274 T*^^ Duchess of Newcastle 



effects upon the minds of men, as upon their bodies; 

 and when I consider the various inconstancies of 

 men's minds, and the alterations and changes which 

 are in men's minds, I think they are moved and altered 

 according to the motions, and influences, and effects 

 of each planet, or star. For if we do observe, not 

 only their thoughts, passions, and affections vary 

 and alter minutely, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, 

 and yearly, but also their capacities, conceptions, 

 judgments, understandings, opinions, and wit; for 

 most have deeper capacities, higher conceptions, 

 sounder judgments, clearer understandings, probabler 

 opinions, and quicker wits, at some, than at other 

 times . As at some times they may be thought wisemen 

 and at other times mere fools, sometimes they will 

 speak very wittily, at other times mere nonsense, or 

 at least, words without wit, sometimes they will be 

 able to give as wise counsel as Nestor, Ulysses, or 

 Achitophel, at other times, they are neither able to 

 give, nor to take counsel; sometimes they conceive, 

 and understand readily and clearly, whatsoever is 

 conceivable and understandable by mankind, at other 

 times they are as if they had not sense and reason; 

 the like for the qualities, passions, affections, and 

 virtues of the mind; as at some times they are very 

 vahant, at other times mere cowards; sometimes 

 nobly generous, other times basely covetous; some- 

 times uprightly just, other times wrongfully unjust; 

 sometimes very compassionate, other times very cruel, 

 or uncharitable; sometimes so angry, as to be so 

 furious that none dare speak to them, at other times 

 so patient, as to suffer any one to pull them by the 

 nose; sometimes they love to death, and sometimes 

 they hate to death, one and the same thing; and this 

 is usual, and general amongst mankind, which makes 



