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…

Combustion is in like sort a feigned thing, What reason can Astrologers give, why it should give unto a star five debilities? They talk how that experience teacheth them, that Planets being under the beams of the Sun, do loose a great, nay (some say) all their force. It is a manifest untruth. For, Mercury being of the nature of that Planet with which he ⟨image 40⟩is conjoined, if he go from conjunction with Saturn unto the Sun, he getteth no debilities thereby, but rather losing the feeble and unfortunate Nature of Saturn, receiveth a more strong and fortunate nature of the Sun. If any man say against me that Mercury combust hath no force, he deceiveth himself. For if he be not hindered, he naturally will cause winds, being combust he not only engendereth winds, but causeth tempestuous winds and foul weather. In Aries, Taurus, Cancer, he maketh tempests, in Virgo and Scorpius, raging Seas, in Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius and Pisces rain and snow. Again when many days together there hath been fair weather, the Sun if it come to be in conjunction or any other aspect with Saturn maketh very foul weather, and therefore the aspects of the sun and Jupiter are called apertiones portarum pro pluvia. This could not come to pass if Saturn had his force diminished by the beams of the sun. A Planet also being in Cazimi, ⟨image 40⟩that is, being within 16. minutes of the suns middle hath thereby 5. dignities, which cannot well be, if that combustion give 5. debilities. For the Planet is in the middle of his combustion, and the sun casteth his beams and force very vehemently upon it. These suns show how absurd a dream combustion is: yet if it were a good & sound principle of Astrology, and gave unto every Planet 5. debilities, yet it could not be proved, that liberty from combustion should give five dignities, being only a mere absence and privation of the other. Magnes at the presence of the Adamant, is hindered from drawing Iron: yet if the Adamant be away, the attractive virtue of the magnes is not increased. Here I might with ease confute the triplicities of Planets, directions, aspects, applications, preventions, refrenations, with many such like, but my intent at this time is only to show thee some untruths of our Prognosticators.

Combustion is in like sorte a feyned thing, UUhat reason can Astrologers geue, why it should geue vnto a starre fiue debilities? They talke howe that experience teacheth them, that Planettes beeing vnder the beames of the Sunne, doe loose a great, nay (some say) all their force. It is a manifest vntruthe. For, Mercurie beeing of the nature of that Planett with which hee