TWO PSEUDO-SCIENCES 



certain time culminated in such a conflagration, many 

 times a second but less-important burning took place, 

 in which the ambitious astrologer, or his followers, 

 took a central part about a stake, being convicted of 

 incendiarism, which they had committed in order that 

 their prophecies might be fulfilled. 



But, on the other hand, these predictions were 

 sometimes turned to account by interested friends to 

 warn certain persons of approaching dangers. 



For example, a certain astrologer foretold the death 

 of Prince Alexander de' Medici. He not only foretold 

 the death, but described so minutely the circumstances 

 that would attend it, and gave such a correct descrip- 

 tion of the assassin who should murder the prince, 

 that he was at once suspected of having a hand in the 

 assassination. It developed later, however, that such 

 was probably not the case; but that some friend of 

 Prince Alexander, knowing of the plot to take his life, 

 had induced the astrologer to foretell the event in 

 order that the prince might have timely warning and 

 so elude the conspirators. 



The cause of the decline of astrology was the growing 

 prevalence of the new spirit of experimental science. 

 Doubtless the most direct blow was dealt by the Coper- 

 nican theory. So soon as this was established, the recog- 

 nition of the earth's subordinate place in the universe 

 must have made it difficult for astronomers to be longer 

 deceived by such coincidences as had sufficed to convince 

 the observers of a more credulous generation. Tycho 

 Brahe was, perhaps, the last astronomer of prominence 

 who was a conscientious practiser of the art of the as- 

 trologer. 



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