1.1. Now ensue extraordinarie tokens for the knowledge of weather.

SOme have observed evill weather to followe, when as watrie fowles leave the sea, desiring land: the fowles of the lande flying high: the crying of fowles about waters making a great noise with their wings: also the seas swelling with unaccustomed waves: If beasts eate greedily: If they licke their hooves: If they sodainly move here and there making a noyse, breathing up to the ayre with open nostrels: raine followeth. And the busie heaving of Moules: the appearing or comming out of wormes: Hennes resorting to the perch or roust covered with dust, declare raine. The ample working of the Spinner in the ayre: the Ant busied with her egges: the Bees in faire weather not farre wandring: the continuall prating of the Crow, chiefly twise or thrise quicke calling, shew tempest. When the Crow or Raven gapeth against the Sunne in summer, heate followeth. If they busie themselves [Page 7] in proyning or washing, and that in winter, looke for raine. The unaccustomed noise of poultry, the noise of swine, of peacocks, declare the same. The swallow flying and beating the water, the chirping of the Sparrow in the morning signifie raine. Raine suddenly dried up. Woody coverings straighter then of custome. Bels heard further then commonly, the wallowing of dogges, the alteration of the Cocke crowing, all declare rainie weather. I leave these, wanting the good ground of the rest. If the learned be desirefull of the aforesaid, let them reade grave Virgil, Primo Georgicorum. At Bor. etc.

There be a multitude of other not extraordinary, but of the best known causes: many for brevity here omitted, the most part not mentioned, because they passe the capacitie of the common sort, upon all the which the Astronomer doth well and learnedly conclude. I doubt not, there be also sometime unknown matters, mittigating the aforesayd, or provoking tempest unlooked for, which neither experience, ne learning hath established. How unkind these considered) yea how farre from worthie thankes giving are they, which in generall headdely doe blame, checking bitterly the Astrologer, with these Judiciarie matters (the least part among a number of his most certaine doings) when things fortune contrary to expectation? Understand gentle Reader, the consent of a multitude famously learned in their buckler, even in these matters Judiciarie: who have wayed a long time prudentlie, the great strength, the vehement force and marveilous natures of all erraticall, and celestiall constellations, with their Angles, Radiations, Aspects, Affections, Stations, Progressions, Defections, Dispositions, Applications, Preventions, Refrenations, Contrarieties, Abscissions, Conjunctions, Quadratures, and Oppositions, etc. Therfore extreame folly, yea more then madnes doth he utter, which imbraydeth or backbiteth these knowledges, not remembring the great and manifold benefits had through them, and that with most certaintie in all other doings.

What Meteoroscoper, yea who learned in matters Astronomicall, noteth not the great effects, at the rising of the starre called the little Dogge? Truly the consent of the best learned doe agree of his force: yea Plinie, in his historie of nature affirmeth the [Page] Seas then most fierce, wines to f[?]low in cellers, standing waters to move, dogs enclined to madnesse, then most wood. Further, these constellations, Orionis, Arctui, Coronæ Captæ, Sucularum effectus.
☌ □ & 8 ♄ cum ☉ & ☾. ☌ ♆ □ & 8 cum ☿ aut cum ◯, etc. Orion, Arcturus, Corona, rising, provoke tempestuous weather. The Kid & Goat, windes. Hyades, or Succulie, raine. What Meteorologer consenteth not to the great alteration and mutation of ayre, at the Conjunction, Opposition or Quadrat aspect of Saturne, with either two lights? Who is ignorant yea meanly truailed in Astronomie, that Jupiter with Mercury or with the Sunne, enforceth rage of winds? What is he that perceiveth not the fearefull thunders, lightnings and raines at the meeting of Mars and Venus, or Jupiter and Mars? etc. Leave for shame to oppugne these judicials strongly authorised. He that any other part carpeth, may seeme more then mad. Al truth, al experience, a multitude of infallible grounded rules are against him. Certum est omnibus{que} notum, quòd cœli motus, signorum ortus & occasus planetarum aspectus & conjunctiones luminarium Eclipses, etc. certissimam determinus [...]i [...]libilem habent causam. Quis iam sanæ mentis negabit eorum effectus saepe innotescere, utpote bella, fames, grandines, aeris perturbationes, elementorum commotiones, terræ motus, & similia? Positis causis naturalibus, & non impeditis, sequitur effectus.

The learned that listeth ingeniously to prognosticate of weather, will not onely discreetly wey all before written, but consider also with them the aspects of the Planets following, and their combustion in the 12. Signes, with the conjunction of fixed stars, mansions of the Moone, Ascendent, Climes, etc. Also the times or quarters of the yeare must bee noted diligently, (as ensueth) and judgement accordingly pronounced.

1.2. Of the yeare divided into foure quarters

THe Spring time is hote and moyst and continueth so long as the ♈ ♉ ♊ power over the brest.
♋ ♌ ♍. Sunne is in Aries, Taurus, and Gemini, which is from the tenth of March unto the 12. of June. The Summer is hote and drie, counted from the beginning of Cancer, to the ende of Virgo, ♎ ♏ ♐ ♑ ♒
♓ Power over all [...]s. that is from the 12. of June to the fourteenth of September. Harvest is colde and drie, counted from the beginning of Libra to the end of Sagittarie, counted from the 14. day of September to the thirteenth of December. Winter is cold and moyst, cō- [Page 8] tinued from the beginning of Capricornus, to the end of Pisces, that is, from the twelfth of December, to the tenth of March.

1.3. Here follow the aspects of the Planets, for the better judgement of weather.

BEfore I declare of Planets and the signification of aspects, it behoveth briefly to open what I call Planets, and what aspects, and how they are charactered and figured. Understand there bee seaven moveable Starres pleasant to the sight called Planets: the highest Saturne ♄: then Jupiter ♃: Mars ♂: Sunne ☉: Venus ♀: Mercurie ☿: and the Moone ☽, next to the Earth.

Now when I desire to expresse Saturne, I write this figure ♄. for Jupiter this ♃. for Mars this ♂. Thus of the other as their characters declare. All Radiations or Aspects are expressed as follow. A Conjunction is thus figured ☌. and it is when another Planet is joyned with the Sunne or Moone, or others among themselves, within one degree or lesse.

The Se[x]tile Aspect or Radiation, is thus expressed ✲, and it is within 60. degrees the one from the other. The Quadrate aspect thus □, 90. degrees dist{anant}. The Trine thus △, separated 120. degrees. The Opposition thus ☍, 180. degrees the one is distant from the other.

Loe here they follow in order: the characters of the Planets and Signes also.

2.1. A rule to prognosticate the aforesayd by the falling of Newyeares day.

IT is affirmed of some, when Newyeares day falleth on the Sunday Sunday. then a pleasant Winter doth ensue: a naturall Summer: fruite sufficient: Harvest indifferent, yet some winde and raine: many mariages: plentie of wine and honey: death of young men, and cattell: robberies in most places: newes of Prelates, of Kings: and cruell warres in the end.

ON Munday, a Winter some what uncomfortable: SummerMunday. temperate: no plentie of fruite: many fancies and fables opened: agues shall raigne: Kings and many others shall dye: Mariages shall be in most places: and a common fall of Gentlemen.

ON Tuesday, a stormy Winter: a wet Summer: a divers Harvest: Tuesday. corne and fruite indifferent, yet hearbes in gardens shall not flourish: great sicknesse of men, women, and young children. [Page] Beasts shall hunger starve, and dye of the botch: many Shippes, Gallies and Hulkes shall be lost: And the blꝏdie Flixes shall kill many men: All things deare, save corne.

ONWednesday. Wednesday, Lo a warme winter: In the end Snow and frost: a clowdie Summer, plentie of fruite, of Corne, Hay, Wine and Honey: great paine to women with childe, and death to infants: gꝏd for shéepe: newes of Kings: great warres, battell and slaughter toward the middest.

ONThursday. Thursday, Winter and Summer windie: A rainie Harvest: Therefore we shall have overflowings. Much fruite: plentie of honey: yet flesh shall be deare: cattell in generall shall dye: great trouble, warres, etc. with a licencious life of the feminine sexe.

ONFriday. Friday, Winter stormie: Summer scant pleasant: Harvest indifferent: little store of fruite, of wine and honey: corne deare: many bleare eyes: youth shall dye: Earthquakes are perceived in many places: plentie of thunders, lightnings, and tempests: with a sudden death of cattell.

ONSaturdy. Saturday, a meane Winter: Summer very hot: a late Harvest: gꝏd cheape garden hearbs: much burning: plenty of Hempe, Flaxe, and honey. Olde folke shall dye in most places: Fevers and Tercians shall grieve many people: great muttering of warres: murthers shall be suddenly committed in many places for light matters.

NOw that I have opened divers waies, both for the learned and unlearned, how weather to come at all times may be well judged and knowne, etc. I thought it méete, for further knowledge therein, not to omit here the naturall causes of such and so many alterations of ayre. Lo, therefore orderly they follow.

2.2. Naturall causes, conducing to all the aforesayd: and first of the Rainebow.

THe Rainbow is the shining and rebounding of beames of light, that turne to the contrarie vapour againe in the cloude. It declareth sometime raine, and many times fayre weather: when the one, and how the other, is before opened.

2.3. Of Raine.

RAine is a cold vapour, an earthly humour, or fumosities, out of waters or earth drawne up by the vertue of the Sunne, to the neather part of the middle space of the ayre, there through cold thicked, then dissolved: Thus engendred falleth on the earth.

Here I leave to speake of miraculous raines, as Milke, Blood, Quare lapides pluant, lege
Plin. lib. 2. cap. 44. Flesh, Yron, Wꝏll, etc. For more satisfying in these, reade Plinius in the second booke, 58. chapter.

2.4. Of Frost and Dew.

A Cold moyst vapour, a little way drawne up in the day thorow Ros æstate, pruina hyeme sit. faint heate of the Sunne, descendeth in the night, dissolved on the earth, there congelated or resolved into water, the one called Frost, the other Dew. The last is a signe of fayre weather in the Spring or Harvest.

2.5. Of Snow.

IT is a moist vapour, drawne up to the middle region of the Nix humor modicè concretus.ayre, then thicked, and frozen into the bodie of a clowde: So congelated descendeth.

2.6. Of Hayle.

A Clowde resolved into water, in the fall congelated, maketh Grando pluuia in descensu congelata/Hayle. The higher it commeth from above, and the longer it tarieth in the ayre, the rounder hayle.

2.7. Of Windes.

WIndeVentorum ergo matell[?]a, calida & sicca exhalatio.is a multitude of drie exhalations, drawne up from the earth: and above the earth enforced here and there.

3.1. For to take purgations, and to bathe.

THe méetest time to take purgations, etc. is neither in hote, nor cold dayes: that is, from the tenth of March, to the twelfth of June.

Further by rules Astronomicall, it must bee performed when Good to purge
♋ ♏ ♓the Moone is in cold, moyst, and watrie signes, as Cancer, Scorpius, and Pisces: comforted by aspects and radiations of Planets, fortifying the vertue of the bodie expulsive.

The Moone in Aries, Taurus, and Capricornus, naught. OneBad to purge.
♈ ♉ ♑ cause of vomiting the purgation is, if the Moone have aspect to any Planet retrograde.

The Moone in these Signes following, very good to bathe: Good to bathe
♈ ♌ ♐ ♋ ♏ ♓.Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Cancer, Scorpius, and Pisces.

These ensuing are evill to bathe, Taurus, Virgo, Capricornus.Bad to bathe.
♉ ♍ ♑

3.2. Of Inundations or floods: of timber [f]elling, sowing, planting, graffing, haire clipping, shaving, and gelding.

THe flꝏd is biggest at the full: because then dispersing her vertue, The fall of Timber.she filleth all places with moysture. By common experience joyned with learning I knowe, at the full, the Mꝏne lodeth all bodies with humors: and so are emptied, growing to the change. Of this some gather the fall of timber at the chaunge, more to the purpose then other times, wanting the superfluous moisture, the cause of putrifaction, Omnis putredo ab aqueo humido. ortum habet. Schoner willeth from the 15. day unto the 22. day of the Moone trées to be felled, and that after Midsomer to January. So timber is strong, sound, and voyd of wormes.

To sowe: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Libra, and Capricornus, Good to sow.
♉ ♋ ♍ ♎ ♑are best in the increase of the Moone.

To plante or graffe, is best when the Moone hath her being in To plant or graffe. ♉ ♒any fixed Signe, either in Taurus, or Aquarius in the increase. [Page] HayreTo cut haire
♉ ♑ ♎. cut groweth well, the Moone encreasing, being in Taurus, Virgo, or Libra.

Cutting, Shaving, Clipping, in the wane causeth baldnesse: what is then cut, groweth litle. Caluitium prohibet oleum Tartari.

The best time of Cutting is in Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces, in the wane.