The six books of a common-weale

SEeing that there is nothing in this world which commeth to passe by chaunce or fortune, as all diuines and the wiser sort of the Philosophers have with one common consent resolued: Wee will here in the first place set downe this maxime for a ground or foundation, That the chaunges and ruines of Commonweals, are humane, or naturall, or diuine; that is to say, That they come to passe eitheir by the onely councell and iudgement of God, without any other meine causes: or by ordinarie and naturall meanes of causes and effects, by almightie God bound in such fit order and consequence, as that those things which are first have coherence with the last; and those which are in the middest with them both: and all with all combined and bound together with an indissoluble knot and tying: which Plato according to the opinion of Homer hath called the Golden Chaine, that is to say, ---, or by the will of man, which the diuines confesse to be free, at the least concerning civill actions: howbeit that indeed it is no will at all, which in any sort whatsoeuer is enforced and bound.

Which will of man is so mutable and vncertaine, as that it should be impossible to giue [*](Mans will still mutable, and God his iudgments inscrutable, affoord no meane for man by thē to foresee the changes and ruines of Commonweales.) thereby any iudgement, to know the changes and ruines which are to fall upon Commonweales. As for the councell of God, it is inscrutable, but that he sometime by secret inspiration declareth his will, as he hath done unto his Prophets, causing them many worlds of yeres before to see the falles of many the greatest empires and Monarchies, which posteritie hath by experience found to be true. But this diuine power of the almightie most seldome times showeth it selfe immediatly without the comming betwixt of meane causes; neither doth he it without greatest force and most sudden violence: as when he in one and the selfe same moment with wonderfull fire, and reuenging flames, destroyed the five cities with Sodome and Gomorrha: and so chaunged[*](God his inmediate iudgment most suden and most dreadfull.) also the place then full of most sweet waters and aboundance of fish, with a most stinking & lothsome tast, as that it yet is vnto all kind of fish pestilent & deadly: and as for the ground it selfe, before of wonderful fertility, he so couered it with ashes and stinking sulpher, as that he seemeth in that countrey to have left no place for wholsome plants, or any kind of graine to grow in. So also he ouerwhelmed Bura and Helice, two cities of Greece, with such a deluge of water, and that so suddenly, that euen they also which were about to have fled out of the cities into the ships, being by the wonderfull rising of the waters, vnable to come to the hauen, were so all drowed. By the like wrath of God a great earthquake in a moment swallowed up three and twentie cities in Italie, where afterward the Fennes called Pontinae burst out. As in like manner twelue cities of Asia are reported to have bene all at once upon the sudden with an earthquake deuoured.

Wherefore seeing that mans wil is still diuers and mutable, & God his iudgements most secret and inscrutable: there remaineth onely to know, whether that by naturall causes (which not altogether obscure, but by a certaine constant order of causes and effects gouerned, kept their course) a man may iudge of the issue and successe of Commonweales.[*](By what naturall causes the chnges and ruines of Commonweales are to be foresee ) Yet by these naturall causes hauing in them this power (which are many and diuers) we meane not civill causes, whereunto the chaunge and ruine of cities and Commonweales must needs immediatly follow: as when good deserts goe vnrewarded, and great offences vnregarded, who knoweth not but that such a state or Commonweale must needs in short time perish and come to naught? For of all causes none is more certaine, none more weightie, and in bri---fe none neerer unto the change or ruine of a citie or Commonweale, than these. But the causes which we here seeke after, are the celestial and more remote causes▪ yet proceeding from a certaine naturall course and force: howbeit that it be good also to behold and foresee all maner of causes what soeuer. For as a painter doth one way consider of a mans bodie, and the Physitian another: and the naturall Philosopher one way considereth of the mind of man, & the diuine another: so also the Politiitan doth one way, the Astrologer another, and the diuine a third way, iudge of the change & ruine of Commonweals. The Polititian in the ruine of a citie or Commonweale, blameth the iniuries and wrongs done by the prince unto his subsects, the corruptnesse of the magistrats, with the iniquitie of the laws: The Astrologer considereth and beholdeth the force and power of the heauenly starres and planets, and thereof thinketh diuers motions to arise in mens minds, for the change and innouation of estates and Commonweales: But the Diuine constantly affirmeth all plagues, wars, dearth, destructions of cities and nations, to proceed from the contempt[*](Psl 10. Leuit. 27. Iob. 12.) * of God and of his religion, and God therefore to be angrie, and to stupifie the wisedome euen of the most wisest magistrats, and to arme euen his starres against princes. And euerie one of these have their causes, by the helpe and concourse whereof wise men may guesse the change or ruine of a citie or Commonweale. In which point we

see many to erre and be deceiued, which thinke, that to looke into the starres, and to [*](Astrologicall pre dictions, not to derogat from the maiestie and power of God.) search after their secret influencies and vertues, is in some sort to diminish the maiestie and power of almightie God: whereas to the contrarie it is thereby made much more glorious and beautifull, to do so great things by his creatures, as if he did then immediatly by his owne mightie hand, without any other meane at all.

Now what man is there of sound iudgement, which feeleth not the wonderfull[*](Nothing done by the necessitie of nature, it selfe be ing still subiect to the power of God:) force and effect of the celestiall bodies in nature in generall? Which yet for all that no necessitie of nature worketh, for that it may by almighty God be stil kept back and restrained, being himselfe free from the lawes of nature, which hee himselfe hath commaunded; not as by a decree of a Senat, or of a people, but euen of himselfe: who being of all others the greatest, can do nothing but that which is right and iust, for that he is himselfe the best, and hath a [*](Esay. 19.) perpetuall care of all people and nations, but yet therof himselfe secure, for that he is himselfe the greatest. But as all things which had beginning have also a loose and fraile dissoluable nature (as by most certaine and vndoubtfull demonstration is to be proued) it must thereof needs follow also, not onely[*](All worldly things still subiect to mutabilitie and change.) cities and Commonweals, but euen also other things, which from their first beginning have innumerable worlds of yeares flourished, must at length in tract of time fall also and take end. And albeit that Plato the prince of Phylosophers, hauing not as yet the knowledge of the celestiall motions, and so much lesse of their effects (which as then was couered in most thicke darknesse and clouds) when as he with a notable inuention had conceited such a forme of a Commonweale, as seemed unto many to bee euerlasting, if it erred not from the lawes and orders by him set downe; yet for all that he said, That it should in time perish: as he which most manifestly saw the vanitie of all things, which as they had a beginning, so were they also to take ending; nothing being still firme and stable, besides him which was the father of all things. Which being so, there be no so notable orders, no so religious lawes, no such wisedome or valour of man, which can still presetue estates or Commonweales from ruine and most certaine destruction. By which reasons, Secundus (a Philosopher of the Stoike sect) greatly comforted Pompey, discouraged and almost desperat after the Pharsalian ouerthrow. Neither yet therefore do they which thinke the course of naturall causes to concerne the changes and ruines of cities and Commonweals, thereby bind the free will of man, and much lesse almightie God himselfe unto a fatall necessitie: no not if we should deeme all things to be done by a continuat and interlaced course of forerunning naturall causes; seeing that euen nature it selfe is by the power of God kept in & restrained. Wherfore we oftentimes see both plants, and other liuing creatures, which by nature haue a certaine period of their lives, by some externall force to hasten or preuent the tearmes by nature prefined, and so sooner to die than by nature they should. And as for mankind, we have it oftentimes in holy writ recorded, That they which lead an upright & vertuous life, shall live long: whereas the wicked should shorten their dayes, and bring themselves unto a most speedie confusion and end. Whereby it appeareth certaine prefixed bounds of euerie mans life, to be by God appoined, which by sinne may bee cut shorter, and by vertue extended farther. So kingdomes also have their beginnings, their encreasings, their flourishing estates, their changings, and ruines: yet when these chaunges shall be, or ruines, or destructions betide them, we see it by no learning to bee perceiued or vnderstood. For as for that which Plato hath written, Kingdomes then to fall and take end, when as the sweet consent and harmonie of them should perish and decay; is a thing not worth the refutation: whereof yet for all that more in due place shall be said.

Now many there be, which have thought the conuersions and chaunges of estates

and Commonwealas, to depend of the force, power and motion of the superiour celestiall bodies: which to discouer, were a matter of infinit difficultie, which yet for all that should not be so great, if Commonweales should as men and other things take their beginning. And albeit that the state and ruine of Commonweales should wholly next unto God depend of those eternall lights, and of their mutuall coniunctions and oppositions, yet could thereof no certaine doctrine be delivered or gathered, for the[*](The notable tors of the Astrologers) great varietie and inconstancy of them which have obserued the force and course of the celestiall stars & orbes; insomuch, that some one hath written the same star in the selfe same moment to have beene in his direct motion, and another hath likewise written the same to be retrograde, which yet for all that, was to bee seene in the heauens stationarie and immoueable. So that they are by their owne rashnesse to be refelled, which vaunt themselves to be able without error, to foretell the force and power of the starres, upon cities and Commonweales; as also what effects they shall for many yeares to come produce, when as in the very motion of the moone, which of all the other planets hath in it least difficulty there is not one of them which well agreeth with one another. So Cyprian Leouicius, following the table of Alphonsus, (the euident error of whom Copernicus hath declared) hath made so apparant faults, as that the great coniunctions of the superior planets were seene one or two moneths after his calculation. And albeit that Gerardus Mercator have endeuoured by certaine eclipses of the sun & of the moone, by antient writers set downe, more curiously than any other, to iudge of the course and order of the whole time from the beginning of the world; yet so it is, that all his obseruations threaten a fall, as grounded upon a false supposition: which can in no wise be true, For he supposeth that in the creation of the world, the sunne was in the signe Leo, without any probable reason, following the opinion of Iulius Maternus, contrary to the opinion of the Arabians, and of all other the Astrologers, who write, that the sunne was then in the signe Aries▪ being yet both therein deceiued▪ these, six signes; and Mercator too. For why it is manifestly to bee proued, not onely by the most antient orders and customes of all people, but by the most diuine testimonies of holy scripture also, The sunne in the creation of the world, to have bene[*](The sunne in the creation of the world to have bene in the sign Libra. Exod. 23. ver. 16 Exod. 11. ver. ) in the signe Libra: wherby the Feast of the gathering of the fruits is commanded to be kept the last day of the yere, that is to say, the two and twentith day of the seuenth moneth; which Moses hath expresly written to have bene the first, before the departure of the people out of Aegypt. Which to the intent it might be the lesse doubted of, wee reade to be oftentimes by him repeated: for when he had cōmanded the feast day Abib, that is to say, The feast of weeks, which the Greeks call ---: he ioyneth herunto these words, ---, that is to say, And the feast of the gathering of fruits in the end of the yere. But the last moment of the yeare past, is the beginning of the yere following; as Orus Apollo writeth, the Aegyptians to have declared the reuolution of the yeare, by a dragon turned about into a circle. But Iosephus, the best interpreter of antiquity, declareth the moneth Abib, which of th Chaldaies is called Niscan, and of vs before, March, but now Aprill, to have beene in order the first for the deliverance of the people out of the bondage of Aegypt: but yet the moneth which of the Chaldeis is called Ethanim, of the Hebrewes Tisri, which was our October, but afterward fell into our September, to have bene by nature the first. All which, not onely Iosephus, but almost all the Hebrew Rabines also, namely Eleazar, Abraham, Ezra, Ionathas the Chaldean interpreter, with almost all the rest, constantly affirme. Which for that it hath great force for the discerning of the ruines of Commonweales, is of vs[*](The world to have taken beginning in Autumne.) more manifestly to be explaned. The antient schoole of the Hebrewes, begin the reading of Moises his bookes, the Genesis, in Autumne: and Samuel, the most antient Rabine of the Hebrewes, appointeth the first Tecupa, or yearely conuersion of the yeare, in the Autumne equinoctiall: whereby it is manifest, the doctrine and customes of that most antient nation, to concurre and agree with the law of God. The same was the doctrine of the old Aegyptians and Chaldies also, concerning the beginning of the yeare, from whom all the mathematicall scienses tooke not onely their beginning, but were from them to all other nations of the world deriued also. So Iulius Firmicus writeth, the Aegyptians hauing receiued it from their ancestors, to have delivered it unto posterity, The sunne in the beginning of the world to have bene placed in the last part of Libra. The same was also the opinion of the Indians, who are yet worshippers of the Sunne, & of the Moone, as the Spaniards have reported. And although the yere of the Grecians, tooke beginning from the summer Solstitium, yet neuerthelesse the people of Asia beganne their Olimpiades and the beginning of the yere from Autumne. The Romans also from the remembrance of most auntient aniquitie, began the yeare from[*](The auntient Ro maines to have begun the yeare in September.) the Ides of September, Lex vetusta est (saith Liuie) & priscis scripta literis, vt qui Praetor maximus sit, Idibus Septembris cl---uum pangat, It is an old law (saith he) and written in old auntient letters, that he which was the great Prouost, should euer the Ides of September driue or fasten a naile. This naile Festus calleth annalem, or an annuall naile, Qui quotannis figebatur in dextra parte capitolij vt per eos clauos numerus colligeretur annorum▪ Which was euerie yeare fastned in the right side of the Capitoll, that so by those nayles the number of the yeares might be gathered. Augustus appointed also the Olympic games in the moneth of September. And albeit that the Astrologers (as other people also for the most part) follow a new manner of account of the yeare, set downe by Moyses, and begin their account of the spring diuision, yet neuerthelesse they begin their tables of the celestiall motions receiued from the Aegyptians and Chaldeies from the Autumne diuision. VVhich antiquities, with the authoritie of so many and so worthy men, although they make the matter manifest enough and out of all doubt▪ yet euen nature it selfe leadeth vs thither also, as that wee must needs confesse the beginning of the world to have bene in Autumne. For if we grant, as we must needs, man as all other liuing creatures also, to have bene by almightie God created in such state and perfection as that they should need no nurses; so also is it to be thought him to have prouided for all liuing creatures, and especially for mankind, ripe fruits for him to feed upon, and most beautifull to behold, planted in most faire gardens, as is in the sacred booke of Genesis to be seene: which can in no wise be done, but that the world must be created in the beginning of Autumne. For why, Adam was created about Iordan, whereas corne in the spring time yet shooteth not on eare; and the moneth Abib is so called, for that the corne in the spring time in those places runneth but up in spindle, and the trees but scarcely bud: neither is the law of nature, or the season of the spring, or of Autumne, from the beginning of the world chaunged. Wherefore Plutarch in his Symposiaques, when he pleasantly questioneth, Whether egges or birds were first? resolueth birds to have bene first created: and so whatsoeuer things els are contained in the whole world, to have bene in all parts created perfect For otherwise if God should have created man a crying child, or calues for oxen, or egges for birds, he must also have created nurses to have suckled them, and birds to haue hatched them: which if it be absurd and foolish to say, so must also of necessitie those things bee absurd, whereof these things follow, viz. the world to have bene created in the beginning of the spring, and young shoots to have bene made for fruitfull trees, and so likewise other things to have bene created young, and not in their perfection. Whereby it is euident them greatly to erre & be deceiued, which accounting & taking the beginning of the world from the spring, and the beginning of the day from noone, doe with their vaine coniectures go about to blot out and extinguish the authoritie of the sacred scriptures, as also the most auntient records of the Indians, the Chaldes, the Aegyptians, and Latines, and all forsooth because cold weather still followeth after Autumne: they fearing (as I suppose) least Adam being a naked child, should have taken cold. Seeing therefore the Astrologers, euen as these men also to have laid false principles and grounds, of the celestiall motions, and much to differ amongst themselves, concerning[*](Astrological predictions vncerten.) the course of the starres and planets, they can therefore (I say) set downe nothing certaine, concerning mans affaires, or the ruines of cities and Commonweals.

But yet it hath lesse probalitie by the foundation of townes and cities, to iudge of[*](The rising or falling of commonweales not to be iudged or deemed of by the foundation of the townes or cities therein.) the rising or falling of Commonweales: as many do also of houses before they lay the foundations of them, to foresee and let that they should not be burnt or rased, or sicke of the falling sicknesse: which to doe is a meere folly, differing little from extreame madnesse, as though natures most constant order should depend of mans lightnesse, and the force of the celestiall Spheres, of the will and pleasure of a base carpenter or mason. Indeed by the law it is prouided, That the value of houses burnt should bee deemed by their age and continuance, for so it is read in the old Hetruscian copie: although that D. Cuias a most diligent interpretor of auntient readings, be of their opinion, which for aetatibus, thinke it ought to be read quantitatibus (as who should say by their quantities, rather than by their age) whereunto the lawyer neuer had respect. For his meaning was, That houses according to the stuffe and matter they were built of, were to be esteemed of longer or shorter continuance: as if an house were built of clay or morter, it was esteemed to be able to last some fourescore yeares: in such sort as that if it had cost an hundred crownes at first to build, being burnt fortie yeares after, there should halfe the price thereof be abated in the estimation thereof: For as for houses built with bricke (they as Plinie saith) if they be built upright are euerlasting. And so Victruuius, and all other builders were woont to esteeme of the losse sustained, by the age and continuance of the houses burnt. For to esteeme of them by the elle, or by the greatnesse, so a barne built of clay or straw should be esteemed more worth than smaller buildings built of marble or of porphiree, as the temple of Porphiree at Sienna, one of the least, but most costly buildings of Europe. But the deciding of such questions we must referre to Victruuius, and other builders. And as for that some thinke we are by the foundations of cities and other buildings, to iudge what shall be the state or successe of a kingdome or monarchie should lesse need the refutation: but that M, Varro (whome Tullie writeth to have in learning excelled all other Greeks and Latins) commaunded Tarentius Firmianus to declare unto him the Horoscope of the citie of Rome: for so Plutarch and Antimachus Lyrius report. Whereupon he by the progresse of that Commonweale gathering the causes thereof; and by things ensuing after, gessing at things forepast, & so by ret---ogradation iudging the causes by the effects, by most light and vaine coniectures affirmeth the foundation of the citie to have bene laid in the third yeare of the sixt Olympiade, the one and twentieth day of Aprill, a little before three of the clocke in the afternoone, Saturne, Mars, and Venus, being as then in Scorpio, Iupiter in Pisces, the sunne in Taurus, the moone in Libra, Gemini holding the heart, or middle of the heauens, and Virgo rising. But seeing that the chiefe points of this figute belonging unto Mercurie, and that this whole celestial Scheame betokeneth men of traffique, or otherwise studious of Philosophie, and all kind of learning, how can it come to passe, that these things should agree, or bee applied unto the Romans, a people of all others most couragious and warlike? Howbeit that Taruntius in this his figure, or Horoscope of the foundation of Rome, is most shamefully deceiued, as hauing therein placed the celestiall orbes in a situation quite contrarie unto nature,

viz. Venus opposit unto the Sunne: which yet can neuer be aboue eight and fortie degrees [*](Taruntius Firmianus deceiued in his horoscope or figure of the foundation of Rome.) at the most distant from the Sunne: which yet were a thing excusable and worthy to be pardoned, if it had bene by him done by forgetfulnesse: as it happened to Augerius Ferrerius an excellent Mathematician, who in his booke of Astronomicall iudgements, hath set Venus and Mercurie, one of them opposit unto another, and both of them opposit unto the Sunne: a thing by nature impossible, and hee himselfe acknowledging that Mercurie can neuer be six and thirtie degrees from the Sunne. Yet true it is, that Iohn Picus earle of Mirandula, grounding upon this demonstration of the celestial motions, without cause blameth Iulius Maturnus, for that he placed the Sunne in the first house, and Mercurie in the tenth, which cannot be (saith he) except the sun should be from Mercurie the fourth part of the circle (or three signes distant:) not hauing regard, that the globe may so be placed, to encline unto the North, as that the sun rising, Mercurie may come unto the meridian, yea unto the tenth house two houres before noone, and yet not be thirtie dgrees from the sunne. But Plutarch writeth Antimachus Lyrius to have left recorded, the Sunne to have bene then ecclipsed, which yet he saith to have bene the diametre of the circle distant from the Moone. And yet there is another greater absurditie in that theame of Taruntius, in that hee placeth the sunne in Taurus the xxj day of Aprill, which then entred not thereinto vntill the thirtith of April. Howbeit also that Lucas Gauricus, who collected the celestiall theames of many most famous cities, differeth altogether from this theame of Rome, by Taruntius before set downe: for he placeth Libra in the East, as doth also Manlius. But of all absurd things none is more absurd, than by the ouerthrow of cities to measure the destruction of the estate or Commonweale, whereas before we have declared, that a city oftentimes may be ouerthrowne and laid euen flat with the ground, and yet the state and Commonweal therof remaine, as we haue before shewed of the citie of Carthage: as oftentimes to the contrarie the estate and Commonweale may perish, the walls and other buildings yet standing all whole.

Wherefore then I rest not upon such opinions, and much lesse upon that which Cardan saith, who to seeme more subtilly than others to handle these hidden and obscure matters, & to raise an admiration of himselfe with men vnskilfull of these things, maintaineth the beginnings and encreasings of the greatest cities and Empires to have come from that Starre which is the last in the taile of Vrsa Maior, which he saith to have bene verticall unto the great citie of Rome at the foundation thereof, and from thence euen by the helpe and working of the same Starre translateth the Roman Empire to Constantinople, and so afterwards into Fraunce, and so from thence into Germanie: which although they be so set downe but by a most brainsicke man, yet do[*](Cardan his error detected and his opinion reiected.) men ignorant of the celestiall motions wonderfully admire the same, and are therfore by vs to be refuted. For perceiuing that last starre of Vrsa Maior to be daily unto manie people verticall, though perpendicular unto them onely which are subiect unto the circle which that starre describeth, Cardican saith it should be verticall at such time as the Sun toucheth the Meridian circle: in which state he supposeth it to have beene, at such time as Romulus the founder of the citie laied the foundation thereof: which could not by nature so be, viz. that the last starre of Vrsa maior in the same howre, that is to say at noonetide, should together with the Sun touch the verticall circle: For that starre being now in the xxj degree of Virgo, by proportion of the motion of the fixed statres, by reason of the motion of the eight Sphere, it must needs have beene in the xix degree of Leo at such time as the foundation of the citie of Rome was laied, and the Sun in the xix. degree of Aries, as the foregoings of the Sun declare. So that that starre was the third part of the circle, or foure signes and twentie degrees distant

from the verticall, when as it ought to have beene in the same signe, and in the same degree of the signe wherein the Sunne was, if Cardan his doctrine were true: who yet when he knew the same starre to have beene verticall unto many great cities at the time of their foundation, since the beginning of the world, the Sun also then being in the Meridian; he to meet with that obiection, said the Monarchie to be due but to one of them. But why that to the Romans from whose verticall it is distant twelue degrees, rather then to the Scottish fishermen which dwell neere unto the Orcades? or unto them of Norway, and other the Northren people? vnto whom the same starre is not onely verticall, the sun touching the Meridian in September, but is also directly perpendicular? Yet is it also more straunge, to say the same starre to have giuen the Empire to Constantinople, considering that that citie was built nine hundred yeares before that the Empire was thither translated. Ioining hereunto also that the horoscope of the citie of Constantinople found in the Popes librarie in the Vatican written in Greeke letters, calculated by Porphyrie (as some affirme) and copied out by Lucas Gauricus the Bishop, declareth the Sunne then to have beene in the xvij degree of Taurus, the Moone in the v of Leo, Saturne in the xx of Cancer, Iupiter and Venus coniunct in the same signe, Mars in the twelft, Mercurie in the first of Gemini, Aquarius holding the verticall of heauen, and the xxiij of Gemini in the Leuant; which he setteth downe to have beene in May upon a Munday, two howres after the sunne rising. An other celestiall Theame of the same Citie is also taken out of the Vatican, calculated by Valens of Antioch, later than the former by fortie minutes. But yet that is verie absurd which Gauricus the good Bishop to come to his acconut supposeth the citie of Constantinople to have beene built in the yeare of our Lord 638, three hundred yeares after the death of Porphyrie: which yet it is manifest to have flourished aboue 500. yeares before Christ: which he thinketh also to have beene afterwards taken by the Turks armie in the yeare of Christ 1430. when as in truth it was by them woon and sackt in the yeare of our Lord 1453, the xxix day of May, being 1800 yeare before taken by the French men: wherein they raigned vntill the time of Clyarus king of Thracia, as Polybius (tutor unto Scipio Affricanus) writeth; at which time it was called Bizance. And againe afterwards also was taken by Pausanias king of Lacedemonia in the Median warre. And yet more, afterwards also was besieged by Alcibiades generall of the Athenians. And long time after, three yeares together againe besieged by Seuerus the Emperour, who after he had sacked it, razed it also downe to the ground, and carrying away the rest of the citisens into captiuitie, gaue the ground whereon it stood unto the Perinthians about the yeare of our Lord two hundred: which yet not long after was againe reedified, and by Constantine the great wonderfully enriched after that he had thither translated the seat of his Empire. And yet againe after that, was with fire and sword most cruelly wasted by the armie of Galienus the Emperour, all the citisens therein being either slaine, or else caried away into captiuitie. Yet ceased it not for all that to be still the seat of the Greeke empire, vntill that the Frenchmen and Flemings under the conduct of Baldwin Earle of Flaunders seized thereon; which they held together with the Empire, vntill that about fiftie yeares after they were by the Palaeologi againe driuen out: who hauing so recouered the citie there raigned, vntill that it was by Mahomet the great Turke woon. All which changes of the Empire, and ruines of the citie, Gauricus neuer touched; neither did Cardan himselfe so much as suspect them: otherwise I suppose he would neuer have written things so absurd, and so disagreeing with themselves. But great maruell it is that this Cardans starre hath had such power as to graunt the Empires of the world to Italie, Greece, Fraunce, and Germanie, when as it was to them but verticall, and yet hath had no power at all upon the realmes of Norway and Sweden, where it is not onely verticall, the Sunne being at the Meridian in the moneth of August, but is also perpendicular: and yet neuerthelesse distant from Rome and Constantinople in latitude twelue degrees at the least. Besides that, why should he giue vnto this Starre (which some foolish Astrologers take to be Saturnia) more power than to others, both for their greatnesse & nature more notable? why doth he exclude from the government of the world Regulus the greatest of all the sixe starres? whie Medusa, Spica, the great Dog, the Vultur, all most faire and beautifull starres? whie in briefe a thousand and threescore others, (for so many there are accounted beside the wandering starres) unto whom the Hebrew Mathematicians had added thirtie six mo also? Sufficeth it for this time to have reiected these errours so grosse, as the day it selfe is cleere.

But for asmuch as it were a thing infinite to refell all mens errours in this kind of[*](The errour of Peter Cardinall of Arliac.) matter, I will onely touch theirs, who have thought themselves wiser than the rest, and have beene had in reputation as best seene in the iudgement of the heauens for the chaunges of Commonweales: such as was Peter of Arliac Chauncelour of Paris, and afterwards Cardinall in the yeare 1416: For he writeth the beginnings, channges, and ruines of religions and Commonweales, to depend of the motion and coniunction of the superiour Planets. And to mee it seemeth right straunge, whie Iohn Picus Earle of Mirandula hath without farther search; accounted of the shamefull errours of this man, concerning the knowledge of the Celestiall Spheres, as of most certeine & approued demonstrations; who hauing noted six and thirtie great coniunctions of the superiour planets, Iupiter & Saturne, since an hundred and fifteene yeares after the creation of the world, unto the yeare of our Lord Christ 1385, there are not of them six true, and scarce any of them set in such place and time as they ought to be. Leupold, Alcabice, and Ptolomee were also of the same opinion, viz. the remouings of people, warres, plagues, deluges, plentie, dearth, the chaunges of Estates and Commonweales, to depend of the motion and coniuction of the Planets, and especially of the superiour planets Saturne I say and Iupiter, and so much the more if Mars be also in coniunction with them both. And so indeed as oft as they are in coniunction together, such things thereof ensue as often times draw euen the wiser sort into admitation: howbeit that no necessitie be imposed upon man kind by the influence of the heauens. But howsoever that be, it is manifest the Cardinall of Arliac to have beene most grieuously deceiued, who reckning up those great coniunctions from the beginning, supposeth it by his account to have beene seauen thousand yeares since the creation of the world, following therein the errours of Alphonsus, Eusebius, and Beda; which the great consent not of the Hebrewes onely, but of all Christians also hath long ago reiected: so soone as by the old interpretation of the Bible it was perceiued them to have erred in their account aboue a thousand five hundred yeares: whereas all Churches at this present follow the more certeine account of Philo the Iew, who followed almost the mean betwixt Iosephus and the later Hebrewes: for Iosephus differeth 342 yeares, and Philo but an 160 from the other Hebrewes. Whereof it is to be gathered this present yeare, which is from the birth of our Sauiour Christ 1583, (wherin Bodin writ these things in Latin) to have beene 5531, or at most 5555 since the creation of the world. Wherefore Arliac is deceiued, who put the coniunction of the superiour Planets seauen thousand yeres ago, in the 320 yeare after the creation of the world: which after that computation must haue happened twelue hundred yeares before that the world was made. The same man doth suppose also that at the creation of the world, the Horoscope whereof he discribeth, the first degree of Cancer to have beene then rising, the Sunne then to have beene in Aries, (which to be false we have

by necessarie arguments before proued) the Moone and Venus in Taurus, Saturne in Aquatius, Iupiter in Pisces, Mars in Scorpio, Mercurie in Gemini: which is all false and quite contrarie unto the nature and motion of the celestiall Spheres, which is manifest unto every man which shall more narrowly looke thereinto, or take account of the motions of the Planets from thence unto these times: not to speake of that, that he placed the Sunne in the xix degree of Aries, and Mercurie in the xv of Gemini, hauing so against nature divided the one of them from the other six and fiftie degrees, as we have before declared: viz. that Mercurie when he is farthest from the Sunne, neuer to be farther off than six and thirtie degrees. Which may suffice in passing by, ot show that the Hypothesis of the Cardinal of Arliac and his foundation being false, the rest that is thereon built cannot stand. But this he had propounded unto himselfe, It to be a thing contrarie unto the maiestie of the Planets, if in the creation of the world he should place them other where than every one of them in their owne throne and chariot: which deuises of the vnskilfull, are more light and farther from the antiquirie of the Chaldeis, than that they deserue to be refelled.

But how much more certainlie and better do they, which hauing consideratlie looked thorow the antiquities of the Hebrewes, and the animaduertions of Copernicus (who most diligently corrected the errors of Alphonsus, and of the Arabians) going orderly retrograde from these oppositions and coniunctions of the Planets which we now behold, unto the verie first beginning, iudge of the reuolution of the time past, as also of the chaunge and state of Commonweales; if yet by this meanes any such iudgement, free from impietie and rashnesse may be made. Neither is it to be hoped (except happelie in an innumerable sort of worlds) that the three superiour Planets shall meet together in the first point of Aries, whereof our wisards rashly diuine a generall destruction of Commonweales, as also of the whole world then to ensue by fyre from heauen. Howbeit that in the yeare of our Lord Christ 1909, there shall be a meeting together of the three superiour Planets in the ninth degree of Aries: which yet for all that is no true coniunction, as not made by the centers, but by the Orbes and Spheres of the Planets. And in the yeare 1584, Saturne and Mars shall be in coniunction in the first point and 46 minutes of Aries, and Iupiter in the same signe, but distant from them twelue degrees, with the Sunne and Mercurie: which coniunction shall scarce chaunce againe in the reuolution of eight hundred yeares. And in[*](How a man may without offence presage the chaunges of Cities and Commonweales.) this sort it is lawfull for a man looking into the yearely course of time, by writing to commend unto posteritie the chaunges of cities and Commonweales, and so by things precedent and alreadie forepassed to iudge also of things to come: yet sauing alwaies the maiestie of almightie God, who is himselfe bound unto no lawes of nature, neither hath thereunto bound any of his seruants. Wherein many greatly offend, who thinke the power and influence of the celestiall Spheres to be nothing, when as yet for all that their strength and power hath alwaies beene most great and effectuall, not onely upon these elements which we here see, and so upon all other sorts of liuing creatures, but euen upon them also which live like beasts, as * in sacred writ is to be[*](Ioh. 39. and 40.) seene, and yet of the good nothing at all to be feared. So many stood in great doubt in the yeare 1524, wherein the three superiour Planets, Saturne, Iupiter, and Mars were in coniunction in the tenth degree of Pisces, the rest of the Planets together with the Dragons head being in Aquarius & Pisces, both of them waterie Signes. Which selfe same yeare in the moneth of Februarie were twentie other coniunctions of the[*](Vaine feares often times conceiued, upon Astrologers vaine predictions.) Planets also among themselves, besides the sixe starres; which of all other things, was a thing most worthie the admiration. So that hereupon the Astrologers all the world over agreeing together for the destruction of the world, with a great feare terrifyed

the minds of many weake men; in that they so constantly all with one consent affirmed, the world to be now againe ouerwhelmed with an vniuersall deluge and inundation of waters; in somuch that many miscreants caused shippes to be made for them to saue themselves in from such the rage of the waters, and especially Auriolus President of Tholose a most cunning lawier, but a man either ignorant, or a contemne--- of the lawes of God, howbeit that he heard the promises of God still preached unto him, and the oath by him made unto [*](Genes. 7.) Noah that he would no more destroy the world by water. And true it is that in that yeare were flouds and inundations of waters in diuers countries, but yet no such generall deluge as was foretold and feared, neither any cities or countries at all knowne to be drowned. Wherefore to affirme any thing of the chaunges and ruines of Commonweales, it sufficeth not to behold onely those great coniunctions of the three superiour Planets, but also diligently to obserue and note the meane coniunctions, which are every two hundred and fortie, and every twentie yeare: as also the eclipse of the Sunne, and of the Moone, with the oppositions and coniunctions of the inferiour Planets amongst themselves, and with superiour planets, and in briefe their mutuall traiections, as also the force and power of the fixe starres, and their respect towards others. True it is that many of the auntient writers have noted either dearth, or popular diseases, great mortalitie of liuing creatures, or the remouing of people, inundations of waters, or the destruction of cities, or chaunges of kingdomes to have followed such coniunction of the superiour planets; yet not in every place generally, but in certaine countries and places onely, whereby they have by a certain coniecture iudged this or that signe to be by God deputed unto this or that countrie. And hereof according to the power of the foure elements they have divided the twelue celestiall signes into foure parts, and have thereof left certaine instructions to posteritie: whereof for all that because they were not by long experience approued they could make no certaine art: as the Chaldies haue[*](The vanitie of the Chaldean Astrologers.) fained, who vaunted themselves to have spent 470 thousand yeares in the practise of natiuities, the better to perswade men of the certaintie of their knowledge, and to make it thereby the more saleable. Which the Chaldean bables spred abroad farre and wide unto all people, but vnto none more foolishly then to the Indian Chinois, who say 783 thousand and seauen hundred sixtie two yeares, to be the last yeare past since the creation of the world. Others there be which in that matter lie not so loudly and yet impudently enough. For Linus the most auntient writer of the Greekes, Orpheus and Heraclitus, shut up the period of the greatest yeare within the reuolution of 360 thousand yeares, whereof they supposed an hundred fourescore foure thousand to be past. But a certaine Aegiptian priest vaunted before Solon, the Aegiptians his countrie men to have an historie of twentie thousand yeares written in Hieroglyphicall letters. And a little while after Herodotus (called the father of historie) vnderstood from the same Aegiptians, recordes of thirteene thousand yeares to be extant in their sacred letters. Diodorus yonger then the rest going into Aegipt to find out the trueth, heard certaine Priests to say antiquities of three and thirtie thousand yeares old to be found amongst the Aegiptians: but when he came to wey the trueth of the matter in equall ballance, he found all their antiquitie to consist but of three thousand seauen hundred yeares: the computation of which time from the beginning of the world, agreeth altogether with Philo, or within little lesse then two hundred yeres. And truely Callisthenes perswaded by the speech of Aristotle his master, when as others at the sacking of Babylon greedely sought after the Persian wealth, he diligently searched out and gathered together the bookes and antiquities of the Chaldies, and there noted all the historie of the Chaldies to have bene comprehended in 1903 yeares: which time well agreeth with the sacred historie, if we account the time from Nimrod, who first obtained the soueraigntie of the Chaldies: which historie is to be thought so much the truer, for that it is so reported by Simplicius a mortall enemie of the Christians, as wee have elswhere declared. And therefore Ptolomey, who farthest repeating from vttermost remembrance the antiquities of the Chaldies (of them I say, which had noted the stedie courses of the celestiall Spheres) bringeth the beginnings of the celestiall motions no farther than from Nabonassar, and from those eclipses of the moone which happened in the time of his raigne, that is, the yeare of the world 3750: But Ptolomey flourished in the time of Adrian the emperour, about foure hundred yeares after Nabonassar. Wherefore it ought not to seeme straunge to any man, if he neuersomuch as once suspected the motion of trepidation, neither vnderstood the reuolution of the eight Sphere: yea he well obserued not the Equinoctials: For hee saith, The Equinoctium to have bene the the twentie sixt of September, after the sunne rising: which Hisparchus had taught to have happened 285 yeares the same day of the moneth, about midnight, whose errours could scarcely be perceiued in the time of our ancestors: as not long ago Io. Regiomontanus shewed the motion of trepidation, before vnto Astronomers vnknowne. Wherefore by what meanes could they by any art conclude mens fortunes, or the chaunges and ruines of cities and Commonweales, who vnderstood not so much as the celestiall motions, and much lesse the histories of all nations, when as yet they scarcely knew the tenth part of the world?

Wherefore they do foolishly which attribute the Quadripartite booke to Ptolomey, [*](The triplicities of the caelestiall signes not to be determinatly assigned unto certaine regions and countries, as the Astrologers appoynt.) wherein the fiery Triplicitie is giuen to Europe, and those countries which lye betwixt the West and the North; the ayrie triplicitie unto Asia, and those places which are seated betwixt the North and the East; the watrie triplicitie unto Affrike, and the earthly triplicitie vnto the other places. Neither have those things followed the coniunctions of the superiour planets, which should have followed had their rules beene true. Now if any man thinke (as many there be which think right foolishly) the places of the signes being chaunged, the force and nature of the celestiall Spheres to be chaunged also; he must surely vtterly subuert all the knowledge of the force and power of the stars by them before set downe and delivered: seeing that the fix starres are found since the beginning of the world to have passed through the fourth part of the eight Sphere: but since the time wherein the course of the celestiall Spheres began first to bee of the Chaldeis noted under king Nabonassar unto this our time, to have ouergone almost a whole signe, ---, or which is all one, the Equinoctials in the same space, to have preuented the staies of the wandering starres, ---, and yet neuerthelesse the force and power of the celestiall houses approued in mens natiuities, is still the selfe same that it is reported to have before bene: which thing to be so, Cardan himselfe confesseth: whom yet for all that it ashamed him not to write the Britons, Spaniards, & Normans, in auntient time gentle and modest nations, to be now (the regions of the starres being changed) become slie, craftie, and deceitfull theeves; for that they were in antient time gouerned by Sagit---ary, but now by Scorpio▪ unto whom the same may be aunswered which Cassius did unto a certain Chaldean Astrologer, who forbad him to fight with the Parthians before the moone was out of Scorpio: unto whom[*](The ieast of Cassius unto a Caldean Astrologer.) Cassius pleasantly aunswered, Non Scorpiones metuo, sed Sagittarios, I feare not (said he) Scorpions, but Sagittaries; meaning the Parthian archers, by whom the Roman legions wherwith Crassus in Chaldea discomfited and ouerthrowne. And truely if Cardans opinion were true, the nature of all things must needs so be subuerted, which yet is still the same which euer it was: For the people toward the North are now taller and stronger, and more warlike than the rest of the people of the world; and such Vitruuius,

Plinie, Caesar, Strabo, and Plutarch, have writ them to have beene sixteene hundred yeare agoe: and therefore them to be pleasant, drunkards, grosse witted, hoarce, gray eyed, yellow haired: but Southerne people to bee sad, small of stature, leane, weake, smooth, blacke eyed, curled haire, and cleere of voice. And yet it is manifest, the coniunctions[*](The coniunctions of the superior Planets to have oftentimes wrought great effects for the alteration and changing of Commonweales.) of the superiour planets in the same celestiall house, viz. in Scorpio to have showed their force (if it were any) in Asia, and Europe, and not in Affrike, which they say to be gouerned by the signe of Scorpio. For before the chaunge of the Roman empire was made, and that Popular estates transferred unto the soueraigntie of Caesar alone, the superiour planets with a great coniunction met together in Scorpio: which coniunction chaunged againe about seauen hundred yeares after: at which time innumerable legions of the Arabians hauing receiued the new doctrine of Muhamed, rebelled against the Greeke emperours, subdued a great part of the East Asia, abolished the orders, customes, rites, ceremonies, and lawes of the Christians, when as yet Asia is in situation contrarie unto Europe. The same coniunction happened in the yeare of our Lord 1---64, after which ensued diuers motions of the people, almost in all parts of the world. For Ladamachus king of the Tartars was by his subiects thrust out of his kingdome: Henrie the sixt, king of England was by his subiects also taken and in prison slain, Edward the iiij of a subiect made king: Frederike the third driuen out of Hungary by Matthias Coruinus, who of a prisoner was chosen a king: Lewes the eleuenth the French king, by his nobilitie and vassals besieged in his principall citie, and brought in daunger to have lost his estate. At which time also Alexander (commonly called Scanderbeg) the king of Albania his soone, brought up in the Turkes court, reuolted from the Turke, and tooke up armes against him. Yet is it worth the noting, that the great coniunctions of superiour planets, show their effects more in Scorpio, a martial signe, than in any other the rest of the signes, and so much the more if Mars be there als---, or else some one of the other planets be also in coniunction or opposition with them. With like coniunction the same planets met together also in Sagittarie, in the yeare of our Lord Christ 74: at which time all the land of Palestine was sacked, the citie of Hierusalem burnt and rased, and eleuen hundred thousand dead in the warres: at which selfe same time were seene in Europe great civill warres, and foure emperours slaine the same yeare. Two hundred and fortie yeres after, another coniunction of the same planets chaunced in Capricorne, after which ensued wonderfull chaunges not onely of Commonweales, but euen of empires and kingdomes also: Constantine the Great being therein chiefe doer: who hauing put to flight and slaine foure emperors, and translated the seat of the empire from the West into the East, by a perpetuall law tooke away the vaine and superstitious worshipping of the Paynim gods. We see also, that after the coniunction of the same planers in Aquarius, in the yeare 430, the Gothes, the Ostrogothes, the Francons, the Gepiges, the Heruli, the Hunnes, & other Northerne people going out like swarmes of bees, ouerranne and ransacked the prouinces of the Roman empire, and most cruelly sacked the verie citie it selfe, sometime the seat of the empire. And againe in the yeare 1524, when as the coniunction of the same superiour planets, (yea twentie other coniunctions) had happened in Pisces, most great motions of the people ensued thereafter in many places in Europe: the people in armes against the nobilitie set all Germany on a broyle: in which warre an hundred thousand men are reported to have bene slaine: the Rhodes by the Turkes was taken from the Christians: Frederike, his brother Christierne being driuen out of his kingdome, possessed the kingdome of Denmarke: Gostauus of a priuat man became king of Sweden: Francis the French king ouerthrowne at Pauia was taken prisoner by the Spaniards. Besides that, it is to be seene, that after the great coniunction of the same superiour planets in Leo, in the yeare 796 king Charlemaigne ouerthrew the estates of the Lombards, tooke their king, and conquered Italie. At which very selfe same time the Polonians made choyce of their first king: with diuers other notable and remarkable chaunges. So also fortie yeares after, the same coniunction happened in the signe of Sagittarie, when as the Moores sacked diuers countries, inuaded a part of Greece, and ouerran Italie: and the Danes were then up in great civill warres: when as at the same time Charlemaigne made himselfe Lord of Germanie, tooke away the Paynim superstition in Saxonie, and chaunged all the Commonweales and principalities in Germanie, and Hungarie, which he brought under his obeysance. With this great coniunction happened also foure eclipses: which hath not happened since: but six hundred thirtie six yeares after, viz. in the yeare 1544, in which time haply there had bene moe notable changes seene, if the great coniunction which hapned the yeare following in Scorpio, had happened the same yeare. And yet neuerthelesse as it was, all Germanie was up in armes; which warres continued seuen yeares after. In briefe, if any foreknowledge be to be had from celestiall things, for the chaunges of Commonweales, we must consider the coniunctions of superior planets, since 570 yeres, with the coniunctions, eclipses, and aspects of inferiour planets, and of the fix starres at the time of the great coniunctions, and to compare them with the truth of histories, and of times with coniunctions before past; and not wholly to rest upon opinion of them, which have determinatly assigned the Triplicities unto regions, which I have by euident examples before shewed not to be of any good assurance, but rather to stay upon the nature of the signes and of the planets. And yet for all that to referre the causes and effects of them vnto the great God of nature, and not to tie them unto his creatures. As did[*](The errour of Leouicius. ) Ciprianus Leouitius, who of a coniunction of almost all the planets, than to come together with an eclips of the sunne in the yeare 1584 by his writings (as from an oracle) denounced the end of the world euen then to come, saying, Procul dubio alterum aduentum filij Dei & hominis in maiestate gloriae suae praenuntiat, Without all doubt (saith he) it foreshoweth another comming of the sonne of God and man in the maiestie of his glorie. But seeing he had so strongly assured men then of the consummation of the world, why did he yet write his Ephemerides for thirtie yeares after, when as the celestiall signes and all Commonweales should according to his predictions have before perished? But therein he found himselfe as wel deceiued, as was before him Albumar, who with like rashnesse had written, That the Christian religion should take end in the yeare 1460. And Abraham the Iew (surnamed The Prince of Astrologers) who prophesied, That in the yeare 1464 should be borne a great captaine (whom they call Messias) who should deliver the Iewes his countrey men from the seruitude of the Christians. And Arnold the Spaniard, who with like follie prophesied of the comming of Antichrist, in the yeare of our Lord 136. But Leouicius might have knowne, that since the creation of the world unto this time, there have beene two hundred and threescore coniunctions of the superious planets, wherein were twentie foure great ones; that is to say, such as still come againe after the reuolution of two hundred and fortie yeares, Iupiter and Saturne meeting together in the same triplicitie (as they call it) and the lesser euerie twentie yeares: and the meanest planets, as of Saturne and Mars, euerie thertie yeares in the signe Cancer: and the greatest of all, viz. of Iupiter and Saturne in Aries, which commeth againe about euerie eight hundred yeares. Howbeit that Messahala calleth it the greatest coniunction of all, when as the three superior planets meet together in Aries: which yet I see not shall chaunce in the yeare 1584, as Leouicius supposeth, when as Iupiter shall be distant twelue degrees from the full coniunction of Saturne and Mars: which cannot rightly be called a coniunction so much as by their Spheres. But whereas the same coniunction, yea and a greater too, together with the most darke eclipses of the sunne, and of the moone, happened in the raigne of Charles the Great, yet wee see not the world therefore to have taken end. True it is, that the Hebrew learned men write, the destruction of all this elementarie world, and so of all[*](The opinion of the learned Hebrues concerning the consumation of the world.) mankind, & of all Commonweales, to ensue after euerie seuen thousand yeares, by the inundation of waters, or els by fire, and so to rest a thousand yeares: after which God shal againe restore that which is perished: and that this shal be done seuen times, which maketh nine and fortie thousand yeres compleat, and that then this elementarie world and the celestiall also, with all the bodies thereof shall take end, the maiestie of the great eternall God, with all the blessed spirits yet still remaining. Which they say to bee by the word of God, howbeit verie obscurely declared: when as the tilling of the ground is commaunded every seuenth yeare to be left off: and after seuen times seuen, not only the tilling of the ground is commaunded to be left off, but euen slaues and debtors to be set free, and euerie man to returne againe unto his owne lands and dwelling. Truly it is by long obseruation at length knowne and found out, the motion of trepidation of the eight Sphere to accomplish the course thereof, in the reuolution of seuen thousand yeares, and the ninth Sphere in the space of fortie nine thousand yeares. Whereof Io. Regiomontanus hath since within this foure and twentie yeares made plaine demonstration: of the truth of which motion neither the auntient Chaldies nor Aegyptians had any knowledge, but were thereof altogether ignorant. And albeit that the auntient learned Hebrewes, have by the gift and goodnesse of God, had not onely the knowledge of diuine and celestiall things, but euen the hidden and secret causes of nature also reuealed and made knowne unto them, and that from them the knowledge of most goodly things is unto other men come: as Porphyrie the greatest of all the Philosophers of his time confesseth: and that this doctrine of the Hebrewes curteth off the impietie of them which hold the eternitie of the world, or els that God was for an innumerable world of yeares altogether idle: yet doe these so learned Hebrewes attribute nothing unto fatall necessitie, either feare any the decrees of the celestiall starres, but affirme all things to be gouerned and changed by the will and pleasure of almightie God: as by him which as oft as he will is of power to shake the nature of all things, yea euen the verie foundations of the world it selfe, as was well seene in the generall deluge, which ouerwhelmed the whole world 1656 yeares after the creation thereof.

Yet doubt I not but that some more certaine precepts might be giuen of the chaunges,[*](By what order and meane some more certain and probable coniecture might be made of the chaunges and ruines of commonweales.) and ruines of Commonweales, if a man would enter into a certaine account of the time past euen from the beginning of the world: and so comparing one thing with another, and knitting one thing unto another, shall proceed farther, and set in order the varietie of Historiographers at varience among themselves: and also going backwards, shall of all the eclipses of the Sunne and of the Moone, euen to the beginning of the world, by most certaine demonstrations comprehend the reason of the whole time past: and compare the histories of the most true writers amongst themselves, and with the oppositions and coniunctions of the celestial starres and bodies, knit and conioyne the same with numbers, whose force in all the course of nature is greatest: which things foulded up in infinit obscurities, and hidden and shut up in the most secret places of nature, are to be showed not by vaine coniectures, but by most euident and manifest arguments. Which is not to be hoped for from them which are more desirous of words than of matter or knowledge: who upon an obstinat opinion confound the beginning of the world, and beginning the yere at the spring, which they ought to begin at Autumne, and the day at noone, which they ought to begin at euen, not remembring darknesse to have bene before light, confusion before order, and a rude confused

Chaos before the world it selfe: beside that it is in the sacred bookes of Genesis so often repeated, Vespere & mane dies vnus, The euening and morning were made one day. Truely I commend many things in Gerardus Mercator a most pure writer for the obseruation of time: but in that I cannot commend him, that he beginneth the yeare elswhere than of Libra; whereas we have by most certaine reasons not onely out of the most auntient customes of almost all nations; but also out of the most pure fountains[*](The greatest and most notable chaunges of estates and Commonweales to have commonly hapned in the moneth of September.) of sacred scriptures, declared the yeare to have taken beginning in Autumne. Which we will againe show by the great and notable changes of estates and Commonweals: whereby things to come may be the better and more certainly perceiued, and the greatest chaunces, alterations, and changes, seene to have happened about Autumne, that is to say, a little before, or a little after the Autumnall equinoctiall in September, the Sun then entring into Libra: where the law of God appointeth the beginning of the yeare. And first it is manifest, the generall deluge to have begun and also ended in Autumne. We read also, the great earthquakes, wherewith oft times great cities, and whole countries have bene destroyed, to have happened in Autumne, such as was that trembling of the earth at Constantinople, wherein thirteene thousand men were lost in the yeare 1509, in the moneth of September: in which moneth, and in the same citie, the earth againe grieuously shooke in the yeare 1479. So also in the yeare of Christ 545 such an earthquake happened in September, that almost all Europe shooke therewith. The same moneth of September, wherein the battell was fought at Actium, ten thousand men perished in the land of Palestine with an earthquake. And not long agoe, viz. in the yeare 1526, and 27, in the moneth of September a great earthquake happened at Puteoli. The third day of the same moneth, in the yeare of our Lord 1556, such a tempest of raine and thunder happened at Lucerne, as that a greater (as is reported) was neuer seene: which selfe same month & day the towne hall at Maidenburg in Germanie, with the citisens dauncing therein, were all together with lightning consumed. The victorie of Augustus also against Antonius in the battaile at Actium, was by him obtained the second of September, where question was of the greatest empire that euer was, and the matter tried with the greatest forces that euer were assembled in any wars whatsoeuer: by which victorie the empire both of the East and of the West, fell into the power of Augustus himselfe alone. The third day of the same moneth the Macedonian empire, which had so long, aud with so great glorie flourished, was by Paulus Aemilius chaunged from a great kingdome into diuers Popular estates, the king Perseus being by him ouercome and taken prisoner. Sultan Soliman on the like day tooke Buda the chiefe citie of Hungarie, with the greatest part of that kingdome. The same day and moneth Rhoderike king of Spaine was by the Moores ouercome and chased out of his kingdome, which wrought a wonderfull chaunge in the state of all that Monarchie. On the same day and moneth reuoluing, Lewes the twelth the French king tooke the citie of Milan, with Lewes Sfortia duke thereof, whome he depriued of his estate. The like day the emperour Charles the sift passed over into Affrike, and inuaded the kingdome of Algiers. The day following, that is to say, the fourth of September Sultan Soliman died before Sigeth, which being one of the strongest holds of Christendome, was by the Turkes taken the seuenth day after. The ninth of September, in the yeare of our Lord 1544, Iames king of Scots was by the English men slaine, and his armie ouerthrowne. The same day in the reuolution of the yeare, the councell of Possi was gathered in Fraunce, Charles the ninth then raigning in the yeare 1561, and a decree made for the receiuing of the new religion, which raised most great troubles in France. The same day and moneth Alexander the Great at Arbela ouerthrew Darius king of Persia, with his armie of foure hundred thousand men; and so ioyned the kingdome of Persia unto his owne. The tenth of September Iohn duke of Burgundie, was by the commandement of Charles the seuenth slaine, wherof great wars arose throughout all Fraunce. The like day and moneth was Peter Louys the tyrant of Placence slaine by the conspiratours. We read also, that the eleuenth of September the Palaeologues, the Greeke emperours tooke the imperiall citie of Constantinople, and draue out thence the earles of Flaunders, who had there possessed the empire 560 yeres. The fourteenth day of September the Swiffers were with a great slaughter ouerthrowne by the French, in the expedition of Mirignan: which selfe same day also the Turkes great armie laid siege to Vienna, the Metropoliticall citie of Austria. The seuenteenth day the French armie was by the English ouerthrowne at Poitiers, and king Iohn of France by them taken prisoner. Which day also, (or rather the like in the reuolution of the yeare) a peace was concluded at Soissons, betwixt Francis the first, the French king, & the emperour Charles the fift, being both readie with their great armies to have fought for the kingdome, to the great hazard of both their estates, in the yeare 1544: a thing the more to be noted, for that the same yeare, moneth, and day, was also a great coniunction of the superior planets. The same day of the same moneth, in the yeare 1575 the Christian fleet with a great slaughter ouerthrew the Turkes great fleet in the battell of Lepanto. The eighteenth day of the same moneth Boulleine was delivered unto the Englishmen. And the foure and twentieth of September Constantine the Great, in a bloudie battell ouercame Maxentius the emperour, in the yeare of our Lord 333, and so of a simple straunge captaine made himselfe a great Monarch (which wrought a most notable and maruellous chaunge almost throughout the whole world) and so from thenceforth commaunded the account of the yeare to bee begun in September▪ and in the Greeke feasts unto that day is added, ---. Wee find also, that in the yeare 1136, in the moneth of September there was a great coniunction both of the superiour and inferiour planets, in so much that the Astrologers of the East, by their letters written from all parts (as saith the Cronicle of Saint Denis) threatned the world with great calamities, and the people with the chaunge of their estates, which afterwards indeed chaunced: howbeit that in that the author of the historie erred, that he saith, How that the same yeare there was an eclips of the Sun the eleuenth of Aprill, and another of the Moone the fift of the same moneth, a thing by nature impossible. It is also right memorable, that the seuenteenth day of September, in the yeare 1567 Charles the ninth the French king, was by his subiects assailed neere unto Meaux, where by speedie flight, and the helpe of the Swissers he hardly with life escaped the hands of the conspiratours: the which selfe same day, moneth, and yeare, Henry king of Sweden was by his rebellious subiects dispoiled of his estate, and east in prison, where he yet remaineth, without any great hope to be euer with life from thence againe delivered. The battell Montcontour was fought also in September. And the eighteenth day of September Baiazet at Nicopolis with a notable ouerthrow defeated a great armie of the Christians, of three hundred thousand men. And the same day Saladin tooke the citie of Hierusalem, on which Pompey had before taken it. Pope Boniface the eight also was in September 1303 by the French taken prisoner, and depriued of his papall dignitie. We read also many the greatest princes and monarches of the world, to have as this moneth died: as namely the great emperour Augustus, Tiberius, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, Aurelianus, Theodosius the Great, Valentinianus, Gratianus, Basilius, Constantine the fift, Leo the fourth, Rodolphe, Frederike the fourth, Charles the fift, all Roman or Greeke emperors. And of the French kings, Pipin, Lewes the younger, Philip the third, Charles the fift surnamed the Wise, and Lewes his kinsman king of Hungaria and Polonia, with other most noble and famous Monarkes in number infinite. But that is worth the marking that Lothaire and Charles the bauld, the one the king of Fraunce, and the other the German Emperour (and both of them the sonnes of Lewes the deuout emperour) both dyed the xxix of September, the first of them in the yeare 855, and the other 877. So Charles the fift, and Sultan Solyman, two of the greatest Emperours that were these many ages, were both borne in one yeare, and so both also in one moneth dyed, viz. in September. Antonius Pius also and Francis the first the French king, both of them great & famous Monarques, were both borne in September, and died both in March the moneth opposite to September. Octauius Augustus was also borne in September,[*](What times of the yeare the notable chaunces and chaunges of the world most commonly happen in.) and so likewise in the same moneth of September dyed. Whereby it is to be vnderstood, Autumne and especially that moneth wherein the world was created, viz. September, in a sort to carie as a marke therof the notable chaunces of many the most noble and renowmed Princes, as also the straunge chaunges which have happened aswell unto the whole world, as unto particular Estates and Commonweales. The next conuersions and chaunges of cities and Commonweales we see to happen into the signe of Aries, which is an other period of the Sunne, and the third and fourth sort of chaunges to fall out about the Winter or Sommer Solstitium, or farthest stayes of the Sunne: not for that the creation of the world is to be deriued from Aries, but for the notable periods of the Sunne in those times. Wherefore Leouicius following the dreames of vnskilful men, ought not to refer the creation and destruction of the world unto the moneth of March; and much lesse to threaten unto the world euen a present consummation and end. But he the same man had before by his writings promised unto Maximilian the Emperour the soueraigntie of all Europe, with power to correct and chastice the crueltie and tirannie of other Princes (for so he writeth) of whom for[*](Leouicius taxed.) all that it beseemeth him to have more modestly writ: But Maximilian was so farre from the soueraigntie which he had in his vaine hope conceiued, as that he yet liuing, and with the German hoast also looking on: Sultan Solyman without any empeachment hauing farre and wide wasted the borders of the Empire, besieged and forced Sigeth the strongest place of the Empire, yea of all Europe: showing well that he should not have too far assured himselfe upon the prophecie of Luther, who hath left in writing that the power of the Turkes should from thenceforth diminish, which yet more encreaseth than euer it did. But it is straunge that Leouicius saw nothing of the straunge chaunge of the three kingdomes his next neighbours: which sith he saw not, how could he have such certein knowledge of the end of the world, neuer as yet vnto the Angels themselves reuealed? For all which he bringeth no other reason, but that the Christian religion must together with the world take end in the waterie triplicitie, for that Christ Iesus himselfe was borne under the waterie triplicitie; willing as should seeme to bring in an other deluge: Wherein he showeth no lesse impietie then ignorance, whether we respect the maximes of the Astrologers, who affirme and say that neuer planet ruinateth his owne house, which should yet happen unto Iupiter being in Pisces. (For certein it is in the signe Pisces in the great coniunction in the yeare 1583 and 84, and that the coniunction of these two planets in that Signe is alwaies friendly:) or that we follow the opinion of Plato, and of the Hebrewes, and of all other Philosophers, who generally say, That the world is to be successiuely destroied first by water, and then againe by fire: or else that we rest our selues (as indeed we ought) upon the promises of God, who cannot lye, which he in mercie made to Noah neuer to drowne the world againe. But as we ought not rashly certeinly to affirme any thing of the chaunges and ruines of Monarchies and Commonweales: So can we not denie but that the effects are right great and wonderfull in the coniunction of the higher planets, when they chaunge the triplicitie, and especially when the three [*](Great and maruelous effects wrought by the coniunction of the superior Planets.) superiour planets are in coniunction together: or that such their coniunction have concurrence with the the eclipses of the Sunne or of the Moone: as it happened the day before the taking of Perseus king of Macedon, and the battell of Arbella in Chaldea, which drew after them the ruine of two great Monarches, and the chaunge of diuers Commonweals, there appeared two most great and darke eclipses of the Moone. As there did also in the beginning of the Peloponesian warre, wherewith all Grecia was on a fire, the Sunne upon a faire day was wonderfully darkened, euen at such time as Pericles the Athenian Generall began to set saile.

But as for them which contemne the force of the heauenly starres, or els are altogether ignorant thereof; they stand as men amased, to see in the same instant such conuersions and chaunges of Commonweales, and such great and turbulent motions of the people together and at once raised. As namely Polybius (himselfe an Atheist) in his historie exceedingly maruelleth, That in the hundred and thirtieth Olympiade in one selfe same time there was seene upon the sudden a new chaunge of princes almost throughout the whole world. As namely Philip the younger to become king of Macedon, Achaeus to be king of Asia, which he vsurped upon Antiochus, Ptolomeus Philopater to become king of Aegypt, Lycurgus the younger, king of Lacedemonia, Antiochus king of Syria, Hanniball generall of the Carthaginensians: and all these people as it were at the same instant up in armes one of them against another; the Carthaginensians against the Romans, Ptolomey against Antiochus, the Achaeans and Macedonians, against the Aetolians and Lacedemonians. And afterward also three of the most famous generals of the world, namely Scipio Affricanus, Hannibal, and Philopoemenes, to have all died (as Liuie writeth) in one yeare. These great chaunges are more euident to be seene after the coniunction of the two superiour planets, with the Sunne, or Mars: as it happened in the yeare 1564, that the superiour planets were in coniunction in the signe Leo, together with the Sunne & Mercurie: So have we afterwards seene strange motions and sturres almost all Europe ouer. We haue seene in the same time, in the same yeare, in the same moneth, in the same day, viz. the twentie seuenth of September, in the yeare 1567, the French king guarded with the Swissers, assailed and in daunger to have bene taken by his subiects: and Henrie king of Sweden dispoyled of his estate, and by his owne subiects cast in prison: and euen as it were at the same time Mary the most noble queene of the Scots spoiled of her kingdome by her subiects, and by them imprisoned, by whome it beseemed her to have bene delivered: and the king of Thunes driuen out of his kingdome by the king of Algiers: the Arabians up in armes against the Turkes, the Moores of Granado and the Flemings against the king Catholike, the Englishmen against their queene, and all Fraunce in combustion. The same coniunction of the three superiour planets happened also an hundred yeares before, viz. in the yeare 1464, but not so precisely, neither in the signe of Leo, but onely in the signe of Pisces, and yet by and by after all the people were seene up in armes, and not onely the princes among themselves, but the subiects also against their princes, as we have before said.

Now as for that which Copernicus (the great Astrologer of his time) saith, The changes[*](The opinion of Copernicus concerning the motion & influence: of the earth, refuted.) and ruines of kingdomes and Commonweales, to depend of the Eccentrique motion of the earth, it is such, as that it deserueth no aunswere or account to bee thereof made. For that he for the ground thereof supposeth two things most absurd: the one That the influences which all Philosophers attribute unto the starres, proceed from the earth, and not from the heauens: the other, That the earth it selfe moueth with the same motions, which all the Astrologers of former times (except Eudoxus) have alwais

giuen unto the heauens. And yet more straunge it is to make the Sunne immouable and the center of the world; and the earth fiftie thousand leagues distant from the center, and to make part of the heauens, & of the planets, to be mouable, and part of them immouable. Which old opinion of Eudoxus, Ptolomey hath by probable arguments and reasons refuted. Whereunto Copernicus hath well aunswered: unto whome Melancthon hath onely with this verse right well replied, God in the heauens hath a tabernacle for the Sunne, which commeth out as a bridegroome out of his chamber, and reioyceth as a Giant to runne his course. It goeth out from the vttermost part of the heauen, and runneth about to the end of it againe: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. So also might he say, That Iosua commaunded the Sunne and Moone to stay their course. But unto all this might be aunswered, That the Scripture oftentimes accommodateth and sitteth it selfe unto our weake sences: as when it calleth the Moone the greatest light next unto the Sunne, which yet neuerthelesse is the least of all the starres except Mercurie. But this doctrine of Copernicus might by a manifest demonstration, which no man hath yet vsed, easily be refelled, viz. that one simple bodie hath but one simple motion proper unto the same: as is manifestly to be proued by the principles of naturall Philosophie: then seeing that the earth is one of the simple bodies, as the other elements be, we must necessarily conclude, that it cannot have but one onely motion proper unto it selfe: and yet for all that Copernicus hath assigned unto it three diuers motions: whereof it can have but one proper unto it selfe, so that the other must needs be violent, a thing altogether impossible: and so by the same consequence impossible also, that the alterations and chaunges of Commonweales, should proceed from the Eccentrique motion of the earth.

But let vs now come unto the opinion of Plato, who thought the chaunges and[*](The most darke and obscur opinion of Plato concerning the chaunges and ruines of Commonweales.) ruines of Commonweales to ensue, when as the consent of the sweetnesse which proceedeth from the harmonie thereof is interrupted and broken. Which chaunceth when in the nuptiall number (as he tearmeth it) you depart farthest from those concords which the Musitions call --- and ---. As for the nuptiall number he defineth it to be, that number which beginning of an unitie, as of a mayden inuiolate is divided in a double or triple sort of consent, in such sort as that the male, that is to say the odd numbers shall in continuate order be placed on the right hand, and the female, that is to say, the euen numbers on the left hand in this sort and order. As for the middle places they are to be filled with numbers perfect, imperfect, quadrate, spherique, and cubique, so that no sort of numbers be wanting. But this order of numbers may be infinite, for that the force and power of tune and consent, is in diuision as infinite, as any other dimension whatsoeuer. So that the forme of a well ordered Commonweale shall so long be firme and sure, as it shall keepe right consent and tune, well agreeing unto the sweet delite of the eare. The Dupla or Diapason, which is of one to two; the Sesquialtera, which is the proportion of two to three, which maketh --- or a fift; the Sesquitertia or proportion of three to foure, which maketh --- or a fourth. The Tripla porportion which maketh ---, which for that it comprehendeth al concords and consents is called ---, or a gathering of all together. Now if you go farther as unto that proportion which is of foure to nine, the proportion of these numbers being not harmonicall, their followeth thereof an vnpleasant discord, which marreth the whole harmonie of a Commonwealte. And this in mine opinion is that which Plato would say, for no man as yet hath explaned this point; so that antiquitie it selfe hath not without

cause long since complained, nothing to be more obscure than the Platonicall numbers. [*](Nothing more obscure than the Platonical numbers.) For Forrester the Germaine is farre from the mind of Plato, when as he seeketh after triple and quadruple proportions, for that in so doing he ouerthroweth the foundations of the nuptiall number & the sides of the Triangle, which consist of the double and triple proportion. But in him is also absurd, that he thinketh the same proportion to be betwixt 27. and 64▪ which is of three to foure, a thing by nature impossible, and contrarie to the grounds of the Mathematiques. But Plato willeth vs also to fill the vacant place of the propounded triangle of the nuptiall number with such other numbers as proportionally arise of the mutuall coniunction of the male and female numbers, yet still continuing the harmonie, for that the same concords are amongst them to be found, which we have alreadie set downe amongst the other foure first numbers: as of the mariage of two to three: viz. of two times three is begot the number of six, which placed in the middest filleth up the emptie place betwixt 4. and 9, which two numbers by no meanes make any consent or harmonie, but the proportion of either of them unto sixe, is the same which is is of three to foure, that is to say, Sesquialtera or ---, or a fift. And so also if the number of two be as it were maried or in proportion ioyned unto six, or the number of three, so combyned unto six; as viz. two times six, or three times six, thereof shall arise two numbers, viz. 12. and 18, which shall fill the emptie space of the triangle betwixt 8. and 27. So if the number of two be proportionally ioyned unto twelue, and the number of three to eighteene (as viz. two times twelue, or three times eighteene) thereof shall arise the numbers of 24. and of 54. And againe, if three be ioyned unto twelue, or that which is all one, two to eighteene, thereof ariseth the number of 36. which three proportionate numbers of 24. 36. and 54. shall fill up the vacant place of the triangle betwixt 16. and 81, the mutuall proportion of which numbers so put into the void places of the triangle, and so filled with the numbers next, still keepe a perpetuall sweet course, although the sides of the triangle were infinitely extended, of which triange let this be the forme. If therefore choice be had of such proportions as make a sweet consent in the perpetuall course of numbers, the Commonwealth shall so be euerlasting: if so be that the [*](The true discord which indeedmaryeth the sweet harmonie of a Commonweale.) state of Commonweales depend of harmonie. But that harmonie (as saith Plato) is sometime broken, so that the sweet consent thereof must needs perish, and so Commonweales at length come to ruine and decay. But to say the truth, is it not much more to be feared, lest the subiects or citisens erring or declyning from the sweet and naturall harmonie of well tuned lawes, and customes, shall in steed of them embrace most wicked and pernitious lawes and fashions? And yet for all that will I not denie but that harmonie and musike have great force & power for the chaunging of a Commonweale, in which point both Plato and Aristotle well agree. Howbeit that Cicero is of opinion it to be a thing impossible, that for the musique of a Commonweal[*](Musike to be of great force, for the chaunging or maintaining of a Commonweale.) chaunged, the Commonweale should it selfe therefore take chaunge. Whereof for all that we have a most memorable example, of the Commonweale of the Cynethenses in Arcadia, who hauing giuen over the pleasure of musique, shortly after fell into such sedition and civill warres, as wherein no kind of crueltie was forgotten, or not put in execution: whereat every man marueling why this people was become so wilde and barbarors, seeing that all the rest of the people of Arcadia were wonderfull civill, courteous, and tractable: Polybius was the first which noted it so to have happened, for that they had left to take pleasure and delight in musique; which from all antiquitie had beene alwaies more honored and esteemed in Arcadia than in any place of the world else, in such sort as that by the lawes and customes of that countrie every one was uppon great paines bound to exercise him selfe therein, vntill he was thirtie yeares old, which was the meane (as sayth Polybius) the first lawgiuers of that people wisely deuised, to quiet and tame them, being by nature rough and barbarous, as commonly[*](Musique most honored in Athadia.) all the inhabitants of the mountaines and cold countries be. The like we may almost also say of the French nation, whom Iulian the Apostata in his time calleth a barbarous and fierce people and of all others most desirous of libertie, who yet now at this day are in ciuilitie inferiour to no people of all Europe, none being more tractable unto their magistrates or obedient unto their Princes than they, as men by nature well, but by instruction better taught, and in the iudgement of all their neighbours most skilfull in Musike. Wherein that is also worth the noting, that almost all the French songes & tunes (wherewith the countrie people are euen yet much delighted) are still Ionique or Lidian, that is to say, of the fift or seuenth tune. Which tunes Plato and Aristotle forbid the youth and women to vse: for that they be of great force and power to mollifie and effeminate the minds of men; and therefore would have them to vse the Dorian tune, which our men call the first tune, to the intent that so they might be the better instructed with a certaine pleasant modestie, mixt with grauitie, a thing proper unto this Dorian Musike. Which prohibition might haue serued better in the lesser Asia, where they have no other songes but of the fift or seauenth tune; and namely in the countries of Lydia and Ionia: But the people of the cold and mountaine Northern countries, which are ordinarily more sauage or at least wise lesse courteous than the people of the South and the inhabitants of the plaine countries, can no way better tame and mollifie themselves than by vsing the Lydian and Ionique harmonie. Which kind of Musike was also forbidden in the primitiue Church; wherein it was not permitted to sing Psalmes or prayses unto God but in the Dorian or first tune, which at this present is yet in the Church most in vse. But as men which would tame wilde and sauage beasts, disarme them first of their teeth and clawes; so the Lydian and Ionique harmonie disarmeth the more outragious and[*](Light musike forbidden in the primatiue church) barbarous people of their sauage and cruell nature, and maketh them quiet and tractable: As it is happened unto the Frenchmen, who happely had not beene so pliant and obedient unto the lawes and statutes of this kingdome, if the nature which Iulian the Emperour saieth to have beene in them so hautie and impatient of seruitude, had not by Musique beene attempered and mollified.

But of all those things which we have yet brought to iudge of the future chaunges[*](Numbers to be of greatforce, whatby to deeme the chaunge and ruine of a Commonweale.) and ruines of Commonweales, we see no rule (whether it be of Astrologie or musike) certain and sure: howbeit that we have by them some probable coniectures, whereof yet none seemeth vnto mee more certain or easie, than that which may be drawen from numbers. For why I thinke almightie God who with wonderfull wisdome hath so couched together the nature of all things, and with certain their numbers, meanes, measures, and consent, bound together all things to come: to have also within their certaine numbers so shut up and enclosed Commonweales, as that after a certaine period of yeares once past, yet must they needes then perish and take end, although they vse neuer so good lawes and customes: as Plato with Aristotle therein agree. But when that period shall be, neither of them declareth: except some there be which suppose Plato to signifie it by certaine obscure numbers in his eight booke De Republica: at which rocke not onely all the Academikes, but euen almost all the sects of other Philosophers also, have suffered shipwracke. And first of all Aristotle skippeth over this place as over a dich, neither doth here carpe his maister (as his manner is) when as for the obscuritie thereof he had not wherefore he might reproue him.

Proclus also hauing curiously enough enterpreted seauen of Plato his bookes de Republica: [*](The eight booke of Plato de Repub. most difficult and obscure.) would not so much as touch the eight, stayed (as I suppose) with the difficultie of the matter. Theon also of Smyrna (for there is an other Theon also of Alexandria; who writt a commentarie upon Ptolomee in Greeke) a man most skilfull not in Plato his philosophie onely: but in the Mathematiques also: at such time as he expounded Plato his Commonweale there stucke fast, neither tooke upon him to expound this place. Cicero in one word excuseth the difficultie of Plato his numbers. Marsilius Ficinus (in mine opinion) the sharpest of all the Academikes plainely confesseth himselfe not to know what Plato in that place ment: fearing lest it should so fall out with him as it did with Iamblichus, who seemeth to have bene willing in three words not to have manifested a thing of it selfe most obscure, but rather to have made it darker. Philo the Iewe euerie where imitating of Plato, thought that obscure and hidden number to be fiftie, and that he saieth to be signified by the right cornered Scalenus, such an one as Pithagoras comprehended in the three numbers 3, 4, 5. and therunto he supposeth those wordes of Plato to be referred, sesqui tertia radix quinario coniuncta: sesqui tertia the radix or root ioyned unto the number of five for the proportion of 3, 2, 4. is the proportion sesqui tertia. But in that he is deceiued for that he hath brought in a plaine number, whenas it appeareth Plato his meaning to have bene to have a solid number sought out, which should in it selfe containe all kind of numbers, excepting the numbers perfect. Yet Philo of these radicall numbers, 3, 4, 5,[*]( Sesquitertia i that which containeth all that an other thing doth, and a third part more.) brought euerie one of them apart into themselves maketh three quadrats: whereof are made 50 numbers, all plaine: but the wordes of Plato make mention of the hundred cube. Beside that there be Dimetients incommensurable unto the sides, as in the number of Plato: whose wordes it pleaseth mee heare to set downe, and to interpret the same: as well for that the interpretors doe in the interpretation thereof verie much differ amongst themselves: as also for that hee sayth the ignorance of that number to bee unto the Gouernours of Cities and Common-weales almost capitall. ---. which is as I interprer it, Truly the compasse of such things which take their beginning from God, is by the perfect number comprehended: but the compas of worldly things is contained by that number wherein are found numbers exceeding, and numbers exceeded by encrease and decrease, three spaces in foure tearmes comprehended; whereof are made numbers among themselves both like, and vnlike, numbers encreased, and diminished, which may be called by their owne names, and compared among themselves: whose sesquitertiall radix ioyned unto the number of fiue, maketh two consents thrice encreased, one equall equally: an hundred times an hundred: an other equall, on one part of it selfe longer, of an hundred dimetients, which might among themselves be compared, the numbers of five detracted lesse by the unitie: but two of ineffable proportion: but an hundred Cubes of the ternarie it selfe. And this number made by Geometricall proportion, is in worldly things most mightie, to them which have either the better or the worse beginning. Here Plato is s---ylie led away, not vnlike the fish Polypus, hauing on every side[*](Obscuritie by Plato and many the auntient writers of purpose in their writings affected.) cast out his blacking like ynke, lest otherwise he should have beene entangled and caught. Wherein truely he seemed to have imitated Heraclitus, to vnderstand whose writings he said a man had need of a most skilfull interpretour. Which obscure kind of writing and speaking by Heraclitus deuised (when as he most often would beat into his Schollers eares that his ---, that is to say speake obscurelie) is oft times used not of Plato onely, but euen of Aristotle him selfe also, to the intent that so hauing cast a mist before his eyes aswell of the learned as of the vnlearned, concerning the knowledge of most difficult things, and shut up in the hidden secrets of nature, they might themselves become therefore the more admirable. Which thing we especially note in the bookes of nature; which bookes Aristotle boasteth himselfe of purpose to have so writ, as that he would not have them to be vnderstood, imitating therein Plato his most obscure Timaeus: Which thing Lucilius writ also of him selfe, that he had rather not to be at all vnderstood, then to be reprehended or found fault with all. But let vs discover Plato his deceit by those things which he himselfe writeth[*](Plato discouered and in some sort refuted.) more plainly, that we may more certeinly iudge of those things which he fouldeth up in such obscuritie of words: for he would that those things which take their beginning from God, should be contained within the perfect number. But what thing is there at length which oweth not the first beginning of the being thereof vnto almightie God, either immediatly without any other meane cause, or else some other the meane or middle causes comming betweene. And that God himselfe without any other meane cause created the Angels, and other the celestiall bodies not onely Plato, but euen the Manichies also themselves confesse; who yet most wickedly thought all earthly things to have had their beginning from the prince of euils. True it is that the earth brought forth plants & other liuing creatures, the waters also fishes, and foules; yet both of them by the commaundement of almightie God: But unto the creation of Man he would also have the [*](Faciamus hominem: Or let vs make man.) Angels present. Howbeit that Aristotle was of opinion the formes of all things to be in a sort diuinely infused into them, when as he writ in all things to be ---, or some diuine thing. As for the mind of man he calleth it not obscurely or doubtfully but euen plainely ---: which is (as I interpret it) ---, from aboue, from God, or from heauen, not out of the power of the seed, as he saith of other liuing creatures: of whom for all that Virgil in generall saith: Igneus est ollis vigor & caelestis origo, A fierie force they haue, and a celestiall beginning. Wherefore we must confesse all things to be included in perfect numbers if we will beleeue Plato. But let vs graunt unto the Academikes (which yet is an impietie to do) these earthly things which we speake of, to have had their beginning else where then from almightie God, shall therefore the perfect numbers as better, be attributed unto heauenly things? yea the perfect numbers should rather agree unto earthly things, for that the perfect numbers how many soeuer they be are euen, and of the female kind, for otherwise they were not perfect: neither are more than * foure[*](The foure perfect numbers within an hundred thousand, are 6. 496. 68▪ and 8128.) within an hundred thousand: there beeing also other perfect numbers * aboue that number of an hundred thousand, but such as cannot be applied either unto diuine, or humaine or worldlie things. Wherefore seeing that the number of six is the first of[*](Perfect numbers aboue an hundred thousand: 130811, 2096128, 33550336. 536814528.) the perfect numbers, it ought by the opinion of Plato to agree unto things immediately by God himselfe created; and yet we see the same number neuerthelesse to agree vnto most vile and abiect liuing creatures. For Aristotle writeth the Hare (by the law of God an vncleane creature, & forbidden his holie people to eate of) to live at the most but six yeares. The like number of yeares the same man attributeth also unto Mice. And unto certaine kinds of flyes, as unto waspes and Bees six yeares are by Virgill allotted, and their hiues are still made six cornered; all which base creatures except the Hare are engendered of putrifcation. But as saith the Poet: Numero Deus impare gaudet, God delighteth in an odd number. And odd numbers are attributed unto men: For that which Seneca writeth: Septimus quisque annus aetati notam imprimit, every seauenth yeare imprinteth some marke into age, is to be vnderstood onely of the male sexe: for experience showeth vs euen unto the view of the eye, that the number of six maketh a chaunge, and leaueth a marke unto the female kind: So that as men begin to feele the heat of youth at fourteene yeares; women wax ripe at twelue, and so holding on from six to six, still so find in themselves some notable chaunge in the disposition either of their bodies, or of their mindes. All diuine Holydaies[*](Plato vainely to attribute the perfect or euen numbers unto heauenly things.) also are concluded in septenaries, or such other odd numbers. In many places also Diamonds grow by nature it selfe pollished six square, as Plinie in his 33. booke reporteth, which in the mountaines of the Pyrenes is a common matter. Wherefore it is an absurd thing that Plato attributeth the beginning and ending of diuine things unto perfect numbers onely. But Porphyree the most famous philosopher of his time, when he enterpreted that of Plato out of his Timaeus ---, writeth the estate of all Commonweales, and the life of spirits to be determined, at the farthest in the reuolution of a thousand yeares. Plutarch in his booke entituled --- supposeth the life of Spirits to extend longer, but yet neither of them sought after the perfect numbers. But if so be that Plato in so great fewnesse of perfect numbers, could not tell which of them should agree to things sprung from a diuine beginning; by what numbers then should he discide so great varietie of worldly things? or if he knew that number, why did he pray and make vowes unto the Muses that they would show him it.

Wherefore it behoueth a man of deeper consideration to seeke out such numbers[*](The numbers of seauen and nine to be of great force in the chaunge of worldly things.) as may signifie the conuersions & chaunges of worldly things, and which are by long experience, and not by light and vaine coniectures approued: such as I deeme the numbers of seauen and nine and their quadrate and cubike numbers: viz. 49, 81, 343, 729, to be. For as the number of six (which is of all perfect numbers the first) chaungeth the manners, habit, or nature of the Female kind, so most [*](Hippocrat. de partis septimestri.) auncient antiquitie hath by experience proued the number of seauen in some sort to chaunge the Male kind also: and that as the numbers of seauen or nine vse commonly to giue vnto men[*](The number of sixe to be of great power in the femaile sexe, and the number of seauen in the maile kind.) the beginning and time of their birth, that so the number growing of the multiplying of either of them, hath beene wont to bring unto them their end and destruction. Which same thing I transfer and applie unto Commonweales also, so that the numbers of seauen and nine, and such as arise of their quadrate and cubike numbers, do often times bring ruine and destruction unto Commonweales. For that which we have alleaged out of Seneca and Censorius every seauenth yeare to imprint some marke into the age of man, and so the daungers of mens lives & substance to happen still upon their seauenth yeares: vnderstand that to belong especially unto men. Of which mine opinion I have vse aud experience the authour: For it is every sixt yeare which leaueth a most certaine note of it selfe unto women. And first to begin withall the strength of bodie and of mind is increased in them the sixt yeare, or else therein they die: the twelft yeare they begin to wax warme, and the eighteenth yeare are readie for husbands: and if diseases fall upon them in their sixt yeares, they are so often times in daunger: The like whereof happeneth unto men the seauenth, the fourteenth, and one and twentieth yeare: So that Plato not without cause attributeth the euen numbers unto the female sexe, and the odd numbers unto the male. And for this cause Plutarch saith, The auntient Romans to have used to giue name vnto their male children the ninth day, for that the seauenth was more daungerous, and unto their female children or daughters the eight day: for that (as saith he) the euen number is proper unto the female sexe: And therefore I suppose them of old time to have used every eight day to do sacrifice unto Neptune, for that the element of water agreeth unto women, as doth the firie element vnto men: As also that they thought the number of seauen to be feared. Howbeit that the law of God commaundeth the male children

to be circumcised the eight day: which the sacred interpretors of the Hebrewes thinke [*](The seuenth day of all others most blessed.) to haue beene done, that so there might be one Sabaoth betwixt the birth of the child and the circumcision thereof, and so more strength might thereby be giuen vnto the child. For why, Moyses doth in sacred writ teach vs, God most plentifully to blesse the Seauenth day (which was the birth day of the world) with his grace and all other good things: which aboundance and stoare of his good blessings is no where seene to be giuen unto the rest of the other dayes, by a certaine wonderfull cause of nature from all Philosophers hidden.

Yet nothing seemeth in mans nature more wonderfull than that the yeare threescore[*](The clymactericall yeare of 63, most commonly fatall unto old men.) three hath bene still noted to be unto almost all old men fatall, Obseruandum est (saieth Au. Gellius) in multa hominum memoria, expertumque in senioribus plerisque omnibus sexagesimum tertium vitae annum cum periculo & clade aliqua venire, aut corporis morbis grauioris, aut vitae interitus, aut animi aegritudinis, It is a thing obserued (sayeth hee) in the great remembrance of men, and also by experience proued in many old men, The threescore and third yeare of their age to come unto them all with some danger and hurt, either of the body, or of some great disease, or of losse of life, or of some tormenting griefe of mind. Yea there is an epistle of Augustus the emperour unto his nephew Caius, bearing date the ninth of the Calends of October, written to the same purpose, in this sort, Aue mi Cai, meus ocellus iucūdissimus, quem semper medius fidius desidero quùm a me abes: sed praecipuè diebus talibus qualis est hodiernus: oculi mei requir unt meum Caium: quem vbicum{que} & hoc die fuisti, spero laetum & bene valentem celebrasse quartum & sexagesimum natalem meum: nam vt vides --- communem seniorum omnium tertium & sexagesimum euasimus, &c. All haile my Caius (sayth he) my most sweet delight, whom of my faith I alwaies long for when thou art from me, but especially on such daies as this is mine eyes doe now seeke after my Caius, whome wheresoeuer thou hast this day bene, I hope that thou merrie and in good health, hast celebrated my threescore & fourth birth day: for as you see we have escaped the threescore and third yeare, the common Climacteriall yeare of all old men, &c. Howbeit that Augustus lived vntill he was seuentie seuen yeares old; as did also Pomponius Atticus, who died at that age. We might reckon up an infinit number not only of the poore and baser sort, but euen of the nobler sort also, who ended their [*](Great learned men which dyed at the 93. yeare of their age.) daies in the threescore and third yeare of their age: but we will onely reckon up some such as were for their learning famous, who as at that age died, viz. Aristotle, Cicero, Crysippus, S. Bernard, Boccace, Erasmus, Luthar, Melancthon, Siluius, Alexander Imolensis, the most famous lawier of his time, Cardinall Cusan, Linacre, and Sturmius: And therfore the old Greeke diuines seeme to have consecrated the number of seauen unto Apollo, and of nine unto the Muses, as Plutarque writeth.

Now if any man will more curiously search out these things, whether it be in the[*](The seauenth and ninth yeares still daungerous or fatall unto old men; and the sixt yeare unto women.) sacred or profane histories, he shal find the lives of men for the most part to have expired and taken end still in the seauenth or ninth yeares of their age: and women in the sixt. Plato is said to have died at the age of fourscore and one, which is nine times nine yeares: Theophrastus at 84, which are twelue times seauen yeares, which period few men passe; or els they passe to xiii times seauen, as did S. Hierom and Isocrates, who lived 91 yeares. Plinie, Bartholus, and Caesar lived fiftie sixe yeares, which is eight times seauen yeares: Lamech lived 777 yeares, and Methusala (who of all others lived the longest) 970 yeares: Abraham lived an hundred seauentie and fiue yeares, which are five and twentie times seauen yeares: Iacob 147 yeares, which are xxi septinaries, or spaces of seauen yeres: Isaac lived 190 yeares, which make xx times nine yeares: Dauid lived seauentie yeares, which make ten times seauen yeares. An infinit thing it were

to recken up all which are in histories found to have ended their daies at these aforesaid periods of seauens and nines. He also who of our auncestors and of histories is called Ioannes de temporibus lived 361 yeares, that is to say three and fiftie times seauen yeares. It is manifest also men to be alwaies borne in the ninth or seauenth monethe whom the Graeks therfore call --- and that they which are borne either sooner or later live not. For which cause Hippocrates writeth a child to be fully made and perfected in all the parts and limbs thereof the seauenth day: and afterward to take encrease: and being borne the seauenth moneth to live: but none to have lived being borne in the eight moneth: a child also in the seuenth yeare to have all the teeth, and that men (as Plinie writeth it to have bene euen from the farthest memorie of men obserued) hauing bene kept from meat seuen dayes, albeit they may live longer, shall yet [*](The Saboath or Seauenth day of all other daies the most blessed.) neuerthelesse at length die thereof. The law of God hath most religiously also both consecrated and commaunded, the seuenth day to be kept holy, as the birth day of the world, and of all that therein is: which one day of all others God almightie blessed, and which day all antiquitie hath by long experience reported to be so vnlike the other daies of the weeke, as that it is taken up as an old prouerbe, No seuenth day --- passe wherein the sunne is not at one time or other therein to be seene. upon which day the auntient Hebrewes constantly affirme, The rage of diuels to be restrained, wisedome to be into the minds of men infused, their bodies to be strengthened, and their fields with encrease of fruit to be blessed. The seuenth yeare also is by the law of God holy, as is also the seuenth time seuen yeare, which is the yeare of Iubilie: neither is if to be doubted, but that a certaine secret force is in them, both for the chaunge and ruine of Commonweales. So that it ought not to seeme straunge, if that this number of seuen be of the Hebrews called sacred or holy: which Caluin (following Galen, as I suppose) calleth Perfect (where he entreateth of the rest of the Sabboth day) which hee euen to astonishment woundereth to be so often and so religiously propounded, to bee of all men obserued and kept, in so much that euen the paine of death is propounded unto the breakers thereof: so that the whole summe of all God his lawes may seeme to bee therein contained: yet is not therefore the number of seauen a number perfect, for that it is odd and masculine: whereas all perfect numbers are euen and feminine. For why,[*](What a perfect number is?) the Mathematitians define that to be perfect, which may bee divided into the same whole parts, whereof it is made, so that in such diuision nothing be wanting or superfluous. As 1, 2, 3, make sixe: which three numbers do also equally diuide sixe into equall parts, as it was of them made, as it is in other perfect numbers also. Lactantius [*](* In lib. de oppiicto Dei. ) in the same errour offended, who calleth the number of three and ten, perfect and full numbers: and also Cicero, who deceiued many, in calling the numbers of seuen and[*](In somnio scipionis.) eightfull numbers; which Macrobius vnderstandeth to bee solide, and others to bee perfect numbers: neither of which can truely bee said of the number of seuen: as for the number of eight it is indeed a solid, but not therefore a perfect number. With like errour is Plutarch himselfe deceiued, who writeth, Three to be a number perfect: howbeit that Aristotle deemeth the force of that number to be of great force in the whole course of nature. Philo was herein also deceiued, in taking ten to bee the most perfect number.[*](But four perfect numbers from one to an hundred thousand.)

Now indeed there are but foure perfect numbers from one unto an hundred thousand, viz. 6, 28, 496, and 8128, amongst which the last cannot serue for the changing of Commonweales, for that it exceedeth the age of the world: neither the two first, for that they are too little: so that but one of them can be well applied unto the chaunges of cities and Commonweals, viz. the number of [*](The number 469▪ the onely perfect number which can well bee applied vnto the changes of cities and Commonweales.) 496, which is made of seuentie septenaries of yeares, and a perfect number: it being also a thing by most auntient antiquitie

obserued, All cities in the reuolution of five hundred yeares, to suffer either some great chaunge, or else some vtter ruine. But these numbers touching the chaunge or ruine of cities and Commonweales, may be two wayes applyed, viz. unto the princes themselves, or els vnto the continuance of their kingdomes and empires. As if a man should say, This kingdome of Fraunce to fall and take end, after that threescore and three kings had therein raigned, this number consisting of the numbers of seuen and[*](The numbers of seauen and nine fatall unto Commonweales.) nine, conuerted in themselves. As Esaias, who liuing in the time of Romulus, prophesied, That nine kings should more yet raigne in Iudea, and that the tenth should together with the people be led away into captiuitie, and so that kingdome to take end: As also that there should be nine kings of the Persians, or as that the seuenth king of the Romans should be thrust out of his kingdom: which number of princes well agreeth with the number of the yeares which they raigned in Iurie, viz. 182, a number consisting of six & twenty septenaries: & at Rome 244, for in the 75 septenarie, that is to say, in the 245 yere Tarquin the proud, last king of Rome, was thrust out of his kingdome. Hieremie the Prophet then lived, when as the prophesie of Esay was fulfilled, and himselfe prophesied, That the people should be againe delivered in the seuentie yeare of their captiuitie, as indeed they were, and the temple againe restored. The same Prophet [*](Chap 24.) Esayas prophesied also, The most famous citie of Tyre to be in 70 yeres after vnpeopled and left desolat, and afterwards within seuentie yeares moe after the ruine therof, to be againe restored. The same number agreeth unto the Athenian Commonweale, wherein seauen princes, whome they call ---, raigned also 70 yeres▪ the taking of which citie, and the victorie of the Athenians at Salamine, is reported to haue happened upon the verie like day. As for the number which of the Academikes is called fatalis n---merus, or a Fatall number, viz. 1728 (being indeed a quadrat number) seemeth to have bene expired from the raigne of Ninus unto the victorie of Alexander the Great, at Arbela, and the ouerthrow of the Persian empire. For Herodotus, Diodorus, Trogus Pompeius, Iustin, and Ctesias, begin that empire from Ninus. And at such time as Hierusalem ouerwhelmed with most bitter calamities, was won and rased, the temple ouerthrowne, king Sedechias slaine, and the people carried away into captiuitie: at the selfe same time the Aegyptians rebelled against the kings of Assyria, the Athenians shooke off the tyrannicall yoke of the Pisistratides, and the Romans expulsed the proud Tarquins. Now the temple had before stood 427 yeares, a time cousisting of whole septenaries. But for that in the computation of times, there is great difference amongst the Historiographers, we will vse the Roman Fasts or Calenders, which cannot lie. Wherein we see, that from the foundation of the citie, and of the Roman Commonweale unto the battaile of Actium, wherein Marcus Antonius was by Augustus vanquished, and the whole empire brought under the power of one onely Monarch, and a generall peace established throughout the world, there are accounted 729 yeares, the solide number of nine. The same number of yeres passed from the conquest of the kingdome of the Lombards by Charlemaigne, unto the conquest of the same countrey by Lewes the twelfth the French king, upon the Venetians and the Sforces. The like number of yeares is accounted also from the ouerthrow of the kingdom of the Picts, and the great victorie of the Scots unto the captiuitie of Marie Steward their queene. As also from Egbert king of the West Saxons (who hauing vanquished the East Saxons, made himselfe the sole Monarch of England, and called the people Englishmen) unto queene Marie, who was the first woman that tooke upon her the soueraigntie of that people in fourteene hundred and fortie yeares space. So from the raigne of Augustus, after the victorie by him obtained at Actium, and the temple of I---nus the fourth time shut up, unto Augustus the last of all the Roman emperors, slaine by Odouacer king of the Herules, and the empire possessed by the Gothes, there are accounted 496 yeares, which we said to be a perfect number, as consisting of seuentie septinaries; with the perfect number of six: For by the Fasts the yeare following Odouacer began to raigne. Wherein it is also worth the noting, that as the first emperour Augustus with wonderfull felicitie and wisedome, both established and encreased that so great a Monarchy, which he held more than fortie yeres: so Augustulus the last of the Roman emperours diminished both in name and soueraigntie, held that his empire scarce a whole yeare, which happened the tenth of the calends of September. As it happened to Constantine the Great, who established the seat of the empire at Constantinople: and to Constantine the last Christian emperour, there dispoyled of his estate, and slaine by Mahomet king of the Turkes, surnamed the Great. Now from the building of the citie unto this Augustulus, are accounted 1225 yeares: which number consisteth of whole septinaries: which thing Vectius the great sooth-saier foretold, as[*](The number perfect of 496 a number proper unto the chaunes of Commōnweales.) Censorinus out of Marcus Varro writeth. The same number of yeares wee find from Ninus king of Assyria, unto the death of Sardanapalus, whome Arbaces gouernour of Media dispoyled of his government, and translated the kingdome unto the Medes. Now from Saul the first king of the elect people of God unto that Sedechias was slain, and his kingdome ouerthrowne, returneth that perfect number of 496 yeres. But whereas Iosephus reporteth the burning of both the Temples, and the taking of the citie, to have chaunced the selfesame day, viz. the ninth day of the first moneth; he in that agreeth not with the booke of the Kings, neither with the Prophet Hieremy, who both otherwise report the same. So many yeares, viz. 496. are accounted from Caranus first king of the Macedons, unto Alexander the Great last king of that countrey, discended of the line and issue of Hercules, and of Aeacus. Some there bee which adde certaine yeares moe, and some others which detract some also. Wherefore my meaning is not to alleage any other than the records set downe by the most certaine Historiographers, and such as every man may draw euen out of the verie fasts and calenders of the Romans themselves. Of which sort is that, that from the foundation of the citie of Rome, unto the sacking therof by the French men, are accounted 364 yeres, which number consisteth of whole septinaries: As also from the building of the citie, unto the slaughter at Cannas, Terentius Varro being then Consull (at which time the Commonweale was fallen into extreame danger) are numbred 536 yeres, that is to say 77 septinaries of yeres: And from thence unto the slaughter by the Romans, receiued from the Germans, under the conduct of Quinctilius Varro, are passed 224 yeares, a number consisting of whole septenaries: both which ouerthrowes happened the second day of August, as is by the auntient Romans reported. Neither is that lesse memorable which Tarapha a most certaine Historiographer amongst the Spaniards reporteth, The Moores and Arabians to have inuaded Spaine in the yere of Christ 707, and that also the seuenth yeare of the raigne of king Roderike, and to have holden the same kingdome 770 yeares, neither could vtterly be from thence againe expulsed, before the time of Ferdinand king of Arragon and Castile. It is also worth the noting, that from the execution of Aman, and the deliverie of the Iewes at the intercession of Hester, unto the victorie of Iudas Machabeus against Antiochus the noble king of Syria and his lieutenant, there passed 343 yeares, which is the solid number of seuen, that is to say seuen times seuen septenaries: both which victories happened the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar, as the Hebrewes have well noted. The same number of yeares passed from the time that Octauianus (hauing vanquished Marcus Antonius, and vnited the whole Roman empire under his owne obeysance) was by the Senat called Augustus, unto Constantine the Great; a time notable for the straunge chaunces which then happened in the whole empire, as well in the lawes politique, as in matters of religion. Tacitus hath also noted in another singularitie, That the citie of Rome was by Nero burnt, on the like day that it had long before beene burnt by the Gaules, which was the fourteenth of the calends of August: wherēin some have gone so farre, as to number how many yeares, moneths and dayes, passed betwixt both those fiers.

But that the numbers of six are almost unto women fatall, I thought it not needfull[*](The number of sixe to be unto women fatall.) by examples to proue, least I might be thought to stand upon triflles, only that I note, that in the yeare 1582, at such time as the prince of Orenge had receiued a mortall wound, the one and twentieth of March, being the fortie ninth yeare of his age, and that all men dispaired of his life, he yet recouered his health at his entrance into his fiftieth yeare: But Carola Charlet of Burbon his wife within two monethes after died, when as shee entred into the six and thirtieth yeare of her age, which is the quadrat of the number of six: euen as the prince her husband was wounded in the nine and fortieth yeare of his age, the quadrat of the septenarie or number of seuen: which I thought not to have written, but that I was told the same by the prince of Orenge himselfe, as a thing by him noted, when as I was of councell with Francis duke of Alanson at Anwerpe.

But now for that we are by way of discourse come so farre, the last that remayneth is for me to aunswere some thing to them which take pleasure rather to carpe than to commend my writings: for that [*](In his booke: De Methode historiarum. ) I said I vnderstood not the prophecies of Daniel concerning the rising and ruine of Empires and kingdomes. For I doubt not but that if he (amongst others a most wise man) would in their due times have plainly set downe such things as he by diuine inspiration had conceiued and declared, all things then whereof we now doubt, should without all doubt be unto vs most plaine and cleere. Truely he defineth the state of his owne citie, king Cyrus then beginning his raigne, what time the captiuitie was ended, according to [*](Hier. 2. & Daniel 9.) the prophecie of Ieremie, (which he beginneth from the destruction of the Citie and of the Temple, and not from the raigne of Ioachim as some suppose) and the holie people returned. He defineth[*](A good discou of Daniel his seauentie weeks.) it (I say) by seauentie weekes of yeares, that is by 490. yeares, and that right plainly; when as the prophecie was made in the last yeare of the captiuitie, which was the seauentieth from the destruction of the Citie and of the Temple: that so the prophecies might in good order with the prophecies, and times with times be continued: whereas they which longer protract the times leaue an hundred and twentie yeares at one gaping. But the Prophet expresly taught, that the beginning of the time ought to be accounted from the time of the prophecie giuen, wherein the people againe returned as if it had beene before dead, and appointed unto it selfe a Prince and other magistrates, from whence the restoring of the Citie is to be accounted, and not from the repairing of the walles and buildings. In which case Pompee said well: Vrbe deserta, in parietibus Rempublicam non consistere, That the citie being forsaken, the Commonweale consisted not in the walles thereof. But many [*](Iosephus. Funccius. Mercator. Philo.) Historiographers from the time of Cyrus unto the raigne of Herode the great (who hauing taken Hierusalem and slaine all the Senators together with the king himselfe, and spoiled the Iewes of their kingdome) do account 490. yeares. Others there be which recken otherwise, and so great varietie and difference there is amongst them, as that all the opinions of all of them, may well be refelled, not onely by every one of them a part, but euen by all of them together. As for those things which Daniel writ concerning the Empires, he openly and plainly hath called the Medes, the Persians, and Grecians unto the Empire of Babylon; but besides them none. The fourth Empire (by him spoken of) we have showed not to belong unto the Romans, seeing that question is there concerning

Babylon, which the Romans neuer subdued; which when they passing over the riuer Euphrates had vnfortunately attempted, they receiued many and great ouerthrowes of the most inuincible Parthians. But yet more foolishy do they who attribute that fourth Empire unto the Germans, who neuer so much as dreamed of any the least part of the Babylonians Empire. Which things for that they be by vs else where disputed we will here let passe. Which things for all that Frankbergerus the Saxon and Bishop of Lipsic, by the authoritie of Luther, and one Dresserus a meere schoolman with rayling without any reason at all refelleth, whom I shall yet count an eloquent man, if he shall but learne aswell to speake, as he hath learned to speake euill: But for that the angrie man (a common fault of the wise) is angrie with me, for that I dare not rashly iudge of the diuine oracles, least in so doing I might offend in such his matters, and so farre from all mens senses: he should have taught me why he thinketh the Prophet Daniel to have there omitted fiftie empires, which I have [*](In methdo .) noted to have bin ten times greater than the German empire, and such as have in them also contained a great part of the Babylonian empire? Why also Daniel in his first chapter hath writ of himselfe, That he lived in the first yeare of the raigne of Cyrus king of Persia? And yet more, why he should write himself to have receiued that diuine oracle or prophesie in the [*](Chap. .) third yeare of the raigne of king Cyrus? And why in the chapter following doth he make mention of Darius king of Persia▪ who was inuested in that kingdome seuen and thirtie yeares after that Cyrus began to raigne? For neither Berosus a most true interpretor of the Chaldean antiquities, whome Ctesias and most of the auntient writers, haue followed: neither Megusthenes the Cronicler of the Persian affaires, neither Herodotus, called the Father of Historie, neither any of the Greeke or Hebrew historiographers, report any to have bene before Darius Hystaspes: I except onely Iosephus, who in that place dissenteth from Berosus. But least we should seeme to deale to sharply, and to presse them too farre, What is the reason why Daniel in the eleuenth chapter of his prophesie writeth, That Darius should have three Persians his successors and that the fourth should come out of Grecia, who by mightie force and strong hand should obtaine the empire? But that this was Alexander the Great no man doubteth, who thrust Darius Codomaenus out of the Persian empire, whose father was Darius Achos, his grandfather Darius Mnemon, and his great grandfather Darius Nothus, unto whome Daniel turneth his speech. Which if it be so, Daniel must needes have lived two hundred and twentie yeares, if he were a youth growne when as hee was carried captiue into Chaldea, which he must needes be, for that hee then spoke both most eloquently and wisely. And thus much euerie man may most plainely gather both out of the sacred scriptures, and also out of the auntient histories of Herodotus and Iosephus. For Cyrus died in the 30 yeare of his raigne, Cambyses in the 6, Darius Hystaspes in the 37, Xerxes in the 21, Artaxerxes in the 44, Darius Nothus in the 19, Darius Mnemon in the 36, Darius Achos in the ---6, Darius Cadomanus in the 10, all making the summe of 228 yeares. For Daniel was taken prisoner together with king Ioachim. But let the interpretors of these diuine oracles suppose all things to bee manifest unto them, and let euerie one of them with great confidence at their pleasure determine of these Daniels weekes. Yet how can these which euen most subtilly hane discussed all these matters, defend that of the Prophets Zacharias [*](Chap..) and Aggaeus, who writ their prophecies in the end of the seauentieth yeare of the captiuitie, Darius Nothus [*](* Chap. 23.) as they will haue it then raigning. This is now (say those Prophets) the seauentieth yeare▪ And if it be so that they will have the seauentie yeares to be accounted not from the destruction of the Temple, but from the Edict of Xerxes, then truly Zerubabel and Nehemiah the chiefetaines of the people must needs haue lived full two hundred and fiftie yeares, being so old when Cyrus began his raigne, as that they were able to conduct the people out of Chaldea into the land of Palestine: whom yet the doubt not to proue euen by the testimonie of Nehemiah himselfe, him to have lived euen to the last Darius. Wherefore all Historiographers are here much troubled and at great variance among themselves: one saying that there were but five of these Persian kings: an other six: and others seauen: many eight: some nine: yea and some there be which have deuised a tenth also. Truely Genebrardus in his Chronologie affirmeth there to haue bene of them onely fiue: but Functius saith ten. Wherefore in so great rietie of opinions one of the two may be: as viz. that none of them all be true, the other can in no wise be, that moe of them then one should at all be true; and which of them it is I can not affirme: neither if I could would I. And in mine opinion I have hereof more modestly than they written, that it was not a thing to me well knowne, unto whom for all that I will yeeld, if they can by any meanes maintaine the certaintie of their owne positions. Howbeit that S. Hierome hath reiected many things which are found in the writings of Daniel: And that the Hebrewes allow not of the rest which are not writ in the Chaldee, but in the Greeke tongue by Theodotion.

Wherefore these examples thus propounded, it is lawfull by a certaine coniecturall[*](How it is lawfull for a man to gesse at the rising and falling of a Common wealth.) gessing to ayme at the rising and falling of Commonweales: as also for a man looking into the precedent causes of things, with the diuers coniunctions and oppositions of the Planets, to go so farre as the knowledge of such things will beare: not rashly affirming, or lightly beleeuing any thing concerning such things as are by the Almightie and euer liuing God farre set from the sense and reach of man.