A09431:184
Four great liars, striving who shall win the silver whetstone Also, a resolution to…Foure great lyers, striuing who shall win the siluer whetstone Also, a resolution to…
Four great liars, striving who shall win the silver whetstone Also, a resolution to the country-man, proving is utterly unlawful to buy or use our yearly prognostications. Written by W.P.Foure great lyers, striuing who shall win the siluer whetstone Also, a resolution to the countri-man, prouing is vtterly vnlawfull to buye or vse our yeerly prognostications. Written by W.P.
London: printed by Robert Walde-grave, 1585London: printed by Robert Walde-graue, 1585
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
They must hereunto adjoin the particular nature of the country, the particular causes both in mens minds and bodies, as, education, place, honesty, birth, blood, sickness, health, strength, weakness, meat, drink, liberty of mind, learning. &c. and all other special circumstances: which they never do as we may see in their Prognostications: and if they would do it, yet they could not. Wherefore I must needs say this, that their folly is great in publishing, their Prognostications: and thou also greatly to be blamed which by thy greedy desire givest them great occasion to ⟨image 30⟩be so unprofitably occupied.
They must hereunto adioyne the particular nature of the countrey, the particular causes both in mens myndes and bodies, as, education, place, honestie, byrth, bloud, sicknesse, health, strength, weaknesse, meate, drincke, libertie of mynde, learnyng. &c. and all other speciall circumstaunces: whiche they neuer doe as we may see in their Prognostications: and if they woulde doe it, yet they could not. Wherefore I muste needes saye this, that their follie is greate in publishyng, their Prognostications: and thou also greatly to bee blamed whiche by thy greedie desire giuest them great occasion to ⟨image 30⟩be so vnprofitably occupied.
To show more briefly & plainly of their unabilitie in Prognosticating, although I grant the stars have great force,1 yet I say they cannot judge of things to come. And there be 6. impediments. The first impediment is imbecility of wit, for as mans eye from the earth beholding the heavens & the stars perceiveth them not in their just quantity, but as very small lights: for in deed the Sun is an hundred & threescore & six times bigger than the earth, Saturn 90. times, Jupiter 95. Mars one and an half the Moon is the 39. part of the earth: the biggest sixed stars contain the earth 107. times, the stars of the second magnitude 90, the third 70. times, the fourth magnitude 54. times, the fifth magnitude 35. times, the sixth magnitude 18. times. So the weakness of mans understanding is not able to conceive and learn the things which the heavens do bring to pass on earth.