HAving taken into my serious considerati­on, that solar Eclipse, which on the 29th. of March last, we did perceive, I thought good to demonstrate unto you, the folly, or rather knavery of our insipid Astrologers, and non­sensicall Almanack-makers, who in their book Intituled Black Monday, spake of such an Eclipse that it would be so dark, that one man should scarce see another; but I think in the darkest night a man may spy such Astrologick knaves as they are, among a thousand: who by their kna­very have cousened the whole Nation: and were not our prudent Governours more mer­cifull then they are honest, some of them might be forced to crave an almes in Moore fields again, or else be deprived of all that money which they have cheated the Commonweale of, and then be carryed to Tyburne and hanged at the States charge.

Though the Taske be infinite hard, to contain such great beasts in so little paper, yet for the worlds satisfa­ction, or rather admonition, that they never give cre­dit to such false knaves any more, I will delineate to life the proportion of some of their writings.

The chief and primary errour, on which many others hang, concernes the Suns Eclipse, which (they said) would bee so great, that this age could not parallell it, which wee finde to bee as false as the Devill their father, or as Envy or Emulation their Mother, but to passe o­ver this; pray Mr. Culpepper where was the thunder and Lightning on the twelfth day of March last, as for your part, you like an unskilfull Musitian, have made a discord by not keeping true Time; You have screwed your pegs too high Ile assure you, Could you stay no longer, but must you show all your folly, or rather Knavery at once? so that now you are become like Ciciphus his stone, which no sooner up hill but down it tumbles againe, so thou hast no sooner got thy plush jacket upon thy back, but it must turn to ragges, and thou must follow thine own Trade again.

You know it is the custome of Lovers, after the breach of their League and amity, to send back those gratuities which formerly passed betwixt them, as tokens of their naturall affections; So I beleeve Mr. Culpeppers plush jacket must goe off again, and truely in my judgement, a whip, and a Jacke of Apes his coat, were fitter for him, hee hath got himself a s [...]tten cap, and a Periwigge for­sooth, but my opinion is, that a white cap and a halter would become him better.

Ile assure you, if I could finde no better then these sort of men to converse with, and to spend my time withall, [Page 3]I would turn Momus, and for ever hate the society of men; I have seen an Italian Comedy, consisting of a Lover, a Woman, a Zany or Fool, and a Devill, and to it I may fashion the world, for that is the Stage, the peo­ple the Actors, each degree have their Zany and their De­vill, now if the Zany will steale his Masters Apparell, and make between Vice and Vertue no difference, blame not the discretion of the Master, if it devise new fashions till either the foolish Zany be tryed, or the Devill for his pride fetch him away, this you may apply at your plea­sure.

You may observe them often to quote a great deale of Scripture, because they would seem Saints, but I feare God hath little to do with them, or ever will have, but to punish them for their sins; The Devill could doe as much as they, for his owne advantage, as appeareth in his tempting of our Saviour: how many places of Scrip­ture did he then quote? but let them take heed to them­selves, least God taking notice of their sin, doth wher his sword, and bend his bow, and destroy them from off the earth.

If my paper were made of the skinnes of croaking Toades, or speckled Adders, my Inke of the blood of Scorpions, my pen pluckt from the Screech Owles wing, they were but fit instruments to write concerning such pick-pockets, and New-gate birds, for they are more ve­nemous, more poysonous, more ominous then the worst of these; Might I bee their Judge, there should not one man of them bee left in this Commonweale; they have swome long enough in the golden floods of prosperity, now it is high time there should bee an ebbe, and their ship runne on ground, their names have flourished long [Page 4]enough, it is now high time to have their names grow odious, grievous, and abominable in the eares of all, as doubtlesse it will, seeing de­ceit is so predominant in their hearts.

Their pretentions are, that their judgements are ballanced with prudent advice; I, that is a signe indeed by their true prediction; come, come, I see they are a pack of Knaves well met together, Grantham-cheates, never a bar­rell of better herring of them; Foule shame take them all, is this their studdy with a pox to them, to fill the ears of the people with lies, and to make a mountain of a Mole hill; for the future let them talk what they will, we will beleeve them when we list, I see they are Re­bels to all Authority, Rebels against the Law of man, Rebels against the Law of God, who strive to be honoured as Gods on earth, but the Devill shall honour or beleeve them again for me, for I think he is the fittest companion for them.

Oh! it grieves mee to think upon that sim­ple deluded multitude, that so runne after this sect of Knaves (for so I may justly terme them) some asking whether they shall be rich [Page 5]and some one question, and some another, and these same cunning Knaves will alwayes tell them a good fortune, that they may draw their money from them the more liberally: let me intreat you now never to meddle with them more for if they will cheat a whole Nation, as it is apparent they will, certainly they will cheat one particular man.

Oh friends, friends, it is a sad thing when wee run after the creature, and forsake our Cre­ator, and desire them to reveale unto us the hid­den mysteries of God: Oh it is a hideous sin, this was Sauls sin, who when God had obscu­red the light of his countenance from him, pre­sently goes to a Witch, and desires her to raise him up Samuel, but he received a sad answer; so it will be with us, if wee like Saul run after this wicked sect of men, to desire them to re­solve us in questions of that nature; No, no, this is not the way to have any affliction re­moved but rather increased, but if thou art af­flicted pray, for prayer doth please God, if it be framed after a right manner: therefore he that desires to be heard, let him pray wisely, that is, that he pray for those things that serve [Page 6]for the glory of God, and not for maintenance of his lust.

But to conclude as I began, that great Eclipse which these Astrologicke fooles spake of, I dare boldly affirme, had not they proclaimed it to be such a horrid one, there had not one man in this City so much as taken notice of any E­clipse at all.

Mr. Lilly and the rest of you, let me advise you to furnish your selves with horne books, and learn your A.B.C. againe. I am