A09431:220
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.
4. This long chain by which they link the will of man to the stars, if ⟨image 44⟩it shall be applied unto particulars it must needs break: for the actions of the will is buying, selling, travailing, lying, heaping up wealth, murdering, spreading of false rumours, offering of discourtesies, hating of kinsfolks, and such like, which our heavengazers foretell, have no coherent with the first qualities, heat, cold, moisture, dryness: neither can they any way proceed from them, and therefore the stars cannot be causes of them, for they work only by these qualities.
4. This long chayne by whiche they lincke the will of man to the starres, if ⟨image 44⟩it shalbe applyed vnto particulars it must needes breake: for the actions of the will is buying, selling, trauailyng, lying, heaping vp wealth, murdering, spreading of false rumours, offering of discourtesies, hatyng of kinsfolkes, and such like, whiche our heauengazers foretell, haue no coherēte with the first qualities, heate, cold, moisture, drynesse: neither can they any waye proceede from them, and therfore the starres cannot be causes of them, for they worke onely by these qualittes.
5. This reason is nothing to their purpose: for because they grant that a man may freely resist the inclination of the stars & he may hinder that, unto which the stars bend his will, how dare they presume to say this or that will come to pass. The heathen men gave up themselves to their own lusts & vanities and followed every little and vain inclination: & of them, in this order, did ancient Astrologers among them divine that this or that time, such actions, such vices, such enterprises, such affairs should be among them. In ⟨image 44⟩like manner our English wisemē, speak of us as though we were beasts, not reasonable men, as though we never had heard the blessed Gospel of God, never tasted of the grace of God, never learned what is good and what is bad, never laboured to subdue our lusts & affections, always turned to and fro with the blast of any influence, working very slenderly in us.