The eighteenth Booke of 



by hirnfelfc,that the Suiine (hould be cntrcd into Scorpio, and paft twelve degrees thereof, the Q 

 Moone being at the fame time in Taurus . 



Now followeth the deepe queftion tcrbe difcuffed &r dctermincdj As touching the fit lime and 

 feafon of fowing corne : which I have put oflF and deferred to this prefent place. And this would 

 bee handled and confidered upon with exceeding great care and regard jas depending for the 

 moft part of Aftronomie, and requiring good infight in the courfe and motion of the Planets, 

 in the orderalfo and influence of the fixed ftars .-and therefore I purpofc tolay abroad the opini- 

 ons and judgements of auncient writers principally in that behalfe.To begin therefore with Ht- 

 fiodtif^Q^ZQixKd the prince and cheefe of allthofethatgavepreceptsof Agriculture, hthaihfct 

 downe onecer taine time of Seednes,to wit,prefcntly attcr the fall or occultation of the ftar Ver- 

 gili^,;.thc Brood-hen: and no marvcll, for he wratetkat booke of his in Boeotia, acountrey in 

 the very heart of Hellas or Greece, rcfpedively to his owne countreymen and that climate : and 

 in very truth that was the time of fowing there,as we have noted and fpecified alreadie. Thebeft 

 Authors of name,and who have written moft exadlyofthis argument, are all agreed upon this 

 point and conclufion,faymgjThat as allfoules of the aire and four-footed beafts have their due 

 feafon of cngendringjcven fo thereisacertaine timc,when as the earth isasit werein the ruir^ 

 and hath a luft to be conceived. TheGreckesingeneralltcarmeshavedefcribed that feafon in 

 thiswife,namely,When the earth is bote and moift.r/r^// giveth a precept to fow the common 

 wheat Triiicum, and the red bearded wheat Far, after the retrait or departure aforefaid of the 

 Brood-hen VergilisE.Asfor Barley, he would have it caft into the ground between the^Equinox 

 in Autumne, and the Winter Sunne>ftced : but Vetches, Kidney beanesjand Lentils,at the fct- j 

 ting or going downe of the ftar Bootes.Which being fojit would do well to digeft the rifing and 

 falling both of thefe ftars and alfo of othersjinio their fet daicsj to Hiew (I fay) at what fixed tiaic 

 they appeare, and when againe they are hidden. Some there bee who arc of opinionjThat it is 

 good ibwing even before the occultation of the faid ftar Vergilize, but in a drie ground only and 

 in hotecountries:forfo(fay they)will the feed fwell & mortifie the betterjwhich the naturall hu- 

 miditie onely of the earth is fufficient to putrifie and prepare fo,that when the next raine falleth, 

 it will be readie to fpurt and chit within a day .Others attend and wait feven daies after the retrait^ 

 of the forefaid Brood-henjfor the raine that commonly falleth about that time.There be again 

 jthat begin to fow in cold regions immediately after the iEquinoxin Autumnc :but in hot coun- 

 tries they be later in their feednes, for feare that the corne would bee Winter-prowd, and grow ^ 

 overmuch before the cold weather come.But all writers accord herein,that it is not good fowing 

 about the Winter Solfticc,when the daies be at the fhorteft : the reafon is very pregnant & ap- 

 parant,for Winter feed if it be fowne before midwinter, will fpurt and fpring at the feven-nights 

 end *, fow after that time, you fhall have it lie in the ground fortie daies before it make any fhew 

 of comming up.Many make haft and put their feed into the ground betimes, and this proverbe 

 they have ulually in their moiMh^WeUmAy overtimelj andhafiiefomng Qftentmeif^ikybutlAttfO' 

 voing (hailevet miffe anH deceive i he Ulfd/^ifr.ContrariwifeiOdiers there are of this mind,That it 

 were better ftaying untill the Spring to doc it well & furelyjrather than to fow in a bad Autumne^ 

 and put it to the hazard of loofing all. If there bee no remedie therefore, but to take the Spring 

 feafon, a man muft make choice of the time betweene the middcft of Februarie[ac what time as r 

 the Weft wind Favonius doth rife and begin to blowjand the ^Equinox in March . Some have 

 no regard at all to the conftitution and figure of the heavens in this cafe ; thinking the rifing and 

 falling of ftarresjthe courfe and motions ofcoeleftiall bodies^to be frivolous matters & nothing 

 pertinent to this purpofe,but content themfelves onely with obfervingthecardinail feafonsof 

 theyeare,andfomeothertimcs,inageneralitic. In the Spring (fay they) fowLineleed, Otes^ 

 and Poppies, and fo hold on unto the feftivall holydaies of cJW/werw, called Quinquatrus ; like 

 as at this day throughout all Lombardie and beyond the Po, they goe by no other rule. As for 

 Beanes,and the fine wheat SiligOjput them into the ground in the moncih of November. Let 

 the Winter red wheat Far take his fortune and bee enterred,from the end of September, untill 

 the middeft or fitteenth day of October. Others goe beyond that day, and continue their Seed- M 

 ncs unto the Calends or firft day of November. Now, as thefe men have no regard at all to the 

 fpeculation ofNaturCj^nd the courfe of the ftarsjfo the other beforenamed,arc given too much 

 thereto, and rapt they arefo high among the ftars and planets, that their owne eies bee dazcled 

 therewith ; and befides/heir fubtiltics and quiddities doe blind others, confidering that the pra- 



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