220 Signatures and Astrology [ch. viii 



be Physitians, who are not Artists in Astrology, as if he 

 and some other Figure-flingers his companions, had been the 

 onely Physitians in England, whereas for ought I can 

 gather, either by his Books, or learne from the report of 

 others, he was a man very ignorant in the forme of 

 Simples." 



It is interesting to notice that Cole, though he seems to 

 the modern reader very credulous on the subject of the 

 signatures of plants, was completely sceptical as to the 

 association of astrology and botany. The main argument 

 by which he tries to discredit it is an ingenious one. The 

 knowledge of herbs is, he says, "a subject as antient as the 

 Creation (as the Scriptures witnesse) yea more antient then 

 the Sunne, or Moon, or Starres, they being created on the 

 fourth day, whereas Plants were the third. Thus did God 

 even at first confute the folly of those Astrologers, who goe 

 about to maintaine that all vegitables in their growth, are 

 enslaved to a necessary and unavoidable dependance on the 

 influences of the Starres ; Whereas Plants were, even 

 when Planets were not." 



