iTAKSs ■-^-'N>^>^i?N^ OR, \ ytti Analyzation and Refufatio?i oj \ ASTROLOGY The Principles of this Science being plainly laidopen^ s and their absurdity and Wickedness clearly J dcmO!istrate4' s TO JTHICn IS ADDED, MANY ANECDOTES, ; Shewing the Folly ^nd also thcMischievons Tendency, S of Fot-iune-Seeking, Fortune-TeUing, and v Almanack Predictiois. *< some: mmjnent^ f^^i^i^ONiE FiOTH IN PROSE AND IN VVvRSK V^ainiJt Ajstrology, Foriui^^e-Seeliing. JPortunc- '''\ Tclling^Stci (.. iiEAUxMONT^ Minister ol the (iospcl, Th' '•'. rtf4, t.lfnpt^^etons; unto the LoM our tiUl to our chiiflren fur ej*ei\-^iJf.uf^ x%\x — 2*). J.T ii ».i • ./••( r/?/j>e tJier-s is not a Gctfin Israel^ Ut^ft y^. ho fu fTin'ur. . f iiaalithub l/in God of Ekron / — 2 Kingf, i.-^^i. 5^ Ecoyo Edition -^^Gkrealli/ Enliifged, Nonvich ; — >*! iuted by C Derry, and sfrtd by Ba^rtW, Pater" nostei- Row; Lecd, Jliirst, Onne, aiid- Co.} Sir Richard Philips; Cnisbyand Co. ; and Lacltiriftjin, Allen, and < o. idtJA'pow— Ala* by traue, Nomichj GJooch, Yarmouth ; Dra- Icaid, Stamford ; Suttoni NoUiushamt Thompson, Leicester; Clrome, Sheftield ; Thompson, Manchester ; Heaton, Leeds ; Farrar. RipoB;A<]b«t, Ilanley ; Hws^ Wakefield ; (?arnet, Huffdei'sfieht; GaiHck, Halifax; and oy all other (iooksellen, 1&14.— Pr2ciit, Harley ; Hurst, Walcefield ; (jarnet, IluddersUeld; Garlick, Halifax; and by all other liooksellerB, 1814. Erjbata : — Page 80, line 10 from the bottom, foFj. other temperatures then they ; read than they, &c. P. 93, bottom line, for Oct. 31, 1801, read 1808, &c. Caution; — P. 108, lines 5 and 6 from bottom;" for *' the ability of foretelling cwy thing^^? (to avoid the ambiguity to which the words any thing are liable)i^ read, any thing they please^ 4*c* Entered at Stationers' HalL ^^ JPMEF^dCE, XNdieyearlSOS Tpublhhed the first Edition of the riXE«?= SxAus: That edition bein^ all sold ofl'soine tiait a^o,^! now pre- sent tlie Pablic with a Second Ldition, correcteu, a^id greatly enlarged. It is not easy for an author to say any thing in favour of his own productions, without being liable to very unpleasant im- putations. Of tile -^jcij^'^ of tliis humble csiay, £ have notiii;)^ to advance; but I may be alloTved to say, that some such pub- lication was really wanfingj and, farther, that it is well ineanl, though it may i)e but iiuiillcrcntly executed. A publica(ii):! like this, 1 S£:y, is really vva!!ting; for though the present generation, likaall preceding ooes, has vanity enou/li to thiiik, and frequently to call itself arv ^* cnligJtiened o^c," yet in spite of this cnr.ceit, and in spile of Societies for the Re- formation of lilanners — Of bible Societies — Of Tract Socie- ties — Of Sunday Schools &c. thtre is in thousands and tens of thousands of people, a strong bias towards Astrol9{^y and Ft>/-- tune-Ttlling. This mischievous propensity is principally, i!u»ugh not wholly* among the lower ranks of Society. The cause of this evil propensity will be ditferenily accounted for; sonieas- cribi.ig it t') a superstitious inclination inherent in our nature ;. but others, perhaps with more justice, will charge It upon ill example and bad counseL For my own part, 1 attribute the evil in question, partly to some wretched publications on As- trology and Fortune-Telling, whieh are now and then issued from the press, by men who care not what they do to mankind, if they can but make a penny for ihemseifes ; and partly, nay chiefly, to those despicable Prognostications and Predictions ■which annually make their appearance in our almanacks ! Al- manack-Makers having long since discovered that mankind are fond of the Wonderful^ and of the Knowledge of things lo come^ have every year dealt out these things with an unsparing hand : and if this their conduct had only amounted to a littlr" fun, it might have been pallir-ted though not justified. But when it is considered that by this abominable ctnduct, the moral princip^le of many men fs poisoned, and consequently their well being both for time and eternity endangered, and frequently their utter ruio effected, the subject becomes awfully serious > and if these Al- IT Manack-Makers had one grain of true wisdom in them, they would choose Death or StraRsling rather than thus sin against God, & acceieratetlhe destruction of their fellow men ! When a man has given up his confidence in, and his reliance on the Di- vine Being, and has attached his dfstiny to the posture of Signs and nanet", instead of fearing God and working righteousness, he is subverted in the fundamental principle of all goodness; and if he bo not speedily ictrieved from hiserror, he will finally be ruined by his wickedt'c^s! To Almanack-Wakers and Fortune- tellers, if I mistake not, the Day of Judgment will be a tre- mendous T>ay ! There have been several publications against Astrology, in this nation ; but it is long since they were out of print. One of these by Mr John Gaule-, a Clergyman, enl i tied -JVJ a g- Astro - Makcer, &c, is a Master-piece initskird: but then it is too learned to be of much use to any but the learned ; and moreover, it is rarely to be mcf with; and it it we>e reprinted it would be almost ust less, as it would be both too learned and too dea" for those M-ho most needed it* Another ot the kind was published by a Mr. Wm^ Rowland^ about 16U ;>e3.rs ago, and of course long out of pi int. And another by fiasstndus^ a Frenchman, translated ij^to English above ISOyears ^ince. and of course now c>if of print r.lso. These men all wrote well in the refutation of As'rology; but they would have done still better had they stooped a little more to the capacities of ordinary readers ; for generally, tho:-e who most need their instructions will least understand tliern. But, men are seldom willing to write in a style below their abilites, 1 have inserted a large extract from the Rev. W. Perkins, not because of the elegance of his style, for that, though I have taken some pains to mend it, is but of inferior merit ; but because Mr, P. had been an admirer of the Science, and, as himself asserts, '* had long studied the art^ and wus never quiet until he had seen all the Secrets of it.''^ On this account, and moreover because Mr. P. was a pious ?.Tinister of the Gospel, I thought bis testimony against A-trology would have greater weight with the teachable reader than au extract from Dr. Henry Mnre^ who has written on the same subject and in a better style ; or a large quotation from the thrcelearned writers above mentioned. ■ I have collected and inserted several anecdotes on the vanity and evil tendency of Astiology and Fortune-Telling, which I think will be more effectual in the reforming of some readers, than seientific argumentation, In short, there are arguments, ANECDOTES, and BLHI.KSQUE ; and i humbly hope, and sincerely pray, that by the blessing of God, tliey may be made useful to thousands of mankind. G. BEAUMONT. Ebenezer Chapel, Ber-street, Norwich, Dec, 1813, FIXEB STARSf The following is a copy of a le(ter whicli ap- l)eared in the Leeds Mercury^ and gave rise to the publication of this Book. £•* The following paper has been transmitted to us for inser- tion. — The sentiments may be novel — but to some, novelty may be a recommendation. We shall be >viliing to find room for any further elucidation of this theory, provided it do not extend beyond our limits. — Editor of the Leeds Jfercurj/."3 " The FIXED STARS^ Do not shine hij their own Light, hut by Re Jlection from our Sun. ItXUCH Las beenpublished the l^st hundred jears respecting the Fixed Stars, whereby it is attempted to be proved, that every Star is a Sun, as large, and some even larger, than our own ; and that every Star hath its attendant Planets, Satel- lites, and Comets ; a doctrine so truly wonderful and extravagant, that it requires no small degree of faith to believe it. "In my opinion, the Fixed Stars are the Waters above the Firmame77t that we find men- tioned in the Bible, which the wise Creator has disposed in such order as he thought fit, for the conservation and nourishment of the world h* B 6 ,|]ad made: — Thus we read, Genesis^ i. — 6, 7, ■^ And God said, let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the fir' mamenty from the waters which were above the Jirmament, and it was so." Again ; Psalm cxlviii. — i. " Praise him, ye heaven of heavens,, and ye waters that be above the heavens," And, Song of the Three Children, verse 3S, " O allyeozJa- ters that be above the heavens^ bless ye tlic Lord," &c. " If this seem dark and obscure, I will intro- duce what is well known to all : — The Fixed Stars never shew themselves but in the absence of our Sun, exactly in the same manner as the pla- nets; and the Moon in her second quarter, is visi- ble in the East, long before .we have any tidings of the Stars, which could never be if they were rSuKs, and shone by their own light, '^ The Stars defeating the glass of the Astro- nomer, has led him to suppose that it is occa- sioned by their immense distance ; but this cannot Joe admitted^ It must be owing, first to their composition, which is a crystalline water, or th« water above the heavens^ that has the reflection of a looking-glass, and accounts for their spark- ling appearance : — And, secondly, to their being dispersed round our world in innumerable and small bodies by the all-wise Creator, both to shew his power, and to bring to pass his benevo- lent designs on man, " The doctrine, therefore, of the Fixed Stars being Sims, will be very cautiously received by every person that is determined to make use of his eyes, notwithstanding it is so plausibly 4au^htby men of renown. — First extracted from this world of ours by the Supreme Chymist, they are continued in their orbs to convey to us, (ag well as the other heavenly bodies) their benign influences, whereby all nalure is cherished and refreshed, and ample provision made for the nu- merous family of animals, vegetables and mi- ueralH. « The notion that the Fixed Stars are Suns, involves many difficulties and absurdities which it is impossible to reconcile ; and no wonder that it has^ puzzled mankind more than any other theory. « An Admiuer of the Creation. '^ Leeihf August 23d, 1802.*' The author having had a previous inclination to combat the wicked and groundless Science of Astrology, availed himself of the appearance of the above letter to prosecute his purpose ; and hence the following letter and the subsequent pages. FIXED STARS. To the PRINTER of the LEEDS MERCURY. SIR, JMlAVING seen in your paper of late, some uncommonly novel remarks on the Fixed Stars, and conceiving the remarks to be not only nevr, but to use the language of an admirer op THE creation, " wondciful and extravagant;" I humbly request you to give me leave too, to make a few observations on the Stars and Planets, and on the admirer of the creation's theory also. I think, Mr. Printer, we ought to be exceed- ingly thankful that our lot is cast in an age of such unbounded liberality, when opinions'' quaint and wide,'* may be broached and propagated, w 11 hout a fear of destruction or molestation, from a superstitious and ignorant world ! It is but a few years since, a man gave it as his opinion, in a London paper, that the sun is a body of ice; and we all know that the moon is said to be made of green cheese : the *' Admirer," now comes forward and asserts that the fixed stars are bo- dies of ®o/er/ so that the whole creation, except our earth, appears to be nothing but fee, cheese^ mnd water. Bttt I would not have you imagine, Mr. Printer, that these are all the opinions, that have ever been advanced on this sublime theory. In ancient times, an heathen nation viewing the Fixed Stars and Planets, solved the whole phenomenon at once, by saying, that the sky was the chamber floor of heaven, and that the Fixed Stars were brass nails, som'^thing like coffin nails, driven in on the under side of the floor, and kept clean for us in this world below to look at. But others objected to this theory, alledging that the trouble and expence of keeping the heads of so many nails clean, would be endless ! They said, therefore,that the sky was a boarded floor, several miles above the earth, and that above the floorthere was nothing buta flaming fire, — that holes being bored through the floor, we were enabled to see the fire through them, and these we called Stars* The different magnitude ©fthe Stars they accounted for, by saying, that some were bored with an half inch and others with an inch auger : that the smallest of them were bor- ed with a common gimblet ; but the Sun and the Moon, being very large, were bored with a faucet wimble, such as coopers use for boring tap holes, and butig holes! But this scheme of the heavens, met with objections, also ; for it was very judici- ously observed, that had the Sun and Moon been holes bored in tliesky, they would have preserved their relative distance, in the same manner as the bung-hole and the vent-hole of a barrel, which are never known either to approach to, or recede from each other after their first establishment. The Sun and Moon were seen to alter their positions daily, and therefore this astronomical system ^ould not be maintained. '^ But the Turks had still another system, (and for aught I know they have it yet,) whether Mr. b3 10 Mahomet taught it them, or some of their learned men found it out, by dint of study and strength of intellect, I cannot tell ; but they believed that every star was a ball or globe of fire, suspended from heaven by a chain, something like a chandelier with the branches taken off! And tliat the difterence of their magnitude, was determined by the length or shortness of their chain, the large stars hano:ing low by a long chain, and tJie small ones high by a short chain; But neither could this grand display of philosophical research, satisfy a captious and spiteful world. For the objectors to this theory say, that if the Stars were each of them hung from the sky by a chain, then our world must hang by a chain also ! And, that neither Hongainville^ Dam- pier^ nor Captain Cook, in all their circumnavi- gations had found any such chain ! Besides, it is added that it would never answer a good end^ to hang such a curious and wicked world as this by a chain, for some audacious men, would run up the chain to heaven in order to remonstrate against the dispensations of providence ; — others would officiously go up before they were sent for; and many others again would presumptuously go before they were ^^/ The chain, therefore, would be so crouded with the dissatisfied, the officious and the presumptuous, that it would resemble an oniorf rope from top to bottom ! It is added moreover that if the world were hung by a chain, in some unlucky hour, a deposed king or disalTected sub- ject, would wreak their vengeance on all mankind at once, by cutting or breaking it, and letting the world with all its screaming inhabitants fall down, down, down, aye, who knows where ! ! ! Besides the above mentioned astronomical theo- ries, there is yet another at least : I think it was «orae of the inhabitants of the South Seas, who, .^ II when they contemplated the heavens, explained the whole mystery ot Astronomy with much less^ ado than either Copernicus or Sir Isaac ISfewton. For it was their opinion that the Sun and Moon were Man and Wite, and that the Stars were their children, that is, yonng Suns and Moons. Accord- in<^ to their scheme tlie Sun was the llusbiind and the Moon the Wife ; and they always dated the Moon's pretrnancy from the time of an Eclipse of t^e Sini^! But this old sceptical world has al- ways been disgraced witli a set of querilous wretciies who have had neither failh nor Roadworks; for many objectors to this theory started up and said, that if the Stars had hccn the children of the Sun and Moon, some of them at k'ast. according to the order of rjature, would havebren as big as their pa- rentsbytliis time ; and that therefore the whole sky would have been covered from center to circum- ference with millions of Suns and Moons, some full grown, others half grown, and in sliort, that there would have been thousands in all the gra- dations of age and size ! Neither does it appear that men have always entertained the same opinion respecting Bainbows ; some now a days, takiuir tliem to be C(miposed of the Sun's rays and a watery mist ; but others in time past believed them to be substantial arches — Hence, an Irish Mason, having undertaken to build abridge with two or three arches, sigwifi* d to his intimate friend, that, were it possible to beg a few old Rainbows, for bridge arches, he could soon complete his undertaking. The friend being as wise^s himself, highly approved of the scheme, but they not being able to discover in whose care old Rainbows were deposited, found themselves still embarrassed ! The friend however, broke the silence, and removed the apparent difficulty all at IS •nee, by saying, "surely new Rainbows would be stronger and handsomer than old ones, and if you were to take one or two of them down when you see them, I do not think there would bo any thing said about it I" This was agreed to, and their minds made up on the business; but the grand project being told in confidence to a philosopher, they were very gravely informed by him, that Rainbows aretoo wide in the span for bridge arches, and tliat a bridge constructed with three or four such arches, would reach from Cork to Carrick- fergus, and, that ten thousand years would be insufficient to complete such a project. And be- sides this, they were told that a Rainbow is not worth a groat after sunset. The Irish mason, therefore began to make his bridge with stones and mortar, according to the old laborious way ! Thus you see, Mr. Printer, by this specimen of ray abilities, that I am able to answer ani/ thing / but fearing lest your patience should be exhausted "with such a grave subject, and such a pensive style, I shall conclude for the present, hoping, &e. ASTRONOMUS. Leeds, September 8, 1£02^. PRELIMINARY UEMARES ON ASTR0L06T. f_f N a superficial view, and especially to super- ficial minds, Astrolo^T/ may seem a tolerable kind of science: a science which may be studies! with* out sin, and practised without danger. But on a nearer view, f^nd a more accurate estimate, it \^ ill be found to militate both against common prudence and revealed religion ; and consequently to be an IS inlet to the theory of infidelity, the practice of wickedness, and the vengeance of heaven ! Every prudent man considers himself as having a common stake in the well-being of human socie- ty ; and therefore will feel himself interested in the nature of those theories, maxims and principles, by which moral society is actuated and governed. He will of course believe it to be his duty to root up and destroy falsehood and error ;and to establish and maintain wisdom and truth. It is from this consideration alone, that 1 have undertaken to confront the science of Astrology ; and I am the more ready to do so, because 1 have frequently been both eye and ear witnesii io its pernicious effects on the minds and morals of many weak and credulous persons, within the sphere of my ac- quaintance and observation. But I am aware that the taking down of a sci- ence, though a bad one, is not to be effected by mere declamation ; but rather by fairly stating and analyzing the fundamental principles on which it depends : this,therefore,I shall endeavour to effect. Analyzation and Explanation of the TWELVE SIGNS of the ZODIAC, XliVERY one knows that the twelve signs in the zodiac, i\nd the seven platiefs, including the sun and moon, are the foundation, corner, and top stones of the whole system of Astrology. We will therefore begin with tlie twelve signs. The first sign, then, is called Aries, that is, the J^fwi ; be- cause (as is supposed by tliose who have well studied the subject) the nations who invented the name, perceived that in the be ginning of thespring 14 quarter, when the sun enters Aries, the Ham had a goodly flock of ewes and lambs to follow him into the field ; and as many of those people lived by grazing and selling of cattle, they were pleased to honour the Ram by placing his name upon the first constellation in the zodiac. The second sign is Taurus, that is, the Bull ; because in those countries were cows are not so much domesticated as with us, they usually calved in spring, a little after the ewes had yeaned. The Bull, therefore, having increased his tribe, and of . course the wealth of his owner, was honoured bj the placing of his name on the second constellation, or sign. The third is Gemini, that is, the Twins ; these twins are usually represented by two infant boys^ and are called Castor and Pollux ; but the twini in reality, mean two kids, because goats usually bring forth two at a time. The sign Gemini was formerly called the Kids, Now, the eastern na- tions bred many goats, and because the female* yeaned after the sheep and cows had brought forth, they were honoured with the third constellation. The fourth sign begins the summer quarter, and is called Cancer^ that is, the Crab; because the sun having reached the tropic line (called the tro- pic of Cancer) begins to creep backwards or side- ways, as both land and water crabs will frequently do. The fifth sign is called Leo, that is the Lion ; because the sun in the latter part of July, begins to pour his violent and sultry heat upon the north- ern hemisphere ^\ith a lion-like authority ^ The sixth is Virgo, that is the Virgin ; the an- cients chused to rej resent the season of reaping or harvest, by a maid bearing a handful of ripe corn m the ear ; they were pleased also to palm hec 15 name (virgin) upon that constellation into which the sun entered at the beginning of their harvest or vintage. The seventh is called Lihra^ that is, the Scales or Balances ; because the sun when coming to tlie equinox, divides his favours of light and heat to both hemispheres, with as much exactness as if he iteighed them in balances, there being equal day and night over all the world. The eighth is. 5cor/j/o, that is, the Scorpion; now the sting of a Scorpioil is in its tail, and as it is common for many people to indulge in various kinds of riot and pleasure during a fruitful .ind warm summer, and thereby contract diseases which in the end leave a sting, so the Scorpion with a sting in his tail, was placed at the tail end of the summer as an indication of the diseases which summer leaves behind it. The ninth is Sagittarius^ the Bowman; (deriv- ed from sagiita an arrow) because the ancients used to shoot wild beasts and some other game, with bows and arrows, guns being then unknown : therefore the constellation or group of stars in which the sun entered at that time, was called the Bowman^ because it proclaimed the season for shooting. The tenth is Capricornus, that is, the Goat^ or the horned Goat; because the sun having reached the southern tropic, called the tropic of Capricorn^ at the bottom of winter, begins to climb up the sky againj in the same manner as goais when grazing on the side of a mountain, which are generally observed not to browze downwards or 5idewis(^ but upwards. The eleventh is Aquarius, that is, the Water' carrier^ or Waterman ; because, this sign taking place somewhere about the twentieth of January, 16 "Jinil en{lin lie will be courageous and warlike ; if under Can- cer, the Crab, he will alwaysbe mortified with find- ing his affairs and cntcrprizes going crablike, sidc- ^vays or backwards, and so of all the rest ! ! i3r.t after all this turmoil and noise about the Zodiac and the Signs, the terms and phrases are no better than fiction ; for the Zodiac is only a kind of starry zone or girdle round our world : this starry girdle being limited by north and south latitude in such a mannei' as to include the aberrations of the iSun, Moon and Planets. 'J1ie imaginary formation of the Zodiac, and the division of it into Signs were primarily intended toaccomodatc thedignified science of Astronomy ; and for tliat purpose ihey are well enough adapted ; but still they are imagi/iaty, or at the best merely scientific: for nature never marked o\it n Zodiac; much less did she divide that imaginary Zodiac into twelve Signs! And as for the entrance of the Sun, Moon, or Planets into tliose Signs, or Iloiises, as tliey are called by Astrologers, this is fable and fiction al- together ; for in reality, neither Sun, Moon, nor Planets ever came near t!)ose Signs, ox Houses i they being even at thrir nearest approaches, hiindreds of millions of miles from them. V/ith regard to the Sun, it is nearly stationary, and has been so from the foundation of the world. How then,i!i the name of conunon sense, can a stationary- body, enter every month a Constellation, which is also stationary, and »t an immeasurable distance? Now, plain reader, by a plain suppositioji I •will shew thee the nuiurc o^ P/anetary entrancCf^ and Planelari/ Houses, I think it is said, tliat the City of Lo-Qcnlrtj stands about the center of e ]8 England. Let us then suppose a Coach road made round that city, at the distance of a mile; and let us also imagine a Coach running upon it. We must now imagine a Man^ an Observer ^ standing upon the highest building in Coventry. Juei us again suppose that this Observer perceiving the Coach to be in a right line betwixt himselt and London, should cry out to the people below,^' Now the Coach enters London !" The Coach proceeding northward comes very speedily into a straight line between the O^^errer and the County of Norfolk; the Observer then cries out " Now the Coach en- ters Norfolk r* By and bye it comes in a straight line with Yorkshire, and then he cries out " Now the Coach enters Yorkshire." After this manner it is easy to perceive that the Coach would erder Lancashire, Staffordshire, Devonshire, Cornwall &c. &c. het us now sup- pose that some persons standing in the streets of Coventry, should take ail in good earnest that fell from the lips of the Observer^ and believe that the Coach did actually e?2ier London, Norfolk, York- shire &c. would not such persons expose themselves to much ridicule ; and would they not either de- serve blame for their ignorance, or pity for their weakness ? But supposing the Observer should attempt to persuade people thatwhen a child was born whilst the Coach was in a right line with London,it would be very rich, because London is a large and opu- lent City; and that another child born whilst the Coach was in a line with Scotland, would be poor, because there is much barren land in that country, would he not expose himself to much reprehension and sarcasm : and yet would he not have as much and apparently more reason on his side than those who p/etend to shape men's fortunes by the posi- tion of the Planets ? 19 O ye Sign 'Mongers, ye Planet RLiIers,why do ye impose your ridiculous jargon upon the credulous and tlie unlearned ? You know, unless you arc ig- norant, that the Sun, truly- speaking, never enters any Sig";2,neitherdo any of'the Planets I You know, or you ought to know, that when it is said that the Sun, Moon or Planeis, enter tills or that House or Signui the Zodiac, that the linguagc is adapted to Astronomy, merely sciewtific, and not real ! The truth is, neidier the Sun, Moon, nor the Planets are ever in any liousc or Sign; they never were since the world began, and we have reason to be- lieve, they never will be to the end of time! Why then will you continue this deceilful jargon to the litter undoing of many of the simple and unlearned I ANALYZATION OF THE PLANETS. JtXAVING analysed the twelve Signs of the zodiac, by shewing their origin and end, in their first denomination and arrangement, I shall now endeavour to do the same by the Pi^anets. Wiien ancient nations viewed the heavenly bo- dies, they perceived that they were nearly all of them stationary, as if fixed to something, and those that were immoveable they called Fixed Stars, — But those of the stars that changed their position, and seemed to wander, they called Planets^ from the Greek word Pfanon,* or, Planao, + which signifies to zo under ; the word Planet^ therefore, signifies nothing more than a wandering star, and is not, as too many imagine, a term' indicative ef celestial influence ! * ITncyclopadia Perthensis. f Dr. AsTr. C2 26 Of these Planefs, the ancients discovered na more than ^\e^ besides the sun and moon, -which ure always reckoned in the Astrologers' catalogue •f Planets, and make up their mysterious number seven. These Planets are mucli diversified in their nature and influence, if mc may take the Astro- loger's word. But how came they by this diversity •f nature and influence ? The Heathens (I think the Greeks in particular) forged to themselves a fabulous hero, and then deified this child of their imagination. This imaginary god they at length personified by the image of an old man with a long beard and grey hairs ; they put also a large scythe into his hand : and this is the same image, I believe, by which "Time is personified ; the large scythe which lit bears, intimating that he cuts down days, months, and years, old, young, rich^ and poor, families, cities and empires. This ideal deity, they were pleased (o call Sa^ itirn, and afterwards to lodge him in one of the superior Planets, and then call the Planet by his name, and ascribe to it the imaginary qualities of this imaginary being ! Hence, forsooth, and for no other reason, Astrologers reckon Saturn in their mysterious cant, ?iVi in for lunate I In the name of truth, wliat has (hat Planet to do with the good or bad qualities of an heathen god ? And a god, too, who never had an existence! They might as well have called the Planet di goose or a snail, the folly \?ould indeed have been as great, but the mischief •would have been less ! If a child happen to be born when this planet is ascending the horizon, there's a poor look out for it in this world. Saturn is an infortunate ! But this is not the worst, for if the planet Saturn should ascend the horizon un- der the fourth sign, that k Cancer ^ the Crab^ or SI under the eighth sign, Scorpio, the Scorpion^ theu there is nothing but misfortune upon misfortune, and sorrow upon sorrow! Jupiter is another of those Grecian deities who never had an existence, he is the same with the Egyptian rj«f?"m and the Roman Jove; but thev" did not all ascribe powers and properties to him alike ; in regard to this they pleased themselves re- spectively In his origin, however, he was only- considered as the imaginary father of life and of the seasons, or year. But being increased in fame and favour, he must not dweU on eartii but must have his abode in thesky, and therefore tliey placed him (in their imaginations) in one ofthe brightest pla:ie(s,and then called the planet for his sake, Jz/- pitcr! VV hoever then are born under this planet are intitled