University of Virginia Library

The Antients held no Omen was so Dire,
As to Spill water, when they ta[l]kd of Fire.
And that the certainst Skemes they had of thieves
Portended those that usd to weare Long sleevs:
Believd the Stars knew less of our Affairs,
And are as unconcernd as we in theirs:
Who have no way to know, Believe, or guesse
At what they should bee by Appearances.

Whether the Fixt Stars are but Holes, to pass
Th' Empyrium through, in Bright Effluvia's
Or Suns to other worlds; It is No matter
To all our own Discoverys in Nature.

For he that only look's among the Stars
To finde the Dark Events, of Peace or wars,
And not among th' Affairs of Active men,
Do's ten times, more Ridiculously then
Hee that tooke Pills for finding-out his Ass
Altho by Accident, it came to Pass.

For those are frequentst by the Stars Detected,
Whom most of all the wizard findes suspected:
Is sure to be his own significator
Whose Influence they most of all Look after.

Astrology, and Magique, Charms, and Spels
Are all that's Left, o' th' Devils Oracles:
Have acted greater Diabolique Sorcerys,
Then all the Litters of his Lapland-Nurserys.

Fooles are Familiars to themselvs,
That serve the Cunning men for elvs:
And make them only pimp, and set,
And owne the Tricks, they Counterfet.
That Hire, and Promp them to Detect,
The Parties, whom they most suspect:
And tell them first what Kinde of Men
That they may tell it them agen.

The Factorys of Folly, and Imposture,
That with the weak, and Ignorant pas Muster:
Astrology, and all those Monstrous Fictions,
To cheat the world with Counterfet Prædictions:
That serve for nothing, if they should be tru,
But to take up misfortune, ere 'tis Due.
For Comets, and Ecclipses stil foreboad
Distruction to Mankind, but never Good:
With Chieromancy, Horoscopy, and Caball,
The Drums, and Rattles, of the Sottish Rabble
With all the vaine, Impertinent Delusion[s]
Of Frantique and Fanatique Rosi-crucians
All meant for Scarcrows false, and Counterfet,
To fright the world out of its little wit:
For all their stiff Formalitys of Arts,
Are no more Revrend, then the Beards of warts.

For did not once Astrologers perswade
Th' Inhuman Emprour Nero, to evade
The Dire Distruction, which a Star did seem,
To aime and Level Purposely at him:
To frustrat all the Black Designs of Fate,
And turn their sad Effects upon the State?

So some that passe for Deepe Astrologers
Have made great Princes Presents of New-stars,
As Virtuosos sillyly have don
And giv'n away whole Ilands in the Moon:
Although not fortifyd so Regular,
With Natrall Strength, as Castles in the Air.

Nor should their Art, or Science Mathematique
Escape the Test, which th' Antients took of Magique,
That undertake's the Universe to Fathom
From Infinite down to a single Atom.
And venturs to unriddle evry Cause
That Nature uses, by their own By-laws.
When all that's truly useful in the Art
Is no more then the mere Mechanique Part
And if they strive to aime beyond; Their Rules
Will not fit Nature and their Gresham-Schooles.
For though the Earth be Round, yet evry Span
O' th' Superficies Rests upon a Plane,
Or else Th' Antipodes could never meet
On Equal Tearms, but with their Feet to Feet:
And neither Drake, nor Candish, nor Columbus,
Had 'ere been able al the Globe to Compas,
But evry Pacquet-Boate, or Petty Trader,
Had Sunke in th' Aire, and Founderd to Nadyr.
So those that made a Planet of the Sun,
Were Ignorant of what themselvs had don:
When there's so vast a Difference, Betwixt
The Rest and him, The world believ's He's Fixt.
And all their Notions of a Planet were
To be the Thickest Part of all it's Sphere:
Can take the Height of Stars, yet do not know
Whether they are Above 'em, or Below
Or how so many worlds upon their Centers
(With all their weight) should [be] hangd up on tenters:
Believd the Spheres, were but a Nest of Boxes
Only designd for Holding Paradoxes:
Whence that of Fire, has been so long Retrencht
Of all they had Contrivd it for, and Quencht.
Have beat their Braines, about a Freak, and worme,
To Square the Circle, they could nere Perform.
Things so absurd, Ridiculous, and wild,
That now they wil not Pass upon a Child.

The Hebrew-Kalendar did never Cast
The years Accompt up, till 'twas gone, and Past;
Which shew's they gave no Credit to the stars
Or those, that Prompted them, Astrologers.