, whoſe name he aſſum'd.

From this Dedication of his Work to Auguſtus, by the Name of Quirinus, as the Inſcription ſhews, will appear the Error of thoſe, who who imagine the ſame to be Dedicated to Tiberius, or ſome later Roman Emperour: And the Reaſon of attributing the Name of Quirinus to Auguſtus, may be made clear from the Words of Suetonius, Cenſentibus quibusdam Romulum appellari oportere quaſi et ipſum conditorem Urbis, &c. Dion likewiſe tells us [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], That Auguſtus Caeſar extremely deſir'd to be call'd Romulus: and Joannes Philadelphenſis (Scripto de Menſibus in Aug.) [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] Octavianus Son of Octavius was after his great Victories honoured with divers Names, for by ſome he was called Quirinus, as another Romulus, &c.

As to that Manilius ſtiled by Pliny Mathematicus, he conceives that titular diſtinction to make no difference in the Perſon, but that he is the ſame with the former, further adding, Omnino exiſtimo et illum quoque de noſtro Manilio accipi debere. And whereas Salmaſius affirms that the name Manlius or Manilius is not to be found in that place of Pliny in any ancient Manuſcripts, he makes it appear that Salmaſius is extreamly miſtaken by the teſtimony of ſeveral antient Manuſcript Copies of Pliny in his Poſſeſſion, one of which was written above 8 or 900 Years agoe, in all which the Word Manlius is found, though with ſome ſmall difference in writing of the name. Nor doth he think the name of Marcus prefixd to Manilius ought to be ſcrupled at, upon the Account that none of the Manlian Family after the 360th Year from the building of Rome could or did uſe that Praenomen, ſeeing the prohibition as Cicero intimates is only to be underſtood of the Patrician Race, Now that this Manilius, or (as he calls him) Manlius was before his Manumiſſion a Slave, not only the place of Pliny already cited, but the very Agnomen of Antiochus ſufficiently demonſtrates, for as much as a Greek Agnomen joyn'd to a Roman Name is always a moſt certain Token of a Servile Condition.

Thus far Sir Edward Shirburn, who is very much inclin'd to reſt ſatisfied with this rational diſcourſe of the incomparable Voſſius, and thinks others ſhould be ſo too; but upon examination it will appear that Scaliger's Objections are ſtill in force, and that Voſſius's his reaſonings are all to little purpoſe. It muſt be granted that the Agnomen Antiochus proves that Manilius to be of Servile Condition, tho' there is no need of this Argument, ſince Pliny in very expreſs Terms aſſerts that he is ſo: Tis likewiſe true that that Manilius was a Syrian, being a near Kinſman to Publius Syrus, and brought to Italy in the ſame Ship with him: But that that Manilius the Syrian was the ſame with Manilius the Poet, is a Queſtion that ſtill returns, and will not, I fear, be determin'd by the Title of that ancient and excellent Manuſcript of Voſſius: For if inſtead of M. MALLII POENI, we read M. MALLII POETAE, which is found in other Manuſcripts, (and every body knows there is ſo little difference in the traits of the Letters of thoſe two words in ancient Copies, that they may very eaſily by Ignorant Tranſcribers be miſtaken for one another) then the Evidence drawn from this Inſcription is loſt: Beſides that Title is not to be regarded, it not being written by the Author but affixt by ſome heedleſs Copyer of the Poem: For it is Divo Octavio, whereas Auguſtus was never ſtil'd Divus though often Deus before his Death, and the Writer of the Aſtronomicon, as will by and by appear, dy'd before Auguſtus.

To ſpeak out what I think will not be deny'd, Manilius the Author of this Poem was young when he wrote it, and dy'd young; and therefore cannot be that Manilius Antiochus whom Scaliger reckons to be 120, and Voſſius is forced to confeſs was 70 years of Age about the time Varus was defeated by the Germans. The firſt part of this Aſſertion may be demonſtrated from almoſt all the Pages of his Book, in which we meet with many things that are not to be accounted for on the Hypotheſis of Sixty: He is too fierce and fiery for that Age, and bounds every Step he takes: In a Man of years when we find a Warmth we feel it to be regular, he never ſtarts, his Pace is equal, and ſeldom varies but when his Subject forces him to a more than ordinary quickneſs.

Judgment appears all thro', and a ſtrength well govern'd: When he riſes he doth not affect to climb but to walk, like a ſober Traveller, who knowing his own force ſeeks the eaſieſt aſcent, when his Ground is uneven, or he is oblig'd to take the advantage of a Proſpect. But 'tis not ſo in Youth whoſe Fancies as well as Paſſions are impetuous; that pleaſes them moſt which is moſt daring, finding they have ſtrength they uſe it to the utmoſt, and when at laſt they ſink they ſeem rather worn out, than tired. I cannot compare the Spirit of Poetry poſſeſſing a Youth, of a ſtrong generous Imagination and vigorous Conſtitution, to any thing better than to a Flame ſeizing on the Body of a Meteor, the whole Maſs blazes, and mounts upon a ſudden; but its motion is all the way uneven, and it quickly falls in a deſpicable Gelly: He that looks on the Latin of Manilius will ſee that I do him no Injury when I compare him to this Meteor, for even when he is oblig'd to give rules, and is ty'd almoſt to a certain form of words, he ſtruggles againſt thoſe neceſſary Fetters, he reaches after the ſtrongeſt Metaphors, uſes the boldeſt Catachreſis, and againſt all the rules of Decency labours after an obſcure Sublime, when he ſhould endeavour to be plain, intelligible and eaſy: But as ſoon as he hath room to get looſe, how wildly doth he rove? he is not free but licentious, and ſtrives to err greatly. 'Tis needleſs to produce particulars, ſince they are ſo viſible in the Prefaces, Fables, and Deſcriptions thro' his Books: And upon the whole it may be affirm'd, there are ſo many boldneſſes ſcatter'd thro' his Poem, and ſo much of Toyſomneſs juſt by them, that a Man may read his Youth in his writings, as well as his Contemporaries could do it in his Face.

I would mention and enlarge upon his conſpicuous Vanity, and from thence endeavour to ſupport the Judgment I have already paſs'd; but that I conſider that fault when it hath once poſſeſs'd a Man is not to be cool'd by all the Froſt and Snow of Age: Yet from the Vanity of Manilius I think a particular Argument may be drawn to prove him to be young, for he had a deſign to rival or perfect the inimitable Virgil. This is evident from the Preface to his third Book:

—^[62] Romanae Gentis Origo,

Totque Duces Orbis, tot bella, tot otia, et omnis

In Populi unius leges ut ceſſerit Orbis

Differtur—

For here it is plain he had this mighty project in his head, and after he had prepar'd himſelf by this Aſtronomical Poem, rais'd his Fancy and got a good turn of Verſe, was reſolv'd to proſecute it with his utmoſt vigour; he ſaw the vaſtneſs of the deſign

—^[63] Spatio majore canenda

Quam ſi tacta loquor—

Yet he hop'd to live to finiſh it, though in the beginning of this Poem he wiſhes for old Age that he might compleat the Work he then had in hand; yet having gone through the moſt difficult part of it ſooner, and with more eaſe than at firſt he thought he ſhould have done; he ſets up for new Schemes and thinks he ſhall have years enough before him prudently to begin, and Strength ſucceſfully to carry on ſo great an Undertaking. In this very Preface he reckons up a great many other Subjects fit to employ a Poet, but in expreſs terms lays them all aſide.

Colchida nec referam, &c.

Non annoſa canam, &c.

But the Roman Hiſtory is in his Thoughts tho' he will not begin to write, till his greater leiſure gives him opportunity to do it.

Theſe two Obſervations perſwade me, that Manilius was Young when he began this Poem, and that he dy'd Young, and did not live to finiſh his deſign, or accurately Reviſe what he had written, will I think be very evident from what follows: It cannot be deny'd, that this Poet had advanc'd very far in his Work, whilſt Tiberius was at Rhodes, for in his fourth Book, he gives this Character of that Iſland:

^[64] Virgine ſub caſta felix Terraque Marique,

Et Rhodos, Hoſpitium recturi Principis Orbem,

Tuque domus verè ſolis, cui tota ſacrata es,

Cum caperes lumen magni ſub Caeſare Mundi.

Now^[65] Tiberius retired to Rhodes, when C. Antiſtius and L. Balbus, were Conſuls; he continu'd there Seven ^[66] Years, and return'd in the Conſulſhip of P. Vinicius and P. Alfinius Varus; and yet in the firſt Book we meet with the^[67] Deſcription of the Prodigies that appeared before the defeat of Varus in Germany which hapned when Poppaeus Sabinus and Q. Sulpicius Camerinus were Conſuls, about eight years after the Return of Tiberius from Rhodes: What ſhall we ſay then? was the fourth Book written and publiſh'd before the firſt? or would the Poet have ſtrain'd for that Complement to Rhodes after the Varian Defeat? with what Propriety could that Iſland be call'd Hoſpitium recturi Principis Orbem, or with what Truth could it be ſaid to contain the moſt glorious Luminary next to Caeſar, when that imagin'd Star had not for many years been in that Horizon, and now ſhone in other quarters of the World? No, this had been Banter and inexplicable Riddle: But if we ſuppoſe Manilius to have had this Work under his hand ſeveral years, to have revis'd it, and added what he thought would adorn his Poem, then we can eaſily give an account why his fourth Book ſhould appear to be eight years younger than his firſt: A little before Tiberius's return from Rhodes he wrote his fourth Book, after that he compoſs'd his fifth, and ſixth which is now loſt; then at ſeveral times reviſing his Work, and about the time of the Varian Defeat being upon the end of his firſt Book, he added to his diſcourſe of Comets a ſhort Account of thoſe prodigious Meteors that then appeared, and which Hiſtorians^[68] tell us were the moſt amazing that were ever ſeen: Soon after this he dy'd before he had corrected the fourth Book, as appears from the Character which in that Book he gives the Iſland Rhodes, and which his laſt and finiſhing hand could not have left there.

Theſe Obſervations will help us to give ſome tolerable account of the other difficulties relating to this Author, for to any one who enquires why the firſt Book is more correct than the reſt? why the Impurities of Stile the Criticks charge upon him are for the moſt part pickt out of the four laſt Books? I would anſwer, we have only the firſt and rude Draughts of them; and that as Poets and Painters are ſaid to be very near ally'd, ſo they agree in nothing more than they do in this, that though in their Scetches we ſee the Maſter, yet we may find ſomething that the Finiſher would correct: To him who asks why there is no mention of this Poet in any of the Antients, I would reply, That Manilius having left an unfiniſht Piece, his Family was ſtudious both of his Credit and their own, they carefully preſerv'd the Orphan, but would not expoſe it: In that Age when Poetry was rais'd to its greateſt highth, it had argued the utmoſt Fondneſs or the extreameſt Folly in a Noble Family to have publiſh'd a crude uncorrect Poem, and thereby engage their Honors to defend it.

Beſides, Auguſtus who was infinitely jealous of his reputation (—Si palpere recalcitrat undique tutus, ſays Horace who knew his Temper very well) would not have born the too officious Complement of being invok'd, unleſs the Poem had been as correct as Virgil's Georgicks, and fit for his Genius to inſpire. Lucan afterward ſuffer'd for the like Complement, though indeed upon a far different account: He loſt his Life for pretending to be inſpir'd by Nero, when he made better Verſes than the Emperour himſelf; his Flattery to Nero was too great, as this of Manilius to Auguſtus had been too little, and a Defect in ſuch Addreſſes was as dangerous under the wiſe, as an Exceſs in them was under the vain Emperors of Rome.

You are ſufficiently tired, I fear, with this long Diſcourſe about Manilius full of gueſſes and conjectures, yet I cannot diſmiſs this Subject without adding ſomething concerning his Quality, and place of Birth. His Quality he carries in his name, the Manilij being one of the beſt Families in Rome, which ſo often fill'd the Conſul's Chair, and was employ'd in the greateſt Offices of that Commonwealth. Indeed ſome have affirm'd that he was of Servile Condition, and being made free, according to Cuſtom, took the name of his Patron: But ſince I have already prov'd, that he was not the Manilius Antiochus in Pliny, there is no reaſon left for any one to ſay he was a Slave; he himſelf very expreſly, I think, declares himſelf to be a Roman born, for in his fourth Book he ſhews a Concern for the Intereſts of the Roman Commonwealth down as low as the Age of Hannibal. ^[69] Speratum Hannibalem noſtris cecidiſſe catenis: which he could not with any Propriety have done, had his relation to that State commenc'd ſo lately, or had his Anceſtors had no Intereſt in the then Loſſes or Victories of Rome. And ſeeing he was born a Roman, and of the Family of the Manilij, we may farther from ſome other Evidences conclude that he ſprung from a very conſiderable, if not one of the nobleſt Branches of it; for if we reflect that tho' he dy'd young, yet he had been well inſtructed in the ſeveral Hypotheſes of the Antient Philoſophers, accurately taught the Doctrine of the Stoicks, led thro' all the intricate mazes and Subtilties of Aſtrology, that he was acquainted with the Mathematicks, knew all the Mythology of the Antients, and had run thro' the Greek Poets, we ſhall find in him all the ſigns of a very liberal and coſtly Education, and conſequently of a conſiderable Quality, or at leaſt a great Fortune. But if we reflect farther that he was converſant at Court, and acquainted with the modiſh, and niceſt Flattery of the Palace, that he made his Complements in the ſame Phraſe that the moſt intimate and finiſht Courtier ever us'd, we may raiſe another probable Argument that his Quality was great: Now this reflection may be ſupported by one obſervation made on the Complement he pays Tiberius when at Rhodes: He ſtiles him^[70] Magni Mundi Lumen, uſing the very ſame Word, which we meet with in Velleius Paterculus, who wrote all Court Language, upon the very ſame occaſion.^[71] Alterum Reipublicae Lumen is Tiberius, and he retir'd to Rhodes, ne Fulgor ſuus orientium Juvenum, C. et L. Caes. obſtaret initiis, ſays that Hiſtorian.

As to his place of Birth, ſince we find him at Rome when he wrote this Poem, ^[72] Qua genitus cum fratre Remus hanc condidit Urbem: and no Author ſettles him any where elſe, it may with ſome ſhew of Probability be concluded, that he was born in that City, in which we are certain he both ſtudeid, and led his life: But if we conſider farther that he takes all occaſions to ſhew his reſpect for Rome, that with Zeal he mentions thoſe extravagant Honours which the Flattery^[73] of Aſia, and the Vanity of her own Citizens had put upon her, we ſhall find ſo much Veneration in his Writings, that it could not well riſe from any other Spring than that Piety which Men of generous Senſe and Spirit always retain for the Places of their Birth.

To cloſe this Diſcourſe, I have prov'd this Author was not the Manilius Antiochus mention'd by Pliny, Nat. Hiſt. lib. 35. cap. 17. Nor that Manilius lib. 10. cap. 2. and that both Voſſius and Mr. Triſtan are very much miſtaken in their Conjectures. There remains another Manilius whom the ſame^[74] Pliny, commends for his Skill in Mathematicks; this Mathematician Scaliger thinks to be the ſame with the Poet, becauſe he liv'd in the time of Auguſtus, and was converſant in the ſame Studies with our Author; Theſe I muſt own are not convincing proofs; but as there are no good Arguments for, ſo there are no Objections againſt his pretences, and therefore he ſtill ſtands faireſt for the Perſon.

This Manilius of a Noble Family, born in Rome, and living in the Age of Auguſtus, had a liberal Education ſuitable to his Quality and the time in which he liv'd: his Writings ſhew him to be well acquainted with the Principles of the ſeveral Sects of Philoſophers, but addicted to the Stoicks, whoſe Hypotheſis in all its out-lines bears a very near reſemblance to ſome of the Theories that are now in Faſhion. The Modern Philoſophers build Worlds according to the Models of the Antient Heathens, and Zeno is the Architect.

The Stoicks Principles were in ſhort theſe: They ſay there is one Infinite, Eternal, Almighty Mind, which being diffus'd thro' the whole Univerſe of well order'd and regularly diſpos'd Matter, actuates every part of it, and is as it were, the Soul of this vaſt Body: The Parts of this Body they ſay are of two Sorts, the Celeſtial, viz. the Planets and the fixt Stars, and the Terreſtrial, viz. the Earth, and all the other Elements about it: The Celeſtial continue ſtill the ſame without any Change or Variation; but the whole Sublunary World is not only liable to Diſſolution, but often hath been, and ſhall again be diſſolv'd by Fire: From this Chaos which, becauſe it is made by Fire, they call Fire, they ſay another Syſtem would ariſe, the ſeveral particles of it ſettling according to their reſpective Weights: Thus the Earth would ſink loweſt, the Water would be above that, the Air next, and the Fire encompaſs the other Three: But becauſe all the Earthy parts are not equally rigid, nor equally diſpers'd thro' the Chaos, therefore there would be Cavities and Hollows in ſome places fit to receive the Water, and to be Channels for Rivers: In other places Hills and Mountains would riſe, and the whole Syſtem appear in that very form and figure which it now bears. They farther add, that this Infinite Mind hath made one general decree concerning the Government of the lower World, and executes it by giveing ſuch and ſuch Powers to the Celeſtial Bodies, as are ſufficient and proper to produce the deſign'd Effects: This Decree thus executed they call Fate, and upon this Principle their whole Syſtem of Aſtrology depends: That ſome things happen'd in the World which were very unaccountable every days Experience taught them; they learn'd alſo or pretended to have learn'd from very many accurate, and often repeated Obſervations, that there was a conſtant Agreement between thoſe odd unaccountable Accidents and ſuch and ſuch Poſitions of the Heavenly Bodies, and therefore concluded that thoſe Bodies were concern'd in thoſe Effects: Hence they began to ſettle Rules, and to draw their ſcatter'd Obſervations into an Art; And this was the State of the Hypotheſis and Aſtrology of the Stoicks, (I muſt call it ſo for diſtinction ſake, tho', neither the Hypotheſis it ſelf, nor the Aſtrology built upon it was invented by Zeno, but deliver'd down to him and his Scholars by the Chaldeans and other Philoſophers of the Eaſt) 'till the Greeks ambitious of making it appear their own, endeavour'd to eſtabliſh ſupport and adorn it with their Fables, and by that means made that which before ſeem'd only precarious, (as all Arts which are drawn from bare Obſervation and not from any ſettled Principles in Nature muſt appear to be) ridiculous Fancies, and wild Imaginations: But I do not deſign an Account, nor a defence of the Aſtrology of the Antients: You know, Sir, it hath been ſpoken againſt and derided on the one Hand, and ſupported and applauded on the other by Men of great Wit, Judgment, Piety, and Worth: and he who ſhall take a View of it, will always find enough in it to divert his leiſure, if not to ſatisfie his Curioſity, and raiſe his Admiration.

This is the Hypotheſis which Manilius endeavour'd to explain in Latin Verſe: Had he liv'd to reviſe it, we had now had a more beautiful and correct piece; he had a Genius equal to his Undertaking, his Fancy was bold and daring, his Skill in the Mathematicks great enough for his Deſign, his Knowledge of the Hiſtory, and Acquaintance with the Mythology of the Antients general: As he is now, ſome of the Criticks place him amongſt the Judicious and Elegant, and all allow him to be one of the uſeful, inſtructive, profitable Poets: He hints at ſome Opinions which later Ages have thought fit to glory in as their own Diſcoveries. Thus he defends the Fluidity of the Heavens againſt the Hypotheſis of Ariſtotle.

He aſſerts that the fixed Stars are not all in the ſame concave Superficies of the Heavens, and equally diſtant from the Center of the World: He maintains that they are all of the ſame Nature and Subſtance with the Sun, and that each of them hath a particular Vortex of his own; and laſtly he affirms that the Milkie Way is only the undiſtinguiſh'd Luſtre of a great many ſmall Stars, which the Moderns now ſee to be ſuch, thro' the Glaſs of Galilaeo: In ſhort, we do not give him too great a Character, when we ſay he is one of the moſt diſcerning Philoſophers that Antiquity can ſhew.

In my Verſion I have endeavoured to render this Author in[••]lligible and eaſie, and therefore have been ſometimes forc'd to take a larger Compaſs than a ſtrict Tra[•]ſlation would allow; and have [•]dded ſome Notes to make him [•]eſs obſcure: Amongſt thoſe Notes y[•]u will find one relating to the Th[•]ory of the Earth, which I muſt deſire you to lay aſide, it being written and printed ſeveral years ago, and before I had well conſidered the weak unphiloſophical Principles, and pernicious Conſequences of that vain Hypotheſis.

And now, Sir, you are near the End of this long Letter, give me [•]eave to tell you, that I have not tired [•]ou half ſo much, as at firſt I deſign'd to do; having left unſaid a great many things relating both to the Author and his Writings: Thoſe perhaps will appear at the Head of a Latin Edition of his Works, which I ſhall think my ſelf oblig'd to undertake, unleſs a very learned Gentleman, from whom I have long expected it, frees me from that trouble, and obliges the World with his own Obſervations.

I am Your Humble Servant, T. C.

All-Souls, Octo. 10[••] 96.

MANILIUS. The Firſt Book.

After a ſhort Account of his Deſign, and a complemental Addreſs to Auguſtus, he begins, 1. With the Riſe and Progreſs of Aſtronomy, and other Arts: 2. Diſcourſeth of the ſeveral Opinions concerning the Beginning of the World: 3. Deſcribes the Order of it: 4. Proves the Earth to be the Centre of the World: 5. Proves it to be round: 6. Aſſerts the Soul of the World: 7. Reckons up the Signs of the Zodiack: 8. Deſcribes the Axis: 9. The Northern Conſtellations: 10. The Conſtellations between the Tropicks and the South-pole: 11. Explains the Figures of the Conſtellations: 12. Aſſerts Providence againſt Epicurus: 13. Diſcovers the Bigneſs of the World: 14. Treats of the movable and immovable Circles: 15. Makes a long deſcription of the Milky-way: 16. Reckons up the Planets: 17. Diſcourſeth of Comets and Meteors, and concludes that they preſage.

The End of the Firſt Book.

NOTES.

1 Whether Divinas is to be rendred Divining or Divine is not yet agreed by the Interpreters of the Poet; by rendring it Divine, Manilius is freed from a redundancy of Words, and the Origine of Aſtronomy, which he ſo often inculcates in other places, is hinted at: beſide, Divinus ſeldom ſignifies Divining, but when a Subſtantive follows which determines it to that ſenſe, as Divina imbrium, and the like, and in that caſe I find Milton venturing at it in his Poem: —Divine of future Woe.

2 It ſeems very plain that this whole deſcription reſpects onely the Eaſtern Kings, and therefore Manilius muſt be reckoned amongſt thoſe who believed the head of Nile to be in the Eaſt; and leſt he might be thought to have forgotten the Egyptians, I am inclin'd to think he includes them under the Prieſts, to whoſe care Aſtronomical Obſervations were peculiarly committed.

3 This was the Opinion of Xenophanes, Meliſſus, Ariſtotle and others; and Pliny thus concludes in the ſecond Book cap. 1. of his Natural Hiſtory: 'Tis reaſonable to believe that the World is a Deity, eternal and immenſe, that never had a beginning, and never ſhall have an end. As abſurd an Opinion as ever was propos'd, and repugnant to all the Appearances of Nature; look upon the Rocks on the Sea ſhore, and having obſerv'd their continual wearing, conſider how few thouſands of years they muſt have ſtood: direct thy eye to Heaven, and view the ſeveral changes in that which was thought impaſſible; and in ſhort, reflect on the eſſential vileneſs of matter, and its impotence to conſerve its own being; aud then I believe you will find reaſon to put this Opinion amongſt thoſe abſurdities which Tully hath allotted to one or other of the Philoſophers to defend.

4 This blind fancy we owe to the Phoenicians, who (if Philo Biblius's Sancuniathon may be truſted) taught that the Principles of the Univerſe were a Spirit of dark Air, and a confus'd Chaos; this Spirit at laſt began to Love, and joyning with the Chaos, produced [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] or ſlime, and thence faſhioned the World. And hence likely the more ſober part of the Greek Philoſophers, (for they were but borrowers of Learning) who requir'd two eternal principles, the one active and the other paſſive, ſuch as Plato, Anaxagoras, &c. took their notions, and having added ſome few new ornaments, vented them for their own.

5 The Philoſophy of Epicurus is too well known to need any explication.

6 The Opinion of Heraclitus, concerning which ſee the firſt Book of Lucretius.

7 Thales the Mileſian endeavoured to eſtabliſh this by Arguments drawn from the Origine and Continuation of moſt things: The ſeminal Principle of Animals is humid, Plants are nouriſhed by mere Water; Fire it ſelf cannot live without Air, which is onely water rarefied, and the Sun and Stars draw up vapors for their own nouriſhment and ſupport. Theſe were the conſiderations upon which he grounded his Opinion; and hence 'tis eaſie to gueſs that he kept up the credit of his School rather by thoſe riches which he gain'd by his lucky conjecture at the ſcarcity of Olives, than by the ſtrength of argument and reaſon.

8 The Aſſertion of Empedocles, agreeable to which Ovid ſings,

Quatuor aeternus genitalia Corpora Mundus

Continet—.

9 There is ſomething in this ſcheme of Manilius ſo like the ingenious conjecture of the excellent Authour of the Theory of the Earth, that what reflects on the one muſt have an influence on the other, and when the fiction is confuted the ſerious diſcourſe will find it ſelf concern'd: The Stoicks held the material part of their Deity to be changeable, and that too as often as the fatal Fire prevail'd, and reduc'd the Elements into one Chaos; in ſuch a confuſion the Poet ſuppoſeth the firſt matter of his World, and then makes the different parts ſeparate, and take proper places, according as they were light or heavy: agreeable to this Opinion the Theory of the Earth ſuppoſeth a Chaos, which he defines to be a Maſs of Matter, fluid, conſiſting of parts of different ſorts and ſizes, blended together without any union or connexion. The ſolid and heavyer parts of this Chaos deſcend to the Centre, by their own weight, and there fixing and growing hard, compoſe the inward Body of the Earth; the lighter parts fly upward, and being continually agitated, make that Body which we call Air; the middle ſort being ſomewhat heavyer, and not ſo much agitated, cover-over the ſolid interiour Body of the Earth; and its fat and oily parts riſing, and ſwimming on the ſurface, ſtop and detain thoſe heavyer particles which upon the firſt ſeparation were carried up by the Air, and afterward according to their ſeveral degrees of Gravity fell back again toward the Centre: Theſe particles ſticking in this oily matter, made a ſoft cruſt, which in time being hardned by the Sun and thoſe breezes which always attend its motion, became the habitable Earth. This Earth thus form'd was ſolid, and without Caverns, nor had it any inequalities on its ſurface; as to its ſite, its Axis was parallel to the Axis of the Ecliptick, both its Poles being equally inclin'd to the Sun; and as to its figure it was Oval. Theſe are the few eaſie principal parts of that excellent Hypotheſis, ſettled on the obvious notions of Gravity and Levity, and on the acknowledged Nature, and allow'd Motion of a Fluid. And from theſe ſo many curious propoſitions are naturally deduced, ſo many difficulties concerning Paradiſe and the Floud happily explain'd, and all ſet off with that neatneſs and aptneſs of expreſſion, and that variety of curious thought, that I am very much inclin'd to believe that Nature was never ſo well dreſt before, nor ſo artificially recommended. And it is pity that the firſt acknowledged Principles of Philoſophy will not allow it to be true. Inherent Qualities are now generally exploded, as unphiloſophical, not to be underſtood, and unfit to explain the Phaenomena of Nature. The Acceleration of a heavy Body in its deſcent (beſide a thouſand other Arguments) quite overthrows Gravity both as an accident of Ariſtotle, and as eſſential to Matter, according to the fancy of Epicurus; ſo that this motion proceeds onely from external impulſe, and depends upon the preſent order of the World. So that Philoſophy will not allow the ſuppoſition of Gravity or Levity in a confuſ'd Chaos, ſince it can ſufficiently demonſtrate that they are neither inherent qualities, nor eſſential to matter, and that it is in vain to look after them, before the ſyſtem of the World was ſettled in the preſent order. From this hint it is eaſie to infer that the ſuppoſed Chaos would have ſtill continued ſuch, the ſolid Parts would have been agitated this or that way indifferently by the reſtleſs particles of the Fluid, but there could have been no orderly ſeparation, becauſe no Principle of it.

But ſuppoſe ſuch a ſeparation, why muſt the outward Cruſt of the Globe be without Caverns in its Body, and Inequalities on its Surface? What Law of Nature doth neceſſarily prove that in ſuch a confuſion the ſolid parts muſt be equally diſperſed through the Body of the Air? If we truſt our Eyes, and look upon a Duſt raiſed by the ruin of a Houſe, or onely conſider what Confuſion is, it will be very hard to find ſuch a regular and orderly diſpoſition. And ſince theſe ſolid Bodies may be unequally diſpers'd, and every one of them tends to the Centre by a direct Line, whenever they ſettle, the Body which they compoſe muſt be unequal in its ſurface.

Yet to let this Difficulty paſs, its Figure according to this Hypotheſis will be much more Oval than common obſervation will allow, for ſince it is ſaid to be Oval becauſe the Motion of the Aequator is ſwifter than that of the Polar Circles, the figure muſt be almoſt as much Oval, as the Circle of the Aequator is bigger than the Circle of the Pole; there being nothing to hinder the utmoſt effect of this motion but the weight of the Fluid endeavouring to reduce it ſelf to a Levell, which of what moment it will be in this Caſe I leave to be conſidered.

And as for its ſite, that renders the torrid and the frigid Zones unhabitable; intolerable Heats ſtill burning the former, and the continual gathering and dropping of the vapours making the others too cold and moiſt to entertain either Man or Beaſt. And this one conceſſion, I am afraid, ſpoils moſt part of the Contrivance; for theſe portions of the Cruſt could never grow hard, being continually moiſtned by the Vapours, and ſo little expos'd to the Sun, or that breeze which attends its motion: And therefore, whenever Vapours were drawn from the Abyſs in the Torrid Zone, theſe parts of the Arch being not firm enough to ſuſtain themſelves, muſt ſink in; and thoſe Vapors that were impriſoned between the ſurface of the Abyſs and the ſolid part of the Cruſt of the Earth, might have found an eaſie paſſage through this ſoft portion of the Cruſt, and therefore could not contribute to the general diſſolution of the Frame. Beſides, from ſuch a muddy Fountain what could be expected but ſtreams unwholſome and corrupted, and unfit for that end for which they were deſign'd, and for that uſe, to which ſacred Scripture tells us they were imploy'd?

A great many other inconveniences in Nature may be obſerv'd to follow this Contrivance; but becauſe this Hypotheſis was not ſet up for its own ſake, but to give an intelligible account of Noah's Floud; I ſhall cloſe theſe reflexions with a few conſiderations upon that.

And firſt the Authour pleads for an univerſal Floud, it being inconſiſtent with the demonſtrated Nature of a Fluid, that Water ſhould ſtand up in Heaps fifteen Cubits above the tops of the higheſt Mountains. This I am willing to admit, though there is no reaſon why Omnipotence might not be immediately concern'd in this, ſince he himſelf confeſſeth, that the forty days Rain cannot according to his Hypotheſis be explain'd by any Natural Cauſe that he can find out.

Secondly, He compares the height of the Mountains and the Depth of the Sea, and having as to both made allowable ſuppoſitions (though the Courſe of the longeſt River, even the Nile it ſelf, will not prove its head to be above three foot higher than its mouth) he infers that eight Oceans will be little enough to make an univerſal Deluge: The Waters above the Firmament are exploded; the Rain would afford but the hundredth part of ſuch a Maſs of Water, unleſs the ſhowers were continual, and over the face of the whole Earth, and the Drops came down ninety times faſter than uſually they do. (Though here a Man would be apt to think from the expreſſions in Geneſis, The Windows of Heaven were opened, that there was ſomewhat very extraordinary in this Rain, and that all thoſe requir'd conditions were obſerv'd.) The Caverns of the Earth, if they threw out all the Water they contain'd, could afford but little in compariſon of the great ſtore that was requir'd; And if the whole middle region of the Air had been condens'd, ſtill there had not been enough, becauſe Air being turn'd into Water filleth onely the hundredth part of that ſpace which it formerly poſſeſs'd. Though all the other ways by which ſome have endeavour'd to explain the Floud, were demonſtrably inſufficient, yet this laſt which gives an account of it from ſo natural and eaſie a Cauſe as the condenſation of the Air deſerved to be conſidered a little more; but it is the Art of a Diſputer to touch that leaſt which preſſeth moſt on that Opinion which he would advance. For it being allowed that Air by natural Cauſes may be chang'd into Water, and a Vacuum in this very Chapter being excluded, it neceſſarily follows, that as much Air as riſeth fifteen Cubits higher than the tops of the Mountains is ſufficient to make ſuch a Deluge as is deſcrib'd to have been in Noah's time. Becauſe where there is no Vacuum, there can be no contraction into a leſs ſpace, and every particle of Matter, whatever form or ſchematiſm it puts on, muſt in all conditions be equally extended, and therefore take up the ſame Room. But ſuppoſe a Vacuum, or (as it happens in our imperfect condenſations) that a hundred cubical feet of Air would make but one foot of Water, yet ſure the Region is large enough to make amends for this diſproportion: Now ſince Nature is ſufficient for condenſation, and ſince its powers may be conſiderably invigorated for the execution of the Almighty's wrath; why muſt it be thought ſo difficult to explain a Deluge? and why ſhould an excellent Wit waſte it ſelf in faſhioning a new World, onely to bring that about which the old one would permit eaſily to be done? It is above the Province of Philoſophy to make a World, let that be ſuppos'd to have been form'd as it is reveal'd, it is enough for us to ſearch by what Laws it is preſerv'd; and a ſyſtem erected on this foundation will be agreeable both to Reaſon and to Religion.

10 He explodes the Opinion of Xenophanes, and the Fancy of Epicurus. Vid. Lucretius's fifth Book.

11 Canopus is a Star in the Southern Keel of the Ship Argo, of the firſt magnitude: Theſe particulars as to the Appearance of the two Stars are not mathematically true, yet ſerve well enough for the Poets deſign, ſufficiently proving the roundneſs of the Earth.

12 This Argument being taken from the Eclipſe and not from the increaſe or decreaſe of the Moon, the Poet muſt be underſtood, not as to divers moments of Time, for the Moon at the ſame inſtant is ſeen Eclips'd by all to whom ſhe appears above the Horizon, but as to the diverſity of Hours at which the Eaſtern or Weſtern People reckon the Eclipſe to begin or end.

13 This is to be underſtood in reſpect of thoſe who inhabit the Northern Hemiſphere, to whom the North Pole is ſtill elevated.

14 It was the Opinion of the ancient Poets, and ſome others, that the Sea was as a Girdle to the Earth, that it ran round it as an Horizon, and divided the upper Hemiſphere from the lower.

15 Releaſe this Soul from that union which the Stoicks fooliſhly aſſign'd, and then to hold a Soul of the World and Providence is all one.

16 Manilius is not conſtant in his Poſition; moſt commonly as a Poet he turns his face to the Weſt, and then the North is on his right hand, and the South on the left: ſometimes as an Aſtronomer he turns his face to the South, and this is the poſition in this place.

17 Alluding to the two Verſes in Homer's ſixth Iliad,

[〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉]

[〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉].

18 Demonſtrated by Archimedes in his [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], Prop. 3. That the Circumference of every Circle exceeds three times the Diameter thereof by a part that is leſs than 1/7th, and greater than 10/70.

19 Eudoxus divided the Sphere into ſixty parts, and this diviſion Manilius follows, and according to that deſcribes the Poſition of the Celeſtial Circles.

20 The Opinion of Diodorus.

21 Macrobius reports Theophraſtus to be the Authour of this Fancy.

22 From Plutarch we learn that Metrodorus and others aſſerted this, and Achilles Tacius fixes this fooliſh Opinion on Oenopides Chius.

23 The learned Mr. Hayns diſlikes Scaliger's reading, which I have followed, and thinks that he meant that Pella was a Woman; a more ſolemn foppery was never met with, and this Note, beſide a great many others, may ſerve to credit the Dauphin Editions of the Claſſick Authours.

MANILIUS. The Second Book.

Manilius takes care frequently to tell his Reader that he is the firſt that ever ventur'd on an Aſtrological Poem; He ſeems mightily pleas'd with his undertaking, hugs it as his Firſt-born, and the Son of his ſtrength, and is very troubleſome in acquainting us with the pains which he ſuffered at its Birth; and then reckons up the Beauties of the Child, and what great hopes he conceives of it: If ever he deſerv'd Scaliger's Character, that he knew not when to leave off, it muſt be acknowledged that this is the Caſe in which it may be chiefly apply'd: We need look no farther than the beginning of this Book to be ſatisfied in this matter; He ſpends about ſixty Verſes in reckoning up the chief Subjects of Homer, Heſiod, Theocritus and others; all which being laid aſide, he declares his deſign to be wholly new; and then begins, 1. To prove the World to be one Animal: 2. The Influence of the Heavens: 3. He Deſcribes the ſeveral ſpecies of the Signs. 4. The various configurations or aſpects of the Signs; and tells us what are Trines, what Quadrates or Squares; what Hexagons or Sextiles; and what are Right and Left in each of theſe. 5. What Signs are ſaid to be conjoyn'd, what not, and what oppos'd; to what Sign each part of Man's body is appropriate; what Signs are ſaid to hear, what to ſee one another; what are friendly, and what not. 6. The friendly and unfriendly aſpects of the Signs, and the various aſpects of the Planets in the Signs. 7. The Twelfths or Dodecatemoria of the Signs and Planets. 8. The twelve Celeſtial Houſes, and aſſigns to each its proper Planet.

IN laſting Verſe the mighty Homer ſings

The Trojan Wars,^[157] the King of fifty Kings,

Stout Hector's brand, the bloudy dreadfull Field,

And Troy ſecure behind the Hero's Shield:

Vlyſſes wandrings, and his travelling years,

In time and glory equal to his Wars:

How twice with conquering Fleets he plough'd the Main,

Whilſt Scylla roar'd, and Neptune rag'd in vain.

And how at Home he fixt his tottering Throne,

Redeem'd his honour, and ſecur'd his Son:

Usurping Woers felt his thundring Sword,

And willing Nations knew their Native Lord.

His Subjects theſe, and from his boundleſs Spring

MANILIUS. The Second Book.

Manilius takes care frequently to tell his Reader, that He is the firſt who ventur'd on an Aſtrological Poem: He ſeems mightily pleas'd with his Vndertaking, hugs it as his Firſt-born, and the Son of his Strength: He at large acquaints us with the Pains which He ſuffer'd in bringing it to Perfection, and then reckons up the Beauty of the Child, and what great Hopes He conceives of it:' If ever he deſerves Scaliger's Character, That he knew not when to leave off, it muſt be principally then when He ſpeaks of himſelf and his own Performance. We need look no further than the Beginning of this Book to be ſatisfied in this matter: He ſpends about Sixty Verſes in reckoning up the chief Subjects of Homer, Heſiod, Theocritus, and other Poets, all which being laid aſide. He declares his Deſign to be wholly new, and then begins, 1. To aſſert, that the whole Word is Animate, and God the Soul of it 2. The Influence of the Heavens. 3. He reckons up the ſeveral kinds or ſorts of Signs, as, 4. Male and Female Signs: 5. Human and Brute Signs. 6. Single and Double Signs. 7. Pairs. 8. Double Signs made up of different Species. 9. Signs Double by Place, viz. Thoſe that immediately precede the Four Tropick Signs. 10. Signs of Natural or Unnatural Poſtures. 11. Day and Night Signs. 12. Earth and Water Signs. 13. Fruitful and Barren Signs. 14. Signs of different Poſtures. 15. Maim'd and intire Signs. 16. Seaſon Signs. 17. He ſings the various Configurations or Aſpects of the Signs: As, 18. Trines. 19. Quadrates or Squares; ſhews what are to be accounted Right and what Left in theſe Figures: And, 20. Adds ſeveral Cautions concerning Squares and Trines. 21. He deſcribes the Intercourſe or Agreement of Trines and Quadrates. 22. Of Hexagons or Sextiles, of which he gives a particular Account. 23. Of Contiguous Signs. 24. Of Unequal Signs. 25. Of Oppoſites. 26. He ſhews what Gods are the Guardians of each Sign. 27. The Signs for the ſeveral parts of the Body. 28. What Signs See, Hear, Love, or Hate each other. 29. He makes a ſhort Digreſſion about Friendſhip. 30. He treats of the Friendly and Unfriendly Aſpects. 31. Of the Dodecatemoria, or Twelfths. 32. Of the Dodecatemoria of the Planets, and propoſes two ways to find them. 33. He deſcribes the Celeſtial Houſes, aſſigning them their Proper Charges and their Titles, together with the Planets which preſided in them; and then concludes this Second Book.

[〈1 page duplicate〉] [〈1 page duplicate〉]

The End of the Second Book.

NOTES.

1. Manilius having mention'd the chief Arguments of Homer's Poems, concludes with a high Character, ſtiling him the Fountain of all Poetry. Ovid. Amor. lib. 3. El. 8. to the ſame purpoſe,

A quo, ceu Fonte perenni,

Vatum Pieriis ora rigantur Aquis▪

And Longinus (de ſublim. Sect. 13) ſays not only Steſichorus and Archilocus, but Herodotus the Hiſtorian, and Plato the Philoſopher, owe their chiefeſt Beauties to that Poet.

2. Several Poems of Heſoid are loſt, and Scaliger with other Criticks conjecture, That Manilius refers us to thoſe loſt Poems: But I think this and the preceding Verſe ought to be Corrected, (of this Correction perhaps I may give an account in a Latin Edition of this Author) and then they will be found in thoſe pieces of Heſiod that are now extant.

3. Eratoſthenes a Greek Poet, flouriſhed in the time of Ptolemy Euergetes, about the 138 Olymp. He wrote of the Stars and Conſtellations, and gave an account of all the Fables relating to them: I have not time to explain all theſe Fables and therefore ſhall only direct where they may be found. Concerning Perſeus, Andromeda, her Father Cepheus, and her Mother Caſſiopeia, vid. Ovid. Metam, lib. 4. ver. 665. Concerning Calliſto, or the great Bear, Ovid. lib. 2. ver. 405. The Fable of the Little Bear may be found in Diodorus Siculus, lib. 4. Of the Swan in the Firſt Book of Manilius. Of the Goat in the Firſt Book of Manilius, and in Caſaubon's Animadverſions on Athenaeus: The Maid or Erigone, is ſaid to be the Daughter of Icarus, who upon the Death of her Father, hang'd her ſelf. The Nemean Lion being ſlain by Hercules, was plac'd amongſt the Stars for his ſhining Skin. The Crab for pinching Hercules when he fought the Hydra: The Scorpion for Killing Orion, or rather, for aſſiſting the Gods againſt the Giants. The Stories of Venus taking the ſhape of a Fiſh when ſhe fled from the Giant Typho, and of the Ram who ſwam over the Helleſpont with Phryxus and Helle on his Back, are well known, and may be found in Manilius, and Selden de Diis Syris.

4. This was a Fancy of the Antients, which ſome are not aſham'd, after Experience hath ſo often Confuted it, to maintain ſtill.

5. The Elephants do ſo, if we believe Pliny: Nat. Hiſt. lib. 8. cap. 1.

• 6. Aries is Male.
• Gemini M.
• Leo M.
• Libra M.
• Sagittarius M.
• Aquarius M.
• Taurus Female.
• Cancer F.
• Virgo F.
• Scorpius F.
• Capricornus F.
• Piſces F.

7. The Humane Signs are Gemini, Libra, Virgo, Aquarius. The Brute, Aries, Taurus, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Leo, Cancer, Scorpius, Piſces.

8. Of Double Signs ſome are Pairs, as Gemini, and Piſces: Others are made up of two different Species, ſuch as Sagittarius and Capricornus.

9. The Tropick Signs are Aries, Libra, Cancer, and Capricorn.

10. Their Poſition is unnatural; but this, as well as the fore-going Differences, will be eaſily underſtood upon view of the Signs upon a Globe.

11. Concerning Day and Night Signs, there are different Opinions: Some fancy that Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, are the Days, and the other ſix the Nights. Others teach that the Male and Female are the ſame with the Day and Night Signs. But the Opinion that Manilius follows is this. Aries is a Day Sign, Taurus, Gemini, Night. Cancer, Leo, Day. Virgo, Libra, Night. Scorpius, Sagittarius, Day. Caper, Aquarius, Night. Piſces Day. So that begin with Piſces, and then you find two Day Signs together, and then two Night Signs, and ſo in Order.

12. The Water Signs are Piſces and Cancer. The Earth Aries, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Gemini, Sagittarius, Libra, Virgo: Capricornus and Aquarius belong to both Earth and Water.

13. The fruitful Signs are Cancer, Scorpio, Piſces. The Barren are Leo, Virgo, Aquarius. The remaining ſix are partly Barren, partly Fruitful.

14. The Running Signs are Leo, Sagittarius, Aries: The ſtanding or Erected Signs, Aquarius, Gemini, Virgo. The Crouching Signs, Taurus, Cancer, Libra, Scorpius, Caper, Piſces.

15. The Maim'd ſigns, Taurus, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Cancer.

16. The Seaſon ſigns are Piſces, belonging to the Spring. Gemini to Summer. Virgo to Autumn; and Sagittarius to Winter.

17. Suppoſe in the Zodiack Circle Twelve Signs, and in every Circle 360 Parts or Degrees, and 30 of theſe Degrees to belong to each of the Twelve Signs. Begin at any of the Signs, for inſtance, Aries; and in this Circle inſcribe a Triangle, all whoſe ſides are equal; it is evident that the Arch of the Circle which each of theſe ſides ſubtends, contains 120 Parts or Degrees; and therefore between that Sign from which you begin to draw each ſide of this Triangle, and that to which you draw it, there muſt be Three Signs. But ſee Fig. 1ſt.

18. To ſhew what Signs are to be accounted Right, and what Left, the Poet mentions only the Trine of Taurus: Yet it is ſufficient, upon View of Fig. 1ſt. direction for all the reſt.

19. To know the Quadrate, begin from any ſign, and in the Circle inſcribe a Square, all whoſe ſides are equal; the Angles ſhew the Signs, and what are Right or Left, you may find that in Quadrates, as you did in Trines.

20. The meaning of all theſe Cautions concerning Trines and Quadrates, is in ſhort, this, You muſt reckon by Degrees, and not by Signs; for if you reckon by Signs, the Figures, as Manilius ſhews at large in each particular, will not be equilateral. See Fig. 1ſt. and 2d.

21. The Signs which have an Oppoſite aſpect are,

• Aries.
• Taurus.
• Gemini.
• Cancer.
• Leo.
• Virgo.
• Libra.
• Scorpius.
• Sagittarius.
• Capricornus.
• Aquarius.
• Piſces.

22. The Guardians of the Signs.

• Of Aries.
• Taurus.
• Gemini.
• Cancer.
• Leo.
• Virgo.
• Libra.
• Scorpius.
• Sagittarius.
• Capricornus.
• Aquarius.
• Piſces
• Pallas.
• Venus.
• Phoebus.
• Mercurius.
• Jupiter.
• Ceres.
• Vulcan.
• Mars.
• Diana.
• Veſta.
• Juno.
• Neptune.

The Reaſons of this Aſſignment are to be taken out of the Old Fables.

23. Whether Capricorn was in the Horoſcope of Auguſtus, when he was Born, or when he was Conceived, Is diſputed: However 'tis certain, Auguſtus took Capricorn for his Sign, and many times its Figure is found upon his Coins. vid. Sueton. vit. Aug. cap. 94. and Spanhemius de Nummis. p. 210.

24. See the Figures of theſe Signs on a Globe.

25. Pylades and Oreſtes being taken Priſoners, Oreſtes was condemned to Die, but was allow'd to go and ſettle ſome Affairs, upon Condition that Pylades would ſtay behind, and engage his Life for his return: Pylades becomes Surety: Oreſtes goes, ſettles his Affairs, and returns at the Day appointed.

26. So call'd, becauſe in the Sign Scorpius we ſee nothing but the Claws.

27. The Dodecatemorion is the Twelfth part, or two Degrees and an half of a Sign. Every Sign containing Thirty Degrees; for Twelve times two and an half make Thirty. Scaliger gives this Inſtance. Let the propos'd Degree be the Thirteenth Degree of Gemini, multiply Thirteen by Twelve, the Product is one hundred fifty ſix: Of theſe give Thirty to Gemini the propos'd Sign, Thirty to Cancer, Thirty to Leo, to Virgo Thirty, and Thirty to Libra: There remain Six, and therefore the Dodecatimorion of Gemini is in the Sixth Degree of Scorpius: But this inſtance doth not ſeem to agree with the Doctrine of Manilius.

28. Scaliger affirms, that Manilius propoſeth two ways to find the Dodecatemoria or Twelfths of the Planets; Huctius ſays he gives but one: This Diſpute will be beſt determin'd by obſerving the Poet himſelf, and illuſtrating his Doctrine by two Inſtances: Let the Moon be in the Sixth Degree of Aries, multiply ſix by Twelve, the Product [•]s Seventy two: Out of this Seventy two give the firſt Thirty to Aries, the ſecond to Taurus, and [•]hen there remain Twelve; and therefore the Dodecatemorion of the Moon is in the Twelfth Degree of Gemini, that is, in the Second of the Five half Degrees of the Dodecatemorion of Gemini.

29. To this Method Scaliger applies this Example: Let the Sun be in the Thirteenth of Gemini, the Moon in the Twenty Third of Scorpius, the Arch of the Zodiack between the two Planets, contains one Hundred and Sixty Degrees: In this Number there are five Thirties, which being taken away there remain Ten; divide theſe Ten by Twelfths, or two and an half, the Quotient is four Twelfths, or Dodecatemoria; of which give one to Scorpius, another to Sagittarius, a third to Capricorn, and the fourth falling in Aquarius, ſhews the Moons Dodecatemorion to be in the twenty third Degree of that Sign.

30. The third ſort of Dodecatemorion is this. In every Dodecatemorion or Twelfth, there are five half Degrees, and the Planets (which the Antient Aſtrologers counted but five, not reckoning the Sun and Moon amongſt the Planets) have in each Dodecatemorion or Twelfth, one half Degree aſſign'd to every one of them.

31. From this Verſe to the end of this Book, Manilius treats of the Twelve Celeſtial Houſes, which he divides into the Four Cardines or Hinges, and the Eight Spaces that lie between theſe Hinges: The Hinges are the Eaſtern Point, the Middle Point, the Weſtern Point and the loweſt point of Heaven: The Spaces, &c. but ſee Fig. 10.

32. Manilius in the beginning of his firſt Book tells us Mercury was the Inventor of that Art, which he intended for the Subject of his Aſtrological Poem.

33. Either the Poet never finiſh'd this Part which he here promiſes, or it is now loſt.

MANILIUS. The Third Book.

Manilius begins this Third Book as he did the Second, reckoning up and ſlighting the ſeveral Subjects which have imploy'd other Poets, and declaring his Deſign to be new and difficult: Then he proceeds to ſhew, 1. That the Twelve Signs of the Zodiack are the chief Diſpoſers, and principal Governours of Fortunes. 2. That there are Twelve Lots belonging to theſe Twelve Signs. 3. He names and deſcribes theſe Lots: The firſt is Fortune: The Second Warfare and Travelling: The Third, Civil Employments: The Fourth, Pleadings, and all the concerns of the Bar: The Fifth, Marriage Acquaintance, Gueſts: The Sixth, Plenty, Wealth, and the means of preſerving it. The Seventh, Dangers: The Eighth, Nobility, Honour, Reputation: The Ninth, Children, Education. The Tenth, Manners, Inſtitution, Family. The Eleventh, ſtate of Health, Phyſick: The Twelfth, Wiſhes, and the ends of them. 4. He teaches how to ſuit theſe Lots, Labours, or Athla to the ſeveral Signs, when the Birth belongs either to Day, or Night. 5. He propoſeth Rules how to find the Horoſcope. 6. Refuting the Method preſcrib'd by the Chaldaeans. 7. And ſhewing how to find the different lengths of Days and Nights, together with the ſeveral Riſings and Settings of the Signs in order to find the Horoſcope. 8. He reſumes the Diſpute againſt the Chaldaeans, and ſubjoins an Account of the ſeveral lengths of Days and Nights, in the three different Poſitions of the Sphere, Direct, Oblique, and Parallel. 9. He propoſes another way to find the time of the Signs Riſing and Setting. 10. He particularly Diſcourſes of the Days Encreaſe from Capricorn to Cancer. 11. He ſhews what are the proper Years, Months, Days, and Hours of the Signs, and Confutes the Opinion of ſome Aſtrologers concerning them. 12. He ſings how many Years belong to each Sign, and ſtation. 13. And Concludes the Book with an Account of the Tropick Signs.

I am not to Anſwer for the Aſtronomy, it is enough if I have made the Poet ſpeak intelligible Engliſh.

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The End of the Third Book.

NOTES.

1. This and the ſeven following Verſes relate to the ſeveral particulars of Medea's ſtory.

2. I uſe this Interpretation rather than that of Scaliger and others, becauſe I think Manilius ſpeaks only of that famous Siege of Thebes, when the ſeven Generals attackt it; and as the Story ſays, Capaneus had almoſt ruin'd the Town before he was ſtruck with Thunder.

3. Oedipus Married his own Mother Jocaſta, and had Children by her; ſo that each Son was Brother to the Father, and Grand-Child to the Mother.

4. This reſpects the Story of Atreus and Thyeſtes.

5. Xerxes is ſaid to have dug a Channel round Mount Athos, and to have made a Bridge over the Helleſpont.

6. Thus, for inſtance, in whatever Sign the Lot of Fortune is plac'd, the next that belongs to the next Sign, is the Lot of Warfare: Civil Employments muſt be given to the third, &c.

7. For the Lot of Fortune being in all Nativities that belong to Day to be accounted for from the Sun, and in all Nativities that belong to Night from the Moon; and thoſe two Planets not always poſſeſſing the ſame place in every Nativity, and the other Lots following the diſpoſition of that of Fortune; it is very evident that the ſame Lot is not to be always applyed to the ſame Sign.

8. The Poet never finiſht this part, or it is now loſt.

9. For inſtance, let the Sun be in the 20th Degree of Aries, the Moon in the 10th Degree of Libra; from the 20th Degree of Aries (counting thro' the following Signs Taurus, Gemini, &c) to the 10th Degree of Libra; are 170 Degrees: Let the Horoſcope be the 10th Degree of Cancer; from that 10th Degree of Cancer, count thro' the following Signs, viz. Leo, Virgo, &c. and you will find the Number 170 to end in the 10th Degree of Capricorn: Therefore in the 10th Degree of Capricorn place the Lot of Fortune: This I take to be the meaning of Manilius.

10. Suppoſe the Sun to be in the 21, 49''''' of Leo, the Moon in the 26, 31''''' of Virgo; the Horoſcope in the, 1, 0''''' of Leo; The Moon is diſtant from the Sun 325, 18''''', which number being diſtributed amongſt the Antecedent Signs, viz. Cancer, Gemini, Taurus, &c. ends in the 5, 42''''' of Virgo, that there is the place of the Lot of Fortune.

11. To explain this Method which the Chaldeans us'd to find the Horoſcope, Scaliger gives this inſtance: Let the Sun's place be the 13, 25' of Libra, let the Birth be at the end of the Seventh Hour of the Day: Now becauſe every Sign hath thirty Degrees, and fifteen Degrees make one Hour, theſe Seven Hours are three Signs and an half, or one Hundred and five Degrees: Now reckon thoſe Degrees thro' the following Signs, viz. Scorpius, Centaurus, &c. The Number ends in the 28125''''' of Capricorn, and therefore that is the Horoſcope.

12. Sic media extremis, &c. The middle Signs here are Aries and Libra, and theſe are ſaid to be oppoſite to the Extremes, Cancer and Capricorn, becauſe in them the Days are equal, but in the others unequal to the Nights: This I take to be the meaning of the Poet, rather than what Scaliger and other Interpreters pretend.

13. Thus in Cancer the Days are longeſt; in Capricorn, which is a Sign adverſe to Cancer, the Nights are of the ſame length, that the Days were of in Cancer: The like holds in Leo, and Aquarius, and ſo in the reſt.

14. The Italians divided all the time betwixt the Riſing and Setting of the Sun into Twelve Hours, and all the time between the Setting and Riſing of the Sun into Twelve Hours: And therefore, thoſe times being various and unequal, the Hours muſt likewiſe be unequal.

15. According to the Opinion of ſome Ancient Aſtronomers, who plac'd the Winter Solſtice in the Eighth Degree of Capricorn, the Summer Solſtice in the Eighth Degree of Cancer, and the Equinox in the Eighth Degrees of Aries and Libra: Thus in the End of this Book,

Has quidam vires octava in parte reponunt.

16. Eudoxus wrote of the Sphere at the 36th Degree, Elevation of the Pole, and Manilius follows him.

17. A Stadium in Manilius is half of a Degree, and therefore in the whole Zodiack there are 720 Stadia. In the Zodiack are 360 Degrees, to every Hour we reckon, 15 Degrees, therefore every Hour is equal to 30 Stadia, and for the ſame Reaſon, each Hour containing 60 Minutes, every Stadium is equal to two Minutes.

18. The riſing and Setting of the Signs according to Manilius.

Riſing.

Setting

19. Let the Child be born in the Fourth Hour of the Day, add five to four, the Sum is 9, Multiply 9 by 10, the Product is 90. Let the Sun be in the 10th Degree of Gemini, add 10 to 90, the Sum is 100, of this 100 give 30 to Gemini, the Sign in which the Sun is, 30 more to the following Sign Taurus: 30 to the next Aries, 10 remain, therefore the 10th Degree of Piſces is the Horoſcope.

20. Let the Birth be in the Seventh Hour of Night, add to that the Twelve Hours of the Day, and that Seventh Hour will be the Nineteenth, from the Suns Riſing: Then add, multiply, and work, as in the former Method.

21. Let the longeſt Day in Cancer be of 16 Hours, the ſhorteſt Night of 8: Divide thoſe 16 Hours into 6 parts, each part contains 2 Hours 40 Minutes: Therefore allow Leo 2 Hours 40 Min. for his Riſing time: Divide likewiſe the 8 Hours of Night into 6 parts, each part will contain 1 Hour 20. m. and that is the riſing time of Taurus. The Difference between the Riſing Times of theſe two Signs is 1 Hour 20 Min. Divide this Difference into three equal parts, each part will contain 26 Min. 40 Sec. Add theſe 26 Min. and 40 Sec. to the Riſing time of Taurus, and the whole Sum makes up the Riſing time of Gemini, viz. 1 Hour, 46 Min. 40 Sec. To this add another third part to make up the Riſing time of Cancer, viz. 2 Hours 13 Min. 20 Sec. And ſo of the reſt, as in the following Scheme.

But it muſt always be obſerved, that the Southern or Winter Signs are oppos'd to the Northern or Summer Signs. The Riſing-time of the Summer is the Setting-time of the Winter; and the Setting-time of the Summer the Riſing-time of the Winter Signs.

22. The Example which Manilius himſelf gives, ſets this Doctrine in its true Light. Let the longeſt Night in Capricorn be of 15 Hours, the Day conſequently muſt be of 9. Thus the Night exceeds the Day by 3 Hours. Divide theſe 3 Hours into 3 Parts, give one Part, that is, 1 Hour to the Middle Sign, viz. Aquarius, and thence conclude that in Capricorn the Day encreaſes half an Hour, and in Piſces an Hour and half; Aquarius being the Middle Sign in which the Days encreaſe one Hour.

23. According to the Doctrine of Manilius (let the Example be the ſame with that in the preceding Note) in Aries the Day encreaſes one Hour and half, in Taurus one Hour, in Gemini half an Hour.

24. There being 24 Hours belonging to each Day, and but 12 Signs, more than 24 Days in each Month, and 12 Months in every Year.

25. A Table of the Years and Months that belong to each Sign.

26. This was never finiſhed by the Poet, or is now loſt.

MANILIUS. The Fourth Book.

After a ſhort Reflection on the vain Cares of Mankind, he brings ſeveral Arguments to prove Fate: 1. Several unaccountable paſſages in the Roman and Grecian Hiſtories: 2. Sudden Death, and unexpected Recoveries, contrary to all the powers of Art and Phyſick: 3. The difference between the Children of the ſame Parents: 4. The fewneſs of Worthy Men, and the certainty of Death: 5. The ill ſucceſſes of Wiſe and Good Men, and the proſperity of Knaves and Fools▪ 6. Monſtrous Births: 7. Propheſy: And then endeavours, 8. to take off ſome Objections that might be rationally propos'd againſt this Doctrin: Then. 9. He ſhews what Tempers and Inclinations the twelve Signs ſingly conſider'd do beſtow, and to what Arts they incline: 10. Vnder the Ram, are born all ſorts of workers in Wool, Broakers, Men of unſetled Fortunes, fearful, inconſtant, and covetous of Praiſe: 11. Vnder the Bull, Plowmen, Aſpiring, Reſerv'd, Strong, and Amorous: 12. Vnder the Twins, Muſicians, Songsters, Men of merry Tempers, and Aſtronomers: 13. Vnder the Crab, Covetous Fellows and Vſurers: 14. Vnder the Lion, Hunters, Beaſt-keepers, Plain, Open-hearted, eaſily provok'd, and eaſily appeas'd: Vnder the Maid, Philoſophers, Orators, Notaries, ſhamefac'd and indifferently good: 16. Vnder the Scales, Meaſurers, Gagers, Accountants, Lawgivers, Lawyers, and Judges: 17. Vnder the Scorpion, Hunters, Gladiators, Men of Warlike and Military Diſpoſitions: 18. Vnder Sagittarius, Chariot-Racers, Horſe-breakers, Tamers of Wild Beaſts, Men of acute Vnderſtandings, and ſtrong and nimble Bodies: 19. Vnder the Goat, Miners, Coyners, Goldſmiths, Bakers, Broakers, Inconſtant and Laſcivious in their Youth: 20. Vnder Aquarius, Men skill'd in making Aqueducts, and Water-works, and Spheres, and Globes, tractable and prodigal: 21. Vnder Piſces, Mariners, Pilots, Shipwrights, Rowers, Fiſhers, Fruitful but Inconſtant: 22. He Diſcourſes of the Tenths of each Sign, and what Sign is Lord of each third part of every Sign: 23. He encourages his Scholar to go on, tho the Task ſeems to grow upon him, and to be very difficult, becauſe 'tis a Noble Study, and the Object truly great: 24. He ſhews what degrees of each Sign are hurtful, what not: 25. He Teaches, that the Tempers of thoſe that are Born when the Sign riſeth, are different from thoſe that are Born at other times: 26. He draws a Map of the Earth and Seas, and Teaches what Signs govern particular Countries: 27. He ſhews what Signs are call'd Eccliptick, and why: 28. He propoſeth ſuch Objections as are made to deter Men from this curious ſearch, and anſwereth them.

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The End of the Fourth Book.

NOTES.

1 The Poet did not think of the Palladium as Scaliger imagines, but only of the Fire at Troy, which parted to let Aeneas go through with his Father, and his Houſehold Gods.

2 Manilius makes only ſhort Reflections on Hiſtory, and therefore is frequently obſcure: He ſays here, that it was impoſſible one ſingle Aeneas ſhould have rais'd the Glory and Reputation of ruin'd Troy, and made it then conquer, when it was overthrown, by building Rome which ſubdu'd the whole World; for Rome roſe out of the Ruins of Troy; unleſs ſome over-ruling Power and Fate had ordain'd it ſhould be ſo.

3 Romulus and Remus, the Founders of Rome, were but Shepherds.

4 I chuſe to read Auxiſſent Culmina rather than vexiſſent, or duxiſſent Fulmina, and render Culmina a Cottage.

5 If Manilius be ſuppos'd to keep the Order of Time in his Hiſtorical Reflections, I muſt own I have not hit his meaning in this place; for no doubt he had an Eye upon the Wars between the Sabines and Romulus: but then I cannot imagine what thoſe Words Captus & à Captis Orbis foret mean: I cannot think with Scaliger and Huetius that he runs back to Troy, which he had left ſeveral Verſes before, and therefore apply this paſſage to the taking and burning of Rome, and the beſieging the Capitol by the Gauls: And 'tis certain the Poet in his following Reflections neglects the Order of Time very much.

6 The Stories of Mutius Scaevola, Horatius Cocles, the Virgin Claelia, and the Combat between the three Horatij on the Roman, and the three Curiatij on the Alban ſide, are well known.

8 Short Reflections on the great Accidents in the Second and Third Carthaginian Wars, together with the Death of Hannibal.

9 He goes on with the Roman Hiſtory, the unaccountable Fortunes of the Great Marius.

10 Pompey the Great, was a very notable Example of the variety of Fortune, being on a ſudden rais'd to the higheſt, and as ſoon thrown down to the loweſt Condition in the World.

11 Cum jam etiam poſſes alium cognoſcere Magnum: I hope I have given this Verſe a better Senſe, than the other Interpreters have done.

12 Caeſar is ſaid to be ſprung from Heaven, becauſe he was deſcended from Aeneas the Son of Venus: After his Murther an unuſual Star appear'd, which the Flatterers of Auguſtus ſaid was the Soul of his Father Caeſar.

13 The Poet cloſeth his Examples with Reflections on the overthrow of Croeſus, the Famous wealthy King of Lydia, who was taken by Cyrus; on the wretched Condition to which old Priam was reduc't; on the unaccountable overthrow of Xerxes; on the Advancement of Servius Tullus, who was the Son of a Bond-Woman, and yet came to be King of Rome, and on the Conduct of Metellus, who broke into the Temple of Veſta when it was on Fire, and brought out the Image of the Goddeſs.

14—Mortes ſeque ipſae rurſus fugiunt, errantque per Ignes.

15 To reconcile the different Interpreters, I have hinted at both Paris, (or rather Hercules) and Leander.

16 Furius Camillus was the reſtorer of Rome, after it had been taken and burnt by the Gauls: Of the Family of the Decij there were Three, who voluntarily devoted themſelves to Death, for the Good and Proſperity of their Country: Cato Vticenſis, who kill'd himſelf that he might not ſurvive the Liberty of Rome.

17 Alluding to the Tryal of skill between Pallas and Arachne, deſcrib'd by Ovid, in the Sixth Book of his Metamorphoſis.

18 M. Curius Dentatus and Serranus were both fetcht from the Plough, to Command the Roman Armies, fought bravely, and Triumpht.

19 For this the Poets fancy'd to be the Bull that carry'd Europa into Crete.

20 Scaliger thinks Manilius means ſuch as keep Beaſts for publick Shews, and to fight in the Theaters; and this Interpretation I rather follow than that of Huetius, who fancies the Poet means by this pompous Deſcription no more than innocent, honeſt Butchers.

21 Palamedes is ſaid to be the firſt Man amongſt the Greeks, who invented Cyphers, and taught Men to caſt Account: I have enlarg'd his Character, and taken notice of his invention of Letters.

22 Servius Sulpitius, the Great Lawyer, and Acquaintance of Cicero.

23 Of the Docility of Elephants, we meet with numerous Examples: Seneca mentions one, that play'd at Ball: Another, that would Dance on a Rope, &c. The Travellers in the Eaſt are full of ſtrange Stories concerning thoſe Animals; and Lipſius in his Epiſtles, will furniſh any Man with more Stories than he will readily believe.

24. If Alchymy was more Antient than Manilius, as Huetius himſelf grants, I ſee no Reaſon why the Poet might not ſpeak of the Alchymiſts: The Interpretation I have given, I am ſure, ſounds better than that of Huetius.

25 The Tenths: This is a new word, but anſwers to Decanica in Manilius: Decanica ſignifies Ten Degrees, and the Decanus is Lord of Ten Degrees: The ſeveral Lords are theſe,

• In Aries
  • Aries
  • Taurus
  • Gemini
    • In Taurus
      • Cancer
      • Leo
      • Virgo
• In Gemini
  • Libra
  • Scorpius
  • Sagittar.
    • In Cancer
      • Capricor.
      • Aquarius
      • Piſces
• In Leo
  • Aries
  • Taurus
  • Gemini
    • In Virgo
      • Cancer
      • Leo
      • Virgo
• In Libra
  • Libra
  • Scorpius
  • Sagittar.
    • In Scorpius
      • Capricor.
      • Aquarius
      • Piſces
• In Sagittar.
  • Aries
  • Taurus
  • Gemini
    • In Capricor.
      • Cancer
      • Leo
      • Virgo
• In Aquarius
  • Libra
  • Scorpius
  • Sagittar.
    • In Piſces
      • Aries
      • Taurus
      • Piſces

26 Quantum eſt quo veniat Omne, I have follow'd the Interpretation of Scaliger; but do not reject the Opinion of Huetius: Though of leſs force than Scaliger's.

27 The Hurtful Degrees.

• In Aries
  • 4. 6. 12.
  • 14. 17. 18.
  • 21. 25. 27.
    • In Taurus
      • 9. 13. 17.
      • 22. 24. 26.
      • 28. 30.
• In Gemini
  • 1. 3. 7.
  • 15. 19. 21.
  • 25. 27. 29.
    • In Cancer
      • 1. 3. 6.
      • 8. 11. 15.
      • 17. 20. 25.
      • 27. 29.
• In Leo
  • 1. 4. 10.
  • 15. 22. 25.
  • 28. 30.
    • In Virgo
      • 1. 6. 11.
      • 14. 18. 21.
      • 24. 30.
• In Libra
  • 5. 7. 13.
  • 18. 24. 27.
  • 29. 30.
    • In Scorpio
      • 1. 3. 6.
      • 10. 15. 22.
      • 25. 28. 29.
• In Sagittar.
  • 4. 8. 12.
  • 16. 20. 24.
  • 26. 28. 30.
    • In Capric.
      • 7. 9. 13.
      • 17. 19. 25.
      • 26.
• In Aquarius
  • 11. 13. 15.
  • 19. 21. 25.
  • 29.
    • In Piſces
      • 3. 5. 17.
      • 11. 17. 25.
      • 27.

28 Alluding to the Cuſtom of the Romans, who, when they deſign'd to build a City, took a Plow▪ and made Furrow a where the Walls were to ſtand.

29 Voſſius, In his Obſervations on Catullus, P. 204. Reads,

—Taurumque minantem

Fluctibus.—

30 Pyrrhus made uſe both of Elephants and Snakes, in his Wars againſt the Romans.

31 Germany, which comprehends all the Northern tract of Land beyond Thrace.

32 Rome had Temples Dedicated to her, and was look'd upon to be a Goddeſs.

33 The Poets feign'd that Cybele, the Mother of the Gods, rode in a Chariot drawn by two Lions.

34 Tiberius being under the diſpleaſure of Auguſtus, was ſent to the Iſland Rhodes, and liv'd there ſome time.

35 Voſſius out of his Ancient Manuſcript Reads, Qua genitus Caeſarque meus qui hanc condidit urbem.

36 I know Donata Regna may bear another Senſe, but this will do as well.

37 Whom▪ in the time of Aguſtus, the Germans deſtroy'd, and cut off all the Legions he Commanded.

38 Thus when Aries and Libra are Eccliptick, the two next Eccliptick are Piſces and Virgo.

39 Alluding to Julius Caeſar, Deify'd by Auguſtus.

MANILIUS. The Fifth Book.

Having explain'd the general influence of the Twelve Signs of the Zodiack, and given a particular account of their interchanges with one another, and how they incline when they riſe; after a ſhort Preface, in which he magnifies his own Induſtry, and unweary'd diligence in this Subject: He goes on, 1. To ſhew what Conſtellations riſe with the ſeveral Degrees of the Twelve Signs, and then what Tempers they beſtow, and to what Studies they incline: For inſtance, 2. The Northern Rudder of the Ship, riſeth with the fourth Degree of Aries, and thoſe that are then Born, ſhall be inclin'd to Sail, and prove good Pilots: 3. Orion riſeth with the ſame Degree of Aries, and thoſe that are Born under his Influence, ſhall be Men of buſie, active Tempers, Solicitors, cringing Paraſites and Flatterers: 4. Heniochus or the Driver, riſeth with the fifteenth Degree of Aries, and makes Charioteers, Horſe-Racers, and Men skill'd in all ſorts of Horſeman-ſhip: 5. With the Twentieth Degree of Aries, the Hoedi or the Kids riſe, and thoſe, being wanton Stars, produce nothing that is Vertuous or Noble: Their Births are wanton, light, and luſtful, and never Couragious, but in purſuit of ſome ſhameful lewd Pleaſure; ſome of their Births, are peculiarly delighted in feeding and keeping Goats: 7. With the Twenty-ſeventh Degree of Aries, riſe the Hyades: And their Births are always turbulent and Seditious, prone to Factions, reſtleſs Phanaticks, or elſe, they give their Minds to Country Affairs, feed Cattle, or turn Waggoners: 7. With the Thirtieth Degree of Aries, the Goat riſeth; and thoſe that are Born under that influence, ſhall be fearful, jealous, ſuſpicious, and inconſtant, or elſe inclin'd to Travel: 8. He ſays the Pleiades riſe with the ſixth Degree of Taurus; and the Men that are then Born, ſhall be gay, and humorous, witty, but too effeminate and ſoft, minding nothing but Dreſs, Gate, and Love: 9. The Hare riſeth with the ſeventh Degree of Gemini or the Twins; and her Births are active and nimble, fit for all ſports, all feats of activity, and ſlight of hand: 10. The Aſſes riſe with the firſt Degree of Cancer; and thoſe that are Born under their influence, ſhall be employ'd in all ſorts of Hunting and Fiſhing: 11. With the twenty-ſeventh Degree of Cancer, Procyon or the little Dog riſes, and that produceth ſuch as weave Nets, make Spears, and all other Inſtruments of Huntſmen: 12. The Great Dog riſeth with Leo, and being himſelf a Conſtellation of exceſſive heat; thoſe that are Born under his influence, ſhall be full of Paſſion, Hate, Jealouſie, and ungovernable ſuſpicion, and given to exceſs in Wine; their Heat ſhall lead them on to to dangers, and engage them to hunt wild Beaſts. 13. With the laſt Degree of Leo, the Bowl appears, and inclines to plant and dreſs Vines; the Births ſhall be ſomewhat intemperate, inclin'd to Merchandiſe, and to trade in thoſe Commodities, which cannot be brought to perfection without moiſture: 14. With the fifteenth Degree of Virgo, the Crown of Ariadne riſeth, and then the Births ſhall be Floriſts; they ſhall delight in making and perfuming Garlands, be Gay; Amorous, and affect neatneſs in their Habit. 15. The Sheaf riſeth with the tenth Degree of Virgo, and inclines Men to look after Corn, to build Barns, to Grind and Bake Grain, and make it uſeful: 16. With the eighth Degree of Libra, the Arrow riſes, and then are Born expert Darters, and good Bow-Men, ſuch as Philoctetes, Teucer, and Alcon. 17. The Goat or Hoedus, riſeth with ſome part of Libra, and produceth Tempers quick and active, fit for Buſineſs, and covetous of Employment: ſomewhat looſe, but honeſt to their Country, and Enemies to Knaves. 18. The Harp riſing with ſome part of Libra, breeds Songsters and Muſicians; ſuch as affect to Sing in Company, and are always humming to themſelves. 19. The Altar riſing with the eighth Degree of Scorpio, breeds Prieſts, Servants in Temples, and ſuch as take care of and conſult Oracles. 20. The Southern Centaur riſing with the twelfth Degree of Scorpio, breeds Horſe-Men, Charioteers, and Farriers. 21. With the fifth Degree of Sagittarius, Arcturus appears, and breeds Collectors of Cuſtoms, Treaſurers for Kings, or Stewards for private Mens Eſtates. 22. With the thirtieth Degree of Sagittarius, the Swan riſes; and then are Born all kinds of Fowlers▪ ſuch as Teach Birds to ſpeak, to ſing, or to decoy, &c. all their Employments ſhall be about Birds. 23. With ſome part of Capricon, Ophieuchus, or the Snake-holder riſeth, and produceth ſuch as are skill'd in during poiſon'd Perſons, and ſuch as cannot be poiſon'd themſelves. 24. With the laſt Degrees of Capricorn, the Southern Fiſh riſing, breeds Anglers, Divers, Fiſhers for Pearls, &c. or at leaſt, Traders for Fiſh and Pearls. 25. With ſome part of Capricorn the Harp, (or rather the Strings of it, for of the Shell Manilius hath already ſpoken) riſeth, and produceth ſubtle Accuſers, Juſtices that ſhall examine nicely, and determine juſtly; or ſuch as ſhall torture, and force the Guilty to Confeſſion. 26. With ſome Degree of Capricon, the Dolphin riſeth, and breeds all ſorts of Swimmers, ſuch as are nimble and active, and perform feats of activity, either in the Water, or on Land. 27. Cepheus riſing with ſome Degree of Aquarius, breeds Men of Moroſe Tempers, ſuch as are deſign'd for Guardians, or Tutors, Tragick Poets, and ſometimes Comedians, Stage-Players, Pantomimes, and all ſorts of Actors. 28. With, the twelfth Degree of Aquarius, the Eagle riſeth, and breeds Men of the moſt violent Tempers, head-ſtrong, and bloody, greedy of ſpoyl, and deſtroying every thing that oppoſeth them; under-Officers in an Army, and▪ Armor-bearers to a General. 29. Caſſiopeia riſing with the twentieth Degree of Aquarius, breeds Founders in Metals, Goldſmiths, Jewellers, &c. 30. With the twelfth Degree of Piſces, Andromeda riſeth, and breeds Goalers, and all ſorts of Exceutioners, cruel, pitileſs and bloody. 31. With the twenty-firſt Degree of Piſces, the Horſe riſeth, and breeds ſtrong, vigorous, active Men, excellent Horſemen, either for the Race or War, Farriers, and Phyſitians 32. With the thirtieth Degree of Piſces, the kneeling Conſtellation, or Hercules appears; and his Births are Lewd, Treacherous Villains, given to no uſeful Arts, at beſt Juglers and Rope-dancers. 33. With the ſame Degree of Piſces, the Whale riſeth, and produceth Fiſhers, Fiſhmongers, makers of Salt, &c. 34. The Bears (Manilius tells us, what he means by their riſing) are joyn'd with Leo and Scorpio, and breed ſuch as are employ'd in breeding Beaſts, and particularly Bears. 35. There follows a fragment, in which the Poet Treats of the ſeveral magnitudes or ſizes of the Stars, that make up the ſeveral Conſtellations.

It is confeſs'd that Manilius ſhews no great exactneſs in the Aſtronomical part of this Book▪ but the Aſtrology is perfect and, may for the moſt part be apply'd to the moſt correct Aſtronomy.

The End of the fifth Book.

NOTES.

1. —Celerique Sagittaè

Delphinus certans—

We may read,—Celerique Sagitta Delphinus certans—and interpret the words, not as others do, The Dolphin ſeated oppoſite to the Arrow: But The Dolphin of equal ſwiftneſs with the Arrow.

2. The Ram having a Golden Fleece, as the Poets fancy'd, the King of Jolcos kill'd him that he might enjoy the Treaſure, and Jaſon being ſent to fetch this Golden Fleece carried away Medea the King's Daughter.

3. The Ship hath two Rudders, a Northern, and a Southern Rudder.

4. A River of Jolchos, whither Jaſon with the Argonauts firſt Sailed.

5. Typhis, the Pilot to the Argonauts, who in his Voyage ſteer'd thro' the dangerous moving Rocks called the Symplegadae.

6. The Graecian Navy lay Wind-bound till Iphigenia was Sacrificed, and appeaſed the anger of Diana.

7. Voſſius, in his Obſervations on Catullus, Reads—Invehet undis Perſida—The Expreſſion is bold, and therefore proper for the Poet. That Xerxes dug a new Channel, and made a Bridge over the Helleſpont, are known ſtories.

8. Manilius mentions ſeveral notable defeats at Sea, ſuch was that of the Athenians near Syracuſe, which brought the Athenians very low: ſuch were thoſe of the Carthaginians by the Romans: And that of Antony by Auguſtus near Actium.

9. Heavens great Fortune: Becauſe the Conquerour was to be deify'd.

10. Orion is a very large and bright Conſtellation, and deſerves this pompous Deſcription.

11. Inſtar erit Populi: This is one of Manilius's bold Expreſſions, which my Engliſh cannot reach.

12. Alluding to the officious Salutations, which the Clients amongſt the Romans carried early every Morning to their Patrons.

13. Manilius is very accurate in deſcribing the particular Niceties obſerv'd in the Roman racing: Thoſe are not now obſerv'd amongſt us, and therefore we muſt be content with ſuch Expreſſions as our Language will afford.

14. An Exerciſe much us'd amongſt the Romans; the Horſe-man rode one Horſe, and led another, and in the midſt of the Race would throw himſelf on the led Horſe, and ſo back again as often as he was required; or elſe would ſtand upon the Horſes back, and in that poſture ride the Courſe.

15. Salmoneus built a Bridge of Braſs, and driving Chariots over it fancy'd he Thundred: This he did to procure himſelf divine Honours, but was kill'd by a Thunder-bolt for his impious attempt.

16. The Poets fancy'd Bellerophon rode upon the flying Horſe Pegaſus.

17. A Family amongſt the Romans, famous for their ſeditious Harangues, which they made to the People of Rome out of the Desks, or Roſtra, ſtanding in the Market place.

18. Amongſt the Romans one Man would take ſeveral Balls, and toſs them, ſometimes behind, and ſometimes before, now on this hand, and now on the other, ſo that ſome of them ſhould be always up in the Air: And this feat of Activity Manilius Deſcribes.

19. The Story of Meleager runs thus: At his Birth his Mother heard one of the Deſtinies ſay, the Child ſhould live till the ſtick that then lay in the Fire was burnt: The Mother ſnatch'd the ſtick out of the Fire, and perſerv'd it. When Meleager was grown a Man, he with a great many others went to hunt a Wild Bore; at the ſame time Atalante a Nymph of extraordinary Beauty came into the Field, and had the good Fortune to wound the Bore firſt: Meleager fell in Love with Atalante, and having kill'd the Bore preſented the Head to her: His two Uncles who were preſent at the Hunting thought themſelves injur'd, and would not ſuffer a Woman to carry off their Spoil. Meleager in defence of Atalante kills his two Uncles: Meleager's Mother, to revenge the Death of her two Brothers, puts the ſtick into the Fire, as that burnt Meleager waſted.

20. Formidine Mortis: Huetius Reads Formidine Pennae: For when they Hunted, they us'd to ſee ſtakes in the ground, to which they ty'd Feathers which frighted the Deer, and made them keep within that compaſs, or take that way the Hunters thought moſt convenient for their ſport.

21. Philoctetes was Servant to Hercules, and when Hercules burnt himſelf, he left his Bow and Arrows to Philoctetes: Without theſe Arrows Troy could not be taken: Now it happened that Philoctetes, either by a contrivance of Vlyſſes, or becauſe, being wounded by one of the Poiſoned Arrows, he became offenſive to the Grecian Camp, was ſent away to Lemnos: But the Siege going on ſlowly, he was fetcht back again: With his Arrows he killed the chiefeſt of the Remaining Commanders, and ſo Troy was taken.

22. Teucer was Brother to Ajax, and he with his Bow beat back Hector when he came to burn the Grecian Navy.

23. The following Verſes relate to Alcon the Cretan, who ſhot a Snake that lay twiſted round the Head of his Son, and did not touch the Boy.

24. This Goat or Hoedus Scaliger could not find, but Huetius ſays, the Single Hoedus is put by Manilius for thoſe two Haedi that are in the left hand of Heniochus, or the Driver. Thus Horace.

—Archeri cadentis

Impetus, aut orientis Hoedi,

and Propertius Purus & Orion, purus & Hoedus erit.

25. The Poets fancy'd Orpheus went down to Hell, charm'd Pluto and the Deſtinies, and brought back his Wife Eurydice.

26. Alluding to the Fable, which ſays Jupiter Courted Leda in the ſhape of a Swan.

27. Several Feats of Activity amongſt the Romans, in which they equall'd if not excell'd all the following Ages.

28. The common Subjects upon which Sophocles, Euripides, and other Tragaedians amongſt the Ancients wrote their Plays.

29. A fam'd Comedian, who flouriſh'd in the hundred and fourteenth Olympiad.

30. Pompey having conquered Mithridates, brought to Rome more valuable Jewels than ever had been ſeen there: And from that time, as Pliny in the firſt Chapter of his 37th. Book complains, the Romans began to value and admire Jewels.

31. The Romans did not only put Notorious Malefactors in Chains, but likewiſe chained them to their Keepers; and this Cuſtom the Poet hints at.

32. Voſſius out of his Ancient Manuſcript reads,

Et Coeli meditatus iter veſtigia perdet,

Et Perna pendens populum ſuspendet ab ipſa.

33. Theſe were the ſeveral Orders in the Roman Common-Wealth.

FINIS.

INDEX.

A.

• AStronomy, its riſe and progreſs, part 1. p. 3.
• Axis of the World, part 1. p. 13.
• Plague of Athens, part 1. p. 34.
• Aſpects, part 1. p. 60.
• Aſpects friendly and unfriendly, part 1. p. 74.
• Aries's Influence, part 2. p. 9. et 24.
• Aquarius's Influence, part 2. p. 15. et 27.
• Aſtronomy to be ſtudied, part 2. p. 39.
• Aries's Influence when join'd with other Conſtellations, part 2. p. 56.
• Aquarius's Influence when joyn'd with other Conſtellations, part 2. p. 72.
• The Fable of Andromeda, part 2. p. 76.

C.

• Northern Conſtellations, part 1. p. 14.
• Southern Conſtellations, part 1. p. 17.
• Figures of the Conſtellations not real, part 1. p. 20.
• Northern Polar Circle, part 1. p. 24.
• Tropical Circle of Cancer, part 1. p. 24.
• Equinoctial Circle, part 1. p. 24.
• Tropick of Capricorn, part 1. p. 24.
• Southern Polar Circle, part 1. p. 25.
• The Colures, part 1. p. 25.
• Comets preſage, part 1. p. 34.
• Chaldeans refuted, part 1. p. 106. and 110.
• Cancer's Influence, part 2. p. 11 et 25.
• Capricorn's Influence, part 2. p. 14. et 27.
• Countries govern'd by particular Signs, part 2. p. 36.
• The Influence of Cancer join'd with other Conſtellations, part 2. p. 61.
• Capricorn's Influence when join'd with other Conſtellations, part 2. p. 70.

D

• Dodecatemorion, part 1. p. 76.
• Dodecatemoria of the Planets, part 1. p. 77.
• Day Births, part 1. p. 104.
• Bad and good Degrees of Signs, part 2. p. 21.

E.

• Earth the Center of the Vniverſe, part 1. p. 9.
• Earth round, part 1. p. 10.
• Geographical deſcription of the Earth, part 2. p. 28.
• Eccliptick Signs, part 2. p. 38.

F.

• Friendſhip, part 1. p. 72.
• Fortune's Lot, part 1. p. 103.
• Fate, part 2. p. 4.

G.

• Guardians of the Signs, part 1. p. 66.
• Gemini's Influence, part 2. p. 10. et 25.
• The Influence of Gemini when join'd with other Conſtellations, part 2. p. 60.

H.

• Horizon, part 1. p. 26.
• Influence of the Heavens, part 1. p. 51.
• Signs hear and ſee, love and hate each other, part 1. p. 67.
• The Celeſtial Houſes, part 1. p. 80.
• Horoſcope, part 1. p. 105.
• Hours various, part 1. p. 106.

L.

• Twelve Lots of the twelve Signs, part 1. p. 99.
• Leo's Influence, part 2. p. 11. et 26.
• Libra's Influence, part 2. p. 13. et 26.
• Leo's Influence when join'd with other Conſtellations, part 2. p. 63.
• Libra's Influence when join'd with other Conſtellations, part 2. p. 66.

M.

• Meridian part 1. p. 26.
• Milky way, part 1. p. 27.
• Various Opinions about the milky way, part 1. pag. 29.
• Meteors, part 1. p. 32.
• The ſeveral Magnitudes of the Stars, p. 2. p. 82.

N.

• Night Births, part 1. p. 104.

P.

• Southern Pole like the Northern, part 1. pag. 19.
• Providence aſſerted againſt Epicurus, part 1. pag. 21.
• Planets, part 1. pag. 32.
• Piſces's Influence, part 2. p. 15. & 27.
• Piſces Influence joyn'd with other Conſtellations, part 2. pag. 76.

Q.

• Quadrates, part 1. pag. 61.

S.

• Soul of the World, part 1. p. 12. & 51.
• The ſeveral kinds or ſorts of Signs, part 1. p. 55.
• Sextiles, part 1. p. 63.
• Stadia, part 1. p. 108,
• The ſeveral poſitions of the Sphere, part 1. p. 110.
• Scorpio's Influence, part 2. p. 13. et 26.
• Sagittarius Influence, part 2. p. 14. et 27.
• Sagittarius Influence when join'd with other Conſtellations, part 2. p. 69.
• Scorpio's Influence when join'd with other Conſtellations, part 2. p. 68.

T.

• Trines part 1. p. 60.
• Taurus's Influence, part 2. p, 10. et 25.
• Tenths, or Lords of the Signs, part 2. p. 16.
• The Influence of Taurus join'd with other Conſtellations, part 2. p. 60.

V.

• Virgo's Influence, part 2. p. 12. et 26.
• Virgo's Influence when join'd with other Conſtellations, part 2. p. 65.

W.

• Different Opinions about the Beginning of the World, part 1. p. 7.
• The order of the World, part 1. p. 8.
• The bigneſs of the World, part 1. p. 23.
• The World animate, part 1. p. 51.
• Winds cardinal and collateral, part. 2. p. 28.

Z.

• Signs of the Zodiack, part 1. p. 13.
• Zodiack, part 1. p. 27.

ERRATA.

Part I.

PAg. 5. lin. 7. read lookt. pag. 12. l. 2. r. feet. p. 15. l. 27. r. ſtretch. p. 16. l. 33. r. the Tempeſts. p. 19. l. 15. r. their ſtarry. p. 24 l. 15. r. Light. l. 18. r. Summer's Solſtice. l. 22. r. ſees. p. 46. l. 19. r. Fayus. p. 47. laſt line r. World. p. 49. l. 6. r. preſide. p. 51. l. 22. r. Purle. p. 53. l. 2. r. draws. p. 59. l. 13. r. Cretan. p. 65. l. 31. r. Times. p. 66. l. 17. r. to more. p. 70. l. 16. r. then. p. 75. l. 26. r. which, and marks. p. 76. l. 21. r. which. p. 77. l. 10. r. Twelfth. p. 82. l. 32. r. point. p. 83. l. 6. r. Influence. p. 84. l. 6. read Typhoeus. l. 16. r. tis. p. 86. l. 17. r. the. p. 97. l. 9. r. ſells. p. 100. l. 27. r. ſpeeds. p. 104. l. 4. r. unfold. p. 107. l. 23. r. Carr. p. 109. l. 8. r. do equal. p. 110. l. 26. r. ſite. p. 114. in the margin blot out the Trine. l. 24. r. regularly. p. 116. l. 13. r. longeſt. p. 119. l. 15. r. ſhe. p. 121. l. 28. r. fails. p. 124. l. 8. r. is.

Part II.

PAg. 4. lin. 24. read Marius. p. 8. l. 10. r. enlarge. l. 19. r. Succeſſes. p. 10. l. 18. r. waſts. p. 16. l. 28. r. o're-ſpread. p. 17. l. 2. r. in a Diſguiſe. p. 26. l. 3. r. averſe. p. 31. l. 2. r. ſtood. p. 32. l. 7. r. which. p. 33. l. 21. r. manly, l. 28. r. flats. p. 39. l. 7. r. Pairs. p. 55. l. 9. r. Carr. l. 30. r. Carrs. p. 59. l. 6. r. makes. p. 67. l. 18. r. growing. p. 70. l. 18. r. kiſs. p. 72. l. 33. r. who. p. 83. l. 22. r. nor.

Marginal notes

1. Vid. Not. ad Lucianum. ↩
2. By Scaliger and Huetius. ↩
3. Nat. Hiſt. lib. 36. cap. 10. ↩
4. Gerbertus Rhemenſis Biſhop of Ravenna, and afterward Pope of Rome, Epiſt. 130. Age verò, Te ſolo conſcio, ex tuis ſumptibus fac mihi ſcribantur Marcus Manilius de Aſtrologia, Victorinus de Rhetorica, &c. ↩
5. De Ponto, lib. 4. Ep. 16. ↩
6. This Huetius affirms, but is undoubtedly miſtaken. ↩
7. Ovid. ibid. ↩
8. Aptaque venanti Gratius arma dedit. Ovid. ibid. ↩
9. Inſtit. lib. 10. Cap. 1. ↩
10. Inſtit. lib. 1. cap. 10. ↩
11. Praef. ↩
12. Lib. de Poet. Hiſt. dial. 4. ↩
13. Lib. 1. v. 7. ↩
14. Lib. 1. v. 10. ↩
15. Lib. 1. v. 906. ↩
16. Lib. 1. v. 918. ↩
17. Lib. 4. v. 763. ↩
18. Lib. 1. v. 896. ↩
19. Lib. 1. v. 912. ↩
20. Not. in Lib. 6. Lucretij. ↩
21. De Arte Gram. lib. 2. cap. 26. ↩
22. Lib. de Poet. Lat. ↩
23. Phyſ. Sect. 2. lib. 6. cap. 2. Ptolomaeus, Firmicus, Manilius primarij hujus Artis Script[•]res. vid. etiam p. 717. & pag. 740. ↩
24. vid. Cambd. Epiſt. p. 260. ↩
25. Vid. Not. in Statij. lib. 3. Syl. Carm. 3. ↩
26. His Electa were almoſt finiſht A. D. 1618. vid. Cambd. Epiſt. p. 259. ↩
27. De praeſtantia & Vſu Numiſmatum. pag. 643. ↩
28. Cod. Theod. l. 38. t. 1. de Decur. ↩
29. Not. ad Manil. ↩
30. Sal. de An. Climact. p. 560. ↩
31. Not. ad lib. 4. v. 298. ↩
32. Lib. de Poet. 3. Dial. 4. ↩
33. Scal. Proleg. in Manilium. p. 3. ↩
34. Praef. ad Not. ↩
35. Not. ad Aug. ſcript. ↩
36. Vid. Not. in Manil. ↩
37. De Poet. Lat. ↩
38. The Editor of Manilius in uſum Delphini. ↩
39. De Mallii Theod. Conſul. v. 251. ↩
40. ibid. 274. ↩
41. ibid. v. 126. ↩
42. ibid. v. 332. ↩
43. ibid! v. 84. ↩
44. Ibid. v. 65. ↩
45. Ibid. v. 253. ↩
46. ibid. v. 101. ↩
47. Lib. 1. v. 7. ↩
48. lib. 1. v. 9. et 924. ↩
49. lib. 2. v. 509. ↩
50. Car. lib. 1. Od. 2. Hic ames dici Pater atque Princeps. ↩
51. Virg. Ec. 1. et Georg. 1. ↩
52. [〈…〉] Aug. cap. 94. ↩
53. de Num. Herod. p. 9. ↩
54. Proleg. in Manil. p. 2. ↩
55. Vid. Sir Edward Shirburn's Preface to the Sphere of Manilius. ↩
56. De Poet. Lat. ↩
57. Hiſt. Com. Tom. 1. ↩
58. Vid Salmatium ad Solinum, p. ↩
59. Vid Plin. Nat. Hiſt. lib. 10. cap. 2. ↩
60. De Ling. Lat. lib. 4. et 6. ↩
61. Sir Edward Shirburn's pref. ↩
62. Lib. 3. v. 22. ↩
63. Lib. 3. v. 21. ↩
64. Lib. 4. v. 761. ↩
65. Dion Caſſius, p. 634. ↩
66. Vell. Paterculus, lib. 2. cap. 99. ↩
67. lib. 1. v. 894. ↩
68. Dion Caſſius, lib. 56. ↩
69. Lib. 4. v. 40. ↩
70. Lib. 4. v. 764. ↩
71. Lib. 2. cap. 99. ↩
72. Lib. 4. v. 7[•]5. ↩
73. Italia ſummà, quam rerum maxima Roma Impoſuit terris, Coeloque adjungitur Ipſa. Lib. 4. v. 692. ↩
74. Lib. 36. cap. 10. ↩
75. The Subject of the Poem. ↩
76. The Invocation. ↩
77. The Difficulty. ↩
78. I. The Riſe and Progreſs of Aſtronomy, ↩
79. II. Different Opinions about the beginning of the World. ↩
80. III. The Order of the Frame. ↩
81. IV. The Earth lies in the midſt of the World. ↩
82. V. The Earth is round. ↩
83. Firſt Argument. ↩
84. Second Argument. ↩
85. VI. God the Soul of the World. ↩
86. VII. The Signs of the Zodiack. ↩
87. VIII. The Axis. ↩
88. IX. The great Bear. ↩
89. The little Bear. ↩
90. The Serpent. ↩
91. Hercules. ↩
92. Bootes. ↩
93. Arcturus. ↩
94. The Crown. ↩
95. The Harp. ↩
96. Ophiuchus. ↩
97. The Swan. ↩
98. The Arrow. ↩
99. The Eagle. ↩
100. The Dolphin. ↩
101. The Horſe. ↩
102. Andromeda. ↩
103. Perſeus. ↩
104. The Triangle. ↩
105. Cepheus and Caſſiopcia. ↩
106. Heniochus. ↩
107. The Hoedi. ↩
108. The Goat. ↩
109. The Pleiades and Hyades. ↩
110. X. ↩
111. Orion. ↩
112. The Dog-Star. ↩
113. Procyon. ↩
114. The Hare. ↩
115. Argo. ↩
116. The Serpent. ↩
117. The Crow. ↩
118. The Cup. ↩
119. The Altar. ↩
120. The Whale. ↩
121. The Southern Fiſh. ↩
122. The Flouds. ↩
123. The Southern Pole. ↩
124. XI. The Figures of the Conſtellations onely fanſied. ↩
125. XII. Providence againſt the Epicureans. ↩
126. XIII. The bigneſs of the World. ↩
127. XIV. ↩
128. The Northern Polar Circle. ↩
129. The Tropical Circle of Cancer, or Summer Solſtice. ↩
130. The Equinoctial. ↩
131. The Tropick of Capricorn. ↩
132. The Southern Polar Circle. ↩
133. The Colure. ↩
134. The Aequinoctial Colure. ↩
135. The Solſticial Colure. ↩
136. The Meridian. ↩
137. The Horizon. ↩
138. The Zodiack. ↩
139. XV. The Milky way. ↩
140. Various Opinions about the Milky way. ↩
141. XVI. The Planets. ↩
142. XVII. Meteors. ↩
143. Several ſorts of Meteors. ↩
144. Stella Crinita. ↩
145. Barbara▪ ↩
146. Trabs. ↩
147. Pithetes. ↩
148. Boſtruchias. ↩
149. Lampadias. ↩
150. Stipulae ardentes. ↩
151. Stella cadens. ↩
152. Acontiae. ↩
153. Different Opinions about Meteors. ↩
154. Comets preſage. ↩
155. The Plague of Athens. ↩
156. Wars. ↩
157. Homer. ↩
158. Homer. ↩
159. Heſiod. ↩
160. Eratoſthenes. ↩
161. Theocritus. ↩
162. Macer. ↩
163. Nicander. ↩
164. Some old Poet who deſcrib'd Hell. ↩
165. 1. The World an Animal, and God the Soul of it. ↩
166. 2. The Influence of the Heavens. ↩
167. 3. ↩
168. 4. Male and Female Signs. ↩
169. 5. Humane and Brute Signs. ↩
170. 6. Single and Double Signs. ↩
171. 7. Pairs. ↩
172. 8. Double Signs of different Species. ↩
173. 9. Double Signs by Place. ↩
174. Signs of natural or unnatural Poſtures. ↩
175. Day Signs and Night Signs. ↩
176. Earth and Water Signs. ↩
177. Fruitful and Barren Signs. ↩
178. Signs of different Poſtures. ↩
179. Maimed and intire Signs. ↩
180. Seaſon Signs. ↩
181. The various Configurations or Aſpects. ↩
182. See Fig. 1. ↩
183. Trines. ↩
184. Quadrates. ↩
185. See Fig. 2. ↩
186. Cautions concerning Squares and Trines. ↩
187. 21. The Intercourſe of Trines and Squares. ↩
188. See Fig. 3. ↩
189. 22. Of Sentiles ↩
190. See Fig. 4. ↩
191. 23. Of Contiguous Signs. ↩
192. 24. Of Vnequal Signs. ↩
193. See Fig. 4. ↩
194. 25. Of Oppoſites. ↩
195. See Fig. 4. ↩
196. 26. The Guardians of the Signs. ↩
197. 27. Signs for the ſeveral parts of the Body. ↩
198. 28. Signs that See, Hear, Love, or Hate. ↩
199. See Fig. 5. 6, 7, and 8. ↩
200. 29. A ſhort digreſſion concerning Friendſhip. ↩
201. 30. The friendly and unfriendly Aſpects. ↩
202. See Fig. 1. ↩
203. Trines. See Fig. 1. ↩
204. 31. Dedecatemorion. ↩
205. 32. The Dodecatemoria of the Planets. ↩
206. XXXIII. The Celestial Houſes. ↩
207. The Hinges. See Fig. 10. ↩
208. The Medium Coeli. ↩
209. The Imum Coeli. ↩
210. The Horoſcope. or Eaſtern Point. ↩
211. The Weſtern Point. ↩
212. The intermediate Spacers. ↩
213. See Fig. 9. ↩
214. The Twelfth and Sixth Houſes. ↩
215. See fig 9th. ↩
216. The Second and Eighth Houſes. ↩
217. See fig. 9th. ↩
218. The Eleventh houſe ↩
219. See fig. 9th. ↩
220. The fifth Houſe. See fig. 9th. ↩
221. The third and ninth Houſes. ↩
222. See fig. 9. ↩
223. The ninth Houſe. ↩
224. The third Houſe. ↩
225. The tenth Houſe. ↩
226. See fig. 9. ↩
227. The fourth Houſe. ↩
228. See fig. 9. ↩
229. The firſt Houſe. ↩
230. See fig. 9. ↩
231. The ſeventh Houſe. ↩
232. 1. ↩
233. 2. The twelve Lots of the twelve Signs. ↩
234. 3. ↩
235. Firſt Lot. ↩
236. Vid. Fig. 11 ↩
237. Second Lot. ↩
238. Third Lot. ↩
239. Fourth Lot. ↩
240. Fifth Lot. ↩
241. Sixth Lot. ↩
242. Seventh Lot. ↩
243. Eighth Lot. ↩
244. Ninth Lot. ↩
245. Tenth Lot. ↩
246. Eleventh Lot. ↩
247. Twelfth Lot. ↩
248. IV. How the Lots are to be ſuited to the Signs. ↩
249. When the Birth belongs to Day. ↩
250. When to Night. ↩
251. V. How to find the Horoſcope ↩
252. VI. The Chaldaeans refuted. ↩
253. The firſt Argument againſt the Chaldaeans. ↩
254. The Second Argument. ↩
255. VII. How to find the different lengths of Days and Nights, and to find the Horoſcope. ↩
256. The riſing and Setting of the Signs firſt. By Stadia: and Hours. ↩
257. Another Method. ↩
258. VIII. Third Argument againſt the Chaldaeans. ↩
259. The length of Days and Nights in a Direct Sphere. ↩
260. In an Oblique Sphere. ↩
261. On this ſide the Arctick Circle. ↩
262. Beyond the Arctick Circle. ↩
263. In an erect or parallel Sphere. ↩
264. 9. Another way to find the Trine the Signs Riſing and Setting by Hours. ↩
265. By Stadia. ↩
266. 10. How Days encreaſe from Capricorn [〈◊〉] Cancer. ↩
267. 11. The Years, Months, Days, and Hours of Signs. ↩
268. Some Astrologers Opinion. concerning the Years, Months and Days of Signs. ↩
269. Refuted. ↩
270. 12. How many Years belong to each Sign and Station. ↩
271. Vid. Fig. 9. ↩
272. 13. The Tropick Signs ↩
273. Cancer. ↩
274. Capricorn ↩
275. Aries. ↩
276. Libra. ↩
277. What Degrees in the Tropick Signs are to be conſidered. ↩
278. Short Reflections on the Cares of Men. ↩
279. 1. The firſt Argument for Fate. ↩
280. II. Second Argument. ↩
281. III. Third Argument. ↩
282. IV. Fourth Argument. ↩
283. V. Fifth Argument. ↩
284. VI. Sixth Argument. ↩
285. VII. Seventh Argument. ↩
286. VIII. An Objection anſwer'd. ↩
287. IX. The Influence of the Signs. ↩
288. X. Of Aries. ↩
289. XI. Of Taurus. ↩
290. XII. Of Gemini. ↩
291. XIII. Of Cancer. ↩
292. XIV. Of Leo. ↩
293. XV. Of Virgo. ↩
294. XVI. Of Libra. ↩
295. XVII. Of Scorpio. ↩
296. XVIII. Of Sagittarius. ↩
297. XIX. Of Capricorn. ↩
298. XX. Of Aquarius. ↩
299. XXI. Of Piſces. ↩
300. XXII. The Tenths and the Lords of the third part of each ſign. ↩
301. Of Aries. ↩
302. Of Taurus. ↩
303. Of Gemini. ↩
304. Of Cancer▪ ↩
305. Of Leo. ↩
306. In Cancer. ↩
307. In Libra. ↩
308. In Scorpio. ↩
309. In Capricorn. ↩
310. In Aquarius. ↩
311. In Piſces. ↩
312. The uſefulneſs of this Doctrin of the Lords. ↩
313. XXIII. Encouragements to this Study. ↩
314. XXIV. The Good and Bad Degrees of each Sign. ↩
315. The difficulty of putting this Doctrin into Verſe. ↩
316. The hurtful Degrees in Aries. ↩
317. In Taurus. ↩
318. In Gemini. ↩
319. In Cancer. ↩
320. In Leo. ↩
321. In Virgo. ↩
322. In Libra. ↩
323. In Scorpio. ↩
324. In Sagittarius. ↩
325. In Capricorn. ↩
326. In Aquarius. ↩
327. In Piſces. ↩
328. XXV. How the Signs Act when they riſe. ↩
329. Aries. ↩
330. Taurus. ↩
331. Gemini. ↩
332. Cancer. ↩
333. Leo. ↩
334. Virgo. ↩
335. Libra. ↩
336. Scorpio. ↩
337. Sagittarius. ↩
338. Capricornus. ↩
339. Aquarius. ↩
340. Piſces. ↩
341. The winds call'd Cardinal. ↩
342. The Collateral winds. ↩
343. The Mediterranean Sea and and the ſeveral parts of it. ↩
344. The Iſlands of the Mediter-anean. ↩
345. The Caſpian Sea. ↩
346. The Perſian Gulph. ↩
347. The Arabian Gulph. ↩
348. Africa. ↩
349. Aſia. ↩
350. Europe. ↩
351. What Signs govern each Country. ↩
352. Why different Countreys bear Men of different Shapes and Colours. ↩
353. What Countreys are govern'd by Aries. ↩
354. By Taurus. ↩
355. By Gemini. ↩
356. By Cancer. ↩
357. By Leo. ↩
358. By Virgo. ↩
359. By Libra. ↩
360. By Scorpio. ↩
361. By Sagittarius. ↩
362. By Capricornus. ↩
363. By Aquarius. ↩
364. By Piſces. ↩
365. What Influence theſe Signs have in the ſeveveral Countries ſubject to their Rule. ↩
366. XXVII. What Signs are Eccliptick. ↩
367. Why call'd Eccliptick. ↩
368. In what Order the Eccliptick ſucceed one another. ↩
369. XXVIII. This Artho' difficult, yet may be obtain'd. ↩
370. The deſign of the Fifth Book. ↩
371. The Southern Conſtellations. ↩
372. The Northern Conſtellations. ↩
373. II. What Conſtellations riſe with Aries. ↩
374. The Ship. ↩
375. III. Orion. ↩
376. IV. Heniochus, or the Driver. ↩
377. V. The Hoedi, or the Kids. ↩
378. VI. The Hyades. ↩
379. VII. The Goat. ↩
380. VIII. What Conſtellations riſe with Taurus. ↩
381. The Pleiades. ↩
382. IX. What Conſtellations riſe with the Twins. ↩
383. The Hare. ↩
384. X. What Conſtellations riſe with Cancer. ↩
385. The Aſſes. ↩
386. XI. Procyon, or the little Dog. ↩
387. XII. What Conſtellations riſe with the Lion. ↩
388. The great Dog. ↩
389. XIII. The Bowl. ↩
390. XIV. What Conſtellations riſe with Virgo. ↩
391. The Crown[•] ↩
392. XV. The Sheaf. ↩
393. XVI. What Conſtellations riſe with Libra. ↩
394. XVII. The Goat. ↩
395. XVIII. The Harp. ↩
396. XIX. What Conſtellations riſe with Scorpio. ↩
397. The Altar. ↩
398. XX. The Centaur. ↩
399. XXI. What Conſtellations riſe with Sagittarius. ↩
400. Arcturus. ↩
401. XXII. The Swan. ↩
402. XXIII. With Capricorn riſeth Ophieuchus. ↩
403. XXIV. The South Fiſh. ↩
404. XXV. The Strings of the Harp. ↩
405. XXVI. The Dolphin. ↩
406. XXVII. What Conſtellations riſe with Aquarius. Cepheus. ↩
407. XVIII. [•]he Ea[••]e. ↩
408. XXIX. Caſſiopeia. ↩
409. XXX. What Conſtellations riſe with Piſces. ↩
410. Andromeda. ↩
411. XXXI. The Horſe. ↩
412. XXXII. Hercules, or the Kneeling Conſtellation. ↩
413. XXXIII. The Whale ↩
414. The riſing of the two Bears. ↩
415. The ſeveral magnitudes of the Stars. ↩