A HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



they name Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter, with 

 our own Country Astrologers. They give the Name of 

 Interpreters to these Stars, because these only by a 

 peculiar Motion do portend things to come, and instead 

 of Jupiters, do declare to Men before-hand the good- 

 will of the Gods ; whereas the other Stars (not being of 

 the number of the Planets) have a constant ordinary 

 motion. Future Events (they say) are pointed at 

 sometimes by their Rising, and sometimes by their 

 Setting, and at other times by their Colour, as may be 

 experienc'd by those that will diligently observe it; 

 sometimes foreshewing Hurricanes, at other times 

 Tempestuous Rains, and then again exceeding 

 Droughts. By these, they say, are often portended 

 the appearance of Comets, Eclipses of the Sun and 

 Moon, Earthquakes and all other the various Changes 

 and remarkable effects in the Air, boding good and bad, 

 not only to Nations in general, but to Kings and Pri- 

 vate Persons in particular. Under the course of these 

 Planets, they say are Thirty Stars, which they call 

 Counselling Gods, half of whom observe what is done 

 under the Earth, and the other half take notice of the 

 actions of Men upon the Earth, and what is transacted 

 in the Heavens. Once every Ten Days space (they say) 

 one of the highest Order of these Stars descends to 

 them that are of the lowest, like a Messenger sent from 

 them above; and then again another ascends from 

 those below to them above, and that this is their con- 

 stant natural motion to continue for ever. The chief 

 of these Gods, they say, are Twelve in number, to each 

 of which they attribute a Month, and one Sign of the 

 Twelve in the Zodiack. 



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