a history of science-2-第21章

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t；　the　greater　the　reputation　of　an　astrologer　the　greater　dangers　he　was　likely　to　fall　into。　If　he　became　so　famous　that　he　was　employed　by　kings　or　noblemen；　his　too　true　or　too　false　prophecies　were　likely　to　bring　him　into　disreputeeven　to　endanger　his　life。　Throughout　the　dark　age　the　astrologers　flourished；　but　the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth　centuries　were　the　golden　age　of　these　impostors。　A　skilful　astrologer　was　as　much　an　essential　to　the　government　as　the　highest　official；　and　it　would　have　been　a　bold　monarch；　indeed；　who　would　undertake　any　expedition　of　importance　unless　sanctioned　by　the　governing　stars　as　interpreted　by　these　officials。　It　should　not　be　understood；　however；　that　belief　in　astrology　died　with　the　advent　of　the　Copernican　doctrine。　It　did　become　separated　from　astronomy　very　shortly　after；　to　be　sure；　and　undoubtedly　among　the　scientists　it　lost　much　of　its　prestige。　But　it　cannot　be　considered　as　entirely　passed　away；　even　to…day；　and　even　if　we　leave　out　of　consideration　street…corner　〃astrologers〃　and　fortune…tellers；　whose　signs　may　be　seen　in　every　large　city；　there　still　remains　quite　a　large　class　of　relatively　intelligent　people　who　believe　in　what　they　call　〃the　science　of　astrology。〃　Needless　to　say；　such　people　are　not　found　among　the　scientific　thinkers；　but　it　is　significant　that　scarcely　a　year　passes　that　some　book　or　pamphlet　is　not　published　by　some　ardent　believer　in　astrology；　attempting　to　prove　by　the　illogical　dogmas　characteristic　of　unscientific　thinkers　that　astrology　is　a　science。　The　arguments　contained　in　these　pamphlets　are　very　much　the　same　as　those　of　the　astrologers　three　hundred　years　ago；　except　that　they　lack　the　quaint　form　of　wording　which　is　one　of　the　features　that　lends　interest　to　the　older　documents。　These　pamphlets　need　not　be　taken　seriously；　but　they　are　interesting　as　exemplifying　how　difficult　it　is；　even　in　an　age　of　science；　to　entirely　stamp　out　firmly　established　superstitions。　Here　are　some　of　the　arguments　advanced　in　defence　of　astrology；　taken　from　a　little　brochure　entitled　〃Astrology　Vindicated；〃　published　in　1898：　It　will　be　found　that　a　person　born　when　the　Sun　is　in　twenty　degrees　Scorpio　has　the　left　ear　as　his　exceptional　feature　and　the　nose　（Sagittarius）　bent　towards　the　left　ear。　A　person　born　when　the　Sun　is　in　any　of　the　latter　degrees　of　Taurus；　say　the　twenty…fifth　degree；　will　have　a　small；　sharp；　weak　chin；　curved　up　towards　Gemini；　the　two　vertical　lines　on　the　upper　lip。〃＇4＇　The　time　was　when　science　went　out　of　its　way　to　prove　that　such　statements　were　untrue；　but　that　time　is　past；　and　such　writers　are　usually　classed　among　those　energetic　but　misguided　persons　who　are　unable　to　distinguish　between　logic　and　sophistry。

In　England；　from　the　time　of　Elizabeth　to　the　reign　of　William　and　Mary；　judicial　astrology　was　at　its　height。　After　the　great　London　fire；　in　1666；　a　committee　of　the　House　of　Commons　publicly　summoned　the　famous　astrologer；　Lilly；　to　come　before　Parliament　and　report　to　them　on　his　alleged　prediction　of　the　calamity　that　had　befallen　the　city。　Lilly；　for　some　reason　best　known　to　himself；　denied　having　made　such　a　prediction；　being；　as　he　explained；　〃more　interested　in　determining　affairs　of　much　more　importance　to　the　future　welfare　of　the　country。〃　Some　of　the　explanations　of　his　interpretations　will　suffice　to　show　their　absurdities；　which；　however；　were　by　no　means　regarded　as　absurdities　at　that　time；　for　Lilly　was　one　of　the　greatest　astrologers　of　his　day。　He　said　that　in　1588　a　prophecy　had　been　printed　in　Greek　characters　which　foretold　exactly　the　troubles　of　England　between　the　years　1641。　and　1660。　〃And　after　him　shall　come　a　dreadful　dead　man；〃　ran　the　prophecy；　〃and　with　him　a　royal　G　of　the　best　blood　in　the　world；　and　he　shall　have　the　crown　and　shall　set　England　on　the　right　way　and　put　out　all　heresies。　His　interpretation　of　this　was　that；　〃Monkery　being　extinguished　above　eighty　or　ninety　years；　and　the　Lord　General's　name　being　Monk；　is　the　dead　man。　The　royal　G　or　C　（it　is　gamma　in　the　Greek；　intending　C　in　the　Latin；　being　the　third　letter　in　the　alphabet）　is　Charles　II。；　who；　for　his　extraction；　may　be　said　to　be　of　the　best　blood　of　the　world。〃＇5＇　This　may　be　taken　as　a　fair　sample　of　Lilly's　interpretations　of　astrological　prophesies；　but　many　of　his　own　writings；　while　somewhat　more　definite　and　direct；　are　still　left　sufficiently　vague　to　allow　his　skilful　interpretations　to　set　right　an　apparent　mistake。　One　of　his　famous　documents　was　〃The　Starry　Messenger；〃　a　little　pamphlet　purporting　to　explain　the　phenomenon　of　a　〃strange　apparition　of　three　suns〃　that　were　seen　in　London　on　November　19；　1644…the　anniversary　of　the　birth　of　Charles　I。；　then　the　reigning　monarch。　This　phenomenon　caused　a　great　stir　among　the　English　astrologers；　coming；　as　it　did；　at　a　time　of　great　political　disturbance。　Prophecies　were　numerous；　and　Lilly's　brochure　is　only　one　of　many　that　appeared　at　that　time；　most　of　which；　however；　have　been　lost。　Lilly；　in　his　preface；　says：　〃If　there　be　any　of　so　prevaricate　a　judgment　as　to　think　that　the　apparition　of　these　three　Suns　doth　intimate　no　Novelle　thing　to　happen　in　our　own　Climate；　where　they　were　manifestly　visible；　I　shall　lament　their　indisposition；　and　conceive　their　brains　to　be　shallow；　and　voyde　of　understanding　humanity；　or　notice　of　common　History。〃　Having　thus　forgiven　his　few　doubting　readers；　who　were　by　no　means　in　the　majority　in　his　day；　he　takes　up　in　review　the　records　of　the　various　appearances　of　three　suns　as　they　have　occurred　during　the　Christian　era；　showing　how　such　phenomena　have　governed　certain　human　events　in　a　very　definite　manner。　Some　of　these　are　worth　recording。　〃Anno　66。　A　comet　was　seen；　and　also　three　Suns：　In　which　yeer；　Florus　President　of　the　Jews　was　by　them　slain。　Paul　writes　to　Timothy。　The　Christians　are　warned　by　a　divine　Oracle；　and　depart　out　of　Jerusalem。　Boadice　a　British　Queen；　killeth　seventy　thousand　Romans。　The　Nazareni；　a　scurvie　Sect；　begun；　that　boasted　much　of　Revelations　and　Visions。　About　a　year　after　Nero　was　proclaimed　enemy　to　the　State　of　Rome。〃　Again；　〃Anno　1157；　in　September；　there　were　seen　three　Suns　together；　in　as　clear　weather　as　could　be：　And　a　few　days　after；　in　the　same　month；　three　Moons；　and；　in　the　Moon　that　stood　in　the　middle；　a　white　Crosse。　Sueno；　King　of　Denmark；　at　a　great　Feast；　killeth　Canutus：　Sueno　is　himself　slain；　in　pursuit　of　Waldemar。　The　Order　of　Eremites；　according　to　the　rule　of　Saint　Augustine；　begun　this　year；　and　in　the　next；　the　Pope　submits　to　the　Emperour：　（was　not　this　miraculous？）　Lombardy　was　also　adjudged　to　the　Emperour。〃　Continuing　this　list　of　peculiar　phenomena　he　comes　down　to　within　a　few　years　of　his　own　time。　〃Anno　1622；　three　Suns　appeared　at　Heidelberg。　The　woful　Calamities　that　have　ever　since　fallen　upon　the　Palatinate；　we　are　all　sensible　of；　and　of　the　loss　of　it；　for　any　thing　I　see；　for　ever；　from　the　right　Heir。　Osman　the　great　Turk　is　strangled　that　year；　and　Spinola　besiegeth　Bergen　up　Zoom；　etc。〃　Fortified　by　the　enumeration　of　these　past　events；　he　then　proceeds　to　make　his　deductions。　〃Only　this　I　must　tell　thee；〃　he　writes；　〃that　the　interpretation　I　write　is；　I　conceive；　grounded　upon　probable　foundations；　and　who　lives　to　see　a　few　years　over　his　head；　will　easily　perceive　I　have　unfolded　as　much　as　was　fit　to　discover；　and　that　my　judgment　was　not　a　mile　and　a　half　from　truth。〃　There　is　a　great　significance　in　this　〃as　much　as　was　fit　to　discover〃a　mysterious　something　that　Lilly　thinks　it　expedient　not　to　divulge。　But；　nevertheless；　one　would　imagine　that　he　was　about　to　make　some　definite　prediction　about　Charles　I。；　since　these　three　suns　appeared　upon　his　birthday　and　surely　must　portend　something　concerning　him。　But　after　rambling　on　through　many　pages　of　dissertations　upon　planets　and　prophecies；　he　finally　makes　his　own　indefinite　prediction。　〃O　all　you　Emperors；　Kings；　Princes；　Rulers　and　Magistrates　of　Europe；　this　unaccustomed　Apparition　is　like　the　Handwriting　in　Daniel　to　some　of　you；　it　premonisheth　you；　above　all　other　people；　to　make　your　peace　with　God　in　time。　You　shall　every　one　of　you　smart；　and　every　one　of　you　taste　（none　excepted）　the　heavie　hand　of　God；　who　will　strengthen　your　subjects　with　invincible　courage　to　suppress　your　misgovernments　and　Oppressions　in　Church　or　Common…wealth；　。　。　。　Those　words　are　general：　a　word　for　my　own　country　of　England。　。　。　。　Look　to　yourselves；　here's　some　monstrous　death　towards　you。　But　to　whom？　wilt　thou　say。　Herein　we　consider　the　Signe；　Lord　thereof；　and　the　House；　The　Sun　signifies　in　that　Royal　Signe；　great　ones；　the　House　signifies　captivity；　poison；　Treachery：　From　which　is　derived　thus　much；　That　some　very　great　man；　what　King；　Prince；　Duke；　or　the　like；　I　really　affirm　I　perfectly　know　not；　shall；　I　say；　come　to　some　such　untimely　end。〃＇6＇　Here　is　shown　a　typical　example　of　astrological　prophecy；　which　seems　to　tell　something　or　nothing；　according　to　the　point　of　view　of　the　reader。　According　to　a　believer　in　astrology；　after　the　execution　of　Charles　I。；　five　years　later；　this　could　be　made　to　seem　a　direct　and　exact　prophecy。　For　example；　he　says：　〃You　Kings；　Princes；　etc。；　。。。　it　premonisheth　you　。。。　to　make　your　peace　with　God。。。。　Look　to　yourselves；　here's　some　monstrous　death　towards　you。　。。。　That　some　very　great　man；　what　King；　Prince；　。　shall；　I　say；　come　to　such　untimely　end。〃　But　by　the　doubter　the　complete　prophecy　could　be　shown　to　be　absolutely　indefinite；　and　applicable　as　much　to　the　king　of　France　or　Spain　as　to　Charles　I。；　or　to　any　king　in　the　future；　since　no　definite　time　is　stated。　Furthermore；　Lilly　distinctly　states；　〃What　King；　Prince；　Duke；　or　the　like；　I　really　affirm　I　perfectly　know　not〃which　last；　at　least；　was　a　most　truthful　statement。　The　same　ingenuity　that　made　〃Gen。　Monk〃　the　〃dreadful　dead　man；〃　could　easily　make　such　a　prediction　apply　to　the　execution　of　Charles　I。　Such　a　definite　statement　that；　on　such　and　such　a　day　a　certain　number　of　years　in　the　future；　the　monarch　of　England　would　be　beheadedsuch　an　exact　statement　can　scarcely　be　found　in　any　of　the　works　on　astrology。　It　should　be　borne　in　mind；　also；　that　Lilly　was　of　the　Cromwell　party　and　opposed　to　the　king。　After　the　death　of　Charles　I。；　Lilly　admitted　that　the　monarch　had　given　him　a　thousand　pounds　to　cast　his　horoscope。　〃I　advised　him；〃　says　Lilly；　〃to　proceed　eastwards；　he　went　west；　and　all　the　world　knows　the　result。〃　It　is　an　unfortunate　thing　for　the　cause　of　astrology　that　Lilly　failed　to　mention　this　until　after　the　downfall　of　the　monarch。　In　fact；　the　sudden　death；　or　decline　in　power；　of　any　monarch；　even　to…day；　brings　out　the　perennial　post…mortem　predictions　of　astrologers。　We　see　how　Lilly；　an　opponent　of　the　king；　made　his　so…called　prophecy　of　the　disaster　of　the　king　and　his　army。　At　the　same　time　another　celebrated　astrologer　and　rival　of　Lilly；　George　Wharton；　also　made　some　predictions　about　the　outcome　of　the　eventful　march　from　Oxford。　Wharton；　unlike　Lilly；　was　a　follower　of　the　king's　party；　but　that；　of　course；　should　have　had　no　influence　in　his　〃scientific〃　reading　of　the　stars。　Wharton's　predictions　are　much　less　verbose　than　Lilly's；　much　mo