astrologyCorpus.txt

  vii
her mother love  told by the physician  by general although unspoken assent the eyes of all the company were  now directed to the venerable hakeem as if to invite from him the next  contribution to the nights entertainment
meditatively for a moment the  man of medicine stroked the broad white beard that descended almost to  his girdle and then began  familiar to us all is the thought that death is but a birth into  another state of existence whether that state be the eternal paradise  which is the final goal of every mans hopes or merely another stage  thitherward
death is a birth the truth of which will more forcibly  appeal to our minds when we reflect also that birth is a death
how can that be except for the stillborn
queried the astrologer
the hakeem raised a hand deprecating the interruption
nay follow me in my argument he continued quietly
if death is a  birth then is a birth truly death
for the babe has been living through  a prior stage of existence
to it the nine months passed in its mothers  womb may have meant a long span of life
for time is but a relative  term and measured against eternity the whole period of mans sojourn  onpg 147 earth be it three score or four score years is but as the puff of  a single breath
so the child in the womb lives there a full span of  existence it is nurtured and it grows it sleeps and it wakes it lies  passive and it disports itself it is sensitive to cold and to heat to  thirst and to hunger and god alone knows what it thinks and what mental  impressions it forms of the existence through which it is passing
and  the hour of its birth is truly the hour of its death for in pain and  travail it is plucked from its warm and comfortable surroundings and  with the shock of physical change and unseeing dread it cries aloud in  sharp anguish
thus precisely do we ourselves die when we pass from this  world to another existence physically and mentally resenting the harsh  change terrified because of our very ignorance of what is really  happening
the physician paused amid a deep hush that bore eloquent testimony to  the impressiveness of the thought to which he had given utterance
but the parallel does not end here he resumed
when the infant is born then for the first time does it see face to  face the divinity who through all the preceding stage of its existence  has protected it warmed it and nourished it
in the presence of its  mother it is in the presence of the god who has hitherto enveloped it  wholly and completely in his own divine being
so when we die will we  be face to face with the now unseen god who everywhere encompasses us  beholding him at first only with the dazzled vision and dim  halfconsciousness of the newpg 148born babe but growing to know him and to  love him as we have all known and loved the devoted mothers who bore us
for mother love is mans first foretaste of god love the full glory of  which we shall comprehend only when by death we are born into a higher  and more spacious sphere of existence
there was another brief interval of silence again unbroken by any  comment from the auditors
then the hakeem continued in lighter tone  now let me point my moral by telling you a story of a mothers supreme  devotion for her son
at one time i practised my profession in the capital city of a state  ruled over by a maharajah who although he had been a brave and  honourable man in his prime had degenerated into a mere voluptuary  spending his days in the companionship of nautch girls and disreputable  men indulging constantly in immoderate potations of strong wine and  given at times to the use of bhang which does more than anything else  to dull the faculties and deaden the conscience of the unfortunate who  surrenders himself to its seductive spells
the inevitable results were  for him the premature loss of health and strength and for his people  misrule extortion and widespread unhappiness
it happened that after several hindu physicians had failed to restore  their royal master from a fainting spell i a moslem was summoned in  haste to the palace
i carried with me a small jar containing a certain  pungent liquid which i applied to the nospg 149trils of my patient with the  result that he was straightway brought back from seeming death to  consciousness of his surroundings
i take no special credit for  effecting this recovery but the maharajah himself deemed me to be a  veritable worker of miracles and dismissing all his other doctors  kept me thenceforth constantly by his side
from the first i knew by  his trembling limbs and enfeebled condition that death had marked him  for its own but i could at least prepare aromatic drinks to mitigate  his pains and saffron meats to drive out the evil spirits that possessed  him
thus did it come about that i gained the confidence of the maharajah  and when it happened that one of his favourite wives had fallen into a  decline and had begged for the services of a physician the honourable  trust of ministering to her needs was confided to me
my examination of  the invalid was in accordance with the usual restrictions
accompanied  by the feeble old maharajah himself i was conducted to an apartment  across which a heavy curtain was suspended
after an interval of  waiting the rustle of silken garments behind the purdah followed by  the gentle sigh of a woman told me that my patient had arrived
it was  the husband himself who bade her thrust her tongue through an orifice in  the curtain
my inspection of this member revealed no internal disorder  and i requested from my master permission to touch the ladys hand so  that i might feel the pulsing of the blood in her veins
not too  willingly he ordered her to push her arm through the opening
pg 150  it was a dainty white hand with many jewelled rings upon the taper  fingers and the nails as with all ladies of quality dyed the deep  orange red of henna
although i knew well that the jealously watchful  eyes of her lord were upon me i made no hesitancy in encompassing the  wrist with my own fingers
but the little hand within mine was clenched  tight and the better to conduct my examination i freed my fingers  from her wrist so as to straighten out hers as i required them
when i  attempted to do this however i was conscious of some resistance and  then of the presence of a small packet concealed in the palm of her  hand
with a flash of comprehension i knew that the package must be  intended to be conveyed to me surreptitiously and with no thought at  that critical moment of what the ulterior object might be i aided the  act by a deft movement of my shoulder which for a moment intercepted  the maharajahs gaze
in another second he could see my fingertips lightly pressed on her  wrist and her empty hand extended but the package was safe in my other  hand and not the quiver of a muscle on my face betrayed that anything  unusual had happened
both to mask my feelings and to give the lady  behind the curtain confidence that she could repose trust in my  discretion i counted the pulse beats aloud
these indeed told me that the heart of my patient was beating at a mad  gallop but this i divined was simply caused by the daring deed she had  essayed and successfully accomplished
i deemed it wise andpg 151 prudent  however to announce that the lady was suffering from a fever and that  i would send her a powder that would speedily restore her to good  health
at this the maharajah was sufficiently overjoyed to permit of my  withdrawal without obvious embarrassment
i had a smile upon my lips  and the secret package secure in the folds of my girdle
a chuprassi  accompanied me to my home to bring back the medicine
i knew of course that it was only a dry powder that this highborn  hindu lady could take from my dispensary for to have swallowed a liquid  drug would have been a violation of her caste
i took pains to let the  chuprassi see that my hands did not touch the powder which after due  weighing i bestowed in a paper carefully sealed instructing him to  deliver it to no one but his highness the maharajah
it was only finely  ground sugar that the man carried away
but perhaps this is a harmless  little trick of my profession which even now i should not disclose
but a general smile among the company showed the hakeem that his calling  was held in no undue reverence at least by those without present need  of his ministrations
when i was alone with my mortars and my drugs resumed the narrator  i lost no time in examining the mysterious packet
i unwound the silk  threads that tightly tied it both to restrict its bulk and to render it  secure
soon to my amazement i uncovered a string of ten pearls of a  size and lustrouspg 152 purity that bespoke a high value even to my untutored  eyes
also there was a little seal of red chalcedony with the antlered  head of a deer and some scroll of lettering engraved upon it but there  was not one scrap of writing to explain to me the reason of these gifts
had the lady as often happens imagined herself to be seriously sick  and devised this plan of invoking my interest and most skilful services  on her behalf
but why then the seal the value of which was quite  insignificant
even as i was pondering these questions there came a clapping of hands  at the gateway of my home that announced the arrival of a visitor
hastily concealing the pearls and the seal in my girdle i stepped forth  into the outer court and took my seat upon the divan
straightway there was ushered into my presence a big man clothed in  rich garments
his sable complexion and thick lips declared him to be a  moorman from across the seas and his beardless chin further told at a  glance that he was an attendant at the seraglio of some rich noble
he salaamed me with the cool confidence of his kind and without  waiting for an invitation seated himself on the carpet at my feet
my name o learned hakeem is malik kafur he began in the shrill  treble voice i had anticipated and you know why i come here
as my knowledge had been taken for granted i bowed in acquiescence
but her highness said that you would first of all show me her signetpg 153  so as to prove that you are acting with her authority
with all due gravity i produced the chalcedony seal from my belt and  without quitting hold extended it for my visitors inspection
there  was a swift gleam of recognition in his eyes
that is right he murmured
then proceed i said quietly
you can speak in the fullest  confidence
i have promised the maharanee that tomorrow when the fourth of the  day is over i shall conduct her into the bazaars
she bade me explain  her plans precisely so that you in turn should know how to act
well  her highness will be as usual in her palankeen slung between two  mules
when we turn from the coppersmiths bazaar into the secluded  bazaar where the money changers dwell the two grooms in charge of the  mules will be assailed by budmashes and beaten with sticks
i too will  be knocked down and my clothes torn but do not worry on my account
i gave a cheerful nod to signify that his anxiety on this score might  be set at rest
it will devolve on you to have two men ready to take advantage of the  confusion of the scuffle and lead away the mules with the palankeen  conducting the maharanee to a place which she herself will indicate
this you understand
i understand
at night when i shall come to you again underpg 154 cover of the  darkness you will pay over to me the agreedupon price—the ten pearls  which her highness has placed in your custody
they are here i assented holding aloft the little string of pearls  the purpose they were intended to serve at last made clear to my  understanding
the eyes of the negro flashed with cupidity and he reached forth a  big fat black hand
i can be trusted to do my share of the task he said eagerly
to  save trouble let me be paid now
not so thou slave i replied curtly and with authority as i  returned the pearls to their place of safekeeping
the price will be  paid when the service is performed
tomorrow night you will be  admitted malik kafur if you knock three times at my gate
the fellow rose to his feet with a servile and submissive smile and  by a wave of my hand i dismissed him from my presence
here indeed was an adventure thrust upon me a man of peace and of  studious habits who had ever shrunk from deeds of violence but the  hand of fate was clearly beckoning me along the path of duty and not  for a moment did i shrink from the dangers into which perchance i was  being hurried
for the maharajah worthless besotted and on the verge of dishonoured  death i could have no respect
for the lady of his household who was  confiding to me her very life whose soft hand i had touched with due  reverence there was an instinctive feeling of sympathy
in her hour of  dire needpg 155 most likely of extreme danger she had turned to me a man  of staid repute and old enough no doubt to be her father
so this was  no affair of conjugal wrong from which my religious scruples and my  abiding principles alike would have repelled me
clearly was i the  instrument in gods directing hand for some great happening and it was  not for me through thought of self or cowardice to interpose obstacles  to the carrying out of the divine will
and as i thus ruminated there came from a minaret close by the call to  evening prayer
the world is but an hour i murmured to myself as i  spread my carpet spend it in devotion the rest is unseen
on the morrow i was astir even before the morning call to prayer
prayer is better than sleep—i listened to the familiar cry of the  muezzin
but while again i prayed i felt that a good deed done may count  more for a man at the gates of paradise than the record of many prayers
full an hour before the appointed time i was at the corner of the  coppersmiths and the moneychangers bazaars
here i posted two of my  retainers in whom i could place complete confidence
they had already  been instructed how to act when the proper moment arrived
for myself i  sauntered through the crowded and noisy bazaar of the makers and menders  of copper vessels so as not to attract undue attention
in my heart was  not one flutter of excitement or of uncertainty i felt the quiet  confidence which in the crisespg 156 of life comes to a man whose trust in  god the most high is implicit
after a period of waiting there came into sight the huge black moorman  in his hand a white wand of office and following close behind him a  brilliantly decorated palankeen suspended between a pair of mules and  attended by two grooms leading the animals
the throng had parted  before this little procession averting their eyes from the covered  palankeen as was beseeming
but suddenly at the intersection of the two bazaars a group of  loiterers sprang forward and with cries assailed the moorman and the  grooms turning the mules into the quieter thoroughfare
there i had now  posted myself and while the shopkeepers ran up the street to see what  had befallen the cavalcade under my directions and with my attendants  at the animals heads hurried along and as we threaded our way through  the maze of streets the tumult of voices soon died away behind us
after a little time i ventured to approach the curtained palankin
i spoke just loud enough to be heard by its occupant  may your day o queen be peaceful
your servant most humble and  devoted awaits your orders
peace be to thee o thou trustful and brave hakeem
take me to the  protection of thy wife and home
it was a soft melodious womans voice that hadpg 157 spoken tremblingly  imploringly and yet withal in a tone of authority
as thou hast commanded so shall it be done was my brief reply
after a little time the cavalcade without any undue attention being  attracted had passed through the gateway of my home and the doors had  been barred behind us
to my surprise a gallant youth some twelve years of age sprang  through the momentarily parted curtains of the palankeen
i salute thee o hakeem our deliverer he exclaimed kissing the hem  of my robe
my royal mother is in the palankeen and craves for  sanctuary in your zenana
let her pass i replied and i urged the docile mules toward the  second archway that led to the womens courtyard
at my bidding the inner gates opened and they closed again when the  palankeen had entered
within is sanctuary for your royal mother and here is sanctuary for  yourself o prince i continued with a profound obeisance for  despite the modest garments he wore i had recognized the eldest royal  son of the maharajah whom i had seen several times in his fathers  presence and on one occasion at an affair of state clad in a robe of  honour of silk and gold brocade festoons of jewels around his neck and  a tiny sword with scabbard of gold girt at his side
having once more impressed secrecy on my attendants and bidding them  give admission to no onepg 158 i led my young guest into an inner reception  room
there in a few concise sentences he told me his story
a plot had been hatched in the royal zenana that just so soon as the  maharajah died this youth and seven or eight younger brothers sons of  other wives should be slain so that the undisputed succession might  descend on one particular son elder by several years but not in the  regular line of succession because born of a slave mother
it was this  slave womans brother who commanded the maharajahs bodyguard and in  collusion with his sister had conceived the damnable conspiracy
only  by the whisper of a woman who was close to the officer but whose heart  was tender had the mother of the young heir to the throne been warned
with my aid and that of the eunuch who had visited me the day before  they had made their escape the youth having been hidden in the  palankeen of his mother before the latter left the seraglio on one of  her occasional visits to the bazaars
such was the story
now the future had to be planned for up to this  point the maharanee had acted blindly and impulsively—just swiftly—the  moment she had realized the supreme danger for her son
in the boy i  found high courage and a clear brain and together we devised the  measures to be followed that would best allay suspicion as to the  whereabouts of the fugitives
as a first step i sallied forth as usual to pay my professional visit  on the maharajah a little beforepg 159 the noontide hour
perhaps i felt  that if by any chance suspicion had already alighted upon me i was  taking my life in my hands by entering the palace but trusting to the  protection of allah i gave no second thought to any fear of this kind
i had not yet reached the palace gates when i encountered a messenger  running in hot haste to summon me
his highness the maharajah had been  seized with a fit and the whole palace was in a turmoil
when i gained the royal apartment i saw at a glance that the sufferer  was beyond human aid
i could but watch the deep laboured breathing  growing ever fainter and fainter until the deathrattle in the throat  proclaimed the end
during that hour of watching my soul had been gravely perturbed not  because of the dying debauchee but in dread of sinister happenings in  the royal zenana when the news of the maharajahs demise should come to  be announced
but how was i to give warning without betraying to certain  death the youth and his mother who had sought sanctuary in my  defenceless home
for there at the door of the sick room stood the  captain of the kings bodyguard todar rao the very man who i knew  held his corrupt soldiery in leash for any villainy
another high officer of the court the diwan had shared my vigil in  the death chamber and just before the end came had informed me that it  was news of an attack by budmashes on one of the royal palankeens that  morning in the bazaars that hadpg 160 inflicted the fatal stroke upon his  master
but this treasurer was an aged man who would have quailed under  the eye of the stern and relentless soldier keeping watch and ward at  the doorway and for all i knew he too might be in the  conspiracy—indeed his furtive glances and the nervous twitching of his  hands forewarned me of this danger
surrounded by uncertainties and utterly helpless in my isolation i  could but drift whither the stream of destiny carried me
the king is dead i announced when the last flutter of the heart had  ceased
may god in his compassion give him peace
the diwan summoned the captain of the bodyguard and the latter to  make certainty doubly sure brutally shook the dead man by the shoulder
i could see the savage gleam of satisfaction on his face when he threw  from him the already stiffening arm
the two men in close conclave  hastened from the chamber and when the attendants set up the accustomed  cries of wailing i profited by the clamour and confusion to slip  discreetly from the palace and gain my own home
the terrible events of the next few days were alas
just the same as  have befallen a hundred times on the passing of a king
the outside  world knew few details but the news from the palace current in the  bazaars was that all the sons of the late maharajah had perished  excepting only the eldest
and this youth although the whisper passed  freelypg 161 that he was merely the son of a slave woman duly ascended the  throne
revolt by some of the nobles over such an indignity might come later  on
but meanwhile at all events the show of military power quelled all  opposition while a judicious remission of taxes pleased the general  populace and indeed caused them joyfully to acclaim the new maharajah  as he made a triumphal procession through the city mounted on an  elephant caparisoned with cloth of gold and bedecked with silver chains  and bells preceded by priests and the dancing girls of the temples and  surrounded by troops both horsemen and foot soldiers
only i and the members of my household knew that the rightful heir to  the throne was alive and in safe hiding
for the moorman had never come  to claim his string of pearls and it was not until some days later that  i had learned of his having been summarily dispatched by order of the  dead maharajah in the latters first paroxysm of anger over the  abduction of his favourite wife when visiting the bazaars
in this  opportune removal of a greedy hireling and possible traitor i once more  recognized the hand of providence working for the noble woman whose  quick wit had aided mother love to save her son
a noble woman i have called her and such indeed she was
for me the  maharanee had discarded the purdah and in the sanctity of my harem  with my wife as her devoted attendant i was privileged to converse with  her hour after hour gazing freelypg 162 upon the most beautiful countenance  i had ever beheld—beautiful not only by reason of soft and rounded  features and the peach bloom of the skin but also because of the  soullit eyes that illumined it with joyous radiance
for this queen  lived in her son forgot every other sorrow in his safety and now  experienced all the glowing pride of a leader on the field of battle in  planning the campaign for the vindication of his rightful claims to the  royal inheritance
her first step had been to send secret word to her father—she was the  daughter of a mountain chieftain—bidding him to dispatch one of her  brothers to me as a trusted messenger
the distance was far and three  months elapsed before the hillman arrived a sturdy young fellow serene  of eye slow of speech and muscled like a panther
he departed back  home again carrying our tale by simple word of mouth for greater  security and having concealed on his person some of the gems which the  maharanee had saved and which would be readily convertible into money
then after a second interval of time other tribesmen came sifting into  the city by twos and threes until we had full fifty of the finest  material for a bodyguard a young prince could desire
these men were  quartered at different places in the vicinity of my home armed and  ready for a general muster when the moment should be ripe for action
meanwhile a widespread spirit of dissatisfaction with the new raj was  daily growing and on every hand in the bazaars mutterings of trouble  began topg 163 be heard
the young ruler had proved to be a mere puppet in  the hands of his mother and uncle who had not hesitated to advance  their baseborn relatives and associates to places of highest honour and  emolument thereby giving grievous offence among the families of proud  and ancient lineage both hindu and moslem which had hitherto supplied  the principal officers of state and had been the real buttresses of the  throne
then to fill full the measure of discontent came ominous  rumours that the prince although still a mere youth had like his  father become addicted to the use of bhang and strong wines and  encouraged by a worthless following was abandoning himself to all  manner of expensive debauchery
and when at last the screw of heavily  increased taxation gave proof to these stories the first timid whispers  of displeasure among the populace swelled to sullen and continuous  murmuring
for the true queen mother and her son the hour of destiny was  approaching
but although the embers of revolt were ready to burst into flame at  the first fanning of a breeze todar rao now sirdar in command of the  whole army still dominated the situation
at his slightest word the  mercenary soldiery under his control would have rushed into the bazaars  with sword and torch like ravening wolves among sheep helpless to  defend themselves
as for the nobles each surrounded by his own  bodyguard they were torn into rival factions the one jealously  watching the other lest open revolt should be made the excuse forpg 164  usurpation of the throne by the strongest and best prepared among them
in these circumstances it would have been fatal to let word go forth  prematurely that the rightful heir was alive for disappointed ambitions  among the feudal lords might have become an added danger to the fury of  the sirdar
but any prolonged delay would also be disastrous for it was  only now that the boy prince would be recognized and received as the  undoubted heir to his fathers throne a few years later he would to a  certainty be looked at askance as a mere pretender—a pawn in the game  of some unscrupulous kingmaker playing for his own aggrandizement
it was the maharanee who devised the bold stroke which involved  undoubted danger yet promised the best chance of success
her idea was  to take the whole court unawares at one and the same moment so that the  nobles might have presented to them not only a common rallyingpoint  for loyalty but the chance by united action to break for all time the  hated military power of the slaveborn sirdar
it was the appointed day when the recently installed maharajah  according to custom immemorial was to be publicly weighed and the gold  he counterbalanced distributed in charity
in the great courtyard of the  palace all the people were assembled nobles and officers of state  soldiers and traders rich and poor among the latter the halt the  blind and the maimed the deformed and the leprous in pitiful evidence  as fitting objects for a share of the propg 165mised bounty
on a raised  dais seated upon a throne covered with cloth of gold and sheltered by  a canopy and awnings of crimson brocade sat the reigning maharajah a  puny and sicklylooking stripling
before the main ceremony of the day heralds had announced that the  sovereign was prepared to listen to any grievances or complaints from  his people
for a few minutes no one came forward but at last a pair of  sleek mules handsomely caparisoned with a richly adorned palankeen  slung between them the identical equipage of the maharanee which had  been harboured in my home emerged from the crowd and advanced at a  grave pace toward the royal dais
that some highborn lady was within  the silken coverings of the palankeen every one surmised and at this  extraordinary spectacle a hush of tense expectancy fell upon the  assemblage
but the silence changed to murmurs of amazement and admiration when a  queenly woman stepped upon the edge of the dais and faced not the  maharajah on his throne but the nobles and courtiers and officers  clustered around
with a proud gesture she flung even the sari from her face which the  play of the sunbeams among the jewels in her hair and around her neck  invested with a shimmering halo of radiance
on such a womans face the  multitude had never looked before
but stately and unabashed serene in  the purity of her womanhood the dignity of her motherhood and the  majesty of her rank she raised aloft a hand andpg 166 spake aloud in tones  clear as the notes of a silver trumpet
o nobles and o people the royal son and heir of my husband the late  maharajah is alive spared by divine providence from the massacre of  his brothers and playmates in the seraglio of the palace
many of you  know him well and behold now he comes to claim his heritage
as these words were spoken the crowd again parted and there stepped  forth the young prince my prot�g�
at the edge of the throng he  discarded a loose mantle of cotton that had concealed the rich garments  befitting his rank
then he advanced looking proudly and gaily about  him while close behind and pressing eagerly around his person came  full fifty stalwart tribesmen treading with the bold swinging gait of  the mountaineer their drawn tulwars flashing in the sun their voices  shouting jai jai—hail hail
in deafening chorus
the effect was instantaneous and tremendous and from all the assembled  multitude went up the loud acclaim—jai jai jai
there seemed to be  not a dissentient in the throng
and a moment later the young prince was  standing on the dais by his mothers side one hand resting proudly on  her shoulder
among the nobles there had hitherto been the silence of stupefaction
but at last one of their number an elderly man advanced and  prostrated himself on the rich carpet spread in front of the dais thus  rendering public homage to his rightful king
jai jai jai
shouted  the mob and soon apg 167 dozen others among the nobles had given the pledge  of fealty
meanwhile the kinglet on the throne of gold had been forgotten
he had  made no move but had contented himself with staring around in confused  and helpless surprise
but now todar rao the sirdar had sprung to his  side and dragged the youth to his feet
o princes and people this is your rightful king cried the soldier  in stentorian tones crowned and proclaimed and accepted by your  pledges of loyalty
my orders to the troops are death to those who now  betray him
but the words had hardly passed his lips when two score of the  mountaineers shouting deen deen—kill kill had swarmed over the  silver railings surrounding the throne
there was the momentary clash of  steel on steel the impotent curse of an angry man a shrill pitiful cry  of anguish from the youth who in his terror had crouched behind the  awnings descending from the canopy
and when the tribesmen again faced  the multitude the soldierly figure of todar rao had disappeared and  the throne was vacant for the reception of its rightful occupant
amidst a wild tumult of joy the young prince ascended from the dais and  took the royal seat showing in his every movement the natural grace and  dignity that might almost in themselves have proved his right of  heritage and that certainly won to his cause the last waverers among  the onlookingpg 168 multitude
even the bodyguard of the slain sirdar were  now joining in the universal acclaim
the first to bend a knee to the rightful king enthroned was the royal  queen his mother
and then the lady stepped back a little to the rear  and to the side of the throne drawing her silken sari over the lovely  countenance that would never again be beholden by the people
never again
the thought had scarce passed through my mind as i  watched the scene from the fringe of the crowd when a more grim and  terrible reality was given to the unspoken words than i had ever  intended
close to the spot where the maharanee had halted were some  hangings of brocade arranged as we understood later so that the seated  and veiled figure of a woman might observe the brilliant pageantry of  the day from the privacy of this purdah
and from out these hangings there now stretched stealthily but  swiftly a bejewelled hand which plunged a long dagger between the  shoulders of the queen mother
without a cry she fell
i was quickly by her side and the young  maharajah and myself as we bent over her caught her dying words
all is well my beloved son she murmured
i have accomplished that  which i was sent into the world to perform
in peace i yield my soul to  god
with the last word she breathed her last breath
and such is mother  love
there was a suppressed sob in more than one breast at the close of thepg 169  venerable hakeems tale
down his own furrowed face the tears were  streaming
and the woman who struck the foul blow
inquired the afghan in an  eager whisper
the slave mother of the dead pretender
well she too had given her all  for mother love
the tribesmen tore her limb from limb
and the hakeem pressed a hand to his eyes to shut out the memory of a  dreadful scene
pg 170the project gutenberg ebook of tales of destiny by edmund mitchell  this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with  almost no restrictions whatsoever
you may copy it give it away or  reuse it under the terms of the project gutenberg license included  with this ebook or online at wwwgutenbergorg  title tales of destiny  author edmund mitchell  release date august 10 2006 ebook 19017  language english  character set encoding iso88591   start of this project gutenberg ebook tales of destiny   produced by r cedron joseph r hauser and the online  distributed proofreading team at httpwwwpgdpnet  tales of  destiny  by  edmund mitchell  london  constable and company ltd  1913  copyright 1912  united states of america  by  edmund mitchell  contents  introduction     1  chap
i
the maid of jhalnagor
told by the rajput chief     5  ii
the hollow column
told by the taxcollector     19  iii
what the stars ordained
told by the astrologer     35  iv
the spirit wail
told by the merchant     60  v     the blue diamonds
told by the fakir     101  vi
the tiger of the pathans
told by the afghan general     128  vii
her mother love
told by the physician     146  viii
the sacred pickaxe
told by the magistrate
170  tales of destiny  pg 1  introduction  just without one of the massive bastioned gates of the city of  fathpursikri there stood in the year 1580 a caravanserai that afforded  accommodation for man and beast
here would alight travellers drawn by  the calls of homage by business or by curiosity to the famous town of  victory built as the inscription over the gateway told by his  majesty king of kings heaven of the court shadow of god jalaladdin  mohammed akbar padishah
at the time of our story akbar was at the zenith of his glory
he had  moved his court from agra the capital of his predecessors on the throne  of the moguls after having raised for himself on the spot where the  birth of a son had been promised him by a hermit saint this superb new  city of fathpursikri seven miles in circumference walled and guarded  by strong forts at its seven gateways
emperor and nobles had vied with  each other in erecting palaces of stately design and exquisite finish of  adornment
a beautiful mosque commemorated the good deeds of the saint  and provided a place of prayer for those of the moslem faith
in the  palace of the emperor was a magnificent audience hall with marble  columns and stonecarved galleries in the centre of which stood the  throne of gold sprinkled with rubies emeralds and diamonds surrounded  by a silver railpg 2ing and covered by a canopy of rich crimson brocade
in this audience hall the great and good akbar was wont to receive not  only his subjects rich and poor the former assembled to pay their  court the latter to lay their grievances before the imperial judge but  he also extended welcome to strangers from afar
on the question of  religion his mind was at this period in a state of change for he had  broken from the strict faith of the moslem had publicly announced that  there was good in all beliefs had overthrown ceremonial rules whether  of islam or of hinduism and had proclaimed all things lawful except  excess
his thoughts thus drifting toward a new religion a divine faith  that would bring into one fold the votaries of all religions he was  glad at his court to give audience to learned doctors from distant lands  as well as from every part of india
all were welcome—brahmins and  buddhists moslem schoolmen hindu fanatics pantheists the worshippers  of fire the jews whose prophets are abraham and moses even christian  padres from faroff europe
it was akbars delight to listen to their  expositions and discussions and to the defence of their varied dogmas
thus did the fame of the king for tolerance benevolence and wisdom  become noised abroad far and wide so that visitors flocked in  everincreasing numbers to the beautiful city
at our caravanserai  without the gate there would often in the cool of an evening be  gathered together on the shaded veranda a group of travellers  representing diverse racespg 3 and classes
some of the towndwellers too  would be there resting and refreshing themselves after their walk to  the city walls while from the nearby camp of the rajputs who formed a  portion of the royal bodyguard there would oftentimes stroll over a few  menatarms
on such occasions it would generally happen that the debates recently  listened to in the imperial hall of assembly would be subjected to  comment
and from discussion of this kind the conversation would quite  frequently change to storytelling dear to the hearts of all natives of  hindustan and by no means to be despised for in a good story there may  be implanted the kernel of a sound philosophy
on a summer night in the year named eight men were assembled on the  veranda of the caravanserai
the full moon had just risen above a tope  of tamarind trees and its silvern radiance revealed every detail of the  scene
a rajput chief occupied the place of central prominence cushions  arranged for his convenience on one of which rested his scimitar the  emblem of his soldierly profession
not far from him in a  halfreclining posture was a general of the afghans also of the  bodyguard of the emperor
a hakeem or physician and an astrologer  both in the moslem style of dress were seated close together legs  crossed beneath them while a little apart were two hindus as the caste  marks on their foreheads showed a taxcollector from the country and a  kotwal or city magistrate
just above the steps leading on to the  veranda surrounded by hispg 4 bales of merchandise sat a merchant from  bombay a big and stalwart man attired in spotless white raiment on  his head a voluminous muslin turban
in striking contrast squatting on  the ground below the steps at his feet a wooden begging bowl was a  fakir or religious ascetic a loin cloth his sole covering his face  bedaubed with ashes his lean chin resting on his upraised knees while  he listened to the dialogue and watched each speakers face with eyes of  keen alertness
there had been some desultory conversation which finally resulted in  the rajput chief being begged to relate in detail an experience at which  he had previously hinted
the first story led to another story and the  third to yet another and so on until each member of the company had  contributed to the general entertainment
and these are the tales that  were told by the travellers on the veranda of the caravanserai outside  the walls of fathpursikri that moonlight night in the days of the  mighty akbar  pg 5  i
the maid of jhalnagor  told by the rajput chief  well since you would have it so listen to the story of rukpur singh  hereditary chief of jhalnagor mansabdar of five hundred men captain of  the bodyguard of akbar the great king of kings lord of the earth
this day in the hall of assembly in the presence of the great padishah  himself we have listened to the arguments of men of diverse faiths
it  is well
as akbar the most high himself has said all religions are  good each man has the god or gods of his fathers let there be no  obstacle placed against worshipping the divine power in any manner that  seemeth fit
that is both wisdom and justice
that is why i a hindu a  rajput one of the twice born can serve my lord the moslem emperor  akbar with loyalty of heart and of sword that no man may question
at these words the captain of the bodyguard touched the jewelled hilt of  his scimitar lying on the cushion by his side
he glanced around as if  to see whether anyone present dared to question the fidelity he had  professed
but there was neither movement nor remark among his  listeners and with a disdainful little smile of selfcomplacency he  resumed
during todays discussion in the spirit of tolerance that akbarpg 6  teaches to all of us we rajputs have had to harken to severe  upbraiding
we are accused of inhumanity because in our homes a female  child may be done away with at birth lawfully and without dishonour
be  it so the fact itself i shall not dispute
nor shall i defend the  practice except to point out that a woman more or less in the world does  not matter that the babe suffers no pain and knows no ill that had she  lived it might have been to a life of widowhood—if courage were wanting  to choose the suttee—and therefore to long days of shame and sorrow
furthermore has it to be remembered that the marriage of one of our  daughters costs much money
according to the rules of our caste and the  customs of our race the ceremony must be worthy of the parents and of  the position they occupy all of the district must be feasted and let  the expense be grievous as it may it must be borne
to some who are rich  the money thus spent is of no account
but to others who are poor yet  proud—and all rajputs are proud—a wedding that is seemly for a  daughter of the house may mean poverty and ruin for the father and  brothers during twenty years to follow
in certain circumstances this  misfortune cannot be thought of
the honour of the race the very safety  of a whole clan may depend on rigid economy as a provision against  danger
so it may be both right and wise for an infant daughter to be  put painlessly to her death
such was the doctrine my father taught me  and his name is blessed
the speaker dropped his eyes folded his hands across his breast andpg 7  for a full minute remained in silent meditation
when at last he looked  up again there had come over the usually stern and haughty face a  wonderful glow of kindliness and his voice took a softer modulation
however know this my friends that in my zenana at jhalnagor there  are little girls—three and more will be welcome should the divine  krishna send them
three little daughters have i all born of my wife  lakmibai the jewel of jhalnagor
with sons also am i blessed—two brave  little boys of whom i may well be proud
but i love them not more than  my daughters nor would i change any one daughter for a son
this do i  say out of the truth of my heart and in no wise because fortune has  been kind to me and mine and has given us such prosperity that there is  a fit dower for each daughter without my treasury knowing the loss
so when the learned mullah from stamboul denounced infanticide i was  one with him in sympathy for my inclination is to cherish with love and  care every female child the gods send
now would you hear how a rajput came to this manner of thinking
my  story is that of a little maid
listen
it happened just five years gone  by
under the firm and just rule of our master akbar there has been peace  for many years in our part of the world
except when as now i come to  fathpursikri for my yearly month of service in providingpg 8 part of the  emperors bodyguard i live quietly among my own people
the soil around  our villages is tilled our shopkeepers buy and sell we worship in our  temples and we are happy for no enemy comes to disturb the peace of  our beautiful little valley of jhalnagor embosomed among the hills
one day it befell that i had gone on a hunting trip with a party of my  friends
in the early dawn we had descended from the fort on the hill  top which is my home and the rallyingplace for my clan—a small clan  numbering but a few thousands but nobly born as any tribe in rajputana  brave and of honour unsullied men who have never yet given a daughter  to the harem of a moslem
the features of the rajput flashed with pride
his brotheratarms the  afghan met the defiant look and said with a quiet smile  there are many rajput women wed to moslem lords
yes but not rajput women of jhalnagor
they would have died  first—many of them did so prefer to die when the moslem host first  swept over our land
in the hour of defeat against overwhelming  numbers within the citadel of jhalnagor the women of my race refusing  to accept dishonour bared their bosoms to the spears of those they  loved husbands brothers and fathers and so they died
with hands outstretched and eyes upraised in rapt pride and reverence  for the deeds of his ancestors again the rajput fell into momentary  silence
the story of the little maid
it was the voice ofpg 9 the physician  recalling the narrator to his task
yes the story of the little maid resumed the rajput
as i have  said we had gone to the hunt one morning—a party of twelve riding on  three elephants
for we were in pursuit of a tiger a destroyer of men  which the villagers had marked down in a patch of jungle by the river  side
of the hunt i need say nothing we killed the tiger and with the  huge striped body slung across the neck of my elephant we were  returning home
it was toward evening for we had rested in the forest  during the heat of the day
we were just entering the narrow gorge that leads to the fort on the  hill when right on the pathway before me i saw the prone figure of a  child
almost my elephants feet were upon it before the sage brute  himself stopped and trumpeted a warning to us in the howdah for the  tigers body occupying the place where the mahout was wont to ride the  latter was walking and he too had not noticed the tiny bundle of  bright yellow clothing lying on the road
glancing down i beheld a little girl with her forehead touching the  dust
at my calling she arose and spread her hands across her breast
listen o chief to my warning listen o my lord she called out in  a shrill tone of supplication
already had i observed that her face was  one of great beauty although that of just a little child but six or  seven years old
the other two elephants had halted behind minepg 10 and some of the party  had descended
but at the approach of these men the maid shrank away  and keeping her eyes fixed in my direction she continued to address  me  listen to my words o chief and be saved from death
in another moment i had sprung to the ground
as i advanced the child  ran toward me absolutely fearless
taking her in my arms i sat me down  by the roadside
close to my breast she nestled and with sobs and  tears now told me her story
a robber band was in the nullah—less than a mile further along—full a  hundred strong fierce men and murderers
for they had already slain the  father and the mother of the little maid humble woodcutters
i had  known them well they were poor but of mine own people and instantly  in my heart i vowed that i would be avenged
the little girl brenda her name as she told me in her childish way of  confidence had hidden in the brushwood all day trembling and afraid
but at last she divined that the men had come to slay me for as the  afternoon advanced they disposed themselves among bushes and behind  trees also in the hut of her dead parents
and even now were the  assassins in waiting for me for the girl had seen our party ride forth  in the early morning and she knew that i had not yet returned
when with wonderful intuition for a child so tender in years the  thought came to her mind that i was to be assailed she stole down the  gorge movingpg 11 cautiously through the undergrowth and awaited at the  spot we found her to give me warning
the child had described to me the leader of the gang and i had  immediately recognized gunesh tanti accursed son of a pig a robber  from across the desert of sindh who had more than once ravaged peaceful  villages of rajputana
he would know that i had treasure in the fort  and of an instant i could read his wily plan
moving through the  country he had doubtless heard a day or two before of this projected  expedition of mine for the killing of the maneating tiger
so he had  designed to slay me on my homeward way and the deed accomplished  would rely on gaining access to the citadel by loading his ruffians into  the howdahs of my elephants
once over the drawbridge and within the  portcullised gateway his murderous scheme might have been easy for my  score of menatarms on duty would have been taken by surprise and so at  a disadvantage
but knowing now the danger i laughed in my beard for gunesh tanti  this human tiger and slayer of innocent men just as had been the tiger  now slung across the back of my elephant was fairly delivered into my  hand
he who had come to trap me was himself entrapped
and thanks all  to this little maid of the glen
at the thought i patted her soft cheek  with my hand and in response she smiled up into my eyes with wondrous  trust and winsomeness
our party as i have said numbered twelve thispg 12 without counting the  three mahouts lithe and active men and brave as any one of us
the  neck of the gorge was narrow and for a hundred yards on either side  there were steep precipices down which rocks could be tumbled on fleeing  men
by a goat path over the hillside the fort could be reached by one  sure of foot and knowing the way
such a lad was of our party a cousin  of my own who could race with the deer
in a few minutes he had girded his loins and was on his mission  disappearing over the crest of the almost perpendicular crag up which he  had clambered
he was to warn the garrison turn out every man and boy  fully armed and bid them to sweep down on the ambushed robbers
the  mothers and the maidens would hold the fort
no other garrison when  once on the alert was needed for such an enemy
again the rajput smiled proudly but the silence of intent listening was  unbroken and he continued  the firing of a matchlock was to be our signal that my men held the  upper end of the pass and were descending on our enemies
meanwhile my  immediate followers prepared the rocks above the narrow neck of the  defile and got them ready for instant rolling down
to this last task  four of our number were deputed
the others abided with me
our plan was  to block the narrow passage by ranging the elephants abreast of each  other and so that the animals themselves might not be stampeded by the  unexpected din of battle we chained their forelegspg 13 first each animal  separately and then the middle one to his comrades on either side
at last all our preparations were completed the huge beasts in line  my companions mounted into the howdahs
i alone remained on foot i and  the little woodcutters daughter standing by my side holding  trustfully to my hand and no longer weeping
you must come with me my almondsweet i said as i raised the child  in my arms and passed her up into the howdah of my own elephant the  central one
then i myself clambered aloft
the tigers corpse had been  flung to the ground and our three mahouts sat in their proper places  iron goads in hand ready to perform their task of keeping the elephants  under control
at last after a tense period of waiting the welcome report of the  matchlock reverberated from among the hills
the fight does not really concern my story said the rajput grimly
it is sufficient to say that gunesh tanti and all his band perished to  a man—some slain by the swords of my horsemen charging down the pass  some crushed by the falling rocks some of the last survivors who flung  themselves desperately against our living barrier dying on our  handpikes or being trampled under foot by the elephants
not one of more  than five score men lived to carry back the tale of death to the robber  haunts whence they had come
on our side some lives were lost seven in all but this is the penalty  that brave men have to pay in thepg 14 doing of righteous deeds
their  memory is honoured
as for the little maid i had nested her in the bestprotected corner  of the howdah and in the thick of the fray when a shower of arrows had  fallen upon us i had covered her tiny form with my shield
but during  the final handtohand fight when all was din and turmoil with the  shouting of the men and the angry trumpeting of the elephants i had not  paid her any special heed
from her lips came no sound to attract my  attention—no cry of fear nor wailing murmur
but at the end i looked for the little child lifting the shield that  had partly guarded her
she met my gaze with a smile
but straightway i  noticed that an arrow descending almost perpendicularly had pierced  her soft little arm and transfixed it to her side
yet had she not  cried out nor even now when i was tending her did she whimper
i drew forth the arrow breaking it in twain so as to let the shaft  pass through the arm
although blood flowed freely i saw at a glance  that the wound in the body was a mere puncture and also that on the  limb only a piercing of the flesh
therefore was her hurt not serious  although of a certainty painful and terrifying too for a child so  young
but even now not one word of complaining did she utter
she kept  her sweet smile on me
brave little maid
tearing a length of cambric from my turban i had bound both arm and  tender breast and readjusted the sari of yellowdyed cotton that formed  herpg 15 simple garment
and now she reposed happy and contented in my  arms
i remained in the howdah while my companions cut off the heads of  the robbers and loaded these trophies of victory on one of the other  elephants so that a triumphal pile might be made in the courtyard of  the citadel
then with the tiger replaced on the neck of my own  elephant we moved for home a group of fifty horsemen now forming our  escort
the headless bodies of our enemies were left as fitting spoil  for the jackals and the vultures the latter of whom scenting the  carrion were already beginning to drop down it might seem from the  blue vault of heaven
by the time we gained the fortress the dusk was gathering
across the  drawbridge promptly lowered at the sound of our joyful shouting i saw  my wife standing beside the big carronade that commanded the roadway up  the hill
the smoking match was in her hand but at sight of me she  stooped and smothered in the dust the spark that would have dealt out  death to the robbers had they ever gained a near approach
descending  from my elephant i greeted her and thanked her for the courage of  herself and all the other women our loved ones
then my friends above handed down gently into my arms the form of the  little maid
at sight of my wifes sweet and kindly countenance the eyes  of the child were lighted with joyousness
but with a quick motion wife  drew her veil completely over her features
ere this was done however  i had caught a strange look in her face—a look of mingled surpg 16prise and  terror
at the same moment her old attendant and confidant rakaya  flung herself at my feet and began to babble for my forgiveness
what means this
i asked glancing in profound amazement from the  womans prostrate form up into my wifes eyes
there again i read the  strangely troubled expression
puzzled yet restraining my curiosity  before the others gathered around i placed the wounded child in my  wifes arms and with a gesture to signify that she and rakaya were to  follow i led the way to the womens quarters
once within the zenana i told my story briefly how the little damsel  of the glen had saved me from certain death and then through danger  and through pain had been brave as the noblestborn rajput maid could  be
after this recital i commended the child to my wifes affections  bidding her love the orphan as she would a daughter
then was the lovely countenance of my wife the jewel of jhalnagor  suffused with great joy
hugging the child to her motherly bosom she  exclaimed   ii
the hollow column  told by the taxcollector  every mans fate is foreordained said the taxcollector  reflectively stroking his beard
although we may not understand it at  the moment each particular event that happens is simply a means prepared  for some destined end that may be many years remote in time
vishnu the  preserver saved the life of the little maid of jhalnagor so that her  fathers life might later on be saved
but none can read the future so  that we are all blindly doing the things of today without knowing their  real bearing on the things of a faraway tomorrow
and one man can make  or mar the happiness of another man even though their lives be  separated by hundreds of leagues in space or hundreds of years in time
in your mind doubtless is some tale to illustrate the truth of what you  teach remarked the astrologer with a shrewd uplifting of his  eyebrows
the stars can help us to read the future as i can prove to  you by a story of actual experience
but before i proceed to my  narrative pray friend let us hear from you
gladly assented the taxcollector
the story of this noble rajput  has brought to memory an incident in my own life many years ago  likewise servingpg 20 to show that the gods prepare long years ahead for the  working out of each particular mans destiny
listen  as a youth i was a keeper of accounts in the service of a rich  zemindar whose estate lay in the country of the five rivers
he was a  usurer as well as a landowner as had been his fathers before him for  many generations
so in his castle was an accumulation of great stores  of wealth—gold and silver and precious stones cloth of gold silks  brocades and muslins ivory and amber camphor spices dye stuffs and  other merchandise of divers kinds
the afghan general stirred and the scabbard of his sword rattled on the  floor as raising himself from his elbow that rested on a cushion he  sat up and assumed an attitude of keen attention
where is this place
he asked a wolfish gleam in his eyes and his  lips curved to a smile that revealed under the black curled moustache  the white gleam of sharppointed teeth
the storyteller also smiled knowingly and raised a deprecatory hand
nay friend this zemindar my first master was not fated to be  relieved of his treasure as my story will tell even though a skilful  plot had been laid for his spoliation
which is the very point of my  tale although i may seem to come to it by a roundabout way of telling
the afghan sank back on his cushion but his gaze remained riveted on  his narrators face
one day i was seated in my home casting up my books of account for ipg 21  had only that morning completed the taking of taxes from the crops of  the rayats the tenants of my lord
all of a sudden a whiterobed figure  entered the doorway and threw himself prostrate before me
when at last  the face was raised i recognized the dhobi of the village that nestled  under the hill on which was perched the castle of the zemindar
o thou washer of clothes i asked what is thy plaint
protector of the poor replied my visitor behold my bandaged feet  beaten with rods until they are swollen and torn
i looked as requested and saw the bloodstains soaked through the  wrappings of linen
thou art an honest and a peaceful man bhagwan
why this cruel  punishment
i know not indeed
but i have come to thee because i have endured  the wrong at the hands of thy master
tell me thy story
as you have said o my protector began the dhobi assuming a sitting  posture and spreading the folds of his looseflowing cotton garment over  his bandaged feet i am an honest man
and it is for that very reason i  have suffered
yesterday among the apparel i received from the home of  the zemindar to be made clean and white was the bodice of a woman and  tied in one corner of this piece of raiment was a ring set with bright  red stones thatpg 22 gleamed as if they were aflame
straightway i returned  to the palace of the zemindar and entering the audience chamber where  as is his wont at that particular hour each day he was seated receiving  the complaints of the oppressed did my humble obeisance and then  placed in his hand the jewel i had discovered
he asked me where i had  found it and when i replied truthfully his eyes flashed with anger  and his voice thundered at me in rebuke
although i had done no wrong  but rather a virtuous deed i implored for pardon
but in vain
my mind  grew confused and the next thing i remember was the sharp cut of bamboo  rods upon the soles of my feet
i was in a small vaulted chamber bound  to a wooden bench surrounded by the zemindars soldiers and powerless  except to scream out in the agony of each blow
thirty strokes were  counted and then i was flung out of the gates of the castle to limp my  way home
tears of selfpity were in the dhobis eyes as he recounted his tale of  woe
even then i was reflecting on the real cause of the zemindars  wrath
the jewel had been discovered in the folds of a garment worn by  one of the women in his zenana and his quick access of anger showed  that the gift had come from some other hand than his
savage jealousy  therefore had prompted the act of injustice inflicted upon the  unfortunate washerman
i knew my master so well his sullen moods his  outbursts of passion that already i could arrive at this conclusion  with certainty
proceed i said indifferently for it is well that apg 23 man should  keep his own counsel in such delicate affairs
what is my concern with  your misfortune
harken o dispenser of bounties
last night when i lay nursing my  wounds i remembered that the ring which had proved the cause of my  misery had been wrapped in a fragment of paper whereon were some strange  marks and lines as in the books of learned men
this i had flung away  at that time deeming only the ring to be of any consequence
but the  thought came to me in the night that perhaps the paper might tell  something about the ring
so all this day have i searched among the  bushes by the stream where i beat the clothes on stones and wash them
and behold i have found that for which i have been seeking
hereupon the dhobi loosened the loin cloth beneath his upper garment  and extracted from its folds a tiny roll of paper
this he presented to  me with a bow of deference to my superior understanding of such things
this time i have come to you he said a man of learning and of  justice not like unto the cruel zemindar
does the paper tell why i  should have suffered such shame and pain at his hands
i had unrolled the scroll the folds of which showed that it had served  as a wrapping for the ring
the writing was in neat persian characters  and i had no difficulty in deciphering it for the four lines that met  my eyes had been recited to me only a few days before by the very man  who claimed to be their author
now did my very heart tremble with agitation
pg 24 but to the dhobi i  appeared cold as the waters of the snows that melt on the mountains
this writing would only add to your troubles i said
here let me  destroy it
and turning to the red ashes burning in a brazier near at  hand i dexterously substituted a fragment of paper on which i had been  figuring my accounts for the paper received from the dhobi placing  the former on the glowing charcoal embers and bestowing the latter in  the security of my girdle
a curl of white smoke a puff of flame and  the work of destruction was to all appearance completed
in view of your misfortune my friend i resumed i bestow upon you  in the name of my master ten maunds of dal which will be sent to your  home on the morrow
the recipient of this unexpected bounty prostrated himself before me
o prince of justice no longer do my wounds pain me
the bellies of my  children will be filled for many long days to come
then go thy way rejoicing in thy heart even though limping on thy  feet
and remember that silence is golden
say not one word more to  anyone about the ring or the paper your punishment or the reward that  has now redressed the wrong
go in peace
and the dhobi after profuse expressions of gratitude hobbled from my  presence
alone with my thoughts i felt sorely troubled
the writer of the  verses of ardent poetry written onpg 25 the paper brought to me by the  washerman was my cherished friend a youth from faraway bokhara abdul  by name
this young man had come to our country only a year or so  before bringing several beautiful arab horses for sale
these the  zemindar had purchased and had retained abdul in his service for the  youth was skilled in the management of horses and in the rearing of  young stock
abdul and myself were much of an age and my regulation of expenditures  in the stables had brought us constantly together
so a close friendship  had resulted valued greatly on my side for i had soon come to know  that abdul was a man of refinement and learning such as i had never  before encountered in any man of so humble a calling
and despite the  fact that he was a moslem and i a hindu he had chosen me as his  intimate friend his only confidant
thus had it come about that at  times he had read to me of an evening songs of his own composing and  even on occasion had sung them to the accompaniment of a small harp the  strings of which he touched with wondrous skill and sensibility
now did i know that this dear friend of mine had endangered not only      iii
what the stars ordained  told by the astrologer  and now master stargazer your proffered story said the  taxcollector bestirring the company from its meditative mood
as i have promised responded the astrologer i shall recount an  experience that shows how the stars if read aright can tell us the  influences for good or for evil that weigh upon a man and inevitably  determine his destiny at the critical moments of his life
what is  written is written and it is impossible to strive against fate
nay objected the rajput that is a teaching of helplessness to which  i cannot subscribe—the pitiful excuse of the coward who folds his hands  in the hour of danger or of the selfindulgent weakling who yields to  seductive temptation because his heart inclines to seize the pleasure of  the moment even when his conscience counsels otherwise
i hold that man  is the master of his own fate
most assuredly have i been the master of  mine he added with a proud smile his fingers closing significantly on  the handle of a dagger at his belt
be it so answered the astrologer
but as allah knows everything that  is to happen so must it happen
which does not forbid the exercise of my own free will argued thepg 36  rajput
the supreme being the presiding power of creation call him  allah if you will understanding my heart as he understands all things  knows beforehand what choice of action i shall make at the moment of an  emergency
but that still leaves me responsible for the deed which i  elect to do
such is my understanding of destiny
it gives  foreknowledge to god but leaves free will to man
from all of which i do not dissent rejoined the astrologer
it is  only the ignorant or the base that makes kismet the excuse for  helplessness or for wrongdoing
but as the stars under which a man is  born influence that mans acts then does the reading of the stars guide  us as to what the future has in store
i know little about your stars replied the rajput
but let us have  the story he added crossing his hands on his knees in an attitude of  expectancy
the astrologer saluting his audience generally with a bow  of acquiescence thus began  by your courtesy let me first explain as necessary to the  understanding of the tale which is to follow that i am from persia  from the city of teheran where for many generations my ancestors were  profound students of astrology some of them famous men because of their  skilful divinations with reputations that reached even to stamboul
for  thither in my early boyhood to the court of the sultan of the osmanlis  was my father summoned and him i neverpg 37 beheld again
it was from my  aged grandfather that i learned my first lessons in astrology—about the  twelve houses the ruling star of each day the coming and the going of  the planets their conjunctions and oppositions and the influences they  exercise on mens lives
i learned with avidity and was an apt pupil  for at fifteen i had begun the practice of my profession casting  horoscopes and reading the nocturnal heavens with constant care  understanding also the flight of birds and the cries of wild beasts of  the jungle
yet at that time was my mind assailed with grievous doubts
i often  caught myself wondering whether the stars did really rule the fates of  men
and with this inward questioning a restless spirit grew upon me
i  longed to see more of the world—to enlarge the sphere of my  observations
just then i chanced to hear some gossip in the bazaars  about a great expedition that was getting ready at kabul to descend upon  hindustan
the hunger of adventure seized me and was not to be denied
despite the tears and implorings of my family i set forth on foot for  afghanistan a stripling in my hand the staff i used in my divinations  in the bag slung at my side a single change of raiment
money i had  none but my ability to read the stars i knew well would earn me a  livelihood wherever i might wander
with my adventures during the next two years this story has no concern
it is enough to say that after many vicissitudes of fortune i found  myself installed as astrologer in the court of a moslempg 38 prince  sovereign over an extensive region in kashmir
my lord was a man of noble heart and of high mental gifts
he ruled  over his people not by fear of the sword but by absolute justice which  he himself personally administered every day holding audience so that  grievances even those of the most poor might be heard and wrongs  redressed
and his royal duties were shared by his wife who although  she might sit behind the screen of the womens quarters none the less  shared in the counsels of state and contributed words of wisdom in the  direction of affairs
never in my experience have i encountered such mutual love trust and  devotion as subsisted between this pair
for no other woman in the world  had mirza shah thought or regard or desire—i call him mirza shah but  that was not his real name
for reasons that will presently appear i  refrain from disclosing the identity of places and persons connected  with my story
well it was my privilege from the outset to be on relations of close  intimacy with my master
he used to come through the palace gardens to  the shrubembowered tower which i occupied and from the roof of which i  nightly contemplated the heavens
for long hours he would abide with me  learning something of the stars while enjoying the cool of the night air  after the heat and fatigues of the day
and many times of an afternoon  the sultana veiled would come with her lord and together they wouldpg 39  seek to gain from me knowledge of the heavenly bodies and of divination
some things i told to them but others i withheld which is just and  right for skill in astrology is hereditary descending from father to  son and new minds are unprepared for such teachings so that too much  knowledge conveyed to outsiders may become a source of disturbance to  themselves and perchance of danger and hurt to their fellow men
thus  following the rules laid down for me by my grandfather always even  when closely pressed with questions did i exercise a discreet reserve
gradually the friendship accorded to me by my lord and his lady waxed  stronger and i found myself being admitted to some of their innermost  thoughts
thus did i come to learn the passionate longing of the wife to  become a mother for six years had she waited but no child had blessed  her love for her husband
as for mirza shah just so soon as the subject  was mentioned i could see the cloud of melancholy rest on his brow
and  when as time went on sadness seemed to settle upon him continuously i  knew full well that this disappointment in his wedded life had at last  taken complete possession of his mind to the exclusion of all other  matters
and from the sultanas manner i could see the trepidation that filled  her heart—the dread that her childlessness might in the end rob her of  her husbands love
it was not given to me to look upon her face—to get  more than a glimpse of her eyes as they shot an occasional glance at me  through the parted foldspg 40 of her veil
but in these glances i had read  the prayers of entreaty that i should use all the spells of my art in  her favour so as to obtain for her from god the gift of a son
well after a time an unexpected thing happened
mirza shah was absent  from his home—gone on a full weeks journey engaged in the settling of  some dispute on the confines of his territory
to me there came one  afternoon the sultana attended by one of her women—the most trusted  one i knew for both were from the same country near to amritsar  where the famous rugs are woven
so much i had learned and this further  i also knew that by birth the sultana was a hindu although on being  wed to her lord as a little girl she had of course embraced the true  faith of islam in so far as it matters for a woman to have any religion  at all
it was the female attendant who spoke to me her mistress listening in  silence
but the questions came so readily that it was clear the lesson  had been well rehearsed by the twain
astrologer she began can you swear on the koran that the stars  speak truth
that i can swear i replied with due dignity and respect for myself  and my profession
can the stars bring about the wishes of man or of woman
nay that i do not declare
they rule the lives of men and women only  in so far as their movements forecast the future
if we can read the  stars aright we may gain foreknowledge of events destined topg 41 happen
for what is written in the scroll of fate cannot be changed
from kismet  there is no escape
then tell me this o astrologer from your stars is my noble lady  here ever going to have a child a son
that question i cannot answer
unless i have the horoscope of her  highness cast by skilled hands at the time of her birth i cannot tell  which planet rules her destiny
alas we knew not these things among my people down in amritsar i  heard my lady murmur
bah
exclaimed the serving woman contemptuously
she had flung open  her veil unashamed as are women of her station that i not her brother  or her husband should gaze upon her face
it was a pleasant enough face  of a woman of fiveandtwenty years of age yet methought as i looked  into it now that there was unseemly boldness in her eye and even  something of wanton abandonment in her manner
bah
if your stars cannot get us what we wish what good are they
better pray at a hindu shrine to krishna god of love revels than waste  time in consulting a moslem astrologer
that is what i have said all  along dear lady and with undoubtedly great affection the woman folded  to her breast her now sobbing mistress
i turned away as was proper and busied myself with a chart of the  heavens over which i had been poring when my visitors had arrived
on  again raising my eyes i found that i was alone
this incident i had well nigh forgotten and near a year had elapsed
for some months i had not seenpg 42 the sultana she remained in the strict  seclusion of the harem
her highness was unwell most people said
but i  knew the truth mirza shah himself had told it to me his face beaming  with pride and pleasure
at last his dearest hopes were to be realized  the sultana was about to become a mother
iv
the spirit wail  told by the merchant  allah alone can search the hearts of men said the hakeem slowly and  reflectively repeating the words with which the astrologer had closed  his tale
he was a man of venerable appearance with flowing white  beard that descended to his waist
and yet although his face was  furrowed with the lines of old age his eyes were wonderfully youthful  in their contemplative calm
no truer words have been spoken tonight he continued
yet must we  further reflect that while a man cannot sit in judgment upon his  fellows he can assuredly judge himself which goes to show that within  the breast of every man there dwells the very spirit of god the power  to search his own heart whether in condemnation or for approval
life  is a problem and it requires a full lifetime to solve it
only as we  grow older do we come to know our own souls—our strength and our  weakness the measure of our true nobility of character and likewise the  measure of our inherent meanness the temptations not merely from  without but from within that assail us our power to conquer these or  our miserable yielding at times with no one perhaps even guessing at  our degradation except the divine spark ofpg 61 conscience that inexorably  turns a searching ray on every thought and on every motive for action
so you would argue that man is god
queried the rajput
not so but that the soul of man is of the essence of god the proof of  which is this very power of searching out our own hearts and sitting in  judgment on our own failings for the judgment seat belongs to allah  alone
a subtle philosophy which i do not presume fully to understand  interposed the merchant from bombay
during the nights entertainment he had shown himself to be a man of few  words yet an attentive listener
he was of middle age of a mild  dignity of mien and of robust physique as befitted one accustomed to  long journeys through regions infested with robbers or with beasts of  prey
but in my practical experience of life he proceeded i have come to  realize that while i may know myself no other man can i know
therefore if it be right to be sparing of condemnation for another it  is also wise to be chary of undue commendation
the world too often  acclaims a deed as noble when the real motive prompting it is utterly  ignoble
a true philosopher despite your bales of merchandise murmured the  hakeem with a smiling nod of approval for the sentiments expressed
well i suppose that every one who travels becomes a philosopher more  or less assented thepg 62 trader
change of scene and of companionship  stimulates new ideas
now will i relate an actual experience which aptly  illustrates that in our dealings with those around us we never really  penetrate their minds
man knows himself he knows no one else—friend  or intimate the child of his heart or the very wife of his bosom
it is more easy to discover a white crow muttered the fakir than  know what a woman has in her heart
the merchant paid no heed to the interruption
he went on  each of us is an inscrutable mystery to the other
each soul is veiled  to every other soul and is naked to itself alone
o prince of philosophers in pedlars disguise
murmured the hakeem
if our souls sat naked for the common gaze commented the rajput if  we could all read each others hearts then indeed would life be an  abomination—an utter misery with the twin devils of shame and disgust  seated at our elbows all the time
most true concurred the trader
for too much knowledge of anothers  inmost thoughts brings only disillusionment and regret as my tale will  show
the story takes us among humble people but human nature is the  same everywhere—the same in the hut of the rayat as in the palace of  the rajah
once in every two years it is my custom to travel from bombay to  benares and invariably i breakpg 63 the journey at a certain village some  six or seven days from my final destination
here dwells an old friend  and caste brother formerly like myself a merchant in the bombay  bazaar where silken stuffs are sold but retired now to his own country  with modest savings sufficient for the rest of his days
baji lal as he  is named is all the closer to me because his wife devaka is a sister of  my own wife and the two are always eager to have news of each others  welfare
at the house of this friend i rest for a day or two enjoying his  companionship the reminiscences of old times and the gossip of the  hour
so on my long and fatiguing journeyings i have always looked  forward to these meetings with pleasurable anticipation and remembered  them with tranquil satisfaction
but on the occasion of one of my periodical visits judge of my surprise  when i was received in silence and with apathy that made no pretence at  disguise
devaka did not rise from her cushions on the floor to bid me  welcome and her husband similarly irresponsive returned my customary  cordial greeting with nothing better than a look of wearied dejection
disturbed i made inquiry  baji lal my friend what is the matter
are you ailing
but he only shook his head and turned away
to devaka i then appealed
what is the meaning of this
i asked
sadness and silence where  everything used to be joy
she drew aside the sari that had concealed her face and i was shockedpg 64  at its griefstricken aspect
her trembling lips parted to answer me  but her husband checked her with a sharp word such as i had never heard  him use to her before
her eyes filled with tears and i could see the  big drops rolling down her cheeks as she silently replaced the sari over  her head and bending low rocked herself to and fro
for the moment i imagined that i had intruded on some scene of domestic  unhappiness which would be dissipated in an hour
so hiding my  embarrassment i turned to the door intimating that i would seek some  other lodging for the night and return on the morrow when i hoped my  friends would be in fitter mood to receive me
at last baji lal spoke raising his face but still remaining seated on  the divan we were wont in former times to share
go thy way chunda das he said
the sword of fate has descended  upon this house
come not again to a place accursed
then did i realize that the trouble was serious
but my friend and brother i protested i cannot depart and leave  you thus
let me at least understand what calamity has befallen you so  that i may help toward its repair
nothing can be done so nothing need be said he answered in a tone  and with a look of dignified resignation to the will of god
if you  must have the story of our misfortune you have only to ask the first of  our neighbours you encounter
and he too covered his face with his garment leaving me no choicepg 65  but to withdraw without further attempt at this manifestly inopportune  time to probe the mystery
if i was to be of service to my friends however knowledge of what had  befallen was the first essential
so i took the road that would lead me  to the great pipul tree in the village square close to the tank and to  the temple where all day long there was coming and going and where  therefore i would be most likely to glean the information i desired
by  a happy chance i found reclining under the pipul tree the village  barber a loquacious fellow who counted it as part of his business to  know the last detail about other peoples affairs
after greetings and a few remarks about the weather and the crops and  the seasons epidemics i carefully broached the real purpose of my  interview for a prudent man will never divulge his thoughts to another  until he knows that others thoughts
i have just come from the house of baji lal i said in a seemingly  casual way
the barbers face instantly lost the smile it had worn
how did you find him
he asked
strangely altered i replied
and so does every one he concurred
why so
i ventured
the barber looked at me squarely and then said  you and he were very good friends chunda das
yes and are still so far as i am concerned i answered
pg 66  i thought so
well i am his friend likewise
many years i have known  him and his wife devaka
both are good kind people always willing to  help their neighbours and ready to give their last bowl of rice to a  vagrant beggar
perhaps you can assist me to clear away the shadows that  have fallen around them and obscured the sunshine of their home
let me  tell you the story
a few months ago a stranger came to this village
he  was on his way to fathpursikri to witness the glories of the court of  the mighty akbar
but on the road he had fallen ill and arriving here  was too sick to proceed
i am ashamed to say that none of us were  willing to take him in for sickness goes from one person to another
so  we have to be careful especially in my calling where i come into such  close contact with so many
there was quite a little crowd just here by the tank discussing the  situation the sick man in their midst resting upon the ground when  baji lal and his wife who happened to be passing came forward to see  what the commotion was all about
they listened to the story and then  told the stranger he might come with them
he gratefully accepted and  after whispering some instructions to a servant by whom he was  accompanied he motioned to baji lal to lead the way
the little group  moved off the servant in the rear leading the horses which included a  pack animal laden with the travellers bedding cooking pots and other  belongings
v the blue diamonds  told by the fakir  you have certainly improved on the moral of my story said the  astrologer addressing the merchant silent now after the telling of his  tale
if it is for god alone to pronounce the censure on mankind then  assuredly it is for god also to award the praise
as the story of sheikh  ahmed and his jewelled harp well shows deeds may be done openly by the  hand but the motives for their doing lie secretly in the heart
and the  heart is the innermost temple where none but the high priest the  individual soul holds communion with his god the supreme deity of the  universe
so that a mans life is an unsolvable riddle to all but himself  concurred the hakeem
and not to be solved even by himself remarked the afghan with a  laugh half of bitterness half of bravado
we may know in our secret  heart the motive that prompts to a deed but we cannot tell the  consequences of that deed as affecting even ourselves who wrought it
take this very story of the sheikh when recovering his precious harp he  was but digging his own grave
so with all of us we imagine we are  marching bravely to accomplish some preconceived plan when all the time  we are merelypg 102 groping with blinded eyes along the path of destiny  avoiding the mud holes it may be but failing to see the tiger  crouched for his spring a few paces further along
shabash
cried the fakir in a shrill tone of approval that drew all  eyes to the lean and naked and ashbesprinkled figure seated at the foot  of the veranda steps
shabash
shabash
he cried again and yet again
and your story
asked the rajput with a nod of inquiry and  encouragement
is one that shows how a man may keep on running all his life yet never  reach the goal he has in sight replied the ascetic
and with the  sturdy independence of his calling he beat a peremptory tattoo with  fingertips on wooden beggingbowl to command attention to his tale
behold in me a man who possesses nothing in this world excepting a  beggingbowl and a loin cloth
yet was i at one time the owner of lands  and of cattle of a home bountifully stored for comfort and for  sustenance of wives who wore rich jewels necklets of pearls armlets  of gold and bangles of silver with maidservants to minister to their  needs and children to play around them
all gone
by my own doing or  undoing call it which you will
and know too that in those days i also was a soldier—this with a  defiant glance first at the rajput chief and then at the afghan general
at my side rattled the steel scabbard and in my beltpg 103 was the sharp  poinard swift messenger of death when it came to handtohand fighting  and the horse i rode had its rich trappings of gold and silver
it may  all seem strange to hear me tell those things of the long ago and to  look upon me now—and the speaker stretched forth his skinny twisted  fingers and attenuated arms and for a moment ruefully contemplated  them
but i speak the truth he went on for tonight prompted by the  stories to which i have listened and the thoughts they have engendered  will i unseal my lips after fifty long years of wandering alone giving  no man my confidence seeking no mans confidence intent only on the  attainment of the one desire deeply seated in my heart and which in my  eager striving to achieve seems to be ever more remote from  accomplishment
tonight will i reveal the story of my life so that  perchance the lesson it teaches will show still more clearly the  impotence of man to constitute himself the avenger of wrongs
for if  judgment belongs to allah so does vengeance
and the choice of  instrument of time and place of the very manner of the deed—all this  belongs to god alone as this night listening to the stories that have  gone before have i for the first time come fully to comprehend
the fakir paused to gaze around his audience
the look of interest and  expectancy on each face showed the impression his impulsive flow of  language had made
no interrupting word was spoken but every eye  remained fastened on the lean keen face peeringpg 104 over long slender  shanks and handclasped knees
the narrator continued  in those days i had twenty retainers at my call and these men i  commanded when i rode forth to service with a certain nawab from whom i  held my lands for the feudal service i thus performed
it was my fate to  take part in many a fight and in many a foray and to send many a man to  his doom
but god had ordained it so the fault was not mine
well it befell that a certain city was given over to sack and carnage  for the word had gone forth that the only way to break the power of its  hindu occupants was to demolish their temples destroy their idols and  thereby show the impotence of their false gods to protect them
the rajput drew himself up proudly and a flush of resentment stole over  his face
but the moslem fanatic unconscious now of anything but his  reminiscences of the past went on unheeding and unabashed  it was toward the hour of sunset when a body of our soldiery broke into  a temple devoted to the worship of siva the destroyer
we had battered  in the heavy wooden doors that protected the inner court and within the  threshold a score or more of priests fell to our swords and a dozen  dancing girls as well attendants on the idols—selfslain these women  for when they saw that there was no quarter for the men they rushed on  us like female panthers and flung themselves on our dripping blades
the hindu listeners were visibly disturbed and afpg 105fected by this cold  recital of bloody deeds
the hands of the rajput clenched and unclenched  themselves nervously and the merchant gave a deep guttural groan of  horror as he flung the end of his robe over his face as if to shut out a  vision of sacrilege and shame
it was written in the beginning nay before creation it was written  murmured the moslem astrologer quoting in courteous sympathy the  familiar formula of his faith
and as your priests themselves say he  added addressing himself more particularly to the rajput the destiny  of each man is irrevocably inscribed on his forehead by the hand of  brahma himself
the rajput bowed his head in acquiescent silence and as the fakir  proceeded with his story the trader also regained his composure and  withdrew the covering from his face
when the shadows of night fell the temple made a bonfire that  illuminated the scenes of pillage going on all around
the big idols of  loathly aspect had been thrown down broken to pieces and despoiled of  their jewels and the heavy plates of gold that encumbered them
our  soldiers had swarmed out of the building past a tank to the houses of  some priests beyond
not one single custodian of the temple survived  and i stood alone in the outer courtyard watching in idle fashion the  tongues of flame licking the beams and rafters and paintbedaubed walls  of the wrecked edifice
then did my eyes chance to light on a small idolpg 106 in the passageway  between the two courtyards of the temple set in a deep niche on which  account it had escaped the notice of the despoilers
it was the familiar  elephantheaded idol of the hindus ganapati as i knew they called him  their god of wisdom and the remover of obstacles according to their  creed
even as i looked methought that the eyes of the idol twinkled  knowingly and entreatingly at me
after a moment i saw that this fancy  was but due to the play of the flames on jewels comprehending which i  said to myself that the little fat man might perchance be of some  considerable value
so i plucked him from his restingplace not without  difficulty for the base of the idol was fastened by iron clamps to the  altar and only just in time before a surge of fire and smoke swept  through the vestibule
then without more ado i carried forth this  ganapati wrapped in a cotton cloth i had gathered from one of the slain  priests and tied it to the saddlebow of my horse which had been  standing tethered under a tree close at hand
thus did it come about that a full month later i was seated in my  home in a secret inner chamber that served me as a treasury and to  which the only access was through the womens quarters
and before me on  a stool rested the crosslegged figure of the fourarmed and  elephantheaded god fat complacent smiling to all appearance  recovered from the fatigues of a journey of near a hundred leagues and  thoroughly contented amidst his new surroundpg 107ings
the idol was of  bronze and the eyes which at times gave it such lifelike semblance  were clusters of rubies set around with white sapphires
and it followed that day after day after the siesta hour i found  myself in the company of this accursed idol—for accursed it came to be  bringing me misfortunes and ruin as my story will unfold
no doubt it  was by my own doing that the wrath of allah was brought down upon my  head
for had not i a follower of the prophet and therefore a despiser  of graven images in every shape or form come to treat this monstrous  and misshapen creature half man half beast as a sort of familiar  even greeting him on my entry with the words with which i might have  saluted a living unbeliever may your days be peaceful spoken in  goodnatured jest of course and without one thought at the time of the  sacrilege of which i was guilty
yea i would pat the fat little fellow  on the head and when the humour seized me would show him my hoard of  gold mohurs even jingle before him a bag of silver rupees or ask his  opinion on the colour and quality of some gem speaking words of  foolishness the while like a child playing with a toy
and when i lay  back on my cushions sometimes i fancied that the little jewelled eyes  in the elephant head of bronze twinkled at me in merry and friendly  understanding
all which things i have since remembered with bitter  shame
vi
the tiger of the pathans  told by the afghan general  in my case the philosophy of life is of the simplest remarked the  afghan general
i neither crave the wealth of the prince nor do i  inflict upon myself the mortifications of the ascetic
for the one rich  robes and the sceptre for the other a loin cloth and a beggingbowl  but for me the good sword that commands respect from my enemies  confidence from my friends and my due share of the good things of  existence
in this frame of mind i find the full measure of joy in each  day that passes
he smiled the smile of the man contented with the world and with  himself but there was the light of proud determination in his eyes that  belied the mere sybarite
then for you the greatest good consists in the happiness you can snatch  from the passing hour suggested the magistrate
that is so concurred the soldier if to the word happiness you give  the right interpretation
to me the performance of ones present duty is  the only real thing that brings contentment
and duty need not always be  stern and forbidding to laugh and play and be merry may at the proper  time and in the proper circumstances be a duty both to ourselvespg 129 and  to others
when one lives philosophically for the present he takes men  in all their moods and life in all its phases
the past is counted as  dead and to be forgotten except for the experience gained to guide the  doing of the things that lie now to ones hand
the future is unseen  but is none the less determined by our deeds words and thoughts of the  passing moment each one of which be it remembered whether deed or  rash word or unspoken thought has consequences that are eternal
so for the man whose mind is thus attuned again interposed the  magistrate the present becomes all supreme shaped by the past  shaping the future
which means that destiny never degenerates into mere blind and helpless  fatalism responded the afghan
to do the right now suffices to give  absolute trust in god for the hereafter
that is the key of destiny and  each man holds it in his own keeping
a simple religion smiled the rajput
and therefore the best
it is the religion of islam freed from all the  controversies of rival sects and overlearned mullahs
it is the  religion of my fathers and the religion of my youth and in it i abide
let me tell you a story of the rough school in which i received my early  training and where such thoughts as these first began to sink deep into  my mind
have you ever heard of shir jumla khan
no
well that is doubtless  because he has been dead for a full score of years and because he held  his sway in a land remote from these plains of hindustan uppg 130 in the  rugged mountains where brave tribesmen guard the valleys which their  ancestors tilled and yield allegiance to no one but their own  hereditary chieftains
such was my country and my people for i am proud  that in my veins runs the blood of the man who for a hundred miles  around my boyhood home was known as the tiger of the pathans
behold in  me a grandson of shir jumla khan
the narrator folded his arms across his breast in an attitude of quiet  dignity
after just a moments pause he continued  we were all born fighters the members of my clan for during hundreds  of years many a swarming host had swept past the gateways of our  territory persians arabs afghans moguls turkmans hordes of  fighting men of every race and tongue sometimes marching south bent on  conquest at other times returning to their homes laden with rich  spoils and yet at other times defeated and broken with enemies  pressing at their heels
and it was the patrimonial right of our tribe  to take toll from all alike from victors and vanquished from pursuers  and pursued
sometimes an army would pass through our mountains under safe conduct  from all the tribes and the price paid in money horses camels and  cattle cloths and other goods would be divided among the several  clans
but in this practice there had grown to be more danger for  ourselves than from forays or assaults on passing enemies because over  the division of the spoils there would bepg 131 quarrelling followed by  fighting among the tribes
thus had originated many a blood feud  enduring through many generations
in the early days of shir jumla khan it had come about that several  rich caravans had fallen exclusively into his hands
with the money thus  provided by the bountifulness of allah he had been enabled to build for  himself a citadel that for vastness and security surpassed those of all  his rivals among the tribal chiefs
within its wide walls were wells and  water tanks gardens for the growing of fruits and vegetables  warehouses for goods granaries stored with barley wheat and dal  stables for a hundred horses sheds for the housing of cattle sheep  and camels and dwelling places for a goodly multitude of armed men  their wives and their children
and all of these things endure until  this day for the fortress town amid the mountains built by my  grandsire the tiger of the pathans has ever remained unconquered and  unconquerable
but as shir jumla khan grew rich in possessions and in power—for  scores of fighting men from afar were attracted to his service—at the  same time did his position among the tribesmen become one of increasing  isolation
all feared him and envied him and fear and envy have ever  been breeders of hate
yet was he a just and a benevolent man honoured  and beloved by every one within his domain where his slightest word was  gladly accepted law not because of the might he wielded but because of  his fairness to all men
i was yet a young man when a widely spread plot among the rivalpg 132  tribesmen to destroy shir jumla khans power had come to a head and had  resulted in a determined and prolonged attack upon his citadel
numbers  had told our outlying fields had been devastated our flocks and herds  driven away and crowded within the walls of the fortress were refugees  from all the surrounding countryside
we had been cooped up through the  summer we had lost our annual crops and without the usual  replenishment granaries and warehouses were beginning to wear an empty  look with but sorry promise for the winter
but calm and undismayed  his proud look and serene smile ever the same shir jumla khan continued  to feed the hungry host within his gates and now absolutely dependent  upon his protection
the coming of winter would mean for us some relief for the first snows  would scatter the beleaguering hosts sending them back to their own  valleys and giving us the chance in the intervals of the seasons  storms to make a few forays on our own account on neighbouring  communities which taken one at a time would be pretty well at our  mercy
but if we reasoned in this wise so did our enemies for it was  now toward the close of the month of august and redoubled efforts were  being put forth to accomplish the breaching of our walls so that the  tiger of the pathans might be slain before there was the chance of his  fangs and claws again becoming dangerous
the tribesmen no doubt by capture and enforced service had securedpg 133  the help of some engineers versed in the methods of sieges and assaults  on fortified places as practised in hindustan
at that time i had never  before seen a sabat but now from our fortifications i beheld the  gradual extension day by day of a broad covered way with bullhide  roof stretched across the trench being dug and effectually protecting  the labourers below from our guns and muskets and catapults
we had made  several sallies with a view to try and stop this work but these had  only resulted in losses on our side out of all proportion to the  harassment and delay inflicted on the besiegers
so we could but  impotently watch the subtle and inexorable approach of the skilled men  who would eventually reach our walls drive mines beneath them and blow  us to perdition
our one chance lay in the question of time
if the winter began early  we should be saved but if the snows held off till late in the year it  looked as if our doom must be sealed
but quite unexpectedly a ray of hope came from another quarter
dissension had broken out in the ranks of our foes
the first word was brought to us by a deserter from the besiegers  camp who one night had crept up to the gateway of the fort and whined  for admittance declaring that he had important news to tell and hoped  for a reward
i was with my grandfather when awakened from his sleep he listened to  the mans story
it told of apg 134 fierce quarrel the preceding evening  between two of the leading chieftains
they had been conversing alone in  one of their tents when suddenly those without had heard angry words
then it would seem that the owner of the tent had sent for one of the  slippers which his visitor had left at the doorway and with this had  administered five or six strokes over the head driving his guest forth  insulted and disgraced
every one in the camp was on the alert for  fighting in the morning
with a grim smile shir jumla khan listened to this narrative
but he  made no comment he merely issued instructions for the informer to be  fed and for the present closely guarded
but if there had been any lingering doubt as to the truth of the story  confirmation came ere the breaking of the dawn
for we were once again  disturbed from our rest this time by the noise of a great tumult in the  camp of the besiegers loud shouting followed by the discharge of  muskets the sounds gradually dying away in the distance as if a fight  and a pursuit had taken place
when day broke such indeed proved to be  the case we could descry in the camp a row of tents thrown down and  dismantled also dead or wounded men being brought in from the country  beyond while away on a distant ridge was a considerable body of  tribesmen retreating toward their homes
at this sight joyful huzzas resounded through the fortress and we did  indeed all feel that allah by disrupting the forces of the enemy was  fighting onpg 135 our side
and as i spread my prayer carpet and prostrated  myself toward mecca the pious thought in my heart was one that had many  times been inculcated by my noble grandsire himself let the wise man  reflect that he can in no way succeed without the help of god most  high
during the day we took counsel as to the advisability of an attack on  the somewhat attenuated host without the walls
but from our posts of  observation we could see that every one in the camp was under arms and  on the alert no doubt foreseeing that such an attempt was likely on our  part
so we concluded to let events develop and contented ourselves  with watching the progress of the sabat
here there was no relaxation of  endeavour for the protected trench made a considerable advance ere the  sun once again sank over the western hills
darkness had not long fallen when another bleating voice of a suppliant  for admittance was heard by the sentry at the gateway
introduced to our  presence the newcomer a goatherd by his appearance and with the signs  of travel on his garments removed his head dress untwisted the long  locks of hair bound according to custom around his head and producing  a small packet from the midst of his tresses flung it on the floor
i  picked up the missive and handed it to our chieftain
shir jumla khan untied the packet and produced therefrom a heavy gold  signet ring
while he was examining this the seeming goatherd raised  his voice the project gutenberg ebook of astral worship by j h hill  this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with  almost no restrictions whatsoever
you may copy it give it away or  reuse it under the terms of the project gutenberg license included  with this ebook or online at wwwgutenbergorg  title astral worship  author j h hill  posting date april 6 2014 ebook 8855  release date september 2005  first posted august 14 2003  language english  character set encoding utf8   start of this project gutenberg ebook astral worship   produced by david deley  astral worship  by  j h hill m d  “now what i want is—facts�—boz
contents
introduction  5  the geocentric system of nature  13        the earth  13        the firmament  13        the planets  14        the constellations  15        the zodiac  15  the sacred numbers 7 and 12  17  the twelve thousand year cycle  18  the ancient triad  19  god sol  22  the ancient cosmogony  30  fall and redemption of man  31  incarnations of god sol  33  fable of the twelve labors  36  anniversaries of solar worship  40        the nativity  40        epiphany or twelfth day  41        lent or lenten season  42        passion week  44        passion plays  45        resurrection and easter festival  46        annunciation  48        ascension  49        assumption  49        the lords supper  50        transubstantiation  50        autumnal crucifixion  51        michaelmas  56  personifications of the divisions of time  57        the hours  57        the days  57        the months  58        the seasons  60        half year of increasing days  63        half year of decreasing days  63        last quarter of the year  64  zodiacal symbols of solar worship  64        the sphinx  65        the dragon  66        the bull  67        the ram  68        the lamb  68        the fish  71  signs of the cross  72  future rewards and punishments  74        the oriental system  75        the occidental system  75        the second or general judgment  77  jewish or ancient christianity  79  the prophecies  83  roman or modern christianity  88  freemasonry and druidism  109  the sabbath  117  pious frauds  121  conclusion  125  introduction
in an article entitled then and now published in  the december number 1890 of the arena its author  a distinguished unitarian dd
of boston mass says
astronomy has shattered the fallacies of astrology  and people have found out that the stars are minding their  own business instead of meddling with theirs
now  while it is true that modern astronomy has superseded  the ancient system and people have ceased to believe that  the stars are intervening in mundane affairs nothing  could be further from the truth than the assertion that  astronomy has shattered the fallacies of astrology  and those of our readers who will accord to this work an  unprejudiced perusal can hardly fail to be convinced that  a large majority of the people of christendom are dominated  as much by these fallacies as were our pagan ancestry—the  only difference being a change of name
the  dogmatic element of religion which was anciently designated  as astrology is now known as theology
all the evidences bearing upon the subject indicate  that the founders of the primary form of religion were a  sect of philosophers known as magi or wise men of the  aryan race of central asia who having lived ages before  any conceptions of the supernatural had obtained in the  world and speculating relative to the beginnings of  things were necessarily confined to the contemplation  and study of nature the elements of which they believed  to be selfexistent and endless in duration but being  wholly without knowledge of her inherent forces they  explained her manifold processes by conceiving the idea  that she was animated by a great and inherent soul or  spirit emanations from which impressed all her parts  with life and motion
thus endowing man and other  animals with souls emanating alike from the imaginary  great soul of nature they believed and taught that immediately  after death all souls were absorbed into their  source where as the dewdrop slips into the shining  sea all personal identity was forever lost
hence we see  that although recognizing the soul as immortal considering  it not as an entity existing independent of matter but  as the spirit of matter itself the primary religion was the  exponent of the purest form of materialism
being the astronomers of their day and mistaking  the apparent for the real the ancient magi constructed  that erroneous system of nature known as the geocentric  and in conformity thereto composed a collection of astronomical  allegories in which the emanations from the  imaginary great soul of nature by which they believed  all materialities were impressed with life and motion were  personified and made to play their respective parts
basing  the religion they instituted upon their system of allegorical  astronomy and making its personifications the  objects of worship they thus originated the anthropomorphic  or manlike gods and claiming to have composed  them under the inspiration of these self same divinities  they designated them as sacred records or scriptures  and taught the ignorant masses that they were literal histories  and their personifications real personages who  having once lived upon earth and for the good of mankind  performed the wondrous works imputed to them  were then in heaven whence they came
thus we see that the primary religion which is popularly  known as paganism was founded in the worship  of personified nature that according special homage to  the imaginary genii of the stars and inculcating supreme  adoration to the divinity supposed to reside in the sun it  was anciently known by the general name of astrolatry  and by the more specific one of solar worship and that its  founders arrogating to themselves the title of astrologers  gave to its dogmatic element the name of astrology
in studying the primitive forms of religion it will be  found that none of them taught anything relative to a  future life for the simple reason that their founders had  no conceptions of such a state
hence it follows that the  laws they enacted were intended solely for the regulation  of their social relations and to secure their observance  they were embodied into their sacred records and made  part of their religion
one form of that most ancient  worship was known as sabaism or sabism
another  form of the same religion was the ancient judaism as  portrayed in the old testament and more especially in  the pentateuch or first five books in the decalogue of  which the only promise made for the observance of one of  the commandments is length of days on earth and in a  general summing up of the blessings and curses to be  enjoyed or suffered for the observance or violation of the  laws as recorded in the 28th chapter of deuteronomy it  will be seen they are all of a temporal character only
at  the beginning of the christian era there were still in existence  a sect of jews known as sadducees who were strict  adherents to the primitive form of worship and their belief  relative to the state of the dead we find recorded in  ecclesiastes xii 7 which reads then shall the dust return  to earth as it was and the spirit shall return to god  who gave it
for ages the doctrine of soul absorption immediately  after death constituted the belief of mankind but ultimately  recognizing the fact that the temporal punishments  of the existing laws were wholly inadequate to the  prevention of crime and conceiving the idea that the  ignorant and vicious masses could be governed with a  surer hand by appealing to the sentiments of hope and  fear in relation to the rewards and punishments of an  imaginary future life the ancient astrologers resolved to  remodel the dogmatic elements of religion so as to include  that doctrine
but realizing the necessity of suppressing  the belief in the absorption of all souls immediately  after death they ceased to teach it and ultimately it  was embodied in that secret and unwritten system known  as the esoteric philosophy in which the astrologers  formulated their own private belief and which for many  centuries was kept from the knowledge of the uninitiated  by their successors in the priestly office
as they were  the sole custodians of the scriptures they made do change  in their verbiage but adding the doctrine of future rewards  and punishments to that written and openly taught  system of faith known as the exoteric creed they made it  the more impressive by instituting a system of imposing  rites and ceremonies which they designated as mysteries  into which they initiated the neophytes and in which were  portrayed in the most vivid manner the rewards and  punishments of the imaginary future life which they  taught were the awards of the gods for the observance or  violation of the laws
these teachings were inculcated in  the lesser degrees only but those who were found worthy  of so great a distinction were also inducted into the higher  degrees in which was imparted the knowledge of the  esoteric philosophy
in both the lesser and higher degrees  the initiates received instruction in an oral manner  only and all were bound by the most fearful oaths not to  reveal the secrets imparted to them
thus were the votaries of the ancient astral worship  divided into two distinct classes the esoterics or gnostics  and the exoterics or agnostics the former comprising  those who knew that the gods were mythical and  the scriptures allegorical and the latter those who were  taught that the gods were real and the scriptures historical  or in other words it was philosophy for the cultured  few and religion for the ignorant multitude
the initiates  into the secrets of these two systems recognized  them as the two gospels and paul must have had reference  to them in his epistle to the galatians ii 2 where he  distinguishes the gospel which he preached on ordinary  occasions from that gospel which he preached privately  to them which were of reputation
such was the system of astrolatry which originating  in the orient and becoming after being remodelled  in egypt the prototype of all occidental forms of worship  was recognized successively as the state religion of  the grecian and roman empires and we propose to describe  the erroneous system of nature upon which it was  based and to develop the origins of its cycles dogmas  ordinances anniversaries personifications and symbols  with the view to proving that it was the very same system  which was ultimately perpetuated under the name of  christianity
we also propose to present the origins and  abridged histories of its two forms the jewish or ancient  and the roman or modern and to give an account of the  conflict between the votaries of the latter and the adherents  to the established form of worship which culminated  in the fourth century in the substitution of christianity  as the state religion of the roman empire
we furthermore  propose to show the changes to which the creed and  scriptures were subjected during the middle ages and at  the reformation in the sixteenth century through which  they assumed the phases as now taught in the theologies  respectively of catholicism and orthodox protestantism
we also present an article relative to freemasonry and  druidism for the purpose of showing that primarily they  were but different forms of the ancient astrolatry
we  also devote a few pages to the subjects of the sabbath and  to that of pious frauds
note—for the matter published in this work we are  principally indebted to the writings of robert taylor an erudite  but recusant minister of the church of england who flourished  about seventy years ago and who being too honest to  continue to preach what after thorough investigation he did  not believe began to give expression to his doubts by writing  and lecturing
not being able to cope with his arguments the  clergy under the charge of the impossible crime of blasphemy  had him imprisoned for more than two years during which  time he wrote his great work entitled the diegesis which  should be read by all persons who are investigating the claim  of the christian religion to divine authenticity
roman or modern christianity
having presented the evidences that the jewish or  ancient christianity originated at the university of alexandria  under greek rule we now propose to show that its  modern form emanated from the same source under roman  rule but before entering upon this investigation it  is important to become conversant with the sentiments  manifested towards religion by the cultured element of  roman society in that enlightened era which designated  as the golden age of literature was adorned by such distinguished  orators philosophers historians poets and  naturalists as cicero tacitus pliny horace and virgil
the geocentric system of nature
in constructing their system of nature the ancient  astronomers constituted it of the earth the firmament  the planets the constellations and the zodiac and we  will refer to them in the order named
the earth
believing that the earth was the only world that it  was a vast circular plane and that it was the fixed and  immovable center around which revolved the celestial  luminaries the ancient astronomers in conformity to the  requirement of the doctrine of future rewards and punishments  as inculcated in the egyptian version of the  exoteric creed divided it into an upper and an under  or nether world which they connected by a sinuous and  tenebrious passage
the firmament
the azure dome called the firmament in the book of  genesis was believed to be a solid transparency which  we find described in the fourth chapter and sixth verse  of that collection of astronomical allegories called the  apocalypse or book of revelation as a sea of glass like  unto crystal
it was represented as being supported by  four pillars resting upon the earth one at each of the cardinal  points which were designated as the pillars of  heaven
conceiving the idea that there were windows  in the firmament the ancient astronomers called them  the windows of heaven and taught that they were  opened when it rained and closed when it ceased to rain
hence it is evident that the ancient astronomers did not  refer to these pillars and windows in a figurative sense  but as real appurtenances to a solid firmament as will be  seen by reference to gen vii
11 and viii
2 job xxvi
11  and malachi iii
10
the planets
believing that the stars were but mere flambeaux  suspended beneath the firmament and revolving round  the earth for the sole purpose of giving it light and heat  and observing that seven of these answering to the sun  moon mercury venus mars jupiter and saturn had  perceptible movements in relation to the other luminaries  the ancient astronomers designated them as planets  or wandering stars
the constellations
perceiving that the other celestial luminaries maintained  the same relation to each other and designating  them as fixed stars the ancient astronomers grouped  those visible to them into fortyeight constellations and  giving names to these they also attached names to the  stars of larger magnitude which was done for the purpose  of locating and distinguishing them with greater  ease
the zodiac
through twelve of these constellations mostly contained  within a belt of 16 degrees in width and within  which the planets appeared to revolve the ancient astronomers  inscribed a central line representing the ecliptic or  apparent orbit of the sun which they divided into 360  degrees and quartering these to denote the seasons they  named the cardinal points the summer and winter solstices  and the vernal and autumnal equinoxes the  former referring to the longest and shortest days of the  year and the latter to the two periods when the days and  nights are equal
an abbreviatory sign having been attached  to each of these constellations the great celestial  belt containing them was called the wheel of the signs  or a wheel in the middle of a wheel as designated by  that old astrologer ezekiel the prophet in chap
i and  16th verse
but for the reason that with only one exception  the forms of living things either real or mythical  were given to them this belt ultimately wad designated  as the zodiac or circle of living creatures see ezekiel  chap
i
constituting the essential feature of the ancient  astronomy we present in our frontispiece a diagram of  the zodiac as anciently represented to which as well as  to burritts celestial atlas our readers will be necessitated  to make frequent reference
recent researches among the ruins of ancient cities  have developed the fact that several centuries before the  beginning of our era the astronomers had invented the  telescope and discovered the true or heliocentric system  of nature but for the reason that religion had been based  upon the false or geocentric system it was deemed prudent  not to teach it to the masses
hence hiding it away  among the other secrets of the esoteric philosophy the  knowledge of it was lost during the middle ages and  when rediscovered the hierarchy of the church of rome  upon the plea that it was contrary to the teachings of  scripture resorted to inquisitorial tortures to suppress  its promulgation but in spite of all their efforts it has  been universally accepted and in this otherwise enlightened  age we have presented to us the anomaly of a religion  based upon a false system of astronomy while its  votaries believe in the true system
signs op the cross
among the numerous symbols of solar worship besides  those we have already referred to there are three  to which we will direct attention
two of these were of  astronomical signification the one adopted when the  spring equinox was in the sign of taurus and shaped like  the letter t was the model after which the ancient temples  were built and the other shaped like the letter x in reference  to the angle of 23� degrees made by the crossing  of the ecliptic and the celestial equator is known as st  andrews cross
the third and most important of all the  symbols of solar worship in its relation to the christian  religion which having no astronomical signification  originated in egypt in reference to the annual inundation  of the river nile
to mark the height to which the water  should rise to secure an abundant harvest posts were  planted upon its banks to which cross beams were attached  thus ┼
if the water should rise to the designated  height it was called the waters of life or river  of life and ultimately this form of the cross was adopted  as the symbol of the life to come or eternal life and the  ancient astrologers had it engraved upon stone encircled  with a hieroglyphical inscription to that effect one of  which was discovered in the ruins of the temple erected  at alexandria and dedicated to our lord and saviour  serapis
but if the water failed to rise to the required height  and the horrors of starvation becoming the inevitable result  it was the custom of the people to nail to these crosses  symbolical personifications of the demon of famine
to  indicate the sterility of the domain over which he reigned  he was represented by the figure of a lean and haggard  man with a crown of thorns upon his head a reed cut  from the rivers bank was placed in his hands as his unreal  sceptre and considering the inhabitants of judea as the  most slavish and meanspirited race in their knowledge  they placarded this figure with the inscription this is  the king of the jews
thus to the ancient egyptians  this sign of the cross was blessed or accursed as it was  represented with or without this figure suspended  upon it
when the roman or modern form of christianity  was instituted the hieroglyphical inscription signifying  the life to come or eternal life was substituted by a placard  nailed to the cross with the letters i n r i inscribed  upon it which are the initials of the latin words conveying  the same meaning
but if we would learn how the  figure of a man came to be suspended upon this form of  the cross we must refer to mediaeval history which  teaches that in the year 680 under the pontificate of agathon  and during the reign of constantine pogonat at the  sixth council of the church and third at constantinople it  was ordered in canon 82 that instead of a lamb the figure  of a man nailed to a cross should be the distinguishing  symbol of the christian religion
now as this figure  is represented by that of a lean and haggard man with a  crown of thorns upon his head does it not look as if the  old egyptian demon of famine was the model after  which it was constructed
future rewards and punishments
in the ancient astrolatry two different systems of  future rewards and punishments were inculcated the  oriental or east indian and the occidental or egyptian  the former ignoring the resurrection of the body taught  but one judgment immediately after death and the latter  inculcated an individual judgment immediately after  death the resurrection of the body and a general judgment  at the end of the world or conclusion of the 12000  year cycle
the oriental system
considering perfect happiness to consist in absolute  rest the oriental astrologers conceived a state of eternal  and unconscious repose equivalent to soul absorption  to which they gave the name of nirvana into which they  taught that by the awards of the gods the souls of the  righteous or those who had lived what they called the  contemplative life would be permitted to enter immediately  after death
but for the souls of sinners they invented  a system of expiatory punishments which known  as the metempsychosis or transmigration of souls taught  that they would be compelled to successively animate the  bodies of beasts birds fishes etc for a thousand years  before being permitted to enter the nirvana
the occidental system
in concocting the doctrine of the first judgment the  egyptian astrologers ignoring the nirvana inculcated  the future sentient existence of the soul and while retaining  the metempsychotial expiations of the oriental system  taught that its rewards and principal punishments  would be enjoyed or suffered in the under or nether  world the existence of which they had conceived in constructing  their system of nature
this imaginary region  known to the egyptians as the amenti to the greeks as  hades and to the hebrews as sheol was divided by an  impassable gulf into the two states of happiness and  misery which were designated in the grecian mythology  as the elysium or elysian fields and the tartarus
in  the lower part of the latter was located the phlegethon  or lake of fire and brimstone the smoke from which ascended  into an upper apartment
in this system it was taught that the souls of the  two extremes of society constituted of the righteous  and the great sinners would be consigned immediately  after the first judgment the one to the elysium and the  other to the phlegethon where they were to remain until  the second or general judgment while the souls of less  venial sinners constituting the greater mass of mankind  before being permitted to enter the elysium would be  compelled to suffer the expiatory punishments of the  metempsychosis or in the upper region or smoky row  of the tartarus
such was the egyptian purgatory and  its denizens constituted the spirits in prison referred to  in i peter iii
19 from which the astrologers claimed to  have the power to release provided their surviving friends  paid liberally for their propitiatory offices and from this  assumption the clergy of the catholic church derived the  idea of saying masses for the repose of the soul
these  doctrines were carried by pythagoras from egypt to  greece about 550 years before the beginning of our era  and passing from thence to rome the greek and latin  poets vied with each other in portraying hades and the  joys and terrors of its two states
the second or general judgment
the egyptian astrologers recognizing the soul as  a material entity and conceiving the idea that in the  future life it would require a material organization for its  perfect action taught that at the general judgment it  would be reunited to its resurrected body
in conformity  to this belief job is made to say in chapter xix
25 26  i know that my redeemer liveth and that he shall stand  at the latter day upon the earth and though worms destroy  this body yet in my flesh shall i see god
the  higher class egyptians however fearing that their existence  would continue to be of the same shadowy and intangible  character after the second judgment as they believed  it would be in the amenti if worms were allowed to  destroy their bodies hoped to preserve them until that  time by the process of embalming
the imaginary events to occur in connection with  the second judgment which constituting the finale of the  plan of redemption and inculcated in what are known as  the doctrines of second adventism were to be inaugurated  by an archangel sounding a trumpet summoning  the quick and the dead to appear before the bar of the  gods to receive their final awards
at the second judgment  designated in the allegories as the last day day  of judgment great and terrible day of the lord etc  it was taught that the tenth and last saviour would make  his second advent by descending upon the clouds and  after the final awards the elect being caught up to meet  the lord in the air i thes
iv
17 the heaven and the  earth would be reduced to chaos through the agency of  fire
in reference to that grand catastrophe we find it  recorded in ii
peter iii
10 that the heavens shall pass  away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with  fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein  shall be burned up
after the organization of a new heaven and a new earth  it was taught that upon the latter would descend a beautiful  city with pearly gates and golden streets called the  city of god the kingdom of god the kingdom of heaven  or new jerusalem in which the host of the redeemed  would with their lord and saviour enjoy the millennium  or thousand years of happiness unalloyed with evil  and such was the kingdom for the speedy coming of  which the votaries of astral worship were taught to pray  in what is known as the lords prayer
according to the teachings of the allegories there were  to be no sun moon or stars during the millennium their  authors having arranged it so that the light of those luminaries  would not be needed as we find recorded in rev
xxi
23 and xxii
5 the city had no need of the  sun neither of the moon to shine in it for the glory of  god did lighten it and there shall be no night there  and they need no candle neither the light of the sun for  the lord god giveth them light
it must be remembered  when reading the fanciful ideas relative to the city  of god that they were composed by men who living in  a very ignorant age gave free rein to fervid imaginations
jewish or ancient christianity
it is our purpose to present the evidences showing  that a system of astral worship which we designate as  jewish christianity was in existence more than two  centuries and a half before the institution of its  modern form
in verification of this assertion we must  find the initial point of our inquiry in ancient history  which teaches that in the division of the grecian empire  among his generals after the death of alexander the  great who died 332 years before the beginning of our era  the governorship of egypt and adjacent provinces was secured  by ptolemy lagus or soter who having subsequently  suppressed a revolt in judea removed from that  country a large body of its inhabitants to people the new  city of alexandria which had been laid out by order of  and named after the great conqueror
the egyptian version of the gospel story being  more appropriate to the nile valley than to the region  from whence they came the greek colonists of alexandria  adopted it but preferring to pay homage to serapis  one of the ninth incarnations of god sol which they  imported from pontus a greek province of asia minor  they erected to his worship that celebrated temple known  as the grand serapium and transferring the culture and  refinement of greece to the new city it became under the  ptolemian dynasty a great seat of learning the arts and  sciences flourished an immense library was collected the  various forms of astral worship were represented and  schools for the dissemination of the several phases of grecian  philosophy and oriental gnosticism were founded
such being the environment of the jewish residents  of alexandria they soon acquired the vernacular and  adopted the religion of the greeks who having ever attached  to their incarnate saviours the title signifying the  christ or the anointed were known as christians
encouraged  by the liberal policy of philadelphus the second  ptolemy a body of their learned men who had been educated  in the greek schools founded a college for the education  of their own people which institution was ultimately  known as the university of alexandria
under  the auspices of philadelphus the professors of that institution  rendered their hebrew sacred records into the greek  language which translation is known as the septuagint or  alexandrian version of the old testament
having acquired from the egyptian astrologers the  arts of healing thaumaturgy and necromancy and teaching  them in their school the professors of the jewish  college of alexandria assumed the title of essenes or  therapeutae the egyptian and greek words signifying  doctors healers or wonder workers
possessed of the  sad and gloomy characteristics of their race they adopted  the contemplative life or asceticism of the oriental  gnosticism from which they derived the name of ascetics
founding a church for the propagation of their  peculiar tenets those who were set apart for the ministry  assumed the title of ecclesiastics
inculcating rigid temperance  and selfdenial among their people they were  known as enchratites nazarites or abstainers and the  more devout among them retiring to monasteries or to  the solitude of caves and other secluded places were also  designated as monks cenobites friars eremites hermits  or solitaries
the time having arrived according to the cyclic  teachings of astral worship for the manifestation of the  tenth and last incarnation of god sol or in other words  to give a new name to the mythical genius of the sun the  professors of the jewish school of alexandria is resolved to  inaugurate their own form of worship
while retaining the  same title under which they had paid homage to serapis  and known as christians essenes or therapeutae they  substituted for their christ the name of the grecian bacchus  which composed of the letters ��� signifies yes  ies or jes
in composing their version of the gospel  story having like their race no inventive genius they appropriated  that of serapis as its basis and laid its scene in  the land of their ancestry but inconsistently retained the  sign of the cross and the phraseology connected there  with which having special reference to the nile river and  its annual inundation had no application whatever to the  sterile land of judea
selecting what they conceived to  be the best from other versions of the gospel story and assuming  the title of eclectics they designated their system  as the eclectic philosophy
in proof of the eclectic character  of the gospel and epistles of ancient christianity we  refer to the asceticism inculcated therein which derived  from the oriental gnosticism we find perpetuated in the  scriptures of modern christianity we also refer to the miracle  of converting water into wine taken from the gospel  story of bacchus and to the statements that the saviour  was the son of a carpenter and was hung between two  thieves copied from the story of christna the eighth  avatar of the east indian astrolatry
thus we see that  although the scene of the gospel story of ancient christianity  was laid in the land of judea its authors having  adopted a greek version of that story as its basis given a  greek title and name to their messiah perpetuated a  greek name for their sect and quoted exclusively from the  septuagint or greek version of the old testament the  facts show conclusively that it was not jews of judea but  hellenized jews of alexandria who were the real authors  of the ancient christianity
the prophecies
the clergy having ever claimed that the prophecies  are divine revelations of events yet to occur and having  incessantly agitated society by preaching their speedy fulfillment  we propose to expose the fallacy of their teachings  by showing that these scriptures are not the records  of future events divinely reavealed but that they originated  with the founders of astral worship who predicated  them upon predetermined events of their own concoction  relative to the general judgment and setting up of the  kingdom of heaven which were to occur as the finale of  the plan of redemption and from which were derived the  doctrines of second adventism and in determining the  exact time when then were to occur we have but to prove  that it was coincident with the conclusion of the last half  of the grand cycle of 12000 years which as we have  shown was dedicated to man as the duration of his race  on earth
as evidence that the founders of the jewish or ancient  christianity believed like the votaries of other forms  of astral worship that the prophecies were soon to be fulfilled  we find that the new testament of the original version  of which they were the authors is replete with such  texts as repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand  matt
iv
17 there be some standing here which shall  not taste death till they see the son of man coming in his  kingdom matt
xxi
28 the time is fulfilled and the  kingdom of god is at hand mark i
15
that the original  version of the new testament was composed when the  vernal equinox was in the sign of aries we are assured by  reason of the fact that it inculcates homage to the lord  under the symbol of the lamb and that it was during the  last or 30th degree of that sign can readily be proven by  appealing to history and to astronomy the former of which  teaches that the jews were removed from judea to alexandria  twentyfive years before the accession to the throne  of philadelphus the second ptolemy to whom we have  referred in our preceding article and who after reigning  thirtynine years died 246 years before the beginning of  our era
by reference to the celestial atlas we will find  that the vernal equinox will pass out of the sign of pisces  into that of aquarius or in the year 1900 and we  have but to deduct that period of time from 2150 the  number of years required for the cardinal points to pass  through one whole sign to determine that the spring  equinox passed out of the sign of aries into that of pisces  250 years before the beginning of our era or about 2100  years ago
now from the projections of the astrological  science we are assured that the last half of the grand cycle  of 12000 years which was allotted to man as the duration  of his race on earth was made to begin at a time corresponding  to the autumnal equinox when that cardinal  point was passing out of the sign of virgo and that of necessity  it had to come to an end at a time corresponding  to the vernal equinox when that cardinal point was passing  out of the sign of aries from which we know why at  the last judgment the office of trumpeter was assigned to  the archangel gabriel the genius of spring and why it  was a rams horn with which he was to toot the crack o  doom
when the time arrived for the fulfillment of the prophecies  we can well imagine that fearing the wrath of the  lamb there were weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth  among the terrorstricken sinners while those who believed  they had made their calling and election sure were  looking with feverish expectancy for the second advent of  their lord and saviour and doubtless clothed with their  ascension robes they watched and waited with ears alert  to hear the sound of gabriels trumpet summoning the  quick and the dead to the general judgment
but not a  blast from the archangels rams horn was heard reverberating  along the skies no lord appeared descending  upon the clouds to meet the elect in the air and in the last  act of the fearful drama of judgment day the curtain refused  to be rung down upon a burning world
with the nonfulfillment of the prophecies the more  enlightened elements of society began to scoff at the  priests who were temporarily demoralized but true to  their deceptive instincts soon rallying with the plea of a  mistake having been made in the calculations based upon  the prophecies they undoubtedly concocted scripture to  meet that very emergency for to the taunts of the scoffers  who in reference to the second advent of the lord enquired  where is the sign of his coming
for since the  fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from  the beginning of creation they answered that the lord  is not slack concerning his promise but as a thief in the  night he would soon come and all things be fulfilled
see  ii
peter chapter iii
following up the history of this interesting subject  we find that the founders of modern christianity to which  we will refer in our next article in composing their version  of the new testament from that of the jewish or ancient  christians made no change in its verbiage relative to the  prophecies but when constantine i emperor of rome  became the patron of the church her hierarchy tired of  figuring upon them secured a long respite from that troublesome  subject by claiming to have made other calculations  which put off the time of fulfillment to the year 1000  and from history we learn when the time arrived the whole  of christendom was fearfully agitated upon the subject  since then every generation has been vexed with the fallacies  of second adventism and the facts of the case justify  the charge that the clergy by teaching that the prophecies  refer to events yet to occur are perpetuating a  most stupendous fraud upon christendom and an earnest  and efficient protest should be inaugurated against the  further agitation of the monstrous delusion of second adventism  which is frightening thousands of weakminded  people into insanity and causing a vast amount of social  distressgod sol
in determining the characteristics of the supreme  divinity of astral worship it must be borne in mind that  its founders taught that he was evolved or engendered by  the father or first person in the sacred triad from his  pure substance which as we have shown was constituted  of chaos or the primeval fire into which they supposed all  things were reduced through the agency of that element  at the conclusion of 12000 year cycles
hence designating  that mythical being as the only begotten of the  father they personified him as god the son or second  person in the sacred triad and recognizing the sun as the  ruling star very appropriately made him the presiding  genius of that luminary under the title of god sol
according  homage to light as his chief attribute he is referred  to in the allegories as the true light which lighteth  every man that cometh into the world john i 9 and  although designated as the only begotten of the father  his coexistence with him under the title of the logos or  word is shown in the text which reads in the beginning  was the word and the word was with god and the  word was god john i 1
personifying the principles of good and evil in god  sol the ancient astrologers consecrated the six divisions  of the 12000 year cycle corresponding to the reproductive  months of spring and summer to him as lord of  good and symbolizing him by the constellation of the  zodiac in which the vernal equinox successively occurred  as explained hereafter they dedicated the six divisions  of that cycle corresponding to the destructive  months of autumn and winter to him as lord of evil  and as such symbolizing him by the serpent marked the  beginning of his reign by the constellation serpens  placed in conjunction with the autumnal equinox
personifying in him the opposing principles of good and  evil he was to the ancients both god and devil or the  varied god who in relation to the seasons was described  as beautiful in spring powerful in summer beneficent in  autumn and terrible in winter
thus under various  names intended to represent god sol in relation to the  diversified seasons we find recorded in the scriptures or  solar fables numerous portrayals of imaginary conflicts  in which the evil principle triumphing during autumn  and winter is conquered at the vernal equinox by the  good principle who bringing back equal days and nights  restores the harmony of nature
the eternal enmity between the principles of good  and evil as manifested in the diversity of the seasons  we find portrayed in the constellations hercules and  draco placed in the northern heavens in which the heel  of the former representing one of the most ancient of the  imaginary incarnations of god sol to which we will refer  hereafter is resting upon the head of the latter as referred  to in genesis iii 15 which makes god sol or the  lord god say to the serpent i will put enmity between  thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed  it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel
the woman alluded to in this text is the virgo of the  zodiac as will be made apparent hereafter
of all the divinities of the ancient mythology god  sol was the only one distinguished by the exalted title of  lord or lord god for the reason that he was made the  organizer of chaos and governor of heaven and earth
hence having constituted him the lord of light and darkness  as well as good and evil the ancient astrologers in  composing the solar fables made him say of himself i  form the light and create darkness i make peace and  create evil i the lord do all these things isaiah xlv 7
shall there be evil in a city and the lord hath not  done it
amos iii 6
besides the title of lord or  lord god the solar divinity is also designated in the  allegories as the lord of lords and the king of kings  the invincible the mighty god etc
subjecting the mythical genius of the sun in his apparent  annual revolution round the earth to the four  stages of human life from infancy to old age the ancient  magi fixed the natal day of the young god sol at the winter  solstice the virgo of the zodiac was made his mother  and the constellation in conjunction with her which is  now known as bootes but anciently called arcturus his  foster father
he is represented as holding in leash two  hunting dogs and driving ursa major or the great bear  around the north pole thus showing that the original  occupation of the celestial foster father of the young god  sol was that of a bear driver and that his sons referred to  in job xxxviii 32 are the dogs asterion and chara
it  will be observed that virgo is represented in our illustration  with a child in her arms for the reason that she is so  represented in the ancient zodiacs and the fact will be  readily conceded that she is the only virgin who could  give birth to a child and be a virgin still
the ancient cosmogony
speculating relative to the order in which chaos had  been organized the ancient astrologers constructed a  cosmogony which divided the labors of god the son or  second person in the trinity into six periods of a thousand  years each and which answering to the six divisions  of the 12000 year cycle corresponding to the reproductive  months of spring and summer taught that in the first  period he made the earth in the second the firmament  in the third vegetation in the fourth the sun and  moon and the stars also in the fifth the animals fishes  birds etc and in the sixth man
that vegetation was made before the sun was not an  inconsistent idea to the originators of the ancient cosmogony
they imagined that the heat and light emanating  from the elementary fire were sufficient to stimulate its  growth after which god the son gathered it together and  made the celestial luminaries
in the solar fables this  imaginary element is called the fireether or sacred fire of  the stars
fall and redemption of man
religion having been based upon the worship of personified  nature it is evident that its founders fabricated  its dogmatic element from their conceptions of her destructive  and reproductive processes as manifested in the  rotation and diversity of the seasons
the apparent retreat  of the sun from the earth in winter and his return in  the spring suggesting the idea of a figurative death and  resurrection of the genius of that luminary they applied  these phenomena of the year to man and composed the  allegories relative to his fall and redemption as inculcated  in the exoteric creed
in the allegory relating to the fall  it was taught that after making the first human pair the  lord of good or the lord god placed them in a beautiful  garden—corresponding to the seasons of fruits and flowers  or months of spring and summer with the injunction  under a penalty not to eat of the fruit of a certain tree
when the lord of evil or devil symbolized by the serpent  and represented by the constellation serpens  placed in conjunction with the autumnal equinox meeting  them on the confines of his dominion and tempting  the woman and she the man they ate of the forbidden  fruit thus falling from their first estate and committing  the original sin they involved the whole human race in the  consequences of their disobedience
then the lord god  pronouncing a curse against the serpent clothed the man  and woman with skins to protect them against the inclemency  of his dominion as lord of evil and drove them  from the garden after which they were necessitated to  earn their bread by tilling the ground
in reference to the plan of redemption the ancient  astrologers divided the 6000 years appropriated to man  as the duration of his race on earth into ten equal cycles  and taught that at the conclusion of each god sol as  lord of good would manifest himself in the flesh to destroy  his works as lord of evil and through suffering  and death make an atonement for sin
thus having originated  the doctrines of original sin incarnation and vicarious  atonement as parts of the plan of redemption and  making its finale correspond in point of time to the conclusion  of the 12000 year cycle their successors in the  priestly office ultimately inculcated the additional dogmas  of the general judgment and future rewards and punishments  as we have shown in our introduction
having based the fables of the fall and redemption of  man upon the idea that he was impelled without his  volition to pass from the dominion of god to that of the  devil or in other words upon his subjection to the inexorable  necessity which makes the inclement seasons  of autumn and winter succeed the beneficent ones of  spring and summer its authors composed the original  of the text which found in romans viii 20 reads that  the creature was made subject to vanity evil not willingly  but by reason of him who hath subjected the same  in hope
but for the popular teaching in favor of its being  literal history no one could read the account of the fall of  man as recorded in the third chapter of genesis without  recognizing it as simply an allegory or fail to realize the  force of the argument of no fall no redemption and if no  redemption no god to reward or devil to punish no hell  to suffer or heaven to enjoy
the fact is that these are  but antithetical ideas which came in together and must  survive or perish together
they cannot be separated  without destroying the whole theological fabric
incarnations of god sol
believing that god sol was necessitated to remain at  his post to direct the course of the sun the ancient astrologers  conceived the idea of teaching that attended by a  retinue of subordinate genii he descended to earth  through the medium of incarnations at the end of 600 year  cycles to perform the work of mans redemption and  having made virgo of the zodiac the mother of the solar  divinity they taught in their allegorical astronomy or  scriptures that his incarnations were born of a virgin
hence we find that god sol usually designated by the  title of the word was made flesh and dwelt among us
john i 14
in a discourse upon this text delivered by tillotson  archbishop of canterbury in the year 1680 published in  the fourth volume of woodhouses edition of his graces  sermons in the year 1744 concerning the incarnation of  our blessed saviour he explains the necessity of incarnation  by saying that there was likewise a great inclination  in mankind to the worship of a visible deity so god was  pleased to appear in our nature that they who were so  fond of a visible deity might have one even a true and  natural image of god the father the express image of  his person
it only requires a little reflection to appreciate  the prelates covert irony and want of faith
having ascribed to the imaginary incarnations of  god sol the characteristics of heavendescending virginborn  earthwalking wonderworking dying resuscitated  and ascending sons of god the ancient astrologers  attached to them the several titles of saviour redeemer  avatar divinehelper shiloh messiah christ and in  reference to their fosterfather that of son of man
teaching that they continued to make intercession for sin  after their ascension to the right hand of the father they  were also called intercessors mediators or advocates  with the father
from teaching their appearance every  600 years originated the egyptian legend of the phoenix  a bird said to descend from the sun at these intervals and  after being consumed upon the altar in the temple of on  or city of the sun—called heliopolis by the greeks—would  rise from its ashes and ascend to its source
according  to the civil laws of egypt manhood was not  attained until the age of thirty years
hence the earthly  mission of incarnate saviours was made to begin at that  age and for the reason that relating to the apparent transit  of the sun through the twelve signs of the zodiac it  was completed during the period of one year
to impress the ignorant masses with the belief that  the scriptures were literal histories and the incarnate  saviours real personages the ancient astrologers caused  tombs to be erected in which it was claimed they were  buried
such sepulchres were erected to hercules at  cadiz to apollo at delphi and to other saviours at many  other places to which their respective votaries were induced  to perform pilgrimages
in egypt the pyramids  were built partly for astronomical purposes and partly  as tombs for saviours claimed to have been kings who  had once ruled over the country and why should we not  recognize that magnificent structure known as the church  of the holy sepulchre at jerusalem as but another of  those tombs of saviours in which no saviour was ever entombed
thus we have shown that it was god sol the only  begotten of the father or second person in the sacred  triad to whom supreme adoration was inculcated in all  forms of the ancient astrolatry and that its cultured  votaries understanding that the doctrines pertaining to  the fall and redemption of man were evolved from the  figurative death and resurrection of the solar divinity  recognized the doctrine of incarnation as a priestly invention  intended only for the ignorant masses
fable of the twelve labors
the authors of the original solar fables having lived  in that remote age in which physical prowess was recognized  as the highest attribute of humanity conceived the  idea that god sol while passing through his apparent  orbit had to fight his way with the animals of the zodiac  and with others in conjunction with them
hence designating  him as the mighty hunter and calling his exploits  the twelve labors they made the incarnate saviours  the heroes of similar ones on earth which they taught  were performed for the good of mankind and that after  fulfilling their earthly mission they were exhaled to  heaven through the agency of fire
when these fables  were composed the summer solstice was in the sign of  leo and making the twelve labors begin in it the first  consisted in the killing of a lion and the second in rescuing  a virgin virgo by the destruction of a hydra the  constellation in conjunction with her
upon one of the  assyrian marbles on exhibition in the british museum  these two labors are represented as having been performed  by a saviour by the name of nimroud
in the constellations  of taurus the bull of the zodiac and of orion originally  known as horns in conjunction therewith we  have groupings of stars representing the latter as one of  the mighty hunters of the ancient astrolatry supporting  on his left arm the shield of the lions skin the trophy of  the first labor and holding a club in his uplifted right  hand is engaged in performing the tenth labor by a conflict  with the former
the fable of the twelve labors constituted the sacred  records or scriptures of the older forms of astrolatry one  version of which written with the cuneiform character  upon twelve tablets of burnt clay exhumed from the ruins  of an assyrian city and now on exhibition in the british  museum is ascribed to nimroud the prototype of the  grecian hercules and of nimrod the mighty hunter of  the old testament
anniversaries of solar worship
the nativity
applying the anniversaries inculcated in the worship  of god sol to his imaginary incarnations the founders of  the ancient astrolatry made them refer to the several  stages of human existence from infancy to mature age
hence comparing the first day of infantile life to the  shortest day of the year it would naturally be expected  that they would have placed the anniversary of the nativity  exactly at the winter solstice but having conceived  the idea that the sun stood still for the space of three days  at each of the cardinal points and making it represent the  figurative death of the genius of that luminary they fixed  the date for its observance three days later or on the 25th  of december
the gnostic adherents to the ancient  solar worship or those who were conversant with the  teachings of the esoteric philosophy knowing that the  dramatis person� of the fable of incarnation were pictured  with stars upon the azure vault recognized the  woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her  feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars referred  to in revelations xii
1 as the virgo of the zodiac they  also knew that she was the true queen of heaven and  mother of god and that the infant anciently represented  in her arms and with whom in their day she arose on the  eastern horizon at midnight on the 24th of december  was the same of whom the people were taught to sing at  christmas unto us a child is born this day
with the knowledge of these facts we can readily see  that this is the virgin and child which constituted the  originals of those exquisite paintings by the old masters  known as the madonna and child
epiphany or twelfth day
in reference to the twelve signs through which the  sun makes his apparent annual revolution the twelfth  day after christmas answering to the 6th of january was  observed by the votaries of the ancient astrolatry as the  anniversary of the epiphany or twelfth day
in the  solar fables it was taught that a star appeared in the  heavens on that day to manifest the birthplace of the  infant saviour to the magi or wise men of the east who  came to pay him homage and to present him with the  gifts of gold frankincense and myrrh as related in matthew ii
11
the reason for presenting these gifts is explained by  the facts that of the seven metals dedicated to the genii of  the planets gold was the one consecrated to god sol and  frankincense and myrrh were the gums burned in censers  in his worship
in reading the account of the magis visit to the infant  saviour we have but to exercise our thinking faculties to  realize that it is allegory instead of literal history
lent or lenten season
in the ancient solar fables it was taught that the persecutions  to which the incarnate saviours were subjected  while passing through the dominion of god sol as lord of  evil raged with greatest fury during the forty days  preceding the festival of easter which period beginning  when the days were perceptibly lengthening was called  lent or the lenten season
it was during this season  that the votaries of the ancient religion were taught to  manifest their sympathy for the saviour in his imaginary  conflict with the devil by abstaining from all festivities  and by fasting and prayer and as that was the season  in which the flocks and herds were poor in flesh while the  seas and rivers abounded with fish in good condition the  ancient priests making a virtue of necessity enjoined a  diet principally of fish and for that reason placed the constellation  pisces at the point in the zodiac in which the  lenten season anciently began which without regard to  the day of the week was always observed on the 15th day  of february the name of that month having been derived  from the februa or feast of purification and expiation of  the old roman calendar
at the council of nice the lenten season was made  to begin on the fourth day of the week and in reference to  the ancient custom of the more devout sprinkling ashes  upon their heads at the feast of the februa it is called ash  wednesday
hence we see that all years in which ash wednesday  does not come on the 15th of february the lenten  season must necessarily contain a greater or lesser number  than the original assignment of forty days
passion week
the last seven days of lent is called passion week in  reference to the apparent passage of the sun across the  celestial equator at the vernal equinox or 21st of  march the ancient astrologers having conceived the idea  that the sun stood still for the space of three days at each  of the cardinal points and making it represent the figurative  death of the genius of that luminary it was observed  as the anniversary of the vernal crucifixion or passion of  the incarnate saviours and in commemoration of their  imaginary sufferings and death it was the custom to expose  in the temples during the last three days of passion  week figures representing their dead bodies over which  the votaries of solar worship especially the women made  great lamentation
it was in reference to one of these  images laid out in the temple at jerusalem to which the  jealous jehovah considering it a great abomination in his  own house is made to direct the attention of ezekiel the  prophet who looking beheld women weeping for tammuz  as recorded in the eighth chapter
this divinity  was the phoenician prototype of the grecian adonis to  whom the women of judea preferred to pay homage
it was during the last three days of passion week  that the votaries of solar worship performed their severest  penance
besides fasting and prayer the more devout  flagellated and slashed themselves and others with knives  and thongs and carried heavy crosses up steep acclivities
in all ultracatholic countries the priests in imitation of  the ancient custom expose in the churches figures representing  the dead saviour over which the laity especially  the women weep and mourn and the more devout  men cut and slash themselves and each other with  knives and thongs and in imitation of the imaginary  tramp of jesus with his cross up calvarys rugged side  bear heavy crosses up steep acclivities
passion plays
anciently dramas representing the passion of incarnate  saviours called passion plays were enacted upon the  stage
the most celebrated of these divine tragedies  known as prometheus bound and composed by the  greek poet �schylus was played at athens 500 years  before the beginning of the christian era
to show that  this sinatoning saviour was not chained to a rock while  vultures preyed upon his vitals as popularly taught but  was nailed to a tree we quote front potters translation of  the play that passage which readily recognized as the  original of a christian song reads as follows              lo streaming from the fatal tree                 his all atoning blood              is this the infinite
tis he—                 prometheus and a god
well might the sun in darkness hide                 and veil his glories in              when god the great prometheus died                 for man the creatures sin
the veiling of the sun as represented in these plays  having reference to the imaginary sympathy expressed by  god sol for the sufferings of his incarnate son was shown  upon the stage by shading the lights
the monks of the  middle ages enacted plays representing the passion of the  christian saviour and the bavarian peasantry perpetuating  this custom perform the play every tenth year
resurrection and easter festival
in conformity to the ancient teachings the incarnate  saviours considered as figuratively dead for the space of  three days at the vernal equinox or 21st of march were  raised to newness of life after the expiration of that time
hence the 25th of march without regard to the day of  the week was celebrated as the anniversary of the vernal  resurrection
on the morning of this day it was the  custom of the astrologers to say to the mourners assembled  in the temples be of good cheer sacred band of initiates  your god has risen from the dead his pains and his  sufferings shall be your salvation
another form of  this admonition quoted from an ancient poem in reference  to the phoenician tammuz reads as follows              trust ye saints your god restored              trust ye in your risen lord              for the pains which he endured              your salvation hath procured
then would begin the festivities of easter which  corrupted from eostre and derived from the teutonic  mythology was one of the many names given to the goddess  of spring
in the observance of this festival the  temples were adorned with floral offerings the hilaries  sang their joyful lays the fires upon the pyres or the firealtars  were extinguished and rekindled with new fire or  sacred fire of the stars which the astrologers taught was  brought down from heaven by the winged genius perseus  the constellation which anciently was in conjunction  with the vernal equinox paschal candles lit from  the new fire were distributed to the faithful and the paschal  feast easter feast or the feast of the passover was  eaten in commemoration of the passion of the incarnate  saviours or in other words of the passage of the sun  across the celestial equator
in ultracatholic countries the descent of the sacred  fire is represented by some secretly arranged pyrotechny  and the credulous laity believing they have witnessed a  miraculous display eagerly solicit paschal candles lit  from it and in imitation of the ancient festivities in honor  of the return of spring all catholic churches and most of  protestant ones are adorned with flowers the bells ring  out their merriest peals and gloria in excelsis and  other jubilant songs similar to the lays of the ancient hilaries  are sung
annunciation
the anniversary of the nativity having been placed  on the 25th of december according to the course of nature  the 25th of march was anciently celebrated as the  anniversary of the annunciation and is still observed on  that day and the duty of saluting the virgin virgo and  announcing her conception by the holy ghost or third  person in the trinity was assigned to the genius of spring
in the chaldean version of the gospel story the name of  gabriel was given to this personification and in the christian  version of that story he is made to perform the same  office see luke i
2635
ascension
celebrating the anniversary of the ascension forty  days after easter it was anciently observed on the 4th of  may and it was taught that the incarnate saviours ascended  bodily into heaven in a golden chariot drawn by  four horses caparisoned with gilded trappings all glittering  like fire in the fervid sunlight
hence when we read  in ii
kings ii
11 that there appeared a chariot of fire  and horses of fire 


and elijah went up by a  whirlwind into heaven we must accept this text as descriptive  of the imaginary ascension of one of the incarnate  saviours of ancient judaism
assumption
when the summer solstice was in the sign of cancer  the sun was in that of virgo in the month of august and  the anniversary of the assumption was observed on the  15th of that month and is so observed at the present  time
the fact that the anniversary of the ascension precedes  that of the assumption explains why jesus is made  to say to his mother virgo soon after his resurrection  touch me not for i am not yet ascended to my father
john xx
17
the lords supper
in the ancient solar worship the socalled ordinance  of the lords supper was observed just before the anniversary  of the autumnal crucifixion and consisting of bread  and wine in reference to the maturing of the crops and  completion of the vintage was like the modern festival of  the hardest home a season of thankfulness to the lord  god sol as the giver of all good gifts
hence being  observed but once a year it was in reality not an ordinance  but an anniversary and the fact that christians  partake of these emblems so frequently during the year  indicates that the original signification of the lords supper  has been lost
transubstantiation  or the conversion of the bread and wine into the veritable  blood and body of christ is a doctrine of the catholic  church which was derived from the ritual of the ancient  solar worship
in the 26th chapter of matthew we have an account  of the lord administering the last supper to his disciples  on the eve of the autumnal crucifixion and in verse 27  it reads that he took the cup and gave thanks and gave  it to them saying drink ye all of it
the compilers of  the modern version of the gospel story must surely have  inadvertently copied this text as it read in the ancient  versions of that old old story which when observed in  remembrance of our lord and saviour bacchus was  called the bacchanalia or feast of bacchus
at these  orgies the participants give thanks for the wine by not  only drinking all of one cup but many more in fact they  kept on drinking until they fell under the table
autumnal crucifixion
the beneficent seasons of spring and summer coming  to an end at the autumnal equinox the 22d of september  was made the anniversary of the autumnal crucifixion
the vernal resurrection and autumnal crucifixion  representing the alternate triumph of the personified  principles of good and evil as manifested in the diversity  of the seasons we find appropriately expressed in  two religious pictures
in the one the saviour appealing  as a vigorous young man surrounded by a brilliant halo  representing the rays of the allconquering sun of spring  is rising triumphantly from the tomb before whom the  demon of winter or devil is seen retreating in the background
in the other the vanquished saviour represented  by the figure of a lean and haggard man with a crown of  thorns upon his head around which appears a faint halo  of the suns declining rays and above which is placarded  the letters i n r i the initial letters of latin words  signifying the life to come or the eternal life is suspended  upon the cross at the foot of which his mother mary  virgo is represented as kneeling in a mourning attitude  and by her side is seen a serpent and a skull the emblems  of evil and of death
michaelmas
in the calendar of the ancient astral worship the  fourth day after the autumnal equinox was dedicated to  the genius of autumn
in the chaldean allegories the  name of michael was given to this personification and  called michaelmas or feast of michael
in the catholic  calendar this anniversary is placed an the 29th of september  instead of the 26th of that month while that  of st matthew the christian genius of autumn which  should be placed on the 26th of that month is observed  on the 21st
thus we have shown that the anniversaries of the  ancient astral worship were all fixed and from church  history we learn that they were so observed by the christians  until the council of nice in the year 325 when the  bishops assembled at that celebrated convocation desiring  to have the festival of easter celebrated on sunday  which had been made the sabbath by the edict of constantine  in the year 321 ordered that it should be observed  on the sunday of the full moon which comes on or next  after the vernal equinox
hence converting it into a  movable festival its allied feasts and fast days were also  made movable
personifications of the divisions of time
in the ancient solar fables the several divisions of  time were personified and made to pay homage to the  triune deity supposed to be enthroned above the firmament
the hours
the genii of the hours were designated as elders and  we find them described in the 4th chapter of revelation  as sitting round about the throne upon four and twenty  seats clothed in white raiment and crowns of gold upon  their heads
the days
each day of the year was appropriately personified  and these genii of the days constitute the saints of the  christian calendar
of these we will refer to but one
according to the ancient belief that the sun stood still  for the space of three days at each of the cardinal points  the 24th of june was made the first of the decreasing days  and dedicating it to st john the baptist he is made to say  in reference to his opposite the genius of the 25th of  december and first of the increasing days he must increase  but i must decrease
this text found in john  iii
30 simply means that the days of the one must increase  in length while the days of the other must decrease
the months
the fable of the twelve labors having been superseded  by others in which the genii of the twelve signs of the  zodiac corresponding to the months were designated  as angels and made to minister to god sol while making  his apparent annual revolution but when constituted the  attendants of the incarnate saviours during their imaginary  earth life they were personified as men and called  disciples
of these genii of the months we will refer only  to the first and the last
the first month dedicated to the  genius known in the mythology as janus and from which  was derived the name january was portrayed with two  faces the one of an old man looking mournfully backward  over the old year and the other of a young man looking  joyfully forward to the new year
this personification  made the opener of the year and represented as holding  a pair of crosskeys was called the carrier of the keys  of the kingdom of heaven
hence the popes of rome  claiming apostolic succession from peter the janus of the  christian twelve wear crosskeys as the insignia of their  office
sometimes a crosier or shepherds crook is substituted  for one of the keys in reference to his arrogated  office of the leader of the sheep
the authority for the  assumption that the popes are peters successors is found  in matthew xvi
18 19 but its fallacy becomes apparent  when we bear in mind that the scriptures are but collections  of astronomical allegories and that the peter  referred to in the text was not a man but the mythical  genius of the month of january
in reference to the last month we find that the  authors of the ancient solar fables ever doubting whether  god sol after inaugurating winter by his supposed retreat  from the earth would return to revivify nature with  his lifegiving rays gave to the genius of the twelfth  month the title of the doubter
in the christian calendar  this personification is known as thomas and a more  specific dedication of the shortest day of the year having  been made to him the 21st day of december is called st  thomas day
the seasons
when the cardinal points were in the constellations  leo taurus aquarius and scorpio the astrologers objecting  to the signification of the latter substituted the  constellation in conjunction therewith which is known  as aquila akwela or flying eagle
in the allegorical  astronomy of that remote period these genii of the seasons  were designated as beasts and as such we find them  referred to in revelation iv
7 which reads as follows  and the first beast was like a lion leo and the second  beast like a calf taurus the bull calf and the third  beast had a face as a man aquarius the waterman and  the fourth beast was like a flying eagle aquila
in the  first chapter of ezekiel the prophet the genii of the seasons  are referred to in the same manner
these genii of the seasons standing imaginarily at  the four corners of the heavens were called cornerkeepers  and making them witnesses to god sol in his apparent  annual revolution the founders of the astral worship  designated them as archangels evangelists godspellers  or gospelbearers and claiming inspiration from  them composed four different histories of the birth and  earthlife of the incarnate saviour to each of which they  attached a name and called these records the gospel  story
in its chaldean version the names of gabriel  michael raphael and uriel were given them but while  the first two of these are mentioned in the christian gospel  story its authors gave to the evangelists the names  of matthew mark luke and john
thus knowing the  true signification of the disciples and evangelists the  very pertinent question presents itself if they are not  the genii of the months and the seasons why are there  just twelve of the one and four of the other
half year of increasing days
in the ancient astrolatry the half year of increasing  days extending from the winter to the summer solstice  was personified by the composite figure representing the  constellations of taurus and aquarius which constituted  of the winged body of a bull and the head and beard  of a man was called the cherubim
this personification  we find portrayed upon the assyrian marbles on exhibition  in the british museum
half year of decreasing days
the half year of decreasing days extending from the  summer to the winter solstice was personified by the  figure which representing the constellations of leo and  aquila and composed of the winged body and limbs of a  lion with the head of an eagle was called the seraphim
these last two personifications constituted the archangels  of the ancient astral worship
last quarter of the year
the last quarter of the year was personified in the  ancient allegories as a decrepit old man who stung by  a scorpion scorpio and fatally wounded by an arrow  from the quiver of an archer saggitarius dies at the  winter solstice and after lying in the grave for the space  of three days is brought to life again
such was the personification  referred to in the christian gospelstory as  having been raised from the grave by the mandate come  forth lazarus
thus have we shown that the elders  and the saints the angels and the archangels the cherubim  and seraphim and also poor old lazarus are but  personifications of the several divisions of time
zodiacal symbols of solar worship
having shown that the founders of the ancient astrolatry  accorded homage to god sol as lord of evil under  the symbol of the serpent and marked the beginning of  his reign as such by the constellation serpens placed in  conjunction with the autumnal equinox we will now  direct attention to the symbols under which he was worshipped  as lord of good which corresponding to the  form of the constellation in which occurred the vernal  equinox and which was changed to correspond to the  form of the succeeding constellation as that cardinal  point passed into it by that process known in astronomy  as the precession of the equinoxes its explanation becomes  essential to a correct understanding of our subject
after long observation aided by the telescope of  which they were undoubtedly the original inventors the  ancient astrologers discovered that the sun in making  his apparent annual revolution did not return to the same  point in the heavens but fell behind that of the preceding  year at the rate of 50� seconds of a degree annually
at  this rate of precession which modern calculation has confirmed  it requires 71 23 years for the cardinal points to  pass through one degree on the ecliptic and 2150 years  through thirty degrees or one sign of the zodiac
the  knowledge of this process affording an exact chronology  we are enabled not only to determine the origin of these  symbols but to approximate very nearly to the respective  dates of their adoption
the sphinx
from the teachings of astronomy we learn that the  summer solstice is now occupying the point between the  signs of taurus and gemini from which we know that  that cardinal point has passed through three whole signs  since it was between the signs of leo and virgo and we  have but to multiply 2150 by 3 to determine that it has  been about 6450 years ago
hence the tourist to the  nile valley when viewing near the base of old cheops  the great egyptian pyramid a colossal head and bust of  a woman carved in stone and learns that it is attached  to a body in the form of a lion in a crouching attitude 146  feet long hidden beneath the shifting sands of the libyan  desert if possessed of the knowledge of the precession  of the equinoxes he will be enabled to solve the  riddle of the sphinx by recognizing in that grotesque  monument the midsummer symbol of solar worship  when the summer solstice was between the signs of leo  and virgo
the dragon
when the summer solstice was between the signs  of leo and virgo the winter solstice was between those  of aquarius and pisces and the figure composed of the  body of a man with the tail of a fish became the midwinter  symbol of solar worship
such was the form of this  symbol to which the ancient phoenicians paid homage  to the lord under the name of dagon
the bull
at the same time the summer solstice entered the  sign of leo the vernal equinox entered that of taurus  and the bull becoming the spring symbol of solar worship—the  lord was designated in the ancient allegories as the  bull of god which taketh away the sin of the world which  shorn of its allegorical sense signifies the sun in taurus  or sun of spring which taketh away the evil of winter
such is the purport of hieroglyphical inscriptions upon  papyrus rolls found in egypt and engraved upon obelisks  erected in the nile valley one of which has been recently  brought to the city of new york and set up in central  park
in the east indies this symbol was represented by  the figure of a bull with the solar disk between his horns  and the egyptians who were of hindoo origin perpetuating  it in their apis it was reproduced in the golden calf  of the ancient israelites
the assyrians represented this  symbol by the figure of a winged bull with the face and  beard of a man the phoenicians in their baal by the  figure of a man with a bulls head and horns and the  small silver bulls heads with golden horns recently discovered  by dr schliemann in the ruins of mycenae were  jewels worn by the women of that ancient city when the  vernal equinox was in the sign of taurus
the ram
by deducting 2150 years from 6450 we determine  that about 4300 years ago the vernal equinox entered the  sign of aries and the spring symbol of solar worship  changing from the bull to the ram was represented by  ramheaded figures two of which found in egypt are on  exhibition in the british museum
then the text which  read the bull of god was changed to the ram of god  which taketh away the sins of the world
the lamb
ultimately attaching a meek and lowly disposition  to the imaginary incarnations of the mythical genius of  the sun the symbol of the ram was changed to that of the  lamb and the text in the allegories which read the ram of  god was changed to read the lamb of god which  taketh away the sin of the world john i 29
the explanation  we have given relative to the zodiacal symbols  of solar worship makes the assurance doubly sure that the  originals of the new testament were composed when the  vernal equinox was in the sign of aries as will be  shown hereafter
having adopted the symbol of the  lamb it was represented by several forms of what is  known as agnus dei or lamb of god one of which was  in the form of a bleeding lamb with a vase attached into  which blood is flowing which originated in reference to  the shedding of blood as a vicarious atonement for sin
but the most comprehensive form of this symbol in its  astronomical signification was represented by the  figure of a lamb in a standing attitude supporting the  circle of the zodiac divided into quarters to denote the  seasons
at each of the cardinal points there was a small  cross and the lamb held in its uplifted forefoot a larger  cross the long arm of which was made to cut the celestial  equator at the angle of 23� degrees the true angle of  obliquity of the ecliptic
this symbol is still retained in  the catholic church
the fish
by deducting 2150 years from 4300 we determine  that about 2150 years ago the vernal equinox entered  the sign of pisces and although the original version of the  new testament was founded upon the symbol of the lamb  it is a historical fact that for centuries after the beginning  of our era the christians paid homage to the lord under  the symbol of the fish but ultimately going into desuetude  the lamb was retained as the distinguishing symbol  of the christian religion until the year 680 at which date  another was substituted as will be shown under our next  heading
the sacred numbers 7 and 12
in reference to the planets and the signs of the  zodiac the numbers seven and twelve were recognized  as sacred by the ancient astrologers and dedications  were made to them in all kinds and sorts of forms
in  the allegories the genii of the planets were designated  as spirits or messengers to the supreme deity imaginarily  enthroned above the firmament which we find described  in revelations iv
5 as seven lamps of fire burning  before the throne which are the seven spirits of god  and which were represented by lights burning in seven  branched candlesticks set before the altars in the temples  the central light for the sun the moon mercury and  venus on one side and mars jupiter and saturn on the  other
the seven branched candlesticks seen in all  catholic churches and in some protestant ones are intended  to represent the same planetary system
among the numerous dedications to the genii of the  planets we mention the seven days of the week the seven  stories of the tower of babylon the seven gates of thebes  the seven piped flute of pan the seven stringed lyre of  apollo the seven books of fate the book of seven seals  the seven castes into which the egyptians and east indians  were divided and the jubilee of seven times seven  years
among the dedications to the twelve signs we  mention the twelve months of the year the grand cycle  of 12000 years the twelve altars of james the twelve  labors of hercules the twelve divisions of the egyptian  labyrinth the twelve shields of mars the twelve precious  stones ranged in threes to denote the seasons in the  breastplate of high priest the twelve foundations of the  sacred city referred to in the book of revelation the  twelve sons of jacob the twelve tribes of israel and the  twelve disciples
in the book of revelation alone the  number 7 is repeated twentyfour times and the number  12 fourteen times
the twelve thousand year cycle
in determining the duration of the period within  which were to occur the events taught in the doctrines of  the exoteric creed the ancient astrologers dedicated  a thousand years to each of the signs of the zodiac and  thus inaugurating the cycle of twelve thousand years  taught that at its conclusion the heaven and the earth  which they believed to be composed of the indestructible  elements of fire air earth and water would through the  agency of the first of these be reduced to chaos as a  preliminary to the reorganization of a new heaven and a  new earth at the beginning of the succeeding cycle
such  was the origin of the grand cycle of the ancient astrolatry  and it must be borne in mind that its authors made its  conclusion to correspond in time and circumstance to the  doctrines relating to the finale of the plan of redemption
the ancient triad
after conceiving the idea of a primeval chaos constituted  of four indestructible elements of which fire was  the leading one the oriental astrologers began to indulge  in speculations relative to the agencies which were engaged  in its organization
having no knowledge of the  forces inherent in nature they imputed this work to three  intelligences which embodying the all in all they personified  by the figure of a man with three heads and to  this trinity gave the names of brahma vishnu and siva
such a figure carved in stone may be seen in the island  cave of elephanta near bombay india and is popularly  believed to represent the creator preserver and destroyer  but in determining their true signification we  must be governed by the ancient teachings that all  things were made by one godhead with three names and  this god is all things
hence the conclusion is irresistible  that the first person represents neither the creator  nor organizer of chaos but chaos itself the second person  its organizer and governor and the third person the  agent in nature which impresses all her parts with life and  motion the latter being the imaginary great soul or  spirit inculcated in the esoteric philosophy
in support  of this opinion it will be found that the egyptian triad of  father son and spirit is virtually the same we have assigned  to its oriental prototype
thus we see that to  the ancient astrolatry christendom is indebted for the  trinity of              god the father god the son              god the spirit—three in one
but having ascribed supreme intelligence or reason  to its second person under the name of the logos or  word and designating its third person as the holy ghost  the ancient triad was usually formulated as the father  the word and the holy ghost as may be seen by reference  to the text in the allegories which we find recorded  in i john v 7 which reads that there are three that  bear record in heaven the father the word and the  holy ghost and these three are one
considered in some forms of astrolatry as too  sacred to attach a name to the triune deity he was called  the one and we find him thus designated in the 4th  chapter of revelation where like zeus and jupiter of the  grecian and roman mythologies he is represented as  seated above the firmament upon a throne from which  proceeded lightnings and thunderings and to whom  all the subordinate divinities were made to pay homage
as the hurler of thunderbolts he was called the thunderer  and as the opener of the windows of heaven  when it rained he was designated jupiter pluvius
such was the ancient triad made to say of himself in an  inscription found in the ruins of the temple at sais in  egypt i am all that has been all that is and all that  shall be and no mortal has lifted yet the veil that covers  me and such was the triunity referred to as the god  universe by pliny the roman philosopher and naturalist  who flourishing in the first century of the christian era  wrote that he is an infinite god which has never been  created and which shall never come to an end
to look  for something else beyond it is useless labor for man and  out of his reach
behold that truly sacred being eternal  and immense which includes within itself everything it  is all in all or rather itself is all
it is the work of  nature and itself is nature
thus we see that although inculcating homage to a  multitude of subordinate divinities the ancient astrolatry  was only an apparent polytheism its enlightened votaries  recognizing the dogma of the unity of god were in  reality monotheists paying supreme adoration to the  mythical genius of the sun to whom we will now direct  attention
andrew lang
guy mannering  or  the astrologer  chapter i  he could not deny that looking round upon the dreary region  and seeing nothing but bleak fields and naked trees hills  obscured by fogs and flats covered with inundations he did  for some time suffer melancholy to prevail upon him and  wished himself again safe at home
’travels of will
marvel’ idler no
49
it was in the beginning of the month of november 17when a young english  gentleman who had just left the university of oxford made use of the  liberty afforded him to visit some parts of the north of england and  curiosity extended his tour into the adjacent frontier of the sister  country
he had visited on the day that opens our history some monastic  ruins in the county of dumfries and spent much of the day in making  drawings of them from different points so that on mounting his horse to  resume his journey the brief and gloomy twilight of the season had  already commenced
his way lay through a wide tract of black moss  extending for miles on each side and before him
little eminences arose  like islands on its surface bearing here and there patches of corn which  even at this season was green and sometimes a hut or farmhouse shaded  by a willow or two and surrounded by large elderbushes
these insulated  dwellings communicated with each other by winding passages through the  moss impassable by any but the natives themselves
the public road  however was tolerably well made and safe so that the prospect of being  benighted brought with it no real danger
still it is uncomfortable to  travel alone and in the dark through an unknown country and there are few  ordinary occasions upon which fancy frets herself so much as in a  situation like that of mannering
as the light grew faint and more faint and the morass appeared blacker  and blacker our traveller questioned more closely each chance passenger  on his distance from the village of kippletringan where he proposed to  quarter for the night
his queries were usually answered by a  counterchallenge respecting the place from whence he came
while  sufficient daylight remained to show the dress and appearance of a  gentleman these cross interrogatories were usually put in the form of a  case supposed as ‘ye’ll hae been at the auld abbey o’ halycross sir
there’s mony english gentlemen gang to see that’or ‘your honour will  become frae the house o’ pouderloupat’ but when the voice of the querist  alone was distinguishable the response usually was ‘where are ye coming  frae at sic a time o’ night as the like o’ this’or ‘ye’ll no be o’  this country freend’ the answers when obtained were neither very  reconcilable to each other nor accurate in the information which they  afforded
kippletringan was distant at first ‘a gey bit’ then the ‘gey  bit’ was more accurately described as ‘ablins three mile’ then the ‘three  mile’ diminished into ‘like a mile and a bittock’ then extended  themselves into ‘four mile or thereawa’ and lastly a female voice  having hushed a wailing infant which the spokeswoman carried in her arms  assured guy mannering ‘it was a weary lang gate yet to kippletringan and  unco heavy road for foot passengers’ the poor hack upon which mannering  was mounted was probably of opinion that it suited him as ill as the  female respondent for he began to flag very much answered each  application of the spur with a groan and stumbled at every stone and  they were not few which lay in his road
mannering now grew impatient
he was occasionally betrayed into a  deceitful hope that the end of his journey was near by the apparition of a  twinkling light or two but as he came up he was disappointed to find  that the gleams proceeded from some of those farmhouses which  occasionally ornamented the surface of the extensive bog
at length to  complete his perplexity he arrived at a place where the road divided into  two
if there had been light to consult the relics of a fingerpost which  stood there it would have been of little avail as according to the good  custom of north britain the inscription had been defaced shortly after  its erection
our adventurer was therefore compelled like a knighterrant  of old to trust to the sagacity of his horse which without any demur  chose the lefthand path and seemed to proceed at a somewhat livelier  pace than before affording thereby a hope that he knew he was drawing  near to his quarters for the evening
this hope however was not speedily  accomplished and mannering whose impatience made every furlong seem  three began to think that kippletringan was actually retreating before  him in proportion to his advance
it was now very cloudy although the stars from time to time shed a  twinkling and uncertain light
hitherto nothing had broken the silence  around him but the deep cry of the bogblitter or bullofthebog a  large species of bittern and the sighs of the wind as it passed along the  dreary morass
to these was now joined the distant roar of the ocean  towards which the traveller seemed to be fast approaching
this was no  circumstance to make his mind easy
many of the roads in that country lay  along the seabeach and were liable to be flooded by the tides which  rise with great height and advance with extreme rapidity
others were  intersected with creeks and small inlets which it was only safe to pass  at particular times of the tide
neither circumstance would have suited a  dark night a fatigued horse and a traveller ignorant of his road
mannering resolved therefore definitively to halt for the night at the  first inhabited place however poor he might chance to reach unless he  could procure a guide to this unlucky village of kippletringan
a miserable hut gave him an opportunity to execute his purpose
he found  out the door with no small difficulty and for some time knocked without  producing any other answer than a duet between a female and a curdog the  latter yelping as if he would have barked his heart out the other  screaming in chorus
by degrees the human tones predominated but the  angry bark of the cur being at the instant changed into a howl it is  probable something more than fair strength of lungs had contributed to the  ascendency
‘sorrow be in your thrapple then’ these were the first articulate words  ‘will ye no let me hear what the man wants wi’ your yaffing’  ‘am i far from kippletringan good dame’  ‘frae kippletringan
’ in an exalted tone of wonder which we can but  faintly express by three points of admiration
‘ow man
ye should hae  hadden eassel to kippletringan ye maun gae back as far as the whaap and  baud the whaap till ye come to ballenloan and then’  ‘this will never do good dame
my horse is almost quite knocked up can  you not give me a night’s lodgings’  ‘troth can i no i am a lone woman for james he’s awa to drumshourloch  fair with the yearaulds and i daurna for my life open the door to ony o’  your gangthereout sort o’ bodies’  ‘but what must i do then good dame
for i can’t sleep here upon the road  all night’  ‘troth i kenna unless ye like to gae down and speer for quarters at the  place
i’se warrant they’ll tak ye in whether ye be gentle or semple’  ‘simple enough to be wandering here at such a time of night’ thought  mannering who was ignorant of the meaning of the phrase ‘but how shall i  get to the place as you call it’  ‘ye maun baud wessel by the end o’ the loan and take tent o’ the  jawhole’  ‘o if ye get to eassel and wessel again i am undone
is there nobody  that could guide me to this place
i will pay him handsomely’  the word pay operated like magic
‘jock ye villain’ exclaimed the voice  from the interior ‘are ye lying routing there and a young gentleman  seeking the way to the place
get up ye fause loon and show him the way  down the muckle loaning
he’ll show you the way sir and i’se warrant  ye’ll be weel put up for they never turn awa naebody frae the door and  ye ‘ll be come in the canny moment i’m thinking for the laird’s  servantthat’s no to say his bodyservant but the helper likerade  express by this e’en to fetch the houdie and he just staid the drinking  o’ twa pints o’ tippenny to tell us how my leddy was ta’en wi’ her pains’  ‘perhaps’ said mannering ‘at such a time a stranger’s arrival might be  inconvenient’  ‘hout na ye needna be blate about that their house is muckle eneugh  and decking time’s aye canty time’  by this time jock had found his way into all the intricacies of a tattered  doublet and more tattered pair of breeches and sallied forth a great  whiteheaded barelegged lubberly boy of twelve years old so exhibited  by the glimpse of a rushlight which his halfnaked mother held in such a  manner as to get a peep at the stranger without greatly exposing herself  to view in return
jock moved on westward by the end of the house leading  mannering’s horse by the bridle and piloting with some dexterity along  the little path which bordered the formidable jawhole whose vicinity the  stranger was made sensible of by means of more organs than one
his guide  then dragged the weary hack along a broken and stony carttrack next over  a ploughed field then broke down a slap as he called it in a drystone  fence and lugged the unresisting animal through the breach about a rood  of the simple masonry giving way in the splutter with which he passed
finally he led the way through a wicket into something which had still  the air of an avenue though many of the trees were felled
the roar of  the ocean was now near and full and the moon which began to make her  appearance gleamed on a turreted and apparently a ruined mansion of  considerable extent
mannering fixed his eyes upon it with a disconsolate  sensation
chapter ii  comes me cranking in  and cuts me from the best of all my land  a huge halfmoon a monstrous cantle out  henry iv part 1
the company in the parlour at ellangowan consisted of the laird and a sort  of person who might be the village schoolmaster or perhaps the minister’s  assistant his appearance was too shabby to indicate the minister  considering he was on a visit to the laird
the laird himself was one of those secondrate sort of persons that are to  be found frequently in rural situations
fielding has described one class  as feras consumere nati but the love of fieldsports indicates a certain  activity of mind which had forsaken mr bertram if ever he possessed it
a goodhumoured listlessness of countenance formed the only remarkable  expression of his features although they were rather handsome than  otherwise
in fact his physiognomy indicated the inanity of character  which pervaded his life
i will give the reader some insight into his  state and conversation before he has finished a long lecture to mannering  upon the propriety and comfort of wrapping his stirrupirons round with a  wisp of straw when he had occasion to ride in a chill evening
godfrey bertram of ellangowan succeeded to a long pedigree and a short  rentroll like many lairds of that period
his list of forefathers  ascended so high that they were lost in the barbarous ages of galwegian  independence so that his genealogical tree besides the christian and  crusading names of godfreys and gilberts and dennises and rolands  without end bore heathen fruit of yet darker agesarths and knarths  and donagilds and hanlons
in truth they had been formerly the stormy  chiefs of a desert but extensive domain and the heads of a numerous tribe  called macdingawaie though they afterwards adopted the norman surname of  bertram
they had made war raised rebellions been defeated beheaded  and hanged as became a family of importance for many centuries
but they  had gradually lost ground in the world and from being themselves the  heads of treason and traitorous conspiracies the bertrams or  macdingawaies of ellangowan had sunk into subordinate accomplices
their  most fatal exhibitions in this capacity took place in the seventeenth  century when the foul fiend possessed them with a spirit of  contradiction which uniformly involved them in controversy with the  ruling powers
they reversed the conduct of the celebrated vicar of bray  and adhered as tenaciously to the weaker side as that worthy divine to the  stronger
and truly like him they had their reward
enlarge   allan bertram of ellangowan who flourished tempore caroli primi was  says my authority sir robert douglas in his scottish baronage see the  title ‘ellangowan’ ‘a steady loyalist and full of zeal for the cause of  his sacred majesty in which he united with the great marquis of montrose  and other truly zealous and honourable patriots and sustained great  losses in that behalf
he had the honour of knighthood conferred upon him  by his most sacred majesty and was sequestrated as a malignant by the  parliament 1642 and afterwards as a resolutioner in the year 1648’  these two crossgrained epithets of malignant and resolutioner cost poor  sir allan one half of the family estate
his son dennis bertram married a  daughter of an eminent fanatic who had a seat in the council of state and  saved by that union the remainder of the family property
but as ill  chance would have it he became enamoured of the lady’s principles as well  as of her charms and my author gives him this character ‘he was a man of  eminent parts and resolution for which reason he was chosen by the  western counties one of the committee of noblemen and gentlemen to report  their griefs to the privy council of charles ii
anent the coming in of  the highland host in 1678’ for undertaking this patriotic task he  underwent a fine to pay which he was obliged to mortgage half of the  remaining moiety of his paternal property
this loss he might have  recovered by dint of severe economy but on the breaking out of argyle’s  rebellion dennis bertram was again suspected by government apprehended  sent to dunnotar castle on the coast of the mearns and there broke his  neck in an attempt to escape from a subterranean habitation called the  whigs’ vault in which he was confined with some eighty of the same  persuasion
the apprizer therefore as the holder of a mortgage was then  called entered upon possession and in the language of hotspur ‘came me  cranking in’ and cut the family out of another monstrous cantle of their  remaining property
donohoe bertram with somewhat of an irish name and somewhat of an irish  temper succeeded to the diminished property of ellangowan
he turned out  of doors the reverend aaron macbriar his mother’s chaplain it is said  they quarrelled about the good graces of a milkmaid drank himself daily  drunk with brimming healths to the king council and bishops held orgies  with the laird of lagg theophilus oglethorpe and sir james turner and  lastly took his grey gelding and joined clavers at killiecrankie
at the  skirmish of dunkeld 1689 he was shot dead by a cameronian with a silver  button being supposed to have proof from the evil one against lead and  steel and his grave is still called the wicked laird’s lair
his son lewis had more prudence than seems usually to have belonged to the  family
he nursed what property was yet left to him for donohoe’s  excesses as well as fines and forfeitures had made another inroad upon  the estate
and although even he did not escape the fatality which induced  the lairds of ellangowan to interfere with politics he had yet the  prudence ere he went out with lord kenmore in 1715 to convey his estate  to trustees in order to parry pains and penalties in case the earl of mar  could not put down the protestant succession
but scylla and charybdisa  word to the wisehe only saved his estate at expense of a lawsuit which  again subdivided the family property
he was however a man of  resolution
he sold part of the lands evacuated the old cattle where the  family lived in their decadence as a mouse said an old farmer lives  under a firlot
pulling down part of these venerable ruins he built with  the stones a narrow house of three stories high with a front like a  grenadier’s cap having in the very centre a round window like the single  eye of a cyclops two windows on each side and a door in the middle  leading to a parlour and withdrawingroom full of all manner of cross  lights
this was the new place of ellangowan in which we left our hero better  amused perhaps than our readers and to this lewis bertram retreated full  of projects for reestablishing the prosperity of his family
he took some  land into his own hand rented some from neighbouring proprietors bought  and sold highland cattle and cheviot sheep rode to fairs and trysts  fought hard bargains and held necessity at the staff’s end as well as he  might
but what he gained in purse he lost in honour for such  agricultural and commercial negotiations were very ill looked upon by his  brother lairds who minded nothing but cockfighting hunting coursing  and horseracing with now and then the alternative of a desperate duel
the occupations which he followed encroached in their opinion upon the  article of ellangowan’s gentry and he found it necessary gradually to  estrange himself from their society and sink into what was then a very  ambiguous character a gentleman farmer
in the midst of his schemes death  claimed his tribute and the scanty remains of a large property descended  upon godfrey bertram the present possessor his only son
the danger of the father’s speculations was soon seen
deprived of laird  lewis’s personal and active superintendence all his undertakings  miscarried and became either abortive or perilous
without a single spark  of energy to meet or repel these misfortunes godfrey put his faith in the  activity of another
he kept neither hunters nor hounds nor any other  southern preliminaries to ruin but as has been observed of his  countrymen he kept a man of business who answered the purpose equally  well
under this gentleman’s supervision small debts grew into large  interests were accumulated upon capitals movable bonds became heritable  and law charges were heaped upon all though ellangowan possessed so  little the spirit of a litigant that he was on two occasions charged to  make payment of the expenses of a long lawsuit although he had never  before heard that he had such cases in court
meanwhile his neighbours  predicted his final ruin
those of the higher rank with some malignity  accounted him already a degraded brother
the lower classes seeing  nothing enviable in his situation marked his embarrassments with more  compassion
he was even a kind of favourite with them and upon the  division of a common or the holding of a blackfishing or poaching court  or any similar occasion when they conceived themselves oppressed by the  gentry they were in the habit of saying to each other ‘ah if  ellangowan honest man had his ain that his forbears had afore him he  wadna see the puir folk trodden down this gait’ meanwhile this general  good opinion never prevented their taking advantage of him on all possible  occasions turning their cattle into his parks stealing his wood  shooting his game and so forth ‘for the laird honest man he’ll never  find it he never minds what a puir body does’ pedlars gipsies tinkers  vagrants of all descriptions roosted about his outhouses or harboured in  his kitchen and the laird who was ‘nae nice body’ but a thorough  gossip like most weak men found recompense for his hospitality in the  pleasure of questioning them on the news of the country side
a circumstance arrested ellangowan’s progress on the highroad to ruin
this was his marriage with a lady who had a portion of about four thousand  pounds
nobody in the neighbourhood could conceive why she married him and  endowed him with her wealth unless because he had a tall handsome  figure a good set of features a genteel address and the most perfect  goodhumour
it might be some additional consideration that she was  herself at the reflecting age of twentyeight and had no near relations  to control her actions or choice
it was in this lady’s behalf confined for the first time after her  marriage that the speedy and active express mentioned by the old dame of  the cottage had been despatched to kippletringan on the night of  mannering’s arrival
though we have said so much of the laird himself it still remains that we  make the reader in some degree acquainted with his companion
this was  abel sampson commonly called from his occupation as a pedagogue dominie  sampson
he was of low birth but having evinced even from his cradle an  uncommon seriousness of disposition the poor parents were encouraged to  hope that their bairn as they expressed it ‘might wag his pow in a  pulpit yet’ with an ambitious view to such a consummation they pinched  and pared rose early and lay down late ate dry bread and drank cold  water to secure to abel the means of learning
meantime his tall  ungainly figure his taciturn and grave manners and some grotesque habits  of swinging his limbs and screwing his visage while reciting his task  made poor sampson the ridicule of all his schoolcompanions
the same  qualities secured him at glasgow college a plentiful share of the same  sort of notice
half the youthful mob of ‘the yards’ used to assemble  regularly to see dominie sampson for he had already attained that  honourable title descend the stairs from the greek class with his  lexicon under his arm his long misshapen legs sprawling abroad and  keeping awkward time to the play of his immense shoulderblades as they  raised and depressed the loose and threadbare black coat which was his  constant and only wear
when he spoke the efforts of the professor  professor of divinity though he was were totally inadequate to restrain  the inextinguishable laughter of the students and sometimes even to  repress his own
the long sallow visage the goggle eyes the huge  underjaw which appeared not to open and shut by an act of volition but  to be dropped and hoisted up again by some complicated machinery within  the inner man the harsh and dissonant voice and the screechowl notes to  which it was exalted when he was exhorted to pronounce more  distinctlyall added fresh subject for mirth to the torn cloak and  shattered shoe which have afforded legitimate subjects of raillery  against the poor scholar from juvenal’s time downward
it was never known  that sampson either exhibited irritability at this ill usage or made the  least attempt to retort upon his tormentors
he slunk from college by the  most secret paths he could discover and plunged himself into his  miserable lodging where for eighteenpence a week he was allowed the  benefit of a straw mattress and if his landlady was in good humour  permission to study his task by her fire
under all these disadvantages  he obtained a competent knowledge of greek and latin and some  acquaintance with the sciences
chapter iii  do not the hist’ries of all ages  relate miraculous presages  of strange turns in the world’s affairs  foreseen by astrologers soothsayers  chaldeans learned genethliacs  and some that have writ almanacks
hudibras
the circumstances of the landlady were pleaded to mannering first as an  apology for her not appearing to welcome her guest and for those  deficiencies in his entertainment which her attention might have supplied  and then as an excuse for pressing an extra bottle of good wine
‘i cannot  weel sleep’ said the laird with the anxious feelings of a father in such  a predicament ‘till i hear she’s gotten ower with it and if you sir  are not very sleepery and would do me and the dominie the honour to sit  up wi’ us i am sure we shall not detain you very late
luckie howatson is  very expeditious
there was ance a lass that was in that way she did not  live far from hereaboutsye needna shake your head and groan dominie i  am sure the kirk dues were a’ weel paid and what can man do mairit was  laid till her ere she had a sark ower her head and the man that she since  wadded does not think her a pin the waur for the misfortune
they live  mr mannering by the shoreside at annan and a mair decent orderly  couple with six as fine bairns as ye would wish to see plash in a  saltwater dub and little curlie godfreythat’s the eldest the come o’  will as i may sayhe’s on board an excise yacht
i hae a cousin at the  board of excise that’s commissioner bertram he got his commissionership  in the great contest for the county that ye must have heard of for it  was appealed to the house of commons
now i should have voted there for  the laird of balruddery but ye see my father was a jacobite and out with  kenmore so he never took the oaths and i ken not weel how it was but  all that i could do and say they keepit me off the roll though my agent  that had a vote upon my estate ranked as a good vote for auld sir thomas  kittlecourt
but to return to what i was saying luckie howatson is very  expeditious for this lass’  here the desultory and longwinded narrative of the laird was interrupted  by the voice of some one ascending the stairs from the kitchen story and  singing at full pitch of voice
the high notes were too shrill for a man  the low seemed too deep for a woman
the words as far as mannering could  distinguish them seemed to run thus  canny moment lucky fit
is the lady lighter yet
be it lad or be it lass  sign wi’ cross and sain wi’ mass
‘it’s meg merrilies the gipsy as sure as i am a sinner’ said mr  bertram
the dominie groaned deeply uncrossed his legs drew in the huge  splay foot which his former posture had extended placed it  perpendicularly and stretched the other limb over it instead puffing out  between whiles huge volumes of tobacco smoke
‘what needs ye groan  dominie
i am sure meg’s sangs do nae ill’  ‘nor good neither’ answered dominie sampson in a voice whose untuneable  harshness corresponded with the awkwardness of his figure
they were the  first words which mannering had heard him speak and as he had been  watching with some curiosity when this eating drinking moving and  smoking automaton would perform the part of speaking he was a good deal  diverted with the harsh timber tones which issued from him
but at this  moment the door opened and meg merrilies entered
her appearance made mannering start
she was full six feet high wore a  man’s greatcoat over the rest of her dress had in her hand a goodly  sloethorn cudgel and in all points of equipment except her petticoats  seemed rather masculine than feminine
her dark elflocks shot out like  the snakes of the gorgon between an oldfashioned bonnet called a  bongrace heightening the singular effect of her strong and weatherbeaten  features which they partly shadowed while her eye had a wild roll that  indicated something like real or affected insanity
‘aweel ellangowan’ she said ‘wad it no hae been a bonnie thing an the  leddy had been brought to bed and me at the fair o’ drumshourloch no  kenning nor dreaming a word about it
wha was to hae keepit awa the  worriecows i trow
ay and the elves and gyrecarlings frae the bonnie  bairn grace be wi’ it
ay or said saint colme’s charm for its sake the  dear’ and without waiting an answer she began to sing  trefoil vervain john’swort dill  hinders witches of their  will weel is them that weel may  fast upon saint andrew’s day
saint bride and her brat  saint colme and his cat  saint michael and his spear  keep the house frae reif and wear
this charm she sung to a wild tune in a high and shrill voice and  cutting three capers with such strength and agility as almost to touch the  roof of the room concluded ‘and now laird will ye no order me a tass  o’ brandy’  ‘that you shall have meg
sit down yont there at the door and tell us  what news ye have heard at the fair o’ drumshourloch’  ‘troth laird and there was muckle want o’ you and the like o’ you for  there was a whin bonnie lasses there forbye mysell and deil ane to gie  them hansels’  ‘weel meg and how mony gipsies were sent to the tolbooth’  ‘troth but three laird for there were nae mair in the fair bye mysell  as i said before and i e’en gae them legbail for there’s nae ease in  dealing wi’ quarrelsome fowk
and there’s dunbog has warned the red rotten  and john young aff his grundsblack be his cast
he’s nae gentleman nor  drap’s bluid o’ gentleman wad grudge twa gangrel puir bodies the shelter  o’ a waste house and the thristles by the roadside for a bit cuddy and  the bits o’ rotten birk to boil their drap parritch wi’
weel there’s ane  abune a’ but we’ll see if the red cock craw not in his bonnie barnyard  ae morning before daydawing’  ‘hush
meg hush
hush
that’s not safe talk’  ‘what does she mean’ said mannering to sampson in an undertone
‘fireraising’ answered the laconic dominie
‘who or what is she in the name of wonder’  ‘harlot thief witch and gipsy’ answered sampson again
‘o troth laird’ continued meg during this bytalk ‘it’s but to the  like o’ you ane can open their heart ye see they say dunbog is nae mair  a gentleman than the blunker that’s biggit the bonnie house down in the  howm
but the like o’ you laird that’s a real gentleman for sae mony  hundred years and never hunds puir fowk aff your grund as if they were  mad tykes nane o’ our fowk wad stir your gear if ye had as mony capons as  there’s leaves on the trystingtree
and now some o’ ye maun lay down your  watch and tell me the very minute o’ the hour the wean’s born an i’ll  spae its fortune’  ‘ay but meg we shall not want your assistance for here’s a student  from oxford that kens much better than you how to spae its fortune he  does it by the stars’  ‘certainly sir’ said mannering entering into the simple humour of his  landlord ‘i will calculate his nativity according to the rule of the  “triplicities� as recommended by pythagoras hippocrates diocles and  avicenna
or i will begin ab hora questionis as haly messahala  ganwehis and guido bonatus have recommended’  one of sampson’s great recommendations to the favour of mr bertram was  that he never detected the most gross attempt at imposition so that the  laird whose humble efforts at jocularity were chiefly confined to what  were then called bites and bams since denominated hoaxes and quizzes had  the fairest possible subject of wit in the unsuspecting dominie
it is  true he never laughed or joined in the laugh which his own simplicity  affordednay it is said he never laughed but once in his life and on  that memorable occasion his landlady miscarried partly through surprise  at the event itself and partly from terror at the hideous grimaces which  attended this unusual cachinnation
the only effect which the discovery of  such impositions produced upon this saturnine personage was to extort an  ejaculation of ‘prodigious’ or ‘very facetious’ pronounced syllabically  but without moving a muscle of his own countenance
on the present occasion he turned a gaunt and ghastly stare upon the  youthful astrologer and seemed to doubt if he had rightly understood his  answer to his patron
‘i am afraid sir’ said mannering turning towards him ‘you may be one  of those unhappy persons who their dim eyes being unable to penetrate the  starry spheres and to discern therein the decrees of heaven at a  distance have their hearts barred against conviction by prejudice and  misprision’  ‘truly’ said sampson ‘i opine with sir isaac newton knight and umwhile  master of his majesty’s mint that the pretended science of astrology is  altogether vain frivolous and unsatisfactory’ and here he reposed his  oracular jaws
‘really’ resumed the traveller ‘i am sorry to see a gentleman of your  learning and gravity labouring under such strange blindness and delusion
will you place the brief the modern and as i may say the vernacular  name of isaac newton in opposition to the grave and sonorous authorities  of dariot bonatus ptolemy haly eztler dieterick naibob harfurt  zael taustettor agrippa duretus maginus origen and argol
do not  christians and heathens and jews and gentiles and poets and  philosophers unite in allowing the starry influences’  ‘communis errorit is a general mistake’ answered the inflexible dominie  sampson
‘not so’ replied the young englishman ‘it is a general and wellgrounded  belief’  ‘it is the resource of cheaters knaves and cozeners’ said sampson
‘abusus non tollit usumthe abuse of anything doth not abrogate the  lawful use thereof’    chapter iv  come and see’ trust thine own eyes  a fearful sign stands in the house of life  an enemy a fiend lurks close behind  the radiance of thy planet o be warned
coleridge from schiller  the belief in astrology was almost universal in the middle of the  seventeenth century it began to waver and become doubtful towards the  close of that period and in the beginning of the eighteenth the art fell  into general disrepute and even under general ridicule
yet it still  retained many partizans even in the seats of learning
grave and studious  men were loath to relinquish the calculations which had early become the  principal objects of their studies and felt reluctant to descend from the  predominating height to which a supposed insight into futurity by the  power of consulting abstract influences and conjunctions had exalted them  over the rest of mankind
among those who cherished this imaginary privilege with undoubting faith  was an old clergyman with whom mannering was placed during his youth
he  wasted his eyes in observing the stars and his brains in calculations  upon their various combinations
his pupil in early youth naturally  caught some portion of his enthusiasm and laboured for a time to make  himself master of the technical process of astrological research so that  before he became convinced of its absurdity william lilly himself would  have allowed him ‘a curious fancy and piercing judgment in resolving a  question of nativity’  on the present occasion he arose as early in the morning as the shortness  of the day permitted and proceeded to calculate the nativity of the young  heir of ellangowan
he undertook the task secundum artem as well to keep  up appearances as from a sort of curiosity to know whether he yet  remembered and could practise the imaginary science
he accordingly  erected his scheme or figure of heaven divided into its twelve houses  placed the planets therein according to the ephemeris and rectified their  position to the hour and moment of the nativity
without troubling our  readers with the general prognostications which judicial astrology would  have inferred from these circumstances in this diagram there was one  significator which pressed remarkably upon our astrologer’s attention
mars having dignity in the cusp of the twelfth house threatened  captivity or sudden and violent death to the native and mannering having  recourse to those further rules by which diviners pretend to ascertain the  vehemency of this evil direction observed from the result that three  periods would be particularly hazardoushis fifth his tenth his  twentyfirst year
it was somewhat remarkable that mannering had once before tried a similar  piece of foolery at the instance of sophia wellwood the young lady to  whom he was attached and that a similar conjunction of planetary  influence threatened her with death or imprisonment in her thirtyninth  year
she was at this time eighteen so that according to the result of  the scheme in both cases the same year threatened her with the same  misfortune that was presaged to the native or infant whom that night had  introduced into the world
struck with this coincidence mannering  repeated his calculations and the result approximated the events  predicted until at length the same month and day of the month seemed  assigned as the period of peril to both
it will be readily believed that in mentioning this circumstance we lay  no weight whatever upon the pretended information thus conveyed
but it  often happens such is our natural love for the marvellous that we  willingly contribute our own efforts to beguile our better judgments
whether the coincidence which i have mentioned was really one of those  singular chances which sometimes happen against all ordinary calculations  or whether mannering bewildered amid the arithmetical labyrinth and  technical jargon of astrology had insensibly twice followed the same clue  to guide him out of the maze or whether his imagination seduced by some  point of apparent resemblance lent its aid to make the similitude between  the two operations more exactly accurate than it might otherwise have  been it is impossible to guess but the impression upon his mind that the  results exactly corresponded was vividly and indelibly strong
he could not help feeling surprise at a coincidence so singular and  unexpected
‘does the devil mingle in the dance to avenge himself for our  trifling with an art said to be of magical origin
or is it possible as  bacon and sir thomas browne admit that there is some truth in a sober and  regulated astrology and that the influence of the stars is not to be  denied though the due application of it by the knaves who pretend to  practise the art is greatly to be suspected’ a moment’s consideration of  the subject induced him to dismiss this opinion as fantastical and only  sanctioned by those learned men either because they durst not at once  shock the universal prejudices of their age or because they themselves  were not altogether freed from the contagious influence of a prevailing  superstition
yet the result of his calculations in these two instances  left so unpleasing an impression on his mind that like prospero he  mentally relinquished his art and resolved neither in jest nor earnest  ever again to practise judicial astrology
he hesitated a good deal what he should say to the laird of ellangowan  concerning the horoscope of his firstborn and at length resolved plainly  to tell him the judgment which he had formed at the same time acquainting  him with the futility of the rules of art on which he had proceeded
with  this resolution he walked out upon the terrace
if the view of the scene around ellangowan had been pleasing by moonlight  it lost none of its beauty by the light of the morning sun
the land even  in the month of november smiled under its influence
a steep but regular  ascent led from the terrace to the neighbouring eminence and conducted  mannering to the front of the old castle
it consisted of two massive  round towers projecting deeply and darkly at the extreme angles of a  curtain or flat wall which united them and thus protecting the main  entrance that opened through a lofty arch in the centre of the curtain  into the inner court of the castle
the arms of the family carved in  freestone frowned over the gateway and the portal showed the spaces  arranged by the architect for lowering the portcullis and raising the  drawbridge
a rude farmgate made of young firtrees nailed together now  formed the only safeguard of this once formidable entrance
the esplanade  in front of the castle commanded a noble prospect
the dreary scene of desolation through which mannering’s road had lain on  the preceding evening was excluded from the view by some rising ground  and the landscape showed a pleasing alternation of hill and dale  intersected by a river which was in some places visible and hidden in  others where it rolled betwixt deep and wooded banks
the spire of a  church and the appearance of some houses indicated the situation of a  village at the place where the stream had its junction with the ocean
the  vales seemed well cultivated the little inclosures into which they were  divided skirting the bottom of the hills and sometimes carrying their  lines of straggling hedgerows a little way up the ascent
above these were  green pastures tenanted chiefly by herds of black cattle then the staple  commodity of the country whose distant low gave no unpleasing animation  to the landscape
the remoter hills were of a sterner character and at  still greater distance swelled into mountains of dark heath bordering  the horizon with a screen which gave a defined and limited boundary to the  cultivated country and added at the same time the pleasing idea that it  was sequestered and solitary
the seacoast which mannering now saw in  its extent corresponded in variety and beauty with the inland view
in  some places it rose into tall rocks frequently crowned with the ruins of  old buildings towers or beacons which according to tradition were  placed within sight of each other that in times of invasion or civil  war they might communicate by signal for mutual defence and protection
ellangowan castle was by far the most extensive and important of these  ruins and asserted from size and situation the superiority which its  founders were said once to have possessed among the chiefs and nobles of  the district
in other places the shore was of a more gentle description  indented with small bays where the land sloped smoothly down or sent  into the sea promontories covered with wood
enlarge   a scene so different from what last night’s journey had presaged produced  a proportional effect upon mannering
beneath his eye lay the modern  housean awkward mansion indeed in point of architecture but well  situated and with a warm pleasant exposure
‘how happily’ thought our  hero ‘would life glide on in such a retirement
on the one hand the  striking remnants of ancient grandeur with the secret consciousness of  family pride which they inspire on the other enough of modern elegance  and comfort to satisfy every moderate wish
here then and with thee  sophia’  we shall not pursue a lover’s daydream any farther
mannering stood a  minute with his arms folded and then turned to the ruined castle
on entering the gateway he found that the rude magnificence of the inner  court amply corresponded with the grandeur of the exterior
on the one  side ran a range of windows lofty and large divided by carved mullions of  stone which had once lighted the great hall of the castle on the other  were various buildings of different heights and dates yet so united as to  present to the eye a certain general effect of uniformity of front
the  doors and windows were ornamented with projections exhibiting rude  specimens of sculpture and tracery partly entire and partly broken down  partly covered by ivy and trailing plants which grew luxuriantly among  the ruins
that end of the court which faced the entrance had also been  formerly closed by a range of buildings but owing it was said to its  having been battered by the ships of the parliament under deane during  the long civil war this part of the castle was much more ruinous than the  rest and exhibited a great chasm through which mannering could observe  the sea and the little vessel an armed lugger which retained her  station in the centre of the bay
footnote the outline of the above  description as far as the supposed ruins are concerned will be found  somewhat to resemble the noble remains of carlaverock castle six or seven  miles from dumfries and near to lochar moss
while mannering was gazing  round the ruins he heard from the interior of an apartment on the left  hand the voice of the gipsy he had seen on the preceding evening
he soon  found an aperture through which he could observe her without being himself  visible and could not help feeling that her figure her employment and  her situation conveyed the exact impression of an ancient sibyl
she sate upon a broken cornerstone in the angle of a paved apartment  part of which she had swept clean to afford a smooth space for the  evolutions of her spindle
a strong sunbeam through a lofty and narrow  window fell upon her wild dress and features and afforded her light for  her occupation the rest of the apartment was very gloomy
equipt in a  habit which mingled the national dress of the scottish common people with  something of an eastern costume she spun a thread drawn from wool of  three different colours black white and grey by assistance of those  ancient implements of housewifery now almost banished from the land the  distaff and spindle
as she spun she sung what seemed to be a charm
mannering after in vain attempting to make himself master of the exact  words of her song afterwards attempted the following paraphrase of what  from a few intelligible phrases he concluded to be its purport  twist ye twine ye
even so  mingle shades of joy and woe  hope and fear and peace and strife  in the thread of human life
while the mystic twist is spinning  and the infant’s life beginning  dimly seen through twilight bending  lo what varied shapes attending
passions wild and follies vain  pleasures soon exchanged for pain  doubt and jealousy and fear  in the magic dance appear
now they wax and now they dwindle  whirling with the whirling spindle
twist ye twine ye
even so  mingle human bliss and woe
ere our translator or rather our free imitator had arranged these  stanzas in his head and while he was yet hammering out a rhyme for  dwindle the task of the sibyl was accomplished or her wool was expended
she took the spindle now charged with her labours and undoing the  thread gradually measured it by casting it over her elbow and bringing  each loop round between her forefinger and thumb
when she had measured it  out she muttered to herself’a hank but not a haill anethe full years  o’ three score and ten but thrice broken and thrice to oop ie
to  unite he’ll be a lucky lad an he win through wi’t’  our hero was about to speak to the prophetess when a voice hoarse as the  waves with which it mingled hallooed twice and with increasing  impatience’meg meg merrilies
gipsyhagtausend deyvils’  ‘i am coming i am coming captain’ answered meg and in a moment or two  the impatient commander whom she addressed made his appearance from the  broken part of the ruins
chapter iv  you have fed upon my seignories  dispark’d my parks and fell’d my forest woods  from mine own windows torn my household coat  razed out my impress leaving me no sign  save men’s opinions and my living blood  to show the world i am a gentleman
richard ii
when the boat which carried the worthy captain on board his vessel had  accomplished that task the sails began to ascend and the ship was got  under way
she fired three guns as a salute to the house of ellangowan  and then shot away rapidly before the wind which blew off shore under  all the sail she could crowd
‘ay ay’ said the laird who had sought mannering for some time and now  joined him ‘there they gothere go the freetradersthere go captain  dirk hatteraick and the yungfrauw hagenslaapen half manks half dutchman  half devil
run out the boltsprit up mainsail top and topgallant sails  royals and skyscrapers and awayfollow who can
that fellow mr  mannering is the terror of all the excise and customhouse cruisers they  can make nothing of him he drubs them or he distances themand  speaking of excise i come to bring you to breakfast and you shall have  some tea that’  mannering by this time was aware that one thought linked strangely on to  another in the concatenation of worthy mr bertram’s ideas  like orient pearls at random strung  and therefore before the current of his associations had drifted farther  from the point he had left he brought him back by some inquiry about dirk  hatteraick
‘o he’s aagude sort of blackguard fellow eneugh naebody cares to  trouble himsmuggler when his guns are in ballastprivateer or pirate  faith when he gets them mounted
he has done more mischief to the revenue  folk than ony rogue that ever came out of ramsay’  ‘but my good sir such being his character i wonder he has any  protection and encouragement on this coast’  ‘why mr mannering people must have brandy and tea and there’s none in  the country but what comes this way and then there’s short accounts and  maybe a keg or two or a dozen pounds left at your stabledoor instead  of a dd lang account at christmas from duncan robb the grocer at  kippletringan who has aye a sum to make up and either wants ready money  or a shortdated bill
now hatteraick will take wood or he’ll take bark  or he’ll take barley or he’ll take just what’s convenient at the time
i’ll tell you a gude story about that
there was ance a lairdthat’s  macfie of gudgeonfordhe had a great number of kain hensthat’s hens  that the tenant pays to the landlord like a sort of rent in kind
they  aye feed mine very ill luckie finniston sent up three that were a shame  to be seen only last week and yet she has twelve bows sowing of victual  indeed her goodman duncan finnistonthat’s him that’s gonewe must all  die mr mannering that’s ower trueand speaking of that let us live  in the meanwhile for here’s breakfast on the table and the dominie ready  to say the grace’  the dominie did accordingly pronounce a benediction that exceeded in  length any speech which mannering had yet heard him utter
the tea which  of course belonged to the noble captain hatteraick’s trade was pronounced  excellent
still mannering hinted though with due delicacy at the risk  of encouraging such desperate characters
‘were it but in justice to the  revenue i should have supposed’  ‘ah the revenue lads’for mr bertram never embraced a general or  abstract idea and his notion of the revenue was personified in the  commissioners surveyors comptrollers and riding officers whom he  happened to know’the revenue lads can look sharp eneugh out for  themselves no ane needs to help them and they have a’ the soldiers to  assist them besides and as to justiceyou ‘ll be surprised to hear it  mr mannering but i am not a justice of peace’  mannering assumed the expected look of surprise but thought within  himself that the worshipful bench suffered no great deprivation from  wanting the assistance of his goodhumoured landlord
mr bertram had now  hit upon one of the few subjects on which he felt sore and went on with  some energy
‘no sir the name of godfrey bertram of ellangowan is not in the last  commission though there’s scarce a carle in the country that has a  ploughgate of land but what he must ride to quartersessions and write  jp after his name
i ken fu’ weel whom i am obliged tosir thomas  kittlecourt as good as tell’d me he would sit in my skirts if he had not  my interest at the last election and because i chose to go with my own  blood and third cousin the laird of balruddery they keepit me off the  roll of freeholders and now there comes a new nomination of justices and  i am left out
and whereas they pretend it was because i let david  macguffog the constable draw the warrants and manage the business his  ain gate as if i had been a nose o’ wax it’s a main untruth for i  granted but seven warrants in my life and the dominie wrote every one of  themand if it had not been that unlucky business of sandy macgruthar’s  that the constables should have keepit twa or three days up yonder at the  auld castle just till they could get conveniency to send him to the  county jailand that cost me eneugh o’ siller
but i ken what sir thomas  wants very weelit was just sic and siclike about the seat in the kirk o’  kilmagirdlewas i not entitled to have the front gallery facing the  minister rather than maccrosskie of creochstone the son of deacon  maccrosskie the dumfries weaver’  mannering expressed his acquiescence in the justice of these various  complaints
‘and then mr mannering there was the story about the road and the  faulddike
i ken sir thomas was behind there and i said plainly to the  clerk to the trustees that i saw the cloven foot let them take that as  they like
would any gentleman or set of gentlemen go and drive a road  right through the corner of a faulddike and take away as my agent  observed to them like twa roods of gude moorland pasture
and there was  the story about choosing the collector of the cess’  ‘certainly sir it is hard you should meet with any neglect in a country  where to judge from the extent of their residence your ancestors must  have made a very important figure’  ‘very true mr mannering i am a plain man and do not dwell on these  things and i must needs say i have little memory for them but i wish ye  could have heard my father’s stories about the auld fights of the  macdingawaiesthat’s the bertrams that now iswi’ the irish and wi’ the  highlanders that came here in their berlings from ilay and cantire and  how they went to the holy landthat is to jerusalem and jericho wi’ a’  their clan at their heelsthey had better have gaen to jamaica like sir  thomas kittlecourt’s uncleand how they brought hame relics like those  that catholics have and a flag that’s up yonder in the garret
if they  had been casks of muscavado and puncheons of rum it would have been better  for the estate at this day but there’s little comparison between the auld  keep at kittlecourt and the castle o’ ellangowan i doubt if the keep’s  forty feet of front
but ye make no breakfast mr mannering ye’re no  eating your meat allow me to recommend some of the kipper
it was john  hay that catcht it saturday was three weeks down at the stream below  hempseed ford’ etc
etc
etc
the laird whose indignation had for some time kept him pretty steady to  one topic now launched forth into his usual roving style of conversation  which gave mannering ample time to reflect upon the disadvantages  attending the situation which an hour before he had thought worthy of so  much envy
here was a country gentleman whose most estimable quality  seemed his perfect goodnature secretly fretting himself and murmuring  against others for causes which compared with any real evil in life must  weigh like dust in the balance
but such is the equal distribution of  providence
to those who lie out of the road of great afflictions are  assigned petty vexations which answer all the purpose of disturbing their  serenity and every reader must have observed that neither natural apathy  nor acquired philosophy can render country gentlemen insensible to the  grievances which occur at elections quartersessions and meetings of  trustees
curious to investigate the manners of the country mannering took the  advantage of a pause in good mr bertram’s string of stories to inquire  what captain hatteraick so earnestly wanted with the gipsy woman
‘o to bless his ship i suppose
you must know mr mannering that these  freetraders whom the law calls smugglers having no religion make it  all up in superstition and they have as many spells and charms and  nonsense’  ‘vanity and waur’ said the dominie’ it is a trafficking with the evil  one
spells periapts and charms are of his devicechoice arrows out of  apollyon’s quiver’  ‘hold your peace dominie ye’re speaking for ever’by the way they were  the first words the poor man had uttered that morning excepting that he  said grace and returned thanks’mr
mannering cannot get in a word for  ye
and so mr mannering talking of astronomy and spells and these  matters have ye been so kind as to consider what we were speaking about  last night’  ‘i begin to think mr bertram with your worthy friend here that i have  been rather jesting with edgetools and although neither you nor i nor  any sensible man can put faith in the predictions of astrology yet as  it has sometimes happened that inquiries into futurity undertaken in  jest have in their results produced serious and unpleasant effects both  upon actions and characters i really wish you would dispense with my  replying to your question’  it was easy to see that this evasive answer only rendered the laird’s  curiosity more uncontrollable
mannering however was determined in his  own mind not to expose the infant to the inconveniences which might have  arisen from his being supposed the object of evil prediction
he therefore  delivered the paper into mr bertram’s hand and requested him to keep it  for five years with the seal unbroken until the month of november was  expired
after that date had intervened he left him at liberty to examine  the writing trusting that the first fatal period being then safely  overpassed no credit would be paid to its farther contents
this mr  bertram was content to promise and mannering to ensure his fidelity  hinted at misfortunes which would certainly take place if his injunctions  were neglected
the rest of the day which mannering by mr bertram’s  invitation spent at ellangowan passed over without anything remarkable  and on the morning of that which followed the traveller mounted his  palfrey bade a courteous adieu to his hospitable landlord and to his  clerical attendant repeated his good wishes for the prosperity of the  family and then turning his horse’s head towards england disappeared  from the sight of the inmates of ellangowan
he must also disappear from  that of our readers for it is to another and later period of his life  that the present narrative relates
chapter vi  next the justice  in fair round belly with good capon lined  with eyes severe and beard of formal cut  full of wise saws and modern instances  and so he plays his part  as you like it  when mrs bertram of ellangowan was able to hear the news of what had  passed during her confinement her apartment rung with all manner of  gossiping respecting the handsome young student from oxford who had told  such a fortune by the stars to the young laird ‘blessings on his dainty  face’ the form accent and manners of the stranger were expatiated upon
his horse bridle saddle and stirrups did not remain unnoticed
all this  made a great impression upon the mind of mrs bertram for the good lady  had no small store of superstition
her first employment when she became capable of a little work was to  make a small velvet bag for the scheme of nativity which she had obtained  from her husband
her fingers itched to break the seal but credulity  proved stronger than curiosity and she had the firmness to inclose it in  all its integrity within two slips of parchment which she sewed round it  to prevent its being chafed
the whole was then put into the velvet bag  aforesaid and hung as a charm round the neck of the infant where his  mother resolved it should remain until the period for the legitimate  satisfaction of her curiosity should arrive
the father also resolved to do his part by the child in securing him a  good education and with the view that it should commence with the first  dawnings of reason dominie sampson was easily induced to renounce his  public profession of parish schoolmaster make his constant residence at  the place and in consideration of a sum not quite equal to the wages of  a footman even at that time to undertake to communicate to the future  laird of ellangowan all the erudition which he had and all the graces and  accomplishments whichhe had not indeed but which he had never  discovered that he wanted
in this arrangement the laird found also his  private advantage securing the constant benefit of a patient auditor to  whom he told his stories when they were alone and at whose expense he  could break a sly jest when he had company
about four years after this time a great commotion took place in the  county where ellangowan is situated
those who watched the signs of the times had long been of opinion that a  change of ministry was about to take place and at length after a due  proportion of hopes fears and delays rumours from good authority and  bad authority and no authority at all after some clubs had drank up with  this statesman and others down with him after riding and running and  posting and addressing and counteraddressing and proffers of lives and  fortunes the blow was at length struck the administration of the day was  dissolved and parliament as a natural consequence was dissolved also
sir thomas kittlecourt like other members in the same situation posted  down to his county and met but an indifferent reception
he was a  partizan of the old administration and the friends of the new had already  set about an active canvass in behalf of john featherhead esq who kept  the best hounds and hunters in the shire
among others who joined the  standard of revolt was gilbert glossin writer in agent for the laird  of ellangowan
this honest gentleman had either been refused some favour  by the old member or what is as probable he had got all that he had the  most distant pretension to ask and could only look to the other side for  fresh advancement
mr glossin had a vote upon ellangowan’s property and  he was now determined that his patron should have one also there being no  doubt which side mr bertram would embrace in the contest
he easily  persuaded ellangowan that it would be creditable to him to take the field  at the head of as strong a party as possible and immediately went to  work making votes as every scotch lawyer knows how by splitting and  subdividing the superiorities upon this ancient and once powerful barony
these were so extensive that by dint of clipping and paring here adding  and eking there and creating overlords upon all the estate which bertram  held of the crown they advanced at the day of contest at the head of ten  as good men of parchment as ever took the oath of trust and possession
this strong reinforcement turned the dubious day of battle
the principal  and his agent divided the honour the reward fell to the latter  exclusively
mr gilbert glossin was made clerk of the peace and godfrey  bertram had his name inserted in a new commission of justices issued  immediately upon the sitting of the parliament
this had been the summit of mr bertram’s ambition not that he liked  either the trouble or the responsibility of the office but he thought it  was a dignity to which he was well entitled and that it had been withheld  from him by malice prepense
but there is an old and true scotch proverb  ‘fools should not have chapping sticks’ that is weapons of offence
mr  bertram was no sooner possessed of the judicial authority which he had so  much longed for than he began to exercise it with more severity than  mercy and totally belied all the opinions which had hitherto been formed  of his inert goodnature
we have read somewhere of a justice of peace  who on being nominated in the commission wrote a letter to a bookseller  for the statutes respecting his official duty in the following  orthography’please send the ax relating to a gustus pease’ no doubt  when this learned gentleman had possessed himself of the axe he hewed the  laws with it to some purpose
mr bertram was not quite so ignorant of  english grammar as his worshipful predecessor but augustus pease himself  could not have used more indiscriminately the weapon unwarily put into his  hand
in good earnest he considered the commission with which he had been  entrusted as a personal mark of favour from his sovereign forgetting that  he had formerly thought his being deprived of a privilege or honour  common to those of his rank was the result of mere party cabal
he  commanded his trusty aiddecamp dominie sampson to read aloud the  commission and at the first words ‘the king has been pleased to  appoint’’pleased’ he exclaimed in a transport of gratitude ‘honest  gentleman
i’m sure he cannot be better pleased than i am’  accordingly unwilling to confine his gratitude to mere feelings or verbal  expressions he gave full current to the newborn zeal of office and  endeavoured to express his sense of the honour conferred upon him by an  unmitigated activity in the discharge of his duty
new brooms it is said  sweep clean and i myself can bear witness that on the arrival of a new  housemaid the ancient hereditary and domestic spiders who have spun  their webs over the lower division of my bookshelves consisting chiefly  of law and divinity during the peaceful reign of her predecessor fly at  full speed before the probationary inroads of the new mercenary
even so  the laird of ellangowan ruthlessly commenced his magisterial reform at  the expense of various established and superannuated pickers and stealers  who had been his neighbours for half a century
he wrought his miracles  like a second duke humphrey and by the influence of the beadle’s rod  caused the lame to walk the blind to see and the palsied to labour
he  detected poachers blackfishers orchardbreakers and pigeonshooters  had the applause of the bench for his reward and the public credit of an  active magistrate
all this good had its rateable proportion of evil
even an admitted  nuisance of ancient standing should not be abated without some caution
the zeal of our worthy friend now involved in great distress sundry  personages whose idle and mendicant habits his own lachesse had  contributed to foster until these habits had become irreclaimable or  whose real incapacity for exertion rendered them fit objects in their own  phrase for the charity of all welldisposed christians
the  ‘longremembered beggar’ who for twenty years had made his regular rounds  within the neighbourhood received rather as an humble friend than as an  object of charity was sent to the neighbouring workhouse
the decrepit  dame who travelled round the parish upon a handbarrow circulating from  house to house like a bad shilling which every one is in haste to pass to  his neighbourshe who used to call for her bearers as loud or louder  than a traveller demands posthorseseven she shared the same disastrous  fate
the ‘daft jock’ who half knave half idiot had been the sport of  each succeeding race of village children for a good part of a century was  remitted to the county bridewell where secluded from free air and  sunshine the only advantages he was capable of enjoying he pined and  died in the course of six months
the old sailor who had so long rejoiced  the smoky rafters of every kitchen in the country by singing ‘captain  ward’ and ‘bold admiral benbow’ was banished from the county for no  better reason than that he was supposed to speak with a strong irish  accent
even the annual rounds of the pedlar were abolished by the  justice in his hasty zeal for the administration of rural police
these things did not pass without notice and censure
we are not made of  wood or stone and the things which connect themselves with our hearts and  habits cannot like bark or lichen be rent away without our missing them
the farmer’s dame lacked her usual share of intelligence perhaps also the  selfapplause which she had felt while distributing the awmous alms in  shape of a gowpen handful of oatmeal to the mendicant who brought the  news
the cottage felt inconvenience from interruption of the petty trade  carried on by the itinerant dealers
the children lacked their supply of  sugarplums and toys the young women wanted pins ribbons combs and  ballads and the old could no longer barter their eggs for salt snuff  and tobacco
all these circumstances brought the busy laird of ellangowan  into discredit which was the more general on account of his former  popularity
even his lineage was brought up in judgment against him
they  thought ‘naething of what the like of greenside or burnville or  viewforth might do that were strangers in the country but ellangowan
that had been a name amang them since the mirk monanday and lang  beforehim to be grinding the puir at that rate
they ca’d his  grandfather the wicked laird but though he was whiles fractious aneuch  when he got into roving company and had ta’en the drap drink he would  have scorned to gang on at this gate
na na the muckle chumlay in the  auld place reeked like a killogie in his time and there were as mony puir  folk riving at the banes in the court and about the door as there were  gentles in the ha’
and the leddy on ilka christmas night as it came  round gae twelve siller pennies to ilka puir body about in honour of the  twelve apostles like
they were fond to ca’ it papistrie but i think our  great folk might take a lesson frae the papists whiles
they gie another  sort o’ help to puir folk than just dinging down a saxpence in the brod on  the sabbath and kilting and scourging and drumming them a’ the sax days  o’ the week besides’  such was the gossip over the good twopenny in every alehouse within three  or four miles of ellangowan that being about the diameter of the orbit in  which our friend godfrey bertram esq j p must be considered as the  principal luminary
still greater scope was given to evil tongues by the  removal of a colony of gipsies with one of whom our reader is somewhat  acquainted and who had for a great many years enjoyed their chief  settlement upon the estate of ellangowan
chapter vii  come princes of the ragged regiment  you of the blood
prigs my most upright lord  and these what name or title e’er they bear  jarkman or patrico cranke or clapperdudgeon  prater or abrammani speak of all
beggar’s bush
although the character of those gipsy tribes which formerly inundated most  of the nations of europe and which in some degree still subsist among  them as a distinct people is generally understood the reader will pardon  my saying a few words respecting their situation in scotland
it is well known that the gipsies were at an early period acknowledged as  a separate and independent race by one of the scottish monarchs and that  they were less favourably distinguished by a subsequent law which  rendered the character of gipsy equal in the judicial balance to that of  common and habitual thief and prescribed his punishment accordingly
notwithstanding the severity of this and other statutes the fraternity  prospered amid the distresses of the country and received large  accessions from among those whom famine oppression or the sword of war  had deprived of the ordinary means of subsistence
they lost in a great  measure by this intermixture the national character of egyptians and  became a mingled race having all the idleness and predatory habits of  their eastern ancestors with a ferocity which they probably borrowed from  the men of the north who joined their society
they travelled in different  bands and had rules among themselves by which each tribe was confined to  its own district
the slightest invasion of the precincts which had been  assigned to another tribe produced desperate skirmishes in which there  was often much blood shed
the patriotic fletcher of saltoun drew a picture of these banditti about a  century ago which my readers will peruse with astonishment  ‘there are at this day in scotland besides a great many poor families  very meanly provided for by the church boxes with others who by living  on bad food fall into various diseases two hundred thousand people  begging from door to door
these are not only no way advantageous but a  very grievous burden to so poor a country
and though the number of them  be perhaps double to what it was formerly by reason of this present great  distress yet in all times there have been about one hundred thousand of  those vagabonds who have lived without any regard or subjection either to  the laws of the land or even those of god and nature 


no magistrate  could ever discover or be informed which way one in a hundred of these  wretches died or that ever they were baptized
many murders have been  discovered among them and they are not only a most unspeakable oppression  to poor tenants who if they give not bread or some kind of provision to  perhaps forty such villains in one day are sure to be insulted by them  but they rob many poor people who live in houses distant from any  neighbourhood
in years of plenty many thousands of them meet together in  the mountains where they feast and riot for many days and at country  weddings markets burials and other the like public occasions they are  to be seen both man and woman perpetually drunk cursing blaspheming  and fighting together’  notwithstanding the deplorable picture presented in this extract and  which fletcher himself though the energetic and eloquent friend of  freedom saw no better mode of correcting than by introducing a system of  domestic slavery the progress of time and increase both of the means of  life and of the power of the laws gradually reduced this dreadful evil  within more narrow bounds
the tribes of gipsies jockies or cairdsfor  by all these denominations such banditti were knownbecame few in number  and many were entirely rooted out
still however a sufficient number  remained to give occasional alarm and constant vexation
some rude  handicrafts were entirely resigned to these itinerants particularly the  art of trenchermaking of manufacturing hornspoons and the whole  mystery of the tinker
to these they added a petty trade in the coarse  sorts of earthenware
such were their ostensible means of livelihood
each  tribe had usually some fixed place of rendezvous which they occasionally  occupied and considered as their standing camp and in the vicinity of  which they generally abstained from depredation
they had even talents and  accomplishments which made them occasionally useful and entertaining
many cultivated music with success and the favourite fiddler or piper of  a district was often to be found in a gipsy town
they understood all  outofdoor sports especially otterhunting fishing or finding game
they bred the best and boldest terriers and sometimes had good pointers  for sale
in winter the women told fortunes the men showed tricks of  legerdemain and these accomplishments often helped to while away a weary  or stormy evening in the circle of the ‘farmer’s ha’’ the wildness of  their character and the indomitable pride with which they despised all  regular labour commanded a certain awe which was not diminished by the  consideration that these strollers were a vindictive race and were  restrained by no check either of fear or conscience from taking  desperate vengeance upon those who had offended them
these tribes were  in short the pariahs of scotland living like wild indians among european  settlers and like them judged of rather by their own customs habits  and opinions than as if they had been members of the civilised part of  the community
some hordes of them yet remain chiefly in such situations  as afford a ready escape either into a waste country or into another  jurisdiction
nor are the features of their character much softened
their  numbers however are so greatly diminished that instead of one hundred  thousand as calculated by fletcher it would now perhaps be impossible to  collect above five hundred throughout all scotland
a tribe of these itinerants to whom meg merrilies appertained had long  been as stationary as their habits permitted in a glen upon the estate of  ellangowan
they had there erected a few huts which they denominated  their ‘city of refuge’ and where when not absent on excursions they  harboured unmolested as the crows that roosted in the old ashtrees  around them
they had been such long occupants that they were considered  in some degree as proprietors of the wretched shealings which they  inhabited
this protection they were said anciently to have repaid by  service to the laird in war or more frequently by infesting or  plundering the lands of those neighbouring barons with whom he chanced to  be at feud
latterly their services were of a more pacific nature
the  women spun mittens for the lady and knitted boothose for the laird  which were annually presented at christmas with great form
the aged  sibyls blessed the bridal bed of the laird when he married and the cradle  of the heir when born
the men repaired her ladyship’s cracked china and  assisted the laird in his sporting parties wormed his dogs and cut the  ears of his terrier puppies
the children gathered nuts in the woods and  cranberries in the moss and mushrooms on the pastures for tribute to the  place
these acts of voluntary service and acknowledgments of dependence  were rewarded by protection on some occasions connivance on others and  broken victuals ale and brandy when circumstances called for a display  of generosity and this mutual intercourse of good offices which had been  carried on for at least two centuries rendered the inhabitants of  derncleugh a kind of privileged retainers upon the estate of ellangowan
‘the knaves’ were the laird’s ‘exceeding good friends’ and he would have  deemed himself very ill used if his countenance could not now and then  have borne them out against the law of the country and the local  magistrate
but this friendly union was soon to be dissolved
the community of derncleugh who cared for no rogues but their own were  wholly without alarm at the severity of the justice’s proceedings towards  other itinerants
they had no doubt that he determined to suffer no  mendicants or strollers in the country but what resided on his own  property and practised their trade by his immediate permission implied  or expressed
nor was mr bertram in a hurry to exert his newlyacquired  authority at the expense of these old settlers
but he was driven on by  circumstances
at the quartersessions our new justice was publicly upbraided by a  gentleman of the opposite party in county politics that while he  affected a great zeal for the public police and seemed ambitious of the  fame of an active magistrate he fostered a tribe of the greatest rogues  in the country and permitted them to harbour within a mile of the house  of ellangowan
to this there was no reply for the fact was too evident  and well known
the laird digested the taunt as he best could and in his  way home amused himself with speculations on the easiest method of ridding  himself of these vagrants who brought a stain upon his fair fame as a  magistrate
just as he had resolved to take the first opportunity of  quarrelling with the pariahs of derncleugh a cause of provocation  presented itself
since our friend’s advancement to be a conservator of the peace he had  caused the gate at the head of his avenue which formerly having only one  hinge remained at all times hospitably openhe had caused this gate i  say to be newly hung and handsomely painted
he had also shut up with  paling curiously twisted with furze certain holes in the fences  adjoining through which the gipsy boys used to scramble into the  plantations to gather birds’ nests the seniors of the village to make a  short cut from one point to another and the lads and lasses for evening  rendezvousall without offence taken or leave asked
but these halcyon  days were now to have an end and a minatory inscription on one side of  the gate intimated ‘prosecution according to law’ the painter had spelt  it ‘persecution’l’un vaut bien l’autre to all who should be found  trespassing on these inclosures
on the other side for uniformity’s sake  was a precautionary annunciation of springguns and mantraps of such  formidable powers that said the rubrick with an emphatic nota bene’if  a man goes in they will break a horse’s leg’  in defiance of these threats six wellgrown gipsy boys and girls were  riding cockhorse upon the new gate and plaiting mayflowers which it  was but too evident had been gathered within the forbidden precincts
with  as much anger as he was capable of feeling or perhaps of assuming the  laird commanded them to descendthey paid no attention to his mandate  he then began to pull them down one after anotherthey resisted  passively at least each sturdy bronzed varlet making himself as heavy as  he could or climbing up as fast as he was dismounted
the laird then called in the assistance of his servant a surly fellow  who had immediate recourse to his horsewhip
a few lashes sent the party  ascampering and thus commenced the first breach of the peace between the  house of ellangowan and the gipsies of derncleugh
the latter could not for some time imagine that the war was real until  they found that their children were horsewhipped by the grieve when found  trespassing that their asses were poinded by the groundofficer when left  in the plantations or even when turned to graze by the roadside against  the provision of the turnpike acts that the constable began to make  curious inquiries into their mode of gaining a livelihood and expressed  his surprise that the men should sleep in the hovels all day and be  abroad the greater part of the night
when matters came to this point the gipsies without scruple entered  upon measures of retaliation
ellangowan’s henroosts were plundered his  linen stolen from the lines or bleachingground his fishings poached his  dogs kidnapped his growing trees cut or barked
much petty mischief was  done and some evidently for the mischief’s sake
on the other hand  warrants went forth without mercy to pursue search for take and  apprehend and notwithstanding their dexterity one or two of the  depredators were unable to avoid conviction
one a stout young fellow  who sometimes had gone to sea afishing was handed over to the captain of  the impress service at d two children were soundly flogged and one  egyptian matron sent to the house of correction
still however the gipsies made no motion to leave the spot which they  had so long inhabited and mr bertram felt an unwillingness to deprive  them of their ancient ‘city of refuge’ so that the petty warfare we have  noticed continued for several months without increase or abatement of  hostilities on either side
chapter viii  so the red indian by ontario’s side  nursed hardy on the brindled panther’s hide  as fades his swarthy race with anguish sees  the white man’s cottage rise beneath the trees  he leaves the shelter of his native wood  he leaves the murmur of ohio’s flood  and forward rushing in indignant grief  where never foot has trod the fallen leaf  he bends his course where twilight reigns sublime
o’er forests silent since the birth of time
scenes of infancy
in tracing the rise and progress of the scottish maroon war we must not  omit to mention that years had rolled on and that little harry bertram  one of the hardiest and most lively children that ever made a sword and  grenadier’s cap of rushes now approached his fifth revolving birthday
a  hardihood of disposition which early developed itself made him already a  little wanderer he was well acquainted with every patch of lea ground and  dingle around ellangowan and could tell in his broken language upon what  baulks grew the bonniest flowers and what copse had the ripest nuts
he  repeatedly terrified his attendants by clambering about the ruins of the  old castle and had more than once made a stolen excursion as far as the  gipsy hamlet
on these occasions he was generally brought back by meg merrilies who  though she could not be prevailed upon to enter the place of ellangowan  after her nephew had been given up to the pressgang did not apparently  extend her resentment to the child
on the contrary she often contrived  to waylay him in his walks sing him a gipsy song give him a ride upon  her jackass and thrust into his pocket a piece of gingerbread or a  redcheeked apple
this woman’s ancient attachment to the family repelled  and checked in every other direction seemed to rejoice in having some  object on which it could yet repose and expand itself
she prophesied a  hundred times ‘that young mr harry would be the pride o’ the family and  there hadna been sic a sprout frae the auld aik since the death of arthur  macdingawaie that was killed in the battle o’ the bloody bay as for the  present stick it was good for nothing but firewood’ on one occasion  when the child was ill she lay all night below the window chanting a  rhyme which she believed sovereign as a febrifuge and could neither be  prevailed upon to enter the house nor to leave the station she had chosen  till she was informed that the crisis was over
the affection of this woman became matter of suspicion not indeed to the  laird who was never hasty in suspecting evil but to his wife who had  indifferent health and poor spirits
she was now far advanced in a second  pregnancy and as she could not walk abroad herself and the woman who  attended upon harry was young and thoughtless she prayed dominie sampson  to undertake the task of watching the boy in his rambles when he should  not be otherwise accompanied
the dominie loved his young charge and was  enraptured with his own success in having already brought him so far in  his learning as to spell words of three syllables
the idea of this early  prodigy of erudition being carried off by the gipsies like a second adam  smithfootnote the father of economical philosophy was when a child  actually carried off by gipsies and remained some hours in their  possession
was not to be tolerated and accordingly though the charge  was contrary to all his habits of life he readily undertook it and might  be seen stalking about with a mathematical problem in his head and his  eye upon a child of five years old whose rambles led him into a hundred  awkward situations
twice was the dominie chased by a crossgrained cow  once he fell into the brook crossing at the steppingstones and another  time was bogged up to the middle in the slough of lochend in attempting  to gather a waterlily for the young laird
it was the opinion of the  village matrons who relieved sampson on the latter occasion ‘that the  laird might as weel trust the care o’ his bairn to a potatoe bogle’ but  the good dominie bore all his disasters with gravity and serenity equally  imperturbable
‘prodigious’ was the only ejaculation they ever  extorted from the muchenduring man
enlarge   the laird had by this time determined to make rootandbranch work with  the maroons of derncleugh
the old servants shook their heads at his  proposal and even dominie sampson ventured upon an indirect remonstrance
as however it was couched in the oracular phrase ‘ne moveas camerinam’  neither the allusion nor the language in which it was expressed were  calculated for mr bertram’s edification and matters proceeded against  the gipsies in form of law
every door in the hamlet was chalked by the  groundofficer in token of a formal warning to remove at next term
still however they showed no symptoms either of submission or of  compliance
at length the termday the fatal martinmas arrived and  violent measures of ejection were resorted to
a strong posse of  peaceofficers sufficient to render all resistance vain charged the  inhabitants to depart by noon and as they did not obey the officers in  terms of their warrant proceeded to unroof the cottages and pull down  the wretched doors and windowsa summary and effectual mode of ejection  still practised in some remote parts of scotland when a tenant proves  refractory
the gipsies for a time beheld the work of destruction in  sullen silence and inactivity then set about saddling and loading their  asses and making preparations for their departure
these were soon  accomplished where all had the habits of wandering tartars and they set  forth on their journey to seek new settlements where their patrons should  neither be of the quorum nor custos rotulorum
certain qualms of feeling had deterred ellangowan from attending in person  to see his tenants expelled
he left the executive part of the business to  the officers of the law under the immediate direction of frank kennedy a  supervisor or ridingofficer belonging to the excise who had of late  become intimate at the place and of whom we shall have more to say in the  next chapter
mr bertram himself chose that day to make a visit to a  friend at some distance
but it so happened notwithstanding his  precautions that he could not avoid meeting his late tenants during their  retreat from his property
it was in a hollow way near the top of a steep ascent upon the verge of  the ellangowan estate that mr bertram met the gipsy procession
four or  five men formed the advanced guard wrapped in long loose greatcoats that  hid their tall slender figures as the large slouched hats drawn over  their brows concealed their wild features dark eyes and swarthy faces
two of them carried long fowlingpieces one wore a broadsword without a  sheath and all had the highland dirk though they did not wear that  weapon openly or ostentatiously
behind them followed the train of laden  asses and small carts or tumblers as they were called in that country  on which were laid the decrepit and the helpless the aged and infant part  of the exiled community
the women in their red cloaks and straw hats the  elder children with bare heads and bare feet and almost naked bodies had  the immediate care of the little caravan
the road was narrow running  between two broken banks of sand and mr bertram’s servant rode forward  smacking his whip with an air of authority and motioning to the drivers  to allow free passage to their betters
his signal was unattended to
he  then called to the men who lounged idly on before ‘stand to your beasts’  heads and make room for the laird to pass’  ‘he shall have his share of the road’ answered a male gipsy from under  his slouched and largebrimmed hat and without raising his face ‘and he  shall have nae mair the highway is as free to our cuddies as to his  gelding’  the tone of the man being sulky and even menacing mr bertram thought it  best to put his dignity in his pocket and pass by the procession quietly  on such space as they chose to leave for his accommodation which was  narrow enough
to cover with an appearance of indifference his feeling of  the want of respect with which he was treated he addressed one of the  men as he passed him without any show of greeting salute or  recognition’giles baillie’ he said ‘have you heard that your son  gabriel is well’ the question respected the young man who had been  pressed
‘if i had heard otherwise’ said the old man looking up with a stern and  menacing countenance ‘you should have heard of it too’ and he plodded on  his way tarrying no further question
footnote this anecdote is a  literal fact
when the laird had pressed on with difficulty among a crowd  of familiar faces which had on all former occasions marked his approach  with the reverence due to that of a superior being but in which he now  only read hatred and contempt and had got clear of the throng he could  not help turning his horse and looking back to mark the progress of their  march
the group would have been an excellent subject for the pencil of  calotte
the van had already reached a small and stunted thicket which  was at the bottom of the hill and which gradually hid the line of march  until the last stragglers disappeared
his sensations were bitter enough
the race it is true which he had thus  summarily dismissed from their ancient place of refuge was idle and  vicious but had he endeavoured to render them otherwise
they were not  more irregular characters now than they had been while they were admitted  to consider themselves as a sort of subordinate dependents of his family  and ought the mere circumstance of his becoming a magistrate to have made  at once such a change in his conduct towards them
some means of  reformation ought at least to have been tried before sending seven  families at once upon the wide world and depriving them of a degree of  countenance which withheld them at least from atrocious guilt
there was  also a natural yearning of heart on parting with so many known and  familiar faces and to this feeling godfrey bertram was peculiarly  accessible from the limited qualities of his mind which sought its  principal amusements among the petty objects around him
as he was about  to turn his horse’s head to pursue his journey meg merrilies who had  lagged behind the troop unexpectedly presented herself
she was standing upon one of those high precipitous banks which as we  before noticed overhung the road so that she was placed considerably  higher than ellangowan even though he was on horseback and her tall  figure relieved against the clear blue sky seemed almost of supernatural  stature
we have noticed that there was in her general attire or rather  in her mode of adjusting it somewhat of a foreign costume artfully  adopted perhaps for the purpose of adding to the effect of her spells and  predictions or perhaps from some traditional notions respecting the dress  of her ancestors
on this occasion she had a large piece of red cotton  cloth rolled about her head in the form of a turban from beneath which  her dark eyes flashed with uncommon lustre
her long and tangled black  hair fell in elflocks from the folds of this singular headgear
her  attitude was that of a sibyl in frenzy and she stretched out in her right  hand a sapling bough which seemed just pulled
‘i’ll be dd’ said the groom ‘if she has not been cutting the young  ashes in the dukit park’ the laird made no answer but continued to look  at the figure which was thus perched above his path
‘ride your ways’ said the gipsy ‘ride your ways laird of ellangowan  ride your ways godfrey bertram
this day have ye quenched seven smoking  hearths see if the fire in your ain parlour burn the blyther for that
ye  have riven the thack off seven cottar houses look if your ain rooftree  stand the faster
ye may stable your stirks in the shealings at  derncleugh see that the hare does not couch on the hearthstane at  ellangowan
ride your ways godfrey bertram what do ye glower after our  folk for
there’s thirty hearts there that wad hae wanted bread ere ye had  wanted sunkets and spent their lifeblood ere ye had scratched your  finger
yes there’s thirty yonder from the auld wife of an hundred to  the babe that was born last week that ye have turned out o’ their bits o’  bields to sleep with the tod and the blackcock in the muirs
ride your  ways ellangowan
our bairns are hinging at our weary backs look that  your braw cradle at hame be the fairer spread up not that i am wishing  ill to little harry or to the babe that’s yet to be borngod forbidand  make them kind to the poor and better folk than their father
and now  ride e’en your ways for these are the last words ye’ll ever hear meg  merrilies speak and this is the last reise that i’ll ever cut in the  bonny woods of ellangowan’  so saying she broke the sapling she held in her hand and flung it into  the road
margaret of anjou bestowing on her triumphant foes her  keenedged malediction could not have turned from them with a gesture  more proudly contemptuous
the laird was clearing his voice to speak and  thrusting his hand in his pocket to find a halfcrown the gipsy waited  neither for his reply nor his donation but strode down the hill to  overtake the caravan
ellangowan rode pensively home and it was remarkable that he did not  mention this interview to any of his family
the groom was not so  reserved he told the story at great length to a full audience in the  kitchen and concluded by swearing that ‘if ever the devil spoke by the  mouth of a woman he had spoken by that of meg merrilies that blessed  day’  chapter ix  paint scotland greeting ower her thrissle  her mutchkin stoup as toom’s a whistle  and dn’d excisemen in a bustle  seizing a stell  triumphant crushin’t like a mussel  or lampit shell  burns
during the period of mr bertram’s active magistracy he did not forget  the affairs of the revenue
smuggling for which the isle of man then  afforded peculiar facilities was general or rather universal all along  the southwestern coast of scotland
almost all the common people were  engaged in these practices the gentry connived at them and the officers  of the revenue were frequently discountenanced in the exercise of their  duty by those who should have protected them
there was at this period employed as a ridingofficer or supervisor in  that part of the country a certain francis kennedy already named in our  narrativea stout resolute and active man who had made seizures to a  great amount and was proportionally hated by those who had an interest in  the fair trade as they called the pursuit of these contraband  adventurers
this person was natural son to a gentleman of good family  owing to which circumstance and to his being of a jolly convivial  disposition and singing a good song he was admitted to the occasional  society of the gentlemen of the country and was a member of several of  their clubs for practising athletic games at which he was particularly  expert
at ellangowan kennedy was a frequent and always an acceptable guest
his  vivacity relieved mr bertram of the trouble of thought and the labour  which it cost him to support a detailed communication of ideas while the  daring and dangerous exploits which he had undertaken in the discharge of  his office formed excellent conversation
to all these revenue adventures  did the laird of ellangowan seriously incline and the amusement which he  derived from kennedy’s society formed an excellent reason for  countenancing and assisting the narrator in the execution of his invidious  and hazardous duty
‘frank kennedy’ he said ‘was a gentleman though on the wrang side of  the blanket he was connected with the family of ellangowan through the  house of glengubble
the last laird of glengubble would have brought the  estate into the ellangowan line but happening to go to harrigate he  there met with miss jean hadawayby the by the green dragon at harrigate  is the best house of the twabut for frank kennedy he’s in one sense a  gentleman born and it’s a shame not to support him against these  blackguard smugglers’  after this league had taken place between judgment and execution it  chanced that captain dirk hatteraick had landed a cargo of spirits and  other contraband goods upon the beach not far from ellangowan and  confiding in the indifference with which the laird had formerly regarded  similar infractions of the law he was neither very anxious to conceal nor  to expedite the transaction
the consequence was that mr frank kennedy  armed with a warrant from ellangowan and supported by some of the laird’s  people who knew the country and by a party of military poured down upon  the kegs bales and bags and after a desperate affray in which severe  wounds were given and received succeeded in clapping the broad arrow upon  the articles and bearing them off in triumph to the next customhouse
dirk hatteraick vowed in dutch german and english a deep and full  revenge both against the gauger and his abettors and all who knew him  thought it likely he would keep his word
a few days after the departure of the gipsy tribe mr bertram asked his  lady one morning at breakfast whether this was not little harry’s  birthday
‘five years auld exactly this blessed day’ answered the lady ‘so we may  look into the english gentleman’s paper’  mr bertram liked to show his authority in trifles
‘no my dear not till  tomorrow
the last time i was at quartersessions the sheriff told us  that diesthat dies inceptusin short you don’t understand latin but  it means that a termday is not begun till it’s ended’  ‘that sounds like nonsense my dear’  ‘may be so my dear but it may be very good law for all that
i am sure  speaking of termdays i wish as frank kennedy says that whitsunday  would kill martinmas and be hanged for the murder for there i have got a  letter about that interest of jenny cairns’s and deil a tenant’s been at  the place yet wi’ a boddle of rent nor will not till candlemas
but  speaking of frank kennedy i daresay he’ll be here the day for he was  away round to wigton to warn a king’s ship that’s lying in the bay about  dirk hatteraick’s lugger being on the coast again and he’ll be back this  day so we’ll have a bottle of claret and drink little harry’s health’  ‘i wish’ replied the lady ‘frank kennedy would let dirk hatteraick  alane
what needs he make himself mair busy than other folk
cannot he  sing his sang and take his drink and draw his salary like collector  snail honest man that never fashes ony body
and i wonder at you laird  for meddling and making
did we ever want to send for tea or brandy frae  the boroughtown when dirk hatteraick used to come quietly into the bay’  ‘mrs
bertram you know nothing of these matters
do you think it becomes  a magistrate to let his own house be made a receptacle for smuggled goods
frank kennedy will show you the penalties in the act and ye ken yoursell  they used to put their run goods into the auld place of ellangowan up by  there’  ‘oh dear mr bertram and what the waur were the wa’s and the vault o’  the auld castle for having a whin kegs o’ brandy in them at an orra time
i am sure ye were not obliged to ken ony thing about it and what the waur  was the king that the lairds here got a soup o’ drink and the ladies their  drap o’ tea at a reasonable rateit’s a shame to them to pit such taxes  on themand was na i much the better of these flanders head and pinners  that dirk hatteraick sent me a’ the way from antwerp
it will be lang or  the king sends me ony thing or frank kennedy either
and then ye would  quarrel with these gipsies too
i expect every day to hear the barnyard’s  in a low’  ‘i tell you once more my dear you don’t understand these thingsand  there’s frank kennedy coming galloping up the avenue’  ‘aweel
aweel
ellangowan’ said the lady raising her voice as the laird  left the room ‘i wish ye may understand them yoursell that’s a’’  from this nuptial dialogue the laird joyfully escaped to meet his faithful  friend mr kennedy who arrived in high spirits
‘for the love of life  ellangowan’ he said ‘get up to the castle
you’ll see that old fox dirk  hatteraick and his majesty’s hounds in full cry after him’ so saying he  flung his horse’s bridle to a boy and ran up the ascent to the old  castle followed by the laird and indeed by several others of the family  alarmed by the sound of guns from the sea now distinctly heard
on gaining that part of the ruins which commanded the most extensive  outlook they saw a lugger with all her canvass crowded standing across  the bay closely pursued by a sloop of war that kept firing upon the  chase from her bows which the lugger returned with her sternchasers
‘they’re but at long bowls yet’ cried kennedy in great exultation ‘but  they will be closer by and by
dn him he’s starting his cargo
i see  the good nantz pitching overboard keg after keg
that’s a dd ungenteel  thing of mr hatteraick as i shall let him know by and by
now now
they’ve got the wind of him
that’s it that’s it
hark to him
hark to  him
now my dogs
now my dogs
hark to ranger hark’  ‘i think’ said the old gardener to one of the maids ‘the ganger’s fie’  by which word the common people express those violent spirits which they  think a presage of death
meantime the chase continued
the lugger being piloted with great  ability and using every nautical shift to make her escape had now  reached and was about to double the headland which formed the extreme  point of land on the left side of the bay when a ball having hit the yard  in the slings the mainsail fell upon the deck
the consequence of this  accident appeared inevitable but could not be seen by the spectators for  the vessel which had just doubled the headland lost steerage and fell  out of their sight behind the promontory
the sloop of war crowded all  sail to pursue but she had stood too close upon the cape so that they  were obliged to wear the vessel for fear of going ashore and to make a  large tack back into the bay in order to recover searoom enough to  double the headland
‘they ‘ll lose her by cargo and lugger one or both’ said kennedy ‘i  must gallop away to the point of warroch this was the headland so often  mentioned and make them a signal where she has drifted to on the other  side
goodbye for an hour ellangowan get out the gallon punchbowl and  plenty of lemons
i’ll stand for the french article by the time i come  back and we’ll drink the young laird’s health in a bowl that would swim  the collector’s yawl’ so saying he mounted his horse and galloped off
about a mile from the house and upon the verge of the woods which as we  have said covered a promontory terminating in the cape called the point  of warroch kennedy met young harry bertram attended by his tutor  dominie sampson
he had often promised the child a ride upon his galloway  and from singing dancing and playing punch for his amusement was a  particular favourite
he no sooner came scampering up the path than the  boy loudly claimed his promise and kennedy who saw no risk in indulging  him and wished to tease the dominie in whose visage he read a  remonstrance caught up harry from the ground placed him before him and  continued his route sampson’s ‘peradventure master kennedy’ being lost  in the clatter of his horse’s feet
the pedagogue hesitated a moment  whether he should go after them but kennedy being a person in full  confidence of the family and with whom he himself had no delight in  associating ‘being that he was addicted unto profane and scurrilous  jests’ he continued his own walk at his own pace till he reached the  place of ellangowan
the spectators from the ruined walls of the castle were still watching the  sloop of war which at length but not without the loss of considerable  time recovered searoom enough to weather the point of warroch and was  lost to their sight behind that wooded promontory
some time afterwards  the discharges of several cannon were heard at a distance and after an  interval a still louder explosion as of a vessel blown up and a cloud  of smoke rose above the trees and mingled with the blue sky
all then  separated on their different occasions auguring variously upon the fate  of the smuggler but the majority insisting that her capture was  inevitable if she had not already gone to the bottom
‘it is near our dinnertime my dear’ said mrs bertram to her husband  ‘will it be lang before mr kennedy comes back’  ‘i expect him every moment my dear’ said the laird ‘perhaps he is  bringing some of the officers of the sloop with him’  ‘my stars mr bertram
why did not ye tell me this before that we might  have had the large round table
and then they’re a’ tired o’ saut meat  and to tell you the plain truth a rump o’ beef is the best part of your  dinner
and then i wad have put on another gown and ye wadna have been  the waur o’ a clean neckcloth yoursell
but ye delight in surprising and  hurrying one
i am sure i am no to baud out for ever against this sort of  going on but when folk’s missed then they are moaned’  ‘pshaw pshaw
deuce take the beef and the gown and table and the  neckcloth
we shall do all very well
where’s the dominie john
to a  servant who was busy about the table where’s the dominie and little  harry’  ‘mr
sampson’s been at hame these twa hours and mair but i dinna think  mr harry cam hame wi’ him’  ‘not come hame wi’ him’ said the lady ‘desire mr sampson to step this  way directly’  ‘mr
sampson’ said she upon his entrance ‘is it not the most  extraordinary thing in this world wide that you that have free  upputtingbed board and washingand twelve pounds sterling a year  just to look after that boy should let him out of your sight for twa or  three hours’  sampson made a bow of humble acknowledgment at each pause which the angry  lady made in her enumeration of the advantages of his situation in order  to give more weight to her remonstrance and then in words which we will  not do him the injustice to imitate told how mr francis kennedy ‘had  assumed spontaneously the charge of master harry in despite of his  remonstrances in the contrary’  ‘i am very little obliged to mr francis kennedy for his pains’ said the  lady peevishly ‘suppose he lets the boy drop from his horse and lames  him
or suppose one of the cannons comes ashore and kills him
or  suppose’  ‘or suppose my dear’ said ellangowan ‘what is much more likely than  anything else that they have gone aboard the sloop or the prize and are  to come round the point with the tide’  ‘and then they may be drowned’ said the lady
‘verily’ said sampson ‘i thought mr kennedy had returned an hour since
of a surety i deemed i heard his horse’s feet’  ‘that’ said john with a broad grin ‘was grizzel chasing the humblecow  out of the close’  sampson coloured up to the eyes not at the implied taunt which he would  never have discovered or resented if he had but at some idea which  crossed his own mind
‘i have been in an error’ he said ‘of a surety i  should have tarried for the babe’ so saying he snatched his boneheaded  cane and hat and hurried away towards warroch wood faster than he was  ever known to walk before or after
the laird lingered some time debating the point with the lady
at length  he saw the sloop of war again make her appearance but without  approaching the shore she stood away to the westward with all her sails  set and was soon out of sight
the lady’s state of timorous and fretful  apprehension was so habitual that her fears went for nothing with her lord  and master but an appearance of disturbance and anxiety among the  servants now excited his alarm especially when he was called out of the  room and told in private that mr kennedy’s horse had come to the stable  door alone with the saddle turned round below its belly and the reins of  the bridle broken and that a farmer had informed them in passing that  there was a smuggling lugger burning like a furnace on the other side of  the point of warroch and that though he had come through the wood he  had seen or heard nothing of kennedy or the young laird ‘only there was  dominie sampson gaun rampauging about like mad seeking for them’  all was now bustle at ellangowan
the laird and his servants male and  female hastened to the wood of warroch
the tenants and cottagers in the  neighbourhood lent their assistance partly out of zeal partly from  curiosity
boats were manned to search the seashore which on the other  side of the point rose into high and indented rocks
a vague suspicion  was entertained though too horrible to be expressed that the child might  have fallen from one of these cliffs
the evening had begun to close when the parties entered the wood and  dispersed different ways in quest of the boy and his companion
the  darkening of the atmosphere and the hoarse sighs of the november wind  through the naked trees the rustling of the withered leaves which strewed  the glades the repeated halloos of the different parties which often  drew them together in expectation of meeting the objects of their search  gave a cast of dismal sublimity to the scene
at length after a minute and fruitless investigation through the wood  the searchers began to draw together into one body and to compare notes
the agony of the father grew beyond concealment yet it scarcely equalled  the anguish of the tutor
‘would to god i had died for him’ the  affectionate creature repeated in notes of the deepest distress
those  who were less interested rushed into a tumultuary discussion of chances  and possibilities
each gave his opinion and each was alternately swayed  by that of the others
some thought the objects of their search had gone  aboard the sloop some that they had gone to a village at three miles’  distance some whispered they might have been on board the lugger a few  planks and beams of which the tide now drifted ashore
at this instant a shout was heard from the beach so loud so shrill so  piercing so different from every sound which the woods that day had rung  to that nobody hesitated a moment to believe that it conveyed tidings  and tidings of dreadful import
all hurried to the place and venturing  without scruple upon paths which at another time they would have shuddered  to look at descended towards a cleft of the rock where one boat’s crew  was already landed
‘here sirs here
this way for god’s sake
this way
this way’ was the reiterated cry
ellangowan broke through the throng  which had already assembled at the fatal spot and beheld the object of  their terror
it was the dead body of kennedy
at first sight he seemed to  have perished by a fall from the rocks which rose above the spot on which  he lay in a perpendicular precipice of a hundred feet above the beach
the  corpse was lying half in half out of the water the advancing tide  raising the arm and stirring the clothes had given it at some distance  the appearance of motion so that those who first discovered the body  thought that life remained
but every spark had been long extinguished
‘my bairn
my bairn’ cried the distracted father ‘where can he be’ a  dozen mouths were opened to communicate hopes which no one felt
some one  at length mentionedthe gipsies
in a moment ellangowan had reascended  the cliffs flung himself upon the first horse he met and rode furiously  to the huts at derncleugh
all was there dark and desolate and as he  dismounted to make more minute search he stumbled over fragments of  furniture which had been thrown out of the cottages and the broken wood  and thatch which had been pulled down by his orders
at that moment the  prophecy or anathema of meg merrilies fell heavy on his mind
‘you have  stripped the thatch from seven cottages see that the rooftree of your  own house stand the surer’          chapter x  but see his face is black and full of blood  his eyeballs farther out than when he lived  staring full ghastly like a strangled man  his hair uprear’d his nostrils stretch d with struggling  his hands abroad display’d as one that grasp’d  and tugg’d for life and was by strength subdued  henry vi part ii  the sheriffdepute of the county arrived at ellangowan next morning by  daybreak
to this provincial magistrate the law of scotland assigns  judicial powers of considerable extent and the task of inquiring into all  crimes committed within his jurisdiction the apprehension and commitment  of suspected persons and so forth
footnote the scottish sheriff  discharges on such occasions as that now mentioned pretty much the same  duty as a coroner
the gentleman who held the office in the shire ofat the time of this  catastrophe was well born and well educated and though somewhat pedantic  and professional in his habits he enjoyed general respect as an active  and intelligent magistrate
his first employment was to examine all  witnesses whose evidence could throw light upon this mysterious event and  make up the written report proces verbal or precognition as it is  technically called which the practice of scotland has substituted for a  coroner’s inquest
under the sheriff’s minute and skilful inquiry many  circumstances appeared which seemed incompatible with the original opinion  that kennedy had accidentally fallen from the cliffs
we shall briefly  detail some of these
the body had been deposited in a neighbouring fisherhut but without  altering the condition in which it was found
this was the first object of  the sheriff’s examination
though fearfully crushed and mangled by the  fall from such a height the corpse was found to exhibit a deep cut in the  head which in the opinion of a skilful surgeon must have been inflicted  by a broadsword or cutlass
the experience of this gentleman discovered  other suspicious indications
the face was much blackened the eyes  distorted and the veins of the neck swelled
a coloured handkerchief  which the unfortunate man had worn round his neck did not present the  usual appearance but was much loosened and the knot displaced and  dragged extremely tight the folds were also compressed as if it had been  used as a means of grappling the deceased and dragging him perhaps to the  precipice
on the other hand poor kennedy’s purse was found untouched and what  seemed yet more extraordinary the pistols which he usually carried when  about to encounter any hazardous adventure were found in his pockets  loaded
this appeared particularly strange for he was known and dreaded  by the contraband traders as a man equally fearless and dexterous in the  use of his weapons of which he had given many signal proofs
the sheriff  inquired whether kennedy was not in the practice of carrying any other  arms
most of mr bertram’s servants recollected that he generally had a  couteau de chasse or short hanger but none such was found upon the dead  body nor could those who had seen him on the morning of the fatal day  take it upon them to assert whether he then carried that weapon or not
the corpse afforded no other indicia respecting the fate of kennedy for  though the clothes were much displaced and the limbs dreadfully fractured  the one seemed the probable the other the certain consequences of such a  fall
the hands of the deceased were clenched fast and full of turf and  earth but this also seemed equivocal
the magistrate then proceeded to the place where the corpse was first  discovered and made those who had found it give upon the spot a  particular and detailed account of the manner in which it was lying
a  large fragment of the rock appeared to have accompanied or followed the  fall of the victim from the cliff above
it was of so solid and compact a  substance that it had fallen without any great diminution by splintering  so that the sheriff was enabled first to estimate the weight by  measurement and then to calculate from the appearance of the fragment  what portion of it had been bedded into the cliff from which it had  descended
this was easily detected by the raw appearance of the stone  where it had not been exposed to the atmosphere
they then ascended the  cliff and surveyed the place from whence the stony fragment had fallen
it seemed plain from the appearance of the bed that the mere weight of  one man standing upon the projecting part of the fragment supposing it in  its original situation could not have destroyed its balance and  precipitated it with himself from the cliff
at the same time it  appeared to have lain so loose that the use of a lever or the combined  strength of three or four men might easily have hurled it from its  position
the short turf about the brink of the precipice was much  trampled as if stamped by the heels of men in a mortal struggle or in  the act of some violent exertion
traces of the same kind less visibly  marked guided the sagacious investigator to the verge of the copsewood  which in that place crept high up the bank towards the top of the  precipice
with patience and perseverance they traced these marks into the thickest  part of the copse a route which no person would have voluntarily adopted  unless for the purpose of concealment
here they found plain vestiges of  violence and struggling from space to space
small boughs were torn down  as if grasped by some resisting wretch who was dragged forcibly along the  ground where in the least degree soft or marshy showed the print of many  feet there were vestiges also which might be those of human blood
at any  rate it was certain that several persons must have forced their passage  among the oaks hazels and underwood with which they were mingled and in  some places appeared traces as if a sack full of grain a dead body or  something of that heavy and solid description had been dragged along the  ground
in one part of the thicket there was a small swamp the clay of  which was whitish being probably mixed with marl
the back of kennedy’s  coat appeared besmeared with stains of the same colour
at length about a quarter of a mile from the brink of the fatal  precipice the traces conducted them to a small open space of ground very  much trampled and plainly stained with blood although withered leaves  had been strewed upon the spot and other means hastily taken to efface  the marks which seemed obviously to have been derived from a desperate  affray
on one side of this patch of open ground was found the sufferer’s  naked hanger which seemed to have been thrown into the thicket on the  other the belt and sheath which appeared to have been hidden with more  leisurely care and precaution
the magistrate caused the footprints which marked this spot to be  carefully measured and examined
some corresponded to the foot of the  unhappy victim some were larger some less indicating that at least four  or five men had been busy around him
above all here and here only were  observed the vestiges of a child’s foot and as it could be seen nowhere  else and the hard horsetrack which traversed the wood of warroch was  contiguous to the spot it was natural to think that the boy might have  escaped in that direction during the confusion
but as he was never heard  of the sheriff who made a careful entry of all these memoranda did not  suppress his opinion that the deceased had met with foul play and that  the murderers whoever they were had possessed themselves of the person  of the child harry bertram
every exertion was now made to discover the criminals
suspicion hesitated  between the smugglers and the gipsies
the fate of dirk hatteraick’s  vessel was certain
two men from the opposite side of warroch bay so the  inlet on the southern side of the point of warroch is called had seen  though at a great distance the lugger drive eastward after doubling the  headland and as they judged from her manoeuvres in a disabled state
shortly after they perceived that she grounded smoked and finally took  fire
she was as one of them expressed himself ‘in a light low’ bright  flame when they observed a king’s ship with her colours up heave in  sight from behind the cape
the guns of the burning vessel discharged  themselves as the fire reached them and they saw her at length blow up  with a great explosion
the sloop of war kept aloof for her own safety  and after hovering till the other exploded stood away southward under a  press of sail
the sheriff anxiously interrogated these men whether any  boats had left the vessel
they could not say they had seen none but  they might have put off in such a direction as placed the burning vessel  and the thick smoke which floated landward from it between their course  and the witnesses’ observation
that the ship destroyed was dirk hatteraick’s no one doubted
his lugger  was well known on the coast and had been expected just at this time
a  letter from the commander of the king’s sloop to whom the sheriff made  application put the matter beyond doubt he sent also an extract from his  logbook of the transactions of the day which intimated their being on  the outlook for a smuggling lugger dirk hatteraick master upon the  information and requisition of francis kennedy of his majesty’s excise  service and that kennedy was to be upon the outlook on the shore in case  hatteraick who was known to be a desperate fellow and had been  repeatedly outlawed should attempt to run his sloop aground
about nine  o’clock am they discovered a sail which answered the description of  hatteraick’s vessel chased her and after repeated signals to her to  show colours and bringto fired upon her
the chase then showed hamburgh  colours and returned the fire and a running fight was maintained for  three hours when just as the lugger was doubling the point of warroch  they observed that the mainyard was shot in the slings and that the  vessel was disabled
it was not in the power of the manofwar’s men for  some time to profit by this circumstance owing to their having kept too  much in shore for doubling the headland
after two tacks they  accomplished this and observed the chase on fire and apparently deserted
the fire having reached some casks of spirits which were placed on the  deck with other combustibles probably on purpose burnt with such fury  that no boats durst approach the vessel especially as her shotted guns  were discharging one after another by the heat
the captain had no doubt  whatever that the crew had set the vessel on fire and escaped in their  boats
after watching the conflagration till the ship blew up his  majesty’s sloop the shark stood towards the isle of man with the  purpose of intercepting the retreat of the smugglers who though they  might conceal themselves in the woods for a day or two would probably  take the first opportunity of endeavouring to make for this asylum
but  they never saw more of them than is above narrated
such was the account given by william pritchard master and commander of  his majesty’s sloop of war shark who concluded by regretting deeply that  he had not had the happiness to fall in with the scoundrels who had had  the impudence to fire on his majesty’s flag and with an assurance that  should he meet mr dirk hatteraick in any future cruise he would not fail  to bring him into port under his stern to answer whatever might be  alleged against him
chapter xi  enter time as chorus  i that please some try all both joy and terror  of good and bad that make and unfold error  now take upon me in the name of time  to use my wings impute it not a crime  to me or my swift passage that i slide  o’er sixteen years and leave the growth untried  of that wide gap
winter’s tale
our narration is now about to make a large stride and omit a space of  nearly seventeen years during which nothing occurred of any particular  consequence with respect to the story we have undertaken to tell
the gap  is a wide one yet if the reader’s experience in life enables him to look  back on so many years the space will scarce appear longer in his  recollection than the time consumed in turning these pages
it was then in the month of november about seventeen years after the  catastrophe related in the last chapter that during a cold and stormy  night a social group had closed around the kitchenfire of the gordon  arms at kippletringan a small but comfortable inn kept by mrs  maccandlish in that village
the conversation which passed among them  will save me the trouble of telling the few events occurring during this  chasm in our history with which it is necessary that the reader should be  acquainted
mrs maccandlish throned in a comfortable easychair lined with black  leather was regaling herself and a neighbouring gossip or two with a cup  of genuine tea and at the same time keeping a sharp eye upon her  domestics as they went and came in prosecution of their various duties  and commissions
the clerk and precentor of the parish enjoyed at a little  distance his saturday night’s pipe and aided its bland fumigation by an  occasional sip of brandy and water
deacon bearcliff a man of great  importance in the village combined the indulgence of both parties he had  his pipe and his teacup the latter being laced with a little spirits
one or two clowns sat at some distance drinking their twopenny ale
‘are ye sure the parlour’s ready for them and the fire burning clear and  the chimney no smoking’ said the hostess to a chambermaid
she was answered in the affirmative
‘ane wadna be uncivil to them  especially in their distress’ said she turning to the deacon
‘assuredly not mrs maccandlish assuredly not
i am sure ony sma’ thing  they might want frae my shop under seven or eight or ten pounds i  would book them as readily for it as the first in the country
do they  come in the auld chaise’  ‘i daresay no’ said the precentor ‘for miss bertram comes on the white  powny ilka day to the kirkand a constant kirkkeeper she isand it’s a  pleasure to hear her singing the psalms winsome young thing’  ‘ay and the young laird of hazlewood rides hame half the road wi’ her  after sermon’ said one of the gossips in company
‘i wonder how auld  hazlewood likes that’  ‘i kenna how he may like it now’ answered another of the teadrinkers  ‘but the day has been when ellangowan wad hae liked as little to see his  daughter taking up with their son’  ‘ay has been’ answered the first with somewhat of emphasis
‘i am sure neighbour ovens’ said the hostess ‘the hazlewoods of  hazlewood though they are a very gude auld family in the county never  thought till within these twa score o’ years of evening themselves till  the ellangowans
wow woman the bertrams of ellangowan are the auld  dingawaies lang syne
there is a sang about ane o’ them marrying a  daughter of the king of man it begins  blythe bertram’s ta’en him ower the faem  to wed a wife and bring her hame  i daur say mr skreigh can sing us the ballant’  ‘gudewife’ said skreigh gathering up his mouth and sipping his tiff of  brandy punch with great solemnity ‘our talents were gien us to other use  than to sing daft auld sangs sae near the sabbath day’  ‘hout fie mr skreigh i’se warrant i hae heard you sing a blythe sang on  saturday at e’en before now
but as for the chaise deacon it hasna been  out of the coachhouse since mrs bertram died that’s sixteen or  seventeen years sin syne
jock jabos is away wi’ a chaise of mine for  them i wonder he’s no come back
it’s pit mirk but there’s no an ill  turn on the road but twa and the brigg ower warroch burn is safe eneugh  if he haud to the right side
but then there’s heavieside brae that’s  just a murder for postcattle but jock kens the road brawly’  a loud rapping was heard at the door
‘that’s no them
i dinna hear the wheels
grizzel ye limmer gang to the  door’  ‘it’s a single gentleman’ whined out grizzel ‘maun i take him into the  parlour’  ‘foul be in your feet then it’ll be some english rider
coming without a  servant at this time o’ night
has the hostler ta’en the horse
ye may  light a spunk o’ fire in the red room’  ‘i wish ma’am’ said the traveller entering the kitchen ‘you would give  me leave to warm myself here for the night is very cold’  his appearance voice and manner produced an instantaneous effect in his  favour
he was a handsome tall thin figure dressed in black as  appeared when he laid aside his ridingcoat his age might be between  forty and fifty his cast of features grave and interesting and his air  somewhat military
every point of his appearance and address bespoke the  gentleman
long habit had given mrs maccandlish an acute tact in  ascertaining the quality of her visitors and proportioning her reception  accordingly  to every guest the appropriate speech was made  and every duty with distinction paid  respectful easy pleasant or polite  ‘your honour’s servant’ ‘mister smith goodnight‘  on the present occasion she was low in her courtesy and profuse in her  apologies
the stranger begged his horse might be attended to she went  out herself to school the hostler
‘there was never a prettier bit o’ horseflesh in the stable o’ the gordon  arms’ said the man which information increased the landlady’s respect  for the rider
finding on her return that the stranger declined to go  into another apartment which indeed she allowed would be but cold and  smoky till the fire bleezed up she installed her guest hospitably by the  fireside and offered what refreshment her house afforded
‘a cup of your tea ma’am if you will favour me’  mrs maccandlish bustled about reinforced her teapot with hyson and  proceeded in her duties with her best grace
‘we have a very nice parlour  sir and everything very agreeable for gentlefolks but it’s bespoke the  night for a gentleman and his daughter that are going to leave this part  of the country ane of my chaises is gane for them and will be back  forthwith
they’re no sae weel in the warld as they have been but we’re  a’ subject to ups and downs in this life as your honour must needs  kenbut is not the tobaccoreek disagreeable to your honour’  ‘by no means ma’am i am an old campaigner and perfectly used to it
will you permit me to make some inquiries about a family in this  neighbourhood’  the sound of wheels was now heard and the landlady hurried to the door to  receive her expected guests but returned in an instant followed by the  postilion
‘no they canna come at no rate the laird’s sae ill’  ‘but god help them’ said the landlady ‘the morn’s the term the very  last day they can bide in the house a’ thing’s to be roupit’  ‘weel but they can come at no rate i tell ye mr bertram canna be  moved’  ‘what mr bertram’ said the stranger ‘not mr bertram of ellangowan i  hope’  ‘just e’en that same sir and if ye be a friend o’ his ye have come at a  time when he’s sair bested’  ‘i have been abroad for many yearsis his health so much deranged’  ‘ay and his affairs an’ a’’ said the deacon ‘the creditors have entered  into possession o’ the estate and it’s for sale and some that made the  maist by himi name nae names but mrs maccandlish kens wha i mean the  landlady shook her head significantlythey’re sairest on him e’en now
i  have a sma’ matter due myself but i would rather have lost it than gane  to turn the auld man out of his house and him just dying’  ‘ay but’ said the parish clerk ‘factor glossin wants to get rid of the  auld laird and drive on the sale for fear the heirmale should cast up  upon them for i have heard say if there was an heirmale they couldna  sell the estate for auld ellangowan’s debt’  ‘he had a son born a good many years ago’ said the stranger ‘he is dead  i suppose’  ‘nae man can say for that’ answered the clerk mysteriously
‘dead’ said the deacon ‘i’se warrant him dead lang syne he hasna been  heard o’ these twenty years or thereby’  ‘i wot weel it’s no twenty years’ said the landlady ‘it’s no abune  seventeen at the outside in this very month
it made an unco noise ower a’  this country the bairn disappeared the very day that supervisor kennedy  cam by his end
if ye kenn’d this country lang syne your honour wad maybe  ken frank kennedy the supervisor
he was a heartsome pleasant man and  company for the best gentlemen in the county and muckle mirth he’s made  in this house
i was young then sir and newly married to bailie  maccandlish that’s dead and gone a sigh and muckle fun i’ve had wi’  the supervisor
he was a daft dog
o an he could hae hauden aff the  smugglers a bit
but he was aye venturesome
and so ye see sir there was  a king’s sloop down in wigton bay and frank kennedy he behoved to have  her up to chase dirk hatteraick’s luggerye’ll mind dirk hatteraick  deacon
i daresay ye may have dealt wi’ himthe deacon gave a sort of  acquiescent nod and humph
he was a daring chield and he fought his ship  till she blew up like peelings of ingans and frank kennedy he had been  the first man to board and he was flung like a quarter of a mile off and  fell into the water below the rock at warroch point that they ca’ the  gauger’s loup to this day’  ‘and mr bertram’s child’ said the stranger ‘what is all this to him’  ‘ou sir the bairn aye held an unco wark wi’ the supervisor and it was  generally thought he went on board the vessel alang wi’ him as bairns are  aye forward to be in mischief’    chapter xii  reputation
that’s man’s idol  set up against god the maker of all laws  who hath commanded us we should not kill  and yet we say we must for reputation
what honest man can either fear his own  or else will hurt another’s reputation
fear to do base unworthy things is valour  if they be done to us to suffer them  is valour too
ben jonson
the colonel was walking pensively up and down the parlour when the  officious landlady reentered to take his commands
having given them in  the manner he thought would be most acceptable ‘for the good of the  house’ he begged to detain her a moment
‘i think’ he said ‘madam if i understood the good people right mr  bertram lost his son in his fifth year’  ‘o ay sir there’s nae doubt o’ that though there are mony idle clashes  about the way and manner for it’s an auld story now and everybody tells  it as we were doing their ain way by the ingleside
but lost the bairn  was in his fifth year as your honour says colonel and the news being  rashly tell’d to the leddy then great with child cost her her life that  samyn night and the laird never throve after that day but was just  careless of everything though when his daughter miss lucy grew up she  tried to keep order within doors but what could she do poor thing
so  now they’re out of house and hauld’  ‘can you recollect madam about what time of the year the child was  lost’ the landlady after a pause and some recollection answered ‘she  was positive it was about this season’ and added some local recollections  that fixed the date in her memory as occurring about the beginning of  november 17
the stranger took two or three turns round the room in silence but signed  to mrs maccandlish not to leave it
‘did i rightly apprehend’ he said ‘that the estate of ellangowan is in  the market’  ‘in the market
it will be sell’d the morn to the highest bidderthat’s  no the morn lord help me
which is the sabbath but on monday the first  free day and the furniture and stocking is to be roupit at the same time  on the ground
it’s the opinion of the haill country that the sale has  been shamefully forced on at this time when there’s sae little money  stirring in scotland wi’ this weary american war that somebody may get  the land a bargain
deil be in them that i should say sae’the good  lady’s wrath rising at the supposed injustice
‘and where will the sale take place’  ‘on the premises as the advertisement says that’s at the house of  ellangowan your honour as i understand it’  ‘and who exhibits the titledeeds rentroll and plan’  ‘a very decent man sir the sheriffsubstitute of the county who has  authority from the court of session
he’s in the town just now if your  honour would like to see him and he can tell you mair about the loss of  the bairn than ony body for the sheriffdepute that’s his principal  like took much pains to come at the truth o’ that matter as i have  heard’  ‘and this gentleman’s name is’  ‘macmorlan sir he’s a man o’ character and weel spoken o’’  ‘send my complimentscolonel mannering’s compliments to him and i would  be glad he would do me the pleasure of supping with me and bring these  papers with him and i beg good madam you will say nothing of this to  any one else’  ‘me sir
ne’er a word shall i say
i wish your honour a courtesy or  ony honourable gentleman that’s fought for his country another courtesy  had the land since the auld family maun quit a sigh rather than that  wily scoundrel glossin that’s risen on the ruin of the best friend he  ever had
and now i think on’t i’ll slip on my hood and pattens and gang  to mr macmorlan mysell he’s at hame e’en now it’s hardly a step’  ‘do so my good landlady and many thanks and bid my servant step here  with my portfolio in the meantime’  in a minute or two colonel mannering was quietly seated with his writing  materials before him
we have the privilege of looking over his shoulder  as he writes and we willingly communicate its substance to our readers
the letter was addressed to arthur mervyn esq of mervyn hall  llanbraithwaite westmoreland
it contained some account of the writer’s  previous journey since parting with him and then proceeded as follows  ‘and now why will you still upbraid me with my melancholy mervyn
do you  think after the lapse of twentyfive years battles wounds  imprisonment misfortunes of every description i can be still the same  lively unbroken guy mannering who climbed skiddaw with you or shot  grouse upon crossfell
that you who have remained in the bosom of  domestic happiness experience little change that your step is as light  and your fancy as full of sunshine is a blessed effect of health and  temperament cooperating with content and a smooth current down the course  of life
but my career has been one of difficulties and doubts and errors
from my infancy i have been the sport of accident and though the wind  has often borne me into harbour it has seldom been into that which the  pilot destined
let me recall to youbut the task must be briefthe odd  and wayward fates of my youth and the misfortunes of my manhood
‘the former you will say had nothing very appalling
all was not for the  best but all was tolerable
my father the eldest son of an ancient but  reduced family left me with little save the name of the head of the  house to the protection of his more fortunate brothers
they were so fond  of me that they almost quarrelled about me
my uncle the bishop would  have had me in orders and offered me a living my uncle the merchant  would have put me into a countinghouse and proposed to give me a share  in the thriving concern of mannering and marshall in lombard street
so  between these two stools or rather these two soft easy wellstuffed  chairs of divinity and commerce my unfortunate person slipped down and  pitched upon a dragoon saddle
again the bishop wished me to marry the  niece and heiress of the dean of lincoln and my uncle the alderman  proposed to me the only daughter of old sloethorn the great  winemerchant rich enough to play at spancounter with moidores and make  threadpapers of banknotes and somehow i slipped my neck out of both  nooses and marriedpoor poor sophia wellwood
‘you will say my military career in india when i followed my regiment  there should have given me some satisfaction and so it assuredly has
you will remind me also that if i disappointed the hopes of my guardians  i did not incur their displeasure that the bishop at his death  bequeathed me his blessing his manuscript sermons and a curious  portfolio containing the heads of eminent divines of the church of  england and that my uncle sir paul mannering left me sole heir and  executor to his large fortune
yet this availeth me nothing i told you i  had that upon my mind which i should carry to my grave with me a  perpetual aloes in the draught of existence
i will tell you the cause  more in detail than i had the heart to do while under your hospitable  roof
you will often hear it mentioned and perhaps with different and  unfounded circumstances
i will therefore speak it out and then let the  event itself and the sentiments of melancholy with which it has impressed  me never again be subject of discussion between us
‘sophia as you well know followed me to india
she was as innocent as  gay but unfortunately for us both as gay as innocent
my own manners  were partly formed by studies i had forsaken and habits of seclusion not  quite consistent with my situation as commandant of a regiment in a  country where universal hospitality is offered and expected by every  settler claiming the rank of a gentleman
in a moment of peculiar pressure  you know how hard we were sometimes run to obtain white faces to  countenance our lineofbattle a young man named brown joined our  regiment as a volunteer and finding the military duty more to his fancy  than commerce in which he had been engaged remained with us as a cadet
let me do my unhappy victim justice he behaved with such gallantry on  every occasion that offered that the first vacant commission was  considered as his due
i was absent for some weeks upon a distant  expedition when i returned i found this young fellow established quite as  the friend of the house and habitual attendant of my wife and daughter
it was an arrangement which displeased me in many particulars though no  objection could be made to his manners or character
yet i might have been  reconciled to his familiarity in my family but for the suggestions of  another
if you read overwhat i never dare openthe play of “othello�  you will have some idea of what followedi mean of my motives my  actions thank god
were less reprehensible
there was another cadet  ambitious of the vacant situation
he called my attention to what he led  me to term coquetry between my wife and this young man
sophia was  virtuous but proud of her virtue and irritated by my jealousy she was  so imprudent as to press and encourage an intimacy which she saw i  disapproved and regarded with suspicion
between brown and me there  existed a sort of internal dislike
he made an effort or two to overcome  my prejudice but prepossessed as i was i placed them to a wrong motive
feeling himself repulsed and with scorn he desisted and as he was  without family and friends he was naturally more watchful of the  deportment of one who had both
‘it is odd with what torture i write this letter
i feel inclined  nevertheless to protract the operation just as if my doing so could put  off the catastrophe which has so long embittered my life
butit must be  told and it shall be told briefly
chapter xiii  they told me by the sentence of the law  they had commission to seize all thy fortune
here stood a ruffian with a horrid face  lording it o’er a pile of massy plate  tumbled into a heap for public sale  there was another making villainous jests  at thy undoing he had ta’en possession  of all thy ancient most domestic ornaments
otway
early next morning mannering mounted his horse and accompanied by his  servant took the road to ellangowan
he had no need to inquire the way
a  sale in the country is a place of public resort and amusement and people  of various descriptions streamed to it from all quarters
after a pleasant ride of about an hour the old towers of the ruin  presented themselves in the landscape
the thoughts with what different  feelings he had lost sight of them so many years before thronged upon the  mind of the traveller
the landscape was the same but how changed the  feelings hopes and views of the spectator
then life and love were new  and all the prospect was gilded by their rays
and now disappointed in  affection sated with fame and what the world calls success his mind  goaded by bitter and repentant recollection his best hope was to find a  retirement in which he might nurse the melancholy that was to accompany  him to his grave
‘yet why should an individual mourn over the instability  of his hopes and the vanity of his prospects
the ancient chiefs who  erected these enormous and massive towers to be the fortress of their race  and the seat of their powercould they have dreamed the day was to come  when the last of their descendants should be expelled a ruined wanderer  from his possessions
but nature’s bounties are unaltered
the sun will  shine as fair on these ruins whether the property of a stranger or of a  sordid and obscure trickster of the abused law as when the banners of the  founder first waved upon their battlements’  these reflections brought mannering to the door of the house which was  that day open to all
he entered among others who traversed the  apartments some to select articles for purchase others to gratify their  curiosity
there is something melancholy in such a scene even under the  most favourable circumstances
the confused state of the furniture  displaced for the convenience of being easily viewed and carried off by  the purchasers is disagreeable to the eye
those articles which properly  and decently arranged look creditable and handsome have then a paltry  and wretched appearance and the apartments stripped of all that render  them commodious and comfortable have an aspect of ruin and dilapidation
it is disgusting also to see the scenes of domestic society and seclusion  thrown open to the gaze of the curious and the vulgar to hear their  coarse speculations and brutal jests upon the fashions and furniture to  which they are unaccustomeda frolicsome humour much cherished by the  whisky which in scotland is always put in circulation on such occasions
all these are ordinary effects of such a scene as ellangowan now  presented but the moral feeling that in this case they indicated the  total ruin of an ancient and honourable family gave them treble weight  and poignancy
it was some time before colonel mannering could find any one disposed to  answer his reiterated questions concerning ellangowan himself
at length  an old maidservant who held her apron to her eyes as she spoke told him  ‘the laird was something better and they hoped he would be able to leave  the house that day
miss lucy expected the chaise every moment and as  the day was fine for the time o’year they had carried him in his  easychair up to the green before the auld castle to be out of the way of  this unco spectacle’ thither colonel mannering went in quest of him and  soon came in sight of the little group which consisted of four persons
the ascent was steep so that he had time to reconnoitre them as he  advanced and to consider in what mode he should make his address
mr bertram paralytic and almost incapable of moving occupied his  easychair attired in his nightcap and a loose camlet coat his feet  wrapped in blankets
behind him with his hands crossed on the cane upon  which he rested stood dominie sampson whom mannering recognised at once
time had made no change upon him unless that his black coat seemed more  brown and his gaunt cheeks more lank than when mannering last saw him
on one side of the old man was a sylphlike forma young woman of about  seventeen whom the colonel accounted to be his daughter
she was looking  from time to time anxiously towards the avenue as if expecting the  postchaise and between whiles busied herself in adjusting the blankets  so as to protect her father from the cold and in answering inquiries  which he seemed to make with a captious and querulous manner
she did not  trust herself to look towards the place although the hum of the assembled  crowd must have drawn her attention in that direction
the fourth person  of the group was a handsome and genteel young man who seemed to share  miss bertram’s anxiety and her solicitude to soothe and accommodate her  parent
this young man was the first who observed colonel mannering and  immediately stepped forward to meet him as if politely to prevent his  drawing nearer to the distressed group
mannering instantly paused and  explained
‘he was’ he said ‘a stranger to whom mr bertram had formerly  shown kindness and hospitality he would not have intruded himself upon  him at a period of distress did it not seem to be in some degree a moment  also of desertion he wished merely to offer such services as might be in  his power to mr bertram and the young lady’  he then paused at a little distance from the chair
his old acquaintance  gazed at him with lacklustre eye that intimated no tokens of  recognition the dominie seemed too deeply sunk in distress even to  observe his presence
the young man spoke aside with miss bertram who  advanced timidly and thanked colonel mannering for his goodness ‘but’  she said the tears gushing fast into her eyes ‘her father she feared  was not so much himself as to be able to remember him’  she then retreated towards the chair accompanied by the colonel
‘father’ she said ‘this is mr mannering an old friend come to inquire  after you’  ‘he’s very heartily welcome’ said the old man raising himself in his  chair and attempting a gesture of courtesy while a gleam of hospitable  satisfaction seemed to pass over his faded features ‘but lucy my dear  let us go down to the house you should not keep the gentleman here in the  cold
dominie take the key of the winecooler
mr aathe gentleman  will surely take something after his ride’  mannering was unspeakably affected by the contrast which his recollection  made between this reception and that with which he had been greeted by the  same individual when they last met
he could not restrain his tears and  his evident emotion at once attained him the confidence of the friendless  young lady
‘alas’ she said ‘this is distressing even to a stranger but it may be  better for my poor father to be in this way than if he knew and could feel  all’  a servant in livery now came up the path and spoke in an undertone to the  young gentleman’mr
charles my lady’s wanting you yonder sadly to bid  for her for the black ebony cabinet and lady jean devorgoil is wi’ her  an’ a’ ye maun come away directly’  ‘tell them you could not find me tom or staysay i am looking at the  horses’  ‘no no no’ said lucy bertram earnestly ‘if you would not add to the  misery of this miserable moment go to the company directly
this  gentleman i am sure will see us to the carriage’  ‘unquestionably madam’ said mannering ‘your young friend may rely on my  attention’  ‘farewell then’ said young hazlewood and whispered a word in her ear  then ran down the steep hastily as if not trusting his resolution at a  slower pace
‘where’s charles hazlewood running’ said the invalid who apparently was  accustomed to his presence and attentions ‘where’s charles hazlewood  running
what takes him away now’  ‘he’ll return in a little while’ said lucy gently
the sound of voices was now heard from the ruins
the reader may remember  there was a communication between the castle and the beach up which the  speakers had ascended
‘yes there’s a plenty of shells and seaware for manure as you observe  and if one inclined to build a new house which might indeed be necessary  there’s a great deal of good hewn stone about this old dungeon for the  devil here’  ‘good god’ said miss bertram hastily to sampson ‘‘t is that wretch  glossin’s voice
if my father sees him it will kill him outright’  sampson wheeled perpendicularly round and moved with long strides to  confront the attorney as he issued from beneath the portal arch of the  ruin
‘avoid ye’ he said ‘avoid ye
wouldst thou kill and take  possession’  ‘come come master dominie sampson’ answered glossin insolently ‘if ye  cannot preach in the pulpit we’ll have no preaching here
we go by the  law my good friend we leave the gospel to you’  the very mention of this man’s name had been of late a subject of the most  violent irritation to the unfortunate patient
the sound of his voice now  produced an instantaneous effect
mr bertram started up without  assistance and turned round towards him the ghastliness of his features  forming a strange contrast with the violence of his exclamations’out of  my sight ye viper
ye frozen viper that i warmed till ye stung me
art  thou not afraid that the walls of my father’s dwelling should fall and  crush thee limb and bone
are ye not afraid the very lintels of the door  of ellangowan castle should break open and swallow you up
were ye not  friendless houseless penniless when i took ye by the hand and are ye  not expelling meme and that innocent girlfriendless houseless and  penniless from the house that has sheltered us and ours for a thousand  years’  had glossin been alone he would probably have slunk off but the  consciousness that a stranger was present besides the person who came  with him a sort of landsurveyor determined him to resort to impudence
the task however was almost too hard even for his  effrontery’sirsirmr bertram sir you should not blame me but your  own imprudence sir’     chapter xiv  the bell strikes one
we take no note of time  but from its loss
to give it then a tongue  is wise in man
as if an angel spoke  i feel the solemn sound
young
the moral which the poet has rather quaintly deduced from the necessary  mode of measuring time may be well applied to our feelings respecting that  portion of it which constitutes human life
we observe the aged the  infirm and those engaged in occupations of immediate hazard trembling as  it were upon the very brink of nonexistence but we derive no lesson from  the precariousness of their tenure until it has altogether failed
then  for a moment at least  our hopes and fears start up alarm’d and o’er life’s narrow verge  look downon what
a fathomless abyss a dark eternity how surely  ours
the crowd of assembled gazers and idlers at ellangowan had followed the  views of amusement or what they called business which brought them  there with little regard to the feelings of those who were suffering upon  that occasion
few indeed knew anything of the family
the father  betwixt seclusion misfortune and imbecility had drifted as it were  for many years out of the notice of his contemporaries the daughter had  never been known to them
but when the general murmur announced that the  unfortunate mr bertram had broken his heart in the effort to leave the  mansion of his forefathers there poured forth a torrent of sympathy like  the waters from the rock when stricken by the wand of the prophet
the  ancient descent and unblemished integrity of the family were respectfully  remembered above all the sacred veneration due to misfortune which in  scotland seldom demands its tribute in vain then claimed and received it
mr macmorlan hastily announced that he would suspend all farther  proceedings in the sale of the estate and other property and relinquish  the possession of the premises to the young lady until she could consult  with her friends and provide for the burial of her father
glossin had cowered for a few minutes under the general expression of  sympathy till hardened by observing that no appearance of popular  indignation was directed his way he had the audacity to require that the  sale should proceed
‘i will take it upon my own authority to adjourn it’ said the  sheriffsubstitute ‘and will be responsible for the consequences
i will  also give due notice when it is again to go forward
it is for the benefit  of all concerned that the lands should bring the highest price the state  of the market will admit and this is surely no time to expect it
i will  take the responsibility upon myself’  glossin left the room and the house too with secrecy and despatch and it  was probably well for him that he did so since our friend jock jabos was  already haranguing a numerous tribe of barelegged boys on the propriety  of pelting him off the estate
some of the rooms were hastily put in order for the reception of the young  lady and of her father’s dead body
mannering now found his farther  interference would be unnecessary and might be misconstrued
he observed  too that several families connected with that of ellangowan and who  indeed derived their principal claim of gentility from the alliance were  now disposed to pay to their trees of genealogy a tribute which the  adversity of their supposed relatives had been inadequate to call forth  and that the honour of superintending the funeral rites of the dead  godfrey bertram as in the memorable case of homer’s birthplace was  likely to be debated by seven gentlemen of rank and fortune none of whom  had offered him an asylum while living
he therefore resolved as his  presence was altogether useless to make a short tour of a fortnight at  the end of which period the adjourned sale of the estate of ellangowan was  to proceed
but before he departed he solicited an interview with the dominie
the  poor man appeared on being informed a gentleman wanted to speak to him  with some expression of surprise in his gaunt features to which recent  sorrow had given an expression yet more grisly
he made two or three  profound reverences to mannering and then standing erect patiently  waited an explanation of his commands
‘you are probably at a loss to guess mr sampson’ said mannering ‘what  a stranger may have to say to you’  ‘unless it were to request that i would undertake to train up some youth  in polite letters and humane learning but i cannoti cannot i have yet  a task to perform’  ‘no mr sampson my wishes are not so ambitious
i have no son and my  only daughter i presume you would not consider as a fit pupil’  ‘of a surety no’ replied the simpleminded sampson
‘nathless it was i  who did educate miss lucy in all useful learning albeit it was the  housekeeper who did teach her those unprofitable exercises of hemming and  shaping’  ‘well sir’ replied mannering ‘it is of miss lucy i meant to speak
you  have i presume no recollection of me’  sampson always sufficiently absent in mind neither remembered the  astrologer of past years nor even the stranger who had taken his patron’s  part against glossin so much had his friend’s sudden death embroiled his  ideas
‘well that does not signify’ pursued the colonel ‘i am an old  acquaintance of the late mr bertram able and willing to assist his  daughter in her present circumstances
besides i have thoughts of making  this purchase and i should wish things kept in order about the place  will you have the goodness to apply this small sum in the usual family  expenses’ he put into the dominie’s hand a purse containing some gold
‘prodigious’ exclaimed dominie sampson
‘but if your honour would  tarry’  ‘impossible sir impossible’ said mannering making his escape from him
‘prodigious’ again exclaimed sampson following to the head of the  stairs still holding out the purse
‘but as touching this coined money’  mannering escaped downstairs as fast as possible
‘prodigious’ exclaimed dominie sampson yet the third time now  standing at the front door
‘but as touching this specie’  but mannering was now on horseback and out of hearing
the dominie who  had never either in his own right or as trustee for another been  possessed of a quarter part of this sum though it was not above twenty  guineas ‘took counsel’ as he expressed himself ‘how he should demean  himself with respect unto the fine gold’ thus left in his charge
fortunately he found a disinterested adviser in macmorlan who pointed  out the most proper means of disposing of it for contributing to miss  bertram’s convenience being no doubt the purpose to which it was destined  by the bestower
many of the neighbouring gentry were now sincerely eager in pressing  offers of hospitality and kindness upon miss bertram
but she felt a  natural reluctance to enter any family for the first time as an object  rather of benevolence than hospitality and determined to wait the opinion  and advice of her father’s nearest female relation mrs margaret bertram  of singleside an old unmarried lady to whom she wrote an account of her  present distressful situation
the funeral of the late mr bertram was performed with decent privacy and  the unfortunate young lady was now to consider herself as but the  temporary tenant of the house in which she had been born and where her  patience and soothing attentions had so long ‘rocked the cradle of  declining age’ her communication with mr macmorlan encouraged her to  hope that she would not be suddenly or unkindly deprived of this asylum  but fortune had ordered otherwise
for two days before the appointed day for the sale of the lands and estate  of ellangowan macmorlan daily expected the appearance of colonel  mannering or at least a letter containing powers to act for him
but none  such arrived
mr macmorlan waked early in the morning walked over to  the postofficethere were no letters for him
he endeavoured to  persuade himself that he should see colonel mannering to breakfast and  ordered his wife to place her best china and prepare herself accordingly
but the preparations were in vain
‘could i have foreseen this’ he said  ‘i would have travelled scotland over but i would have found some one to  bid against glossin’ alas
such reflections were all too late
the  appointed hour arrived and the parties met in the masons’ lodge at  kippletringan being the place fixed for the adjourned sale
macmorlan  spent as much time in preliminaries as decency would permit and read over  the articles of sale as slowly as if he had been reading his own  deathwarrant
he turned his eye every time the door of the room opened  with hopes which grew fainter and fainter
he listened to every noise in  the street of the village and endeavoured to distinguish in it the sound  of hoofs or wheels
it was all in vain
a bright idea then occurred that  colonel mannering might have employed some other person in the  transaction he would not have wasted a moment’s thought upon the want of  confidence in himself which such a manoeuvre would have evinced
but this  hope also was groundless
after a solemn pause mr glossin offered the  upset price for the lands and barony of ellangowan
no reply was made and  no competitor appeared so after a lapse of the usual interval by the  running of a sandglass upon the intended purchaser entering the proper  sureties mr macmorlan was obliged in technical terms to ‘find and  declare the sale lawfully completed and to prefer the said gilbert  glossin as the purchaser of the said lands and estate’ the honest writer  refused to partake of a splendid entertainment with which gilbert glossin  esquire now of ellangowan treated the rest of the company and returned  home in huge bitterness of spirit which he vented in complaints against  the fickleness and caprice of these indian nabobs who never knew what  they would be at for ten days together
fortune generously determined to  take the blame upon herself and cut off even this vent of macmorlan’s  resentment
an express arrived about six o’clock at night ‘very particularly drunk’  the maidservant said with a packet from colonel mannering dated four  days back at a town about a hundred miles’ distance from kippletringan  containing full powers to mr macmorlan or any one whom he might employ  to make the intended purchase and stating that some family business of  consequence called the colonel himself to westmoreland where a letter  would find him addressed to the care of arthur mervyn esq of mervyn  hall
macmorlan in the transports of his wrath flung the power of attorney at  the head of the innocent maidservant and was only forcibly withheld from  horsewhipping the rascally messenger by whose sloth and drunkenness the  disappointment had taken place
chapter xv  my gold is gone my money is spent  my land now take it unto thee
give me thy gold good john o’ the scales  and thine for aye my land shall be
then john he did him to record draw
and john he caste him a godspennie  but for every pounde that john agreed  the land i wis was well worth three
heir of linne
the galwegian john o’ the scales was a more clever fellow than his  prototype
he contrived to make himself heir of linne without the  disagreeable ceremony of ‘telling down the good red gold’ miss bertram no  sooner heard this painful and of late unexpected intelligence than she  proceeded in the preparations she had already made for leaving the  mansionhouse immediately
mr macmorlan assisted her in these  arrangements and pressed upon her so kindly the hospitality and  protection of his roof until she should receive an answer from her  cousin or be enabled to adopt some settled plan of life that she felt  there would be unkindness in refusing an invitation urged with such  earnestness
mrs macmorlan was a ladylike person and well qualified by  birth and manners to receive the visit and to make her house agreeable to  miss bertram
a home therefore and an hospitable reception were secured  to her and she went on with better heart to pay the wages and receive the  adieus of the few domestics of her father’s family
where there are estimable qualities on either side this task is always  affecting the present circumstances rendered it doubly so
all received  their due and even a trifle more and with thanks and good wishes to  which some added tears took farewell of their young mistress
there  remained in the parlour only mr macmorlan who came to attend his guest  to his house dominie sampson and miss bertram
‘and now’ said the poor  girl ‘i must bid farewell to one of my oldest and kindest friends
god  bless you mr sampson and requite to you all the kindness of your  instructions to your poor pupil and your friendship to him that is gone
i hope i shall often hear from you’ she slid into his hand a paper  containing some pieces of gold and rose as if to leave the room
dominie sampson also rose but it was to stand aghast with utter  astonishment
the idea of parting from miss lucy go where she might had  never once occurred to the simplicity of his understanding
he laid the  money on the table
‘it is certainly inadequate’ said macmorlan  mistaking his meaning ‘but the circumstances’  mr sampson waved his hand impatiently’it is not the lucre it is not  the lucre but that i that have ate of her father’s loaf and drank of  his cup for twenty years and moreto think that i am going to leave her  and to leave her in distress and dolour
no miss lucy you need never  think it
you would not consent to put forth your father’s poor dog and  would you use me waur than a messan
no miss lucy bertram while i live i  will not separate from you
i’ll be no burden i have thought how to  prevent that
but as ruth said unto naomi “entreat me not to leave thee  nor to depart from thee for whither thou goest i will go and where thou  dwellest i will dwell thy people shall be my people and thy god shall be  my god
where thou diest will i die and there will i be buried
the lord  do so to me and more also if aught but death do part thee and me�’  during this speech the longest ever dominie sampson was known to utter  the affectionate creature’s eyes streamed with tears and neither lucy nor  macmorlan could refrain from sympathising with this unexpected burst of  feeling and attachment
‘mr
sampson’ said macmorlan after having had  recourse to his snuffbox and handkerchief alternately ‘my house is large  enough and if you will accept of a bed there while miss bertram honours  us with her residence i shall think myself very happy and my roof much  favoured by receiving a man of your worth and fidelity’ and then with a  delicacy which was meant to remove any objection on miss bertram’s part to  bringing with her this unexpected satellite he added ‘my business  requires my frequently having occasion for a better accountant than any of  my present clerks and i should be glad to have recourse to your  assistance in that way now and then’  ‘of a surety of a surety’ said sampson eagerly ‘i understand  bookkeeping by double entry and the italian method’  our postilion had thrust himself into the room to announce his chaise and  horses he tarried unobserved during this extraordinary scene and  assured mrs maccandlish it was the most moving thing he ever saw ‘the  death of the grey mare puir hizzie was naething till’t’ this trifling  circumstance afterwards had consequences of greater moment to the dominie
the visitors were hospitably welcomed by mrs macmorlan to whom as well  as to others her husband intimated that he had engaged dominie sampson’s  assistance to disentangle some perplexed accounts during which occupation  he would for convenience sake reside with the family
mr macmorlan’s  knowledge of the world induced him to put this colour upon the matter  aware that however honourable the fidelity of the dominie’s attachment  might be both to his own heart and to the family of ellangowan his  exterior ill qualified him to be a’squire of dames’ and rendered him  upon the whole rather a ridiculous appendage to a beautiful young woman  of seventeen
dominie sampson achieved with great zeal such tasks as mr macmorlan  chose to entrust him with but it was speedily observed that at a certain  hour after breakfast he regularly disappeared and returned again about  dinnertime
the evening he occupied in the labour of the office
on  saturday he appeared before macmorlan with a look of great triumph and  laid on the table two pieces of gold
‘what is this for dominie’ said  macmorlan
‘first to indemnify you of your charges in my behalf worthy sir and the  balance for the use of miss lucy bertram’  ‘but mr sampson your labour in the office much more than recompenses  me i am your debtor my good friend’  ‘then be it all’ said the dominie waving his hand ‘for miss lucy  bertram’s behoof’  ‘well but dominie this money’  ‘it is honestly come by mr macmorlan it is the bountiful reward of a  young gentleman to whom i am teaching the tongues reading with him three  hours daily’  a few more questions extracted from the dominie that this liberal pupil  was young hazlewood and that he met his preceptor daily at the house of  mrs maccandlish whose proclamation of sampson’s disinterested  attachment to the young lady had procured him this indefatigable and  bounteous scholar
macmorlan was much struck with what he heard
dominie sampson was  doubtless a very good scholar and an excellent man and the classics were  unquestionably very well worth reading yet that a young man of twenty  should ride seven miles and back again each day in the week to hold this  sort of teteatete of three hours was a zeal for literature to which he  was not prepared to give entire credit
little art was necessary to sift  the dominie for the honest man’s head never admitted any but the most  direct and simple ideas
‘does miss bertram know how your time is engaged  my good friend’  ‘surely not as yet
mr charles recommended it should be concealed from  her lest she should scruple to accept of the small assistance arising  from it but’ he added ‘it would not be possible to conceal it long  since mr charles proposed taking his lessons occasionally in this house’  ‘o he does’ said macmorlan’ yes yes i can understand that better
and pray mr sampson are these three hours entirely spent inconstruing  and translating’  ‘doubtless no we have also colloquial intercourse to sweeten study  neque semper arcum tendit apollo’  the querist proceeded to elicit from this galloway phoebus what their  discourse chiefly turned upon
‘upon our past meetings at ellangowan and truly i think very often we  discourse concerning miss lucy for mr charles hazlewood in that  particular resembleth me mr macmorlan
when i begin to speak of her i  never know when to stop and as i say jocularly she cheats us out of  half our lessons’  ‘o ho’ thought macmorlan ‘sits the wind in that quarter
i’ve heard  something like this before’  he then began to consider what conduct was safest for his protegee and  even for himself for the senior mr hazlewood was powerful wealthy  ambitious and vindictive and looked for both fortune and title in any  connexion which his son might form
at length having the highest opinion  of his guest’s good sense and penetration he determined to take an  opportunity when they should happen to be alone to communicate the  matter to her as a simple piece of intelligence
he did so in as natural a  manner as he could
‘i wish you joy of your friend mr sampson’s good  fortune miss bertram he has got a pupil who pays him two guineas for  twelve lessons of greek and latin’  ‘indeed
i am equally happy and surprised
who can be so liberal
is  colonel mannering returned’  ‘no no not colonel mannering but what do you think of your  acquaintance mr charles hazlewood
he talks of taking his lessons here  i wish we may have accommodation for him’  lucy blushed deeply
‘for heaven’s sake no mr macmorlan do not let  that be charles hazlewood has had enough of mischief about that already’  ‘about the classics my dear young lady’ wilfully seeming to  misunderstand her ‘most young gentlemen have so at one period or another  sure enough but his present studies are voluntary’  miss bertram let the conversation drop and her host made no effort to  renew it as she seemed to pause upon the intelligence in order to form  some internal resolution
the next day miss bertram took an opportunity of conversing with mr  sampson
expressing in the kindest manner her grateful thanks for his  disinterested attachment and her joy that he had got such a provision  she hinted to him that his present mode of superintending charles  hazlewood’s studies must be so inconvenient to his pupil that while that  engagement lasted he had better consent to a temporary separation and  reside either with his scholar or as near him as might be
sampson  refused as indeed she had expected to listen a moment to this  proposition he would not quit her to be made preceptor to the prince of  wales
‘but i see’ he added ‘you are too proud to share my pittance and  peradventure i grow wearisome unto you’  ‘no indeed you were my father’s ancient almost his only friend
i am  not proud god knows i have no reason to be so
you shall do what you  judge best in other matters but oblige me by telling mr charles  hazlewood that you had some conversation with me concerning his studies  and that i was of opinion that his carrying them on in this house was  altogether impracticable and not to be thought of’  dominie sampson left her presence altogether crestfallen and as he shut  the door could not help muttering the ‘varium et mutabile’ of virgil
next day he appeared with a very rueful visage and tendered miss bertram  a letter
‘mr
hazlewood’ he said ‘was to discontinue his lessons  though he had generously made up the pecuniary loss
but how will he make  up the loss to himself of the knowledge he might have acquired under my  instruction
even in that one article of writinghe was an hour before  he could write that brief note and destroyed many scrolls four quills  and some good white paper
i would have taught him in three weeks a firm  current clear and legible hand he should have been a calligrapherbut  god’s will be done’  the letter contained but a few lines deeply regretting and murmuring  against miss bertram’s cruelty who not only refused to see him but to  permit him in the most indirect manner to hear of her health and  contribute to her service
but it concluded with assurances that her  severity was vain and that nothing could shake the attachment of charles  hazlewood
under the active patronage of mrs maccandlish sampson picked up some  other scholarsvery different indeed from charles hazlewood in rank and  whose lessons were proportionally unproductive
still however he gained  something and it was the glory of his heart to carry it to mr macmorlan  weekly a slight peculium only subtracted to supply his snuffbox and  tobaccopouch
and here we must leave kippletringan to look after our hero lest our  readers should fear they are to lose sight of him for another quarter of a  century
chapter xvi  our polly is a sad slut nor heeds what we have taught her  i wonder any man alive will ever rear a daughter  for when she’s drest with care and cost all tempting fine  and gay  as men should serve a cucumber she flings herself away
beggar’s opera
after the death of mr bertram mannering had set out upon a short tour  proposing to return to the neighbourhood of ellangowan before the sale of  that property should take place
he went accordingly to edinburgh and  elsewhere and it was in his return towards the southwestern district of  scotland in which our scene lies that at a posttown about a hundred  miles from kippletringan to which he had requested his friend mr  mervyn to address his letters he received one from that gentleman which  contained rather unpleasing intelligence
we have assumed already the  privilege of acting a secretis to this gentleman and therefore shall  present the reader with an extract from this epistle
‘i beg your pardon my dearest friend for the pain i have given you in  forcing you to open wounds so festering as those your letter referred to
i have always heard though erroneously perhaps that the attentions of  mr brown were intended for miss mannering
but however that were it  could not be supposed that in your situation his boldness should escape  notice and chastisement
wise men say that we resign to civil society our  natural rights of selfdefence only on condition that the ordinances of  law should protect us
where the price cannot be paid the resignation  becomes void
for instance no one supposes that i am not entitled to  defend my purse and person against a highwayman as much as if i were a  wild indian who owns neither law nor magistracy
the question of  resistance or submission must be determined by my means and situation
but  if armed and equal in force i submit to injustice and violence from any  man high or low i presume it will hardly be attributed to religious or  moral feeling in me or in any one but a quaker
an aggression on my  honour seems to me much the same
the insult however trifling in itself  is one of much deeper consequence to all views in life than any wrong  which can be inflicted by a depredator on the highway and to redress the  injured party is much less in the power of public jurisprudence or rather  it is entirely beyond its reach
if any man chooses to rob arthur mervyn  of the contents of his purse supposing the said arthur has not means of  defence or the skill and courage to use them the assizes at lancaster or  carlisle will do him justice by tucking up the robber yet who will say i  am bound to wait for this justice and submit to being plundered in the  first instance if i have myself the means and spirit to protect my own  property
but if an affront is offered to me submission under which is to  tarnish my character for ever with men of honour and for which the twelve  judges of england with the chancellor to boot can afford me no redress  by what rule of law or reason am i to be deterred from protecting what  ought to be and is so infinitely dearer to every man of honour than his  whole fortune
of the religious views of the matter i shall say nothing  until i find a reverend divine who shall condemn selfdefence in the  article of life and property
if its propriety in that case be generally  admitted i suppose little distinction can be drawn between defence of  person and goods and protection of reputation
that the latter is liable  to be assailed by persons of a different rank in life untainted perhaps  in morals and fair in character cannot affect my legal right of  selfdefence
i may be sorry that circumstances have engaged me in  personal strife with such an individual but i should feel the same sorrow  for a generous enemy who fell under my sword in a national quarrel
i  shall leave the question with the casuists however only observing that  what i have written will not avail either the professed duellist or him  who is the aggressor in a dispute of honour
i only presume to exculpate  him who is dragged into the field by such an offence as submitted to in  patience would forfeit for ever his rank and estimation in society
‘i am sorry you have thoughts of settling in scotland and yet glad that  you will still be at no immeasurable distance and that the latitude is  all in our favour
to move to westmoreland from devonshire might make an  eastindian shudder but to come to us from galloway or dumfriesshire is  a step though a short one nearer the sun
besides if as i suspect the  estate in view be connected with the old haunted castle in which you  played the astrologer in your northern tour some twenty years since i  have heard you too often describe the scene with comic unction to hope you  will be deterred from making the purchase
i trust however the  hospitable gossiping laird has not run himself upon the shallows and that  his chaplain whom you so often made us laugh at is still in rerum  natura
‘and here dear mannering i wish i could stop for i have incredible pain  in telling the rest of my story although i am sure i can warn you against  any intentional impropriety on the part of my temporary ward julia  mannering
but i must still earn my college nickname of downright  dunstable
in one word then here is the matter
‘your daughter has much of the romantic turn of your disposition with a  little of that love of admiration which all pretty women share less or  more
she will besides apparently be your heiress a trifling  circumstance to those who view julia with my eyes but a prevailing bait  to the specious artful and worthless
you know how i have jested with  her about her soft melancholy and lonely walks at morning before any one  is up and in the moonlight when all should be gone to bed or set down to  cards which is the same thing
the incident which follows may not be  beyond the bounds of a joke but i had rather the jest upon it came from  you than me
‘two or three times during the last fortnight i heard at a late hour in  the night or very early in the morning a flageolet play the little hindu  tune to which your daughter is so partial
i thought for some time that  some tuneful domestic whose taste for music was laid under constraint  during the day chose that silent hour to imitate the strains which he had  caught up by the ear during his attendance in the drawingroom
but last  night i sat late in my study which is immediately under miss mannering’s  apartment and to my surprise i not only heard the flageolet distinctly  but satisfied myself that it came from the lake under the window
curious  to know who serenaded us at that unusual hour i stole softly to the  window of my apartment
but there were other watchers than me
you may  remember miss mannering preferred that apartment on account of a balcony  which opened from her window upon the lake
well sir i heard the sash of  her window thrown up the shutters opened and her own voice in  conversation with some person who answered from below
this is not “much  ado about nothing� i could not be mistaken in her voice and such tones  so soft so insinuating and to say the truth the accents from below  were in passion’s tenderest cadence toobut of the sense i can say  nothing
i raised the sash of my own window that i might hear something  more than the mere murmur of this spanish rendezvous but though i used  every precaution the noise alarmed the speakers down slid the young  lady’s casement and the shutters were barred in an instant
the dash of a  pair of oars in the water announced the retreat of the male person of the  dialogue
indeed i saw his boat which he rowed with great swiftness and  dexterity fly across the lake like a twelveoared barge
next morning i  examined some of my domestics as if by accident and i found the  gamekeeper when making his rounds had twice seen that boat beneath the  house with a single person and had heard the flageolet
i did not care  to press any farther questions for fear of implicating julia in the  opinions of those of whom they might be asked
next morning at breakfast  i dropped a casual hint about the serenade of the evening before and i  promise you miss mannering looked red and pale alternately
i immediately  gave the circumstance such a turn as might lead her to suppose that my  observation was merely casual
i have since caused a watchlight to be  burnt in my library and have left the shutters open to deter the  approach of our nocturnal guest and i have stated the severity of  approaching winter and the rawness of the fogs as an objection to  solitary walks
miss mannering acquiesced with a passiveness which is no  part of her character and which to tell you the plain truth is a  feature about the business which i like least of all
julia has too much  of her own dear papa’s disposition to be curbed in any of her humours  were there not some little lurking consciousness that it may be as prudent  to avoid debate
‘now my story is told and you will judge what you ought to do
i have not  mentioned the matter to my good woman who a faithful secretary to her  sex’s foibles would certainly remonstrate against your being made  acquainted with these particulars and might instead take it into her  head to exercise her own eloquence on miss mannering a faculty which  however powerful when directed against me its legitimate object might i  fear do more harm than good in the case supposed
perhaps even you  yourself will find it most prudent to act without remonstrating or  appearing to be aware of this little anecdote
julia is very like a  certain friend of mine she has a quick and lively imagination and keen  feelings which are apt to exaggerate both the good and evil they find in  life
she is a charming girl however as generous and spirited as she is  lovely
i paid her the kiss you sent her with all my heart and she rapped  my ringers for my reward with all hers
pray return as soon as you can
meantime rely upon the care of yours faithfully ‘arthur mervyn
‘psyou will naturally wish to know if i have the least guess  concerning the person of the serenader
in truth i have none
there is no  young gentleman of these parts who might be in rank or fortune a match  for miss julia that i think at all likely to play such a character
but  on the other side of the lake nearly opposite to mervyn hall is a dd  cakehouse the resort of walking gentlemen of all descriptionspoets  players painters musicianswho come to rave and recite and madden  about this picturesque land of ours
it is paying some penalty for its  beauties that they are the means of drawing this swarm of coxcombs  together
but were julia my daughter it is one of those sort of fellows  that i should fear on her account
she is generous and romantic and  writes six sheets a week to a female correspondent and it’s a sad thing  to lack a subject in such a case either for exercise of the feelings or  of the pen
adieu once more
were i to treat this matter more seriously  than i have done i should do injustice to your feelings were i  altogether to overlook it i should discredit my own’  the consequence of this letter was that having first despatched the  faithless messenger with the necessary powers to mr macmorlan for  purchasing the estate of ellangowan colonel mannering turned his horse’s  head in a more southerly direction and neither ‘stinted nor staid’ until  he arrived at the mansion of his friend mr mervyn upon the banks of one  of the lakes of westmoreland
chapter xvii  heaven first in its mercy taught mortals their letters  for ladies in limbo and lovers in fetters  or some author who placing his persons before ye  ungallantly leaves them to write their own story
pope imitated
when mannering returned to england his first object had been to place his  daughter in a seminary for female education of established character
not however finding her progress in the accomplishments which he wished  her to acquire so rapid as his impatience expected he had withdrawn miss  mannering from the school at the end of the first quarter
so she had only  time to form an eternal friendship with miss matilda marchmont a young  lady about her own age which was nearly eighteen
to her faithful eye  were addressed those formidable quires which issued forth from mervyn hall  on the wings of the post while miss mannering was a guest there
the  perusal of a few short extracts from these may be necessary to render our  story intelligible
first extract  ‘alas
my dearest matilda what a tale is mine to tell
misfortune from  the cradle has set her seal upon your unhappy friend
that we should be  severed for so slight a causean ungrammatical phrase in my italian  exercise and three false notes in one of paisiello’s sonatas
but it is a  part of my father’s character of whom it is impossible to say whether i  love admire or fear him the most
his success in life and in war his  habit of making every obstacle yield before the energy of his exertions  even where they seemed insurmountableall these have given a hasty and  peremptory cast to his character which can neither endure contradiction  nor make allowance for deficiencies
then he is himself so very  accomplished
do you know there was a murmur half confirmed too by some  mysterious words which dropped from my poor mother that he possesses  other sciences now lost to the world which enable the possessor to  summon up before him the dark and shadowy forms of future events
does not  the very idea of such a power or even of the high talent and commanding  intellect which the world may mistake for itdoes it not dear matilda  throw a mysterious grandeur about its possessor
you will call this  romantic but consider i was born in the land of talisman and spell and  my childhood lulled by tales which you can only enjoy through the gauzy  frippery of a french translation
o matilda i wish you could have seen  the dusky visages of my indian attendants bending in earnest devotion  round the magic narrative that flowed half poetry half prose from the  lips of the taleteller
no wonder that european fiction sounds cold and  meagre after the wonderful effects which i have seen the romances of the  east produce upon their hearers’  second extract  ‘you are possessed my dear matilda of my bosomsecret in those  sentiments with which i regard brown
i will not say his memory i am  convinced he lives and is faithful
his addresses to me were countenanced  by my deceased parent imprudently countenanced perhaps considering the  prejudices of my father in favour of birth and rank
but i then almost a  girl could not be expected surely to be wiser than her under whose charge  nature had placed me
my father constantly engaged in military duty i  saw but at rare intervals and was taught to look up to him with more awe  than confidence
would to heaven it had been otherwise
it might have been  better for us all at this day’  third extract  ‘you ask me why i do not make known to my father that brown yet lives at  least that he survived the wound he received in that unhappy duel and had  written to my mother expressing his entire convalescence and his hope of  speedily escaping from captivity
a soldier that “in the trade of war has  oft slain men� feels probably no uneasiness at reflecting upon the  supposed catastrophe which almost turned me into stone
and should i show  him that letter does it not follow that brown alive and maintaining with  pertinacity the pretensions to the affections of your poor friend for  which my father formerly sought his life would be a more formidable  disturber of colonel mannering’s peace of mind than in his supposed grave
if he escapes from the hands of these marauders i am convinced he will  soon be in england and it will be then time to consider how his existence  is to be disclosed to my father
but if alas
my earnest and confident  hope should betray me what would it avail to tear open a mystery fraught  with so many painful recollections
my dear mother had such dread of its  being known that i think she even suffered my father to suspect that  brown’s attentions were directed towards herself rather than permit him  to discover their real object and o matilda whatever respect i owe to  the memory of a deceased parent let me do justice to a living one
i  cannot but condemn the dubious policy which she adopted as unjust to my  father and highly perilous to herself and me
but peace be with her  ashes
her actions were guided by the heart rather than the head and  shall her daughter who inherits all her weakness be the first to  withdraw the veil from her defects’  fourth extract ‘mervyn hall
‘if india be the land of magic this my dearest matilda is the country  of romance
the scenery is such as nature brings together in her sublimest  moodssounding cataractshills which rear their scathed heads to the  skylakes that winding up the shadowy valleys lead at every turn to yet  more romantic recessesrocks which catch the clouds of heaven
all the  wildness of salvator here and there the fairy scenes of claude
i am  happy too in finding at least one object upon which my father can share my  enthusiasm
an admirer of nature both as an artist and a poet i have  experienced the utmost pleasure from the observations by which he explains  the character and the effect of these brilliant specimens of her power
i  wish he would settle in this enchanting land
but his views lie still  farther north and he is at present absent on a tour in scotland looking  i believe for some purchase of land which may suit him as a residence
he  is partial from early recollections to that country
so my dearest  matilda i must be yet farther removed from you before i am established in  a home
and o how delighted shall i be when i can say come matilda and  be the guest of your faithful julia
‘i am at present the inmate of mr and mrs mervyn old friends of my  father
the latter is precisely a good sort of woman ladylike and  housewifely but for accomplishments or fancygood lack my dearest  matilda your friend might as well seek sympathy from mrs teach’emyou  see i have not forgot school nicknames
mervyn is a differentquite a  different being from my father yet he amuses and endures me
he is fat  and goodnatured gifted with strong shrewd sense and some powers of  humour but having been handsome i suppose in his youth has still some  pretension to be a beau garcon as well as an enthusiastic agriculturist
i delight to make him scramble to the tops of eminences and to the foot of  waterfalls and am obliged in turn to admire his turnips his lucerne and  his timothy grass
he thinks me i fancy a simple romantic miss with  somethe word will be outbeauty and some goodnature and i hold that  the gentleman has good taste for the female outside and do not expect he  should comprehend my sentiments farther
so he rallies hands and hobbles  for the dear creature has got the gout too and tells old stories of  high life of which he has seen a great deal and i listen and smile and  look as pretty as pleasant and as simple as i can and we do very well
‘but alas
my dearest matilda how would time pass away even in this  paradise of romance tenanted as it is by a pair assorting so ill with the  scenes around them were it not for your fidelity in replying to my  uninteresting details
pray do not fail to write three times a week at  least you can be at no loss what to say’  fifth extract  ‘how shall i communicate what i have now to tell
my hand and heart still  flutter so much that the task of writing is almost impossible
did i not  say that he lived
did i not say i would not despair
how could you  suggest my dear matilda that my feelings considering i had parted from  him so young rather arose from the warmth of my imagination than of my  heart
o i was sure that they were genuine deceitful as the dictates of  our bosom so frequently are
but to my talelet it be my friend the  most sacred as it is the most sincere pledge of our friendship
‘our hours here are earlyearlier than my heart with its load of care  can compose itself to rest
i therefore usually take a book for an hour or  two after retiring to my own room which i think i have told you opens to  a small balcony looking down upon that beautiful lake of which i  attempted to give you a slight sketch
mervyn hall being partly an  ancient building and constructed with a view to defence is situated on  the verge of the lake
a stone dropped from the projecting balcony plunges  into water deep enough to float a skiff
i had left my window partly  unbarred that before i went to bed i might according to my custom  look out and see the moonlight shining upon the lake
i was deeply engaged  with that beautiful scene in the “merchant of venice� where two lovers  describing the stillness of a summer night enhance on each other its  charms and was lost in the associations of story and of feeling which it  awakens when i heard upon the lake the sound of a flageolet
i have told  you it was brown’s favourite instrument
who could touch it in a night  which though still and serene was too cold and too late in the year to  invite forth any wanderer for mere pleasure
i drew yet nearer the window  and hearkened with breathless attention the sounds paused a space were  then resumed paused again and again reached my ear ever coming nearer  and nearer
at length i distinguished plainly that little hindu air which  you called my favourite
i have told you by whom it was taught me the  instrument the tones were his own
was it earthly music or notes  passing on the wind to warn me of his death
‘it was some time ere i could summon courage to step on the balcony  nothing could have emboldened me to do so but the strong conviction of my  mind that he was still alive and that we should again meet but that  conviction did embolden me and i ventured though with a throbbing heart
there was a small skiff with a single person
o matilda it was himself
i knew his appearance after so long an absence and through the shadow of  the night as perfectly as if we had parted yesterday and met again in  the broad sunshine
he guided his boat under the balcony and spoke to me  i hardly knew what he said or what i replied
indeed i could scarcely  speak for weeping but they were joyful tears
we were disturbed by the  barking of a dog at some distance and parted but not before he had  conjured me to prepare to meet him at the same place and hour this  evening
‘but where and to what is all this tending
can i answer this question
i  cannot
heaven that saved him from death and delivered him from  captivity that saved my father too from shedding the blood of one who  would not have blemished a hair of his head that heaven must guide me out  of this labyrinth
enough for me the firm resolution that matilda shall  not blush for her friend my father for his daughter nor my lover for her  on whom he has fixed his affection’  chapter xviii  talk with a man out of a windowa proper saying
much ado about nothing
we must proceed with our extracts from miss mannering’s letters which  throw light upon natural good sense principle and feelings blemished by  an imperfect education and the folly of a misjudging mother who called  her husband in her heart a tyrant until she feared him as such and read  romances until she became so enamoured of the complicated intrigues which  they contain as to assume the management of a little family novel of her  own and constitute her daughter a girl of sixteen the principal  heroine
she delighted in petty mystery and intrigue and secrets and yet  trembled at the indignation which these paltry manoeuvres excited in her  husband’s mind
thus she frequently entered upon a scheme merely for  pleasure or perhaps for the love of contradiction plunged deeper into it  than she was aware endeavoured to extricate herself by new arts or to  cover her error by dissimulation became involved in meshes of her own  weaving and was forced to carry on for fear of discovery machinations  which she had at first resorted to in mere wantonness
fortunately the young man whom she so imprudently introduced into her  intimate society and encouraged to look up to her daughter had a fund of  principle and honest pride which rendered him a safer intimate than mrs  mannering ought to have dared to hope or expect
the obscurity of his  birth could alone be objected to him in every other respect  with prospects bright upon the world he came pure love of virtue strong  desire of fame men watched the way his lofty mind would take and all  foretold the progress he would make
but it could not be expected that he should resist the snare which mrs  mannering’s imprudence threw in his way or avoid becoming attached to a  young lady whose beauty and manners might have justified his passion even  in scenes where these are more generally met with than in a remote  fortress in our indian settlements
the scenes which followed have been  partly detailed in mannering’s letter to mr mervyn and to expand what is  there stated into farther explanation would be to abuse the patience of  our readers
we shall therefore proceed with our promised extracts from miss  mannering’s letters to her friend
sixth extract  ‘i have seen him again matildaseen him twice
i have used every  argument to convince him that this secret intercourse is dangerous to us  both i even pressed him to pursue his views of fortune without farther  regard to me and to consider my peace of mind as sufficiently secured by  the knowledge that he had not fallen under my father’s sword
he  answersbut how can i detail all he has to answer
he claims those hopes  as his due which my mother permitted him to entertain and would persuade  me to the madness of a union without my father’s sanction
but to this  matilda i will not be persuaded
i have resisted i have subdued the  rebellious feelings which arose to aid his plea yet how to extricate  myself from this unhappy labyrinth in which fate and folly have entangled  us both
‘i have thought upon it matilda till my head is almost giddy nor can i  conceive a better plan than to make a full confession to my father
he  deserves it for his kindness is unceasing and i think i have observed in  his character since i have studied it more nearly that his harsher  feelings are chiefly excited where he suspects deceit or imposition and  in that respect perhaps his character was formerly misunderstood by one  who was dear to him
he has too a tinge of romance in his disposition  and i have seen the narrative of a generous action a trait of heroism or  virtuous selfdenial extract tears from him which refused to flow at a  tale of mere distress
but then brown urges that he is personally hostile  to him
and the obscurity of his birth that would be indeed a  stumblingblock
o matilda i hope none of your ancestors ever fought at  poictiers or agincourt
if it were not for the veneration which my father  attaches to the memory of old sir miles mannering i should make out my  explanation with half the tremor which must now attend it’  seventh extract  ‘i have this instant received your letteryour most welcome letter
thanks my dearest friend for your sympathy and your counsels i can only  repay them with unbounded confidence
‘you ask me what brown is by origin that his descent should be so  unpleasing to my father
his story is shortly told
he is of scottish  extraction but being left an orphan his education was undertaken by a  family of relations settled in holland
he was bred to commerce and sent  very early to one of our settlements in the east where his guardian had a  correspondent
but this correspondent was dead when he arrived in india  and he had no other resource than to offer himself as a clerk to a  countinghouse
the breaking out of the war and the straits to which we  were at first reduced threw the army open to all young men who were  disposed to embrace that mode of life and brown whose genius had a  strong military tendency was the first to leave what might have been the  road to wealth and to choose that of fame
the rest of his history is  well known to you but conceive the irritation of my father who despises  commerce though by the way the best part of his property was made in  that honourable profession by my greatuncle and has a particular  antipathy to the dutchthink with what ear he would be likely to receive  proposals for his only child from vanbeest brown educated for charity by  the house of vanbeest and vanbruggen
o matilda it will never do nay  so childish am i i hardly can help sympathising with his aristocratic  feelings
mrs vanbeest brown
the name has little to recommend it to be  sure
what children we are’  eighth extract  ‘it is all over now matilda
i shall never have courage to tell my  father nay most deeply do i fear he has already learned my secret from  another quarter which will entirely remove the grace of my communication  and ruin whatever gleam of hope i had ventured to connect with it
yesternight brown came as usual and his flageolet on the lake announced  his approach
we had agreed that he should continue to use this signal
these romantic lakes attract numerous visitors who indulge their  enthusiasm in visiting the scenery at all hours and we hoped that if  brown were noticed from the house he might pass for one of those admirers  of nature who was giving vent to his feelings through the medium of  music
the sounds might also be my apology should i be observed on the  balcony
but last night while i was eagerly enforcing my plan of a full  confession to my father which he as earnestly deprecated we heard the  window of mr mervyn’s library which is under my room open softly
i  signed to brown to make his retreat and immediately reentered with some  faint hopes that our interview had not been observed
‘but alas
matilda these hopes vanished the instant i beheld mr  mervyn’s countenance at breakfast the next morning
he looked so  provokingly intelligent and confidential that had i dared i could have  been more angry than ever i was in my life but i must be on good  behaviour and my walks are now limited within his farm precincts where  the good gentleman can amble along by my side without inconvenience
i  have detected him once or twice attempting to sound my thoughts and watch  the expression of my countenance
he has talked of the flageolet more than  once and has at different times made eulogiums upon the watchfulness  and ferocity of his dogs and the regularity with which the keeper makes  his rounds with a loaded fowlingpiece
he mentioned even mantraps and  springguns
i should be loth to affront my father’s old friend in his own  house but i do long to show him that i am my father’s daughter a fact of  which mr mervyn will certainly be convinced if ever i trust my voice and  temper with a reply to these indirect hints
of one thing i am certaini  am grateful to him on that accounthe has not told mrs mervyn
lord help  me i should have had such lectures about the dangers of love and the  night air on the lake the risk arising from colds and fortunehunters  the comfort and convenience of sackwhey and closed windows
i cannot help  trifling matilda though my heart is sad enough
what brown will do i  cannot guess
i presume however the fear of detection prevents his  resuming his nocturnal visits
he lodges at an inn on the opposite shore  of the lake under the name he tells me of dawson he has a bad choice  in names that must be allowed
he has not left the army i believe but  he says nothing of his present views  ‘to complete my anxiety my father is returned suddenly and in high  displeasure
our good hostess as i learned from a bustling conversation  between her housekeeper and her had no expectation of seeing him for a  week but i rather suspect his arrival was no surprise to his friend mr  mervyn
his manner to me was singularly cold and constrained sufficiently  so to have damped all the courage with which i once resolved to throw  myself on his generosity
he lays the blame of his being discomposed and  out of humour to the loss of a purchase in the southwest of scotland on  which he had set his heart but i do not suspect his equanimity of being  so easily thrown off its balance
his first excursion was with mr  mervyn’s barge across the lake to the inn i have mentioned
you may  imagine the agony with which i waited his return
had he recognized brown  who can guess the consequence
he returned however apparently without  having made any discovery
i understand that in consequence of his late  disappointment he means now to hire a house in the neighbourhood of this  same ellangowan of which i am doomed to hear so much he seems to think  it probable that the estate for which he wishes may soon be again in the  market
i will not send away this letter until i hear more distinctly what  are his intentions’  ‘i have now had an interview with my father as confidential as i  presume he means to allow me
he requested me today after breakfast to  walk with him into the library my knees matilda shook under me and it  is no exaggeration to say i could scarce follow him into the room
i  feared i knew not what
from my childhood i had seen all around him  tremble at his frown
he motioned me to seat myself and i never obeyed a  command so readily for in truth i could hardly stand
he himself  continued to walk up and down the room
you have seen my father and  noticed i recollect the remarkably expressive cast of his features
his  eyes are naturally rather light in colour but agitation or anger gives  them a darker and more fiery glance he has a custom also of drawing in  his lips when much moved which implies a combat between native ardour of  temper and the habitual power of selfcommand
this was the first time we  had been alone since his return from scotland and as he betrayed these  tokens of agitation i had little doubt that he was about to enter upon  the subject i most dreaded
chapter xix  which sloping hills around inclose  where many a beech and brown oak grows  beneath whose dark and branching bowers  its tides a farfam’d river pours  by natures beauties taught to please  sweet tusculan of rural easel  warton
woodbourne the habitation which mannering by mr macmorlan’s mediation  had hired for a season was a large comfortable mansion snugly situated  beneath a hill covered with wood which shrouded the house upon the north  and east the front looked upon a little lawn bordered by a grove of old  trees beyond were some arable fields extending down to the river which  was seen from the windows of the house
a tolerable though oldfashioned  garden a wellstocked dovecot and the possession of any quantity of  ground which the convenience of the family might require rendered the  place in every respect suitable as the advertisements have it ‘for the  accommodation of a genteel family’  here then mannering resolved for some time at least to set up the  staff of his rest
though an eastindian he was not partial to an  ostentatious display of wealth
in fact he was too proud a man to be a  vain one
he resolved therefore to place himself upon the footing of a  country gentleman of easy fortune without assuming or permitting his  household to assume any of the faste which then was considered as  characteristic of a nabob
he had still his eye upon the purchase of ellangowan which macmorlan  conceived mr glossin would be compelled to part with as some of the  creditors disputed his title to retain so large a part of the  purchasemoney in his own hands and his power to pay it was much  questioned
in that case macmorlan was assured he would readily give up  his bargain if tempted with something above the price which he had  stipulated to pay
it may seem strange that mannering was so much attached  to a spot which he had only seen once and that for a short time in early  life
but the circumstances which passed there had laid a strong hold on  his imagination
there seemed to be a fate which conjoined the remarkable  passages of his own family history with those of the inhabitants of  ellangowan and he felt a mysterious desire to call the terrace his own  from which he had read in the book of heaven a fortune strangely  accomplished in the person of the infant heir of that family and  corresponding so closely with one which had been strikingly fulfilled in  his own
besides when once this thought had got possession of his  imagination he could not without great reluctance brook the idea of his  plan being defeated and by a fellow like glossin
so pride came to the  aid of fancy and both combined to fortify his resolution to buy the  estate if possible
let us do mannering justice
a desire to serve the distressed had also its  share in determining him
he had considered the advantage which julia  might receive from the company of lucy bertram whose genuine prudence and  good sense could so surely be relied upon
this idea had become much  stronger since macmorlan had confided to him under the solemn seal of  secrecy the whole of her conduct towards young hazlewood
to propose to  her to become an inmate in his family if distant from the scenes of her  youth and the few whom she called friends would have been less delicate  but at woodbourne she might without difficulty be induced to become the  visitor of a season without being depressed into the situation of an  humble companion
lucy bertram with some hesitation accepted the  invitation to reside a few weeks with miss mannering
she felt too well  that however the colonel’s delicacy might disguise the truth his  principal motive was a generous desire to afford her his countenance and  protection which his high connexions and higher character were likely  to render influential in the neighbourhood
about the same time the orphan girl received a letter from mrs bertram  the relation to whom she had written as cold and comfortless as could  well be imagined
it inclosed indeed a small sum of money but strongly  recommended economy and that miss bertram should board herself in some  quiet family either at kippletringan or in the neighbourhood assuring  her that though her own income was very scanty she would not see her  kinswoman want
miss bertram shed some natural tears over this  coldhearted epistle for in her mother’s time this good lady had been a  guest at ellangowan for nearly three years and it was only upon  succeeding to a property of about l400 a year that she had taken farewell  of that hospitable mansion which otherwise might have had the honour of  sheltering her until the death of its owner
lucy was strongly inclined to  return the paltry donation which after some struggles with avarice  pride had extorted from the old lady
but on consideration she contented  herself with writing that she accepted it as a loan which she hoped in a  short time to repay and consulted her relative upon the invitation she  had received from colonel and miss mannering
this time the answer came in  course of post so fearful was mrs bertram that some frivolous delicacy  or nonsense as she termed it might induce her cousin to reject such a  promising offer and thereby at the same time to leave herself still a  burden upon her relations
lucy therefore had no alternative unless she  preferred continuing a burden upon the worthy macmorlans who were too  liberal to be rich
those kinsfolk who formerly requested the favour of  her company had of late either silently or with expressions of resentment  that she should have preferred macmorlan’s invitation to theirs  gradually withdrawn their notice
the fate of dominie sampson would have been deplorable had it depended  upon any one except mannering who was an admirer of originality for a  separation from lucy bertram would have certainly broken his heart
macmorlan had given a full account of his proceedings towards the  daughter of his patron
the answer was a request from mannering to know  whether the dominie still possessed that admirable virtue of taciturnity  by which he was so notably distinguished at ellangowan
macmorlan replied  in the affirmative
‘let mr sampson know’ said the colonel’s next  letter ‘that i shall want his assistance to catalogue and put in order  the library of my uncle the bishop which i have ordered to be sent down  by sea
i shall also want him to copy and arrange some papers
fix his  salary at what you think befitting
let the poor man be properly dressed  and accompany his young lady to woodbourne’  honest macmorlan received this mandate with great joy but pondered much  upon executing that part of it which related to newly attiring the worthy  dominie
he looked at him with a scrutinising eye and it was but too  plain that his present garments were daily waxing more deplorable
to give  him money and bid him go and furnish himself would be only giving him  the means of making himself ridiculous for when such a rare event arrived  to mr sampson as the purchase of new garments the additions which he  made to his wardrobe by the guidance of his own taste usually brought all  the boys of the village after him for many days
on the other hand to  bring a tailor to measure him and send home his clothes as for a  schoolboy would probably give offence
at length macmorlan resolved to  consult miss bertram and request her interference
she assured him that  though she could not pretend to superintend a gentleman’s wardrobe  nothing was more easy than to arrange the dominie’s
‘at ellangowan’ she said ‘whenever my poor father thought any part of  the dominie’s dress wanted renewal a servant was directed to enter his  room by night for he sleeps as fast as a dormouse carry off the old  vestment and leave the new one nor could any one observe that the  dominie exhibited the least consciousness of the change put upon him on  such occasions’  macmorlan in conformity with miss bertram’s advice procured a skilful  artist who on looking at the dominie attentively undertook to make for  him two suits of clothes one black and one ravengrey and even engaged  that they should fit himas well at least so the tailor qualified his  enterprise as a man of such an outoftheway build could be fitted by  merely human needles and shears
when this fashioner had accomplished his  task and the dresses were brought home macmorlan judiciously resolving  to accomplish his purpose by degrees withdrew that evening an important  part of his dress and substituted the new article of raiment in its  stead
perceiving that this passed totally without notice he next  ventured on the waistcoat and lastly on the coat
when fully  metamorphosed and arrayed for the first time in his life in a decent  dress they did observe that the dominie seemed to have some indistinct  and embarrassing consciousness that a change had taken place on his  outward man
whenever they observed this dubious expression gather upon  his countenance accompanied with a glance that fixed now upon the sleeve  of his coat now upon the knees of his breeches where he probably missed  some antique patching and darning which being executed with blue thread  upon a black ground had somewhat the effect of embroidery they always  took care to turn his attention into some other channel until his  garments ‘by the aid of use cleaved to their mould’ the only remark he  was ever known to make on the subject was that ‘the air of a town like  kippletringan seemed favourable unto wearing apparel for he thought his  coat looked almost as new as the first day he put it on which was when he  went to stand trial for his license as a preacher’  when the dominie first heard the liberal proposal of colonel mannering he  turned a jealous and doubtful glance towards miss bertram as if he  suspected that the project involved their separation but when mr  macmorlan hastened to explain that she would be a guest at woodbourne for  some time he rubbed his huge hands together and burst into a portentous  sort of chuckle like that of the afrite in the tale of ‘the caliph  vathek’ after this unusual explosion of satisfaction he remained quite  passive in all the rest of the transaction
the project gutenberg ebook of everybodys book of luck by anonymous  this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the united states and most  other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions  whatsoever
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title everybodys book of luck  author anonymous  release date july 10 2017 ebook 55082  language english  character set encoding ascii   start of this project gutenberg ebook everybodys book of luck   produced by chris curnow christopher wright and the  online distributed proofreading team at httpwwwpgdpnet  this file was produced from images generously made  available by the internet archive  everybodys  bookof  luck  whitman publishing company  racine wis         poughkeepsie n y
printed in usa
contents  chap
page
i
things that bring you good luck and bad luck  3  ii
have you a talisman
6  iii
hints on fortunetelling  12  iv
palmistry—what may be learned from hands  13  v  your handwriting reveals your character  32  vi
your face is your fortune  40  vii
what do your bumps mean
46  viii
how astrology decides your destiny  49  ix
your childs occupation decided by the stars  55  x
what are your hobbies
59  xi
what is your lucky number
60  xii
your lucky color  65  xiii
which is your lucky stone
67  xiv
dreams—what they mean  72  xv
teacup fortunetelling  83  xvi
lucky and unlucky days  91  xvii
the luck of flowers  99  xviii
superstitions regarding animals  104  xix
crystal gazing  107  xx
the moon and the luck it brings  111  xxi
fortunetelling by means of playing cards  113  xxii
fortunetelling games  137  xxiii
the luck of weddings and marriages  151  xxiv
folklore and superstitions of the months  159  xxv
a calendar for lovers  173  xxvi
making useful mascots  191  3  things that bring you good luck  and bad luck  ask a dozen people whether they have any superstitions and the majority  will tell you without hesitation that they have not the slightest  belief in such things
if the truth is told there are very few of us who do not  cherish some little weaknesses in this direction
one person may believe in  a number of superstitions another has perhaps only a few that are observed  but he or she that has none at all is a remarkably rare individual
as a matter of fact most superstitions are based on reason and sound  common sense and the man or woman who pays heed to them is acting  intelligently whether he or she knows it or not
take for instance the  belief that it is unlucky to walk under a ladder
true the old assertion is  that it is unlucky to do so because jesus christ was taken down from the  cross by means of a ladder
but the more practical reason is that painters  and other men on ladders are very likely to drop things and if you happen  to be passing at the time the paintpot or the tools will fall on you
of course the reasons for all superstitions are not so evident as this one  about walking under a ladder nevertheless there is a germ of reason in them  all whether or not we know the reason
thus the man or woman who  observes the common superstitions of everyday life is acting wisely
not  only will he or she avoid a good deal of trouble but his actions will  provide him with a sense of wellbeing and the effect it will have on his  mind the psychological effect as it is called is all to the good
it is not proposed to explain why this or that superstition is worthy of  being observed in many cases the reason is obscure but here we will give  some of the beliefs which are current at the present time
first of all you should never pass anybody on the stairs of a private house  and while talking of stairs it may be said that many people believe that  for someone to fall up a step is a sign of an approaching wedding
never light three cigarettes with the same match unless you are prepared  for a spell of illfortune
this superstition gained currency during the war  probably because a match held long enough to light three cigarettes would  give the enemy a clue to your position especially at nighttime
if the cord of a picture frame snaps and the picture falls to the ground  it is an omen that somebody is going to die
if the picture is a portrait  of a living person then that persons life is the one likely to be terminated
this omen may be considered a remarkably silly one with not a shred of  sense to recommend it
yet how many people can point to instances when  the prophecy has come true
of salt there are several omens
the chief one tells you not to help anybody  to salt in other words it is unwise to put some on a persons plate
helping them to salt is helping them to sorrow
another superstition says4  that if you spill salt you will be unlucky unless you throw a pinch of it  over your left shoulder
to break a mirror is known by all as a serious matter
the reason why  it is unlucky we are told doubtless finds its origin in a mere association  of ideas
the mirror being broken the image of the person looking into  it is destroyed therefore bad luck in some form must be the fate of the  careless one
what exactly is the penalty one must pay for breaking a  mirror is not definite
some people speak of seven years of misfortune  while others claim that it means seven years of celibacy
to take certain things into the house is the height of folly if you believe  in superstitions
may or hawthorn blossom is one though the berries of  this flower seem to have no illpotency
peacocks feathers are another
somewhat similar is the contention that it is very unlucky to open an  umbrella indoors
while sitting at the mealtable there are several things that must not be  done
helping a friend to salt has been already mentioned but you must not  allow the knives or forks to become crossed
quarrels with your friends will  result if you do
of course you must not sit down thirteen of you around  the table
as is well known this belief has its origin in the last supper  when our lord sat at meat with his twelve apostles
on the other hand  should you taste a fruit for the first time in that season you have only to  frame a wish and it will be granted
much the same applies to mincepies
you will be awarded with a whole happy month for each pie that you eat at  christmastime which is made in a different house
of course it is highly  unwise for two people to pour tea out of the same pot at the same meal
to give a friend an edged tool is sure to cut the friendship whether it be  a knife a pair of scissors a razor or a chisel
when such a gift is to be  made the usual plan is to sell it to your friend for a penny
you should never put a shoe on a table and to see a pin lying on the  floor and leave it there is an omen that you will want before you die
as  the jingle runs  see a pin and let it lie youre sure to want before you die
see a pin and pick it up then youre sure to have good luck
elsewhere a good deal is said about dreams
here it will be sufficient  to mention one or two items of interest
it is decidedly unlucky to dream  of a baby yet to dream of a funeral is lucky
the following is worth bearing  in mind  friday dream and saturday told  sure to come true if ever so old
and here it will be appropriate to recall the fact that it is an unwise  thing to get out of bed on the wrong side
the devil will be with you all the  day if you do
you should avoid looking at the new moon through glass but if you have  a wish that you want fulfilled you have only to count seven stars on seven  nights in succession
let it be said however that to count seven stars for  this space of time is not as simple as it appears
5  it is unlucky to treasure locks of peoples hair and should you drop a  glove it is to your advantage if someone else picks it up for you
if the  fire refuses to light properly in the morning anticipate a whole day with  the devil
everybody knows that one of the luckiest things that can be done is to  pick up a horseshoe
but it is not generally known that the more nails left  in it the better
nor is it sufficiently well recognized that a shoe hung up  should have the tips pointing upwards
if they are turned down the luck  will run out of them
naturally you will never start anything fresh on a friday and you  will not cut your fingernails on a sunday
regarding fingernails a poet  of sorts has said  cut them on monday you cut them for news
cut them on tuesday a new pair of shoes
cut them on wednesday you cut them for health
cut them on thursday you cut them for wealth
cut them on friday a sweetheart youll know
cut them on saturday a journey youll go
cut them on sunday you cut them for evil  for all the next week youll be ruled by the devil
of course bad luck has not a monopoly on your superstitions for good  luck has something to say also
to see a piebald horse is fortunate to find  white heather fourleaved clover or fourleaved shamrock is even more fortunate
to open a peapod and find ten peas in it is particularly lucky
for a black cat to come into your house is worth much
to come across a  nickel with a hole in it is not without its merits but the best thing of  all is to put on some article of clothing inside out and to wear it all day  long without being aware of it until bedtime
6  have you a talisman
a person who finds a fourleaved clover and believes it is a harbinger  of something good has adopted the right attitude for he keeps a keen  lookout for that particular good and holds out both hands for it
seldom  is he disappointed for he has unconsciously set going the mental machinery  which brings his wishes within reach
had he not found the clover and  had gone along lifes highway unexpectant of anything good he would never  have discovered this pleasant happening
and therein lies the true psychology  of luck which seems too simple to be true but then its simplicity  is really the signmanual of its verity
this quotation from the writings of a wellknown author goes direct to  the point about talismans
if you adopt a talisman and put your faith in  it you immediately prepare your mind for receiving an abundance of good  fortune
reject all talismans and argue that there is no such thing as luck  and you straightway set going the mental machinery which looks on the  dark side of things and which misses every slice of luck that comes along
therefore we say with emphasis take to yourself a talisman a mascot a  charm—call it what you will—and you will never regret it
of talismans there are countless varieties some are known the world  over others are the particular choice of individuals
they range from the7  amulets and scarabs of the ancients to the golliwogs and crudities of the  ultramoderns
your choice may roam between these two extremes but  whatever your choice it must be set with the seal of your faith
in order to assist you in picking out a talisman for yourself we append  the following accounts of those examples which are favored most—  the horseshoe—no symbol is a greater favorite than the horseshoe
there are many legends regarding its origin but the most commonly  accepted concerns the wellknown visit of his satanic majesty to the shoesmith
as a consequence the devil evinced a wholesome dread of horseshoes  and would not go near a house or person possessing one
it is more  likely however that the horseshoe was accepted as a symbol of luck because  it was a commonplace object very nearly the same shape as the metal crescents  worn by the romans when they wanted to be fortunate
these crescents  were always carried with the horns turned up and if a horseshoe is to bring  good luck it too must be placed with the prongs uppermost
the reason  for the prongs being so turned depends on a belief that misfortune always  travels in circles but when it reaches the tips of a horseshoe it is baffled  unless all the luck has already run out of the tips through them being turned  downwards
of course an old worn shoe is more lucky than a new one and it is  a recognized fact that the more nails found in it the luckier will be the  finder
the scarab—this device is accounted very lucky or very unlucky  according to the disposition of the wearer
the symbol represents the8  scarab beetle with its wings outspread or with them closed
such charms  are made today in large numbers for sale in egypt but those who trade in  them usually claim that each particular specimen has been in the family  since biblical times
as a rule the device is made in a rough kind of bluish  porcelain and is carved in intaglio with divine figures
the egyptians used  to make up the scarab as a neck pendant or as a little ornament for  placing in the coffins of the dead
its mission was to scare away the evil one
no
2—an egyptian scarab such as were used as talismen
two forms are shown  one with the pectoral wings outspread the other with wings closed
the tet—this symbol was shaped somewhat like a mallet and was  always worn with the head uppermost and the handle hanging down
it  was made in porcelain or stone and was often colored gaudily
the egyptians  were the first to find efficacy in this charm and they wore it suspended  around the neck to ward off attacks from visible and invisible enemies
thus it was a protection against evil in any form it was also supposed to  provide the wearer with strength and endurance
the tet has been much  forgotten of late years but there are adherents who value it above the horseshoe  and almost any other charm
no
3—the talisman on the left is the tet on the right the arrowhead
the arrowhead—the early britons spent a great deal of their  time in taking suitable flints and shaping them into the form of triangles
these were called arrowheads and when the two side edges had been  sharpened they were fixed into sticks and used as weapons or tools
out  of this use grew the idea that arrowheads were potent charms in providing  bodily protection against enemy force or the usual illnesses
accordingly  people began to wear them as neck ornaments and for this purpose decorative  arrowheads were made
ever since then they have been cherished  for their powers in warding off attacks and a superstition still exists which  claims that if one of these arrowheads is dipped in water the water will be  more potent than any doctors medicine
the caduceus—this device which figures as part of the design of9  some postage stamps has been considered a bringer of good fortune ever since  the time of the ancient greeks
it consists of two snakes entwining a rod  surmounted by a pine cone
by the side of the cone is a pair of wings
it  was the symbol of mercury
the rod had the supernatural powers of  quelling disputes and letting people dwell in harmony
the snakes possessed  the property of healing the pine cone preserved good health and the wings  stood for speed and progress
thus people wear the caduceus today in order  to ensure a life free from quarrels and illness and to enable them to be  healthy and go ahead
no
4—the caduceus or staff of mercury
the eye agate—as is generally appreciated the evil eye is the  source of all trouble and misfortunes and the early eastern races thought  that if the evil eye could be avoided or frightened away all would be well
searching for a charm to effect their purpose they alighted upon the eye agate  and this they believed would give no quarter to the evil eye
accordingly  agates were cut to resemble an eye which would be powerful enough to  neutralize the effects of the evil one and these were worn as brooches rings  and necklaces
the agate chosen for the purpose consisted of thin layers  of stone of various colors
thus by cutting the stones oval and removing10  parts of the top layers it was possible to produce a charm closely resembling  a human eye both in shape and color
such eyes are still sold today and many people treasure them in the hope  that they will ward off evil in any form
the jade axehead—many jewelers still sell little axeheads carved  out of jade for wearing around the neck
the axehead has been considered  a symbol of strength and vigor ever since primitive times and jade has a  worldwide reputation as a charm against disease and accidents
the seal of solomon—this device is now regarded as a symbol  of the jewish religion but it can be traced to several other religions and  no doubt it dates even farther back than the commencement of the jewish  era
the triangle with the upward point stood for goodness the triangle  with the downward point for wickedness while the two intertwined symbolized  the triumph of good over bad
those who wear the device contend  that it preserves them from all that is ill and at the same time it gives  them a share of the worlds blessings
no
5—the seal of solomon one of the oldest lucky charms in existence
the abracadabra—this charm dates from the second century  and was a symbol of the gnostic worship
it often took the form of a little  piece of parchment folded into the shape of a cross but it can also be seen  as a tablet made of stone or metal shaped like an inverted triangle
on  the charm of whatever shape was inscribed the following  a b r a c a d a b r a  b r a c a d a b r  r a c a d a b  a c a d a  c a d  a  11  it will be seen that the word abracadabra can be read along the upper  line and also down and up the two sides
this word is said to conceal the  name of god and the charm has the powers of warding off dangers and  sickness
the fourleaf clover or shamrock—everyone knows that  a fourleaf clover or shamrock is supposed to be a bringer of luck and good  fortune
as these are not readily found and moreover they soon perish the  opportunity has been seized by jewelers to produce artificial ones in various  precious and semiprecious metals
to wear either is supposed to avoid  misfortune
it may be mentioned that the fourleaf shamrock as a charm  has proved immensely popular by those who are interested in the irish sweepstakes
black cats—of course it is lucky for a black cat to walk into your  house but failing an actual cat a counterfeit one serves the same purpose
thus people who pin their faith to black cats often make stuffed ones or  draw pictures of them and look to the creature of their own handiwork to  serve the role of mascot
your own talisman—so far the talismans that have received universal  acceptance have alone been mentioned but the tendency today is for  enthusiasts to originate a mascot of their very own
it may take any or  every form according to the whim or fancy of the individual
maybe you will  prefer to find your own mascot or talisman in this direction
if you have no  preferences why not constitute a device which embraces your lucky number  your lucky flower your lucky color and so on
it is a suggestion bristling  with opportunities
just to show that people are tending towards the idea of choosing a talisman  of their very own we will conclude with a story that was recently  published
there is a precious stone to which the board of directors of a firm of  diamond dealers annually pass a vote of thanks
the stone is a sapphire  and it has been named shani meaning bringer of luck
shani was bought by the firm about seventy years ago and it only  leaves the safe on new years day
a special meeting attended by every  member of the firm is then held in the board room
shani is placed in  the middle of the table and with hands clasped in prayer the members  offer thanks for the good luck the sapphire has brought the firm during the  preceding year
one of the directors said my grandfather once received a tempting offer  for shani and yielded but a few hours after the sapphire had been sent  away he was taken violently ill with fever
the sapphire was brought back  from a distant part of india and my grandfather became well at once
should not we all have a shani
12  hints on fortunetelling  hundreds of dollars are paid each week to professional fortunetellers  by people in all walks of life in order that they may gain a peep into  the future
these people belong to every class of society they are of all ages  and they consult the mediums on almost every matter connected with human  existence
there is the industrial magnate the society girl and the hardworking  shop assistant all anxious to peer into the coming months
accordingly the teller of fortunes and the writer of horoscopes is doing  an excellent business
the dollars and the cents are pouring in at a remarkable  rate and those who read the future as a profession are having the  time of their lives
this state of things is one calculated to make you stop and think for a  moment
why should not you learn the rudiments of fortunetelling yourself
why should not you find out how to read the signs of your own  future and the future of your friends
the subject is interesting it is not  a difficult one and all you need to know is set out in this book
your course of study may well begin with the chapter on palmistry
having mastered that turn to the one on handwriting and follow with  what do your bumps mean
these three sections will give you a very  useful start and then you might continue with how astrology decides your  destiny and your face is your fortune
the five chapters named will enable you to read people with a great  deal of success and it should not be long before your friends compliment you  on your accuracy
probably this will spur you to further efforts and you  will study the passages on lucky numbers dreams teacup readings lucky  colors etc
these will add a polish to your preliminary knowledge
very soon you will gain a reputation as a seer and it will add not a little to  your vanity when people come to you and ask you to read their futures
in doing so you will be advised to follow a few rules
never jump to hasty  conclusions
weigh all the facts and strike a balance
if the hand says  yes and the face says no the conclusion is that it may be
when  disappointing things are noted be charitable and let the applicant off lightly
in cases where dire illnesses are portended suppress the facts or state them  in such a way that the applicant has a chance of avoiding the trouble if he  or she takes suitable measures
but whatever happens never make a statement  for which you have not chapter and verse
and this brings me to my last point
hands faces heads and other  characteristics give their readings but none of these readings should be taken  as absolutely final
the power is within us to fight against our failings and  to better our good qualities
we may even allow our best ones to deteriorate
that is why two people born at the same time and in the same town need  not grow up exactly alike
and it is also why a small percentage of horoscopes  and fortunes are bound to miss the mark
13  palmistry—what may be learned  from hands  there are more things in heaven and earth  people who can see as far as the ends of their noses and then only  through a fog declare with a superior sniff that palmistry is nothing but  a trap to catch fools they call it quackery or declare perhaps that it is  merely a fake or blind guesswork
now while we would be the first to deny that palmistry is an exact and  infallible science yet we just as strongly affirm that it is undoubtedly a most  fascinating and interesting recreation as to its truth each one must decide  that question for himself
for the few who have a wish to take up this study seriously there are  many now who will naturally wish to know just sufficient to be able to  tell fortunes
fortunetellers are always popular at some jolly party or  quiet friendly gathering of an evening
in this book they will find all the simple information required on the  other hand the student will find a sincere delight in reading and sifting  thoroughly the numerous books that probe the depths of the subject
quite apart from any markings which may be upon the hand a general  indication of the habits and temperament of the individual in question can  readily be gained by a careful examination of the texture or quality of  the skin
it were as well to note here that the impressions gained must never be  taken by themselves but only in conjunction with other confirming signs
especially is this so when judging the character of a friend or acquaintance
texture of skin—the skin may of course be smooth or rough
to judge this you should turn the hand in question back upwards now get  the feel of the skin by actual touch a smooth finetextured skin denotes  a refined nature and vice versa
this is a very strong indication indeed  insomuch that should there be other tendencies pointing to coarseness of  nature this texture of the hand would have a refining effect upon the whole
elasticity of the hand—this is best tested by actual grip as  in shaking hands
all hands naturally present some feeling of elasticity  this is a matter of comparison but it is very easy to tell the quick virile  grip of an elastic hand to the dead fish feeling which a flabby hand gives  us when we grasp it
a flexible hand denotes an active and energetic person one who  will be readily adaptable to new conditions
he will always rise to the  occasion and manfully withstands the buffets of illfortune
this type is  always trustworthy and a good friend
14  no
6—beware of these hands—a shows a weak flattened thumb b a curved little  finger and c a coarse short thumb
each has other defects as well
15  a flabby hand—one that does not respond to your grip or responds  but sluggishly—is the hand of an idle man untrustworthy and inconsistent  a man of weak and negative character but be sure to search well for other  confirming signs of this weakness
the shape of the hand  a fairly accurate guide to character is certainly contained in the shape  of the hand
hands may be roughly divided into two classes—broad and  long
a person having a long hand you may judge to have great capacity  for mental effort and matters of detail
the broadhanded person you may expect to be a strong man physically  his culture will be bodily rather than mental
he could with advantage  improve his culture by reading and by enjoying the best music
the shape of the fingers  when an individual is found with square fingertips he should make  a good marriage partner he will be practical—a man of method and  reason
he is punctual but should cultivate imagination
pointed finger tips will be found on the hand of the musician  the painter and in fact anyone who is of artistic temperament
persons with these fingers should curb their imagination with reason  and cultivate the power of doing things not only dreaming them though  dreaming is well enough in its way
tapering fingers indicate people of extremes
ice and fire are these  people—impulsive and generous to a fault
they should guard against  undue and morbid sensitiveness and should cultivate a sane philosophical  outlook upon life
they are capable of the highest but are frequently their  own worst enemies
spatulate fingers—these are the sportsmen of the world
they  are not worried much by the opinions of others while they love a busy  healthy life a sound mind in a sound body
general shape and formation of the hand  if the hands are knotted with the joints swollen powers of analysis  calculation and reflection are shown philosophers have this type of hand
smooth fingers and hands indicate the artistic temperament
these  people are frequently inspired and have curious intuitions concerning coming  events
musicians spiritualists and martyrs are of this type together  with many folk who are square pegs in round holes maybe doing work  which is uncongenial to them
16  the thumb has also in it certain very marked indications of character
the three bones or phalanges in the thumb each have their interpretation
beginning at the top these should be judged by length as follows—  1
will
the pushing type of man
2
reasoning power
the thinker or philosopher
3
love
thus a long first or top phalange indicates great will power or if it is  not a certain indication it points to a definite likelihood of the will being  strong
the mounts  take your subjects hand and examine it closely a strong magnifying  glass should form part of the equipment of every wise palmist
it will be  seen that there are certain portions of the hands which are raised above  the surface
these are known as mounts
as will be noticed in the  accompanying picture we call these mounts by astrological names a method  adopted from the very earliest times
they are eight in number named  jupiter mercury venus saturn apollo luna and mars of which there  are two
your handwriting reveals  your character  your handwriting is you disguise it as you will it still reveals your character
as a matter of fact it is a sheer impossibility for an ordinary person  to alter his or her writing completely
the natural hand and the purposelychanged  hand will bear several resemblances however hard the individual  may try to make them dissimilar
this is due to the fact that the same  character lies behind both efforts
not only is your handwriting you but  the handwriting of your friend is him or her
this being so you will  find it a simple matter to arrive at his or her qualities by analyzing a few  lines of the persons handwriting
to become sufficiently expert for this  you will not need more than halfanhours study
first of all we must attend to the direction of the lines of writing as  should these be level a normal and calm state of mind is shown generally  reliable and not subject to change
when the lines slope toward the right much energy is indicated when  the lines slope downward a lack of energy is shown usually from depression  which may result from ill health
if the writing slopes upward with excess it shows recklessness if downwards  with a very sloping inclination it shows mental depression verging  almost on loss of reason
if the signature slopes upwards then we may expect to find personal  ambition but if downwards some physical weakness
if instead of the  whole line ascending only words here and there will ascend this indicates  hope but if scattered words ascend and descend in the same line we may  read a lack of tenacity in emotions
secondly—the lines forming the letters may appear—  a practically upright or  b sloping slightly to the right
c sloping very much to the right as if each letter were falling  over the rest
d sloping to the left and lastly  e backhand writing
between a and b might be called normal
a shows pluck and selfpossession and if pointed mathematics
b tenderness but should the writing be pointed a quick acute mind  with no sympathy with sentiment
c shows indolence if with pointed letters mental power but should  the letters be rounded mental and physical indolence
33  d shows a love of ease while  e looks peculiar and indicates selfconsciousness and as a rule hidden  sentimentality
thirdly—the writing small and pointed we get curiosity if medium  in size and gradually increasing towards the end of the line it shows an  outspoken nature should the writing diminish towards the end of the line  we read tact
if it is fine and threadlike in appearance it shows a sensitive mind diplomacy
large writing shows promptness but if the strokes are very fine we see  appreciation of other peoples work—a connoisseur
small clear writing shows love of the abstruse and if the lines are very  delicate a feeling for the mystic
if the writing is extremely small it shows  pettiness of nature fussiness over unimportant details
letters of different sizes show unreliability of nature exaggerating trifles  and ignoring more important things
light and fine writing means delicacy of feeling but if carried to excess  it shows fastidiousness
fourthly—the connections of the letters with each other must be  judged
if the connecting stroke is long it shows some facility in talking  and expression the power of using words well not talkativeness
letters ingeniously connected show constructiveness but should they be  separate we get perception and intuition
any eccentricity indicates that the persons career has not been ordinary
marked originality especially of capitals shows unusual taste
tremulous  tendency resulting neither from illness nor old age—irritability
highly  restrained small—refractory disposition difficult to live with
regular and  wellplaced lines followed by those careless and irregular—a mind quick  to embark on an enterprise but lacking perseverance
backhanded less  susceptible than inclined—the head ruling the heart
generally the body of the letter or specimen gives the present character  the signature the past
crotchets—egotism selfsatisfaction a return upon self
harpoons hooks—tenacity united perhaps with weak will
dashes—perfectly straight—persistence
undulating—art levity
undulating beginning or finishing with a crotchet or ungraceful flourish—lack  of taste slight vulgarity
light—writer attaches little idea to things expressed
ending thickly—resolution desires ideas to carry weight
curved ascendingly—versatility slight inconsistency speaks without  thought
34  tremulous—timidity hesitation
placed at end of line or paragraph—lack of selfassertion
ending abruptly thick and hard—distrust reserve
sharply elongated—impulsive nature prudence taught by experience
used instead of full stops
—cultivated caution
capital letters—large and wellformed—pride
printlike in shape—dignity
thin strokes—boasting
exaggerated in height—love of ceremonial
the angle very pointed—acuteness penetrative leadership
large and badlyformed—egomania
large upper hall—selfassertion
large bases—selfconfidence
the capital letter of christian names larger than that of surname—love  of home
the capital letter of surname larger—love of position
small capitals—lack of selfassertion
capital letters made like small ones—said to show poetic feeling love of  nature
printlike in form—originality
eccentric in any way—pose or whim
widely spaced—love of open air
curving far below the line and almost encircling the word—protective  love of animals
letters incorrectly used—small detail made overimportant
tendency to replace by print—sense of form artistic and poetic
special letters—amnh go ruw—normal width—wellpoised  mind
too wide—selfcontentment satisfaction
nearly touching—timidity want of knowledge of the world
first leg slightly raised—aristocratic tastes
second leg exaggerated—pose affectation
unconnected ending with crotchet rentrant—egotistical selfish
the letters begun and ended with a small crotchet rentrant—avarice  meanness
letters and words connected—power of assimilating ideas but lack of  originality logic
letters disconnected even with their parts—creative power want of logic
equally connected or disconnected—balanced intuition and deduction
35  last letter increasing in size—lack of power of concealment
decreasing—finesse
handwriting does not invariably show sex as the qualities indicated are  common to both men and women
the writing develops as the soul develops and imitation comes before  originality
qualities shown in handwriting alphabetically  arranged  ability—small writing angular clear decided capitals
accuracy—neat wellplaced lines and words punctuation correct
affection—softly sloping writing rounded fairly thick
amiability—rounded letters often unfinished medium capitals
ambition—large first stroke of capital ms ascending lines of writing
imposing signature
analytical—smallpointed clear writing letters divided decided  capitals
argument—words connected giving logic and occasional extra long  connecting strokes small writing
see a2
authority—large capitals especially the letter i and first letter of  surname level crossing to ts
boastful—large writing exaggerated capital flying cross bar to ts
see a1
bold—large wellformed capitals clear rounded but not pointed writing
broadminded—wellspaced words clear capitals os and as wide  and rounded
candour—os and as open at the top
caprice—eccentric letters irregular writing no punctuation
care—see accuracy
carelessness—illformed letters open os no punctuation
caution—dashes used instead of full stops
ceremonious—capitals important all large above the line some added  flourishes
changeable—letters differently formed eccentric capitals variability  of line
your face is your fortune  everybody sums up the faces of his friends and of the people he meets
it is a habit we all have
but most of us are apt to classify these faces into  groups according to whether the possessors are goodlooking ordinary or  supremely ugly
we say to ourselves isnt soandso charming or alternatively  how positively plain is soandso
as a matter of fact the degree of beauty expressed in an individuals face  ought to count for very little
what ought to count is the character which  his or her features reveal
let it be said quite definitely that faces indicate  character more accurately than any other physical property of an individual
a person can change his voice and he can check his actions but he cannot  alter his features for more than a second at a time and then only superficially
thus it comes about that faces are definite indications of character and  these indications are fairly easy to read once the rules are learned
of  course all such things as accidental blemishes such as scars and broken  noses must be ignored at the outset
first let us take the general shape of the face
no
12
the shape of the face—there can be thousands of different  shapes but the normal is shown by fig
1 where the width across  the forehead is more than across the chin
the forehead the nose and the  rest of the face should be about equal in length
add to the width across the forehead and you have a brainy person a  clear thinker a person whose opinions are worth considering
of course  an excess of width in this place suggests some mental instability
fig
2 shows an entirely different type
it may belong to a jolly person41  who is excellent company but do not go to him for sound advice
there  is not enough length of forehead nor width of forehead to house a superabundance  of brains
fig
3 introduces us to a ponderous type slowthinking fond of food and  with animal instincts lurking in the background of his makeup
fig
4 reveals a long face narrow for its width
this belongs to a person  who is limited in vision and who can be very awkward at times
such an  individual will find it very hard to agree with others especially in business  matters
he may be deep and more often than not he is a rather sad  companion
no
13
the nose—fig
1 shows the normal nose betokening an average  character
fig
2 is too rounded at the tip
force of character is lacking
fig
3 reveals a drooping line between the tip of the nose and the upper  lip
this stands for a character that loves amusements and is apt to neglect  the real things of life
fig
4 gives a pronounced fleshy curl where the nose joins the face
this  is a sign that the possessor is a clear thinker a leader of others an intelligent  person
fig
5 shows a thin pointed nose
the possessor is probably of a refined  nature but he or she is apt to be lacking in sympathy even cruel
fig
6 depicts a curved ridge
this is the nose of a person who lacks a  refined nature
he may be jolly and humorous but certainly not actuated  by the highest ideals
many noses of this shape are the result of an accident  which of course does not count
a long nose indicates cautiousness watchfulness and often timidity
a prominent nose that stands well out from the face shows a desire to  observe and examine things without the interference of others
a fleshy tip to the nose displays a kindly nature and a love of ease
a short small nose tells of conceit and a lack of sympathy for others
42  a turnedup nose means that the possessor is a busybody one who cannot  keep a secret but may be kind and generous
the eyes—large eyes denote love of talking and the ability to learn  languages
small eyes denote secrecy and closemindedness
full dark eyes denote love of the opposite sex
truthful eyes are set straight in the head
untruthful eyes slope towards the nose
eyes that slope downwards from the nose are cruel and deceitful
eyes set widely apart denote breadth of mind
eyes set close together denote narrowmindedness
the cheeks—full rounded cheeks denote sociability and a love of  friends
thin cheeks denote those who prefer their own company
fullness in lower part of cheek denotes love of eating and drinking
a moderate fullness denotes hospitality
high cheekbones show that the possessor is very methodical
he or she  is likely to interfere in other peoples business
the forehead—prominent brows denote a practical disposition
fullness in center of forehead denotes a good memory for dates and events
a broad forehead denotes a humorous disposition
a rounded forehead denotes musical ability this is usually accompanied  by curved eyebrows and wavy hair
the mouth and lips—when upper lip is deeply grooved down  the center it denotes modesty and refinement
a plain upper lip boldness and forwardness
a long upper lip denotes selfesteem and selfcontrol
redness and fullness in center of lip love and passion for opposite sex
fullness at either side shows love of children and animals
a mouth that displays the teeth when smiling denotes love of approbation  and attention
a full red welldeveloped lower lip denotes a kindly sympathetic disposition
thin lips denote a hard selfish and unsympathetic nature
the same  with straight lips
no
14
the chin—a receding chin as shown in fig
1 p 43 denotes a lack  of firmness
it belongs to a person who has insufficient will of his own
a chin shaped as fig
2 or 3 or midway between these provides a very  acceptable character
there is determination and grit without an excess of  these qualities
fig
2 may be taken as the normal type
43  broad bony structures of the chin denotes conscientiousness and straightforwardness
length and projection of chin denotes firmness stability and perseverance
an extremely long and projecting chin denotes stubbornness and obstinacy
fig
4
a full ridge of fat under the chin denotes economy
wrinkles—a wrinkle commencing in the lower cheek and extending  right under the chin from side to side is caused from constant talking
a wrinkle running from the side of the nose downwards upon the lower  cheek to the outer corners of the mouth is a sign of love of approbation
whenever in laughter three parallel circular lines are formed in the cheeks  there is a fund of folly in the character
wrinkles lying horizontally across the root of the nose denote ability to  command
several perpendicular wrinkles between the eyebrows denote a plodding  persevering disposition
dimples—a round dimple in the chin denotes love of the beautiful in  the opposite sex
dimples at the outer corners of the mouth are another sign of mirthfulness
dimples in the center of cheeks are another sign of approbation
when a little cleft is seen at the tip of the nose it denotes the natural  critic
close attention should always be given to texture and quality of the hair  eyes and skin this is most important as the coarseness or refinement of  character is shown very plainly to those who take the trouble to notice these  things
color of hair eyes and skin is also very important the depth of the feelings  and passions is shown here poorly colored people are much less passionate  than their deeper colored fellowcreatures
thus from dark individuals of coarse quality we expect coarse passions  and from dark finequality individuals deep refined emotions
no
15
the eyebrows—fig
2 is intended for the eyebrows of a normal  individual
such a person goes about his duties in an ordinary intelligent  manner and does his best to make the world a little better place for having  him in it
44  in fig
1 the eyebrows have insufficient shape
they belong to an  individual of extremes he or she is either too determined or devoid of  kindness
in fig
3 the eyebrows are too curved forming a full semicircle
this is  a sign of shallowness they belong to a person who is not going to put himself  out for somebody else
in fig
4 the eyebrows are higher at the outer than at the inner ends
such are difficult to diagnose
they may belong to a very jolly funny person  but they may also belong to someone absolutely untrustworthy a foxy  individual in fact
they should be read in company with other facial signs
in fig
5 the eyebrows meet on the nose
hesitate before trusting a  person so provided
he may be perfectly reliable but make sure first
nos
1 to 5 show eyebrows of fine or medium thickness but figs
6 and  7 are coarser and heavier
those that are neither too fine or too thick are  best since they are more likely to belong to a wellbalanced person
fine  pencil streaks show a finniky perhaps unkind nature
heavy bushy eyebrows  point to an austere querulous nature
in fig
7 the upstanding hairs suggest a nature that may derive pleasure  from posing
a final hint—in checking the points of a face it is often found  that one feature may contradict another
this does not prove that the explanations  given above are incorrect
it goes to show that the character of  the individual is not definitely set in one direction
he may vary at times or  he may have the aptitude for fighting against one characteristic in favor  of another
the only sound plan is to assess the character by striking a  balance of all the points at issue
45  have you a mole
many people do not like these little marks but let them be comforted  for in olden times according to the wise men of the day  great reliance was placed on them
just what a mole means depends  on where it is to be found
the following may describe a  mole of your own—  right eye above—wealth and a happy marriage
left eye above—you have a great liking for the opposite  sex and you will thereby gain much happiness
temple—as above
nose—you will succeed in business
cheek—you will be happy but not be blessed with fame and  fortune
chin—fortunate in your choice of friends
ear either—a contented nature
arms—a happy nature but with something of the dont care  spirit
shoulders—will face difficulties with fortitude
hands—a practical nature
able to take care of yourself
legs—strong willed
neck—you have a great deal of patience
46  what do your bumps mean
just feel the shape of your own head and then ask a friend to let you do  the same thing to him or her
most likely you will be very surprised at the  difference between the two
you may have bumps in certain places while  your friend has them in totally different parts
the science of phrenology which is the reading of bumps has discovered  that bumps in certain places point to certain characteristics if you have them  you must have the characteristics and if you have not them you cannot have  those qualities
in fact the reading of character through the medium of  bumps is a very definite science and it is a science that can be easily learned  and applied by almost anyone
of course there is much to learn but there  is no need to know a great deal if you merely want to assess a persons  character in general terms
a chart is supplied on p 47 and on it is marked out just enough to  enable you to read a head with ease
only certain areas are mapped out the  rest of the head may be the location of bumps but it does not present the  bumps which are likely to interest us just now
the areas are as follows—  1—lying at the top of the head in the center and coming a little way  towards the forehead
if this area is well developed it shows that the individual  has a benevolent nature
he is generous and kind he will work  for the good of others and not think only of himself
if the area is overdeveloped the individual will be inclined to favor others  at the expense of his own safety if it is underdeveloped he will be cruel  and selfish
2—situated above but a little behind the eye usually the place is just  covered by hair
when this area is well developed it shows that the individual  possesses plenty of happiness and a store of wit and mirth
he is a  pleasant person smiles on adversity and is excellent company
if the area is overdeveloped the individual is one who can never be  taken seriously who pokes fun at everything if it is underdeveloped he is the  type of person who is never known to smile
3—in the middle of the head where it curves down towards the back of  the neck
in cases where this area is well developed the person is one who  has strength of mind he is firm in his actions he cannot be persuaded against  his own judgment and he likes his own way
if this area is overdeveloped the person is obstinate and stubborn if it  is underdeveloped he is easily led apt to waver and has not a mind of his  own
47  no
16—chart of phrenology
1—benevolence generosity kindness
2—happiness wit mirth
3—firmness strength of mind
4—selfesteem dignity pride
5—conscientiousness sense of duty
6—love
7—courage
8—desire for marriage
9—love of children
48  4—in the middle of the head lower down at the back than no
3
when  this area is found in a welldeveloped condition the possessor is a person  who has dignity selfesteem and proper pride
he is one who lives an  upright life because he puts a high price on these qualities
if this area is overdeveloped the individual is overconfident he thinks  too much of himself and is haughty if it lacks development he is too humble  and suffers from an inferiority complex
5—lying beside nos
3 and 4
to find this area well developed is a sure  sign that the possessor is a conscientious individual it shows that he has a  high sense of duty and his life will center around actions that are based on  what he thinks is right
if this area is overdeveloped the possessor will never progress far because  he will be always stopping and wondering whether what he proposes to  do is right if underdeveloped the possessor is one who does not care  whether what he does is wrong or right so long as it brings him pleasure  and gain
6—at the base of the skull at the back where it joins the backbone
if  this area is well developed it shows that the individual has the power of loving  somebody of the opposite sex in a proper manner
he or she will fall  in love when a suitable occasion arises and will make an excellent partner
if this area is overdeveloped the individual will be too passionate will fall  in love with little or slight provocation and will give himself or herself a  great deal of unhappiness if underdeveloped he or she will be too cold to  be moved by the thoughts of love
7—a slight distance away from the back of the ear
when this area is  well developed the individual may be counted on to be courageously inclined
he will not know the meaning of fear and will not hold back because  troubles may be brewing
if this area is overdeveloped we have a quarrelsome person and if underdeveloped  one who is afraid of his skin
8—beside no
7 but more in the center of the back of the head
whenever  this area is properly developed it shows that the possessor would make  an admirable husband or wife
he or she would be devoted loyal and  attentive
if the area is overdeveloped the possessor has a jealous disposition if  underdeveloped he or she is fickle and apt to flirt with others
9—beside no
8 in the center of the back of the head low down
should  this area be well developed it shows that the possessor has a proper love and  regard for children and that he thinks no person has experienced the fullest  joys of life who has not become a parent
if this area is overdeveloped the possessor thinks so much of children  that he spoils them if it is underdeveloped he is of the type that cannot  stand them at any price
49  how astrology decides your destiny  astrology is one of the oldest sciences in the world
it is said to have  originated with the egyptians almost at the very beginning of time
indeed  it is almost impossible to trace a period when this science was not practiced
there is nothing new under the sun and its close followers will scarcely  allow any errors in its deductions
they go so far as to declare it to be an  exact science a term which means that everything can be reasoned out and  proved nothing is left to guesswork
such sciences are mathematics algebra and geometry
we need not  believe that astrology is all this but certainly some very startling and accurate  predictions have been made by astrologers
however as in all other methods of fortunetelling attempted by us mortals  it is far from infallible
so long as we do not take it to be exact and sure  we shall get plenty of amusement and interest from its study with the exciting  feeling all the time at the back of our minds that it might come true
here is a list giving you the names and meanings given to planets by  astrologers
name
approximate meaning given by astrologers
mars
strength
venus
beauty
mercury
capacity for adapting oneself
uranus
improvement
sun
life
jupiter
freedom and growth
saturn
diminished—shrinking—lack of growth
neptune
able to receive—receptive
earth
physical—not spiritual
the moon
feeling
the main idea at the back of astrology is that the planets or starry  bodies which revolve round the sun each have a strong and varying influence  upon the minds of human beings
the zodiac—of course when the planets revolve round the sun they  travel through a course or path
the zodiac is the name given by astronomers  to the boundary which encloses this course or path in the sky
the signs of the zodiac are the spaces into which the zodiac is divided
50  here are the signs of the zodiac arranged in order to show which signs are  opposite to each other
aries
facing  libra
taurus
scorpio
gemini
sagittarius
cancer
capricorn
leo
aquarius
virgo
pisces
now each sign has a planet which is said to rule it this is called the ruling  planet
it is from the nature of this planet that the probable character  and fate of the individual are told
it is not necessary to know the whys and  wherefores of this if you have not studied astronomy it will only serve to  muddle you and if on the other hand you do understand astronomy you will  not need any explanation
we will just say what does happen and that  will tell you all you need in these first steps
well we all know that the earth revolves upon its axis once in every 24  hours
now according to astronomers this causes one of the zodiac signs  to appear in the eastern sky where it remains for two hours
we have said  that each sign has a planet ruling it so the sign that appears on the sky at  the time of birth decides what planet that person is born under or is influenced  by
let us suppose for a moment that you were born when the sign libra  was rising as the saying is
the planet which rules libra is venus so the  person born at that time would be a venus type ie a person having the  influence of venus upon him
in addition to the main ruling planet astrologers will tell you that there  are other neighboring planets—we will call them neighboring because it is  a simple term—which also have their effect upon us
astrologers call this one  planet being in aspect with another
for instance you might have the  planet mars in aspect with or influenced by the planet saturn you would  then be dealing with a very strong character
the qualities of mars which give the fighter and the pushing type or in  excess the bully will be well steadied by the qualities of saturn which by  themselves give coldness and in excess lack of feeling
the two together  result in a character remarkable for its steadiness combined with its neverwearying  energy and good balance
so you see we seldom find pure types ie qualities of mars or other  planets by themselves and it is very fortunate that this is so we should get  a very onesided world if we did
now we come to that part of astrology which really interests most people  here will be shown the birthdates for each month in the year and the  probable characters of persons born at that special time
you may ask why  the characters are given and why not the fate or future of the person concerned
the reason is this you can be pretty sure that what you read of an  individuals character will give you a sound idea of what in all probability  his future will be
51  after all the carving out of our lives is in our own hands
we are the  masters of our fate or as the song has it captain of our soul
however if we believe astrologers there is a way to tell the times of our  lives when matters should go smoothly or the reverse
the most favorable  times for speculating with money starting in business in fact the most  and least favorable periods of our lives can according to astrology be  worked out by what is known as the horoscope
now this horoscope is in reality a chart of your life
the rocky waters  are shown and the barrier reefs which each of us must avoid through our  life so you will see a use in the study of astrology
it would seem to be  natures warning to us all of the necessity for effort effort and again effort
here are the birth dates and characteristics of persons born between the  dates mentioned
since astrology is not infallible do not take all these  characteristics too seriously
you will notice that each date is taken from about the 20th of one month  to the 20th of the next month
when were you born
dec 22nd to jan 20th
people born during this period have considerable mental ability and a keen  business instinct
they are fond of the imaginative arts
they are proud  they like their own way and they see that they get it
generally speaking  they are better fitted to lead than to follow others
however they do not take kindly to changes of any kind and are  annoyed by newfangled ideas
they do not want the advice of other  people and often resent it
they do not strike out in new directions and  they avoid taking risks
they lack push
to these people we say  dont wait for opportunities—make them
dont let your pride persuade you to keep on the wrong road rather than  turn back
dont be afraid of admitting and correcting a mistake
dont run away from trouble meet it with a bold front
jan 21st to feb 19th
people born during this period have a strong sense of duty
they have a  kindly disposition and are inclined to be affectionate
they refuse to think  ill of anyone until the bad qualities are proved
being straightforward themselves  they imagine everyone else is the same and on this account they  are likely to suffer some bitter experiences
however they lack a proper regard for their own welfare
they are a  little too confiding and they are not adaptable
once they make up their  minds on a matter it is almost impossible to persuade them to change it
to these people we say  dont brood over troubles
face the facts fight them out and then forget  all about them
52   your childs occupation decided  by the stars  it is a wellknown fact that every human being is considerably influenced  as far as character and capabilities are concerned by the time of the year in  which he or she was born
that being so it follows that the occupation best  suited to any particular individual is in a measure related to his or her  birthdate
parents who are anxious to do the best for their children should take note  of these conditions they may be helpful in keeping round pegs out of square  holes
below we offer suggestions which have proved of use in thousands  of cases where doubt had previously existed
the information may be used  in this way suppose a child is about to leave school and is ready to make his  or her entry into the world of work
in a number of cases the child has  a very definite idea of what he or she wants to do
if the work is reasonably  suited to the childs temperament station in life and so on it is much the  best plan to allow him or her to follow the particular bent
it is just as  well to note whether the chosen occupation fits in with the work which we  list below for his or her individual birthdate
if it approximates to some  occupation which we mention well and good
let the child go ahead  there is every chance of success
but if it is quite alien to anything which  is given in the list caution is needed
we do not say that the childs ambition  should be checked and that he or she should be put to a job of our selection  but we do say that caution ought to be exercised
we are perfectly ready to  admit that the stars and the birthdate are not the only factors which count
environment upbringing the fathers occupation and other things must influence  the child
all these influences should be weighed and carefully  considered
but where astrology and the stars can give most help is in the case of a  boy or girl who has no formulated idea as to what he or she wants to  become
thousands of children reach the schoolleaving age without showing  the slightest inkling for any particular job
to the parents of such children  we say consult the lists set out below seeing that they are based on astrological  teachings
go over the selected occupations carefully discuss them with the  child explain what they offer in terms of money work hours etc and watch  the effect they have on the child
in this way it will soon be possible to  gain an idea as to what occupation should be eventually decided on
here are the occupations suitable for each person  capricorn born dec 22nd to jan 20th—since people born in  this period have considerable mental ability it follows that they do well in  most of the professions since they can pass the necessary examinations and  become well qualified
thus they ought to do satisfactorily in medicine56  the law dentistry the scholastic profession and similar occupations
the  fact that they do not care to take risks unfits them for many business openings  but where aspirations are not high they do well as clerks and in filling  posts which consist of routine work
girls especially should seek work which  is connected with the imaginative arts
aquarian born jan 21st to feb 19th—boys display a good deal  of interest in occupations which require the use of their hands
this makes  them capable in many engineering posts in wireless in cabinetmaking and  similar jobs
they are not good at creating or inventing in connection with  these industries however
there is the roving disposition implanted in  these boys and many of them think that the pilots job on an air liner could  not be equalled
girls are also interested in working with their hands thus they are fitted  for dressmaking the millinery trade for dealing with arts and crafts supplies  etc
a certain number are eminently suited to secretarial work
piscean born feb 20th to march 20th—children born in this  period have a love for the sea and therefore the boys find congenial work as  ships mates stewards marine engineers etc while girls are suitable for  stewardesses and other jobs filled by women on oceangoing vessels
in addition boys and girls are both fitted to all kinds of work in shops  chain stores etc but they are not at their best when managing their  own businesses
they require authority behind them
a few pisceans have artistic ability which should lead them to do splendidly  as authors painters musicians etc
aries born march 21st to april 19th—the aries child is often a  problem for certain of them have a rooted objection to anything in the  nature of routine work
they chafe at going and coming at the same hour  each day and of doing the same work year after year
it is not that they  are lazy but that their nature refuses to be driven by set rules
with such  children it is wisest to interest them in whatever they fancy until the time  comes when they launch out on some brilliant scheme of their own
aries  men are the ones that fill unusual outoftheway posts
where this rooted objection does not exist the children are good in almost  any position which permits of movement as travellers for instance
taurian born april 20th to may 20th—as a rule children who  are taurians are very successful
they do not mind hard work and they  have a flair for doing the right thing without knowing why
they have  a head for figures and money and thus do well in banks and stockbrokers  offices
they take kindly to long training which enables them to succeed  in law and medicine
both boys and girls are good with their hands
this makes them successful  in a large number of occupations as widely diverse as engineering and  tailoring or hairdressing and piano playing
57  gemini born may 21st to june 21st—gemini children show a  good deal of ambition and their chief fault is that they object to beginning  at the bottom of the ladder
perhaps this is useful in a way as it goads  them on to climbing upwards
they have a good deal of vision
thus  they make excellent newspaper men and women
they do well in new  trades notably in radio and the motor world
also they ought to make a  success in certain branches of aviation
their eloquence fits them admirably  for travellers and they would make their mark in any business which  eventually gave them work of an imaginative nature
in a general way  they find interest in theatrical work in literary activities and in architecture
all gemini people have a streak in their natures which causes them to  seek unnecessary changes
cancer born june 22nd to july 22nd—children born during this  period are usually workers
they will plod they do not mind long hours  and they will set themselves to difficult jobs if told to get on with them
as a rule they should be set to something which enables them to work  on their own
they much prefer this to being a small peg in a large  machine
they are suited to small businesses and agencies
a mailorder  business might fit in with their requirements
girls would do well as private  teachers running small schools of their own
they are also suited to the  drapery trade
leo born july 23rd to august 21st—those who are born during  this period succeed best in what might be called clean occupations
the  boys do not want to put on overalls and become grimy and the girls prefer  work that enables them to be always neat and tidy
both of them show  aptitude in marketing such things as jewelry drugs books and clothes  but they do not want to be concerned with making them
they are not so  much interested in vending the necessaries of life as the luxuries
thus  motor cars victrolas cameras sports requisites etc attract them
they are not much suited to clerical work but a good number find an  outlet for their ambitions in the theatrical and literary world while a few  make good dentists radiologists and medical practitioners
virgo born aug 22nd to sept 22nd—these children are capable  but their great failing is that once they find a fairly suitable post they will  not look for anything better
they prefer to hold on to a moderate certainty  than to risk a little for a great success
consequently virgoborn are found  living on salaries just sufficient to keep them from want
they are eminently suited to clerical work of the higher types such as  in banks insurance companies stockbrokers offices etc
they make good  company secretaries excellent journalists fairly good actors and actresses  and the girls do well as teachers
libra born sept 23rd to october 23rd—children of this period  do not mind hard work but they hate monotony especially if it is at all  sordid
they have good judgment a quality which fits them for such58  diverse occupations as medicine and the drama the law and dressmaking
no special trades or professions can be singled out for them but as long as  they are set to work in a direction which provides them with an outlet for  a nicely balanced judgment and a capacity for what might be termed the  detective instinct they should succeed admirably
scorpio born oct 24th to nov 22nd—there is an abundance of  ambition in these children and they seek position rather than money
thus  the boys do well in the navy and the army and in a less degree in the  air force
the church holds out good openings for many of them and  the mercantile marine interest not a few
medicine attracts both boys and  girls and so does the stage
anything to do with chemicals seems to influence  many of the boys
scorpioborn children are often heard to say that they  want to make a name for themselves
sagittarian born nov 23rd to dec 21st—children of this  period are fond of animals thus they are suited to become veterinary surgeons  horsedealers farmers and even jockeys
one section of them having excessive  will power and plenty of selfreliance makes a type of individual who  seeks publicity in the political world
all are capable in business especially  in the executive branches
not a few men become company promoters  chairmen and directors
the girls make excellent teachers and welfare  workers
59  what are your hobbies
according to your zodiac sign you have a disposition for certain hobbies
you may not necessarily have these hobbies but your inclinations lie towards  them
capricorn born—gardening
nature study
rambles in the  countryside
making things of almost any kind
chemistry
physics
aquarian born—aviation ranging from actual flying to making  aeroplane models
gliding
constructing all kinds of articles
painting  pictures
drawing
needlework
pisces born—traveling especially by sea
photography
constructing  and using wireless apparatus
making electrical apparatus
theatergoing  and amateur theatricals
arts and crafts girls
aries born—traveling touring
anything connected with motor  cars
sightseeing
making things
reading
arts and crafts girls
taurus born—constructive hobbies from wireless to the building  of houses
walking
golf
swimming
collecting antiques
gemini born—likely to be interested in inventions
good at solving  puzzles
football
tennis
nature rambling
girls have a bent for  household duties such as cooking needlework etc
cancer born—interested in the wonders of the world
anxious to  see things and people
music
reading
collecting antiques
almost any  outdoor game
girls are fond of needlework of the finer kinds
leo born—hobbies allied to the daily work
intellectual reading  especially anything bearing on historical matters
going about
golf
swimming
making things of an artistic nature
virgo born—indoor games
making and repairing household articles
good at manual activities from playing the piano to constructing toys
prefers  to be amused indoors than out in the open
libra born—doing things to keep the home shipshape
football
cricket
photography
reading
wireless
needlework and knitting girls
scorpio born—scientific recreations of all kinds
keeping pets
nature rambling
girls take a keen interest in household duties
card  playing
seeing people
dabbling in mysterious matters such as thoughtreading  tablerapping seances etc
sagittarian born—hobbies of an intellectual character
walking
outdoor sports
boxing
nature study
keeping pets
reading
60  what is your lucky number
once more from the rising sun of the east further marvelous theories  have reached us through the paths of the ages
to many of our prosaic  western minds maybe not unnaturally these ideas will at first sight appear  almost ridiculous
however do not condemn numerical mysteries unheard  for no manual of fortunetelling would be complete should it not include  a talk on this most arresting subject
students of numbers as do astrologers and students of palmistry declare  that there is no such thing as luck or chance in the world
they also state  that we are strongly but not inevitably influenced by certain powerful laws  of nature
number science is certainly unknown to the great majority of us but  there are some superstitions which are based on evil numbers these superstitions  we treat with great respect
very few of us really care to sit down  thirteen at table while i have known a man go sad and smokeless rather  than be the third to light his cigarette off one match
fortunetelling by numbers is allied to astrology very closely indeed
let  us now take each day of the week individually and see what information  we can get from it
you will find that very useful as a check upon your  other forms of fortunetelling
on what day were you born
if as i suggested we take the days of the week we shall find that they  in turn are influenced by the order in which they are found or by the  number which is theirs
for instance sunday being the first day is  influenced by no
1 and friday being the sixth day takes no
6 as its ruling  number
according to the ancients each number has its corresponding planet here is  a little table showing the planet representing and ruling over each number
no
0
represented by space
no
1
represented by the sun
no
2
represented by the moon  no
3
represented by mars
no
4
represented by mercury
no
5
represented by jupiter
no
6
represented by venus
no
7
represented by saturn
no
8
represented by uranus
no
9
represented by neptune
taking each day of the week in order we find the following characteristics
table of days in week  no
1 sunday—you will see by your table that this day takes the sun  for its ruler—sunday
it is a fortunate day persons born on a sunday have  a brave and honest influence on them
they will be optimistic but not61  foolishly so while at the same time they have great pride in the reputation  of themselves and their families
if they have any fault it is maybe that this  pride is felt a little too strongly they may be inclined to take themselves  rather too seriously
however i repeat this is an excellent day
no
2 monday—this day is the moonday
the lesson for monday  men to learn is steadiness
they are too easily influenced and are blown  hither and thither upon lifes winds
they adapt themselves well to change  of place circumstances scene and frequently follow the sea
they have  plenty of imagination in their natures and should cultivate common sense
no
3 tuesday—the day of mars french—mardi
frequently the  engineers of the world
an ambitious goahead day is tuesday
these  tuesday folk are the explorers the men who emigrate and the earnest  patriots of life
soldiers workers at the furnace among other workers are  found among those born on tuesday
their womenfolk are inclined to be  rather shrewish and domineering
they are not naturally good managers  and should cultivate this quality because they are always rare workers
no
4 wednesday—the table tells us that these are the mercurians
the men are quick at calculating figures and always capable and thoughtful  workers
mercury as its name implies gives quickness with business trading  capacity
the women appear not to be so favorably influenced they  must guard against grumbling and gossip then they may do well enough
no
5 thursday—under the planet of jupiter these thursday people  have many good qualities
they are liberal and good natured but have one  vice—the outcome of their virtue
they are inclined to be too liberal with  themselves which is extravagance
given an idea they can turn it to good  account but do not as a rule originate ideas
statesmen are here found  let these jupiterians beware of a love of display and what is commonly  known as side
then they are very excellent people indeed
no
6 friday—look at the table—see venus is the planet of friday
this accounts for many things
here we see the typical venus type
gay  lighthearted with no thought of the morrow they flit happily through life  like a gilded butterfly upon the wing
if they lack taste they overdress
their good qualities are their charming personalities pleasing manners and  a quick command of music and art
they should beware of being only  butterflies and should cultivate strength of character
they should also  obtain by hook or by crook a liking for hard work it will serve them in  good stead
no
7 saturday—saturday as its name tells us has sad saturn for its  planet
here we have the exact opposite to the persons mentioned who were  born on a friday
saturday people miss half the joy of living by their cold  and calculating natures
careful with money they are patient workers  they must beware of being miserly and should certainly cultivate their  missing sense of humor
the good qualities in these people are their  sincerely earnest outlook and their capacity for an almost endless grind of62  hard work
their womenfolk frequently make old maids and should practice  sweet temper and a kindly feeling towards the rest of the household
your own number  but there is much more in the science of numbers than that which can  be gleaned from the days of the week
there is your own personal number  the number which influences you and your actions more than any other
if you know your number think how you can use it for good and avoid  others for ill
the finding of your number is a simple matter when you  have mastered the elements of numerology which is the science of numbers
let us explain how your own number is found
first write down your  birthdate the day of the month the month itself and the year
thus three  items are required
take first the day of the month
if it consists of one  figure leave it
if it consists of two add them together and if the answer  comes to two figures add them together
all this may appear a little involved  but it is not as one or two examples will show
suppose you were born on the 9th of the month then 9 is the number  you want
but suppose it was the 16th then six and one make seven
therefore  7 is the required number
again if you were born on the 29th then nine and two make eleven but  as eleven consists of two figures you must add them together and they  make 2
so much for the day of the month now for the month itself
january  stands for one february for 2 and so on to december for 12
the numbers  of the months from january to september can stand as they are but october  november and december being 10 11 and 12 must be added up as already  described
thus october is one november is two and december three
thirdly the number of the year must be considered
say you were born  in 1910
these figures add up to eleven and eleven being double figures  adds up to 2
therefore 1910 is equivalent to 2
work out your figures here
you have now obtained three separate figures add them together and if  they come to a onefigure number that is the number which you require
on the other hand if it is a doublefigured amount add the two figures  as before until you arrive at a singlefigured amount
then that is the  number you require
so as to make the whole thing perfectly clear we will take a complete  example and work it out exactly as you must work out your own birthdate
example—12th september 1913
12  1  2  3  september is the 9th month  9  1913  1  9  1  3  14  1  4  5  3  9  5  17  1  7  8  63  therefore the personal number of anyone born on 12th september 1913  is 8
eight should guide and influence all his or her actions
we are not  going to pretend that benefits will accrue on every occasion that the personal  number is observed but we are going to say that we have noted some  marvelous pieces of good fortune when it has
when you have found your personal number there are several ways in  which you can use it
suppose your number is the one just found eight  then you can conclude that the eighth day of any month will be a propitious  one for you
but that is not the only one
the 17th is equally good  because one plus seven gives eight
moreover the 26th is in a similar  position
two and six make eight
yet another way to use your personal number arises when you want to  know whether some important step should be taken on a definite day
what  is the particular day
add up its numerological values exactly as you did  with your birthday and if it resolves itself into the same number as your  personal number you may go ahead with cheerfulness
put forth your  best effort and on the day you will have ample chances of success
the number of your name  numerology permits of still another step
take your own name and see  what number it is equal to
you will be able to do this in the following  way a stands for one b for two c for three and so on
when you reach  i which is 9 commence again and give j the value of one then continue
to make all this clear we will set out the values of the complete alphabet  1  a j s  2  b k t  3  c l u  4  d m v  5  e n w  6  f o x  7  g p y  8  h q z  9  i r —  thus suppose your name is joan shirley the letters resolve themselves  into the following numbers—  j o a n s h i r l e y  1  6  1  5  1  8  9  9  3  5  7  55  55  5  5  10  1  0  1  from all that we have said it will be clear that the birthdate may be used  for finding the personal number or the letters of the name may be used
on  rare occasions the two ways will provide the same number
when this is  the case great faith should be placed in that number
but when the two  ways give different numbers what
does one disprove the other
no
you64  simply have two numbers favorable to you
the birthdate number is the  more definite and reliable because your very existence is based on it
a word at the end
married ladies must use their maiden name for  finding the name number
your lucky color  the old saying green for grief is a wellknown one and the writer  would rather wear any color on earth than green not even a green scarf or  belt
moreover she sees to it that the other members of the family do not  indulge in the unlucky color
but mind you green only brings her illfortune  when used for wearing apparel
there is no objection of course to a green  frontdoor nor to wallpaper of the same color
for such uses green plays  its part harmlessly enough
though green dresses are more distressing to the writer than a red rag  to a bull she is quite prepared to admit that many people find it a very  lucky color
this brings us to the point
there is no color that is universally  unlucky it is only so in the hands of certain individuals
with  others it may be an absolute harbinger of all that is lucky
even green may  do this
now the question is which is your lucky color
if you know it well  and good
make use of it in every possible way
when wearing dresses  made of it you will feel more confident of yourself than when arrayed in  something else
you will get more work done and it will be better work
the only thing is that you must be sure that it is your lucky color
if you  are not quite sure the tonic effect is absolutely lost
not only should you wear your fortunate color but it is a good plan  to surround yourself with it
we know a woman who pins her faith to  purple
her dresses are mostly purple the wallpaper in her bedroom is  purple purple casement curtains adorn the windows there are purple rugs  in various parts of the house even the back of the hairbrush on her dressing  table is purple
and since she decided that purple was her lucky color and  used it in every reasonable way she has had several strokes of marvelous  good fortune
but of course you may say in reply to all this that you do not know  your lucky color
what then
this is where we can give you a little help
most peoples lucky color depends on the time of their birth and the following  list sets out the birth colors
we know full well that everybody does not  derive good fortune from his birth color but that they find it in some other  hue
therefore the proper course is to make trials with the appropriate  color listed below and if that does not answer satisfactorily to choose another  of your own liking and try that
only by personal experiment can you  finally decide the point
these are the birthcolors
the first given for any period is the one almost  universally accepted
those following after the first are however favored  by a certain number of people
66  birth date  colors  dec 22nd to jan 20th  emerald green  sapphire blue  black  jan 21st to feb 19th  various blues  dark green  feb 20th to march 20th  purple  white  silver  march 21st to april 19th  rose red  april 20th to may 20th  turquoise blue  other shades of blue  may 21st to june 21st  light shades of yellow  orange  gold  june 22nd to july 22nd  mauve  white  silver  july 23rd to august 21st  gold  brown  yellow  aug 22nd to sept 22nd  yellow  orange  light blue  sept 23rd to oct 23rd  rose pink  yellow  oct 24th to nov 22nd  dark green  red  brown  nov 23rd to dec 21st  purple  blue  colors of course have certain values attached to them  white is a symbol of purity
red is typical of fire blood and anger
orange stands for marriage
green recalls spring and suggests youth and hope
purple means royalty and everything regal
yellow is associated with great success
black is a symbol of sadness and mourning
67  which is your lucky stone
ever since time began it has been a common belief that people derived  luck and good fortune by wearing precious stones
a stone however that  brought luck to one person might be ineffective when worn by someone else
thus everybody is required to find out which stone he or she must wear in  order to enjoy the utmost good fortune
as a rule the stone which any particular person must choose is decided  by the month in which that individual was born
but this it not invariably  the case
many people have noticed that luck has come to them when they  have been wearing some other stone than that decreed by their birthmonth
and of course the opposite has often happened
history records a wellknown  case in point
the hope diamond for instance wrecked the lives  of several royal personages even including some that were born in april  while an opal possessed by members of the spanish royal family brought  disaster to many people one after the other although certain of them were  born in october
clearly then the proper thing is for all of us to choose our lucky stone  according to our own preferences but failing any definite preference to  select it according to the month of our birth
stones of the months  twelve verses of poetry have been written which set down in rhyme  the stones for all the months of the year
here they are—  january  by her who in this month was born  no gem save garnets should be worn
they will ensure her constancy  true friendship and fidelity
february  the february born shall find  sincerity and peace of mind  freedom from passion and from care  if they the amethyst will wear
march  who in this world of ours their eyes  in march first open shall be wise  in days of peril strong and brave  and wear a bloodstone to their grave
68  april  those who from april date their years  should diamonds wear lest bitter tears  for vain repentance flow this stone  emblem of innocence is known
may  who first beholds the light of day  in springs sweet flowery month of may  and wears an emerald all her life  shall be a loved and loving wife
june  who comes in summer to this earth  and owes to june her time of birth  with ring of agate on her hand  can health wealth and lengthy life command
july   dreams—what they mean  a  abroad—dreamer going or gone an early journey
accident—being the victim of one business deal impending requires  great caution
accident—to a friend or relative a letter from him or her conveying  good news
anchor—a voyage across the sea in water a disappointment if a  girl dreams a sailor will fall in love with her
anger—to dream of being angry with anyone means that that person  is a true friend
animals—as a rule luck domestic animals speedy return of absent  friends family reconciliation wild animals secret enemies
apples—long life to a woman many years and many children
arrow—a letter has been written which will cause regret
axe—a way will present itself soon to attain a much desired end
b  ball—game money coming soon
rolling ball an unexpected gift  of money which will be soon spent
ballroom—dancing with a dear friend marriage to him or her
bananas—a piece of good luck coming
band—musical a lucky speculation or business deal
barefoot—a successful speculation or bargain
barrel—full money coming quickly
bath—health and long life if dreamer is a young girl early marriage  to present lover
battle—by girl will shortly fall in love by a soldier promotion
bear—chasing the dreamer victory of an enemy bear running from  dreamer victory over an enemy
bees—steady pursuit of object in view will bring success
beggars—to dream of beggars is a fortunate sign to lovers and business  people
blind—to dream of being blind is a very lucky sign to see a blind  person is a warning of danger
73  blood—to see blood means great riches an inheritance
boat—the arrival of a dear friend
bouquet—to receive one means much pleasure to give one constancy  of a lover or friend
bracelet—good luck and fortune coming
brother—seeing dead brothers or sisters in a dream is a sign of long  life
bulldog—a good omen in love or business
burial—to dream of being buried means that wealth is coming—as  much wealth as earth laid over you
burning—houses etc
riches and prosperity
buying—happiness and contentment a legacy
c  cage—birds in early fortunate marriage empty friends or lovers  will go away
cakes—to dream of any kind of cakes is a good omen
canary—singing marriage and a charming house
cards—playing at speedy marriage
cathedral—prosperity and fortune
cemetery—an omen of prosperity
chair—an increase in the family
cherries—good news pleasure and enjoyment
children—lucky omen increase in wealth
chimney—good luck the higher the better
christening—good fortune approaching
cock crowing—great prosperity
coins—copper good fortune silver worry gold commercial  troubles
cold—friends will be kind to you
cornfield—health wealth and pleasant times
cows—prosperity the more the better
d  daffodils—pleasure and amusement in abundance
dagger—a friend will confer a favor
74  dead—to dream of oneself as dead is a good and auspicious sign of  long life and success
death of a friend—arrival of good news
digging—good luck with perseverance
docks—good news from abroad
dog—as a rule a favorable sign dog barking somebody is trying to  do you an ill turn dogs fighting serious quarrel between two friends of  the dreamer
donkey—lucky omen usually a legacy
doves—success especially to lovers
to the married they denote a  pleasure in store
drowning—either the dreamer or another person
success joy  prosperity
ducks—increased prosperity and happiness
e  eagle—success in a new place
ears—a pleasant letter from a friend
eating—dreamer eating ill luck seeing others eat good luck
echo—sickness either of dreamer or relations
eggs—good luck money success eggs broken failure and loss
elm tree—a good turn offered by a male relative
elopement—sign of a speedy marriage
emerald—a sign of good luck and happiness
emptiness—always a bad sign in a dream
engagement—to dream of being engaged to a handsome person  great pleasure in store to a plain person worry and trouble
eyes—in general a sign of good luck and the prettier the eyes the better
to dream of someone with a defect of the eyes signifies minor misfortunes
f  faces—smiling happy times with friends pale and gloomy trouble  and poverty changing faces a removal washing own face repentance  for sin own face in glass longcherished secret plan will fail
fairy—all dreams of fairies are good omens—success and riches
falling—indicates some misfortune
fan—quarrels a rival in love
75  farmyard—good fortune coming comfort and happiness
feathers—white success and riches black loss and failure
fence—climbing a sudden rise in life
fields—green prosperity a happy marriage handsome children  clover barley wheat etc
great prosperity and happiness
figs—a good dream joy and pleasure if a woman dreams happy  marriage and many children
fleet—at sea realization of cherished hopes
floating—to dream of floating on water is a good and lucky sign
floods—success after triumphing over difficulties
flour—death of a relative bringing a legacy
flowers—prosperity
fly—swarm of flies rivals and jealous persons are spreading scandal
flying—without wings success in love and business if ended by  a fall failure in attaining object with wings bad omen—frustrated ambition
fog—bad dream—business losses
foreign—country success and prosperity at home
forest—trouble and losses through rivals
fork—a warning of imminent danger
fountain—playing good luck happy times and laughter
fox—trouble through secret enemy killing one good luck
friends—absence of speedy return death of good news illness  bad news in good health their prosperity
frogs—beware of flatterers and pessimists
frost—success through aid of friends
fruit—usually a good dream according to kind of fruit dreamer  eating or throwing away fruit bad sign
funeral—a legacy or a rich marriage
g  gas—minor discomforts and annoyances
gate—an obstacle to success will suddenly disappear
geese—happiness success to hear geese cackling a profitable business  deal will be quickly concluded
gems—usually an unfortunate omen
76  ghosts—to dream of ghosts is invariably the presage of misfortune
giant—good fortune success in business or love
gifts—receiving good fortune coming
gypsies—a profitless voyage to many strange countries
glass—to dream of anything made of glass refers to women receiving  glass of water birth in the family
gloves—usually bad luck gloves on hands honor and safety losing  gloves loss in business
goat—bad luck some misfortune especially unlucky to sailors white  goat a profitable venture many goats an inheritance
god—a good dream—health and happiness
gold—omen of loss and bad luck dreamer finding gold a sign that  he will be robbed dreamer paying out gold a sign that he will increase  the number of his friends
gooseberries—time and trouble spent only for the benefit of others
h  hair—riches and fine clothes hair falling over face a coming event  will cause displeasure having hair cut losses in business becoming bald  great danger
hammer—triumph over difficulties
hammock—loss of something that is prized
happiness—a presage of doubt and difficulty
hare—alive friendship dead good luck hare running a lengthy  journey
harvest—hopes will not come to fruition
hat—new a small success blown off or damaged losses
hatchet—a solution near to existing difficulties
hawk—a happy omen—success in life
hay—good luck dreamer cutting hay troubles and sorrow
hazel nut—eating troubles and discord
head—good omen—health and money
horseshoe—seeing one a journey finding one great good lock
hospital—misery poverty wounds
house—good luck dreamer building house unlucky dream signifying  loss and sickness
hunchback—a troubled life with many ups and downs
83  teacup fortunetelling  in the following pages you may learn something of the meanings attached  to the tea leaves which remain among the dregs in the bottom of your teacup
how to test your fortunes  leave a slight amount of tea in the cup not so much as a spoonful
place  the saucer on the cup swill the cup round males do this so that the liquid  moves round in a clockwise direction females in an anticlockwise direction
the tea is then run out of the cup the saucer lifted off and the shapes or formations  are ready to be examined
no
17—birds seen in tea leaves generally denote an end of your troubles
what the formations mean  anchor—denotes a voyage full of hope
it is considered a splendid  omen for a sailors bride
arch—you are to undertake a journey in the near future
it is some84times  a happy omen for a woman signifying that she will marry a tall handsome  man and be blessed with healthy children
axe—denotes that your difficulties have now been overcome by your  own splendid endeavors
you have severed the old bad habits and made a  clean cut at your past blunders
balloon—although it denotes a certain rise in the consultants fortunes  it carries the warning to beware of a sudden fall
banana—signifies to the sick quick restoration to health
basket—implies that a person by changing his or her mind within the  last twentyfour hours has reason for congratulation
bells—if they are connected to a rope you can look forward to splendid  news
birds—generally they denote an end of your troubles
boat—if you cannot discover an occupant of the boat the symbol means  a voyage
book—you should ask advice from some friend for whom you care
good advice is precious
bugle—you will be the recipient of good news shortly
butterfly—a warning to a young lady that her lover whom she  trusts implicitly is rather fond of flitting from one peach to another
cap—if you see a mans cap you may have minor worries if a widows  cap married joy will be yours
cards—if you gamble you will certainly lose
chain—this bids you put forth every ounce of energy in one big endeavor  then success will be yours
cigar—some of your schemes may end in smoke
clock—this signifies that you are to have an important appointment  with someone very soon
comet—a symbol to warn you against playing with fire
beware
cross—you may have anxiety but it will soon pass away
crown—denotes great honors coming to you
dart—you will shortly have a proposal of marriage
cupid is about
dice—you will lose money if you gamble
doves—your trials will end when you see this welcome messenger of  peace
envelope—good tidings are heralded
eye—look to some other power than your own
fingerprint—a reminder to you to ask and you will find out a secret
85  fish—this signifies good news from abroad
if the fish is surrounded by  dots you will emigrate
flag—a splendid omen—the best of news is coming from abroad and  you are about to experience good fortune at home
no
18—cross
you may have anxiety but it will soon pass away
foot—this leafpicture denotes good news which however is still far off
fork—your life would be all the happier were you not so easily flattered
gallows—contrary to expectation to see this picture denotes nothing  of evil significance but is merely a warning to you to be cautious—in fact a  kindly symbol
garden—prosperous joyful days
gate—a reminder that patience is a virtue and that the gate to fortune  will open for you in due course
giant—this denotes you are attempting something which is far too big  for you
better be a successful dwarf than a gigantic failure
gypsy—an invitation to you to wish for something you dearly desire and  your wish will be granted
globe—denotes you are to take a roundabout journey leading finally to  your home
glove—a sign of good luck
86  goose—you will be the recipient of foolish remarks from stupid persons  but these need cause you no concern
grapes—from time immemorial the symbol of perfect love between  couples
hair—a lock of hair signifies great devotion on the part of your lover
halter—a warning that you are too easily led and that you must  cultivate the art of selfreliance
ham—this is a sign you will undergo a brief illness but will make a  quick recovery
hammer—triumph over adversity
after enduring many knocks you  will hit the nail of success
hammock—points to the knowledge that your sailorlover is true and  dreams of you every night
hamper—suggests useful and serviceable but inexpensive presents are  coming
handcuffs—this is a cogent warning to you to get rid of an evil  habit before it is too late
little sins lead to great crimes and no one desires  to receive the attentions of the law
harp—count yourself very fortunate
hat—this picture if it is a ladys hat signifies luck but if a mans it  means that you may experience a slight misfortune
hatchet—this leafpicture is a warning to take great care or you may  experience danger
initial—in this important leafpicture the initials should be carefully  studied
if the initial is formed near the rim the significance is one of good  fortune
initials most commonly found are those without curves
such  straight initials are—a i l n t v w  interrogation mark—signifies doubt
be careful
key—an important picture suggesting that you look deeper and more  carefully in the cup for an initial which when you have found it will unlock  something that has been up till now a mystery
a closed book will be opened  for you and past enigmas unravelled
label—this ticketlike picture which must not be mistaken for an  envelope is the sign that you possess a dear friend who will one day be tied  to you for life
lace—denotes you will err on a very minor and fragile matter and make  a false move on very flimsy grounds
ladder—if on the side of the cup a rise in your fortunes is indicated
lady—points to the fact that you will shortly make a friend of one who  will prove of great service
87  no
19—a mark of interrogation signifies doubt be careful
lines—these indicate journeys
lock—this denotes that you can safely confide in your nearest friend
he or she will lock your secrets in his or her bosom
locket—a picture denoting steadfast loyalty on the part of a friend  whom you have not seen for long months
looking glass—you are warned by this picture that the world sees  you for what you really are
your character is mirrored for your friends to  gaze upon
man—denotes a visitor who will bring a gift if his arm is outstretched
if the symbol is clear he is a dark man if vague he is very fair
map—a symbol bidding you travel for you will be sure of success wherever  you go
maze—a regular maze of difficulty confronts you but with care you  will find a way out of the labyrinth
milestones—you are about to win success after traveling a long and  difficult road
moon—if shown as a crescent prosperity and fortune are indicated
motorcar—denotes that you will achieve a rapid success
mountains—this majestic picture signifies an arduous lengthy and  uphill fight against bad fortune
set your heart to it and toil on to the goal
88  mouse—a reminder that the little irritation you are nursing is really a  very trivial affair
navvy—a token that you are very bookish and fond of digging into  abstruse treatises
you are reminded that all work and no play makes  jack a dull boy
necklace—grace and beauty of body and mind are here indicated
needle—a single needle signifies you are able to withstand all the  sharp pricks of circumstances
several needles together mean quarrels
pendulum—great indecision and lack of character are here indicated
pennon—to decipher this smallpointed flag is a sign that someone  on board a ship is thinking much of you
pennies—they denote great carefulness in small details which leads  to ultimate prosperity
ring—a very important symbol
generally speaking it always denotes  marriage especially if seen at the bottom of the cup in which case search  for an initial which will reveal to a man or woman his or her future lifepartner
rivers—these denote much peace of mind
roads—if the roads appear in the clear they predict a speedy change  of circumstances usually for the better
robin—this bird always denotes hope
if you see it you can cheer up  as the trouble you now experience is about to pass away
rock—a massive rock denotes great burdens
if there are a number of  small rocks easy fortune and much happiness are indicated
rocket—another warning against high ambition
rod—if it is long and slender you will be very fortunate
roof—if what appears to be the roof only of a house is seen the signification  is domestic bliss
rook—great happiness is indicated
sailor—foretells that very shortly you will receive a letter from over  the sea
scales—this picture is the token that the friend you have weighed in  the balance and found wanting is really true and just
sceptre—a sign of honor from royalty
serpent—if on the side of the cup and appearing to be rising to near  the brim you may take comfort in the fact that you will shortly receive some  information which will be of use
sheaves—a good omen of a bounteous harvest of prosperity
shield—a reminder that you have just escaped from a great calamity
89  ship—a large ship with funnels and masts is a token of a long journey  usually on business
thimble—this homely picture denotes that industry and devotion to  duty bring their own reward
thin person—the figure of a very slender person is usually the sign  of very prosperous days ahead
thistle—this striking leafpicture is a sign that you will only achieve  success by plain living and high thinking
thorn—this is always an excellent omen
good luck and many  friends are indicated
tongs—suggests you are of a fiery nature and will quarrel with your  best friend
tongue—someone you are fond of who is far away is speaking about  you
tool—any instrument of manual operation denotes that hard knocks  may be coming
triangle—this is a token of allround prosperity in love
trident—this is a token of success and honors in the navy
wagon—a reminder that you are soon to undertake a long journey
waiter—this picture denotes that riches and married happiness will  come to you
walking stick—a warning not to lean too much on your own  efforts
waterfall—indicates the removal of many obstructions in your path  to happiness
weathercock—this picture points to a friend who is unreliable
web—signifies you will one day be caught in the toils as the result of  ignoring friendly warnings
well—this denotes you are not dipping deep enough into knowledge
90  when will you marry
it has long been held that an unmarried person can tell  how many years it will be before he or she is married in the  following manner
balance a small spoon on the edge of a teacup
the spoon  should be perfectly dry
then with the assistance of a second  spoon tilt drops of tea into the balancing spoon and count  them one by one
the number of drops it takes to upset  the spoon reveals the number of years that will elapse before  the wedding takes place
91  lucky and unlucky days  most of us have discovered that certain days of the week or even the year  are more favorable to us than others
but there are some people who have  not made this discovery
to them the indications given in this chapter will  be of considerable interest
friday—an unlucky day—fortunately six of the seven days of the week  are charitably disposed towards the majority of us
here and there a person  may be found who affirms that monday thursday or some other day never  did him or her a kindness but such a remark is not general
friday however  can be put on the black list as it is a notoriously unlucky day
most  men and women cherish a superstitious fear of it and this opinion has  existed since the first good friday
many will never embark upon any  enterprise of importance there are fewer marriages on this day than any  other and sailors are averse to sailing on friday
many are the tales they  tell of vessels which put to sea on a friday and were never heard of again
if all the bank or financial crashes of the last century were counted up it  would be found that friday supplied the greatest number
a lengthy list  could be added to prove that friday is a day of bad luck
one good thing can be said for it however—it favors its own for people  born on a friday are not affected by its evil disposition
unlucky dates—in an old calendar astrologers indicated the following  dates as unlucky
if any of them fell on a friday they were doubly unlucky  january 1 2 4 5 10 17 29—very unlucky
february 26 27 28—unlucky 8 10 17—very unlucky
march 16 17 20—very unlucky
april 7 8 10 20—unlucky 16 and 21—very unlucky
june 10 and 22—unlucky 4 and 8—very unlucky
july 15 and 21—very unlucky
august 1 29 and 30—unlucky 19 and 20—very unlucky
september 2 4 21 23—unlucky 6 and 7—very unlucky
october 4 16 24—unlucky 6 very unlucky
november 5 6 29 30—unlucky 15 and 20—very unlucky
december 15 22—unlucky 6 7 and 9—very unlucky
these were regarded as perilous days to fall ill upon to have an accident  to be married to start on a journey or commence any work
what is most striking about this list is that the thirteenth does not appear  on it at all although most people will tell you that the thirteenth is the date  they avoid more than all others
lucky and unlucky dates depending on birthdates—much the most  accurate way of determining which dates are lucky and unlucky is by using  the portents displayed by the signs of the zodiac
to do this it is necessary  to know when the individual affected was born
the following is a list  worked out on these lines  92  born—dec
22nd to jan 20th
lucky dates  unlucky dates  jan 2 7 8 18 26 and 31  jan 11 14 15 and 28  feb 3 7 9 12 13 and 27  feb 11 18 24 and 25  mar
1 5 7 10 24 and 28  mar
8 16 17 and 23  april 2 3 7 16 25 and 26  april 12 13 19 and 20  may 5 6 14 15 27 and 31  may 10 16 29 and 30  june 1 14 15 18 24 and 29  june 5 13 22 and 26  july 9 12 13 17 20 and 27  july 2 11 16 and 24  aug 3 8 9 16 21 and 31  aug 6 18 19 and 29  sept 5 9 14 18 19 and 27  sept 1 3 17 and 23  oct 10 11 16 17 25 and 30  oct 8 12 21 and 27  nov 6 7 8 12 13 and 26  nov 10 17 18 and 25  dec 3 8 9 19 24 and 31  dec 2 6 11 and 30  born—jan
21st to feb 19th  lucky dates  unlucky dates  jan 1 5 9 10 15 and 20  jan 2 19 24 and 31  feb 2 5 6 11 16 and 29  feb 13 20 26 and 27  mar
3 6 7 10 17 and 30  mar
11 19 24 and 25  april 4 5 10 20 23 and 29  april 7 14 15 and 24  may 7 8 16 17 25 and 31  may 4 12 18 and 19  june 5 12 17 18 25 and 26  june 1 2 28 and 29  july 10 11 19 22 23 and 28  july 5 12 13 and 26  aug 10 14 19 20 24 and 25  aug 2 22 23 and 27  sept 10 11 12 22 29 and 30  sept 4 5 19 and 25  oct 1 3 9 13 27 and 28  oct 2 8 11 and 26  nov 4 5 10 15 23 and 28  nov 11 18 26 and 27  dec 7 8 13 21 25 and 27  dec 9 16 17 and 24  93  born—feb
20th to march 20th  lucky dates  unlucky dates  jan 5 7 9 21 22 and 27  jan 8 16 23 and 28  feb 4 7 9 20 21 and 26  feb 5 10 22 and 25  mar
5 6 12 13 17 and 29  mar
11 15 18 and 26  april 6 8 11 15 22 and 30  april 9 12 20 and 23  may 8 14 15 19 24 and 29  may 4 17 20 and 28  june 10 11 19 21 23 and 27  june 6 18 24 and 28  july 11 15 20 22 24 and 31  july 8 21 25 and 26  aug 13 16 17 20 28 and 30  aug 4 5 19 and 25  sept 15 17 19 24 27 and 28  sept 3 8 18 and 26  oct 17 19 20 21 29 and 30  oct 4 6 8 and 28  nov 8 9 10 14 19 and 21  nov 1 12 18 and 24  dec 3 7 9 13 22 and 28  dec 11 16 20 and 29  born—march 21st to april 19th  lucky dates  unlucky dates  jan 1 5 9 23 27 and 28  jan 6 16 26 and 29  feb 2 5 10 19 25 and 29  feb 8 15 16 and 23  mar
4 9 10 19 20 and 31  mar
3 6 15 and 21  april 1 5 14 15 19 and 28  april 2 3 17 and 30  may 3 12 13 18 21 and 31  may 8 14 27 and 28  june 3 7 17 18 25 and 27  june 4 5 23 and 26  july 1 6 14 23 28 and 29  july 2 4 30 and 31  aug 2 10 11 24 25 and 26  aug 6 12 22 and 23  sept 7 10 11 12 21 and 25  sept 2 23 24 and 26  oct 3 9 13 17 19 and 31  oct 6 14 26 and 27  nov 1 5 8 14 20 and 30  nov 6 18 22 and 29  dec 1 13 25 26 27 and 31  dec 6 12 22 and 28  94  born—feb
20th to march 20th  lucky dates  unlucky dates  jan 5 7 9 21 22 and 27  jan 8 16 23 and 28  feb 4 7 9 20 21 and 26  feb 5 10 22 and 25  mar
5 6 12 13 17 and 29  mar
11 15 18 and 26  april 6 8 11 15 22 and 30  april 9 12 20 and 23  may 8 14 15 19 24 and 29  may 4 17 20 and 28  june 10 11 19 21 23 and 27  june 6 18 24 and 28  july 11 15 20 22 24 and 31  july 8 21 25 and 26  aug 13 16 17 20 28 and 30  aug 4 5 19 and 25  sept 15 17 19 24 27 and 28  sept 3 8 18 and 26  oct 17 19 20 21 29 and 30  oct 4 6 8 and 28  nov 8 9 10 14 19 and 21  nov 1 12 18 and 24  dec 3 7 9 13 22 and 28  dec 11 16 20 and 29  born—march 21st to april 19th  lucky dates  unlucky dates  jan 1 5 9 23 27 and 28  jan 6 16 26 and 29  feb 2 5 10 19 25 and 29  feb 8 15 16 and 23  mar
4 9 10 19 20 and 31  mar
3 6 15 and 21  april 1 5 14 15 19 and 28  april 2 3 17 and 30  may 3 12 13 18 21 and 31  may 8 14 27 and 28  june 3 7 17 18 25 and 27  june 4 5 23 and 26  july 1 6 14 23 28 and 29  july 2 4 30 and 31  aug 2 10 11 24 25 and 26  aug 6 12 22 and 23  sept 7 10 11 12 21 and 25  sept 2 23 24 and 26  oct 3 9 13 17 19 and 31  oct 6 14 26 and 27  nov 1 5 8 14 20 and 30  nov 6 18 22 and 29  dec 1 13 25 26 27 and 31  dec 6 12 22 and 28  95  born—june 22nd to july 22nd  lucky dates  unlucky dates  jan 3 9 11 13 16 and 29  jan 6 8 27 and 28  feb 7 8 13 14 22 and 27  feb 3 11 24 and 25  mar
5 7 12 20 21 and 25  mar
1 4 22 and 26  april 2 7 8 12 13 and 29  april 5 19 20 and 25  may 1 5 10 11 18 and 19  may 3 17 23 and 30  june 2 7 10 15 24 and 28  june 13 19 20 and 22  july 3 4 7 20 22 and 25  july 10 13 23 and 28  aug 5 8 9 21 22 and 30  aug 7 12 19 and 20  sept 5 12 13 19 27 and 28  sept 3 10 16 and 17  oct 1 3 11 15 16 and 30  oct 7 14 27 and 28  nov 6 7 16 17 27 and 30  nov 8 9 18 and 19  dec 4 9 13 24 30 and 31  dec 6 7 18 and 21  born—july 23rd to august 21st  lucky dates  unlucky dates  jan 1 4 13 15 18 and 27  jan 3 8 12 and 30  feb 1 15 20 24 25 and 29  feb 8 12 21 and 28  mar
9 18 19 20 21 and 28  mar
12 22 24 and 25  april 1 5 10 11 18 and 23  april 7 8 16 and 22  may 2 3 6 12 13 and 31  may 5 18 19 and 24  june 3 4 13 17 26 and 30  june 2 14 21 and 22  july 2 6 9 14 23 and 29  july 12 13 24 and 25  aug 3 7 10 23 25 and 30  aug 9 14 21 and 22  sept 3 15 16 22 26 and 29  sept 5 17 18 and 19  oct 1 13 17 27 28 and 31  oct 9 14 15 and 29  nov 9 10 15 20 23 and 27  nov 5 12 13 and 17  dec 7 11 16 18 22 and 26  dec 3 9 23 and 28  96  born—august 22nd to september 22nd  lucky dates  unlucky dates  jan 1 3 9 15 20 and 31  jan 4 11 18 and 19  feb 3 12 13 18 23 and 27  feb 8 15 16 and 29  mar
1 11 20 21 28 and 29  mar
6 7 26 and 27  april 7 8 15 17 24 and 25  april 2 3 9 and 29  may 4 7 10 18 22 and 31  may 8 21 27 and 28  june 1 6 7 11 15 and 29  june 3 9 16 and 24  july 4 9 10 17 25 and 30  july 2 14 20 and 22  aug 3 5 12 22 28 and 29  aug 10 17 18 and 23  sept 4 9 10 22 23 and 28  sept 7 8 17 and 21  oct 1 2 11 12 25 and 30  oct 4 8 14 and 20  nov 17 18 22 23 25 and 30  nov 5 7 12 and 21  dec 9 10 18 23 26 and 28  dec 4 5 6 and 14  born—september 23rd to october 23rd  lucky dates  unlucky dates  jan 1 5 9 19 20 and 27  jan 6 7 21 and 23  feb 2 6 15 20 24 and 29  feb 11 17 19 and 22  mar
4 14 18 23 27 and 31  mar
2 9 10 and 28  april 1 15 19 23 24 and 28  april 4 5 14 and 26  may 7 8 12 17 21 and 24  may 3 9 23 and 29  june 8 12 13 16 22 and 30  june 7 19 20 and 27  july 4 14 19 20 23 and 28  july 10 17 27 and 29  aug 1 7 10 11 15 and 30  aug 12 13 22 and 27  sept 3 6 11 20 22 and 29  sept 8 16 17 and 24  oct 4 5 17 22 24 and 27  oct 8 12 20 and 21  nov 1 4 6 14 19 and 26  nov 9 17 28 and 29  dec 3 12 13 21 25 and 29  dec 4 7 15 and 19  97  born—october 24th to november 22nd  lucky dates  unlucky dates  jan 2 3 7 8 22 and 30  jan 10 16 18 and 24  feb 3 9 17 18 24 and 27  feb 1 12 14 and 20  mar
1 6 15 20 25 and 29  mar
3 11 19 and 30  april 2 3 12 17 21 and 29  april 7 8 26 and 28  may 5 10 11 15 19 and 27  may 4 6 24 and 26  june 6 11 15 19 23 and 25  june 2 8 26 and 28  july 4 7 9 17 21 and 30  july 3 8 19 and 31  aug 5 9 13 17 18 and 27  aug 2 12 22 and 28  sept 9 10 12 23 27 and 28  sept 11 14 18 and 29  oct 2 3 11 20 25 and 29  oct 8 9 22 and 24  nov 2 6 16 17 23 and 30  nov 5 12 18 and 29  dec 2 5 18 19 24 and 27  dec 3 6 16 and 18  born—november 23rd to december 21st  lucky dates  unlucky dates  jan 1 9 14 15 23 and 24  jan 6 12 18 and 22  feb 3 5 7 19 21 and 28  feb 8 15 16 and 23  mar
5 8 10 19 23 and 31  mar
6 7 15 and 21  april 4 14 15 19 20 and 28  april 3 18 22 and 26  may 1 12 16 20 26 and 31  may 7 14 15 and 27  june 7 8 13 17 21 and 25  june 3 11 23 and 24  july 6 11 15 21 22 and 25  july 7 20 23 and 29  aug 3 6 7 14 15 and 29  aug 4 12 18 and 28  sept 1 10 12 15 26 and 29  sept 13 17 20 and 22  oct 4 5 22 23 27 and 31  oct 11 12 18 and 26  nov 9 19 20 23 24 and 28  nov 6 14 15 and 22  dec 3 7 8 17 22 and 25  dec 6 11 18 and 28                                               section i the alphabet of the heavens                                              chapter i                        the planets their natures and types   the luminaries and planets are known to astronomers under the following names and symbols— the sun ☉ moon ☽ neptune ♆ uranus ♅ saturn ♄ jupiter ♃ mars ♂ venus ♀ and mercury ☿
neptune revolves around the sun in its distant orbit once in about 165 years
uranus completes its orbital revolution in 84 years jupiter in 12 years mars in about 15 months venus in 11 months and mercury in 18 weeks
if you imagine these bodies to be revolving in a plane around the sun and yourself to be standing within the sun the motions of these bodies will appear almost uniform and always in one direction
were the orbits of the planets circular and the sun holding the centre of the circle their motions would be constant that is to say always in the same direction and at the same rate
but the orbits are elliptical and the sun holds a position in one of the foci of each ellipse
consequently the planets are at times further from the sun than at others and        pg 18  they are then said to be in their aphelion the opposite point of the orbit where they are nearest to the sun being called the perihelion
when at aphelion the planets move slower and when at perihelion they move quicker than at the mean distance
astronomers employ an imaginary circular orbit for the planets in which they move at an uniform rate of velocity which is called the mean motion
this is subject to an equation depending on the position of the planet in its orbit and it determines the difference between the imaginary planet and the true planet
the equation itself depends on the eccentricity of the orbit that is to say its relation to a circle drawn around the same focal centre
the earth follows the same laws as all other bodies of the same system
but if we imagine the earth to be stationary in space and the centre around which the planets revolve their motions present several irregularities
mercury and venus will then appear to revolve around the sun while the sun revolves around the earth sometimes being between the earth and the sun which is called an inferior conjunction sometimes on the further side of the sun away from the earth as at their superior conjunction and again at other times to the right or left of the sun in east or west elongation
the other planets having orbits greater than that of the earth will appear to revolve around it at constantly varying distances and velocities
at certain points in their orbits they will appear to remain stationary in the same part of the zodiac
the annexed illustration will assist the lay reader perhaps
the body m is mercury when at inferior conjunction with the sun      pg 19  as seen from the earth
the letter v is the planet venus at superior conjunction with the sun
the points w and e are the points of greatest elongation west and east and the letter s shows the points in the orbit at which those bodies appear to be stationary when viewed from the earth at g as seen from the earth venus would appear to be direct and mercury retrograde
astrologically we regard the earth as the passive subject of planetary influence and we have therefore to regard it as the centre of the �eld of activity
if we were making a horoscope for an inhabitant of the planet mars we should make mars the centre of the system
the planets’ positions are therefore taken as from the centre of the earth geocentric and not as from the centre of the sun heliocentric
an astrological ephemeris of the         pg 20  planets’ motions is employed for this purpose see sect
ii chap i
 and there are 480000 of these sold to astrologers or students of astrology every year from which fact it is possible to draw one’s own conclusions as to the state of astrology in the west
these �gures of course do not include the millions of almanac readers nor the oriental students who prepare their own ephemerides
knowing the simple natures of the several planets we are able to arrive at an estimate of their effects when acting in combination
neptune acts upon the mind of man to produce a highlystrung nervous temperament often allied to either insanity or genius neurosis aphasia c it produces complications in business and an involved state of affairs generally
disposes to fraud doubledealing and irresponsible actions
in the body it produces waste of tissue and a consumptive habit
uranus gives an eccentric mind waywardness originality inventiveness
acting on the affairs of business it produces sudden and unexpected developments irregularities rapid rise and fall instability unexpected turns of good and bad fortune
in the body it has relation to the nervous system and its diseases are those of paralysis lesion and nervous derangement
saturn produces a thoughtful sober ponderable mind steadfastness patience and endurance disposition to routine and habit method
in �nancial affairs it gives steady results commensurate with labour success that is slow but sure durance hardships privations
in the body it is related to the osseous system and its effects are          pg 21  brought about by obstructions chills and inhibition of function
jupiter gives joviality optimism bountifulness generosity a rich and fruitful mind
it renders the subject fortunate in his affairs giving success and frequently opulence
with this planet strong in the horoscope a person never “goes under� in the body it has relation to the arterial process and its diseases are those which arise from surfeit congestion and plethora
mars confers a sense of freedom much ambition and executive ability frankness truthfulness and scorn of consequence
it renders the mind forceful and militant stimulates to new projects and enterprises and in the body of man has relation to the muscular system
its diseases are those which arise from inflammatory action in the tissues
venus confers poesy good taste �ne feeling artistic powers gentleness docility dalliance and love of pleasure
it renders the affairs pleasant and prosperous giving pro�t from both artistic and rustic pursuits
next to jupiter it is the most bene�c of the planets in its action on mankind
in the body it has relation to the venous system and its diseases are those which arise from impurities of the blood scorbutic and zymotic diseases eczema smallpox measles c mercury renders its subjects active versatile apt and businesslike disposed to much commerce whether of the mind or the market and eager in the pursuit of knowledge alert and wellinformed
its influence on affairs of life is variable for it always translates the nature of that planet to which at birth it is in nearest aspect sect
i chap
iv
in the body it is related to the sensorium the centres of sensation and reflexly controls the nerves of        pg 22  action
the moon gives gracefulness of manner and suavity of speech softness and adaptability of nature variableness love of change romance and adventure disposed to exploration and voyaging
in the body it corresponds to the glandular system and its diseases are those incidental to the lymphatic glands and vascular tissue
the sun renders its subjects magnanimous noble proud despising all mean and sordid actions loyal truthful and fearless
it produces honours and the favour of dignitaries and renders the subject fortunate in the control of his affairs
in the body it controls the vital principle
the types of persons produced by the various planets are very distinct the chief features of each being as follows— neptune—thin nervouslooking people blue eyes soft silky hair thin and usually long faces frequently wearing a strained or startled look
uranus—tall wiry and energetic �gures alert muscular spasmodic and with some touch of eccentricity
saturn—dark and lean people small deepset eyes heavy brows long noses thin lips and sallow complexions
jupiter—full bodied robust men large and expressive blue or brown eyes arched brows high foreheads oval faces and rich brown hair
mars—strong muscular and athletic bodies ruddy complexion grey eyes prominent brows sloping forehead and usually some mark or scar in the face
sun—fresh clear complexion blue or grey eyes round head broad shoulders strong jaws upright and digni�ed carriage
venus—elegant wellgroomed and often daintylooking people with blue or soft brown                    pg 23  eyes brown hair �ne teeth and �ngernails small feet and short fleshy hands
mercury—thin tall and active bodies alert appearance small and usually dark eyes wide thin lips long arms and slender hands
frequently great talkers and quick walkers
moon—rather short and fleshy people with pale face soft limpid eyes sad brown or medium coloured hair �ne teeth broad chest and a tendency to a squat fulness of body
the forehead is usually high and broad
look at the people as they pass you in the street
bring them if possible under one or other of these types
consider what has been said of the planets’ natures and you have a ready key to something of their character and destiny
pg 24                                              chapter ii                                     the signs of the zodiac   the zodiac is an imaginary belt of the heavens through which the sun and planets move in their apparent revolutions round the earth
it extends from 23� 27′ above the plane of the equator to the same distance below it being bounded by the tropic of cancer on the north and by that of capricorn on the south
the ecliptic is a circle transecting this belt at an angle of 23� 27′ to the plane of the equator
the points where it cuts the equator are called the equinoxes
the ecliptic is divided into twelve equal sections counting from the vernal equinox
these are called the signs of the zodiac
each sign occupies 30 degrees of the circle
their names and symbols are as follows—                             1
aries the ram ♈          7
libra the balance ♞                             2
taurus the bull ♉        8
scorpio the scorpion �                             3
gemini the twins                                                          9
sagittarius the hunter �                             ♚                             4
cancer the crab ♋        10
capricornus the goat ♑                                                          11
aquarius the waterman                             5
leo the lion ♜                                                          ♒                             6
virgo the virgin �       12
pisces the fishes ♓   for astrological purposes they are grouped according to the element and the constitution which they represent          pg 25  thus—                                                    elements
fire—aries leo sagittarius
earth—taurus virgo capricornus
air—gemini libra aquarius
water—cancer scorpio pisces
c onstitutions
movable—aries cancer libra capricornus
fixed—taurus leo scorpio aquarius
flexed—gemini virgo sagittarius pisces
every alternate sign beginning with aries is male and the rest are female
aries male taurus female gemini male cancer female c the signs aries leo capricornus are called barren while taurus cancer scorpio and pisces are fruitful
aries governs the east cancer the north libra the west and capricornus the south
the doublebodied signs are gemini sagittarius and pisces
it is important that all these classi�cations should be learned as they form an essential part of the doctrine of astrology and are frequently employed in the reading of a horoscope
the types of people under the various signs should also be known as intimately as possible
a person is said to be “under� a sign—that is to say under its influence when that sign is rising in the east at the moment of birth
pg 26  you will recognise these types among your friends and associates— aries produces a person of lean body long neck high cheekbones grey eyes sandy or sad brown hair which is either wiry and straight or crisp and curling
the front teeth are usually large and prominent
taurus gives a full thickset body strong neck and shoulders full brown eyes dark curling hair full lips rather wide mouth and round bulletshaped head
the hands and feet are short and fleshy
gemini produces a tall active and upright body long arms and legs wide thin lips straight and oftenretrouss� nose lank straight black hair rather wide shoulders and thin body
cancer denotes a rather short squat �gure full lymphatic body pale complexion round face broad forehead sad brown hair large aqueous eyes full chest short fleshy hands and feet
leo renders its subjects tall broad shouldered �ne and manly �gures small round head fair complexion blue or grey eyes flaxen or fair brown hair upright and fearless carriage
virgo renders the body thin and active the head well developed the forehead broad hair light brown and waving off the forehead eyes blue shoulders broad the type being of an intellectual or artistic form
libra gives an elegant body welldeveloped limbs �ne oval face straight nose �ne blue eyes sometimes deep brown flaxen or chestnut hair beautiful complexion
the highest types of beauty are to be found under this sign
scorpio gives a short thickset and powerful �gure broad deep chest dusky or sallow complexion dark               pg 27  curling or crisp hair strong and rather bowed legs
this is a very virile and robust type
sagittarius gives a tall person wellmade �gure elegant limbs oval and rather long face brown or chestnut hair growing off the forehead �ne expressive eyes rather prominent and of a dark brown or blue colour long nose slightly aquiline
capricornus produces a slight and rather illformed person long and scraggy neck prominent features narrow chin weak and frequently decrepit limbs weak chest and sloping shoulders
frequently the �gure is wiry and suggestive of considerable powers of endurance
the brows are prominent the nose long and the face thin and hardset
aquarius contributes the �nest types of beauty next to libra
the saxon type is dominant
a tall �gure well formed and rounded fair complexion and blue eyes flaxen hair straight features welldeveloped chin and �ne clear forehead
pisces produces one of rather short stature short limbs lymphatic body pale complexion limpid blue eyes black or brown eyes short nose full lips round face small hands and feet
the short signs are taurus cancer capricornus and pisces
the tall signs are gemini leo sagittarius and aquarius
the others are of medium height
the planets rising in each sign will always alter the type by impressing their own characteristics on the subject
each sign has a ruler and the position of the ruler of the rising sign has much to do with the physical conformation as if taurus be rising and venus its ruler be in leo the person will be taller and fairer than      pg 28  indicated by taurus alone
pure types are very uncommon
the rulership of the planets in the signs is as follows—      saturn governs aquarius and capricornus
jupiter governs pisces and sagittarius
mars governs aries and scorpio
venus governs taurus and libra
mercury governs gemini and virgo
the moon governs cancer and leo is governed by the sun
when a planet is found in a sign over which it is said to govern it acts more strongly than usual and when in the opposite signs to those it governs it is said to be in its “fall� when it is weaker than usual
planets governing opposite signs to one another are said to be “enemies� such do not produce harmonious and favourable results when acting in conjunction
pg 29                                            chapter iii                                       the celestial houses   the imaginary circle which passes immediately over your head as you face the south is called the prime vertical
this is divided for astrological purposes into twelve equal divisions called houses six of which are above the horizon and six below it
they are counted from the east horizon under the earth to the west and thence through the zenith to the east again
the �gure in section iv chapter v will make the idea easy of comprehension
each such division or house carries its own signi�cation and it has been ascertained beyond all doubt or cavil that the ruling of the ancients in this matter is altogether reliable however empirical it may appear
the first house governs the personal appearance but chiefly the face and head
the second house rules over �nance movable effects commerce
in the body it governs the neck and throat
the third house governs short journeys letters and other means of communication near relations or neighbours
in the body it governs the arms and lungs
the fourth house governs real estate the residence the produce of the earth the mother of          pg 30  the subject and the end of life
in the body the breasts and thorax
the fifth house governs progeny the sex instincts domestic relations and social pleasures
in the body the back and heart
the sixth house governs the health servants and personal comforts of the subject clothes food and other physical requisites sanitation hygiene
in the body it rules over the abdomen and lower viscera
the seventh house has dominion over marriage contracts agreements partners and matters of exchange
in the body it has relation to the loins and kidneys
the eighth house rules death loss legacies and dowries and matters appertaining to the deceased
in the body it is related to the excretory system
the ninth house is said to govern long journeys publications religious beliefs foreign lands and legal affairs
in the body it rules the thighs
the tenth house rules over position honour and fame of the subject the father superiors of all orders
in the body it rules over the knees
the eleventh house governs friends social relations societies and companies with which the subject is concerned
in the body it has relation to the legs from calf to ankle
the twelfth house rules ambushes restraints privations imprisonments con�nements and all limitations of the personal freedom
in the body it rules the ankles and feet
applying these signi�cations to the interpretation of a horoscope it will be seen that if mars should be rising at the moment of birth there will be a scar or mark on the face
observations of this sort will frequently assist to determine the time of birth when it is not known
similarly with other planets in the same or other houses but of this more anon
pg 31                                             chapter iv                                  the astronomical aspects   aspects are certain angular distances measured on the ecliptic and they form a fundamental part of astrological science
any planet may be good or bad in its effects on the character and destiny according to the aspect that it throws to the chief points of the horoscope
the aspects are the semisquare aspect of 45 degrees sextile of 60 degrees square of 90 degrees trine of 120 degrees sesquiquadrate of 135 degrees and the opposition of 180 degrees
there is also the conjunction when bodies are in the same degree or part of a sign
the good aspects are the trine and sextile the evil being the semisquare square sesquiquadrate and opposition
the aspect of a planet determines its effects whether for good or evil
the conjunction is good with good planets such as jupiter and venus and evil with malefic planets such as mars and saturn
when planets are the same distance north or south of the equator they are in parallel declination pd
 and they then act as if in conjunction
also when planets are in mutual disposition that is to say occupying one another’s signs they act as if they were in conjunction
planets in conjunction act according to their simple natures but when in aspect according to the nature of that       pg 32  aspect
the bene�c planets jupiter venus sun moon and also mercury when in good disposition with another planet or in a congenial sign produce good effects by their conjunctions and by their trine and sextile aspects but when in square semisquare or sesquisquare aspect they are uniformly evil in effect
on the other hand the male�c planets neptune uranus saturn and mars together with mercury when illdisposed or in uncongenial signs are evil in their effects when in conjunction with the signi�cant points of the horoscope also when in evil aspect but they nevertheless produce good effects when in good aspect
the significators
the more important points of the horoscope to which aspect can be thrown are called “signi�cators� the general signi�cators in any horoscope are the sun the moon the midheaven the degree which holds the meridian of the horoscope and the ascendant the degree which is rising
but every planet can be a particular significator in its own province namely in the sign which it rules and the house in which it is found at birth
in a general sense the moon is signi�cant of the mother female relations the personal health and fortunes and the changes incident to these
the sun in the same way indicates the father male relations the vital principle and position
mercury is the signi�cator of the mind and intellect the faculties generally
venus is signi�catrix of love affairs domestic relations pleasures and of young female relations sisters c mars is signi�cator of          pg 33  enterprises strifes and young male relations
jupiter is signi�cator of increase and emoluments saturn of legacies inheritance and aged persons uranus of civic and governmental bodies neptune of voyages and psychic experiences
the chief points to be regarded however are the midheaven the ascendant and the places of the sun and moon
pg 34                                            section ii                  the construction of a horoscope                                              chapter i                                  the ephemeris and its uses   an ephemeris is an almanac of the planetary positions day by day throughout any given year
they are to be obtained at a cost of one shilling per year in a convenient form specially adapted to the use of astrologers
in the �rst column will be found the sidereal time for the day which is the sun’s right ascension or distance from the vernal equinox expressed in hours minutes and seconds and equated to mean time at greenwich
by merely adding the time after noon or subtracting the hours and minutes before noon at which the birth took place you will obtain the right ascension of the midheaven at the moment of birth
the use to which this is put will appear in the next chapter
it corresponds to a particular degree of the zodiac which is in the midheaven at the given time of birth
the next column contains the sun’s longitude at noon for each day
by taking the position on one day fromthat          pg 35  on the next day the motion of the sun for 24 hours is obtained and a proportion of this for the hour of birth can easily be made
the mean motion of the sun per day is 2�′ or 1 degree per day
in another column will be found the moon’s longitude and in adjacent columns its declination and latitude
declination is distance north or south of the equator and celestial latitude is distance north or south of the ecliptic
the longitudes of the other bodies are also given for each day at noon
the mean longitudinal progress of the several bodies is as follows sun2�′ per hour or 1 degree per day moon 32′ per hour or 13 degrees per day neptune 2′ per day uranus 3′ per day saturn about 5′ per day jupiter about 12′ per day mars 45′ per day or about 2′ per hour venus 72′ per day or 3′ per hour mercury 84′ per day or 3�′ per hour
these increments are for direct motion only the planets are as already explained sometimes retrograde and sometimes stationary
the horoscope of birth is only concerned with the longitudes of the planets but when one or more planets have the same declination north or south they should be noted as being in parallel for they then act as if they were in conjunction
take in hand then the ephemeris for the year of your birth and read this chapter with it in view
after understanding its construction extract the sidereal time at noon for the day of your birth and refer to the next chapter
pg 36                                               chapter ii                            to erect a figure of the heavens   take the sidereal time at noon on the day of birth and add to it the hours and minutes after noon at which you were born or if before noon subtract from it the interval between the birth and noon
this will give the approximate right ascension of the midheaven at birth
thus suppose a person to be born on may 1 1890 at 3h
30m
pm in london—                               the sidereal time noon may 1 1890 is 2h
36m
28s
to which add time pm       …… …         3 30 0                              acceleration at 10″ per hour    … …       0     0 34                              right ascension of midheaven at birth     6h
7m
2s
with this right ascension of the midheaven you then refer to tables of houses for london seechapter iii
 and against this quantity of sidereal time you will �nd under the column marked 10 the sign and degree which corresponds to it namely the 2nd of cancer
this is put at the head of the �gure and the rest of the signs are placed around the �gure in their order as shown in the table
only six of the houses are given in the tables         pg 37  because the opposite houses will have the same degrees of the opposite signs on them
thus we read against the right ascension 6h
7m
28s
the following—                                 10        11     12     ascen
2         3                              cancer     leo    virgo                libra     scorp
libra 133                                2        8     8                   26       26
this means that the 2nd degree of cancer was on the cusp of the tenth house the midheaven at the moment of the birth leo 8th on the cusp of the eleventh house virgo 8th on the cusp of the twelfth libra 133 on the ascendant or eastern horizon and so of the rest
on the cusp of the fourth house we place capricornus 2 because the fourth house is opposite the 10th and the sign capricornus is opposite to cancer
on the cusp of the fifth house we place aquarius 8 because the fifth house is opposite to the eleventh and aquarius is opposite to leo
when completed we find the cusps of the houses as follows opposite to those in the tables—                                4         5          6        7           8         9                             capric
aquar
pisces                aries     taur
aries 133                               2        8        8                   26       26
it is then only necessary to place the planets in the �gure as explained in thepreceding chapter and the �gure of the heavens is complete
to draw a figure of the heavens
take a pair of compasses and with a radius of about 2� inches describe a circle
within this and with a radius of about 2 inches describe another
with the radius of this latter mark off six equal divisions and then equally     pg 38  divide these so as to make twelve
within the �gure draw a small circle concentric with the others to represent the earth
from the points of division already obtained draw straight lines to the centre of the �gure until they touch the circle of the earth
you then have a �gure which represents the houses of the heavens being a twelvefold division of the prime vertical
the lines extending from the outer circles to the earth are the cusps of the houses see fig
section iv chap
5
the degrees of the zodiac which are upon the cusps of the houses as found in the tables opposite a given sidereal time are written over the several cusps in their order between the two outer circles
reference to the ephemeris for may 1 1890 shows the sun at noon in taurus 11 degrees 2 minutes
three and a half hours later it will have advanced about 8 minutes in longitude so that its position will be in taurus 11 degrees 10 minutes
this longitude falls in the eighth house and we therefore place the symbol of the sun in that division of the heavens and place against it the �gures 1110 so that as aries 26 is on the cusp of the eighth and taurus 26 on the cusp of the ninth house the sun’s position in taurus 1110 will fall between these cusps ie in the eighth house
the rest of the planets are placed in the figure according to their respective longitudes
pg 39                                              chapter iii                                       the tables of houses   the tables of the houses on pp
40 41 are calculated for the latitude of 51� 32′ north
this will serve for london and environs and approximately for the south of england and the midlands
tables of houses for other latitudes may be obtained through the booksellers a useful set of half a dozen different latitudes being sold for one shilling
in order to illustrate the uses to which these tables may be put in the solution of astronomical problems let us take the sun’s position in the horoscope for the 1st of may 1890 and �nd when the sun sets on that day on the horizon of london
the sun is in taurus 11 degrees and it will set when the opposite point of the heavens is rising
find under the column marked “ascen� the 11th degree of scorpio and against it in the column marked “sidereal time� you will �nd 9h
49m
9s
this will be the right ascension of the midheaven when the sun sets on london
we have already seen that the sidereal time at noon on the 1st of may was 2h
37m
28s and this taken from the former sidereal time gives about 712 pm as the time of sunset
now in the example horoscope the birth took place at 330 pm and this time taken from 712 pm gives 3h
42m
from birth to sunset
if you multiply this by 15 to turn it into degrees and minutes of the equator you will obtain 55� 30′ which are the number of degrees which pass over the midheaven from birth until sunset
at the rate of 1 degree for every year of life this corresponds to 55� years of age when the subject of this horoscope would come under the adverse influence of the sun opposition ascendant and would suffer some serious ill health of a feverish nature incident to the throat the part ruled by taurus the sign in which the sun is situate
this is how predictions are made but of this more anon
pg 40                    sidereal 10 11     12   ascen
2    3    sidereal 10 11   12   ascen
2    3                      time
♈ ♉        ♚      ♋      ♜    �      time
♉ ♚      ♋      ♜      �    �                    h m s �  �      �    �   ′    �    �    h m s �  �    �    �   ′    �    �                    0 0 0 0 9          22   26 36    12   3    1 51 37 0 9      17   16 28    4    28                    0 3 40 1 10        23   27 17    13   3    1 55 27 1 10     18   17 8     5    29                    0 7 20 2 11        24   27 56    14   4    1 59 17 2 11     19   17 48    6    ♞                    0 11 0 3 12        25   28 42    15   5    2 3 8 3 12       19   18 28    7    1                    0 14 41 4 13       25   29 17    15   6    2 6 59 4 13      20   19 9     8    2                    0 18 21 5 14       26   29 55    16   7    2 10 51 5 14     21   19 49    9    2                    0 22 2 6 15        27   0 ♜ 34   17   8    2 14 44 6 15     22   20 29    9    3                    0 25 42 7 16       28   1   14   18   8    2 18 37 7 16     22   21 10    10   4                    0 29 23 8 17       29   1   55   18   9    2 22 31 8 17     23   21 51    11   5                    0 33 4 9 18        ♋    2   33   19   10   2 26 25 9 18     24   22 32    11   6                    0 36 45 10 19      1    3   14   20   11   2 30 20 10 19    25   23 14    12   7                    0 40 26 11 20      1    3   54   20   12   2 34 16 11 20    25   23 55    13   8                    0 44 8 12 21       2    4   33   21   13   2 38 13 12 21    26   24 36    14   9                    0 47 50 13 22      3    5   12   22   14   2 42 10 13 22    27   25 17    15   10                    0 51 32 14 23      4    5   52   23   15   2 46 8 14 23     28   25 58    15   11                    0 55 14 15 24      5    6   30   23   15   2 50 7 15 24     29   26 40    16   12                    0 58 5 16 25       6    7   9    24   16   2 54 7 16 25     29   27 22    17   12                    1 2 40 17 26       6    7   50   25   17   2 58 7 17 26     ♜    28 4     18   13                    1 6 23 18 27       7    8   30   26   18   3 2 8 18 27      1    28 46    18   14                    1 10 7 19 28       8    9   9    26   19   3 6 9 19 27      2    29 28    19   15                    1 13 51 20 29      9    9   48   27   19   3 10 12 20 28    3    0 � 12   20   16                    1 17 35 21 ♚       10   10 28    28   20   3 14 15 21 29    3    0   54   21   17                    1 21 20 22 1       10   11 8     28   21   3 18 19 22 ♋     4    1   36   22   18                    1 25 6 23 2        11   11 48    29   22   3 22 23 23 1     5    2   20   22   19                    1 28 52 24 3       12   12 28    �    23   3 26 29 24 2     6    3   2    23   20                    1 32 38 25 4       13   13 8     1    24   3 30 35 25 3     7    3   45   24   21                    1 36 25 26 5       14   13 48    1    25   3 34 41 26 4     7    4   28   25   22                    1 40 12 27 6       14   14 28    2    25   3 38 49 27 5     8    5   11   26   23                    1 44 0 28 7        15   15 8     3    26   3 42 57 28 6     9    5   54   27   24                    1 47 48 29 8       16   15 48    4    27   3 47 6 29 7      10   6   28   27   25                    1 51 37 30 9       17   16 28    4    28   3 51 15 30 8     11   7   21   28   25                      sidereal 10 11    12    ascen
2    3    sidereal 10 11   12   ascen
2    3                      time
♚ ♋       ♜       �      �    ♞      time
♋ ♜      �      ♞      ♞    �                    h m s �  �     �     �   ′    �    �    h m s �  �    �    �   ′    �    �                    3 51 15 0 8       11    7   21   28   25   6 0 0 0 6        6    0   0    24   24                    3 55 25 1 19      12    8   5    29   26   6 4 22 1 7       7    0   47   25   25                    3 59 36 2 10      12    8   49   ♞    27   6 8 43 2 8       8    1   33   26   26                    4 3 48 3 10       13    9   33   1    28   6 13 5 3 9       9    2   19   27   27 4 8      0    4    11 14 10       17 2      29 6 17 26 4            10 10 3        5    27 28 4   12   13   5    12   15   11   2    2    �    6   21   48   5    11   10   3    51   28   29 4   16   26   6    13   16   11   46   3    1    6   26   9    6    12   11   4    37   29   � 4   20   40   7    14   17   12   30   4    2    6   30   30   7    13   12   5    23   �    1 4   24   55   8    15   17   13   15   5    3    6   34   51   8    14   13   6    9    1    2 4   29   10   9    16   18   14   0    6    4    6   39   11   9    15   14   6    55   2    3 4   33   26   10   17   19   14   45   7    5    6   43   31   10   16   15   7    40   2    4 4   37   42   11   18   20   15   30   8    6    6   47   51   11   16   16   8    26   3    4 4   41   59   12   19   21   16   15   8    7    6   52   11   12   17   16   9    12   4    5 4   46   16   13   20   21   17   0    9    8    6   56   31   13   18   17   9    58   5    6 4   50   34   14   21   22   17   45   10   9    7   0    50   14   19   18   10   43   6    7 4   54   52   15   22   23   18   30   11   10   7   5    8    15   20   19   11   28   7    8 4   59   10   16   23   24   19   16   12   11   7   9    26   16   21   20   12   14   8    9 5   3    29   17   24   25   20   3    13   12   7   13   44   17   22   21   12   59   8    10 5   7    49   18   25   26   20   49   14   13   7   18   1    18   23   22   13   45   9    11 5   12   9    19   25   27   21   35   14   14   7   22   18   19   24   23   14   30   10   12 5   16   29   20   26   28   22   20   15   14   7   26   34   20   25   24   15   15   11   13 5   20   49   21   27   28   23   6    16   15   7   30   50   21   26   25   16   0    12   14 5   25   9    22   28   29   23   51   17   16   7   35   5    22   27   25   16   45   13   15 5   29   30   23   29   �    24   37   18   17   7   39   20   23   28   26   17   30   13   16 5   33   51   24   ♜    1    25   23   19   18   7   43   34   24   29   27   18   15   14   17 5   38   12   25   1    2    26   9    20   19   7   47   47   25   �    28   18   59   15   18 5   42   34   26   2    3    26   55   21   20   7   52   0    26   1    29   19   43   16   19 5   46   55   27   3    4    27   41   21   21   7   56   12   27   2    29   20   27   17   20 5   51   17   28   4    4    28   27   22   22   8   0    24   28   3    ♞    21   11   18   20 5   55   38   29   5    5    29   13   23   23   8   4    35   29   4    1    21   56   18   21 6   0    0    30   6    6    30   0    24   24   8   8    45   30   5    2    22   40   19   22   sidereal 10 11          12   ascen
2    3    sidereal 10 11          12   ascen
2    3   time
♜ �             ♞      ♞       �    �      time
� ♞             ♞      �       �    ♑ h m s �  �           �    �   ′     �    �    h m s �  �           �    �   ′     �    � 8 8 45 0 5              2    23 40     19   22   10 8 23 0 2             26   13 33     13   20 8 12 54 1 5             3    23 24     20   23   10 12 12 1 3            26   14 13     14   21 8 17 3 2 6              3    24 7      21   24   10 16 0 2 4             27   14 53     15   22 8 21 11 3 7             4    24 50     22   25   10 19 48 3 5            28   15 38     15   23 8 25 19 4 8             5    25 34     23   26   10 23 35 4 5            29   16 13     16   24 8 29 26 5 9             6    26 18     23   27   10 27 22 5 6            29   16 52     17   25 8 33 31 6 10            7    27 1      24   28   10 31 8 6 7             �    17 32     18   26 8 37 37 7 11            8    27 44     25   29   10 34 54 7 8            1    18 13     19   27 8 41 41 8 12            8    28 26     26   ♑    10 38 40 8 9            2    18 52     20   28 8 45 45 9 13            9    29 8      27   1    10 42 25 9 10           2    19 31     20   29 8 49 48 10 14           10   29 50     27   2    10 46 9 10 11           3    20 11     21   ♒ 8 53 51 11 15           11   0 � 32    28   3    10 49 53 11 11          4    20 50     22   1 8 57 52 12 16           12   1   15    29   4    10 53 37 12 12          4    21 30     23   2 9 1 53 13 17            12   1   58    �    4    10 57 20 13 13          5    22 9      24   3 9 5 53 14 18            13   2   39    1    5    11 1 3 14 14            6    22 49     24   4 9 9 53 15 18            14   3   21    1    6    11 4 46 15 15           7    23 23     25   5 9 13 52 16 19           15   4   3     2    7    11 8 28 16 16           7    24 8      26   6 9 17 50 17 20           16   4   44    3    8    11 12 10 17 17          8    24 47     27   8 9 21 47 18 21           16   5   26    3    9    11 15 22 18 17          9    25 27     28   9 9 25 44 19 22           17   6   7     4    10   11 19 34 19 18          10   26 5      29   10 9 29 40 20 23           18   6   48    5    11   11 23 15 20 19          10   26 45     ♑    11 9 33 35 21 24           18   7   29    5    12   11 26 56 21 20          11   27 25     0    12 9 37 29 22 25           19   8   9     6    13   11 30 37 22 21          12   28 5      1    13 9 41 23 23 26           20   8   50    7    14   11 34 18 23 22          13   28 44     2    14 9 45 16 24 27           21   9   31    8    15   11 37 58 24 23          13   29 24     3    15 9 49 9 25 28            22   10 11     9    16   11 41 39 25 23          14   0 �3      4    16 9 53 1 26 28            23   10 51     9    17   11 45 19 26 24          15   0   43    5    17 9 56 52 27 29           23   11 32     10   18   11 49 0 27 25           15   1   23    6    18 10 0 43 28 ♞            24   12 12     11   19   11 52 40 28 26          16   2   3     6    19 10 4 33 29 1            25   12 53     12   20   11 56 20 29 27          17   2   43    7    20 10 8 23 30 2            26   13 33     13   20   12 0 0 30 27            17   3   23    8    20    sidereal 10 11 12 ascen
2                  3    sidereal 10 11 12 ascen
2 3                     pg 41  time
♞    ♞    �         �        ♑    ♒     time
�    �    �      �      ♒    ♓ h m s     �    �    �    �        ′    �    �    h m s     �    �    �    �   ′    �    � 12 0    0    0    27   17   3        23   8    21   13 51   37   0    22   10   25 20    10   27 12 3    40   1    28   18   4        4    9    23   13 55   27   1    23   11   26 10    11   28 12 7    20   2    29   19   4        45   10   24   13 59   17   2    24   11   27 2     12   ♈ 12 11   0    3    �    20   5        26   11   25   14 3    8    3    25   12   27 53    14   1 12 14   41   4    1    20   6        7    12   26   14 6    59   4    26   13   28 45    15   2 12 18   21   5    1    21   6        48   13   27   14 10   51   5    26   14   29 36    16   4 12 22   2    6    2    22   7        29   14   28   14 14   44   6    27   15   0 ♑ 29   18   5 12 25   42   7    3    23   8        10   15   29   14 18   37   7    28   15   1   23   19   6 12 29   23   8    4    23   8        51   16   ♓    14 22   31   8    29   16   2   18   20   8 12 33   4    9    5    24   9        33   17   2    14 26   25   9    �    17   3   14   22   9 12 36   45   10   6    25   10       15   18   3    14 30   20   10   1    18   4   11   23   10 12 40   26   11   6    25   10       57   19   4    14 34   16   11   2    19   5   9    25   11 12 44   8    12   7    26   11       40   20   5    14 38   13   12   2    20   6   7    26   13 12 47   50   13   8    27   12       22   21   6    14 42   10   13   3    20   7   6    28   14 12 51   32   14   9    28   13       4    22   7    14 46   8    14   4    21   8   6    29   15 12 55   14   15   10   28   13       47   23   9    14 50   7    15   5    22   9   8    ♓    17 12 58   5    16   11   29   14       30   24   10   14 54   7    16   6    23   10 11    2    18 13 2    40   17   11   �    15       14   25   11   14 58   7    17   7    24   11 15    4    19 13 6    23   18   12   1    15       59   26   12   15 2    8    18   8    25   12 20    6    21 13 10   7    19   13   1    16       44   27   13   15 6    9    19   9    26   13 27    8    22 13 13   51   20   14   2    17       29   28   15   15 10   12   20   9    27   14 35    9    23 13 17   35   21   15   3    18       14   29   16   15 14   15   21   10   27   15 43    11   24 13 21   20   22   16   4    19       0    ♒    17   15 18   19   22   11   28   16 52    13   26 13 25   6    23   16   4    19       45   1    18   15 22   23   23   12   29   18 3     14   27 13 28   52   24   17   5    20       31   2    20   15 26   29   24   13   ♑    19 16    16   28 13 32   38   25   18   6    21       18   4    21   15 30   35   25   14   1    20 32    17   29 13 36   25   26   19   7    22       6    5    22   15 34   41   26   15   2    21 48    19   ♉ 13 40   12   27   20   7    22       54   6    23   15 38   49   27   16   3    23 8     21   2 13 44   0    28   21   8    23       42   7    25   15 42   57   28   17   4    24 29    22   3 13 47   48   29   21   9    24       31   8    26   15 47   6    29   18   5    25 51    24   5 13 51   37   30   22   10   25       20   10   27   15 51   15   30   18   6    27 15    26   6   sidereal 10 11         12   ascen
2    3    sidereal 10 11         12   ascen
2    3   time
� �            ♑      ♑           ♓    ♉      time
♑ ♑            ♒      ♈      ♉    ♚ h m s �  �          �    �   ′         �    �    h m s �  �          �    �   ′    �    � 15 51 15 0 18          6    27 15         26   6    18 0 0 0 18            13   0   0    17   11 15 55 25 1 19          7    28 42         28   7    18 4 22 1 20           14   2   39   19   13 15 59 36 2 20          8    0 ♒ 11        ♈    9    18 8 43 2 21           16   5   19   20   14 16 3 48 3 21           9    1   42        1    10   18 13 5 3 22           17   7   55   22   15 16 8 0 4 22            10   3   16        3    11   18 17 26 4 23          19   10 29    23   16 16 12 13 5 23          11   4   53        5    12   18 21 48 5 24          20   13 2     25   17 16 16 26 6 24          12   6   22        7    14   18 26 9 6 25           22   15 36    26   18 16 20 40 7 25          13   8   13        9    15   18 30 30 7 26          23   18 6     28   19 16 24 55 8 26          14   9   57        11   16   18 34 51 8 27          25   20 34    29   20 16 29 10 9 27          16   11 44         12   17   18 39 11 9 29          27   22 59    ♚    21 16 33 26 10 28         17   13 34         14   18   18 43 31 10 ♒          28   25 22    1    22 16 37 42 11 29         18   15 26         16   20   18 47 51 11 1          ♓    27 42    2    23 16 41 59 12 ♑          19   17 20         18   21   18 52 11 12 2          2    29 58    4    24 16 46 16 13 1          20   19 18         20   22   18 56 31 13 3          3    2 ♉ 13   5    25 16 50 34 14 2          21   21 22         21   23   19 0 50 14 4           5    4   24   6    26 16 54 52 15 3          22   23 29         23   25   19 5 8 15 6            7    6   30   8    27 16 59 10 16 4          24   25 36         25   26   19 9 26 16 7           9    8   36   9    28 17 3 29 17 5           25   27 46         27   27   19 13 44 17 8          10   10 40    10   29 17 7 49 18 6           26   30 0          28   28   19 18 1 18 9           12   12 39    11   ♋ 17 12 9 19 7           27   2 ♓ 19        ♉    29   19 22 18 19 10         14   14 35    12   1 17 16 29 20 8          29   4   40        2    ♚    19 26 34 20 12         16   16 28    13   2 17 20 49 21 9          ♒    7   2         3    1    19 30 50 21 13         18   18 17    14   3 17 25 9 22 10          1    9   26        5    2    19 35 5 22 14          19   20 3     16   4 17 29 30 23 11         3    11 54         7    3    19 39 20 23 15         21   21 48    17   5 17 33 51 24 12         4    14 24         8    5    19 43 34 24 16         23   23 29    18   6 17 38 12 25 13         5    17 0          10   6    19 47 47 25 18         25   25 9     19   7 17 42 34 26 14         7    19 33         11   7    19 52 0 26 19          27   26 45    20   8 17 46 55 27 15         8    22 6          13   8    19 56 12 27 20         28   28 18    21   9                   17 51 17 28 16 10 24       40 14 9        20 0 24 28 21 ♈ 29        49 22 10                   17 55 38 29 17 11 27       23 16 10 20 4 35 29 23 2 1 ♚ 19 23 11                   18 0 0 30 18 13 30         0 17 11 20 8 45 30 24 4 2    45 24 12                     sidereal 10 11    12   ascen
2    3    sidereal 10 11   12   ascen
2    3                     time
♒ ♒       ♈      ♚      ♚    ♋      time
♓ ♈      ♉      ♋      ♋    ♜                   h m s �  �     �    �   ′    �    �    h m s �  �    �    �   ′    �    �                   20 8 45 0 24      4    2   45   24   12   22 8 23 0 3      20   4   38   20   8                   20 12 54 1 25     6    4   9    25   12   22 12 12 1 4     21   5   28   21   8                   20 17 3 2 27      7    5   32   26   13   22 16 0 2 6      23   6   17   22   9                   20 21 11 3 28     9    6   53   27   14   22 19 48 3 7     24   7   5    23   10                   20 25 19 4 29     11   8   12   28   15   22 23 35 4 8     25   7   53   23   11                   20 29 26 5 ♓      13   9   27   29   16   22 27 22 5 9     26   8   42   24   12                   20 33 31 6 2      14   10 43    ♋    17   22 31 8 6 10     28   9   29   25   13                   20 37 37 7 3      16   11 58    1    18   22 34 54 7 12    29   10 16    26   14                   20 41 41 8 4      18   13 9     2    19   22 38 40 8 13    ♚    11 2     26   14                   20 45 45 9 6      19   14 18    3    20   22 42 25 9 14    1    11 47    27   15                   20 49 48 10 7     21   15 25    3    21   22 46 9 10 15    2    12 31    28   16                   20 53 51 11 8     23   16 32    4    21   22 49 53 11 17   3    13 16    29   17                   20 57 52 12 9     24   17 39    5    22   22 53 37 12 18   4    14 1     29   18                   21 1 53 13 11     26   18 44    6    23   22 57 20 13 19   5    14 45    ♜    19                   21 5 53 14 12     28   19 48    7    24   23 1 3 14 20     6    15 28    1    19                   21 9 53 15 13     29   20 51    8    25   23 4 46 15 21    7    16 11    2    20                   21 13 52 16 15    ♉    21 53    9    26   23 8 28 16 23    8    16 54    2    21                   21 17 50 17 16    2    22 53    10   27   23 12 10 17 24   9    17 57    3    22                   21 21 47 18 17    4    23 52    10   28   23 15 22 18 25   10   18 20    4    23                   21 25 44 19 19    5    24 51    11   28   23 19 34 19 26   11   19 3     5    24                   21 29 40 20 20    7    25 48    12   29   23 23 15 20 27   12   19 45    5    24                   21 33 35 21 22    8    26 44    13   ♜    23 26 56 21 29   13   20 26    6    25                   21 37 29 22 23    10   27 40    14   1    23 30 37 22 ♉    14   21 8     7    26                   21 41 23 23 24    11   28 34    15   2    23 34 18 23 1    15   21 50    7    27                   21 45 16 24 25    13   29 29    15   3    23 37 58 24 2    16   22 31    8    28                   21 49 9 25 26     14   0 ♋ 22   16   4    23 41 39 25 3    17   23 12    9    28                   21 53 1 26 28     15   1   15   17   4    23 45 19 26 4    18   23 53    9    29                   21 56 52 27 29    16   2   7    18   5    23 49 0 27 5     19   24 33    10   �                   22 0 43 28 ♈      18   2   57   19   6    23 52 40 22 6    20   25 15    11   1                   22 4 33 29 2      19   3   48   19   7    23 56 20 29 8    21   25 56    12   2                   22 8 23 30 3      20   4   38   20   8    24 0 0 30 9      22   26 36    12   3   if i wished to know what particular part of the zodiac one is subject to in any particular year of life—that is to   pg 42  say what part of the zodiac is rising—i add 1 degree for every year to the midheaven at birth and thus obtain a new midheaven under which in the tables of houses i �nd the ascendant which rules the year
thus in the case of one born on the 1st of may at 330 pm the 30th year comes under the midheaven of leo 2 which is 30 degrees further advanced than cancer 2 and under leo 2 in the 10th house i �nd the ascendant to be in libra 247 which is the ascendant governing that year of life
the meaning and importance of these calculations will appear at a later stage of this exposition
when a degree is on the midheaven or the 10th house it is said to “culminate� and when on the horizon eastward it is said to “ascend� the midheaven is often called the “mc� medium coeli and the opposite point is called the “ic� imaum coeli
they are the points of the ecliptic which cut through the meridian of a place at any given time
section iii                         how to read the horoscope                                             chapter i                                  the planets in the houses   it is impossible to categorically state the effects which are due to the positions of the planets in the several houses because very much depends upon the signs they are in and the aspects they have from other planets
the means of judging the effects is very simple when once the natures of the planets and the dominion of the several houses have been thoroughly digested
thus it is �rst necessary to see in what house a planet is situated
then consider the nature of the planet in the following concrete manner       neptune means chaos confusion deception
uranus eccentricity originality estrangement
saturn privation hindrance denial
jupiter affluence fruitfulness increase
sun dignities honours
mars excess impulse quarrels
venus peace happiness agreement mercury commerce versatility adaptability
pg 52        moon changes publicity
now look to the things that are governed by the house in which any particular planet is situated at the moment of birth sect
i chap
iii
suppose saturn to be found in the 11th house
saturn is “privation� and the 11th house is the domain of “friends� hence a paucity of friends or such as there may be are evil or unfortunate to the subject
jupiter in the 2nd house in the same manner would signify “increase� of “money and possessions� mars in the 7th would indicate “quarrels� with “partners� and so on
each planet reflects its own nature upon the affairs governed by the house in which it is found at the moment of birth
it will not infrequently happen however that there are more than one planet in the same house
suppose two planets to occupy the same house
in such case one may be good jupiter and the other evil mars
it is then necessary to take �rst that which �rst comes to the horizon or midheaven that is to say the one which is in the earlier part of the house and next that which follows
thus saturn followed by jupiter in the 11th house would signify misfortune by means of advisers and friends followed at a later period in the life by some great good through the same source
the degrees which separate the planets will indicate the years which elapse between these changes of fortune
similarly if there be more than two planets in the same house in such cases you may safely predict many changes in that department of life which the house is said to rule
but the fact of a planet being in a house is not of itself sufficient evidence from which to make a judgment
the     pg 53  aspects which that planet has must also be considered for in this matter saturn when throwing a good aspect to any of the signi�cators—the sun moon ascendant or midheaven and well aspected by other planets is to be preferred to jupiter when the latter is badly placed and aspected for jupiter has his own ill effects and saturn has his good influences
jupiter is only a bene�c when acting by conjunction or good aspect with another planet and saturn is only a malefic when acting by conjunction or evil aspect
these things being duly considered it is possible to arrive with even brief experience at the results that are signified by the planets in the several houses
pg 54                                               chapter ii                                            the constitution   the sun is the chief signi�cator of the constitution and the aspects he holds to the other planets are to be considered
thus if he be found in good aspect or at least not in evil aspect to the other planets the constitution may be judged as sound
when however the sun is afflicted by some planets and assisted by others there will be only a moderate constitution and judgment has to be made as to which influence predominates the good or evil
when the afflicting planets are angular—that is to say in the 1st 4th 7th or 10th houses—the congenital or hereditary tendency to organic disease is by that circumstance so much the stronger
but when the assisting planets are angular the predisposition to disease is considerably mitigated and in most cases entirely overcome
the predisposition of the body to affections of a constitutional nature is to be judged from the prevalence of evil aspects to the sun and the parts of the body liable to be affected are judged from the signs which are occupied by the afflicting bodies
the various affections due to the several planets have already been cited sect
i chap
i
the signs are grouped for purposes of pathological study as follows— the movable signs—aries cancer libra and capricornus—have relation to the head stomach skin kidneys                 pg 55  liver and spine
the fixed signs—taurus leo scorpio and aquarius—are related to the throat heart blood and excretory system
the common signs—gemini virgo sagittarius and pisces—are related to the lungs bowels and nervous system
it will also be advisable to read sect
i chap
ii in order to determine the special points liable to affections the nature of the affection being judged solely by the planet which casts the malefic aspect to the sun
when the sun is found to be afflicted by several planets and at the same time there is no assistance from the good aspects or conjunctions of other bodies then the constitution is deemed faulty and liable to early disruption
but when there are several planets afflicting and at the same time some bene�c influences from others it is probable that there will be prolonged disease and physical weakness though life will continue
death in infancy occurs when the male�c planets are immediately rising or culminating at the birth in evil aspect to the luminary which at the time may be above the horizon
also when there are male�c planets immediately setting or passing the nadir in evil aspect to the luminary below the horizon
but when there are mitigating influences from the good aspects of the bene�c planets or the luminaries the male�c planets will not induce death but there will be great difficulty in rearing
pg 56                                            chapter iii                                       health and sickness   the aspects of the moon are the chief consideration in the matter of sickness
if the moon be found to be afflicted by the evil aspects of several planets and no assistance be given by the good aspects of others then the health will be precarious and frequent spells of illness will result
the moon being well aspected and not in any way afflicted shows that the health will be well established and that there will be immunity from sickness of all sorts
the considerations necessary to be made in this matter are similar to those which have been cited in regard to the sun and the constitution except that we substitute the moon for the sun
for whereas the sun governs the vital power in man the moon governs the functional powers and whereas the sun denotes those affections which are congenital or hereditary the moon denotes such as are brought about by causes after birth
similarly the sun denotes affections which are incidental to the body while the moon denotes such as are accidental thereto
these points being borne in mind they may be memorised at sight—                                                   pg 57                                                 sun
moon
organic
functional
hereditary
acquired
incidental
accidental
but it should be observed that the constitution may be strong and the health may be at the same time very bad or on the other hand the health may be good and the constitution may be weak
in the �rst case there would be a long life of considerable suffering from illhealth and in the second case there would be little or no ill health for some considerable time but the constitution would give way and the vital powers become depleted by the first serious illness that occurred
only when the sun and moon are both unafflicted by evil aspects or conjunctions the health and constitution are both good and there is every indication of a robust and vigorous life reaching to a ripe old age
when the sun and moon are both heavily afflicted and there is no assistance given by good aspects there is every probability of death in infancy or before reaching maturity
for reasons which are allied to the connection existing between the constitution and the health the good aspect of the moon to the sun at birth is an excellent augury for it indicates coordination between the organic and functional
where this coordination exists there is always considerable power of recuperation so that illness is easily overcome and the balance of power restored in the system
male�c planets rising and afflicting either the sun or moon indicate prolonged illhealth and most frequently         pg 58  some permanent hurt to the body
when predisposition to illness is shown in the horoscope the particular affection can be determined by the sign which the afflicting planets hold
thus if saturn afflict the moon from aries you will judge some hurts and obstructions in the head chills and colds influenza coryza c similarly mars in leo would indicate functional defects of the heart due to accelerated action and overstrain such as result from fevers
a good aspect of the planets jupiter and venus is of material help in counteracting the influence of male�c aspects or evil positions
thus it will be seen that the health may be judged entirely apart from the constitution the planets which are in aspect to the moon being of first consideration and next those which may be rising at the time of birth
pg 59                                              chapter iv                       how to read character and disposition   ptolemy says “mercury is the ruler of the rational soul the moon of the animal soul� by this he would mean no doubt that mercury has relation to the faculty of the mind while the moon is related to brain function
there are certain attributes of the mind which are distinctive of the human being and certain other qualities which are common to man and the lower animals
these latter are under the dominion of the moon while mercury has chief signification of the rational faculties
the position and aspects of the moon and mercury are therefore to be considered in making judgment of the mental endowments and disposition of the subject
planets that are in conjunction or aspect to either the moon or mercury will impress their nature strongly on the character and disposition
the natures of the planets have already been recited sect
i chap
i
 and it is therefore only necessary to consider further in this connection the nature of the aspect that is thrown to the mental signi�cators by the other bodies
thus the sun being in trine to the moon will give a proper degree of              pg 60  independence and dignity while the square aspect or opposition of the sun would indicate an excess of pride harmful to the subject in his ordinary relationships
in the same manner the good aspect of jupiter would show benevolence and regulated philanthropy while the opposition or other evil aspect of the same body would indicate extravagance and ostentatious display of charity
the good and bad aspects of the planets may be summed up in a few lines as follows—               in good aspect
in evil aspect
neptune—genius inspiration
insanity obsession
uranus—originality invention
obstinacy eccentricity
saturn—steadfastness fidelity
deceitfulness suspicion
jupiter—benevolence joviality
ostentation profligacy
mars—energy executiveness
impulse destructiveness
sun—dignity independence
vanity egotism
venus—affability art
selfindulgence disorderliness
mercury—alertness ingenuity
inquisitiveness meddling
moon—grace idealism
inconstancy awkwardness
the general trend of the disposition and habit of mind is judged by the position of the majority of the planets according to the “constitution� of the signs they occupy
thus the majority of the planets being in— cardinal or movable signs indicates executive ability business aptitude pioneer spirit ambition capability to cut out a line in life for oneself and to make headway against difficulties
such persons are usually the foremost in their particular sphere of life and are always found in the most progressive movements reforms c fixed signs—stability patience endurance method caution and diplomacy
such persons are apt to become                 pg 61  the originators of schools of thought policies and schemes
they have �xity of purpose determination independence and pivotal stability
they sit still and the world revolves around them
flexed or common signs—versatility flexibility suavity adaptability and lack of originality
such people usually have too many irons in the �re and take in hand more than they can bring to satisfactory conclusion
this is due to their versatility
they have a super�cial knowledge of many things but lack the persistence to bring that knowledge to practical effect
at the same time their adaptability is the occasion of many successes in life and their agreeableness sympathy and suavity create many friends for them
in the wheel of life the cardinal signs denote the rim or tyre which is ever on the move having the greatest acceleration
the common signs represent the spokes of the wheel uniting the tyre to the nave and in that sense representing the power of adaptability
the fixed signs represent the nave which remains quiescent and still being useful by that pivotal stability and apparent nonentity
thus while the signgroupings of the planets are useful in giving the keynote of the nature and disposition the particular faculties and characteristics are to be judged only from the aspects of the planets to the moon and mercury
further it will be noted that those planets which occupy the 3rd and 9th houses and those also which are just rising at the moment of birth will strongly impress themselves on the nature apart from any aspects they may hold to the mental rulers
this is on account of the natural relationship of those houses to the mind and its means of expression
due attention must be paid to the position and aspects of those planets which are in aspect to the mental                  pg 62  rulers for if they be badly placed in uncongenial signs and themselves badly aspected by other planets they will not act with the same directness and force as they otherwise would do
it is of course admitted in all astrological inquiries that the effects of heredity training and association count for something
a man who is generated from a vitiated parentage badly nourished and imperfectly trained cannot be expected even with the best aspects to manifest the highest faculties in their fullest or most perfect expressions
i have not the slightest doubt that many a clodpole was born under similar aspects to those which obtained at the birth of shakespeare raphael newton or c�sar
i am not dismayed
non gli astri muovono solamente per roma
who shall tell the tale of the world’s starved neglected and submerged genius
we are doing the right thing at all events in keeping the schooldoor wide open
but to continue
the inspirational and ardent temperament is indicated by the majority of planets being in fiery signs
the mental or intellectual temperament is shown by the majority in aerial signs
the psychic or emotional temperament by the majority in watery signs and the practical or sordid temperament by the majority being in earthy signs
the rising sign at birth often impresses itself strongly on the mind of the subject and its characteristics are those which belong to the planet which governs it and the “elemental� nature of the sign itself
thus you have the chief keys to the estimate of character in the individual and when once the student is           pg 63  convinced by experience of the paramount reliability of this method of characterdelineation its uses will need no special pointing
mental and brain disorders
when either the moon or mercury is afflicted by the male�c planets that is to say when neptune uranus saturn or mars are in conjunction or evil aspect with the mental signi�cators and there be no relieving aspect from the bene�c planets jupiter venus or the sun then there is every predisposition to affections of the brain and nervous system
this is the more to be feared when the moon or mercury is afflicted in the flexed or common signs
this observation has been scienti�cally established by mr a g trent in his little work entitled “the soul and the stars� to which the student is referred for a mass of statistical evidence
pg 64                                              chapter v                                        financial prospects   look to the planets which are in the 2nd house and the aspects to them
if any planet be therein and well aspected by others the �nancial condition will be competent
if a bene�c jupiter or venus be therein and free from evil aspects the same effect will accrue
but if the bene�c in the 2nd should have good aspects from other planets then there will be considerable wealth
any planet in the 2nd house badly aspected will produce difficulty in acquiring money and if it be a male�c planet which occupies the 2nd house under these conditions there will be times of stress and even poverty
continual hardship and poverty is shown by male�c planets in the 2nd house in evil aspect to the moon or sun while at the same time the planets in the 2nd house will be severely afflicted by others
saturn in the midheaven afflicting the sun or moon is an indication of reversal of fortune and such persons usually attain considerable position in the world and are then depleted of everything
jupiter or venus in the 10th house and near the meridian are signs of good fortune and success in life and           pg 65  the same results are due to their rising at birth
in a general manner the aspects to the moon in a male horoscope or the sun in a female horoscope should be consulted and the planets in good aspect thereto will show the means of good fortune while those in evil aspect will indicate the sources of loss and hurt according to the houses the afflicting or assisting planets occupy
thus jupiter in good aspect to the moon from the 11th house shows gain by friends advisers and co operative measures because the 11th house rules these relationships and jupiter is the index of increase
similarly uranus in the 7th house would show gain by the marriage partner if in good aspect to the moon or loss thereby if in evil aspect
mars in the 2nd house shows good earning capacity because mars is an ambitious and industrious planet ie it produces such effects in the person and the 2nd house is the domain of �nance
but at the same time it shows extravagance and inability to save money for mars is impulsive and lacking thrift
the 6th house well occupied shows faithful and advantageous servants and employ�s such as will augment the fortunes and do good work for the subject
neptune in the 2nd shows complications and an involved state of �nance and frequently it shows loss by fraud and imposition though in good aspect to other planets it shows gain by such nefarious means
uranus indicates many ups and downs of fortune sudden and unexpected rises and falls
thus each planet is judged according to its nature and the aspect it throws to the moon or sun while the               pg 66  planets in the 2nd house are judged by their own natures and the aspects which they receive
inheritance is shown by a bene�c planet in the 5th or 11th house in good aspect to saturn but indirect inheritance can be the result of saturn in good aspect to jupiter from any part of the figure
legacies are shown by good planets or planets well aspected in the 8th house or by jupiter in good aspect to uranus from any part of the heavens
gain by marriage is shown by bene�c planets in the 8th house because the 8th is 2nd from the 7th and the 7th house rules over the partner
the potential of each horoscope is capable of being increased by due attention to the sources of gain as shown by the position and aspects of the planets in various parts of the heavens but chiefly by associating oneself with persons whose horoscopes are in harmony with one’s own
thus it happens that individuals are lifted to position and affluence through their association with persons whose horoscopes are in sympathy with theirs
see chap
xi
of this section
the sun and moon being in good aspect to one another will prevent disaster or will always provide a means of restoration of fortunes because it is an index of general good fortune and continual support
such persons as have this aspect in their horoscopes need never fear misfortune for if they should fall into disasters in one place they will always turn up in another with a complete adjustment of their position
but when the sun and moon are in evil aspect and particularly when the male�c planets are in elevation in the heavens continual misfortune dogs the footsteps and though there be spells of good fortune they are brief and attended with             pg 67  troubles
the bene�c planets jupiter venus and sun being well elevated in the heavens that is to say in the 10th or 11th houses it is a sign of preponderating good fortune
but when the male�cs are in elevation the reverse results happen
the line of least resistance
it is a law in nature that the line of least resistance is that of greatest progress
the lightning flash does not come straight to earth but zigzag by the line of least resistance
the great rivers do not come by a direct course to the ocean but by many turns and backward reaches because they follow the path of least resistance
when one comes to take account of the years of human life that are spent in the vain endeavour to achieve the impossible the lessons of nature are worth reciting
but what is impossible to one man is facile to another and the greatest economy of effort is therefore to be secured by proper regard to suitability of occupation and direction of effort
the principles of astrology enable us to determine the line of action which at all times will be the most fruitful of results and in the matter of moneymaking the matter is decided in the following manner that planet which has a trine or sextile aspect of the moon and is at the same time elevated above the male�c planets especially if it be itself assisted by the good aspects of other planets receives �rst consideration
the house it is in will indicate the source of bene�t but the sign it is in will show the means through which it will come
thus if uranus      pg 68  should be in the midheaven in trine aspect to the moon and itself receiving a good aspect from either the sun jupiter or venus it will indicate gain through governmental bodies authorities and persons of high rank
if uranus should be in the sign cancer it would point to matters associated with the ocean marine affairs or those in which water is the element in chief employ as in marine engineering shipping dock building c but if uranus had been in the 11th house and in the sign scorpio then the source of gain would be by means of companies syndicates and associations of a collective nature and the sign scorpio would show it to be connected with naval defence because scorpio is a martial and watery sign or the utilisation of waste materials inflammable oils c or by systems of drainage which represent the excretory system of a town
by looking chiefly to the nature of the planet concerned and that of the sign it occupies a good artist will readily describe the particular line which is to be pursued
but here as in every other matter upon which judgment is made attention must be paid to the character and disposition of the subject his aptitudes and quali�cations for it is obviously of little use recommending literature or the law to one whose sole capabilities lie in unintellectual directions
natural aptitude supplemented by the necessary training are the first considerations for without these success in any direction is but ill assured
pg 69                                            chapter vi                                         the position in life   this is to be judged from the position of the majority of the planets but principally from the midheaven the planets therein and its aspects
thus if you �nd the majority of the planets rising that is to say in the 10th 11th 12th 1st 2nd and 3rd houses the subject will be a candidate for responsibility ambitious of honours and position and generally independent
if these or the majority of them be well aspected he will become a man of position employing others or if a woman will hold an important position in her sphere of life and be esteemed in the social world
if the degree on the midheaven receives good aspects from the major planets the position will be honourable and secure
venus or jupiter or the sun well aspected in the midheaven denotes a superior position honours and distinction
the same will result if these be rising
when the majority of the planets are above the horizon even though they be not rising the subject will have responsibilities thrust upon him even though he should not desire them
if the majority of these planets be well      pg 70  aspected he will acquit himself creditably and attain to honours
it is always fortunate for the position that there should be planets exactly on the cusps of either the 2nd 3rd 6th 8th or 12th houses for then there will be every opportunity of securing fame and advancement in life
but when any of the male�c planets are found exactly on or nearest to the meridian whether above or below the horizon there will be loss of position reversal a sinister fame or disgrace
the 10th house represents the fame and honour of a person and the 4th house represents the end of life and that which militates against the fame and honour
therefore when there are good planets in these places the subject will meet with rewards and honours commensurate with his efforts but when evil planets occupy the meridian he will at best sustain his position in life with great difficulty
it is futile for any one to suppose that the position of a bene�c planet in the meridian of the horoscope will bring him to fame and elevate him in the world irrespective of his own endeavours
the planets operate on human affairs in terms of human thought and action and that by �xed laws never adventitiously
that “the gods help those who help themselves� to the extent that natural laws permit is a truth which astrology fully provides for
fitness and fortune are as cause and effect to one another in respect of planetary action in human life
many planets in cardinal signs will dispose a man to seek fame and when the midheaven of the horoscope is well aspected or there be fortunate planets therein he will attain it
cardinal signs on the angles of the            pg 71  horoscope the meridian and horizon produce fame outlasting death
the same if either of the luminaries be exactly on the equinoxes
venus in the midheaven gives social elevation and lifts a person above the sphere of birth
good planets in the 11th show patronage
but when the luminaries are heavily afflicted there will be an inconstant fortune and many reverses so that position gained will be lost again
most of the planets under the horizon shows success and position in the latter part of life while if they be between the 4th and 7th cusps there will be advantages after marriage or by means of partnerships
in judging of the means by which the position will be sustained respect must be had to the positions of those planets which are in good aspect to the midheaven or to bene�c planets in the midheaven and if none be so situated then those which hold bene�c aspect to either the sun or moon at birth must be taken and judgment made according to the nature of the planet and the sign it occupies
preference should always be given to that planet which has the strongest aspect for good
thus if two planets were in trine that which is in elevation should be preferred especially if it be strengthened by the good aspects of other planets
pg 72                                            chapter vii                                   the choice of occupation   the enormous waste of force and time entailed by the experimental trip upon which most young men embark at the outset of their career in life might be greatly reduced by a proper knowledge of individual aptitude in relation to circumstances
the average boy cannot readily make up his mind as to what occupation he will follow because he does not know either enough of his own powers or of the world in which he is called upon to use them
parents are in the same difficulty
they must needs wait to see how a boy will shape out
they study his inclinations to the best of their ability but without coming to a de�nite conclusion any sooner than the boy himself
given a fair education such as may �t him for almost anything but which specialises him for nothing in particular he is put to some desk or bench and there left to his own resources
by a fortunate chance he may �nd himself suited to his post
more frequently he is several years in �nding out that he has missed his vocation that his inclinations and his work are not in accord that he has misapplied his energies for some time and that he has made a false start
fortunately circumstanced at birth he may have been equipped by higher education             pg 73  for some distinctive profession to which he gains access after the payment of large fees or premiums
the man has a strong dramatic faculty and the stage claims him after all
here is both waste of time and money
astrology as a reliable key to character and inclination deserves some recognition on the grounds of social economy
the inclinations of the subject are judged from the position of the majority of the planets for if they should be found in the aerial signs gemini libra or aquarius the inclination will be towards mental occupations especially science and literature
in �ery signs there is a predisposition to a more robust and active life such as is afforded by military service travelling prospecting exploring c in earthy signs the aptitude lies in the direction of agriculture experimental science surveying dealing in real estate broking c in watery signs there is special inclination to pursuits connected with the water such as sailors watermen and others but frequently to other occupation in which fluids are predominant such as publicans wine and spirit merchants chemists and oil merchants
each sign has its special tendency and the exact occupation can often be decided thereby when regard is had to the planet in closest aspect to the sun or moon and the sign it occupies
thus aries denotes soldiers and pioneers of movements taurus shows dealers in real estate house agents and brokers gemini literary men and writers of all sorts cancer sailors and publicans leo actors and artists virgo clothes dealers and sellers of confectionery and bread libra valuers assayers moneychangers and pawnbrokers scorpio naval sailors          pg 74  chemists dealers in oils and spirits sagittarius explorers divines lawyers capricornus political agents and ministers of the state aquarius electricians company promoters syndics and scienti�c researchers pisces dealers in �sh and sea produce warders and those connected with places of con�nement such as prisons and hospitals
taking therefore the dominant planet and the signs that hold the majority of the planets the line along which the subject will make the most progress in the world and acquit himself most successfully may be readily determined
no person will make a good soldier who has not mars as a dominant planet nor will he succeed with the public if the moon be not elevated and well aspected nor become a successful artist musician or poet if venus be not conspicuous in the horoscope
generally the inclination is derived from a consideration of the dominant planet and the degree of success attendant upon the occupation is judged from the aspect which that planet throws to the sun or moon and there can be no great advantage from following an inclination which does not promise some measure of success as is the case when the dominant planet is in evil aspect to the luminaries
thus it happens that some men follow unpro�table callings their judgment being dominated by an inclination adverse to their natural welfare
yet never was good work done in the world without a strong inclination and considerable enthusiasm and heaven makes its own slaves its martyrs and its scapegoats
and always the following of an inclination means the            pg 75  sacri�ce of some of the bene�ts of life
“take what thou wilt but pay the price� is the divine mandate according to emerson
but unquestionably the science which enables a man to choose the line of least resistance which prevents a youth of intellectual tendencies from wasting the best years of his life in drudgery at the desk or bench is worth a little study
“hitch your waggon to a star� is good advice if only we hitch it to the right one
pg 76                                            chapter viii                                    marriage circumstances   the question as to how when and where marriage will take place is an allabsorbing one to the majority of men and women and no less important than interesting
astrology has made it possible to answer these questions categorically and with particular precision and verity
the conditions of connubial life are judged in a male horoscope from the condition of the moon and venus and in a female horoscope from that of the sun and mars
the planet to which the luminary �rst forms an aspect after birth that which it “applies� to denotes the marriage partner
if the aspect be good there will be agreement and the choice of a partner will be fortunate
but if the aspect be evil there will be trouble after marriage
the nature of the planet to which the luminary forms its aspect after birth ought also to be considered for if it be that the luminary applies by a good aspect to a bene�c planet or to one that is wellplaced and aspected then there will be considerable happiness and fortune in marriage
on the other hand if both the aspect and the planet be evil—as if the moon were applying to the opposition of saturn or uranus or mars—               pg 77  then the fate in marriage will be extremely unhappy and disagreements will be frequent and even permanent
when the aspect and the nature of the planet are at variance as when the moon has a good aspect to saturn or a bad aspect to jupiter there will be a mingled fortune of good and ill in marriage
there is no better sign of happiness and harmony in marriage than a good aspect between the sun and moon
moreover it may happen that the moon applies by good aspect to a planet after birth and that there is at the same time a male�c body in the 7th house
this indicates that there will be agreement in the connubial life but that bereavement will soon follow
when the moon applies to neptune there will be some peculiarity or touch of genius in the partner according as neptune may be aspected
uranus shows eccentricity and sometimes wilfulness
saturn shows steadiness industry or jealousy and coldness
jupiter indicates a good nature bountiful and honest but may be given to excess and extravagance
mars induces industry and practicality but it gives a strong temper and considerable independence
the sun shows dignity and loyalty but may indicate ostentation and foolish pride
venus denotes peacefulness and a genial re�ned nature but its perversion brings indifference neglect and disorderliness
mercury denotes an active and energetic nature but may produce a busybody and meddler
everything depends on the aspect which the signi�cant luminary throws to the planet it applies to for if the aspect be good it will indicate the better qualities of that planet but if evil then there is frequently the unfortunate consequence of choosing a partner in whom the perverted qualities of the planet are predominant
pg 78  good planets in the 7th house indicate a good partner but when at the same time the aspect of the luminary is evil it will denote a good marriage followed by bereavement
marriage to a widow or widower occurs when mars and saturn are the planets concerned in the indications as if mars be in the 7th house and in aspect to saturn or if the moon apply to mars when aspected by saturn or when one of them is in the 5th house and the other in the 7th
love affairs before marriage are indicated by the 5th house the planets therein and their aspects and in a general sense by venus in a male horoscope and mars in a female horoscope
thus if venus or mars be afflicted by saturn or uranus there will be disappointment in the early affections
uranus in aspect to venus gives romantic attachments and much influence over the other sex
neptune in aspect shows idealism and when afflicting venus it produces chaos and entanglement danger of seduction
mars afflicting venus gives ardour and impulse
more than one marriage is indicated when the luminary is in aspect to more than one planet in a doublebodied signeg gemini sagittarius or pisces
or if the luminary itself be in a double sign and in aspect to any planet other than one which may be in the 7th house
also a double sign being on the cusp of the 7th house and the luminary in a fruitful sign cancer scorpio or pisces or in aspect to planets in those signs
all these are signs of more than     pg 79  one marriage during life
signs of separation or divorce are as follows the luminary applying to the ill aspect of a male�c planet venus afflicted and uranus in the 7th house or afflicting the moon or venus
in female horoscopes change the significators taking the sun and mars instead of the moon and venus and judge the same
where more than one marriage is shown the ruler of the 7th house denotes the �rst partner and the planet ruling the sign it occupies is called its “dispositor� or “displacer� this dispositor represents the second partner
the planet to which the signi�cant luminary applies is that which is taken to describe the partner according to the sign it is in
but if this planet be retrograde ie going backwards in the zodiac by apparent motion then it only represents an attachment which will be broken off
its dispositor then becomes the signi�cator of the partner
but the ruler of the 7th house is taken for the condition and fortunes of the partner and if it be afflicted or badly placed and weak in the horoscope then the marriage will be illassorted unfortunate and full of dissatisfaction
the contrary is the case when the significant planet is well placed and aspected
the place or circumstances under which the partner will be met may be known from the sign and house occupied by the planet to which the luminary �rst applies after birth
thus if it be in the 11th house the partner will be met among friends at the house of a friend or introduced by a friend
if in the 3rd house then on a short    pg 80  journey or in correspondence in the 5th at a place of amusement in the 10th in the course of business and so on judgment being made according to the places and circumstances ruled by the house occupied by the planet
pg 81                                            chapter ix                                     indications of progeny   the 5th house the planets therein and the position and aspects of the moon have to be considered in this matter
if the 5th house be occupied by bene�c planets or planets well aspected by others then the progeny will be a source of satisfaction and credit to the subject and will be reared to maturity
but the contrary is the case when the 5th house is occupied by malefic planets and such as may be heavily afflicted
the moon represents the tendency in the male and the capacity in the female and when well aspected or free from evil aspects and well placed then there will be good fortune in connection with the progeny
when uranus afflicts a planet in the 5th house there will be some premature births and generally it will be observed that when planets are opposed from the 11th and 5th houses or male�c planets occupy those houses there is trouble through the progeny and usually the loss of one or more during infancy is to be feared
as to the number of children no empirical rules exist for the judgment of this matter which necessarily is a         pg 82  difficult one owing to the fact that we have no means of comparing the horoscopes of man and wife but the nature of the sign on the cusp of the 5th house is usually to be depended upon for an approximation
thus aries leo and capricornus give small families
taurus cancer virgo scorpio and pisces give large families and the other signs yield a moderate family
when the moon is strong angular and not afflicted the number is increased
twins are born from doublebodied signs occupying the cusp of the 5th house or planets in the 5th in a doublebodied sign
the condition of each child is known in a general manner from the alternate houses commencing with the 5th
thus the �rst child is in a male horoscope ruled by the 5th house and planets therein the second child by the 7th house the third by the 9th house and so on
in a female horoscope the �rst child is ruled by the 4th house the second by the 6th house and so on
thus if it be found that there is probability of loss of some of the progeny the children most liable to affliction may be known by this method for the houses which contain the male�c planets or the afflicted planets correspond to the afflicted progeny
illustrious children are born to the subject when the ruler of the 5th house is in elevation and well aspected and in a congenial sign
but if the ruler of the 5th house be badly placed and aspected and in a sign of debility ie opposite to one over which it rules then the progeny are illequipped for the battle of life either mentally or morally
the particular qualities and fortunes of the progeny can only be known from their individual horoscopes
pg 83  when male�c planets hold the 12th house in a female horoscope there will be danger in con�nement and the same happens if either of the luminaries but particularly the moon be afflicted in the 5th house
pg 84                                             chapter x                                      voyages and journeys   the indications of short journeys inland and around the coast are to be judged from the 3rd house and the planets therein
if a movable sign be on the cusp of the 3rd house or planets in a movable sign occupy the 3rd house then there will be much travelling and many short journeys to and fro
the aspects to these planets in the 3rd will indicate whether such journeys will be mainly successful or not
when there are no aspects to the planet or planets in the 3rd house the fortune of short journeys is to be judged from the nature of the planet in the 3rd as if jupiter they will be fortunate and lucrative but if saturn unfortunate and subject to many hindrances and delays
when male�c planets are afflicted in the 3rd house or male�c planets in the 3rd throw evil aspects to the sun or moon then there will be dangers and accidents
watery signs on the cusp of the 3rd house or planets in watery signs in the 3rd indicate cruising and yachting short journeys by water around the coast
if the moon be in good aspect to these planets then there will be safety in passage but if afflicted by the planets in the 3rd there will be danger of collision capsizing c         pg 85  according to the nature of the planet in the 3rd house
long voyages are to be judged in exactly similar manner from the 9th house the planets therein and their aspects
the 4th house indicates the place of birth and if this house hold a bene�c planet or either the sun or moon well aspected then there is fortune in the place of birth and journeys should only be undertaken when they are without doubt fortunate in their issues and admit of a return to the native place
when however the 4th house is occupied by evil planets or planets heavily afflicted it will be advisable to remove from the place of birth and seek fortune in more propitious localities
in this matter the choice is made by reference to that planet which holds the greatest power for good in the horoscope of birth and the quarter of the heavens which it occupies will indicate the direction as from the place of birth to which the subject should repair
thus if between the east horizon and the meridian southeast between the meridian and the west horizon southwest and so of the rest
the points of the compass follow the cardinal points of the heavens the midheaven being south the nadir north the ascendant east and the descendant west
if a male�c planet is rising or setting at birth it is advisable to �x the place of residence so much to the eastward of the birthplace as will suffice to bring the male�c planets out of the angles of the horoscope
the same if male�c planets occupy the 10th or 4th houses
on the contrary if bene�c planets are in the 3rd and 9th houses the subject should            pg 86  move westward so as to bring the benefic influences into the 10th and 4th houses
when bene�c planets or planets well aspected occupy the angles of the �gure at birth the subject should not travel far nor reside long away from the place of birth
indications of many voyages are as follows many planets in watery signs cancer scorpio and pisces and also in the sign virgo
when the majority of the planets are in cardinal and flexed signs aries gemini cancer virgo libra sagittarius capricornus and pisces there will be many changes and journeys
also if the sun moon mars and mercury are in either the 3rd 9th 12th or 6th houses there will be many journeys and long explorations in foreign countries
when planets are afflicted in watery signs there will be danger in voyages and if the moon or sun be afflicted in virgo there will be submersion due to wreck
also when there are planets especially male�cs in scorpio leo taurus and aquarius afflicted by the aspects of other planets or themselves afflicting the sun or moon then there is danger of drowning
when the signs of voyaging are propitious and especially when the indications in the 4th house are not so then removal from the place of birth to some other permanent centre of activity will be advisable
but when good planets or planets well aspected are either rising or in the 4th house the subject should remain in his native place and in the end his patience will be justified
pg 87                                            chapter xi                                     of friends and enemies   the general harmony of the horoscope consists in the positions and aspects of the planets and their relations with the luminaries
when this is conspicuous there will be many friends and supporters and the associations of the subject will be pleasant and pro�table
but when the horoscope is fraught with evil aspects and angular positions of the malefics there will be much strife and many enmities
in a particular sense the friends and associations of the subject are to be known from the 11th house and the planets therein
for if there be a bene�c planet in the 11th especially if in good aspect to either of the luminaries there will be many friends and adherents
similarly the enemies of the subject are known from the 7th house and secret enemies from the 12th
male�c planets therein especially in evil aspect to the sun or moon shows many opponents
neptune in any male�c aspect to the sun or moon shows danger of deceit and treachery being practisedupon              pg 88  the subject and if violent testimonies concur from the ill aspects of mars or uranus he will be in danger of an ambush
saturn in the 7th or 12th shows long feuds and implacable enmities
uranus therein shows litigation and heckling of creditors
mars therein is an index of violence and passionate hatred
mercury therein shows much scandal and many petty annoyances
now observe the places of the male�c planets and the houses wherein they are situated
take the date when the sun is in the same longitude as any of these male�c planets which will be the same in any year and this will be the birthday of persons who are to be avoided as likely to bring mischief into the life
supposing for instance that saturn is found at birth in the 10th house in the 13th degree of the sign aquarius
reference to the ephemeris sect
ii chap
i
will show that the sun is in aquarius 13 on the 1st and 2nd february
hence it would be unfortunate for the subject to serve any man who was born between the 28th january and the 3rd february in any year
also if uranus were in leo 23 in the 7th house he should not go into partnership or marriage with anybody born on or near the 15th august in any year
take now the places of the bene�c planets and also the place of the moon and �nd the corresponding solar dates for these will be the birth dates of such persons as should be cultivated and drawn into close association for mutual benefit
observe also the trines and sextiles of the bene�c planets and of the moon and the squares and opposi                                                                                                     tions of          pg 89  the malefics for these will operate in a minor degree in a similar manner as already indicated
a comparison of the horoscopes of persons whether kings or plebeians with those of others who have wrought great good or evil in their lives will immediately establish this observation
indeed there is nothing more dependable in the whole range of scienti�c observation than this sympathy and antipathy of horoscopes and their corresponding results
it is an argument for the claim of its advocates that astrology should be regarded in the light of a science for if the planets act not at all upon the dispositions and tendencies of men their squares and oppositions in two separate horoscopes would have no signi�cation
let those who are unhappily mated compare their horoscopes and they will �nd the signs of discord to which reference has been made above
on the other hand let any man who has been lifted to wealth fame or position by the patronage of another compare his horoscope with that of his benefactor and it will be found that the bene�c planets in the latter hold the places of the sun moon midheaven or ascendant in his own
this frequently accounts for the fact that men with comparatively unfortunate horoscopes are sometimes found in positions of influence and in the enjoyment of considerable fortune
the complex fabric of life has its warp and woof wherein many coloured threads are woven together for the completing of the grand design and the great loom of life has its wheels within wheels which only the great arti�cer can understand and regulate
we here below subjects all of interplanetary action must content ourselves with the design as revealed to us in the history of mankind or we      pg 90  must seek to understand the purpose of life its motif the complex laws which operate to bring about the unfoldment of the great plan and thence to prognosticate that which hereafter shall be revealed to the commonplace observer
pg 91                                             chapter xii                                              the end of life   the end of life is judged from the planets occupying the 8th and 4th houses for the 8th denotes death and the 4th denotes the �nal restingplace of man
when bene�c planets or the luminaries well aspected occupy these houses you may judge that the end will be peaceful normal and that death will take place in the midst of congenial and even exceptionally agreeable surroundings
when however the male�c planets hold these houses or afflict the luminaries therein you may judge greater stress and privation
uranus in the 8th house denotes a sudden death and the same result is observed when the luminaries therein are afflicted by uranus
neptune in the 8th denotes danger of trance coma and simulated death and when this position is observed it is necessary that all the signs of morti�cation should be present before interment is effected
saturn produces death by privation and obstructions by chills and colds
mars induces death by fevers and inflammatory action and frequently by h�morrhage
planets in fixed signs in the 8th house show death from heart or throat affections affections of the excretory            pg 92                                                                                                                              pg 94                                            section iv                           the stars in their courses                                              chapter i                                           the timemeasure   the planets in their motions after birth come into certain relations with the planets in the horoscope of birth and also form aspects among themselves owing to the diversities of their motions in the zodiac
in astrological science there are two separate means of calculating the time of events but both methods consist of bringing the body of one planet to the body or aspect of another which process is called “directing� and the arc described by the moving body is called an “arc of direction� the �rst of these methods is the discovery of claudius ptolemy the famous mathematician and geographer the author of the syntaxis as set forth in his work the tetrabiblos or four books on the influence of the stars
this method had the support and con�rmation of the great kepler
it has respect to the rising setting and             pg 95  meridian passage of the planets after birth whereby they are brought to the places or aspects of the planets in the radix the root which is the horoscope of birth
the limits and nature of this work do not permit of a thorough exposition of this method which entails some little knowledge of spherical trigonometry but the reader who desires to perfect himself therein is referred to the author’s work entitled “prognostic astronomy� a facile application of the method is here given by which any one may by the aid of the tables of houses make certain of the more important calculations by rule of thumb and predict thence the times of remarkable events
the principle involved is this the number of degrees which pass over the meridian between the moment of birth and the rising or culminating of a planet will equal the number of years which must elapse from birth until the influence of that planet becomes dominant
thus if jupiter at birth is coming to the meridian that is to say if it be in the 10th 11th or 12th house count the number of degrees between the meridian and jupiter and in so many years from the time of birth there will be an access of good fortune
similarly if saturn or other of the male�c planets be coming to the meridian the number of degrees between it and the midheaven will indicate the age at which troubles will abound
also when the planets have passed the meridian the measure is made in the same way by bringing the midheaven to the place of the planet counting the degrees between the planet and midheaven for the number of years at which it will operate
but the same and other planets may be directed to the horizon by taking the table of houses for the latitude of        pg 96  the birthplace sect
i chap
iii
and �nding therein under the column marked “ascen� ascendant the longitude held by any of the planets
observe then what degree is on the midheaven in the column marked 10 10th house and count the number of degrees between this midheaven and the midheaven at birth
the result will give the age at which the effects of such planets will be experienced
thus for a person born in or near liverpool or in the same latitude suppose the midheaven at birth to be in scorpio 0 and saturn to be in the 2nd house in aquarius 8 degrees
i wish to bring saturn to the horizon
in the table of houses i �nd that aquarius 8 is on the ascendant when sagittarius 9 is on the midheaven and i therefore count from scorpio 0 to sagittarius 9
this gives the age of 39 years and as saturn is in the 2nd house at birth i say that at 39 years of age the subject would experience �nancial disaster and because saturn comes then to the ascendant i also say there would be serious illness and depression of spirits
when planets are setting at birth they are brought to the opposition of the ascendant in a similar manner only the opposite point of the zodiac must be found in the tables under the ascendant
thus if mars were in the 7th house at birth in the 11th degree of cancer i �nd the opposite point capricornus 11 under the column of the ascendant and i note that scorpio 19 is then on the midheaven so that from scorpio 0 to scorpio 19 gives 19 years at which age the subject would have a serious illness due to inflammatory action in the stomach and               pg 97  probably produced by overwork and worry as indicated by the sign cancer and the planet mars or if there be indications of an accident then an accident by scalding with hot water or acids would be predicted
planets are brought to the opposition of the midheaven by counting the degrees which intervene between the longitude on the lower meridian at birth and that held by the planet
in all such directions the conjunctions of bene�c planets are advantageous when directed to the midheaven or ascendant and the conjunctions of the male�cs are indicated of periods of bad fortune
the oppositions are uniformly evil whether the planet involved in the direction be a benefic or malefic
sect
i chap
iv
these are the directions of the planets to the two signi�cators the midheaven and ascendant
the midheaven appertains to honours and credit while the ascendant has relation to the personal and bodily welfare and the general fortunes
to direct the midheaven or ascendant to the other aspects of the planets such as the sextile trine semisquare or square it is only necessary to note the degrees in which these aspects fall and bring them to the midheaven or ascendant as if the body of the planet were itself there and in the manner already indicated
the sun is directed after birth by its motion in the zodiac which can be found in the ephemeris for the year of birth and the aspects it forms to the planets in the horoscope and in the daily progress should be tabulated
in most ephemerides they are already calculated so that the labour is considerably lightened
each day after birth        pg 98  will represent one year of life the mean motion of the sun being about 1 degree per day
all that is necessary therefore is to count the number of days from birth to the date when the sun forms an aspect and that will give the age at which the planet aspected will produce its effects
as the sun goes through the zodiac the other bodies make progress along with it in which course they form aspects to the midheaven ascendant the sun and moon in the horoscope of birth
these are called “secondary� directions and in connection with the sun’s aspects after birth constituted the system in use among the arabian astrologers
minor periods of good and bad fortune subsidiary to the above periodic influences are taken from the moon’s progress after birth in which one day equals one year of life and two hours equal one month
these directions of the moon afford a monthly prognosis of the course of events and are useful in the conduct of minor affairs in life
when they are contrary to the general trend and import of the periodic directions made to the midheaven ascendant and sun they act indifferently and frequently produce only passing bene�ts or annoyances but when they are in agreement with the primary directions cited above then they accentuate and de�ne the nature and time of events
as if the primaries be good and the lunar directions evil then there will be a predominance of good fortune with some current disturbances but both being good there will be abundant success and satisfaction while if the primaries be evil and the lunar directions good the latter will serve only to   pg 99  moderate the effects for the time being of the primary evil indications
an intelligent apercu of the principles of directing will greatly enhance the value of any prognostications made from the horoscope of birth as it will enable the student to select those periods in the life when the effects due to any planet are most likely to eventuate
thus if saturn be in the 2nd house at birth it may be said that there would follow some periods of great �nancial stress and the rising of saturn by direction after birth would show the time when one at all events of such periods would be experienced
and here is the great fact upon which astrologers the world over are prepared to stand or fall
if the planets have no effect in the lives of men their directions to the angles of the horoscope can have no effect but never was it found that a man had evil fortunes at the period when the planet jupiter was directed to the midheaven or ascendant or anything but bad fortune when saturn was similarly directed
the fact is there and we cannot get away from it
the only question is as to how far we can intelligently carry our investigations beyond that point and intelligibly convey our discoveries to the world by their application to the affairs of daily life
the reader may judge for himself from a perusal of these pages
the directions being calculated and tabulated in order of their occurrence the time and general nature of the influences operating in successive periods of the life will stand revealed
the particular nature of the events indicated by the several directions may be known from a the house in which the directed planet is situated b       pg 100  the sign it occupies and c the aspect it forms considered in relation to the nature of the planet
for example if uranus at birth were in the 9th house and the sign gemini its direction to the midheaven would be the index of litigation in connection with writings publications or means of transit because the 9th house among other things has relation to litigation and legal affairs and gemini the 3rd house sign to communications writings c while uranus denotes sudden and unexpected events ruptures alienations and complexities
so if saturn were in the 6th house in the sign aquarius its direction to the opposition of the ascendant would indicate chills to the blood anemia c constituting a serious illness with probability of low fever because the 6th house rules sickness and aquarius rules the blood while saturn is the cause of chills paucity and impediments
thus the time and nature of events may be known with great certainty
pg 101                                              chapter ii                                     the effects of transits   among the number of important indicators to which astrologers refer in making a forecast of concurrent events there are the transits of the planets over the places of the signi�cators at birth the positions of eclipses and those of the lunations
the �rst of these chronocrators depends upon the revolutions of the planets in their orbits
each planet has a period in which it completes its revolution in the heavens in the course of which it passes the places of the sun moon midheaven and ascendant of the horoscope
this passage over the radical signi�cators is technically termed its “transit� and it will be found that such transits afford a very precise and reliable source of prognostication for the time of a planet’s transit is known in advance of its occurrence see sect
ii chap
iv
 and the effects of such transit are in exact terms of the nature of the planet concerned
it is only necessary to add that the midheaven and the sun have relation to the position and honour of the subject while the moon and ascendant have relation to the personal health and general fortunes
the sun and midheaven also signify              pg 102  the father and the moon has general signi�cation of the mother
venus signi�es domestic and love affairs the affections and sentiments while mercury signi�es the mental disposition
so uranus in transit over the place of venus will give a love affair a romantic attachment
mars over the place of venus will engender passionate love
saturn over venus will give disappointment or bereavement and neptune thereover will bring entanglements and complications with danger of being led astray
saturn over mercury will produce melancholy and many errors of judgment
mars over the same planet will excite the mind and dispose to impulse and unreasoning anger quarrels and disputation
uranus over mercury will render the mind wayward and headstrong disposed to erratic courses and egotistic methods
neptune passing the place of mercury produces deceits treacheries and apprehension of impending evil a sense of espionage and ambush
it involves the mind in tortuous and complicated schemes and disposes to secrecy and wariness
the transits of the major planets are of chief signi�cance and their effects are rendered more weighty and lasting when at the time of transit they are retrograde in the zodiac while their stationary positions on the places of the significators have almost the same power as primary directions
of eclipses
an eclipse of the sun or moon falling on the place of any signi�cator in the horoscope of birth is of a sinister import and cannot be too seriously considered
falling on the ascendant or the moon they affect the health and           pg 103  general fortunes very seriously and only a series of subsequent good directions can avail to restore the subject to his normal condition
on the midheaven or the sun the honour and fortunes may both be affected and in the same serious degree
the eclipses falling on the places of the other planets will produce effects in accord with the nature of those planets and the houses they occupy
to have any appreciable effect the eclipses must be within two degrees of any of the radical positions or of their opposition aspects
of lunations
the lunations recur in the same part of the ecliptic every nineteen years
considered in relation to the current indications they afford the means of a monthly forecast of events
thus if the lunation for the month falls on the place of jupiter in the horoscope of birth it will produce good effects in that department of life which is governed by the house in which jupiter is situated as if in the 11th through friends in the 4th through property or rental in the 6th through servants and health in the 8th through a financial colleague c the effects of lunations are subsidiary to the current lunar directions and these in turn are subsidiary to the transits and the transits to the primary directions
by this it is not meant that they are inoperative nor that they fail to indicate the events of the month but their power and degree of influence is subject to the greater influence of superior causes
and as a general observation it may be affirmed that the less frequently any celestial position occurs in a horoscope the greater is its influence
this fact gives to primary directions their       pg 104  great influence in the life for they can only occur once in a lifetime and for the same reason eclipses have a major signi�cance for the same eclipse only recurs after an interval of 649 years
the transits of neptune of uranus of saturn and jupiter and mars follow in their order of frequency
neptune has a revolution of about 165 years uranus 84 years saturn 30 years jupiter 12 years and mars 1� years
major effects must not therefore be referred to inferior causes and minor effects must not be referred to superior causes
in universal or even national cataclysms individual fortunes are submerged
pg 105                                               chapter iii                              how to summarise a horoscope   before leaving the exposition of this subject it may be of advantage to the reader if i give some idea of the method to be pursued in the complete handling of a horoscope
first then erect the �gure of birth taking care to use the ephemeris of the year of birth and also the correct table of houses for the latitude of the place of birth
next proceed to attempt a description of the chief personal traits of the subject following in succession with a wellconsidered judgment on the constitution hereditary tendencies the health and pathological predispositions the mental traits and disposition considering these latter in relation to the state of health indicated
then pass to a consideration of the environing conditions of life the �nancial condition and outlook the position in life the occupation prospects and conditions of marriage of progeny
judge next concerning voyages and journeys
finish with a statement regarding the predominance of friends or enemies and select dates by solar positions as already instructed
in cases where it is not objected to an approximation may be              pg 106  made to the time and nature of death
throughout the whole of this judgment the periods when these predicted effects will come into force should be made by reference to the rising setting and meridian passage of the planets the solar aspects and transits
care should be taken to weigh justly and impartially the evidence set before you in the �gure of the heavens for birth
major importance should be given to those planets which are in angles and those which are in elevation for the nearer a planet may be to the midheaven the greater is its influence for good or ill according to its nature and aspect
read what you see not what you imagine should be the destiny of an individual
if you are in complete ignorance of his person position and environment so much the better
if you follow carefully the various rules which are contained in this book you may at �rst make some errors of judgment but as you become familiar with the task even these errors will become few and far between and in the end the language of the horoscope will become so intelligible and clear that it will interpret itself and the whole trend and potentiality for good or ill of any birth�gure will force itself upon you in just the same way as when a man walks into your presence with his character clearly stamped upon his face so that you have only to look and know
having become pro�cient in the judgment of birth�gures you will do well to proceed to a closer study of the mathematics of astrology making yourself pro�cient in the various methods of directing so that you may at any             pg 107  time refine upon your general prognostics and make predictions which are clear sharp and to the point
undoubtedly there is a modicum of intuitive perception at work in the judgment of any horoscope which will enable you to seize upon the small details and exact pointing of any matter and this perhaps constitutes the whole difference between the rule of thumb worker and the inspirational reasoning of the intuitive worker
the one exhausts the books and the other embellishes them
it is so with science in every department
the books will take you up to a certain point of pro�ciency and a strict regard for the formul� will keep you within the bounds of safety
but if you are ever to make a discovery or become a recognised exponent of any science you must be naturally gifted with what is called the “scienti�c imagination� another name for intuition
but at no point does true intuition part company with exact reasoning
there is no lesion
the one is an extension of the other
it is the higher reason which argues from the known to the unknown
and the astrologer is in this respect as the poet “born not made� but a moment’s reflection will suffice to convince you that the more facile you may become with the booklearning and technique of astrology the more you will leave the intuition free to act
when a lad is struggling with his multiplication tables his appreciation of the binomial theorem or the differential calculus cannot be said to amount to much
and in the same way a person who is stuffing down the alphabet of astrology cannot be expected to intuit anything concerning the potential of the sun’s direction to the quadrature of saturn
the project gutenberg ebook of astrology by sepharial  this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the united states and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever
you may copy it give it away or reuse it under the terms of the project gutenberg license included with this ebook or online at wwwgutenbergorg
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title astrology      how to make and read your own horoscope  author sepharial  release date september 25 2014 ebook 46963  language english  character set encoding iso88591   start of this project gutenberg ebook astrology      produced by charlene taylor peter vachuska donovan reiner ruf and the online distributed proofreading team at httpwwwpgdpnet                                astrology                                       how to make and read                                       your own horoscope                                                            by                                                 sepharial                   editor of “moore’s� and “old moore’s� almanacs author of “the                   manual of astrology� “prognostic astronomy� “the birthday                          book of destiny� “the crystal and the seer� etc
illustrated                                 advanced thought pub
co                                            216 west austin ave                                              chicago ill
copyright 1920                                                  chicago ill                                                                                                                             pg 5  preface to the revised and enlarged edition  since the publication of this small manual of practical astrology two editions of which have been exhausted the attention given to the subject has so far extended as to create an increased demand for a concise work of this nature designed for the initial use of students and offered at a price that is within the means of all
it is believed that the revision and enlargement of the present work will render it even more popular than hitherto with beginners
the practical uses of astrology are daily more and more recognized and appreciated and although some of the higher and later developments of astrology in its relation to everyday problems have necessarily been withheld from these pages yet it is to be hoped that so much as is here presented of an abstruse and recondite science will enable the student to pursue the subject with increasing assurance and satisfaction in which case doubtless he will readily discover for himself and without any special pointing on my part that astrology is primarily and finally a practical and useful study
there are of course many aspects of this fascinating subject which �nd no place in this small work which deals solely with genethliacal astrology or the doctrine of nativities
yet if it be true as i think to be the case that “the proper study for mankind is man� then undoubtedly we are right in selecting this phase of astrological science as that to which the student should first devote himself
when we have thoroughly arrived at an understanding of the complex nature of human character and the primary causes of variety in expression when we have seen for ourselves how the manycoloured dome of life              pg 6  overarches us of this sublunary world with its kaleidoscopic interplay of forces we shall be to some extent better equipped not only to deal with character as we �nd it but also to direct the forces of the human mind along channels which lead to the preservation of our social economy and that not by any restrictive measures or harmful suppression of natural passions and powers but by conversion of them into forms that are conservative and useful
to apply oneself to the specialization of inherent faculty to �nd the line of least resistance and to discover the measure of one’s own soul in the universe and the limit to which ambition can safely aspire these are things necessary to be known and things that astrology makes clear to the mind in the very earliest stages of our study
and apart from the scienti�c verities to which the science of planetary influence directs us there are other not less important and fascinating truths of a purely philosophic nature to which it inevitably impels the mind and which cannot fail to exercise a tremendous influence in the shaping of our thought in regard to the purpose of life
it places the thoughtful student in an entirely new position with regard to many of the deeper problems of existence and it is certainly the fact that to those who newly come to its study astrology is a revelation an enlightenment and a conviction from which there is no possible or desirable escape
sepharial
pg 7                                              astrology                                                                                                                           pg 9                                             introduction  from the earliest ages of the world’s history the subject of astrology has excited the interest of and exercised a great influence over the minds of a certain order of thinking men
the science has never been universal in its acceptance though it is safe to say that with its countless adherents in the east and the everincreasing number of its advocates in the west there is no faith which has a more universal application than the belief in the influence of the heavenly bodies over the destinies of human beings
it is not possible within the limits of a small handbook such as this to adequately consider the philosophic paradox which makes of freewill in man a “necessity in play� but it is obvious that the concept is not altogether unscienti�c seeing that it is customary to speak of the “free path of vibration� in chemical atoms while at the same time it is known that these atoms have their restricted characteristics modes of motion c and are all subject to the general laws controlling the bodies of which they form integral parts
let it suffice that if we can trace an actual connectedness between the disposition of the heavenly bodies at the moment of a birth and the known life and character of the individual           pg 10  then born and an exact correspondence between the course of events in that life with the changes occurring in the heavens subsequent to the moment of birth we shall do well to accept the fact for what it is worth and arrange our philosophic notions accordingly
as far back as the year bc
2154 we �nd mention of the great importance attaching to the celestial phenomena in the minds of chinese rulers
it is recorded in the historical classic of china that at that time the astrologers hi and ho neglected their duties so that when on the 10th of october there was a great eclipse of the sun at peking between seven and nine o’clock in the morning the people were wholly unprepared for it and “ran about here and there in the utmost consternation� for this offence hi and ho were deprived of their offices their estates were con�scated and they were driven from the kingdom
among the hindus we have the classical writers garga parashara and mihira together with their legions of commentators
the assyrian records are full of astrological allusions regarding the influence of planetary conjunctions and stellar positions
the greek mythology is nothing but a vast system of cosmographical astrology and there is no other history in it than what you may read in the constellations of the heavens and the corresponding evolution of the human race
aristotle made it a part of his philosophy
hipparchus hippocrates thales galenius and others subscribed an intelligent belief in its principles
to claudius ptolemy however we are indebted for the �rst concise and scienti�c statement of its principles and practice so far as europe is concerned
he wrote the tetrabiblos or          pg 11  four books and laid the foundations of a true astrological science
julius firmicus con�rmed ptolemy and enlarged upon his observations
the subsequent discovery of the planets uranus and neptune by herschel and adams widened the �eld of research and gave to later astrologers the clue to much that hitherto had been imperfectly understood
not that these discoveries overturned the whole system of astrology as some have imagined and foolishly stated or that they negatived the conclusions drawn from the observed effects of the seven anciently known bodies of the solar system but it became possible after a lapse of time to �ll in the blank spaces and to account for certain events which had not been traced to the action of any of the already known planets
the discovery of argon did not destroy our conclusions regarding the nature and characteristics of oxygen or hydrogen or nitrogen nor give an entirely new meaning to the word “atmosphere� if even so many as seven new planets should be discovered there would yet not be a single paragraph of this book which would need revising
what is known regarding planetary action in human life is known with great certainty and the effects of one planet can never be confounded with those of another
incomplete as it must needs be it is yet a veritable science both as to its principles and practice
it claims for itself a place among the sciences for the sole reason that it is capable of mathematical demonstration and deals only with the observed positions and motions of the heavenly bodies and the man who holds to the principia of newton the solidarity of the solar system the interaction of the planetary bodies and their consequent electrostatic effects upon the earth cannot while              pg 12  subject to the air he breathes deny the foundation principles of astrology
the application of these principles to the facts of everyday life is solely a matter of prolonged research and tabulation upon an elaborate scale which has been going on for thousands of years in all parts of the world so that all the reader has to do is to make his own horoscope and put the science to the test of true or false
the present writer is in a position to know that the study of astrology at the present day is no less sincere than widely spread but few care to let their studies be known for as prof f max m�ller recently said “so great is the ignorance which confounds a science requiring the highest education with that of the ordinary gipsy fortuneteller� that to which the great kepler was compelled “by his unfailing experience of the course of events in harmony with the changes taking place in the heavens� to subscribe “an unwilling belief� the science which was practised and advocated by tycho brahe under all assaults of fortune and adverse opinion the art that arrested the attention of the young newton and set him pondering upon the problems of force and matter which fascinated the minds of such men as francis bacon archbishop usher haley sir george witchell flamstead and a host of others is today the favourite theme of thousands of intelligent minds and bids fair to become a subject of popular inquiry
it is believed that the present work will be of considerable assistance to those who seriously contemplate an initial study of the science of horoscopy and although it by no means exhausts what is known on the subject yet it will be found accurate and reliable as far as it goes and will enable any one of ordinary intelligence to test   pg 13  the claims of astrology for himself
this is as much as can be expected in the limits of a small handbook
the literature of the subject is considerable and the present writer only takes credit to himself so far as his own wide experience and practice have enabled him to present the subject in a simple and brief manner
pg 15                                                 contents                                            section i                                  the alphabet of the heavens                        chap
page                             i
the planets their natures and types                       17                            ii
the signs of the zodiac                                    24                           iii
the celestial houses                                       29                           iv
the astronomical aspects                                    31                                         section ii                             the construction of a horoscope                              i
the ephemeris and its uses                                  34                             ii
to erect a figure of the heavens                            36                            iii
the tables of houses                                        39                            iv
planetary transits                                           43                             v table of eclipses                                            47                                           section iii                                  how to read the horoscope                              i
the planets in the houses                                   51                             ii
the constitution                                            54                            iii
health and sickness                                         56                            iv
how to read character and disposition                        59                             v financial prospects                                          64                            vi
the position in life                                         69                           vii
the choice of occupation                                     72                           viii
marriage circumstances                                      76                            ix
indications of progeny                                       81                             x voyages and journeys                                         84                            xi
of friends and enemies                                       87                           xii
the end of life                                              91                                            section iv                                   the stars in their courses                              i
the timemeasure                                           94                             ii
the effects of transits                                   101                            iii
how to summarise a horoscope                              105                                 how to become a successful                           iv
108                                 astrologer                             v a popular illustration                                     114                           vi
planetary periods etc
127                           vii
revolutions eclipses ingresses etc
137                                                                                                                              pg 17                                                                                                  pg 108                                              chapter iv                     how to become a successful astrologer   i take it that nobody nowadays can afford to fritter away time in the study of subjects which are not likely to become a source of bene�t to himself and others
if there be such people among my readers which i consider unlikely i may dismiss them offhand with the remark that they will never become successful astrologers for the �rst word of practical astrology is utility
if the science had not its practical application to the affairs of everyday life if its principles contained no word of assurance and hope for the myriad toilers of this world no word of admonition for the selfindulgent parasites of modern social life if in short it did not make for the betterment of human life and thought it would never have attracted the attention of aristotle cicero galen claudius ptolemy thales and others of the old world and such men as bacon cardan archbishop usher naibod mercator ashmole kenelm digby sir christopher heydon dryden dr john butler sir george wharton vincent wing george witchel tycho brahe kepler and flamstead of more recent biography
indeed in whatever age or country we may elect to make our inquiries concerning astrology there are to be found a host             pg 109  of intelligent and even illustrious advocates in every department of life and learning
suffice it to say that the modern student of this most ancient of all sciences is at all times in very good company
let it �rst be understood that there is an object to be attained in the study of astrology and that the pursuit of it in the grati�cation of an idle curiosity alone will inevitably entail the waste of time which invariably attaches to idleness of all descriptions and we may then pro�tably consider whether or not the subject is worth the labour which it will demand from the man who has something to do in the world and little enough time in which to do it
these are stressful times and we have to be economical in our efforts
we have strength enough to carry us through but neither strength enough to thresh the wind nor time enough to fish in puddles
what then does astrology offer to the patient worker the man who would become a successful astrologer
first and foremost it will enable him to gain an insight into individual motive and character which no other science can possibly afford
it will enable him to know himself his own strength and weakness and so �t him to deal harmoniously and justly with others
it will enhance his opportunities to the extent that he is able to foresee and make use of all bene�c influences operating through his own environment
it will give him timely warning of his approach to the quicksands and pitfalls which occur in his passage through life
he will discern his special          pg 110  physical weaknesses and the times of his predisposition to sickness the nature thereof and the precautions which are necessary
he will know whom to cultivate and whom to avoid and in selecting a partner in business or a wife for his home he will be guided by a foreknowledge of evils to be avoided and of good things to be gained
he will choose his path in life with the con�dence that it is for him the line of least resistance and therefore that of greatest progress
he will not become obsessed by ambitions beyond his power to achieve
he will learn the power of adaptation to environment and thereby effect his work in the world with the least possible friction and waste of force
he will know when to make provision against sickness accident and death
he will not invest capital where interest is not to be gained
he will see the end from the beginning
it may not make him a brilliant success in the world but it will assuredly save him from being a failure
he will �nd causes for inexplicable things and his mind will rest content in the knowledge hat while he is working out the highest potentialities of his own horoscope the major problems and intricacies of life are not of his making or needful of his solving
and �nally when his time comes to “shuffle off this mortal coil� he will be prepared and will know that it is the will of heaven expressed and determined from the moment of his birth
rightly employed astrology cannot fail to improve the man who makes of it a serious study �tting him to be of greater use to others and of higher service to the race at large
but to become a successful astrologer he must study patiently for several years testing each statement that is           pg 111  made in the books by reference to his own and several other horoscopes
he must be able to erect a �gure of the heavens with mathematical accuracy for any given time and place work out directions by the use of the sphere or trigonometrical tables and have a competent knowledge of the motions and periods of the various planetary bodies
when thus satis�ed in his own mind that astrology is a dependable science and that he is capable of demonstrating it under test conditions he must be generous in the use of it
here and there he will �nd one who is opposed to the belief that the stars have any influence in human affairs
let him not waste logic with such a man but go straight to the task of convincing him by an appeal to facts
for preference select a period when the directional influences are such as seem likely to hit the sceptic with considerable force de�ne the event make a careful calculation of the time of its ful�lment and put them on paper which being yet unread by the man of commonsense should be placed under cover sealed and endorsed to be opened only after a certain date
now a man who has been hammered rather severely and in quite an unexpected manner is usually open to conviction of truth when he �nds that the nature and date of his disaster have been accurately foretold
being a man of “commonsense� and not of intuition he will probably think that the astrologer might even have saved him from the consequences of his own lack of foresight
so indeed might the astrologer have done had he taken the management of affairs from the beginning but to step in halfway to arrest causes which are already in operation and charged with inevitable effects is requiring too much of any man short of a prime minister
pg 112  there are certain things which even the most astute deductive reasoner cannot foresee and these are the points that should be utilised by the astrologer who seeks to convince others of the truth of his science
a man cannot reason from his doorstep to a street accident
if he could he would avoid it
all men are not subject to accidents however
but almost all are subject to bereavements losses sicknesses and changes of fortune
those are the points which the astrologer intent on proselytising usually makes use of
but events need not be in futurity to carry conviction
if it can be shown that by mathematical calculations the events of the past can be recited with precision and exactness it is evident to the meanest intellect that nothing hinders from an extension of such calculations into the future
and once convinced of the reliability of such claims to foreknowledge the practical man of the world is not slow to avail himself of its uses
but astrology is not exhausted in the study of individual horoscopes for there are other departments of this extensive science
the influence of the planets upon the weather as embodied in astrometeorology the rise and fall of empires political changes the outbreak of wars of revolutions of epidemics as de�ned by state astrology so much in repute among the oriental rulers the occurrence of tidal waves earthquakes and other seismic phenomena all form a part of the complete equipment of the practical astrologer
it would be superfluous to recite here the numerous and strikingly accurate forecasts which have been madeby           pg 113  modern exponents of the science but it is only right to say that they reflect considerable credit upon their authors for the abovementioned departments of astrological learning are by no means in the same efficient state as genethliacal astrology to an outline of which this work is devoted
anciently it was otherwise and even in the east at this day they hold some secrets of traditional knowledge concerning which they are unduly mysterious and of which we have only the evidence afforded by more exact prediction upon certain points
prejudice and ignorance are the twin giants which bar the path of the world’s progress today even as they have ever done
step by step they have been beaten back baffled by the light of reason harassed by the arrows of truth
the world is redeeming its ancient heritage
all that is now required to establish the paramount truth of astrology as a science is an impartial and thorough investigation preferably at the hands of scienti�c men of its methods and principles
not that the truth is to be rati�ed at the hands of modern scientists seeing that their own teaching constitutes a mere shifting orthodoxy liable at any moment to undergo a fundamental change in theory by the discovery of a single new fact—but that to such men rightly belongs the duty of disproving the claims of astrology to be considered as a science for it is a fact to be regretted that certain members of their body have written against the subject in a spirit of prejudice and without adducing any data in support of their contention which ill becomes any man of scienti�c pretensions and is above all things detrimental to the cause of truth
pg 114                                             chapter v                                     a popular illustration   in order to summarise and illustrate the principles which have been enunciated in the course of this work i shall avail myself of the horoscope of mr joseph chamberlain who was born on the 8th of july 1836 at highbury the time of birth being stated to have been at about 230 in the morning
calculations have since enabled us to �x the exact time of birth as at 2 h 36 m am
i subjoin the horoscopical �gure for that time the calculation of which is as follows—                                                                              h   m   s                              midheaven in ra at                                                        7th july 1836… 7 1 58                              noon                              add time elapsed since        …      … … 14 36 0                                      equation for 14h
33m
at 10 secs
2 25                              midheaven in right ascension at birth … 21 40 23                                                  the constitution
born under the sign gemini with mercury rising in the sign cancer the sun near the conjunction with jupiter and in close sextile to the moon there is little doubt that the late colonial secretary is by nature gifted with an   pg 115                                                                                                                        pg 116 excellent constitution
the sextile of the luminaries is a powerful coordinator and whenever sickness supervenes there will be a speedy recovery
the semisquare aspect of mars while disposing to gouty affections of the hands and feet will contribute vital energy and power to throw off diseases while at the same time predisposing to accidents and wounds to the right shoulder or clavicle
the rising sign gives nervous energy and enormous capacity for work which is due to high nervous tension supported by a sound vitality
the only hereditary predisposition is that indicated by mars which induces to fevers and gouty affections due to acidity
the health
the moon is strong in the sign taurus but not particularly well placed in the 12th house
it has moreover the square aspects of neptune and venus from �xed signs
these indications point to functional disorders of the heart throat and excretory system
on the other hand there are the good aspects of the sun jupiter and uranus to counteract these adverse tendencies and it is certain that strong recuperative powers together with a normally good coordination of functions would induce a speedy recovery from any illness to which he may be liable
considerable immunity from sickness of all sorts may therefore be predicated
character and disposition
the majority of the planets being in cardinal signs with three planets including the moon in fixed signs           pg 117  indicates a character that is energetic ambitious active sharp ingenious lively and persevering capable of cutting out a line in life for himself and making headway against obstacles disposed to ride roughshod over the weaknesses and prejudices of those who oppose him gifted with a pioneer spirit incisive manner and disposed at times to effect his ends regardless of the feelings and opinions of others
at the same time there is sufficient patience method caution and watchfulness to make this extreme de�nition of purpose very effective
laborious �rm at times obstinate systematic and selfreliant he is capable of waiting for opportunities
but finally he carries his purpose with a tour de force
that which he lacks is adaptability suavity and ability to enter into the feelings of others
he is too ambitious to be selfcentred but yet too intent to be sympathetic
the rising of mercury in trine aspect to saturn and uranus gives considerable mental capacity a wide grasp of facts a wellinformed apt and businesslike mind some originality constructiveness and power of marshalling facts and �gures patience caution and secrecy
there is not much imagination and the sympathies are not wide
his methods and actions are governed by literal fact and mathematical certainty
he is an omnivorous devourer of the accessible
he takes the small �sh by the handful and makes a meal of them but he leaves the ponderous whales for those of greater imagination and more leisurely habit
the quadrature of mars to uranus will induce momentary outbursts of temper and some irritability of nature but the character i am delineating is not such as can easily be played upon for it is remarkably lacking in emotional       pg 118  susceptibility
nevertheless the inspirational faculty is by no means absent and the presence of neptune in the 9th house in trine to the rising mercury is an index of considerable inventive genius extreme range of mental perception and telescopic discernment of future events
venus in the 3rd house shows some artistic tastes and fancies considerable appreciation of art and culture a fondness for flowers bright lights c but dominant above all are the two angular influences of uranus and mercury which render the mind mathematical and precise commercial apt businesslike energetic and eminently magnetic
finance
the position of the sun in conjunction with jupiter in the sign cancer in sextile to the moon is the index of a high fortune and means exceeding a competence
it is here worthy of note that cancer which in this horoscope holds the sun jupiter and mercury is the ruling sign of south africa with which colony mr chamberlain’s fortunes have been for a long time so intimately associated
it is also worthy of note that both cecil rhodes and barney barnato were born on the same day of the year the 5th of july with the sun in the 14th degree of cancer
in the former case the sun was conjoined with moon and venus in sextile to uranus and trine to neptune while in the latter case the sun was in trine to jupiter
in regard to mr chamberlain’s horoscope it will be observed that jupiter which holds such effective power for increase in the 2nd house is also the ruler of the 7th and it is to be remembered that all partnerships commercial or social which he has contracted have so         pg 119  far proved highly satisfactory from a merely monetary point of view
further the moon is affected with the good aspect of the sun in the 2nd house which is a further indication that on a purely �nancial basis mr chamberlain is a man worth going into partnership with
the project gutenberg ebook of the influence of the stars by rosa baughan  this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with  almost no restrictions whatsoever
you may copy it give it away or  reuse it under the terms of the project gutenberg license included  with this ebook or online at wwwgutenbergorglicense  title the influence of the stars  a book of old world lore  author rosa baughan  release date june 7 2013 ebook 42889  language english  character set encoding utf8   start of this project gutenberg ebook the influence of the stars   produced by charlene taylor delphine lettau and the online  distributed proofreading team at httpwwwpgdpnet  the influence of the stars  plymouth  william brendon and son  printers  wheel of pythagoras
facsimile from an old woodcut  date
1657
frontispiece and cover
the influence of the stars  a book of old world lore  by  rosa baughan  author of the handbook of palmistry character in handwriting  etc etc
in three parts  part i astrologypart ii
chiromancypart iii
physiognomy  to which are added  chapters on the significance of the moles of the body astrologically  considered  the mystical wheel of pythagoras and the methods of working it  fourth edition  revised and enlarged by the author  illustrated with ten plates  london  kegan paul trench tr�bner  co ltd  dryden house gerrard street soho  1904  ye stars which are the poetry of heaven
if in your bright leaves we read the fate  of men and empires—tis to be forgiven  that in our aspirations to be great  our destinies oerleap this mortal state  and claim a kindred with you for ye are  a beauty and a mystery and create  in us such love and reverence from afar  that life fame power and fortune have named themselves a star
byron
contents  part i  astrology  chapter     page  i  astrology  4  ii
the alphabet of astrology  12  iii
concerning the signs of the zodiac  17  iv
of the natures of the seven planets and of their  essential and accidental dignities  23  v  of the influences of the seven planets  34  vi
concerning the twelve houses of heaven and their  powers  50  vii
an explanation of various terms used in astrology  54  viii
of the figure of the heavens  59  ix
of the influences of the fixed stars  65  x
of the effect of each planet in each of the  twelve houses  70  xi
on forming a general judgment on a nativity  76  xii
concerning directions and horary questions  92  xiii
solar horoscopes  103  xiv
aphorisms culled from the works of ptolemy and other  ancient astrologers  120  part ii
chiromancy  xv
chiromancy and its origin  125  xvi
concerning the principal lines in the hand  and the mounts  129  xvii
the line of life  137  xviii
the line of heart and line of head  143  xix
the saturnian line  150  xx
the line of the sun and line of health  155  xxi
on the ring of venus the wrist lines and the letter  m to be seen in most hands  160  xxii
concerning chance lines that is lines which are  sometimes—but only rarely—seen on any hand  166  xxiii
concerning the fingers and thumb and nails  169  xxiv
of the various marks to be seen on the hand  177  xxv
the triangle the quadrangle and the happy hand  182  part iii
physiognomy  xxvi
physiognomy  185  xxvii
the forehead and eyebrows  194  xxviii
the eyes and eyelashes  201  xxix
the nose  211  xxx
the mouth teeth jaw and chin  221  xxxi
the hair and ears  231  xxxii
the signatures of the planets  237  xxxiii
the moles on the face  246  xxxiv
moles having no corresponding moles on the face  254  xxxv
the zodiacal marks  258  xxxvi
concerning alfridaries  263  xxxvii
concerning the wheel of pythagoras and the method  of working it  267  list of illustrations  wheel of pythagoras     frontispiece and cover  the earth  to face chapter  vi
natus
9th january 1889      viii
facsimile of a map of a horary question from lillys  astrology      xii
principal lines on the palm of the hand      xvi
the line of life      xvii
chance lines on the hand      xxii
various marks on the hand      xxiv
the happy hand      xxv
the planets places on the face      xxvii
alfridary table      xxxvi
foreword  of all subjects that have at any time engaged the attention of the  world there is none more ancient than astrology
in the east—where it  first arose at a period of very remote antiquity—it still holds sway  and in every part of the world especially among the learned it  reigned supreme until the middle of the seventeenth century
that it  not only ruled the daily actions of individuals but swayed the councils  of princes is shown by the records of every nation that has a history  and by none more fully than by that of england yet the present  generation seems never until quite lately to have cared to inquire on  what basis this belief could have been for so many ages supported
during the past ten years however—possibly from a reaction growing  out of the realism by which we have been so long oppressed—a new  interest in these oldworld beliefs has sprung up and it is to satisfy  that interest that this book containing the results of many years  study was written
chiromancy and physiognomy are both based on astrology and are  therefore quite in place as the second and third parts of a work  treating of the influence of the stars
many of the modern writers on  chiromancy seem disposed to deny its affinity to astrology with which  it is however inseparably connected
dr saunders in the preface to  his exhaustive work on chiromancy and physiognomy published in 1671  and dedicated to his friend lilly the great astrologer says for our  more orderly proceeding with the body of this work it is in the first  place necessary to be observed that there are seven planets named  stell� errantes—wandering stars—which have each of them its  separate character as they are used in astrologie the which stars have  great power over inferior bodies and do each of them govern some part  or other of mans body and they especially have their material  existence in the hand and without astrology chiromancy could not  subsist and be subservient to true wisdom
now why in the face of this and many other equally forcible words  among the oldworld authorities do the modern writers try to force  their own crude theories upon us
to drag the timehonoured study of  chiromancy into the turmoil of nineteenthcentury existence and—by  robbing it of its mysticism—to strain it into unison with the realism  of modern thought strikes the earnest student with the same sense of  incongruity as would the hanging of a carnival mask over the mystically  calm features of an antique statue
rosa baughan
november 1904
theinfluence of the stars  astrology  to doubt the influence of the stars is to doubt the wisdom and  providence of god
—tycho brahe
chapter i
that a certain power derived from �thereal nature pervades the whole  earth is clearly evident to all
fire and air are altered by the  motions of the �ther and these elements in their turn encompassing  all inferior matter vary it as they themselves are varied acting  equally on earth and water on plants and animals
the sun not only by  the change of the seasons brings to perfection the embryo of animals  the buds of plants and the springs of water but also by his daily  movement brings light heat moisture dryness and cold
the moon being of all the heavenly bodies the nearest to earth has  also much influence and things animate and inanimate sympathise and  vary with her
by her changes rivers swell or are reduced the tides of  the sea are ruled by her risings and settings and animals and plants  are influenced as she waxes or wanes
the stars also produce in the  ambient      chapter ii
the alphabet of astrology  the science of astrology consists of four branches namely mundane  astrology which is the art of foreseeing by the aspect of the  stars at certain periods the events likely to happen to nations such  as pestilences wars inundations and earthquakes atmospherical  astrology which is the art of foreseeing by the positions of the  heavenly bodies the quality of the weather at any particular time or  place the casting of nativities or the art of foretelling  from the position of the stars at the moment of birth the fate and  character of the native and horary astrology or the art of  foreseeing by the positions of the heavens at the moment the result  of any business or circumstance
as the two former branches are treated in the astrological almanacks  issued every year by zadkiel raphael orion and others it is  needless to go into them but as the casting of nativities and the  answering of horary questions require individual treatment the working  of these two branches of astrology after the ancient methods  shall be described as clearly as possible
before the student can do anything in astrology he must master its  alphabet—that is he must make himself thoroughly acquainted with the  symbols used to represent the planets the signs of the zodiac and the  aspects
the planets recognised by the ancient astrologers are as we have seen  seven in number and are as follows with their symbols—saturn   jupiter  mars  sol  venus   mercury  luna 
there are also the dragons head thus symbolised  and the  dragons tail 
these are neither planets nor signs of the  zodiac nor constellations but are only the nodes or points where the  ecliptic is crossed by the moon
one of these points looks northward  where the moon begins her northern latitude and the other points  southward where she commences her south latitude
the head of the  dragon is considered of a benevolent nature the tail of the dragon is  of evil tendency
there are also the twelve signs of the zodiac which are as follows  with their symbols—  northern
southern
aries     libra  taurus     scorpio  gemini     sagittarius  cancer     capricorn  leo     aquarius  virgo     pisces  through these twelve signs the planets continually move and are ever  in one or other of them
they are divided into north and south
the first six  from aries to virgo are northern the latter six from libra to  pisces are southern this is because the sun and planets when  in the first six are north of the equator and when in the last six  they are south of that line
each point of the zodiac rises and sets once every twentyfour hours  occasioned by the earths revolution on its axis once every day  therefore when any given point is rising the opposite point  must be setting
3  as the zodiac consists of 360 degrees from the first point of aries  until we come to that point again and as these are divided into twelve  portions or signs they must consist of 30 degrees each
the aspects are five in number they represent certain positions which  the planets bear to each other as they move through the signs of the  zodiac they are as follows with their symbols—  conjunction when two planets are in the same place viz in same  degree of the same sign
sextile when they are 60 degrees or two signs apart
square when they are 90 degrees or three signs apart
trine when they are 120 degrees or four signs apart
opposition when they are 180 degrees or six signs asunder
the conjunction  is rather a position than an aspect as  planets can hardly be said to aspect each other when they are in the  same place
when saturn is in the first degree of aries and any planet  in the same degree of that sign they are said to be in conjunction  this is good or evil according to the nature of the planets thus  posited
the trine  is the most powerful of all the good aspects
the sextile  is favourable
the square  is evil
the opposition  is also very evil
there are several other aspects sometimes called the modern aspects  invented by kepler but as they only appear to complicate what is at  best a very intricate study it is best to ignore them and adhere in  this as in the matter of the planets to the old methods
chapter iii
concerning the signs of the zodiac  the zodiac is a band or belt measuring about 14 degrees in breadth  but as venus sometimes appears to have more than her real latitude it  is more correctly considered to be 18 degrees in breadth
the  ecliptic or path of the sun passes exactly through the centre  of the zodiac longitudinally
the ancients divided the zodiac into ten signs—libra being  omitted altogether virgo and scorpio being merged into one thus  virgoscorpio
this accounts for the similarity of their symbols  
ptolemy divides the zodiac into twelve equal parts of 30 degrees each
he says the beginning of the whole zodiacal circle which in its  nature as a circle can have no other beginning or end capable of being  determined is therefore assumed to be the sign aries which  commences at the vernal equinox in march
one of the many objections urged against ptolemys system of astrology  is that the signs are continually moving from their positions but  ptolemy seems to have been aware of this motion of the signs and has  met this objection by what he says in the twentyfifth chapter of the  first book of the tetrabiblos where he makes it clear that the  respective influences he ascribes to the twelve signs were considered  by him to belong rather to the places they occupied in the  ambient than to the stars of which they are composed and he especially  speaks of the ambient as producing the effects attributed to the  respective signs of the zodiac when in the ascendant in a nativity  thus his astrology is just as applicable to modern astronomy as it was  to his own
the signs have been divided into four triplicities thus  fiery    earthy     airy    and watery    
the bicorporal or doublebodied signs are   and  the first half of 
the fruitful signs are     the barren signs are   and 
these descriptions are useful in showing the modifications brought to  bear by the sign ascending on the planets influence
but when no  planets are in or near the ascendant at birth the following  descriptions of the temperament and form of body produced by each sign  ascending at birth should be used
aries  is a hot and fiery sign and produces a lean body  spare and strong large bones grey eyes with a quick glance and sandy  or redcoloured hair
the temper is violent
it governs the head and  face its colour is white
taurus  differs greatly in its effects from the preceding  sign it is cold and dry and gives a broad brow and thick lips
a  person born under it is melancholy and slow to anger but when roused  furious and difficult to be appeased
it governs the neck and throat  its colour is red
gemini  is in nature hot and moist and produces a person of  straight tall body sanguine complexion brilliant eyes and light  brown hair
the temperament of those born under gemini is lively and  the understanding good
this sign governs the arms and shoulders its  colours are red and white
cancer  is by nature cold and moist it produces a native  fair and pale short in stature with a round face sandcoloured brown  hair and grey eyes
those born under it are phlegmatic indolent and  gentle tempered
women born under this sign generally have many  children
it governs the breast and stomach its colours are green and  russetbrown
leo  is a fiery hot and dry sign
when it rises at birth  without any planet being near the ascendant the native will be of tall  stature with yellow hair ruddy complexion and oval face and he will  have a quick glance and a strong voice
it governs the heart the back  and the neck its colours are red and green
virgo  is an earthy cold barren feminine sign
when it  ascends it shows a wellformed body slender and tall straight  darkbrown hair and a round face
the mind of the native is ingenious  but rather inconstant
it governs the belly its colour is black  speckled with blue
libra  is an a�rial sanguine masculine hot and moist sign
rising at birth it produces a wellmade body with long limbs an oval  and beautiful face sanguine complexion straight flaxen hair and grey  eyes
those born under it are courteous just and honourable
it  governs the loins and the colours under its rule are black crimson  and tawny
scorpio  is a moist phlegmatic feminine sign
it gives a  strong corpulent body low stature thick legs hair growing low on  the forehead and heavy eyebrows
those born under this sign are  reserved thoughtful subtle and malicious
it governs the lower parts  of the body the colour under its rule is brown
sagittarius  is a fiery masculine sign
the person born  under its rule is handsome with a rather long face and features  chestnut hair inclined to baldness and ruddy complexion the body  strong and active
those born under this sign are fond of field sports  are good riders and are lovers of animals
they are kindly generous  and careless of danger
this sign governs the thighs and hips and  rules yellow and green
capricorn  is an earthy cold dry feminine sign
it  produces a person of slender stature with a long neck narrow chest  and dark hair
the mind is quick witty and subtle
it governs the  knees and hams and in colours it rules black or dark brown
aquarius  is an airy moist masculine sign
in a nativity  where no planets are in or near the ascendant it would produce a  person of a wellset strong body long face and delicate complexion  with brown hair
it governs the legs and ankles and rules the  skycolour or blue
pisces  is a watery cold and feminine sign
it produces a  person of short stature and fleshy body with a rather stooping gait
those born under its influence are indolent and phlegmatic
it governs  the feet and toes and presides over the pure white colour
it is  needful to remember the colours belonging to the signs as they are  especially useful in horary questions
chapter iv
of the natures of the seven planets and of their  essential and accidental dignities  of the seven planets jupiter and venus because of the heat and  moisture predominant in them are considered by the ancients as  benefics or causers of good
the moon is so considered for the same  reasons though in a less degree
saturn and mars are causers of evil or malefic the first from his  excess of cold and the other from his excess of heat
the sun and  mercury are deemed of common influence—that is either of good or  evil according to the planets with which they are connected
the planets have particular familiarity with certain places in the  zodiac by means of parts designated as their houses and also by their  triplicities exaltations and terms
the nature of their familiarity by houses is as follows—  cancer and leo are the most northerly of all the twelve signs they  approach nearer than the other signs to the zenith of this part of the  earth and thereby cause warmth and heat they are consequently  appropriated as houses for the two principal and greater luminaries  leo for the sun as being masculine and cancer for the moon as being  feminine
saturn since he is cold and inimical to heat moving also in a  superior orbit most remote from the luminaries occupies the signs  opposite to cancer and leo these are aquarius and capricorn and they  are assigned to him in consideration of their cold and wintry nature
jupiter has a favourable temperament and is situated beneath the  sphere of saturn he therefore occupies the next two signs  sagittarius and pisces
mars is dry in nature and beneath the sphere of jupiter he takes the  next two signs of a nature similar to his own viz aries and  scorpio whose relative distances from the houses of the luminaries are  injurious and discordant
venus possessing a favourable temperament and placed beneath the  sphere of mars takes the next two signs taurus and libra
these are  of a fruitful nature and preserve harmony by the sextile distance this  planet is never more than two signs distant from the sun
mercury never has greater distance from the sun than the space of one  sign and is beneath all the other planets hence he is nearest to both  luminaries and the remaining two signs gemini and virgo are allotted  to him
the houses of the planets are readily shown by the following table
it is exactly the same as that found in the mummycase of the archon of  thebes in ancient egypt as may be seen at the british museum                                   it will be seen at once from this table that the sun and moon have  each only one house assigned them
all planets are most powerful in  that sign which constitutes one of their houses
planets receive  detriment in the signs opposite to those of their houses
thus saturn  would receive detriment in cancer and leo which are the signs opposite  to his houses capricornus and aquarius
there are some signs in which  the planets are found to be very powerful though not to the same  extent as when in their own houses these are called the exaltations  of the planets and the signs opposite to these are those in which they  receive their fall when they are considered to be weak in power
saturn has his exaltation in libra his fall would therefore be in  aries
he governs the airy triplicity which is composed of the signs  gemini libra and aquarius by day and in all the twelve signs he has  these degrees zodiacal signs allotted him by ptolemy for his terms  in aries  27 28 29 30
in taurus  23 24 25 26
in gemini  22 23 24 25
in cancer  28 29 30
in leo  1 2 3 4 5 6
in virgo  19 20 21 22 23 24
in libra  1 2 3 4 5 6
in scorpio  28 29 30
in sagittarius  21 22 23 24 25
in capricornus  26 27 28 29 30
in aquarius  1 2 3 4 5 6
in pisces  27 28 29 30
the meaning of which is that if saturn should rise in any of these  degrees it is a sign that he is not void of essential dignities or if  he is posited in any of the following degrees which he is allowed for  his face or decanate he is still not devoid of dignities
this is to  be understood of all the planets
saturn is allotted for his face these degrees  in taurus  21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
in leo  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
in libra  11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
in sagittarius  21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
in pisces  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
jupiter has his exaltation in cancer and his fall in capricornus
he  rules the fiery triplicity aries leo and sagittarius by night
he has these degrees allotted for his terms  in aries  1 2 3 4 5 6
in taurus  16 17 18 19 20 21 22
in gemini  8 9 10 11 12 13 14
in cancer  7 8 9 10 11 12 13
in leo  20 21 22 23 24 25
in virgo  14 15 16 17 18
in libra  12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
in scorpio  7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
in sagittarius  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
in capricornus  13 14 15 16 17 18 19
in aquarius  21 22 23 24 25
in pisces  9 10 11 12 13 14
he has for his face or decanate  of gemini  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
of leo  11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
of libra  21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
of capricornus  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
of pisces  11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
mars has aries for his dayhouse and scorpio for his nighthouse
he is  exalted in capricornus and has his fall in cancer
he governs the watery triplicity viz cancer scorpio and pisces and  he has these degrees in each sign for his terms  in aries  22 23 24 25 26
in taurus  27 28 29 30
in gemini  26 27 28 29 30
in cancer  1 2 3 4 5 6
in leo  26 27 28 29 30
in virgo  25 26 27 28 29 30
in scorpio  1 2 3 4 5 6
in aquarius  26 27 28 29 30
in pisces  21 22 23 24 25 26
he has allotted to him for his face these degrees  in aries  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
in gemini  11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
in leo  21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
in virgo  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
in pisces  21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
the sun rules the fiery triplicity—aries leo and sagittarius—by day
he is exalted in the sign of aries and receives his fall in libra
he has no degrees admitted him for his terms but in the twelve signs  he has the following degrees for his face  in aries  11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
in gemini  21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
in virgo  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
in scorpio  11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
in capricornus  21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
venus governs the earthy triplicity—taurus virgo and capricornus—by  day
she is exalted in pisces and has her fall in virgo
she has the  following degrees for her terms  in aries  7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
in taurus  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
in gemini  15 16 17 18 19
20
in cancer  21 22 23 24 25 26 27
in leo  14 15 16 17 18 19
in virgo  8 9 10 11 12 13
in libra  7 8 9 10 11
in scorpio  15 16 17 18 19 20 21
in sagittarius  9 10 11 12 13 14
in capricornus  1 2 3 4 5 6
in aquarius  13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
in pisces  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
the following degrees are allowed for her face  in aries  21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
in cancer  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
in virgo  11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
in scorpio  21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
in pisces  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
mercury governs the airy triplicity viz gemini libra and aquarius  by night
he has his exaltation in virgo and his fall in pisces
he  has the following degrees for his terms  in aries  15 16 17 18 19 20 21
in taurus  9 10 11 12 13 14 15
in gemini  1 2 3 4 5 6 7
in cancer  14 15 16 17 18 19 20
in leo  7 8 9 10 11 12 13
in virgo  1 2 3 4 5 6 7
in libra  20 21 22 23 24
in scorpio  22 23 24 25 26 27
in sagittarius  15 16 17 18 19 20
in capricornus  7 8 9 10 11 12
in pisces  15 16 17 18 19 20
these degrees are assigned him for his face  in taurus  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
in cancer  11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
in virgo  21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
in sagittarius  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
in aquarius  11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
the moon governs the earthy triplicity viz taurus virgo and  capricornus by night
she is exalted in taurus and has her fall in scorpio
the sun and the  moon have no terms assigned them
in the twelve signs she has these degrees assigned her for her face  in taurus  11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
in cancer  21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
in libra  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
in sagittarius  11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
in aquarius  21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
chapter v  of the influences of the seven planets  the planet saturn is the most remote of the seven planetary orbs  recognised by the ancient writers on astrology
he is of a pale ash  colour slow in motion only finishing his course through the twelve  signs of the zodiac in 29 years and about 157 days
his greatest north  latitude from the ecliptic is 2 degrees 48 minutes his south latitude  is 2 degrees 49 minutes
those born with this planet welldignified  4 are studious grave  economical prudent patient and in all their actions sober and  somewhat austere
they are not much given to the love of women but  they are persons of much depth of feeling and when they do love they  are very constant
they are given to the study of occult matters  5  and are of a melancholic suspicious and jealous temperament
in person  when welldignified saturn gives a rather tall stature and long  limbs
the hair is dark the eyebrows much marked and generally meeting  between the eyes which are dark brown deep set and close together
the nose is long and generally somewhat bent over the lips and the  under jaw slightly protrudes
the complexion is sallow the ears large  and the hands and feet are generally long but not fleshy
those born under the potent aspect of saturn are generally slow of  speech and their voices are harsh when saturn rises in a horoscope  devoid of dignities the native is envious covetous malicious  subtle untruthful and of a discontented disposition
in person  frequently deformed with long and irregular features the eyes and  hair dark and the skin yellow and harsh
in mans body this planet rules the spleen the right ear the lips and  the teeth
in illness he gives ague palsy ruptures especially should  he rule in the sign of scorpio jaundice toothache and all affections  of the sight of the ear of the teeth and jaws and of the legs
the herbs he governs are the hemlock hellebore burdock sage  henbane rue nightshade and mandrake
the trees under his rule are the willow the yew the cypress the  boxtree and the pine
the beasts he governs are the elephant the wolf the bear the dog6  the basilisk the crocodile the scorpion the serpent the rat the  mouse and all manner of creeping things among birds the crow the  cuckoo the raven the owl and the bat
of fish he rules the eel the tortoise and all shell fish
the minerals he governs are lead and the dross of all metals
his stones are jet onyx and all dark stones which are incapable of  polish
the colour he rules is black
he rules saturday—the first hour after sunrise and the eighth hour of  the same day
his number is 55
in gathering the herbs under his rule  the ancients were particular to do so in his hours as this rendered  the medicament more powerful
this is to be observed regarding the  herbs ruled by all the planets
saturns orb is nine degrees before and after any aspect that is his  influence begins to operate when either he applies to any planet or it  applies to him within nine degrees of his perfect aspect and his  influence continues in force until he is separated nine degrees from  the aspect
his angel is cassiel
his friends are jupiter venus  mercury and the moon his enemies are mars and the sun
jupiter is the next planet below saturn and is of a bright clear  azure colour
he much exceeds saturn in motion as he finishes his  course through the twelve signs in twelve years
his greatest north  latitude is 1 degree 38 minutes and his greatest south latitude 1  degree 40 minutes
when he rises at birth welldignified he gives an  erect tall stature sanguine complexion oval face large grey eyes  thick brown hair full lips and good teeth
in temperament those born  under the good influence of this planet are honourable generous and  hospitable but loving material pleasures kind and affectionate to  wife and family charitable desiring to be well thought of and hating  all mean and sordid actions
the voices of those born under jupiter are  clear and sonorous
when this planet rises devoid of dignities  the native will be gluttonous profligate vain and boastful of mean  abilities and shallow understanding easily seduced to extravagance and  a tyrant to those of his family and household
in mans body he rules the lungs and the blood and of diseases he  gives apoplexy gout inflammation of the lungs pleurisy and all  illnesses proceeding from corruption of the blood
the herbs he governs are cloves mace nutmeg gilliflower marjoram  mint borage and saffron
of trees he rules the mulberry the olive the vine the fig the  beech and the peartree
of beasts the sheep the hart the ox and all those animals that are  useful to man
of birds the stork the snipe the lark the eagle the pheasant the  partridge and the peacock
of fishes the whale the dolphin and the swordfish
his metal is tin
his stones are the sapphire the amethyst and the emerald
of colours he rules red mixed with green
his day is thursday and he rules the first hour after sunrise and the  eighth hour
his number is 78
his orb is 9 degrees before and after any aspect
all the planets except mars are his friends
his angel is zadkiel
mars in order succeeds jupiter
he appears of a red colour and  finishes his course through the zodiac in 1 year 321 days
his greatest  north latitude is 4 degrees 31 minutes
his south latitude is 6 degrees  47 minutes
when he is welldignified in a horoscope the native is  courageous confident loving war and all that belongs to it jealous  of honour hottempered and a great lover of fieldsports
in person he  will be of middle stature broadshouldered and with big bones the  complexion of a red fairness the hair is crisp or curly and also red  but this varies slightly according to the sign rising at birth in  watery signs the hair is not so red and in earthy signs it is more  chestnut the eyes are grey and have a bold fixed glance like that of  a hawk
when he is illdignified at birth the native is turbulent cruel  boastful a promoter of sedition ungracious in manners and  unscrupulous in his actions with no fear of either god or man
he  rules the head and face the gall the throat and intestines and the  diseases he gives are fevers carbuncles smallpox all throat  affections all hurts to the head and face especially by iron and  all diseases which arise from too much heat of blood also accidents  from fourfooted beasts
the herbs over which he rules are the nettle the thistle onions  scammony garlic horehound cardamons mustard and all herbs giving  heat
of trees all those which are of a prickly nature such as the holly  the thorn and the chestnut
of beasts all fierce animals—the tiger the panther the wolf the  horse the leopard the wild ass and the bear
the dog is sometimes assigned to mars on account of its courage and  combativeness
this delightful animal is probably ruled by both saturn  and mars the former giving it the quality of fidelity which it  possesses in a degree beyond all other creatures
of fish the pike the barbel and the swordfish
of birds the hawk the vulture the kite the eagle the magpie and  the cock all of which are combative
the metal he rules is iron
the colour he rules is red
the stones the carbuncle the ruby and the bloodstone
his orb is 7 degrees before and after any aspect
he governs tuesday—the first hour after sunrise and the eighth
his  number is 39
his friend among the planets is venus all the others are his enemies
his angel is samael
the sun passes through all the twelve signs of the zodiac in one year  and a few hours over the 365 days which constitute the year
he has no  latitude
when the sun rises at a birth welldignified the native is of an  honourable disposition but always desiring to rule loving pomp yet  affable speaking with gravity and without too many words and  possessing much selfreliance and dignity of manner
in person he will  be tall well made with golden hair yellowish skin large and  piercing eyes and long straight and wellformed features
when illaspected the native is arrogant boastful a spendthrift  proud yet in poverty hanging on other mens charity very loquacious  restless and without judgment
he governs the heart the brain the right eye and the arms and the  diseases he causes are all illnesses of the heart such as swoons  palpitations cramps also diseases of the mouth the brain and the  eyes
of colours he rules the yellow and orange colour
chapter vi
concerning the twelve houses of heaven and their powers  the ancient astrologers divided the heavens into twelve houses
the first house—this is called the ascendant and the  planet rising therein—whether well or illdignified—will materially  affect the mind bodily appearance and fate of the native through his  whole existence
this house is masculine and governs the head and face  of man and if the planet mars be in this house at the time of birth  there will always be some blemish or mole in the face of the native if  a few out of the degrees have ascended the scar or blemish is without  fail on the upper part of the head if the middle part of the sign  ascends the mark is in the middle of the face if the latter part of  the sign is ascending the mark is near the chin
this house represents  the head the tongue and the memory and it governs in colours white
the second house—this house has signification of the natives  wealth and worldly goods
the house is feminine ruling the neck and  the colour is green
the third house—this governs brothers and sisters short  journeys neighbours letters and writings
it is masculine and governs  the hands arms and shoulders its colours are red and yellow mixed
the fourth house—this rules the father inheritances or  property of the native and shows his condition at the close of life
it is feminine and rules the stomach breast and lungs its colour is  red
the fifth house—this signifies the children of the native  also his success in speculation and hazardous games the pleasures he  enjoys and the wealth of the father
it rules the heart back and  liver is masculine and represents in colour black and white mixed
the sixth house—this concerns the natives servants sheep  goats and small cattle
it also signifies the fathers kindred
this  house is feminine
it rules the belly and intestines and its colour is  black
the seventh house gives judgment of marriage and describes the  man or woman in all love questions
it is masculine it rules the  haunches and its colour is black
the eighth house argues of death of legacies and wills also of  the kind of death a man shall die it is a feminine house
it rules the  lower parts of the trunk of the body its colours are green and black
the ninth house gives judgment on voyages and long journeys and  also on events happening to the wifes kindred
it rules the hips and  thighs
it is a masculine house its colours are green and white
the tenth house is called the midheaven and is  feminine
this concerns the natives mother and also his calling
it  rules the knees and hams and its colours are red and white
the eleventh house represents friends and friendship
it is  masculine and rules the legs
the twelfth house—this house is often called the evil  d�mon for it is the house of sorrow selfundoing enemies and  imprisonment
it governs great cattle
it is feminine and rules the  feet and toes and in colour it governs green
the strongest houses are the first the ascendant and the tenth  the midheaven
the first fourth seventh and tenth are  called angular houses and represent the four cardinal points of the  compass thus the first is east the seventh west the fourth is north  and the tenth south
the second fifth eighth and eleventh houses are  called succedent houses the third sixth ninth and twelfth houses  are termed cadent houses see plate 1
any planet posited in a cadent  house is regarded as weak in its effects on the native
it is necessary  to have thoroughly mastered the influences of the twelve houses as  well as those of the seven planets and of the signs of the zodiac  before attempting to cast a nativity or to work a horary question
chapter vii
an explanation of various terms used in astrology  ascension right—the distance any body or point in the heavens  is from the beginning of the ecliptic or first point of aries
it is  measured in degrees and minutes of a degree
it is thus abbreviated a  r  ascension oblique—if a star be not on the equator it will  when it rises form an angle with that part of the equator which is  rising at the same time and this is called its  ascensional difference—this added to its right ascension a  r if it have south declination but subtracted from it if it  have north declination gives its oblique ascension
application signifies the approach of two planets and is of  three kinds first when a planet swift of motion applies to one of  slower progress for example we will suppose mercury posited in 16  degrees of the sign gemini and mars in 21 degrees of the same sign  both being in direct motion mercury being swifter would  overtake and form a conjunction with mars which is termed a direct  application
the second kind of application is formed by two  retrograde planets thus we will suppose mercury in 16 degrees of  gemini and saturn in 15 degrees of the same sign both retrograde
mercury being the swiftest planet applies to saturn a more ponderous  planet by retrogradation and this is called a retrograde  application
the third kind of application is when one planet  being direct in motion meets another which is retrograde for  instance we will suppose mercury retrograde in 16 degrees of gemini  and saturn direct in motion in 12 degrees of the same sign here  mercury being the higher planet applies to a conjunction of  saturn by a retrograde motion
these two last are considered  evil applications
it should also be remembered that the  superior planets saturn jupiter and mars never apply to the inferior  planets venus mercury and the moon except by retrograde motion but  the inferior planets apply in both ways
besieging signifies a planet situated between the two malevolent  planets saturn and mars thus if saturn were in the 12th degree of  aries jupiter in the 14th and mars in the 16th jupiter would then be  besieged by the two malefic planets saturn and mars
this is  of course an evil position
cazimi—a planet is said to be in cazimi when it is in  the heart of the sun that is only 17 minutes before or after the sun
all astrologers agree that a planet is fortified by this position but  a planet when combust is very evil in its influences
direct motion signifies that a planet is moving on its natural  course according to the succession of the signs of the zodiac thus a  planet is direct in motion when it moves from aries to taurus  or from taurus to gemini
frustration means the approach of a swift planet to an aspect  with one of slower motion but before it can approach near enough to  join that aspect the more weighty planet is joined to some other by  which the first aspect is frustrated
hayz is when a masculine diurnal planet is situated above the  horizon in the daytime or when a feminine nocturnal planet is placed  below the horizon in the nighttime this is fortunate in its  influence
node—that part of the ecliptic where a planet passes out of  north into south latitude is its south node that where it goes into  north latitude is its north node
oriental and occidental—a planet when oriental rises before  the sun when occidental sets after him and is seen above the horizon  when the sun is down consequently when a planet is oriental it is  posited in the east and when occidental in the west
from the fourth house eastward to the tenth is oriental and from the  tenth westward to the fourth is occidental
but or  are oriental between the first and tenth and its  opposite quarter and are occidental between the tenth and  seventh and its opposite quarter
void of course is when a planet is separated from another  planet and does not during its continuance in the same sign form any  aspect with any other planet
this most usually happens with the moon
the effect of this is  to face chapter viii
chapter viii
of the figure of the heavens  this was formerly termed a horoscope but is now more generally  called a figure of the heavens
it is simply a scheme or plan  representing an accurate picture of the heavens—that is of the  positions of the sun moon and planets and in some instances of the  fixed stars also for the moment at which a child is born
in horary  questions the figure is drawn for the required time which may be the  moment of the propounding of a question to an astrologer or of the  occurrence of any event of the result of which astrological information  is desired
this map which contains the twelve divisions already described as the  twelve houses of heaven may be drawn in either a square or circular  form
lilly and other medi�val writers use both forms indiscriminately  but as the latter is more easily understood the diagram plate 2 is  drawn up in that manner
it will be seen that it is formed of three  circles
in the centre space the date time and place of the event of a  horary question are entered and in a nativity the name sex and moment  of birth of the native
the next space divided into twelve equal parts  for the houses is reserved for the planets and in the outer space are  placed the signs of the zodiac with the number of their degrees on  the cusp of each house
the cusps of the houses are represented by that  line between each house
having obtained an ephemeris or astrological  almanack  7 for the year required we must find the sidereal time for  the day and month of the birth or question then if the time of the  event be before noon we must deduct the difference  between the given time and noon from the sidereal time of the day for  example on the day of the event the 9th january 1889 the sidereal  time at noon is shown by the ephemeris to be 19 hours 16 minutes 51  seconds if the birth had been at 9 am
the difference between 9 am  and noon is 3 hours
we should therefore have to deduct 3  hours from 19 hours 16 minutes 51 seconds which gives 16 hours 16  minutes 51 seconds the sidereal time required
as the event is supposed to happen at 3 in the afternoon we  must add the difference between noon and the time given to the  sidereal time of the day
the difference between noon and 3 pm is 3  hours and as the sidereal time on the 9th january 1889 is 19 hours  16 minutes 51 seconds we add 3 hours to this amount which  gives 22 hours 16 minutes 51 seconds the sidereal time required
we must now proceed to place the signs for 3 pm on the 9th january  1889 which is thus done we turn to the table of houses which will  be found at the end of the ephemeris and having found under the  column headed sidereal time the nearest time to 22 hours 16 minutes  51 seconds which in this case is 22 hours 16 minutes 48 seconds for the  latitude of london we see in the next column headed 10 the sign  pisces and the number 3� opposite our sidereal time  showing that the third degree of pisces is on the cusp of the 10th  house in the next column headed 11 we see  and the number  7� we therefore place 7� on the cusp of the 11th  house next 24� on the 12th then 7� 5′ on the  ascendant or first house 23� on the 2nd and 10�  on the 3rd for the remaining houses we place the signs in  order opposite to those already given keeping the same number of  degrees to each corresponding house and sign
the opposite house to the  10th is the 4th and the opposite sign to is  we  therefore place 3� on the cusp of the 4th house and so on  of the rest
it will however now be seen that the two signs   and are missing these signs are intercepted which means that  they lie between two houses without occupying the cusp of either they  must therefore be placed in their order between the cusps of  the houses
this is of course not always the case and some horoscopes  will have no intercepted signs
how to place the planets
in the ephemeris the longitudes of the planets are given daily for mean  noon so to find the exact place of a planet for a given time  we must note the difference of longitude between the previous noon and  noon of the day for drawing the map for am and for pm the  difference between noon of the day and noon of the day after
this  difference is the motion of the planet in 24 hours which we  must work thus as 24 hours are to—hours ie the difference  between the given time and noon so is the daily motion to the motion  required
for example the at noon on the 6th january is  omitting seconds in 19� 29′  and on the 10th january at  noon he is in 20� 30′  which gives a daily motion  of 59 minutes
we must find his place for 3 pm on the 9th january
as  24 hours are to 3 hours so are 59 minutes to the time required this  equals about 7 minutes which we add to the s longitude at noon  on the 9th
if the event had been for am this amount would have been  deducted from the s longitude at noon on the day  of the event
we must proceed in the same way for the other planets and  place them in the map according to their positions in respect to the  degrees on the cusps of the houses
the will be in 19�  36′  or about the middle of the 7th house
and note  that the number of degrees of a sign on the cusp of any house shows  that that sign commenced in the previous house
supposing the  had been 1� of  we should then have  placed it in the 6th house a little below the cusp of the 7th
when a  planet is retrograde shown in the ephemeris thus r  we add the amount to the longitude when the event is before noon  or am and deduct it from the longitude when the event is  after noon or pm
the mode of giving the judgment on a horoscope will  be shown farther on
chapter ix
of the influences of the fixed stars  the fixed stars are so called because they appear to keep at the same  distance from one another in the heavens
all of these stars have their  respective influences analogous to those of the planets
the following  table of the principal fixed stars with their several magnitudes and  natures will be found useful
it is only those of the first and second  magnitude which much affect us the influence of those stars marked as  of fourth magnitude is very slight
the time of the rising and setting  of the fixed stars varies according to the latitudes of the places of  observation
their longitudes increase at the annual rate of 50  seconds but their latitudes vary very little
the right ascension and  declinations of the numerous fixed stars are given every year in the  nautical almanack
table of the principal fixed stars with their magnitudes and  natures
stars
magnitudes
natures
south end of the tail of the whale  2  of the nature of saturn
the star in the wing of pegasus  2  mars and mercury
the head of andromeda  2  jupiter and venus
the whales belly  4  saturn
the girdle of andromeda  2  venus
the bright star in the head of aries  3  saturn and mars
the left foot of andromeda  2  venus
the bright star in the jaw of the whale  2  saturn
caput algol  2  saturn and jupiter
the pleiades or seven stars  5  mars and the moon
the middle star in the pleiades  3  mars and the moon
oculus taurus  3  venus
aldebaran  1  mars
rigel  1  jupiter and venus
the foremost shoulder of orion  2  mars and mercury
the shegoat  1  mercury and mars
the middle star in orions belt  2  jupiter and saturn
the highest star in the head of orion  4  jupiter and saturn
the star in the horn of the bull  3  mars
propus  4  mars
the right shoulder of auriga  2  mars and mercury
the foot of gemini  2  mercury and venus
castor  2  mars venus and saturn
pollux  2  mars
the smaller dog star  2  mercury and mars
pr�sepe  8  1  mars and the moon
north asellus  4  mars and the sun
south asellus  4  mars and the sun
cor leonis or regulus  1  mars
heart of hydra  1  saturn and venus
vindemiatrix  3  saturn venus and mercury
the back of the lion  2  saturn and venus
the tail of the lion  1  saturn venus and mercury
crater  4  venus and mercury
arcturus  1  jupiter and mars
the virgins spike or arista  1  venus and mars
the south balance  2  saturn and venus
the north balance  2  jupiter and mars
the left hand of ophiucus  3  mars and saturn
the highest star in head of scorpio  2  saturn and venus
the left knee of ophiucus  3  saturn and venus
cor scorpio  2  mars and jupiter
antares  1  mars
the right knee of ophiucus  3  saturn and venus
the bright star of the vulture  2  saturn and mercury
the mouth of pegasus  3  venus and mercury
the tail of the goat  3  saturn
marchab  2  mars and mercury
fomalhaut  1  venus and mercury
scheatpegasi  2  saturn
to know when any of these fixed stars will affect the horoscope we must  note the sign and degree on the cusps of the houses and if on  consulting the ephemeris any of these stars should be found to be  ascending or descending within five degrees of the signs upon the cusps  of the several houses they must be entered in the same manner as the  planets and their qualities weighed according to the nature of the  planet or planets with which they correspond as shown by the table  given
chapter x
of the effect of each planet in each of the twelve houses  saturn in the first house or ascendant shows melancholy and many  sorrows and if near the ascendant probability of early death in the  second house pecuniary troubles in the third quarrels with brothers  and sisters and dangers and losses in travelling in the fourth house  death of father or mother and loss of friends in the fifth barrenness  or death of children in the sixth illness worries with servants and  losses from cattle in the seventh an ungovernable wife and unhappy  marriage in the eighth violent death and loss of legacies in the  ninth losses by sea in the tenth dishonour and imprisonment in the  eleventh deep depression and false friends in the twelfth sorrow  trouble and persecution from secret enemies
if the planet is  strong—that is welldignified—these evils are much lessened
jupiter in the first house gives a good happy and long life in the  second riches in the third family affection and fortunate short  journeys in the fourth lands and inheritance with an honourable life  and end in the fifth many children who are good and affectionate in  the sixth faithful servants and fortunate dealings respecting cattle  in the seventh honourable marriage in the eighth long life and natural  death in the ninth profitable sea voyages in the tenth preferment and  honours in the eleventh faithful friends in the twelfth victory over  secret enemies
this of course means when the planet is strong in  dignities if weak the good will be somewhat abated
mars in the first house shows shortness of life and scars on the head  or face in the second poverty and troubles in the third quarrels with  kindred and dangers in travelling in the fourth short life to the  fathers in the fifth disobedient children in the sixth fevers bad  servants and loss of cattle in the seventh sensuality and unhappiness  in marriage in the eighth a violent death in the ninth irreligion and  losses at sea in the tenth military preferment but troubles from  great dignitaries in the eleventh false friends and loss of money in  the twelfth imprisonment
this is when mars is afflicted but if  wellaspected these evils are somewhat abated
the sun in the first house gives honour glory and long life in the  second much riches but great extravagance in the third good brethren  and fortunate journeys in the fourth a noble inheritance and honours  in old age in the fifth few children yet such as will be a comfort  in the sixth diseases of the mind in the seventh a good wife  honourable adversaries and sickness in the eighth good dowry with the  wife but danger of a violent death in the ninth gain by the sea and  ecclesiastical dignities in the tenth gain from princes and noble  women in the eleventh distinguished friendships in the twelfth  powerful adversaries
this is if the sun is welldignified if weak the  good fortune is not so pronounced
venus in the first house gives good health but sensuality as regards  the opposite sex in the second riches by means of women in the third  in a womans horoscope by means of lovers above her in rank in the  fourth inheritance in the fifth many children in the sixth illness  from excesses in the seventh a good and beautiful wife and very few  enemies in the eighth a good dowry with the wife and a natural death  in the ninth good fortune by sea in the tenth honour and preferment  through the means of some one of the opposite sex in the eleventh  sympathetic friends in the twelfth freedom from the power of private  enemies
this if venus be strong if weak the good fortune is less  pronounced
mercury in the first house gives noble thoughts graceful elocution  and love of art and science in the second profit by intellectual work  in the third mathematical skill swift and prosperous journeys in the  fourth the gain of an inheritance by craftiness in the fifth clever  children in the sixth thieving servants and diseases of the brain in  the seventh a fomenter of quarrels but a discreet wife in the eighth  death by consumption in the ninth wonderful ability especially in  occult matters in the tenth much preferment for ability in the  eleventh inconstant friends in the twelfth secret enemies but they  will not much affect the destiny
this is when mercury is  welldignified
if weak the good fortune is much lessened
the moon in the ascendant or first house shows the native will travel  and will gain the favour of noble persons in the second she sometimes  gives unstable fortune riches and poverty alternately in the third  long journeys in the fourth profit by travelling in the fifth many  children in the sixth diseases of the brain but good servants in the  seventh honourable marriage in the eighth danger by drowning but  otherwise a long and healthy life in the ninth many long sea voyages  inconstancy in religion and love of art in the tenth great honours  in the eleventh the friendship of noble personages in the twelfth the  common people will be the natives enemies and do him much wrong
the dragons head when posited in the first house shows poverty in the  second a good estate in the third honest kindred and fortunate  journeys in the fourth gain by travels in the fifth long life and  good children in the sixth health and good servants in the seventh a  virtuous wife in the eighth many legacies and a natural death in the  ninth prosperity at sea in the tenth honour in the eleventh faithful  friends in the twelfth open enemies
the dragons tail in the same places signifies the contrary in all  things
chapter xi
on forming a general judgment on a nativity  respecting the distribution of the doctrine of nativities we are to  consider first the parents then the duration of life the shape  and figure of the body after these the quality of the mind then as to  fortune in regard to honours as well as wealth
in succession to these  the character of the employment the questions relative to marriage  children and friendships then that concerning travel and lastly  that concerning the kind of death which awaits the native from  the configuration of the heavens at his birth
the parents—in conformity with nature says ptolemy the sun  and saturn are allotted to the person of the father and the moon and  venus to that of the mother and the mode in which these luminaries and  planets may be found posited with reference to each other as well as  to other planets and stars will intimate the situation of affairs  affecting the parents
if mars should be in bad aspect to the sun the father will receive  some injury to the face or die suddenly but a long life is presaged if  jupiter or venus be in any mode whatever configurated with either the  sun or saturn
if mars be succedent to the moon or venus or in quartile or opposition  to them or if saturn be similarly aspected to the moon only and both  of them be void of course or retrograde or cadent adverse accidents  and disease will attend the mother should they on the other hand be  swift in motion and placed in angles they portend that her life will  be short or grievously afflicted
should the sun be configurated in any mode whatever with the moon or  venus or should venus herself be harmoniously configurated with the  moon either by the sextile the trine or the conjunction the mother  will live long
concerning the duration of the natives own life the hylegliacal9  places are according to ptolemy the sign on the angle of the  ascendant from the fifth degree above the horizon to the twentyfifth  degree below it the thirty degrees in dexter sextile thereto  constituting the eleventh house also the thirty degrees in dexter  quartile forming the midheaven above the earth those in dexter trine  making the ninth house and lastly those in opposition belonging to  the angle of the west
among these places the degrees which constitute the midheaven are  entitled to preference as being of a more potent influence the  degrees in the ascendant are next in virtue then the degrees in the  eleventh house succedent to the midheaven then those in the angle of  the west and lastly those in the ninth house which precedes the  midheaven
he also holds that the sun the moon and the ascendant to be  considered as the four principally liable to be elected to the office  of prorogator—or hyleg
these views are not adopted by the modern astrologers but as this is a  book setting forth the ancient methods it is needless to discuss  the various objections made by them to this as to some other of the  theories laid down by ptolemy
among the four prorogators already given the sun by day is to be  preferred provided he is placed in one of the hylegliacal places and  if not the moon but if the moon also should not be so posited that  planet is to be elected as hyleg which may have most claims to dominion  in reference to the sun the moon and the ascendant which means that  the planet should have dominion in any one of the places where these  are situated by at least three dignities
if however no planet  should be so circumstanced the ascendant is then to be taken as hyleg
by night the moon is to be elected as prorogator provided in like  manner she should be in some prorogatory place and if she be not the  sun if he also be not in any prorogatory place then that planet which  may have most right of dominion in reference to the moon and the  antecedent full moon and the part of fortune
but if there be no  planet claiming dominion in the mode prescribed the ascendant must be  taken in case a new moon had last preceded the birth but if a full  moon the part of fortune
if the two luminaries and also some ruling planet of appropriate  condition should be each posited in a prorogatory place then provided  one luminary may be found to occupy some place more important and  influential than the others that luminary must be chosen but should  the ruling planet occupy the stronger place and have prerogatives of  dominion suitable to the conditions of both luminaries the planet must  then be preferred to either of them
when the hyleg has been determined by the foregoing rules then note  whether it is supported by benevolent planets in good aspects towards  it and free from affliction—that is from evil aspects from evil  planets—if so the life is likely to continue and the constitution to  be strong but if the hyleg whether it be the sun the moon or the  ascendant be afflicted with evil planets and there be no assistance  from good planets the child will die in infancy if there be some  assistance from good planets but yet the evil aspects exceed the good  the constitution will be weak and the first train of evil directions  will destroy the life
concerning the disposition and quality of the mind we must look  principally to the planets in the ascendant the influences of which  over mind and body have already been given in the chapter on the seven  planets
we must however always bear in mind that mercury has chief  dominion over the mental faculties whilst the sentient passions are  governed by the moon and the planet in the ascendant
the moon  wellaspected that is in trine sextile or conjunction to mercury at  birth will give to the native excellent abilities ingenuity  versatility and wit
even the evil aspects of the square and opposition  are better than no aspects at all though these sometimes produce a  cynical and obstinate nature
the abilities of those born when mercury is in cazimi that is  within seventeen minutes of the suns centre are of the highest order
mercury in conjunction with saturn at birth gives clear judgment and a  love of occult subjects
venus in good aspect with mercury gives love of music and an artistic  nature
if mercury and the moon throw no aspect to each other and are afflicted  by mars and saturn the native will be liable to become insane
10  the fortune of wealth is determined by the sun and the moon if they  are in good position that is angular and wellaspected by the two  luminaries the native will be rich
if the sun and the moon are well  placed and if there be benefic stars in the midheaven the native  will rank high in the world
if the contrary the native never rises  above mediocrity and if saturn afflicts the midheaven he meets  disgrace
if mars is strong and in good aspect to the sun and moon he  will gain military glory
jupiter on the midheaven and the sun and  moon in trine to each other the moon having the trine of jupiter is  one of the best positions for rising in the world
jupiter in the tenth  house will cause the native to do fairly well in the world but saturn  in that house if not extremely wellaspected will bring him to shame  and beggary
concerning the nature of employment the dominion of the employment is  claimed by the sun and by the planet on the midheaven
if mercury  should rule alone he produces writers teachers of science merchants  and bankers also if wellaspected to saturn and the moon astrologers  and students of all occult matters if jupiter is in conjunction then  the native will be an orator actor or painter and his pursuits will  lead him into the society of persons of rank
venus ruling makes winemerchants dealers in colours dyes perfumes  drugs garments or apparel c if connected with saturn she makes  persons have to do with amusement players jugglers c if with  jupiter persons attending exhibitions and priests who have much  personal decoration such as catholic priests bishops c and they  will gain by women
mars ruling alone makes martial men and if in  scorpio cancer or pisces naval men
11 the sun joined with him  being near the midheaven or in aspect makes persons dealing with  fire or metals the latter especially if in taurus or leo
if mars be  separated from the sun he makes shipwrights smiths agriculturists  stonemasons and carpenters
if saturn bear testimony in addition to mars persons become mariners  workers in mines wells vaults c underground keepers of cattle  cooks butchers
if jupiter join with mars they will be soldiers  innkeepers taxgatherers mechanics
if mercury and venus become joint  arbiters of employment they produce musicians dancers poets weavers  and painters c jupiter in connection with them makes magistrates and  senators and also teachers of youth
mercury with mars makes surgeons  statuaries boxers
if mercury be more powerful they will be  scientific and if mars be stronger they will be more violent and  cruel in their practices
12 if saturn join these two they will be  thieves especially if the moon be in ill aspect to mercury if  be in ill aspect to  they will be robbers  or assassins
if jupiter join and   they engage in honourable warfare and are industrious
if venus and  mars rule together persons will be dyers workers in tin lead gold  silver and medical drugs
the moon regulating the employment and separating from the sun and  forming an aspect with mercury inclines to the pursuit of astrology  spiritualism and magic
concerning marriage ptolemy has laid down some very clear  rules
he advises persons about to marry to have a care that the  luminaries—that is the sun and moon in their respective  nativities—are in concord
it is of happy augury if the moon in the  bridegrooms nativity is in good aspect—that is in trine or sextile  to the sun in the brides nativity
the square or opposition aspects  formed between the luminaries in the two nativities indicate discord  and separation and very evil effects follow if the malefic planets  saturn and mars have a bad aspect to the sun and moon in both  nativities
if venus be with them the separation will be caused by  adultery
good planets such as jupiter and venus placed between the  luminaries in both nativities show much happiness
in mens nativities the moon must be chiefly considered in regard to  marriage
should she be in her first or third quarter at birth the man  will marry under thirty or if older his wife will be a very young  woman
if the moon be configurated with saturn she entirely denies marriage
if she should be in a sign of single form such as libra or taurus the  native will marry only once but if she should be placed in a  doublebodied sign such as pisces or sagittarius the man will marry  more than once
if the moon make application to the benefics the wives will be good  and true but if she make application to evil planets the wives will  prove either bad or of a quarrelsome disposition
for example if  saturn receives the moons application the wife will prove troublesome  and morose yet constant and industrious if jupiter receive it the  wife will be decorous good and economical if mars bold and  refractory if venus cheerful handsome and agreeable if mercury  sensible prudent and clever
women in whose nativities venus is configurated with jupiter or mercury  are virtuous and wellconducted but when venus is with mars and no  other planet is there women born under such aspects are liable to  become licentious
mars in square to venus shows adultery
for women the sun is to be chiefly regarded in estimating their chances  of marriage and happiness
if the sun be oriental ie between  the ascendant and midheaven or between the descendant and nadir the  native will marry in her youth or when old to a young man
if the sun  be occidental the native will marry late in life or when young to an  old man
if the sun be in a sign of single form she will marry but  once if in a doublebodied sign or configurated with several oriental  planets in one sign she will marry more than once
if saturn be  configurated with the sun the husband will be steadfast prosperous  and industrious
jupiter configurated with the sun gives a good benevolent and  honourable husband
mars says ptolemy gives a severe husband void  of affection and intractable
venus gives an amiable husband of  handsome appearance
mercury gives one who is provident and expert in  business and of a lively and cheerful temperament
if mars be separated from venus and saturn yet have the assistance of  jupiter men will lead virtuous lives
if mars be configurated with  venus only men are of a licentious temperament
saturn when in the 7th house of a nativity brings either unhappiness  in marriage or early death of one or other of the married people
the  sun badly aspected by saturn in the nativity of a woman and the moon  afflicted by the same planet in the nativity of a man will bring  trouble in love and marriage
description of the wife or husband—the planet with the sign in  which it is placed which is posited near the cusp of the 7th house  must be taken to describe the person
if no planet should happen to be  so placed then we must go by the sign alone
benefic planets in the  8th house show that the wife or husband will be rich unfortunate  planets show the reverse
children—as regards the probability of having children the  10th and 11th houses must be consulted and should there be no planets  in them then the opposite the 4th and 5th houses must be considered
the moon jupiter and venus are said to be givers of children the sun  mars and saturn deny children or give very few and those either die  early or are a source of trouble to their parents
mercury either  gives or denies according to the planets with which he may happen to be  posited
if the sun and malefics be in barren signs or in masculine signs and in  the beforenamed houses there will be no children but if they be in  fruitful or feminine or common signs there may be children but they  will be delicate and shortlived
if jupiter the moon and venus are welldignified in the 10th and 11th  houses the children born will attain rank and distinction in the  world
friends and enemies—persons born under the same sign of the  zodiac are likely to be sympathetic so also if the planet in the  ascendant of one persons nativity is one which is friendly to that  which rises in the ascendant in the others
thus a person whose  ruling planet is venus would be attracted by one in whose ascendant  mars is dominant and a person whose ruling planet is the moon rarely  contracts a warm friendship with one who has mars in the ascendant of  his nativity and vice vers�
the friendships and enmities of the  planets have already been given in the chapter on the influences of the  seven planets
mars in bad aspect to the sun or moon in the 7th house causes quarrels  in married life
travelling—the position of the moon and mars are here to be  considered
if they should be in a cadent position the native will  travel a great deal
the moon in a watery sign causes much travelling  by water
ptolemy tells us that mars in square or opposition to the sun  or moon will cause much travelling in foreign countries
if the  benefics are conjoined with the moon the journeys will be safe and  pleasant if with the malefics they will produce mischances and  illhealth in travelling
mercury ascending at birth in a  doublebodied or moveable sign shows a great disposition to travel
if  a malefic affecting the moon should be in the watery signs of cancer  scorpio or pisces shipwreck and even death by drowning may ensue  during travelling
of the manner of death—if the hyleg and ascendant should be  wellaspected and if either jupiter venus mercury or the moon  welldignified should appear in the eighth house the native will die a  natural death
if either the sun or moon should be badly aspected by  mars or saturn in the eighth house it is significant of a violent or  remarkable death
saturn causes lingering deaths and mars those which  are sudden
saturn indicates death by chronic diseases rheumatism ague and  paralysis
chapter xii
concerning directions and horary questions  we have seen in the chapter on the judgment of a nativity that by the  consideration of the position of the planets and of the sun and moon in  the twelve houses what the general fortune of the native will  be in the whole course of his life but the art of direction measures  out the time into years months weeks and days and thus informs us  when we may expect in particular what is generally  promised us in the nativity
directions are of two kinds primary and secondary and  are based upon arithmetical calculations of the time of the events  caused by the aspects of the significators that is of the sun or the  moon with the places of the planets
they are founded upon the  familiarities of the stars amongst each other in the zodiac after  the nativity and show by calculations the distance of the place  of a significator at the moment of the nativity from the place it must  reach before it can join the aspect which distance is called the  arc of direction
some astrologers consider what are called  mundane directions which are distances in the world measured  by the semiarc and are wholly independent of the zodiac
these were  invented by placidus but as ptolemy does not treat of them they will  not be considered here
it must always be remembered that—in directions—the place of a  planet at the time of the nativity is called the planet itself  although it may not be there when the significator arrives thus if we  wish to direct the sun to the conjunction of jupiter we must do so to  the position which that planet occupied at the moment of the  nativity
when the arc of direction is found the suns right ascension  must be added to it and the sun will be the right ascension without  latitude of that place in the zodiac at which when the sun arrives  the direction will be completed
for every day of the suns approach to  this point a year must be added and thus the time when the event is  likely to happen is pointed out these primary directions however  cannot be depended upon to produce an event of great importance unless  the secondary directions agree but where the nativity is weak the  primary direction alone is powerful enough to kill especially if it  should be opposed to the hyleg and misfortune will always happen if  the positions of the planets at the moment of birth are unfortunate  without the coincidence of any secondary direction
secondary directions are those daily aspects to the luminaries  which happen after birth every day of which is reckoned for a year  two hours for a month thirty minutes for a week and four minutes for  a day
13 thus whatever aspects take place in the first day of  the natives life will develop their effects in the first year and  those of the second day in the second year so that should the native  live fifty years his secondary direction for his fiftieth year will  arise from the aspects which took place on the fiftieth day after his  birth
the ancient astrologers—particularly the egyptians—used to  predict the events of a nativity wholly from these secondary  directions14 in which the moon should be chiefly considered for in  those days on which she comes to an evil aspect with the malefics  saturn or mars the years corresponding to those days will be  peculiarly unfortunate and dangerous to the native and where on the  contrary the moon is wellaspected to the benefics the years  corresponding to those days will be very fortunate a good direction  gives prosperity in that matter which the significator indicates thus  we direct the sun to signify the natives preferment or disgrace his  good or bad health and the favour or disesteem of great personages
the direction of the moon refers to the nature of the natives  journeys whether prosperous or the reverse his marriage his wife  his women friends and kinsfolk
the direction of saturn signifies the natives inheritance buildings  possessions and also his fears jealousies and mistrusts
jupiter is directed as regards glory renown riches children and  religion
mars is directed for the natives lawsuits animosities and victories  he also shows the estates of brethren
venus is directed for marriage love and pleasure and all matters in  connection with women
mercury is directed for a knowledge of the amount of wit  understanding trade industry and journeys of the native also for  distinction in scholarship and all intellectual pursuits
the horoscope or ascendant is directed to signify the life affections  and manners of the native
the midheavens direction affects the position and career of the  native
if the directions are to good aspects of benevolent planets they  signify prosperity both of mind and body cheerfulness and all manner  of earthly happiness but if the horoscope should have directions to  the ill aspects of the malefics mars or saturn then evil is to be  expected of the nature given by the malevolent star
if directed to the  good aspects such as the trine or sextile of these evil planets the  misfortune is not so great and even in some instances good may be  predicted
as for example the horoscope directed to the trine or  sextile of mars gives preferment by arms the same aspects towards  saturn would indicate success in building or in mines or some calling  connected with metals
the occasional differences in the life tastes health marriage and  pecuniary affairs of twins born within ten or twenty minutes of each  other are accounted for by the fact that at the birth of the first  child the last degree of a sign may ascend with planets therein or a  planet in the 2nd house at 5 pm may be in the 1st at 515 pm and  the early degrees of another sign may be exactly on the ascendant at  the birth of the second child
a planet may reach the mc or any other of the four cardinal points  at say 10 pm and ten minutes later have passed off when its powers  would have greatly diminished
though the signs rise and set at the  rate of 15� per hour in our latitude from 50� to 60� north it often happens that 30� will ascend in fiftytwo minutes
horary questions are questions asked at a certain time when a person  feels anxious concerning any undertaking or impending event
a figure  or map of the heavens like that erected for a nativity is drawn out  for the minute in which the question is asked and if the astrologer  be skilful and the querist sincere—that is not putting the question  from frivolous motives—the answer will in general be true for the  whole is the effect of that sympathy which pervades all nature and  which is the keynote of all divination under whatsoever form it is  practised
in horary questions the sign ascending and its lord represent the  querent and to these the moon is added and must be considered with the  lord of the ascendant
the house to which the thing belongs—about which enquiry is made—is  the significator of that person and thing and every other house and  its lord are to be considered according to their respective  significations so as to indicate the means and persons by which the  event about which the enquiries are made will be accelerated or  retarded
the dates of events are regulated by the signs and angles
for example  should the significator of the event be in a movable sign and an angle  the event will come to pass in the same number of days as there are  degrees between the significators aspect and the star to which it is  directed if the aspect be by application if by  separation the thing will not take place at all
in one  of the succedent houses movable signs give months common signs years  and fixed signs bring about the event after much delay and when all  hopes of it are past
significators in any of the cadent houses seldom do anything and  should they bring about an event at all they do so after much waiting  and with much trouble and vexation
the matter of horary questions is very well treated in lillys  grammar of astrology published in 1647 and by way of  explaining the manner in which this branch of astrology is worked we  give a facsimile of a map of a horary question to be found in  this book with verbatim lillys method of dealing with that  particular question
judgment of the figure given in plate—living in london where  we have few or no small cattle as in the country i cannot give example  of such creatures but i once set the figure preceding concerning a  dogge which is in the nature of small beasts which dogge was  missing
the question to me was what part of the city they should  search and if he should ever be recovered
the querent was signified by the sign ascending and the lord thereof  for in his person he was saturnine and vitiated according to the  dragons tail in the ascendant in his nature mind and  understanding—that is he was deformed in body and of a covetous  disposition
the sign of the sixth house and his lord signifies the  dogge for that sign stands for sheep hogs and small cattle
the sign of gemini is west and by south the quarter of the heaven is  west mercury the significator of the dogge is in libra a western  sign but southern quarter of heaven tending towards the west the  moon is in virgo a southwest sign and verging towards the western  angle
the strength of the testimonies being thus examined i found the  plurality to signify the west and therefore i judged that the dogge  ought to be westward from the place where the owner lived which was at  temple bar wherefore i judged that the dogge was about long acre or  the upper part of drury lane
in regard that mercury the significator  of the beast was in a sign of the same triplicity as gemini the  ascendant which signifies london and applied to a trine aspect of the  cusp of the sixth house i judged that the dogge was not out of the  lines of communication but was in the same quarter of which i was  more confirmed by the trine of the sun and saturn
the sign in which  mercury appeared was libra—an airy sign therefore i judged that the  dogge was in some chamber or upper room and kept privately or in  great secrecy because the moon was under the beams of the sun and  mercury the moon and the sun were in the eighth house and because the  sun on the monday following would apply by trine to saturn the lord of  the ascendant and the moon to trine of mars having exaltation in the  ascendant i intimated to the owner of the beast that in my opinion  he should have his dogge again or news of his dogge or small beast  upon the monday following or near that time which was true for a  gentleman of the querents acquaintance sent home the dogge the very  same day about ten in the morning who by accident coming to see a  friend in long acre found the dogge chained up under a table and  knowing the dogge to be the querents sent him home as above said to  my very great credit and no doubt also to the great satisfaction of  the dogge himself
chapter xiii
solar horoscopes15  january—aquarius  the influences of this sign last from the twentysecond of january  to the twentyfirst of february
the man born under this influence will be of medium stature good  genius and a great speaker
he will achieve what he desires and will  become famous in his own country
he will be subject to melancholy very religious and of a highly  conscientious nature
the stars however destine him to pass through  much poverty in his youth and he will have other troubles in the matter  of deaths of relations and friends before he is thirty
he will travel  much and in his early youth he will suffer from illness
he will be  much influenced by women to his own detriment
he will lose his first  wife and will marry twice but the second marriage will not be very  fortunate
at thirty he will be very seriously ill but will recover  and live on to about sixtyfour years
the woman who is born at the abovementioned dates will have a charming  and expressive face her eyes will be soft and beautiful in shape and  her hair of a medium brown colour neither very dark nor very fair
in  character she will be slightly melancholy and of a romantic turn of  mind
she will be happy in her marriage
she will have a serious  illness at fifty but will recover from it through the affectionate  care of her husband and will live to a good old age surrounded by her  childrens children
february—pisces  the influences of this sign last from the twentysecond of february  to the twentieth of march
the man who is born under the influence of this sign will be above  middle height his chin will be fleshy his eyes blue and his  complexion rather colourless
his forehead will be low and broad and  his eyes will express much kindness and goodness of disposition
he  will be very fond of aquatic pursuits and take great delight in  angling
he will not be studious for he has not much perseverance but  he will take delight in conversation of an instructive order
he will  not be much of a talker and will be slow to give his opinions on any  subject
he will be of a luxurious temperament and will be much  influenced by women
he will be economical in his household expenses  but will spend money freely on his own pleasures out of his family  circle
he will be fond of travelling and will be more fortunate in  other places than in his own country
he will be ingenious and of good  counsel yet wiser for others than for himself
he will lose his wife  early in life but will not marry again yet this more from indolence  than constancy of feeling
the woman born at this time will be fairly good looking her eyes will  be light blue and she will have a fair complexion and a dimple in the  right cheek
she will be of a good disposition and kind to the poor  but yet she will be selfindulgent and much given to luxury of all  sorts
she will marry twice and have many children but the stars do  not promise her much happiness
she will die at sixtyeight
march—aries  the qualities given by this sign of the zodiac last from the  twentieth of march to the twentieth of april
the man born under this sign will be of medium stature of fierce  countenance with an aquiline nose quickly moving eyes and a strongly  marked dimple in the chin
his hair will be of a reddish tint his  forehead broad and his complexion florid
he will be a loud talker and  have much inclination for women and also for the pleasures of the  table
he will be fond of field sports and very courageous
he will be  subject to accidents both from fire and from fourfooted beasts
he  will be capricious in his affections and will suffer much from his  affairs with women in his youth but will grow wiser towards middle  age
he will not marry
at fifty he will lose much money and will fall  into poverty and thus become alienated from the friends of his youth
his life will not be prolonged much beyond fiftyfive years
the woman born at this time will have a florid complexion large  roundshaped eyes and a square chin
she will be of middle height and  rather strongly made
she will be quicktempered strongwilled very  courageous and rather selfish
she will marry at twentythree but will  not have many children
she will be a widow in middle life and will  marry again within a year of her first husbands death
she will die  suddenly by an accident in her fiftysixth year
april—taurus  the influences of this sign last from the twentyfirst of april to  the twentyfirst of may
the man born under this sign will have full lips a short throat and a  mole at the back of his neck
he will be subject to sudden fits of  anger and will be fierce and cruel
he will be fond of women but will  not be much liked by them and will suffer much in consequence
he will  be ambitious fortunate in business and energetic
he will not be very  prudent in speech and will often get himself in trouble by  overcommunicativeness
he will marry a rich wife and will acquire much  money by legacies from her relations
he will be very ill at forty but  he will survive it and come into much riches soon after it
his life  will go on to about sixtytwo when he will die of much the same  illness which he had at forty
the woman born at this time will be graceful and well formed with  luxuriant hair and a full and wellformed mouth
she will have a good  complexion and will have fascinating manners so that she will much  attract men
she will run great risks both from fire and water and she  will be subject to weakness of the eyes to such excess that towards the  end of her life she will have reason to fear blindness but she will  escape this calamity
although she will have many lovers she will only  marry once for her husband will survive her
she will have many  children and they will all live
she herself will die before sixty
may—gemini  the influences of this sign will last from the twentysecond of may  till the twentyfirst of june
the man born under the influence of this sign will be subject to ulcers  and all skin diseases
he will be tall well formed and of florid  complexion
he will be much liked for his amiable qualities and will  govern his family well
he will travel much in foreign countries and  will acquire many beautiful things in the course of his travels
he  will be attentive to women very conscientious gracious and valiant
he will not be at all given up to luxury but will be of a pious and  selfdenying temperament
he will be bitten by some venomous reptile  yet will not die of the wound but will recover entirely from it in a  short time
he will be falsely accused of some sin and will be  imprisoned for it but he will come out victorious and his innocence  will be acknowledged by all
his marriage is uncertain
the woman who is born at this time will be fluent of speech gracious  in manners witty and intelligent but rather sensitive in temper
she  will be small of stature slight in figure and of a fair complexion
she will have well marked yet delicate eyebrows brilliant eyes and  small white teeth her hands will be slender with pointed fingers
by  reason of her grace and wit she will be much loved but she will not  marry until she is twentyfive
she will be passionately loved by her  husband but she will not return his affection
she will have very few  children who will not live beyond childhood
she herself will die at  sixtyseven
june—cancer  the influences of this sign last from the twentyfirst of june to  the twentyfirst of july
the man born under this sign will be of medium height and will have  light hair and eyebrows
he will be given to deceit in his manners with  women and will be very inconsistent yet always with such gracious  manners towards them that he will be much beloved by them
he will  travel much and will suffer many misfortunes in the way of accidents
he will in middle age lose much money through the misconduct of his  brothers who will by their extravagance spend all the fathers money  and thus leave only a poor inheritance
he will occupy himself with  agriculture and be successful with it
at forty he will suffer from a  very serious illness and his life will probably end at fortyeight
the woman born at this time will have large grey eyes full lips and an  abundance of soft rather colourless hair
she will be fond of luxury  and ease and will be much given to the pleasures of the table and  will eat much and drink more
she will marry early but will not agree  with her husband by reason of her own inconstancy
she will be married  three times and will get on better with her last husband than with the  two others
she will have several children but they will all be of a  sickly constitution
she herself will have a very serious illness at  seventy which will cure her of all her troubles
july—leo  the influences of this sign extend from the twentyfirst of july to  the twentyfirst of august
the man born under this sign will be of middle height but more  inclined to be tall than short his hair will be of a red colour and  his eyebrows will be well marked and much arched in their form
he will  be valiant hot tempered very talkative somewhat boastful but  pleasant and jovial in his manners
he will be a great admirer of  women but not constant in his affection
he will marry once but not  the woman he so much loves
the woman born at this time will be tall with bright hair of a reddish  gold colour grey eyes with a bold fierce glance and long features
her nose will be aquiline and the face a long oval
the lips will be  full but firmly closed and the teeth good and large
she will be quick  of temper and difficult to please fond of pleasure and very ambitious  of shining in society
her great desire for admiration will cause her  to be much talked about—not always in a manner pleasing to her  husband
she will marry early
she will lose her husband in early youth  and will marry again soon after her widowhood
she will be much subject  to illnesses through the blood and at fortyeight she will have a very  serious illness but she will recover and live another fifteen years  but her life will always be full of anxieties and troubles
august—virgo  the influences of this sign last from the twentysecond of august to  the twentythird of september
the man born under this influence will have an abundance of hair and  will have a large chin and a good complexion
he will be ambitious  enterprising and very valiant but a little capricious
he will suffer  much illness and when he is about thirty years of age he will be  menaced by death or imprisonment yet he shall escape both evils
he  will be of a sympathetic and benevolent disposition and will give good  counsel to his friends
he will have a beautiful wife whom he will  tenderly love although she will not return his affections
a woman born at this time will be graceful and charming with a  wellformed face an agreeable expression small mouth and  wellproportioned figure
her voice will be one of her charms and will  be clear and soft and singularly harmonious
she will be much loved and  admired for her wit and will show much taste for music and dancing
she will have fairly good health and her beauty and charm of manner  will make her much sought after in marriage but she will not accept  any of her numerous lovers until after her twentysecond birthday
she  will be much loved by her husband and being inclined to be devout she  will educate her children in the fear of god
she will die at  sixtynine
september—libra  the influences of this sign last from the twentythird of september  to the twentythird of october
the man born under this sign will be fluent of speech and his voice  will be sonorous and will sound angry even when he is not so
he will  be wise and prudent and will be much esteemed by good men
he will be  just and honourable in all his dealings and will acquire the respect of  all who know him for his conscientious dealings with his fellowmen
he  will marry twice
his second wife whom he will marry when he is turned  forty will be extravagant and will so worry him by spending all his  substance that she will bring on his death before he is fifty
the woman born at this period will be say the astrologers cheerful  and of a kindly disposition
she will be of a lively temperament and  will easily learn both music and dancing and will excel in both
she  will be amiable very caressing in manner and much loved by all who  know her
she will marry twice
her first husband will be rich and of  mature age and very prudent
the second will be young and will soon  spend the greater part of the money left her by her first husband
she  will be gay fond of pleasure and rather a coquette which will much  displease the second husband
she will be rather given to gambling and  will lose money in this way which will cause her much discomfort and  anxiety in her latter years
october—scorpio  the influences of this sign will last from the twentysecond of  october to the twentyfirst of november
a man born under this sign will be short and broad in figure and  ungraceful in his movements
he will be dark in complexion but the  hair will be of a redbrown colour the eyebrows thick and meeting over  the nose
he will be prompt in judgment but very wily and inconstant  promising one thing and doing another so much so that those who have  once had dealings with him will never again have confidence in him  knowing how likely he is to deceive them
he will be of a perverse and  irritable temper which will cause him to have many enemies and  notwithstanding all his acuteness he will always be poor
he will  travel much and will lead a somewhat vagabond life
he is very unlikely  to marry and he will probably die a violent death
the woman who is born under the influence of the scorpion will be of a  reddish colouring and of middle height and strongly built
as regards  her character she will be affable much beloved by her relations fond  of pleasure yet very energetic in the discharge of her household  duties sensitive in temper a little revengeful and very ingenious and  of quick judgment
in her youth she will have much trouble from  lawsuits but she need not fear the result for as she is pious god  will always protect her
she will only marry once at about her  twentysixth year and will die at sixtyeight
she will have no  children
november—sagittarius  the influences of this sign continue from the twentysecond of  november till the twentyfirst of december
the man born under this sign will be of pale complexion and he will  have long features and dark hair and eyes
he will be prudent studious  and economical
he will see many foreign countries and will gain much  money in his youth by reason of which he will excite the envy of his  friends
he will receive much injury from a relative who will  endeavour to prejudice people against him but he will always be well  received and much liked in society
he will be generous to his friends  but he will be badly recompensed for his kindness
he will be  persevering in his profession and will attain a good position in it
he  will be subject to internal complaints but will live long
he will be  untrue to his wife but he will be careful that she does not know it
he will have several children but they will be no comfort to him as  they will be always ungrateful to him
the woman who is born at this time will be well formed with luxuriant  hair and wellmarked and rather arched eyebrows her forehead will be  broad and her intellect good but her temper easily irritated and over  sensitive especially where her affections are concerned
she will be  timid very constant both in love and friendship generous in her  affections yet very illrequited in this respect
she will marry at  twentysix and will have many children
she will suffer much from the  evil tongues of false friends who will malign her to her husband but  her innocence will be made known and in the end she will be fully  justified
she will live to sixtyeight
december—capricornus    chapter xiv
aphorisms culled from the works of ptolemy and other ancient  astrologers  whosoever may be adapted to any particular event or pursuit will  assuredly have the star indicative thereof very potent in his nativity
if virgo or pisces be on the ascendant the native will create his own  dignity but if aries or libra be there he will cause his own death
venus gives pleasure to the native in that part of the body which may  be ruled by the sign she occupies
it is the same with other stars
should a disease begin when the moon may be in a sign occupied at the  birth by some malefic or in quartile or opposition to any such sign  such disease will be most severe and if the malefic also behold the  said sign it will be dangerous
on the other hand there will be no  danger if the moon be in a place held at the time of birth by some  benefic
in all horary questions remember that there is no affliction to the  moon so great as when she is in conjunction with the sun the ill  aspects for the malefics must affect her but no evil aspect is so  powerful as her conjunction
mercury in trine or sextile to the moon gives the capacity for  acquiring foreign languages
in bad aspect to the moon makes the native  envious sarcastic illnatured given to lying and thieving
saturn in trine or sextile to venus shows much power of attachment to  wife and family
in a womans nativity this is very good as it  indicates purity
those born near noon are generally successful in life owing to the  suns influence being then most powerful
those born near midnight are  by no means so fortunate as those born at midday and it is a singular  peculiarity in such nativities that the most remarkable events of their  lives take place after their thirtieth year and they are also  certain of some kind of a name after death meritorious or otherwise  according to what their horoscope declares
persons born near midnight  are very imaginative and subject to see visions dream dreams and to  be believers in the unseen world
in all travels the moon is to be considered for she is a general  signifier of journeys whether by sea or land
when the moon is besieged between mars and the sun in a nativity it  argues a short life to the native
mercury if posited in one of the houses of saturn in trine or sextile  to that planet gives excellent understanding and if the moon be also  welldignified the native is much given to the study of occult  science and will have much renown in that particular
those born with the moon powerful in their horoscopes would do well to  be guided by her aspects in their daily avocations
if she should be in  trine or sextile to jupiter it is a good day to seek favours of the  great or to make arrangements with employers
when she is in trine or  sextile to mercury all intellectual matters taken in hand will be  likely to prosper
when she is so aspected to venus matters undertaken  with reference to love marriage or friendship will have a happy  issue
when she is in square or opposition she would have of course  the contrary effects
the sun and moon in conjunction with mercury give to the native great  intellectual abilities
those who have the benevolent planets jupiter and venus well posited  in either the ascendant or the midheaven at birth will always be much  beloved during the whole course of their lives
he who is born with the sun in trine to jupiter is fond of rule and  very famous in his generation
venus in square to saturn at a birth causes the native to be sensual  and given to unnatural vices
all the planets or most of them above the earth make the native  eminent and famous and if all should be welldignified he will—like  a comet—outshine all others in the worlds esteem
if on the  contrary all the planets are under the earth at a birth the native  will be of a falling fame and fortune or if they promise by their  natures honour dignity and fortune that is if they appear  essentially dignified in nocturnal genitures these good things will  only come in the latter part of the natives life
jupiter in conjunction with the moon in a watery sign gives  drunkenness
venus in conjunction trine or sextile to the moon gives happy  marriage but in square to the moon prodigality indolence and  drunkenness
saturn in square to mars means a malicious and murderous temperament  and liability to imprisonment
it is advantageous to make choice of days and hours at a time well  constituted by the nativity
should the time be adverse the choice  will in no respect avail however favourable an issue it may chance to  promise
a sagacious mind improves the operation of the heavens as a skilful  farmer by cultivation improves nature
part ii
chiromancy  god has placed signs in the hands of all men that every man may  know his work
—job xxxvii
7 st hieroms translation
i w kelly                        recent shifts in astrological     ideas       classical traditional astrology was associated with prognostication and relatively specific testable hypotheses about planetary configurations and human activities
until the twentieth century astrologers have held that the stellar connection mainly reflected actual outward human behavior but to day there is a tendency to claim that the stellar connection reflects only in ner life
to appreciate the shlft in claim consider first the view of charles carter who was the leadmg british astrologer in the midtwentieth century practical experiment wiu soon convince the most sceptical that the bodies of the solar system indicate if they do not actually produce changes in 1 our minds 2 our feelings and emo ions 3 our physical bodies 4 our external affairs and relationships with the world at large 1925 p 14
although every birth chart was different and many astrological factors had to be assessed often with mutually conflicting indications it was conceded that there was an observable relatively specific something in common that should be exhibited by people with a particular planetary configuration in their birth chart horoscope
as the dutch psychologist jan van rooij pointed out if one takes 100 people wrhthe sun in aries they should have something in common irre spective of other astrologcdfactors
and this commonality should be derent from the com mon factor in 100 people uith the sun in taurus irrespective of additional factors 1994 p 55
on this basis we should not expect to see the influence of a particular factor on a particular person
but examining large groups of people should allow commonalities to be detectable if they exist
contrast this with the views of psychotherapist and astrologer dr glenn perry perhaps the leadmg propo nent of modern inner psychological astrology also known as astropsychology and archetype astrology in the united states today astrology does not deal with quantities that can be objectively measured 
the birth chart depicts the structure and dynamics of consciousness 
it shifts the emphasis from predicting outcomes to interpreting the meonirzg of outcomes as they relate to the inner life of the person 1993 pp
7 8 9
further astrology only plays a role in the mental plane and does not ex press itself consistently or systematically in events or behavior terpstra 1994 p 42
here carters direct connection with outward behavior and ex ternal events is denied
instead the connection is with the unobservable in ner life
when leadmg astrologers cannot even agree on what astrology deals with other conficts and problems can only further reduce the plausibhty of astrology
since the 1950s many studies were conducted by both astrologers and sympathetic researchers
the picture that emerged out of this research as                              modern astrology a critique                                       1039  pointed out was mostly bad for astrology
but negative studes even when they are cumulative have been explained away and dismissed in many dif ferent ways by astrologers allowing them to maintain their belief in astrolo gy whatever the evidence or criticisms
 e a l i with           n  criticisms the astrological way       some typical ways astrologers have reacted to negative findmgs and cri tiques are briefly considered
ignore bad newsfirst of all such findings can be ignored or played down
as the astrologer robert hand said positive results in the scientific study of astrology have to be taken seriously undeniably but negative results not so seriously cited in perry 1995a p 37
overall this has been the dominant response by the astrological community
this tack is taken by john anthony west in his the case for astrology 1991 where he says since the aim of this book is to present the positive evidence intimate de t d s of the bulk of the negative evidence do not really concern us p 234
but nearly all the evidence is negative so wests dehberate suppression of it is irresponsible dean 1993
a visit to any astrology bookstore win quickly confirm that research into astrology is rarely cited and when it is it usually only involves a distorted presentation of the gauquelin findings kelly  saklofske 1994 and an outdated reliance and misinterpretation of studies    the research of the late michael gauquelin and his d e francoise have been consistently mis understood and distorted by astrologers and those sympathetic to astrolo y the gauquehns found evidence of a weak relationship between planetary positions in the        5 eminent professionals in some occupations
for exam le mars tended to occur more often                                                                                        and the birth of than ex ected by chance in some sectors of the sky ar t f e birth of o u t s t a n d q athletes in many sports
h e gauquelins attempted to explain these eindings by suggestin that the underlying processes involved an inherited temperament character traits imprinted       ey    planetary geomag netic effects
an implication here was chat if thc suggested mediatin factors were correct one would expect such lanetary relationshi s to be lnked ro hereditary factors
an initial study by g a u q u e h indeed pound a weak tenbency for chlldren to be born with the same particular planets in the same secrors of the sky as their parents
un€ortunatel  followup studies by gau quelin with twice 4s lar e a sample as the initial study did nor conirm the reality of the plane tary link with herecllry auquelin 1988
a further reanalysis of gauquelins heredity hypoth esis by errel 1989
1992 usin an improved methodology also ave negative results
in addi tion in a s e r m of studies by g  r t e l1990 19931 gau u e h  s aaracterrrait hypotheses and planetary geornagnerjc hypotheses were nor supported                                                                                                                 caving     wide open the meaning of the findings
       it 1s of interest to note that the overall findings of gauquelin were hardly supportive of astrology
first of all the planetary relationships were only found with ottstandingpeo le in some occupations
no planetary relationships were uncovered for the rest of the popurion namely the vast maori of people who visit astrologers
second even within the restricted group of eminent indivixals the effect was extremely weak there was only abour a 2 ddfer ence benveen those with the hypothesized planets in the relevant sectors and chance expecta tions
third the data supporting planetary relationshi s d not support other central asrrologi cal h potheses such as zodiac signs transits and pfanetary aspects
fourth gauquelin only foundsorne of the planets the moon venus mars ju iter and saturn to be related to the birthtimes of the eminent individuals considered
no etfects were found for the other astrolog ically significant planets namely mercury uranus ne tune pluto or the sun
and the rela tionships that were found were also inconsistent w i l astrology in rhat astrological theory 1040                                      i w kelly  examining alleged lunar effects on human behavior see kelly rotton  culver 1996 for a recent review of studes on lunar effects
knock sciencea second popular response is the everapplicable argu ment that the limitation is with the present day science and not astrology
hand again said i dont think that science is yet capable of dealing with the full complexity of the symbolic language as employed by astrologers cited by perry 1995a p 37
unfortunately this promissory note may never be cashed in
how would an appropriate science differ from our present one
as gross said like all utopians these astrologers are short on spe cifics and we are never told what such a science as science would look hke even in o u t h e  much less in detail nor how such a future science is likely to dlffer as science from present day science 1994 pp
434435 actually gross was tallung about extreme views on feminist science but the analogy is perfect
move goalpostscriticisms and serious long lasting anomahes can also  would predct weakness rather than strength for the planetary results obtained by gauquelin
f i n d y  gauquelin tested the ability of astrolo ers using the whole chart to discern important life characteristics of peoples lives
the astrofogers inevitabl failed his tests
h e concluded that horosco es did not provide information of any useful varue in understanding human be havior and ciaracter gauquelin 1983
seymour 1990 1996 recently ar ed for the validity of a limited astrolo y based on the gau uelin findings
alon these lmes           has attempted to strengthen the case for the gauque
lin netaryoccupation findlngh by proposing a s eculacive mechanism based on the aucgcj response of our neural network ro fluctuations in e earths geomagnetic field which m urn interacts with the gravitational fields of the planets
udortunately while seymours t h e o r  z  n  does not contradict modern physical theories to make a plausible case one needs much more than an ad hoc fit to the gauquelin results
and it is precisel at this point that seymours proposals lack substance
inrerestin iy he cited as support for is explanatory theory the he          and eomagnetic effects h i t i d y uncovered by gauquelin but neglected to inform readers loth       eauqudinvs own research and later studies b e n d did not reppcate such findings
furthermore seymour never satisfactorily addressed x e problem of the mismatch between planetary and biological frequencies or how the nervous system is influenced other than by vague reference to inducing currents in the neural networks whch tells us nothing
for all of seymours appealing to the scientific status of his ex lanation he never s ecified tests by which his theory could be examined
the entire edifice oeymours theory aeo relied on the trust worthiness of the g a u x e l i n d a  base                                         a    which has been challenged by the dutch mathematician nienhuys in press
e rehabhty of the g a u q u e h database has been the scene of a bitter controversy
interested readers might consult the debate between ertel and irving 1997 and furtz nienhuys and sandhu 1997 for the most recent exchange on this topic
the quality of much astrological thinking is summarized by astrologer joanna ashmuns de scriptions of internet exchanges between astrologers skepticism is not in evidence and is in fact discouraged 

the way astrologers treat researchers and ske tics is just the way they treat other astrologers who disagree with themcontinuing on as        f    they and their disagree ments never existed



the thing that i find least comfortable about astrolo discussions and not just on the internet is their irnmateriahty their lack of grounding
stroers are less literate than average they write badly and they read badly there is almost no critical res onse errors are ignored corrections are not acknowled ed they answer off the top of their eeads quote from memory claim that anythin publishef anywhere at an time is general knowled e and then get sidetracked into arguing atout whos a liar instead orsorting out the facts of ic original question
there is nothing resembling peer review except in regard ro political correct ness
the fact is they dont look stuff up not even when they d  s a  r cwith     e    you
most astrologers would rather have an dfy quotation from dane rudhyar or c g jung to supporr their opinions than some good research ashmun 1996 pp
4143
modern astrology a critique                                      1041  be dealt with by handwaving in another drection and the elevation of spec ulation to a futuristic higher plane
for example a serious problem for as trology is the great vide between the eastern sidereal zoac and the west ern tropical zodiac
these zodiacs currently differ by almost one sign
one may be an aries in north america but a pisces in lndia cornelius hyde  webster 1995 p 31
is this conact between zodiacs a problem for as trology
of course not
cornehus stated this could occur because there are two different orders of influence one from the constellations and the other from the earthsun cycle or alternatively we can view both zodiacs as two reflections of the same symbolic forms


that both show in their own dif ferent ways p 32
the obfuscations orders of influence and reflecuons 


showing in their own ways are nowhere clarified hence we are no h r  ther in our understanding after being told this than we were before
xlhat about people who are born at the same time and have m e r e n t destinies
l h s has been a standard argument against astrology
the same as trologers tell us the singular horoscope can be1 read as a signature for these particular twins with m e r e n t groups of planets describing the two individuals 


where frequently one twin answers to the sun and the other to the moon in the same horoscope cornelius et al 1995 p 131
here the term frequently refers to inching not compeumg to avoid dsconfir mation
we are also entitled to ask how one would tell which one is sun and which one is moon but no answer is p r  v i d e d if                                                     
 that doesnt work cor nelius et al
reminded us that we can always interpret astrological symbolism in a metaphorical way for example sigmund freud was born on a differ ent continent but within minutes of robert perry
freud discovered the un conscious and perry discovered the north pole p 131 see also p 96
hence these timetwins were both scoverers
if interpretations encom passing both literal and symbolic including metaphorical are equally adrnis sible with astrological claims then we cannot fail to find a fit between the horoscope and the person
the positive side to this is never having to admit you are wrong the negative side saying very little of import
invoke negativesa fourth popular response is to say that the phe nomena astrology deals with are very subtle and elusive and what we need are more creative ways of investigating them
for example even though a large consistent body of research converges on the view that sun signs are   a variety of ad hoc rules could be used for example oldestsun o r for op ositesex wins malesun or it could be whichever one on inspection fits best
at the end o r t h e day all chat          
matters to astrolo ers is having a  r a c t i c a strategy                                                    l        no matter how arbitrary
actud freud j i d n  discover t e vnconscious
there is a l a q e prefreudian literature on the toplc
at freud did was use the term as a working tool chat could be investi ated psycho logically fine 1973 pp
3637
further the noccb pole wasnt discovered at a
everybody knew where and what it was
1042                                    i w 
kelly  not valid the astrologer harvey could still say it is absolutely correct to say that there is no evidence for signs and houses as yet


1982 p 47 itahcs harveys and twelve years later after again acknowledging the lack of evi dence tell us i am personally still convinced that given more sensitive and imaginative tests confirmation of the reality of sunsign typologies and the signs generally will be obtained 1994 p v
since it is difficult to prove a negative in such cases this position can be maintained indefinitely
a col lorary is that astrologers with incompatible positions on fundamental tents can adopt the same intransigent attitude in regard to their own beliefs
such a posture in the face of negative evidence can guarantee a static system and a lack of progress
it also contradicts the supposed ease with which astrolog ical connections were first recognized
as perry 1993 tells us of the an cients the partial if not complete validlty of astrology was selfevident to anyone w h g to attempt a serious study of the subject p 3  
this dis crepancy is in need of explanation
furthermore appeals to the selfevident have not been very fruitful guides to truth in the history of ideas
blame faulty methodsfinally one can say that if you are obtaining negative results you must be doing it wrong
you are using the wrong meth odology the wrong paradigm or both
this approach has been adopted by increasing numbers of astrologers since the 1950s when research and nega tive results got undenvay
west 1991 for example contended that scien tific criticisms of astrology are irrelevant because astrology is a system of magic p 223 where magic is the attempt to master the fundamental laws of resonance that have produced the cosmos p 220
west was insuf ficiently explicit about this system of magic and we are left with a conjunc tion of unformulated statements about the creative powers of nature or the laws of harmony and appeals to authority ancient wisdom
as evans  1994 pointed out wests magical system is a closed system
w e are invited to bcheve that it is true not because it con nects up with other things which experience has shown to be true but by some inherent truth of its own which will have it that the planet saturn symbolizes contraction whereas jupiter symbolizes expansiveness


p 413
while in general astrologers pretend that claims about zochacal signs houses planetary aspects and so on are empirical statements that is claims capable of being rejected or modified by research or theory to most astrolo gers such claims actually function as necessarily true claims
the truth of central astrological tenets themselves is never in doubt
a more general underlying issue here is why astrologers themselves beheve in astrology
as dean mather and kell 1996 point out the steps in bef are roughly 1 read astrology books become aware o r h e system
2 learn more calculate charts see that they appear to work
3 become dazzled by the history majesty and sheer appeal of it all
4 adopt the sys  the origin of astrological ideas     a legitimate query here concerns how these astrological connections were established in the first place
to make it easier let us initially consider a relatively straightforward                              astrological claim and examine the theories ad vanced by astrologers to explain the origin of these connections
if astrolo gers have no plausible explanation then we have good reasons to reject more complicated claims based on these connections
according to traltional astrology the planets are supposed to be asso ciated with certain character traits for example mars is associated with com bativeness and courage and uranus is associated with originality and inde pendence
how did astrologers find this out or determine this
g a u q u e h 1980 and startup 1981 have described five such theories that are taken seriously by members of the astrological community
ln what 1046                                     i w kelly  follows i w d describe each of these theories relying heavily on many of the insights of startup to examine them critically       1 the planetary connections were revealed to the ancients by a higher intelligence for example by gods angels demons or extraterrestrials
apart from begging the question about the existence of these beings in the first place explaining mysteries in terms of other mysteries does not take us any further than we were before
we have not explained how these aliens got their knowledge and so it merely pushes the problem elsewhere startup p 26
it is also not clear how this proposal could be independently tested
2 the early astrologers acquired this information about planets and personty by paranormal means
this similarity begs the question in that it assumes esp has been demonstrated and is capable of establishing relation ships far and beyond the claims of the majority of even the most fervent advocates of the paranormal
also which parricular psi ability is to be invoked
surely telepathy is not good here since prior to the esrablishment of the typology there was no ones mind to read
clairvoyance is equally du bious since it is difficult to imagine what state of affairs could have been paranormally per ceived which was not available to ordinary perceptions
that leaves precognition


but this would presumably require that the ancient astrologers somehow saw the results of modern in vestigauons which were themselves in turn inspired albeit indirectly by the insights of the ancients startup 1981 p 26
there are other problems
what is the it we are detecting by paranormal means
some force emanating from the celestial object
how do the items detected paranormally relate to items detected by normal perception
for example if we detect all sorts of paranormal rays around us how can we tell that they are coming from what we visually perceive as mars
how do we know that there is a correlation between the normal and the paranormal items
by paranormal meansthats doubly question begging
by normal means
if so then why could not we have noticed the paranormal item through normal channels
psychological astrology involves four fundamental claims
the first two are common to other h d s of astrology namely that there is a correlation between celestial and terrestrial phenomena and that everything in the birth chart affects everything else in the birth
the third and fourth claims are the unusual ones namely that the birth chart indicates not behavior or events but changes in consciousness and that astrology should be viewed in the perspective of a magical organic worldview
a look at these four claims can now be taken one by one
1
relationships postulated by astrologers between celestial phenomena and terrestrial phenomena are only correlational
traditional astrology usually adopted the notion that the relationship between celestial and terrestrial affairs was some h d of causal one
as placidus said in 1657 it is impossible for the efficient heavenly causes as being so very far distant from things below to influence sublunary bodes unless by some rnedum or instrumental virtue


the instrumental cause of the stars is light and the stars where they do not rise are inactive so astrologers should reject a secret influence as superfluous nay even im possible p 1 3  
most modern astrologers reject this causal approach
per ry 1994 tells us that the relations between people and their birth charts are not causal but correlational
the astronomical bodes reflect human life expe riences rather hke a mirroring reflecting a landscape which has to be inter preted
but there is much disagreement over the kinds of celestial configura tions that are relevant and how they are to be interpreted
in fact no matter what an astrologer may claim a search of the literature vjlu invariably find a conflicting claim
this dsagreement exists even at the most fundamental lev el for entire populations of astrologers for example western astrologers dis agree with eastern astrologers on which zodiac to use and how many planets to use
this lack of agreement is widespread within western astrology itself ln horary astrology answering questions eg should i marry x
the moons north node is a point of illfortune but in humanistic astrology it is the direction of personal growth jones 1996
such systems are mutually incompatible yet are seen as completely vahd by their users
tern as true and reject attacks to avoid cognitive dissonance
the sequence from 1 to 4 is not unreasonable
students of astrolo y are not told to accept astrolo without question they are told ro try thin s out for themsefves so at first sight what c o u l  b efairer
the roblem of course is that ley are nor made aware of all the pidalls of personal valtdation ancfthe coneir mation bias nor are they told how to make controlled tests or to design research that actually tests astrological hy otheses and not auxiliary hypotheses
nor are they presented the vast body of criticism oe astroogical tenets as is for example found in h i s artic e and references
once they reach 4 then any internal inconsistencies and disagreements can lo ically be accomrno dated as minor hiccu s due to the complexities of astrology or inevitable fuman fallibility see dean mather   e f 1996  1044                                     i w 
kelly       astrologers meanlngs of astrological signs and houses are not very clear cut and there are no agreed upon rules for weighing their effects
for exam ple as the astrologer prudence jones 1996 p 282 says the zodiac signs rest on shaky foundations from the modern point of view
how in heaven do twelve 30 sectors of the ecliptic measured from the vernal equinox but named after now fardistant constellations impart any qualities at all to the planets houses parts and nodes which we view against their backgrounds
do they do so in fact or is this wishful thinking
some astrologers justdy the signs taking u s u d y without explanation the sun in the signs as their exemplar as shorthand for seasonal characteristics
but this implies that their order should be reversed in the southern hemisphere which seldom happens
and what in any case of horoscopes for equatorial latitudes where seasonal change is minimal but where of course astrology was invented
the meanings of signs depend upon which zodiac is used and the meanings of houses depend on which house system is used
house systems differ with regard to number sequence method of division and interpretation mar tens  trachet 1995
western astrologers also dlffer in how many planets should be used some use undiscovered hypothetical planets others use as teroids dean  mather 1977
this dversity in fundamentals gives us groulds to be sceptical of claims that astrologers are speakmg about some thirthey have actually apprehended
2
the horoscope is a whole syslem in which every part is influenced by every other part
astrological factors cannot be examined in isolation the whole birth chart is needed
so the golden rule is that only the whole chart should be considered for any astrological purpose whatever dwyer 1985 p 1
as perry pointed out 


no one part of a horoscope can be isolated


since everything influences everything else and 


you cannot empirically ob serve a pure astrological factor isolated from other factors in the chart perry 1993 p 6
but astrologers disagree over which individual factors are important so they dsagree over what the whole chart consists they just agree that whatever it is it is important to keep it in mind when doing as trology
as the psychologist jan van rooij 1994 asked where does the whole chart end
with ten planets rwelve signs twelve houses midpoints ar abic points nodes aspects and whatever other astrological concepts may be used it is simply impossible to interpret a whole chart
when astrologers claim that they use the whole chart they only refer to the fact that they use more factors than just one
nevertheless no matter how many factors they may use they always use a restricted nzrrmber of factors and therefore only a part of the horoscope
they neuer use the whole chart
but then the question becomes how many factors would be considered and which factors


suppose that i consider as many as 20 fac tors then undoubtedly an astrologer will come up who claims that i should use 21 factors p 56 italics mine
the whole chart therefore has a different meaning to different schools of astrology
some astrologers use asteroids in birth charts
as hand                       modern astrology a critique                          1045  1981 pointed out size of an astronomical body is unrelated to astrological effectiveness therefore tlhe lsaster is that there are thousands of aster oids and other minor bodes orbiting the sun and using presentday astro logical techniques there is no way of accounting for all of them in a chart p 93
other astrologers use hypothetical planets such as vulcan that have not been detected by astronomers hand 1981 p 95
there is no evidence that astrologers using asteroids or hypothetical planets are more insightful or more successful counsellors than those using incomplete charts or nonas trologically oriented psychotherapists or even lay therapists dean 1985 mc grew  mcfall 1992
how can dlfferent sets of parts give the same meaningful whole
this problem would seem to be exacerbated when we remember that conflicting western astrologies uthze different factors and even when the same factors are used they are often weighted differently
if different schools of astrology use different astrological factors and hence operate with ddferent notions of the whole chart then any reference to the supposed commonality of the whole chart is less than meaningful
perry stated every planet and every sign of the z o l a c is influenced by the whole in which it is embedded 1995 p 34
but if my whole chart and your whole chart involve factors that are ddferent in type or number the end result must according to per ry be open to question
it is as if we thought we were taking about the same thing but upon investigation found that i meant volkswagens while you were referring to cadillacs
so when we are told by astrologers that astrology works we are not sure what to make of it
it is like being told that you will survive your de mise in some form by ddferent rehgions and have little idea how this wdl be accomplished
wlliyou be a disembodied spirit a resurrected body an as tral body or even come back as a mosquito etc
someproblems    o f modern   astrological  ideas      3 astrology predicts changer in consciousness not behavioor events
it is here that the new psychological astrology departs from tradition
here the relationship between celestial patterns and human beings is not with outward observable patterns of behavior and tendencies but rather with the unobservable inner me of a person or what perry called the psy chic structure which underlies personality perry 1995b p 123 see also perry 1988
he said a horoscope symbolizes the complex evolving narure of consciousness 
the depths of per sonality 
the dynamic relations between psychological drives
for example sun square saturn symbolizes a conflict between the need for selfexpression and the need for selfcontrol 
perry 1995b p 124
zodiac signs symbolize general 


fundamental human needs or motiva tional drives inherent in the human condition perry 1988 p i whereas the house positions and planetary aspects symbolize a particular inlviduals map of consciousness or inborn personality structure perry 1988 p 2 3  
the extreme problems of accounting for the relations between celestial factors and observable relatively specific outcomes postulated by the trad tional astrologer are further exacerbated by the psychological astrologers ad dtional conjectures
how do we know such invisible psychological processes underlie the astrological symbolism
perry stated such cognitive processes and structures are distded from the composite descriptions associated with traditional astrological symbolism
for example 


the need of a zodiac sign can be inferred from the behavior which is characteristic of that sign eg leonian pride creativity and aniabilityevidence the universal human need for vabdation of perceived identity perry
1988 p 2
it is ddficult to see how it follows in the f i s t place from the character istic behaviors of a sign that one intrinsic motivational factor ties them all together and even if the case could be made a further case would need to be independently made for the particular human drives postulated by perry
h e never clearly set out how he arrived at these conclusions
no sets of studles of a quantitative or qualitative nature are discussed nor is there any kind of an appeal to any careful examination of the astrologically symbolized behaviors by independent astrologers or psychologists to determine what   t w o harbingers and precursors of modern astrops chology are dane and rudhyar and alan leo
in the earl rwentiech century the british astrofoger leo inected theosophist and mystical ideas into astrolgy
the move away from traditional ideas in d e united states was begun by rudhyar and his humanistic astrology orientation during the third decade of the century
in their inner orientation rudhyar and perry overlap the main difference being that rudhyar is more i n c h e d to eastern mysticism and rehgion
a critical examination of rudhyars ideas can be found in kelly and krutzen 1983
1052                             i w kelly  one might infer from them
furthermore if only the whole chart will do in ferences based on parts are by definition meaningless
perry elevated psychological astrology to miracle status by further in forming us that the dynamic relations between various psychological drives symbolized by the horoscope are fluid and changing varying in accord with situational specificity developmental age emotional maturity and level of psychological integration 1995b p 123 1994 p 34
further 


un like the boundaries of physical objects the contents and processes of con sciousness involve meanings whose boundary regions are fuzzy



mlean ings are indefinite arbitrary relational and culturally embedded perry 1995a p 34
the psychological astrologer claims these incredbly complex changing amorphous inner complexities which may not even be conscious have been inferred from clusters of behaviors associated with astrological symbolism
it is clear that no theory of consciousness based on physical processes can perform the role demanded so perry opted for dualism the existence of a nonphysical immaterial mind
while psychological astrology was described as a theory of extraordinary complexity and a model of consciousness perry 1995a p 32 1994 p 33 epistemological questions regarding this dualistic view of consciousness were never addressed we are merely offered tidbits such as consciousness is a nonphysical system 1995a p 32 and a subjective experience of awareness that has no material correlates

1995a p 34
nowhere d perry articulate the intrinsic nature of his ver sion of the nonphysical mind
it is also far from clear how the postulation of a soulnonphysical mind can contribute toward clarlfylng and informing our understanding of central notions such as purposive behavior values internal selfcausation meanings and creativity over that offered by contemporary models consistent with materialism such as those offered by flanagan 1992 searle 1992 crick 1994 penrose 1994 dennett 1996
neither does he offer us any inkling as to the mediating role the nonphysical mind plays be tween cosmos and psychic structure
since psychological astrology does not have a theory of its own regard ing the nature and structure of the inner psychological processes supposedly mirrored by planetary configurations it rests m a d y on those postulated by modern psychodynamic theories
more specifically perry related the birth chart horoscope to conscious and unconscious processes areas of repres sion and conflict pathways of sublimation transference dynamics projec tions and the lke perry 1995b p 123 see also perry 1988
even if we contend that psychological astrologers have refined the crude approxima tions of the traditional astrologers who do not offer plausible scenarios of how their correlations were established this case is very difficult to make
the reason is simple
twentieth century theorizing was influenced by a great                            modern astrology a critique                                      1053  variety of areas of research including investgatons    into brain function hu manistic and existential schools of psychology artificial intelligence physical ism and functionahsm in philosophy and so on
ancient medieval and re naissance theories of mind uthzed by the astrologers of the past were quite ddferent
and to complicate the picture further as philosophers of science such as thomas kuhn 1970 have pointed out when new paradigms come and go the same or similar terms often acquire new meanings
for example the contemporary terms motion and matter were also used by aristotle with ddferent interconnections and meaning
therefore perrys claim that there is near uniform agreement based on centuries of observation as to the meaning of astrological symbolism 1993 p 7  is clearly problematic in light of the historical disagreements over the nature and constituents of the mind
consider also the psychological astrologers claim that inner mental dy namics can be expressed in a great variety of ways
here they reject as sim plistic the traditional astrologers claim that celestial patterns are typically as sociated with relatively specific outcomes
but in rnakmg this rejection they stepped from the frying pan into the volcano because it further increases the already impossible complexity of possible associations
as an example of this new complexity the british astrologer charles harvey 1995 claimed       the same planetary combination can express itself in a whole range of ways
for exam ple uranus in hard aspect with the midpoint of sun and kloon may produce a napoleon or a hitler but equally it may produce a margaret thatcher d s p  k em d i g a n  a martin luther or a particular spiritual caring1 astrologer such as dr zip dobyns p 52
similarly perry claimed that the psychological astrology does not pre dtct specific behaviors or life outcomes but rather predicts qualttative expe riences of consciousness that can be reflected in a variety of manifestations perry 1994 p 34 1995a p 34
h e affirmed that the meanings of the parts may be stable but the emergent qualities they  r o d u c ewhen com bined are not because real people are changing evolving entities that are far too complex to type or tag with a few simple key words perry 1993 p 7
ln other words according to perry and harvey the birth chart accu rately shows our underlying subjective processes but as to their outward manifestation astrologers can only guess at a range of possible happenings
the inner psychic state is shown in the birth chart but after that just about anything goes
as perry said we all have the potential to behave in any way that is humanly possible and we frequently do 1995a p 36
we can see that the psychological astrologer is worlung with a challeng ing system
to start with it involves celestial configurations that can never be examined in isolation and whose variety when combined is immensely larger than anyone could possibly cope with
nevertheless the planetary 1054                                      i w kelly   configurations supposedly correlate with an invisible largely unconscious psychlc structure that underlies personality and that is associated with out comes so varied and so uncertain that the astrologer can only make guesses
finally this psychic structure is based on psychoanalytic and humanistic psy chological theories that since the 1950s have come under very heavy criti cism
10 if this criticism is successful then psychological astrology in its pres ent form will go down with the ship eg see macmdan 1991 esterson 1993 grunbaum 1993 kerr 1993 spence 1994 webster 1995 crews 1996 dean 1996a
after all if the psychological structure symbolized by the planets and their interrelationships is problematic the rest of the theory is on shaky ground
4
astrology can only be appropriately evaluated in a magical animistic worldview
traditional astrology emphasizes the prehction of events the associa tion of relatively spechc observable outcomes with astrological factors sometimes with the view that planets are transmitters of physical influence
thus the clients of the famous 17 century astrologer wdlam l1uy ex pected predictions and decision making not psychology and rehgion
such an orientation is not adverse to experimental investigation
a main problem for this approach as perry acknowledged is that the vast majority of studies have not supported such claims perry 1995a
further there is no prospect that plausible physical hkages wdl be discovered that explain astrological associations with human activity perry 1995a pp
2633 culver  ianna    astrolo ers are forever trying to increase the surface plausibility of astrology b associating it with theqatest theories that have caught the public imagination
so  l u m e n t h i  1 9 9 4 p                                                                                                  19 appealed to the relevance of fuzzy logic to astrology while perry alluded to chaos theory 1994 p 34 and the new physics exemplified by fritjof capra and david bohm
townley 1994 informed us that the more advanced areas of systems mathematics complexity theory information theory and neuroscience could be very friendly to the type of structural thinking that the best of astrology has to offer and to which astrology could make important contribu tions  p 43
tewsbury 1988 noted how rupert sheldrakes g c i p l e o€ formative causauon should remove the objection that astrology is impossible ad g m an interesting circularity that astrology  r s d fis a further poinrer to its truth
a negative feature of these astrologers writings 1s llelr penchant to be crucially vague at critical points
we are not provided specifics of how these juxtapositions wdl take place
we are on1 given promissory notes
it is never made clear how the new physics and other modern disci iines can provide support for the sup position that specific planetary configurations can synzbojze fundamental human needs or moti vational drives eg how sun square mars symbolizes overall strength and vigor in the person ality see stengler 1995
1996 for critical comments on misinterpretations of quantum me chanics by advocates of new age claims
further such modern approaches in             ysics do not explain why the planetary positions of a moment in the past birth describe             supposedly continuing nature of a person in the present
and what about the birth of a country a com pany a resolution a domicile and so on all of whch astrologers confidently taking as having their own natal charts
jones 1996
ve have also heard it all before
in the past the same confidence was expressed by                     s every prominent theory of the time
the two millennia of failures provides a s t  o l o  e rwith some good inductive grounds for believing that the confidence of presentday astrologers is as misplnced as that of their predecessors
such represents the triumph of hope over experience
modern astrology a critique                                         1055  1988 crowe 1990
for example no proposed physical explanation can ex plain in advance how sunjupiter contacts symbolize expansive optimistic beliefs rather than something else how scorpio can symbolize secrecy rather than something else or how the 2nd house can symbolize possessions rather than something else and so on
perry stated even though studies relating astrological configurations with specific observable outcomes have failed this poses no ddficulty for psychological astrology since it is concerned with the inner me of an indi vidual which cannot be adequately tested by modem materiahstic scienufic methodology
besides he claimed astrologers already have independent ex periential clinical evidence that astrology works perry 1995a pp
14 26
while astrology seems implausible from the perspective of modern physical theories if we adopt a different set of metaphysical assumptions for exarn ple a more magicalanimistic framework we are told astrology becomes     the seductive phrase ex eriential evidence is roblematic
practitioners of psychological a aches         perry disavowecf eg skinnerian bepaviorism freudian psychoanalysis and tt many competin schools of astrolo in both h e east and west many of whom would contest perrys approacf all cite tesrimoniyevidence and case studies which support
but if we can all cite experiential evidence for our r i t i o n s  that can hardly by itreg distinguish the good from the bad the better theory €ram t e worse
as meehl pointed out the scholarly authors of malleus malejironrm pursued 


an enterprise detailing symptoms that diagnose witchcraft
de spite their scholarly efforts we know today there are no persons who have made a solemn pact wch satan and thereby gained preternatural powers
if asked to su port their theoretical sys rem m d the technical procedures warranted by it they would j u b d e s s have invoked the medevalequivalent of clinical experience 1995 p 1021
a salutary lesson here is provided by other nonmainstream approaches such as phrenology graphology handwriting analysis and palmistry which cover the same ground as psychologcal astrology
phrenology was immensely popular in the nineteenth century and both hrenologsts and their clients were very satisfied with phrenological readings
graphology has t e e n around for centuries and is still very popular
it is instructive to compare the following endorsements of psychological astrolog renology graphology and palmreading 1 tlhe clients char acter and hfe story inevitafyconform to the range o potenoals symbolzed by the horo scope often in exmaordinary specific ways perry 1994                35
2 the phrenologist has shown thar he is able to read character wte an open book anto lay bare the hidden springs of conduct with an accuracy that the most inrimate friends cannot ap roach alfred russel wallace cited in severn 1913 6
3 your handwriting is a l l  r e v e k g 
to the trained eye it lays open your secret mind
very whirl or line you en ex oses your true character and   ersonality 


marne
1988 p 2
4 a study of the and tees much a b o u t 


he physical e o d y 


health vitality


the emotional naturelove potential


the will and individuality 


success in business


talent


creativity


fame


selffuenttravel      life experi ence spiritual developmeni wilson 1971 pp
78
astrolog is only one of a very lar e number of contenders past and present which rely on ma ical dinlung and purport to yid knouded e unattainable to materialistic science
no plausibe reasons have been provided that all of i e s e extrascience contenders are intercon nected or mutually sup orting lo tson 1996
planets or headbumps or palms or handwriting at least one o
them is rezundint
astrology is in the unenviable position of hav ing to show either that it provides enuine insight into areas not covered by the social sciences and related disciplines o r to show k a t it can meliorate our undestandng        in the same domains covered by contemporary psychological and sociological theories
astrologers have to show they can provide insight or benefits beyond those provided by nonastrological theories
third many sources of bias operate in such personal experiences that can lead clinicians to claims of personal knowledge that are invahd despite their association with high levels of conviction dawes 1994 grove  meehl 1996 dean kelly saklofske  furnham 1992
1056                                          i w kelly  plausible
l2 perry 1995a stated the worldview needed to make sense of as trology must involve a sacred realm that unites orders and animates the cosmos p 19 or what west called a system of magic 1991 p 223 and cornelius 1994 p 19 called some other element that is other than delusion and esp
the metaphysical perspective proposed by perry reintro duced ancient notions of teleological causation occult powers of attraction psychospiritual explanation and most importantly the notion that psyche and cosmos are alike and correspond through symbolic actionatadistance 1995a pp
1516
further perry explained this will involve a return at least in part to beliefs that were common in prescientific cultures in which a world soul or consciousness was immanent in all parts of the universe
the universe so conceived involved a hierarchy with parts interconnected by sympathetic resonances
astrology played a large part in such worldviews because it gave people a symbolic language for understanding the various meanings and correspondences of natural phenomena perry 1995a p 15 also 1993 p 2
perry and most other western astrologers tended to avoid specifics when describing their animistic worldviews
lstead we are provided sprin h g s of opaque terms and expressions such as laws of resonance spiritual reality the soul the sacred occult cause and inherent powers to attract other things
while most of us have some familiarity with such terms it is unlikely that we could give a coherent account of them
so an explication of astrological theories should explain these central elements
but instead of clarification we are offered evasions such as astrology seems to belong to some other order of knowing things barely conceivable in the modern    the astrologer pottenger 1994 said opponents of astrology like to quote extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof without giving any roof that as above so below is an ex traordinary c l a h 
it is only extraordinary in some  h  o s o p l u e sespecially                                                                             
materxaib frame works which den meaning p 37
as it stands w at pottenger stated is trivally true
whal euer is ostulateibarring logical im ossibilitiesl is more plausible within some worldviews than o k r s 
for example fairy b u b b l  oblins and guardian angels are extraordinary claims in materialistic conceptions of the world and perhaps many ochers as well but this alone does not provide any reason to believe in cheir existence
the claim that the universe has meaning and provides us with signs or portents does not imply that the signs are to be found up there they might only be found in entrails the tracks and movements of nature or only in messages from angels or similar beings or in a number of other forms
it does not follow that an animisticmagical universe nust have or even might have meaning reflected everywhere
w e need cogent reasons to prefer the animistic universe of astrologers to ocher possible animistic universes and furthermore evidence for a particular as trological system than other alternatives
there are also an incredibly large number of ossible pairings between as above so below
the possibilities are even larger for a system eased on the symbolic meaning of si ns for example there are probably more possible pairings of two things in say jungian symol ism than if we confiie o u n d v e s to putative causal material r d a t i o n s h i  so it is even more incumbent on astrologers to provide a reason why they connect two t lngs cogether than it would be for a materiahsc
thed t v e r sofi astrological world   views      societies that did possess what we would recognize as a form of astrol ogy were associated with worldviews that differed radcally in their concep tions regardmg the nature of ultimate reality their basic hierarchical struc tures the modes of divine activity and whether the divine nature was per sonal or nonpersonal the nature of the self the destiny of human beings and so on
likewise the associated astrologies often differed from each oth er along essential dimensions
for example the circumpolar stars the pole star and the quadrant visions of the sky uthzed in chinese astrology are used differently in western astrology
the circle of 12 animals in chinese as trology bear little resemblance to the western zodiac
the ascendant is irn portant in western astrology but not in chinese astrology and so on cul ver  lama 1988 p 25 dean mather  kelly 1996 pp
5657
in lndia there are also a number of astrological systems which conhct both with each other and with western approaches see premanand bhatty  risbud 1993 for an overview and critique of i n l a n astrology
in the dashapaddhati system the names of the planets are written in a sequence that is not only arbitrary from a western astrological perspective but is also not related to any physical characteristics of the planets or their lstance from the earth
each planet is alleged to have a certain period of influence over the destiny of people
these periods vary from 6 years to 20 years
each planet takes control over a persons destiny in the order specified by the system and the duration assigned to them
the sequence of the planets is the same for all people provided you are following the vinshotiari 120 year system
on the other hand if an astrologer uses the ashtottari dasha system the last four planets appear in a reversed order and together have a 1058                                    i w kelly  different duration of 108 years
during ones lifetime the same planet can not take charge of your destiny again unless you live for more than 120 years or 108 years
both of these mutually exclusive systems are satisfying to the astrologers themselves and to their clients
when we turn to the mayans of the americas other fundamental dif ferences in worldview along with astrological differences emerge
in terms of hierarchical structures and ahed astrology the mayan cosmology was quite different from the orbitalthemed earthbr suncentered ideas of other cultures
for a start mayan astrology assigned a very central role for venus
ln addtion the position of venus relative to the horizon was contrary to western astrology more important for the mayans than its movement
they also associated the morning and evening appearances of venus with lunar phasing and eclipses which have no counterparts in other astrological sys tems
finally astrology in mayan me was closer to the astrology of ina and traditional western astrology than perrys vision in that the central focus was divination and prophecy aveni 1992 danien  sharer 1992
astrological   symbolism    is magical   thinking      while the astronomical and mathematical bases of the cosmologies and astrologies developed by the mesopotanian chinese mayan and 1ndian cul tures were sophisticated the meaning or quality ascribed to planetary con junctions and movements were dependent on the religious and mythological beliefs of the particular societies in question
this explains why many of the physical characteristics of the celestial bodies size distance etc
are consid         ered irrelevant with regard to their effects or meaning or even whether a planetary body actually exists eg vulcan because what matters is the sym bolism or mythology attached to the bodys name
the influences effects or correlations attributed to the planetary configurations are based on a prior1 endemic magical correspondences relying on superficial sidarities and analogies
for example the medieval astrologerphysician william of en gland appealed to the magical doctrine of  k e affects k e   as have astrolo gers of all periods
hence he argued 


the sun and mars affect red bile because all three are hot and the moon and venus affect phlegm because they are cold and should the hot and dry mars be causing a disturbance of the blood then when mars moves into a house that has a dsturbance of the chest the patient d spit blood french 1996 p 478 
the modern astrologer davidson 1963 stated without the sun there would be no life
venus was widely believed at the time to be a cold planet whereas mars was characterized as hot and dry
hoth coldc wetw and dryd were the four �ualities underlyin the four ele ments considered by greek philosophers to be the basic constituenrs of the pysical      world namely earthcd airhw fire hd watercw
elements with common quahties were able to change inro each other eg water cw could change into earth  cd because both included the                           modern astrology a critique                                  1059  it is the driving force behind the whole solar system
it represenrs will power vitality leadership creativity 


p 29 and the rings of saturn symbolize the hitations imposed by saturnian action that operate as a harsh external disciphe until we have learnt to disciphe ourselves p 32
the practice of present day astrologers gives addtionalgrounds for the independence of their symbolism from any observational or testable theory base
whenever a newly discovered astronomical body is found the attribu tion of its earthly connections is not based on the results of published inves tigations with extensive public discussion to establish its relationships with worldly affairs
rather if the name can be identified eg by looking it up in dictionaries of mythology and could be plausibly related to existing plan etary mythology not difficult then the result will be long articles in astrol ogyjournalsby authors surfing the mythology wave where readers will be moved to tears or to outrage by the beauty and insight of the connections
when pluto was discovered in 1939 and chiron in 1977 a minor planet or moon between the orbits of saturn and uranus astrologers did not publish research to establish their relationships with human and worldly affairs
plu to is given as one might expect from mythology a malefic influence on hu man me
as davidson 1963 stated the planet named after the god of hades represents the underworld of mans consciousness those elements in his nature that have not been redeemed 


p 33
could it be otherwise
it is difficult to imagine that astrologers would ever inform us that a planet named pluto would be associated with love of me and fellow human be ings sensitivity and lea sure ilke venus
similarly hand 1981 remarked chiron is believed by many to have a connection with consciousexpand ing teachings and with initiation into higher consciousness p 94
in the case of chiron as with pluto these relationships are those we would expect astrologers to attribute to them if they were based entirely on mythology cdver  ianna 1988
similarly as the astrologer press 1993 said about asteroids 


the particular mythology whether greek roman egyptian etc is relevant to the expression of the asteroid in the birth chart p 178
what happens here is that having determned the asteroids mythology the astrologer looks at the asteroids positoneg by sign by house by aspect in various peoples charts to see if there 1s anything in the personality or case history that could match the interpretation of that position
for example the as teroid icarus represents flying too close to the sun
the position house          of coldness
most greek scholars of course considered science as we know it roda  ro be an insignificant part of philosophy which meant that their world view was based m a d y on hilosophical ideals rather than empirical observations
so hot and cold etc
do not neces sarfy correspond to what we today call hor and cold etc
1060                                        i w kelly  sign numerical and exact aspects of icarus w d show where a person wlll take risks p 197
whenever possible some astrologers will add physical symbolism to the mythological symbolism
for example the orbit of icarus is between the sun and jupiter
this containment surrounds icarus with the irradiation of the sun and the expansiveness of jupiter
icarus orbit is in and crosses the orbits of mercury venus the earth and mars
being in those orbits gives icarus a smattering of the restlessness of mercury the sensuousness of venus the earthiness of the earth and the selfas sertiveness of mars press 1993 p
1961
what happens if the new astronomical bodies are named after modern indi viduals
startup 1981 said a popular modern astrological doctrine maintains that newly discovered planets are inevitably given appropriate names from which the correct terrestrial relationships can be inferred even though the names are bestowed by astronomers nowadays
this is usually taken as one more example of synchronicity p 33
asteroids without classical names have a special lund of importance again based purely on symbolic considerations
here we enter the realm of personal name asteroids
press 1993 p 212 concluded after much un controlled research that if an asteroid has your name or something close to it then its position in your horoscope describes your relationship to yourself whatever that means
if an asteroid has the name of another person eg asteroid 3085 is called donna then its position in your horoscope birth chart describes your relationship to that person
this would seem to imply that your relationships to all the donnas in the world would have much in common
along the same lines magical or unknown influences are appealed to whenever astrology is in ddficulty
earlier in this article p 1044 the prob lem of includmg all the asteroids in the birth chart or horoscope was de scribed
hand 1981 pointed out that astrologer eleanor bach solved the problem by using just the first four asteroids to be discovered
hand 1981 justified this arbitrary choice by informing us that one way of defending the use of the first four to be discovered rather than the four largest is to say that the effect of celestial bodies is in some way related to human consciousness of them rather chan to their physical properties
as the first to be discovered they no doubt made a greater impact chan the thousands later to be discovered p 93
the diversity of symbolisms used b astrologers with ap arently no rules about being consis rent is noteworthy
davidson 1963 lased his a s t r o  o  i c a mbolism                                                                       fs      variously on physical at tributes of the planets and on attributes of che g r e e k g d s 
he a  t m l o p yr s 1993
on the other hand uthzed other mythologies and adds ano er d m e n s  o no physical characteristics to her symbolism such as a celestial bodys proximity to other celestial bodies
which particular magical correspondences are perceived as relevant are in the eye of the beholder and there are many dfierent astrologer beholders
modern astrology a critique                                   1061       such speculations have the great advantage of requiring no argument and the disadvantage of saying nothing
we are left in the dark as to what the some way related and greater impact are intended to mean here
what about people who have never heard of the first four asteroids
does this mean the asteroids cannot be used in constructing their charts or does the awareness of academics of their existence cover for the rest of us
no doubt another set of special rules can be devised by astrologers to solve this problem
some of the grave ddficulties of magical correspondences as explana tions were described by dean loptson and kelly 1996 first magical correspondences are arguments from analogy which can be expressed in the form object x has properties a and b object y has property a therefore y also has b john smith is tall therefore john brown is tall 
the inference is vivid and quick and therefore as in astrology agreeably seductive but our changes of its being correct are not good


no longer do midwives open the door to ease a painful labour
no longer do alchemical ideas ap pear in chemistry courses
in fact magical correspondences have been so spectacularly unsuc cessful that in western education today the doctrine survives only as an example of fallacious thinlung
second it is impossible to spec any nvo things no matter how dissimilar that do not show some kind of correspondence
a raven is like a writing desk because both begin with the r sound both cast shadows both contain quds
a speck of sand is like the empire state building because h e y have the same color both contain shca and have the same number of atoms as bricks 

the point is how can we distinguish a magical correspondence from other correspondences
the books do not td us
third we have no immediate way of choosing be tween opposing magical correspondences
black cats were lucky ro ancient egyptians but un lucky to medieval europeans
the moon was male to the babylonians but female to the greeks 



is mars unfortunate because redblood war or fortunate because redblood life
who can believe any magical correspondence when it is so easily denied by another
pp
2829
other criticisms of magical thlnking can be found from a philosophical view point by thagard 1980 and from a psychological perspective by zusne and jones 1989
conclusion      the arguments given in this article show that accounts put forward by astrologers for the origin and justification of postulated celestial relationships with outward behavior or activities of human beings traditional astrology or inner structures of consciousness modern psychological astrology are problematic and implausible in the extreme
we can conclude that astrology as presently practiced is not a source of information or knowledge about ourselves
anomalies and problems do not result in constructive attempts to revise the conceptual basis of astrology or extend it in ways that would allow astrologers to learn from failures as they do in orthodox disciplines mayo 1996
rather they are dealt with by the use of metaphors that lead nowhere and constantly shking ad hoc hy 1062                                    i w kelly  potheses that are not independently testable
confirmations are readily attributed as support but failures can be hidden in the complexity of astrol ogy and never need confront any specific astrological hypotheses
hence the general indifference of astrologers to negative evidence mayo 1996 pp
280282 kelly 1997
but astrological rhetoric hyperbole and bluff are not adequate grounds for claims of knowledge see dean  loptson 1996 for other conceptual criticisms of astrology
the failure of physical models to provide an underpinning for astrologi cal tenets has resulted in a shift to more animistic magical worldviews
while astrology is more plausible within such worldviews it is so only in the banal sense that such frameworks provide fewer constraints on what may be postulated than modern scientific formulations of the world
the appeal to magical worldviews allows astrologers postulations to override or side step any physical laws that may conbct evans 1994
astrologers who advocate such worldviews do not provide articulated positions capable of constructive evaluation and improvement but rather couch their frame work in terms of a hodgepodge of spiritualloccult expressions along with passing references to modern physics and ed disciphes to appear con temporary and fashionable
these occult convolutions eg animating spir its sympathies         
          pure consciousness resonant bonds of vibratory frequen cies psychic anatomy etc are not ascribed properties to be of any useful explanatory value
we are left with a sparate set of ideas taken out of con text from various often incompatible ancient worldviews juxtaposed without any coherent interlocking metaphysics
astrology as currently practiced does not have any plausible observa tional or theoretical basis for the groundmg of its particular claims dean loptson  kelly 1996
there is little agreement on what astrological fac tors should be considered in a birth chart that is what factors can be ig nored and how they should be combined or even consensus regarding how to collect relevant data to resolve even the most basic astrological dlsputes dean  mather 1996
astrology consequently does not have the concep tual resources to deal with its own anomalies or to benefit from or contrib ute to findings in other fields such as psychology or biology in any way other than by arbitrary means and sophistry
the basis and structure of as trology is entirely based on culturally specific mythology and symbolism in a magical context
astrology is part of our past but astrologers have given no plausible reason why it should have a role in our future
psychological reports 199781 10351066
o psychological reports 1997                       modern astrology a critique                                            i w kelly                                university of saskatchewan cazada            summaryastrology as presently practiced in either its tradiuonal or psycho     logical form has no relevance to understanding ourselves or our place in the cosmos
modern advocates of astrology cannot account for the underlying basis of astrological     associations with terrestrial affairs have no plausible explanation for its claims and     have not contributed anything of cognitive value to any field of the social sciences
further astrology does not have the theoretical or conceptual resources to resolve its     own internal problems adequately or external anomalies or to adjudicate among con     flicting astrological claims or systems
the initial assumptions of scientists and astrologers were not so very different until quite re cently
some astrologers however fearing that science was catching up to them have back tracked very rapidly c r e a h g a smokescreen of symbolism inner reality holistic understanding etc
arthur mather 1979 p 106        in western culture until newton the views of astrologers and scientists were not so very different
there was general belief that all phenomena in the inferior elemental world of nature were governed in some way by the motions of the superior and incorruptible celestial bodies
since newton however the views of astrologers and scientists have become increasingly opposed
astrologers today stdl hold that the connection between celestial and earthly phenomena is so strong that knowing one allows us to predict the other
but scientists disagree
they point out that there is no plausible way the connection could work or even a plausible theory of how it could work
surveys of research into astrology have provided no evidence that astrology does work at least not in the way and to the extent claimed by astrologers
of course every time we wake up with the sun or plan barbe cues on m o o d t nights or go fishing at high tide we are showing how celes tial bodies have real influence in our lives but this is very different from the connection clamed by astrologers
going from one co the other is a quite unjusufied leap of faith
leahey and leahey 1983 noted that most popular works on astrol   address correspondence to ivan w kelly de artment of educational psychology 28campus                                                 
rive university of saskatchewan saskatoon askatchewan canada s7n 0x1
this article is an ex anded version of a presentation at the first world skeptics congress science in the a e o
isnformationbuffalo new york june 2023 1996
1 reco nize the signi€icant contrigutions of geoffrey dean to all drahs of this manuscript in a myriajof ways he contributed to a more readable and accurate article
i also thank €or their comments on   arts of an earlier draft j w nienhuys anthony aveni on mayan astrology dale beyerstein guitbert ertel perer loptson and m s risbud
1036                             i w kelly  ogy today do not even attempt to defend it but simply teach their readers how to use it p 39
similarly nias and dean 1986 pointed out no body should be surprised to learn that the hardest things to find in astrology are facts p 357
but if you know where to look they can certainly be found
before 1950 very few scientific studies of astrology existed
something h e a dozen major statistical compilations by astrologers had appeared since 1900 notably in france germany england and the usa but none were widely known and in any case their methodology was too poor eg no controls for meaningful results
not surprisingly the few published critiques were confined mostly to historical surveys eg thomen 1938 bok  mayall 1941 eisler 1946
the only extensive scientific critique available was by the french astronomer paul couderc 19511974
then in 1955 michel g a u q u e h published his landmark llnfluence des astres the first rigorous study of astrological claims with generally negative results but with what seemed to be provocative exceptions gauqueh 1955
during the next two decades various factors combined to establish a small but continuing interest in astrological research namely the booming popular interest in astrology further work by gauquelin eg 1966 1969 the occasional astrologyrelated paper in a scientific journal and not least by astrologers themselves founding researchoriented bodles such as the astro logical association uk in 1958 and the international society for astrologi cal research usa in 1970
the result was a notable increase in the number of critical studies
ln the 1970s there appeared various critiques of the occult that in cluded astrology eg freedland 1972 cooper 1974 sladek 1974 cazeau  scott 1979 and critiques devoted entirely to astrology eg parker 1970 russell 1972 gallant 1974 dean  mather 1977 jerome 1977 standen 1977 kelly 1979
the last was the first comprehensive critical review of as trologys scientific research base
it took seven personyears to prepare sur veyed many hundreds of books and articles and documented over 150 em pirical stucbes published in astrology journals and over twenty published in psychology journals dean  mather 1977
by 1996 new studles and pre viously missed studies had brought these totals to about 300 and 70 respec tively dean nias  french 1997
the research interest that dean and mather 1977 stimulated led to the foundation in 1981 of correlation an international peerreviewed journal devoted entirely to scientific research into astrology followed in 1982 by astropsychological problems oriented more toward gauquelin interests
by then the advent of home computers in the late 1970s had revolutionized astrological practice and research
calculating a birth chart once took any where from an hour to a day now it could be done in seconds allowing                       modern astrology a critique                          1037  researchers to do studies that were previously unthinkable
today there is a scholarly research base that covers most of the basic claims of astrology
even sun slgn columns have been tested
the outcome from all this in what probably amounts to well over two hundred personyears of research is al most uniformly negative dean mather  kelly 1996
unfortunately much of this work is neither widely known nor easily accessible a point to which i will return shortly
critical reviews of astrology in the light of research findings post1980 include those by psychologists eysenck and nias 1982 astronomers culver and ianna 1988 crowe 1990 martens and trachet 1995 and the bible scholars ankerberg and weldon 1989
the most recent reviews and the first to include metaanalyses are by kelly dean and saklofske 1990 and dean mather and kelly 1996
critiques of philosophical rehgious or so cial aspects of astrology include kelly and krutzen 19831 leahey and leahey 1983 kanitscheider 1991 dean 1992 and dean and loptson 1996
reviews of the arguments of astrologers include kelly culver and loptson 1989 and dean mather and kelly 1996
theories of astrology including jungs synchronicity are critically examined in dean loptson and kelly 1996
descriptions of the gauquelin work include gauquelin 1983 1988 and ertel 1992
the mars effect is specifically addressed by benski caudron
gahfret krivine pecker rouze and schatzman 19961 whose conclusions have been dsputed by ertel and inlmg 1996
the cog nitive and perceptual biases that can underlie belief in astrology are briefly reviewed by dean 1992 and in detail by dean kelly saklofske and furn ham 1992 and dean mather and kelly 1996
recent critiques of the occult that cover astrology include couttie 19881 hmes 19881 and neher 1990
there is of course an extensive and ongoing literature on the his tory of astrology for example ancient astrology baigent 1994 barton 1994 stewart 1996 medieval psychology kemp 19901 pre 19 century astrology tester 1987 and 19 century astrology curry 1992
why the present article
since the mid1970s psychology journals have averaged a steady total per year of about two empirical studies of astrologi cal claims plus an equal number devoted to related topics such as the accep tance of astrological statements or the prevalence of belief in astrology all of them easily accessible via psyclit the american psychological associations computerized abstract database
but for every such empirical study there are at least four more of equal quty in journals not accessible via psyclit
fortunately most of the major reviews listed above cover this wider informa tion base
on the other hand the reviews are generally more focussed on empirical findtngs than with paradigms and conceptual arguments
the pres ent article focuses on the latter and brings together previously scattered ma terial
representation of the planets in indian astrology authors david pingree source indoiranian journal vol
8 no
4 1965 pp
249267 published by brill stable url httpswwwjstororgstable24649692 accessed 01022020 1815 utc   references linked references are available on jstor for this article httpswwwjstororgstable24649692seq1cidpdfreferencereferencestabcontents you may need to log in to jstor to access the linked references
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your use of the jstor archive indicates your acceptance of the terms  conditions of use available at httpsaboutjstororgterms                      brill is collaborating with jstor to digitize preserve and extend access to indoiranian                  journal                                     this content downloaded from 16510612463 on sat 01 feb 2020 181537 utc                                                  all use subject to httpsaboutjstororgterms representation of the planets in indian astrology                                              by                                    david pingree                                           beirut     there is in india a wellknown iconographie tradition of the deities1 at first eight in number excluding ketu and later navagrahas
several pur�nas2 and various texts on silpas�stra these images in detail and a number of early examples surv are the images ordinarily worshipped and propitiated by th who believe in the reality of astrological influences
there is also a separate tradition regarding the image of s sun god introduced by the zoroastrian magi5 and kus�nas w    the author wishes to thank prof d h h ingalls of harvard university the manuscript of this article and offering several suggestions for its impro 1 see w jones in asiatick researches 2 1790 opposite p 303 e moo pantheon london 1810 p 281 and plate 10 e mollien remarqu zodiaques copi�s dans les pagodes indiennes m�moires pr�sent�s par d � lacad�mie des inscriptions et belleslettres lre s�rie 3 1853 275276 the navagrahas or nine planets and their names indian antiquary 6166 t a gopinatha rao elements of hindu iconography vol
1 m pp
299323  j n banerjea the development of hindu iconography 2nd  1956 pp
443445 and c sivar�mam�rti in enciclopedia universale dell roma 1958 cols
134138
2 the most recent work is that of p shah vifnudharmottarapur�na
t  vol
2 gaekwads oriental series 137 baroda 1961 pp
148151 an  of other pur�nas containing descriptions of the planetary images will p 222
3 many of these texts are published by gopinatha rao suppl pp
91100
4 besides the many images referred to in the works cited in note 1 a large number of others can be found in the various annual reports of the archaeological survey of india eg 2 190203 45 47 48 and 205
see also a coomaraswamy in r�pam 18 1924 6768 and fig
6 this image despite coomaraswamys conjecture probably never included ketu and n k bhattasali iconography of buddhist and brahmanical sculptures in the dacca museum dacca 1929 pp
136137
there may be some indian influence on the buddhist iconography of the planets in china for which see p w meister buddhistische planetendarstellungen in china oriens extremus 1 1954 15
6 on the maga br�hmanas magi see r c hazra studies in the upapur�nas vol
1 calcutta sanskrit college research series 11 calcutta 1958 pp
29108
this content downloaded from 16510612463 on sat 01 feb 2020 181537 utc                         all use subject to httpsaboutjstororgterms  250         david           pingree   india             toward                   the           beginning                       of   th  graphy                 of       s�rya               strongly                       influenced  the         navagrahas                         but          it     also           can   be   fo     in       sanskrit                     astrological                              works       o  scriptions                     of       the         planetary                       deities     w  going
these texts delineate not on  gods but also their characters
in  intend the description of each pla  born            under               its       influence                     as      well   as   t   in a previous article i have shown  horas and drek�nas is derived fro  decans               8     it      is     possible                 to      demonstrat  characterizations                                   of       the         planets           and  is however this difference
whe  horas and drek�nas are essentially  manuscript illustrations their des  derive from illustrations at all
t  supposition                            is      that            the          planets           are  attributes                       a    fact          which               indicates            th  expanded rather than that a draw  peculiarity is the portrayal of ven  this may either be due to their ide  indian mythology or to the fact t  describing                      the          planetary                     gods         in   fac  natives
as        was          true           in      the         case          of       the   descr  the         earliest               transmitter                           of        the   helle  to india was the sanskrit translatio  by yavanesvara in ad 149150
t  versification                                 by          sphujidhvaja                         t   8 there was of course a vedic tradition  the religion and philosophy of the ved  series 31 pp
104106
but a representa  period is not known
7 eg var�hamihira brhatsamhit� 57 4  8 see j n banerjee the representat  antiquary 54 1925 161171 and t n sculpture from koii�rka orissa sar�pabh�rati or the homage of indology  vishveshvaranand indological series 6 hoshiarpur 1954 
journal of the warburg and courtauld institutes 26 1963 223254
10 1 123136 edited from the unique manuscript 1180 k in the durbar library kathmandu
this content downloaded from 16510612463 on sat 01 feb 2020 181537 utc                       all use subject to httpsaboutjstororgterms              representation of the planets in indian astrology 251  but it is clear that similar descriptions were transmitted by a second translation from the greek which was utilized in the now lost astrological poem of satya second or third century satyas verses are reflected in the vrddhayavanaj�taka11 of m�nar�ja fourth century and in the laghuj�taka12 and brhajj�taka13 of var�hamihira sixth century
but var�hamihira has also used the yavanaj�taka as has pseudoprthuyasas who claims to be var�hamihiras son in the hor�s�ra1 pseudo par�sara seventh or eighth century has copied from the brhajj�taka in the p�rvakhanda of his brhatp�r�sarahor�s�stra15 while kaly�navarman c ad 800 has used both the yavanaj�taka and the brhajj�taka in the relevant verses of the s�r�vali16 an anonymous author cited by sivar�ja fifteenth century in his jyotirnibandha17 and mantresvara sixteenth century in the phalad�pik�18 rely on kaly�navarman while gun�kara fourteenth century
in his hor�makaranda19 depends on both the brhajj�taka and the s�r�val�
less important characterizations of the planets can be found in the t�jika20 of nilakantha who finished the varsatantra in 1587 and the j�tak�bharana21 of dhundhir�ja who wrote in 1628
the most obvious dissimilarity between sphujidhvaja s verses and those of the later indian astrologers lies in the order of the planets
by the fourth century in india it had become an unbreakable rule that the planets must be named in the order of their lordships of the week days sun moon mars mercury jupiter venus and saturn
sphujidh vaja was early enough to escape this law and here arranges the planets  11 2 2531  edited from the following three manuscripts in the bhandarkar oriental research institute poona 104 of 187374 211 of 188384 and 558 of 18991915
12 2 1725 pp
2223 in the edition published by the ver�ka tes vara press bombay 1936  417 in the edition of sit�r�ma jh� benares 1948 and in that of bh�nusankara n�lakantha �c�rya bh�vanagara 1953
13 2 811 in the edition with the tik� of utpala lithographed by mah�deva gop�la s�stri amar�purakara bombay 1874
14 2 2430 in the edition of v subrahmanya sastri and m ramakrishna bhat bangalore 1949
16 2 1319 in the venkatesvara press edition bombay 1951 3 2329 in that of sit�r�ma jh� benares 1952
18 4 2127 in the editions of subrahmanya s�stri bombay 1928 and of sit�r�ma jh� benares 1953
i have made a few obvious emendations 
edited by v g apte �nand�srama sanskrit series 85 poona 1919 p 273
18 2 814 in the edition of v subrahmanya sastri bangalore 1950
19 2 915 in ms 1029 of 188692 of the bhandarkar oriental research institute poona
20 edited by madhuk�nta jh� haridas sanskrit series 143 benares 1950 pp
8487 sl edited by acyut�nanda jh� wm� haridas sanskrit series 212 benares 1951 pp
6264
this content downloaded from 16510612463 on sat 01 feb 2020 181537 utc                       all use subject to httpsaboutjstororgterms  252       david              pingree   after the sun and moon according  of beneficent venus and jupiter  mars and saturn
at first sight the western mater  these sanskrit texts seems compl  planetary                     deities22                    and         even        fewer     d  from grecoroman antiquity and  readily be compared with the epit  emphasize features not easily recog   but there are in greek and latin  correspond to those of the indian  chapter                 on        the         identification                         of    thie  of       sidon             first             century                   ad           excerp  of thebes fl
38125 while                                                               the farrukh�n attabar� died c 200 ah or ad 815816 of a fifth century redaction of the third century pahlavi version26 was utilized by abu bakr alhasan ibn alkhasib ninth century27 alqabis
died   22 for a discussion of or references to all the material known a decade ago see h stern le calendrier de 354 paris 1953 pp
178 ff
 see also m j vermaseren corpus inscriptionum et monumentorum religionis mithriacae the hague 1956 p 249 no
677
the illustrations in medieval latin manuscripts and some conclusions concerning their relationships to ancient models will be found in the verzeichnis astrologischer und mythologischer illustrierter handschriften des lateinischen mittel alters the first volume by f saxl deals with manuscripts in the libraries of rome and the vatican sitzungsberichte der heidelberger akademie der wissenschaften philos hist
klasse 1915 abh
67 heidelberg 1915 the second also by f saxl with manuscripts in vienna sitzber
heidelberger akad
wiss philoshist
kl 192526 abh
2 heidelberg 1927  and the third by f saxl and h meier with those in english libraries london 2 pts 1953
this important work is being continued by e boer
for the use of images of the planets on amulets in antiquity and in islamic countries see u f kopp palaeographica critica vol
3 mannheim 1829 p 326 j ruska griechische planetendarstellungen in arabischen steinbiichern sitzber
heidelberger akad
wiss philoshist
kl 1919 abh
3 heidelberg 1919 catalogus codicum astrologorum graecorum hereafter ccag 10 7679 and h ritter and m plessner picatrix
das ziel des weisen von pseudomagriti studies of the warburg institute 27 london 1962 pp
114 ff
23 besides the usual sources such as fulgentius and albricus see porphyrius nepi �yttxuatojv of which the fragments were collected by j bidez in his vie de porphyre gandleipzig 1913 appendix 1
24 5  37 in the arabic translation f 63 of ms 784 of yeni jami istanbul
26 2 2 in ccag 8 2 5759 cf
8 1  147 and in v stegemann die fragmente des dorotheos von sidon   quellen und studien zur geschichte und kultur des altertums und des mittelalters reihe b heft 1 2 pts
heidelberg 193943 fr
25a
26 see isis 54 1963 230 fn
10 and 241 fn
97
27 dorotheus fr
25c stegemann
this content downloaded from 16510612463 on sat 01 feb 2020 181537 utc                       all use subject to httpsaboutjstororgterms            representation of the planets in indian astrology 253  356 ah or ad 96696728 ali ibn ab
rrij�l died after 432 ah or ad 1040104129 and an unknown byzantine author30      related to this dorothean tradition are passages in ptolemys second century tetrabiblos on the influence of the five starplanets on the bodies31 and souls32 of natives and in firmicus maternus fl
334337 ma thesis
m both of these however contain additions to dorotheus text some of which are paralleled in the yavanaj�taka
some of these additions are also found attributed to pythagoras in some greek manuscripts34 and in others they are incorporated in a longer treatise which pretends to be derived from an egyptian source35 this pythagorean or egyptian text was combined with hephaestios quotations from dorotheus by rhetorius of egypt early sixth century36 outside of both these tradi tions but to some extent similar to the pythagorean are two short documents one ascribed to an unknown anatolius37 the other tentatively and undoubtedly wrongly to heliodorus38      finally one must mention the planetary iconography in the temples of the s�bians of harr�n known from several descriptions in arabic sources39 as it was thought by saxl to preserve an ancient babylonian tradition40 with this can also be compared the descriptions of the planetary images of the sipasians in the dabist�n of moshan f�ni41   29   dorotheus fr
1 stegemann
29   dorotheus fr
25d stegemann
30   dorotheus fr
25b stegemann
31   3 12 37 bollboer
32 3 14 1036 bollboer
33 4 19 535
34 ccag 11 2 124125
35 ccag 12 125126
39 ccag 7 213224
37 ccag 8 3 188
38 ccag 8 4 240
one may also mention the work of teucer of babylon first century ad which was one of the sources of vettius valens 11 and of the chapter of rhetorius cited above
this however is concerned almost exclusively with the natives activities and occupations not their appearances or characters
similar to teucers text is that ascribed to abu mashar 787886 in greek manuscripts ccag 11 1 178184
39 see d chwolsohn die ssabier und der ssabismus st petersburg 1856 vol
2 pp
382 ff
and m dozy and j de goeje nouveaux documents pour l�tude de la religion des harranians actes du sixi�me congr�s international des orientalistes tenu en 1883 � leide pt
2 leyden 1885 pp
281366 with the latter compare picatrix pp
146147
40 f saxl beitr�ge zu einer geschichte der planetendarstellungen im orient und im okzident der islam 3 1912 151177
41 translated by d shea and a troter 3 vols
paris 1843 see vol
1 pp
3541 an abridgement appeared in washington and london in 1901 see pp
2225
nothing           this content downloaded from 16510612463 on sat 01 feb 2020 181537 utc                        all use subject to httpsaboutjstororgterms 254          david           pingree   unfortunately                                      though                    there       are  images              of       some            divine              bei        ngs42       none  and            the     little            that           is     known              of     the   i  who            were           associated                     with            the       planets  described                       as      having                   been             in   harr� hellenistic characterizations of the natives born under the influences of the planets are in part borrowings from babylonian astrology but we are not yet in a position to determine the extent of this influence
surely many particulars of the images supposedly erected by the s�bians and sipasians and those described elsewhere in islamic sources are derived from the indian tradition investigated in this paper
in the following pages i give the more important sanskrit texts and translations thereof
the words underlined with a solid line in the vrddhayavanajdtaka brhajjdtaka laghuj�taka and s�r�vali correspond to words in the yavanajdtaka those italicized represent ideas similar to those in the yavanajdtaka
in an appendix i list the parallels to the adjec tives of sphujidhvaja and satya which i have found in the hellenistic characterizations of the natives born under the influence of each planet
the planetary melothesia and dosas which appear in these texts will be discussed in detail in my edition of the yavanajdtaka
project gutenbergs astronomical lore in chaucer by florence m grimm  this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with  almost no restrictions whatsoever
you may copy it give it away or  reuse it under the terms of the project gutenberg license included  with this ebook or online at wwwgutenbergorg  title astronomical lore in chaucer  author florence m grimm  release date october 11 2011 ebook 37711  language english  character set encoding iso88591   start of this project gutenberg ebook astronomical lore in chaucer   produced by the online distributed proofreading team at  httpwwwpgdpnet this file was produced from images  generously made available by the internet archive
university of nebraska  studies inlanguage literature and criticism  number 2       astronomical lore in chaucer     by  florence m grimm a massistant in the university ofnebraska library       editorial committee  louise pound ph
d department of englishh
b alexander ph
d department of philosophyf
w sanford a
b department of latin
lincoln1919       pg 2  contents  i  astronomy in the middle ages   3  ii
chaucer’s scientific knowledge  9  iii
chaucer’s cosmology  12  iv
chaucer’s astronomy  27  v  astrological lore in chaucer  51     appendix  79       pg 3  astronomical lore in chaucer     i  astronomy in the middle ages  the conspicuousness of astronomical lore in the poetry of chaucer is due  to its importance in the life of his century
in the mediaeval period  astronomy or ‘astrology’ for the two names were used indifferently to  cover the same subject was one of the vital interests of men
the  ordinary man of the middle ages knew much more than do most men today  about the phenomena of the heavens conveniences such as clocks almanacs  and charts representing celestial phenomena were rare and direct  observations of the apparent movements and the relative positions of the  heavenly bodies were necessary for the regulation of man’s daily  occupations
furthermore the belief in a geocentric system of the  universe which in chaucer’s century was almost universally accepted was  of vast significance in man’s way of thinking
accepting this view all  the heavenly bodies seemed to have been created for the sole benefit of  man inhabiting the central position in the universe their movements  always with reference to the earth as a center brought to man light  heat changes of season—all the conditions that made human life possible  on the earth
not only did the man of the middle ages see in the regular movements of  the celestial spheres the instruments by which god granted him physical  existence but in the various aspects of heavenly phenomena he saw the  governing principles of his moral life
the arrangement of the heavenly  bodies with regard to one another at various times was supposed to exert  undoubted power over the course of terrestrial events
each planet was  thought to have special attributes and a special influence over men’spg 4  lives
venus was the planet of love mars of war and hostility the sun  of power and honor and so forth
each was mysteriously connected with a  certain color with a metal too the alchemists said and each had  special power over some organ of the human body
the planet’s influence  was believed to vary greatly according to its position in the heavens so  that to determine a man’s destiny accurately it was necessary to consider  the aspect of the whole heavens especially at the moment of his birth  but also at other times
this was called “casting the horoscope� and was  regarded as of great importance in enabling a man to guard against  threatening perils or bad tendencies and to make the best use of  favorable opportunities
it is not astonishing then that the great monuments of literature in the  mediaeval period and even much later are filled with astronomical and  astrological allusions for these are but reflections of vital human  interests of the times
the greatest poetical work of the middle ages  dante’s divina commedia is rich in astronomical lore and its dramatic  action is projected against a cosmographical background reflecting the  view of dante’s contemporaries as to the structure of the world
milton  writing in the seventeenth century bases the cosmology of his paradise  lost in the main on the ptolemaic system but makes adam and the  archangel raphael discuss the relative merits of this system and the  heliocentric view of the universe
the latter had been brought forth by  copernicus a century earlier but even in milton’s day had not yet  succeeded in supplanting the old geocentric cosmology
the view of the universe which we find reflected in chaucer’s poetry is  chiefly based on the ptolemaic system of astronomy though it shows traces  of very much more primitive cosmological ideas
the ptolemaic system owes  its name to the famous alexandrian astronomer of the second century a d  claudius ptolemy but is based largely on the works and discoveries of the  earlier greek philosophers and astronomers especially eudoxus  hipparchus and aristarchus whose investigations ptolemy compiledpg 5 and  along some lines extended
ptolemaic astronomy was a purely geometrical  or mathematical system which represented the observed movements and  relative positions of the heavenly bodies so accurately that calculations  as to their positions at any given time could be based upon it
ptolemy  agreed with his contemporaries in the opinion that to assign causes for  the celestial movements was outside the sphere of the astronomer
this was  a proper field of philosophy and the decisions of philosophers  especially those of aristotle were regarded as final and their teaching  as the basis upon which observed phenomena should be described
according to the ptolemaic system the earth is a motionless sphere fixed  at the center of the universe
it can have no motion for there must be  some fixed point in the universe to which all the motions of the heavenly  bodies may be referred if the earth had motion it was argued this would  be proportionate to the great mass of the earth and would cause objects  and animals to fly off into the air and be left behind
ptolemy believed  this reason sufficient to make untenable the idea of a rotatory motion of  the earth although he was fully aware that to suppose such a motion of  the earth would simplify exceedingly the representations of the celestial  movements
it did not occur to him that to suppose the earth’s atmosphere  to participate in its motion would obviate this difficulty
the earth was  but a point in comparison with the immense sphere to which the stars were  attached and which revolved about the earth once in every twentyfour  hours imparting its motion to sun moon and planets thus causing day  and night and the rising and setting of the heavenly bodies
the irregular  motions of the planets were accounted for by supposing them to move on  circles of small spheres called ‘epicycles’ the centres of which moved  around the ‘deferents’ or circles of large spheres which carried the  planets in courses concentric to the star sphere
by giving each of the  planets an epicycle and deferent of the proper relative size and velocity  the varied oscillations of the planets as far as they could be followed  by means of the simple instruments then in use were almost perfectly  accounted for
pg 6though it was a purely mathematical system which only attempted to give a  basis for computing celestial motions ptolemaic astronomy is of great  importance historically as it remained the foundation of theoretical  astronomy for more than 1400 years
throughout the long dark centuries of  the middle ages it survived in the studies of the retired students of the  monasteries and of the few exceptionally enlightened men who still had  some regard for pagan learning in the days when many of the church fathers  denounced it as heretical
ptolemy was the last of the great original greek astronomers
the  alexandrian school produced after him only copyists and commentators  and the theoretical astronomy of the greeks so highly perfected in  ptolemy’s almagest was for many centuries almost entirely neglected
the roman state gave no encouragement to the study of theoretical  astronomy and produced no new school of astronomy
although it was the  fashion for a roman to have a smattering of greek astronomy and famous  latin authors like cicero seneca strabo and pliny wrote on astronomy  yet the romans cared little for original investigations and contributed  nothing new to the science
the romans however appreciated the value of  astronomy in measuring time and applied to the alexandrian school to  satisfy their practical need for a calendar
what julius caesar obtained  from the alexandrian sosigenes he greatly improved and gave to the  empire as the calendar which with the exception of the slight change  made by gregory xiii we still use
the pseudoastronomical science of astrology or the socalled ‘judicial  astronomy’ was pursued during the roman empire and throughout the middle  ages with much greater zeal than theoretical astronomy
the interest in  astrology to be sure encouraged the study of observational astronomy to  a certain extent for the casting of horoscopes to foretell destinies  required that the heavenly bodies be observed and methods of calculating  their positions at any time or place be known
but there was no desire to  inquire into the underlying laws of the celestial motions or to  investigate the real nature of the heavenly phenomena
pg 7if the roman state did not encourage astronomy the roman church  positively discouraged it
the bible became and long remained the sole  authority recognized by the church fathers as to the constitution of the  universe
by many of the patristics ptolemaic astronomy was despised not  because it did not describe accurately the observed phenomena of the  heavens for it did this in a way that could scarcely have been improved  upon with the facilities for observation then available and not because  it was founded upon the false assumption that the earth is the motionless  center of the universe about which all heavenly bodies revolve but  because there was no authority in scripture for such a system and it  could not possibly be made consistent with the cosmology of genesis
allegorical descriptions of the universe based on the scriptures held  almost complete sway over the mediaeval mind
the whole universe was  represented allegorically by the tabernacle and its furniture
the earth  was flat and rectangular like the table of shew bread and surrounded on  all four sides by the ocean
the walls of heaven beyond this supported the  firmament shaped like a halfcylinder
angels moved the sun moon and  stars across the firmament and let down rain through its windows from the  expanse of water above
ii  chaucer’s scientific knowledge  it was in the fourteenth century that chaucer lived and wrote and his  interest in astronomical lore is therefore not surprising
although the  theories of astronomy current in chaucer’s century have been made  untenable by the de revolutionibus orbium of copernicus and by kepler’s  discovery of the laws of planetary motion although the inaccurate and  unsatisfactory methods of astronomical investigation then in use have been  supplanted by the better methods made possible through galileo’s invention  of the telescope and through the modern use of spectrum analysis yet of  all scientific subjects the astronomy of that period could most nearly  lay claim to the name of science according to the present acceptation of  the term
for as we have seen the interest in astrology during the  middle ages had fostered the study of observational astronomy and thispg 10  in turn had furnished the science a basis of fact and observation far  surpassing in detail and accuracy that of any other subject
practically all of chaucer’s writings contain some reference to the  movements and relative positions of the heavenly bodies and to their  influence on human and mundane affairs and in some of his works  especially the treatise on the astrolabe a very technical and detailed  knowledge of astronomical and astrological lore is displayed
there is  every reason to suppose that so far as it satisfied his purposes chaucer  had made himself familiar with the whole literature of astronomical  science
his familiarity with ptolemaic astronomy is shown in his writings  both by specific mention1 of the name of ptolemy and his syntaxis  commonly known as the ‘almagest’ and by many more general astronomical  references
even more convincing evidence of chaucer’s knowledge of the scientific  literature of his time is given in his treatise on the astrolabe
according to skeat part i and at least twothirds of part ii are taken  with some expansion andpg 11 alteration from a work on the astrolabe by  messahala2 called in the latin translation which chaucer used  “compositio et operatio astrolabie� this work may have been ultimately  derived from a sanskrit copy but from chaucer’s own words in the  prologue to the astrolabe3 it is clear that he made use of the latin  work
the rest of part ii may have been derived from some general  compendium of astronomical and astrological knowledge or from some other  of the treatises on the astrolabe which chaucer says were common in his  time
4  other sources mentioned by chaucer in the astrolabe are the calendars of  john some and nicholas lynne carmelite friars who wrote calendars  constructed for the meridian of oxford5 and of the arabian astronomer  abdilazi alkabucius
6 in the frankeleyns tale chaucer mentions the  tabulae toletanae7 a set of tables composed by order ofpg 12 alphonso x  king of castile and so called because they were adapted to the city of  toledo
works which served chaucer not as sources of information on  scientific subjects but as models for the treatment of astronomical lore  in literature were the de consolatione philosophiae of boethius which  chaucer translated and often made use of in his poetry and the works of  dante whose influence on chaucer probably considerable has been pointed  out by several writers notably rambeau8 who discusses the parallels  between the hous of fame and the divina commedia
iii  chaucer’s cosmology  chaucer wrote no poetical work having a cosmographical background as  completely set forth as is that in dante’s divine comedy or that in  milton’s paradise lost
although his cosmological references are often  incidental they are not introduced in a pedantic manner
whenever they are  not parts of interpolations from other writers his use of them is due to  their intimate relation to the life his poetry portrays or to his  appreciation of their poetic value
when chaucer says for example that  the sun has grown old and shines in capricorn with a paler light than is  his wont he is not using a merely conventional device for showing that  winter has come but is expressing this fact in truly poetic manner and in  words quite comprehensible to the men of his day who were accustomed to  think of time relations in terms of heavenly phenomena
popular and scientific views of the universe in chaucer’s century were by  no means the same
the untaught man doubtless still thought of the earth  as being flat as it appears to be as bounded by the waters of the ocean  and as covered by a domelike material firmament through which the waters  above sometimes came as rainpg 13 while as we have seen by the fourteenth  century among scholars the geocentric system of astronomy was firmly  established and the spheres and epicycles of ptolemy were becoming more  widely known
it is the view held by the educated men of his century that  chaucer’s poetry chiefly reflects
1
the celestial spheres and their movements  when we read chaucer we are transported into a world in which the heavenly  bodies and their movements seem to bear a more intimate relation to human  life than they do in the world in which we live
the thought of the  revolving spheres carrying sun moon and planets regulating light and  heat on the earth and exercising a mysterious influence over terrestrial  events and human destiny was a sublime conception and one that naturally  appealed to the imagination of a poet
chaucer was impressed alike by the  vastness of the revolving spheres in comparison to the earth’s smallness  by their orderly arrangement and by the unceasing regularity of their  appearance which seemed to show that they should eternally abide
in the  parlement of foules he interpolates a passage from cicero’s somnium  scipionis in which africanus appears to the sleeping scipio points out  to him the insignificance of our little earth when compared with the  vastness of the heavens and then admonishes him to regard the things of  this world as of little importance when compared with the joys of the  heavenly life to come
9  “than shewed he him the litel erthe that heer is  at regard of the hevenes quantite  and after shewed he him the nyne speres�  the regular arrangement of the planetary spheres clings often to the  poet’s fancy and he makes many allusions to their order in the heavens
he  speaks of mars as “the thridde hevenes lord above�10 and of venus as  presiding overpg 14 the “fifte cercle�11 in troilus and criseyde the poet  invokes venus as the adorning light of the third heaven
12  “o blisful light of which the bemes clere  adorneth al the thridde hevene faire�13  mediaeval astronomers as we have seen imagined nine spheres each of the  seven innermost carrying with it one of the planets in the order mentioned  below the eighth sphere was that of the fixed stars and to account for  the precession of the equinoxes men supposed it to have a slow motion  from west to east round the axis of the zodiac the ninth or outermost  sphere they called the primum mobile or the sphere of first motion and  supposed it to revolve daily from east to west carrying all the other  spheres with it
the thought of the two outer spheres the primum  mobile whirling along with it all the inner spheres and the firmament  bearing hosts of bright stars seems to have appealed strongly to the  poet’s imagination
in the tale of the man of lawe the primum mobile  is described as crowding and hurling in diurnal revolution from east to  west all the spheres that would naturally follow the slow course of the  zodiac from west to east
14 elsewhere the primum mobile is called the  “whele that bereth the sterres� and is said to turn the heavens with a  “ravisshing sweigh�  “o thou maker of the whele that bereth the sterres which that art  yfastned to thy perdurable chayer andpg 15 tornest the hevene with a  ravisshing sweigh and constreinest the sterres to suffren thy lawe�15  the firmament which in chaucer is not restricted to the eighth sphere but  generally refers to the whole expanse of the heavens is many times  mentioned by chaucer and its appearance on clear or cloudy nights its  changing aspects before an impending storm or with the coming of dawn  beautifully described
16     2
the harmony of the spheres  some of the cosmological ideas reflected in chaucer’s writings can be  traced back to systems older than the ptolemaic
the beautiful fancy that  the universe is governed by harmony had its origin in the philosophy of  the pythagoreans in the fourth century b c and continued to appeal to  men’s imagination until the end of the middle ages
it was thought that  the distances of the planetary spheres from one another correspond to the  intervals of a musical scale and that each sphere as it revolves sounds  one note of the scale
when asked why men could not hear the celestial  harmony the pythagoreans said a blacksmith is deaf to the continuous  regular beat of the hammers in his shop so we are deaf to the music which  the spheres have been sending forth from eternity
in ancient and mediaeval cosmology it was only the seven spheres of the  planets that were generally supposed to participate in this celestial  music but the poets havepg 16 taken liberties with this idea and have given  it to us in forms suiting their own fancies
milton bids all the celestial  spheres join in the heavenly melody  “ring out ye crystal spheres  once bless our human earsif ye have power to touch our senses so  and let your silver chime  move in melodious timeand let the base of heaven’s deep organ blow  and with your ninefold harmony  make up full consort to the angelic symphony�17  shakespeare lets every orb of the heavens send forth its note as it moves  “there’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’st  but in his motion like an angel sings  still quiring to the youngeyed cherubins�18  chaucer too makes all nine spheres participate  “and after that the melodye herde he  that cometh of thilke speres thryes three  that welle is of musyke and melodye  in this world heer and cause of armonye�19  only in unusual circumstances can the music of the spheres be heard by  mortal ears
in the lines just quoted the celestial melody is heard during  a dream or vision
in troilus and criseyde after troilus’ death his  spirit is borne aloft to heaven whence he beholds the celestial orbs and  hears the melody sent forth as they revolve  pg 17  “and ther he saugh with ful avysement  the erratik sterres herkeninge armonye  with sownes fulle of hevenish melodye�20     3
the cardinal points and the regions of the world  more primitive in origin than the harmony of the spheres are references to  the four elements to the divisions of the world and to the cardinal  points or quarters of the earth
of these probably the most primitive is  the last
the idea of four cardinal points the “before� the “behind�  the “right� and the “left� later given the names north south east and  west appears among peoples in their very earliest stages of civilization  and because of its great usefulness has remained and probably will remain  throughout the history of the human race
only one of chaucer’s many  references to the cardinal points need be mentioned
in the man of lawes  tale b491ff
the cardinal points are first suggested by an allusion to  the four ‘spirits of tempest’ which were supposed to have their  respective abodes in the four quarters of earth and then specifically  named in the lines following  “who bad the foure spirits of tempest  that power han tanoyen land and see  ‘bothe north and south and also west and est  anoyeth neither see ne land ne tree’�  of almost equal antiquity are ideas of the universe as a threefold world  having heaven above earth below and a region of darkness and gloom  beneath the earth
chaucer usually speaks of the threefold world the  “tryne compas� as comprising heaven earth and sea
thus in the knightes  tale21  “‘o chaste goddesse of the wodes grene  to whom bothe hevene and erthe and see is sene  quene of the regne of pluto derk and lowe’�  pg 18fame’s palace is said to stand midway between heaven earth and sea  “hir paleys stant as i shal seye  right even in middes of the weye  betwixen hevene erthe and see�22  again in the seconde nonnes tale the name ‘tryne compas’ is used of the  threefold world and the three regions are mentioned  “that of the tryne compas lord and gyde is  whom erthe and see and heven out of relees  ay herien�23     4
heaven hell and purgatory  in mediaeval cosmology ideas of heaven hell and purgatory as more or  less definitely located regions where the spirits of the dead were either  rewarded or punished eternally or were purged of their earthly sins in  hope of future blessedness play an important part
according to dante’s  poetic conception hell was a conical shaped pit whose apex reached to the  center of the earth purgatory was a mountain on the earth’s surface on  the summit of which was located the garden of eden or the earthly  paradise and heaven was a motionless region beyond space and time the  motionless sphere outside of the primum mobile called the empyrean
chaucer’s allusions to heaven hell and purgatory are frequent but chiefly  incidental and give no such definite idea of their location as we find in  the divine comedy
the nearest chaucer comes to indicating the place of  heaven is in the parlement of foules 556 where africanus speaks of  heaven and then points to the galaxy  “and rightful folk shal go after they dye  to heven and shewed him the galaxye�  pg 19chaucer describes heaven as “swift and round and burning� thus to some  extent departing from the conception of it usually held in his time  “and right so as thise philosophres wryte  that heven is swift and round and eek brenninge  right so was fayre cecilie the whyte�24  in using the terms “swift and round� chaucer must have been thinking of  the primum mobile which as we have seen was thought to have a swift  diurnal motion from east to west
his use of the epithet “burning� is in  conformity with the mediaeval conception of the empyrean or heaven of  pure light as it is described by dante
chaucer does not describe the form and location of hell as definitely as  does dante but the idea which he presents of it by incidental allusions  whether or not this was the view of it he himself held is practically the  one commonly held in his day
that hell is located somewhere within the  depths of the earth is suggested in the knightes tale25—  “his felawe wente and soghte him down in helle�  and in the man of lawes tale26  “o serpent under femininitee  lyk to the serpent depe in helle ybounde�  in the persones tale hell is described as a horrible pit to which no  natural light penetrates filled with smoking flames and presided over by  devils who await an opportunity to draw sinful souls to their  punishment
27 elsewhere in the same tale the parson describes hell as a  region of disorder the only place in the world not subject to the  universal laws of nature and attributes this idea of it to job  pg 20“and eek iob seith that ‘in helle is noon ordre of rule’ and  albeit so that god hath creat alle thinges in right ordre and  nothing withouten ordre but alle thinges been ordeyned and nombred  yet nathelees they that been dampned been nothing in ordre ne holden  noon ordre�28  the word purgatory seldom occurs in a literal sense in chaucer’s poetry  but the figurative use of it is frequent
when the wife of bath is  relating her experiences in married life she tells us that she was her  fourth husband’s purgatory
29 the old man ianuarie30 contemplating  marriage fears that he may lose hope of heaven hereafter because he will  have his heaven here on earth in the joys of wedded life
his friend  iustinus sarcastically tells him that perhaps his wife will be his  purgatory god’s instrument of punishment so that when he dies his soul  will skip to heaven quicker than an arrow from the bow
to arcite  released from prison on condition that he never again enter theseus’  lands banishment will be a worse fate than the purgatory of life  imprisonment for then even the sight of emelye will be denied him  “he seyde ‘allas that day that i was born
now is my prison worse than biforn  now is me shape eternally to dwelle  noght in purgatorie but in helle’�31  the idea of purgatory not as a place definitely located like dante’s  mount of purgatory but rather as a period of punishment and probation is  expressed in these lines from the parlement of foules 7884  pg 21  “‘but brekers of the lawe soth to seyne  and lecherous folk after that they be dede  shul alwey whirle aboute therthe in peyne  til many a world be passed out of drede  and than foryeven alle hir wikked dede  than shul they come unto that blisful place  to which to comen god thee sende his grace’�  chaucer uses the idea of paradise for poetical purposes quite as often as  that of purgatory
he expresses the highest degree of earthly beauty or  joy by comparing it with paradise
criseyde’s face is said to be like the  image of paradise
32 again in extolling the married life the poet says  that its virtues are such  “‘that in this world it is a paradys’�33  and later in the same tale woman is spoken of as  “mannes help and his confort  his paradys terrestre and his disport�34  when aeneas reaches carthage he  “is come to paradys  out of the swolow of helle and thus in ioye  remembreth him of his estat in troye�35  chaucer mentions paradise several times in its literal sense as the abode  of adam and eve before their fall
in the monkes tale we are told that  adam held sway over all paradise excepting one tree
36 again the  pardoner speaks of the expulsion of adam and eve from paradise  “adam our fader and his wyf also  fro paradys to labour and to wo  were driven for that vyce it is no drede  for whyl that adam fasted as i redepg 22he was in paradys and whan that he  eet of the fruyt defended on the tree  anon he was outcast to we and peyne�37     5
the four elements
the idea of four elements38 has its origin in the attempts of the early  greek cosmologists to discover the ultimate principle of reality in the  universe
thales reached the conclusion that this principle was water anaximines  that it was air and heracleitus fire while parmenides supposed two  elements fire or light subtle and rarefied and earth or night dense  and heavy
empedocles of agrigentum about 450 b c assumed as primary  elements all four—fire air water and earth—of which each of his  predecessors had assumed only one or two
to explain the manifold  phenomena of nature he supposed them to be produced by combinations of the  elements in different proportions through the attractive and repulsive  forces of ‘love’ and ‘discord’ this arbitrary assumption of four  elements first made by empedocles persisted in the popular imagination  throughout the middle ages and is like other cosmological ideas of  antiquity sometimes reflected in the poetry of the time
the elements in mediaeval cosmology were assigned to a definite region of  the universe
being mortal and imperfect they occupied four spheres below  the moon the elemental region or region of imperfection as distinguished  from the ethereal region above the moon
immediately within the sphere of  the moon came that of fire below this the air then water and lowest of  all the solid sphere of earth
pg 23 fire being the most ethereal of the  elements constantly tends to rise upward while earth sinks towards the  center of the universe
this contrast is a favorite idea with dante who  says in the paradiso i
112117  “‘wherefore they move to diverse ports o’er thegreat sea of being and each one withinstinct given it to bear it on
this beareth the fire toward the moon thisis the mover in the hearts of things that diethis doth draw the earth together and unite it’�  elsewhere dante describes the lightning as fleeing its proper place when  it strikes the earth  “‘but lightning fleeing its proper site ne’er  darted as dost thou who art returning thither’�39  and again  “‘so from this course sometimes departeth thecreature that hath power thus thrust to swervetoward some other part  even as fire may be seen to dart down fromthe cloud if its first rush be wrenched asideto earth by false seeming pleasure’�40  the same thought of the tendency of fire to rise and of earth to sink is  found in chaucer’s translation of boethius41  “thou bindest the elements by noumbres proporcionables  that the  fyr that is purest ne flee nat over hye ne that the hevinesse ne  drawe nat adoun overlowe the erthes that ben plounged in the wateres�  chaucer does not make specific mention of the spheres of the elements but  he tells us plainly that each element has been assigned its proper region  from which it may not escape        iv  chaucer’s astronomy  chaucer’s treatment of astronomical lore in his poetry differs much from  his use of it in his prose writings
in poetical allusions to heavenly  phenomena much attention to detail and a pedantic regard for accuracy  would be inappropriate
references to astronomy in chaucer’s poetry are  as a rule rather brief specific but not technical often purely  conventional but always truly poetic
there are indeed occasional  passages in chaucer’s poetry showing so detailed a knowledge of  observational50 astronomy that they would seem astonishing and to many  people out of place in modern poetry
they were not so in chaucer’s  time when the exigencies of practical life demanded of the ordinary man a  knowledge of astronomy far surpassing that possessed by most of our  contemporaries
harry bailly in the introduction to the man of lawes  tale determines the day of the month and hour of the day by making  calculations from the observed position of the sun in the sky and from  the length of shadows although says chaucer “he were not depe expert in  lore�51 such pg 28references to technical details of astronomy as we find  in this passage are however not common in chaucer’s poetry in his  treatise on the astrolabe on the other hand a professedly scientific  work designed to instruct his young son louis in those elements of  astronomy and astrology that were necessary for learning the use of the  astrolabe we have sufficient evidence that he was thoroughly familiar  with the technical details of the astronomical science of his day
in chaucer’s poetry the astronomical references employed are almost wholly  of two kinds references showing the time of day or season of the year at  which the events narrated are supposed to take place and figurative  allusions for purposes of illustration or comparison
figurative uses of  astronomy in chaucer vary from simple similes as in the prologue to the  canterbury tales where the friar’s eyes are compared to twinkling  stars52 to extended allegories like the compleynt of mars in which the  myth of venus and mars is related by describing the motions of the planets  venus and mars for a certain period during which venus overtakes mars  they are in conjunction53 for a short time and then venus because of  her greater apparent velocity leaves mars behind
one of the most  magnificent astronomical figures employed by chaucer is in the hous ofpg 29  fame
chaucer looks up into the heavens and sees a great golden eagle  near the sun a sight so splendid that men could never have beheld its  equal ‘unless the heaven had won another sun’  “hit was of golde and shone so bright  that never saw men such a sighte  butif the heven hadde ywonne  al newe of golde another sonne  so shoon the egles fethres brighte  and somwhat dounward gan hit lighte�54  besides mentioning the heavenly bodies in time references and figurative  allusions chaucer also employs them often in descriptions of day and  night of dawn and twilight and of the seasons
it is with a poet’s joy  in the warm spring sun that he writes  “bright was the day and blew the firmament  phebus of gold his stremes doun hath sent  to gladen every flour with his warmnesse�55  and with a poet’s delight in the new life and vigor that nature puts forth  when spring comes that he writes the lines  “forgeten had the erthe his pore estat  of winter that him naked made and mat  and with his swerd of cold so sore greved  now hath the atempre sonne al that releved  that naked was and clad hit new agayn�56  chaucer’s astronomical allusions then except in the treatise on the  astrolabe and in his translation of boethius de consolatione  philosophiae in which a philosophical interest in celestial phenomena is  displayed are almost pg 30invariably employed with poetic purpose
these  poetical allusions to heavenly phenomena however together with the more  technical and detailed references in chaucer’s prose works give evidence  of a rather extensive knowledge of astronomy
with all of the important  observed movements of the heavenly bodies he was perfectly familiar and it  is rather remarkable how many of these he uses in his poetry without  giving one the feeling that he is airing his knowledge
1
the sun  of all the heavenly bodies the one most often mentioned and employed for  poetic purposes by chaucer is the sun
chaucer has many epithets for the  sun but speaks of him perhaps most often in the classical manner as  phebus or apollo
he is called the “golden tressed phebus�57 or the  “laurercrowned phebus�58 and when he makes mars flee from venus’  palace he is called the “candel of ielosye�59 in the following passage  chaucer uses three different epithets for the sun within two lines  “the dayes honour and the hevenes ye  the nightes fo al this clepe i the sonne  gan westren faste and dounward for to wrye  as he that hadde his dayes cours yronne�60  sometimes chaucer gives the sun the various accessories with which  classical myth had endowed him—the four swift steeds the rosy chariot  and fiery torches  “and phebus with his rosy carte sone  gan after that to dresse him up to fare�61“‘now am i war  that pirous and tho swifte stedes three  which that drawen forth the sonnes charpg 31hath goon some bypath in despyt of me’�62  “phebus that was comen hastely  within the paleysyates sturdely  with torche in honde of which the stremes brighte  on venus chambre knokkeden ful lighte�63  almost always when chaucer wishes to mention the time of day at which the  events he is relating take place he does so by describing the sun’s  position in the sky or the direction of his motion
we can imagine that  chaucer often smiled as he did this for he sometimes humorously  apologizes for his poetical conceits and conventions by expressing his  idea immediately afterwards in perfectly plain terms
such is the case in  the passage already quoted where chaucer refers to the sun by the epithets  “dayes honour� “hevenes ye� and “nightes fo� and then explains them by  saying “al this clepe i the sonne� and in the lines  “til that the brighte sonne loste his hewe  for thorisonte hath reft the sonne his light�  explained by the simple words  “this is as muche to seye as it was night�64  thus it is that chaucer’s poetic references to the apparent daily motion  of the sun about the earth are nearly always simply in the form of  allusions to his rising and setting
canacee in the squieres tale f  384 ff
is said to rise at dawn looking as bright and fresh as the  spring sun risen four degrees from the horizon
“up ryseth fresshe canacee hirselve  as rody and bright as dooth the yonge sonne  that in the ram65 is four degrees upronne  noon hyer was he whan she redy was�  many of these references to the rising and setting of the sun might be  mentioned if space permitted simply for their beauty as poetry
one of  the most beautiful is the following  pg 32  “and fyry phebus ryseth up so brighte  that al the orient laugheth of the lighte  and with his stremes dryeth in the greves  the silver dropes hanging on the leves�66  when in the canterbury tales the manciple has finished his tale  chaucer determines the time by observing the position of the sun and by  making calculations from the length of his own shadow  “by that the maunciple hadde his tale al ended  the sonne fro the south lyne was descended  so lowe that he nas nat to my sighte  degrees nyne and twenty as in highte
foure of the clokke it was tho as i gesse  for eleven foot or litel more or lesse  my shadwe was at thilke tyme as there  of swich feet as my lengthe parted were  in six feet equal of porporcioun�67  we must not omit mention of the humorous touch with which chaucer in the  mock heroic tale of chanticleer and the fox told by the nun’s priest  makes even the rooster determine the time of day by observing the altitude  of the sun in the sky  “chauntecleer in al his pryde  his seven wyves walkyng by his syde  caste up his eyen to the brighte sonne  that in the signe of taurus hadde yronne  twenty degrees and oon and somewhat more  and knew by kynde and by noon other lore  that it was pryme and crew with blisful stevene
‘the sonne’ he sayde ‘is clomben up on hevene  fourty degrees and oon and more ywis’�68  pg 33moreover this remarkable rooster observed that the sun had passed the  twentyfirst degree in taurus and we are told elsewhere that he knew each  ascension of the equinoctial and crew at each that is he crew every  hour as 15� of the equinoctial correspond to an hour  “wel sikerer was his crowing in his logge  than is a clokke or an abbey orlogge
by nature knew he ech ascencioun69  of th’ equinoxial in thilke toun  for whan degrees fiftene were ascended  thanne crew he that it mighte nat ben amended�70  chaucer announces the approach of evening by describing the position and  appearance of the sun more often than any other time of the day
in the  legend of good women he speaks of the sun’s leaving the south point71  of his daily course and approaching the west  “whan that the sonne out of the south gan weste�72  and again of his westward motion in the lines  “and whan that hit is eve i rene blyve  as sone as ever the sonne ginneth weste�73  elsewhere chaucer refers to the setting of the sun by saying that he has  completed his “ark divine� and may no longer remain on the horizon74 or  by saying that the ‘horizon has bereft the sun of his light’75  chaucer’s references to the daily motion of the sun about the earth are  apt to sound to us like purely poetical figures so accustomed are we to  refer to the sun what we know to be the earth’s rotatory motion by  speaking of his apparent daily motion thus figuratively as if it were  real
chaucer’s manner of describing the revolution of the heavenly bodies  about the earth and his application of poetic epithets to them are  figurative but the motion itself waspg 34 meant literally and was believed in  by the men of his century because only the geocentric system of astronomy  was then known
if chaucer had been in advance of his century in this  respect there would certainly be some hint of the fact in his writings
references in chaucer to the sun’s yearly motion are in the same sense  literal
the apparent motion of the sun along the ecliptic76 which we  know to be caused by the earth’s yearly motion in an elliptical orbit  around the sun was then believed to be an actual movement of the sun  carried along by his revolving sphere
like the references to the sun’s  daily movements those that mention his yearly motion along the ecliptic  are also usually time references
the season of the year is indicated by  defining the sun’s position among the signs of the zodiac
the canterbury  pilgrims set out on their journey in april when  “the yonge sonne  hath in the ram his halfe course yronne�77       v  astrological lore in chaucer  astrology though resembling a science in that it makes use of observation  and seeks to establish laws governing its data is in reality a faith or  creed
it had its beginning so tradition tells us in the faith of the  ancient babylonians in certain astral deities who exerted an influence  upon terrestrial events and human life
the basis of this faith was not  altogether illogical but contained a germ of truth
of all the heavenly bodies the sun exerted the most obvious effect upon  the earth the sun brought day and night summer and winter his rays  lured growing things from mother earth and so gave sustenance to mankind
but to the ancient peoples of the orient the sun was also often a baneful  power he could destroy as well as give life
therefore the ancients came  to look upon the sun as a great and powerful god to be worshipped and  propitiated by men
and if the sun was such a power it was natural to  believe that all the other bright orbs of the sky were lesser pg 52divinities  who exercised more limited powers on the earth
from this beginning  based as we have seen on a germ of fact by the power of his imagination  and credulity man extended more and more the powers of these sidereal  divinities attributing to their volition and influence all the most  insignificant as well as the most important terrestrial events
and if the  heavenly bodies by revolving about the earth in ceaseless harmony  effected the recurrence of day and night and of the seasons and if their  configurations were responsible for the minutest events in nature was it  not natural to suppose that besides affecting man thus indirectly they  also influenced him directly and were responsible for his conduct and for  the very qualities of his mind and soul
perhaps the astonishing variety  of the influences that the celestial bodies from ancient until modern  times were supposed to exercise over the world and the life of mankind  can be accounted for by imagining some such process of thought to have  been involved in the beginnings of astrology
it was but a step from faith in stellar influence on our earth to the  belief that as the heavenly movements were governed by immutable laws so  their influence upon the world would follow certain laws and its effects  in the future could be determined as certainly as could the coming  revolutions and conjunctions of the stars
out of this twofold belief was  evolved a complex system of divination the origin of which was forgotten  as men believing in it invented reasons for believing pretending that  their faith was founded on a long series of observations
the chaldeans  believed that in discovering the unceasing regularity of the celestial  motions they had found the very laws of life and they built upon this  conviction a mass of absolutely rigid dogmas
but when experience belied  these dogmas unable to realize the falsity of their presuppositions and  to give up their faith in the divine stars the astrologers invented new  dogmas to explain the old ones thus piling up a body of complicated and  oftenpg 53 contradictory doctrines that will ever be to the student a source  of perplexity and astonishment
on its philosophical side astrology was a system of astral theology  developed not by popular thought but through the careful observations  and speculations of learned priests and scholars
it was a purely eastern  science which came into being on the chaldean plains and in the nile  valley
as far as we know it was entirely unknown to any of the primitive  aryan races from hindostan to scandinavia
astrology as a system of  divination never gained a foothold in greece during the brightest period  of her intellectual life
but the dogma of astral divinity was zealously  maintained by the greatest of greek philosophers
plato the great  idealist whose influence upon the theology of the ancient and even of the  modern world was more profound than that of any other thinker called the  stars “visible gods� ranking them just below the supreme eternal being  and to plato these celestial gods were infinitely superior to the  anthropomorphic gods of the popular religion who resembled men in their  passions and were superior to them only in beauty of form and in power
aristotle defended with no less zeal the doctrine of the divinity of the  stars seeing in them eternal substances principles of movement and  therefore divine beings
in the hellenistic period zeno the stoic and  his followers proclaimed the supremacy of the sidereal divinities even  more strongly than the schools of plato and aristotle had done
the stoics  conceived the world as a great organism whose “sympathetic� forces  constantly interacted upon one another governed by reason which was of  the essence of ethereal fire the primordial substance of the universe
to  the stars the purest manifestation of the power of this ethereal  substance were attributed the greatest influence and the loftiest divine  qualities
the stoics developed the doctrine of fatalism which is the  inevitable outcome of faith in stellar influence on human life to its  consequences yet they proved by facts that fatalism is not incompatible  with pg 54active and virtuous living
by the end of the roman imperial period  astrology had transformed paganism replacing the old society of immortals  who were scarcely superior to mortals except in being exempted from old  age and death by faith in the eternal beings who ran their course in  perfect harmony throughout the ages whose power regulated by the  unvarying celestial motions extended over all the earth and determined  the destiny of the whole human race
astrology as a science and a system of divination exerted a profound  influence over the mediaeval mind
no court was without its practicing  astrologer and the universities all had their professors of astrology
the  practice of astrology was an essential part of the physician’s profession  and before prescribing for a patient it was thought quite as important to  determine the positions of the planets as the nature of the disease
139  interesting evidence of this fact is found in the prologue to the  canterbury tales where chaucer speaks of the doctour’s knowledge and use  of astrology as if it were his chief excellence as a physician  “in al this world ne was ther noon him lyk  to speke of phisik and of surgerye  for he was grounded in astronomye
he kepte his pacient a ful greet del  in houres by his magik naturel
wel coude he fortunen the ascendent  of his images for his pacient�140  yet in spite of the esteem in which astrological divination was held by  most people in the middle ages dante the greatest exponent of the  thought and learning of that period shows practically no knowledge of the  technical and practical side of astrology
when he refers to the specific  effects of the planets it is only to those most familiarly known and he  nowhere uses such technical terms as “houses� or “aspects� of planets
but  dante like the great philosophers of the earlier periods was undoubtedly  pg 55influenced by the philosophical doctrines of astrology and a general  belief in the influence of the celestial spheres upon human life was  deeply rooted in his mind
to him the ceaseless and harmonious movements  of the celestial bodies were the manifestations and instruments of god’s  providence and were ordained by the first mover to govern the destinies  of the earth and human life
we can see this conviction of dante’s with perfect certainty when we read  the divina commedia
for dante’s poetry is highly subjective on every  page his own personal thoughts and feelings are revealed quite openly
chaucer’s poetry on the other hand is objective he tells us almost  nothing directly about himself and what we learn of him in his writings is  almost entirely by inference
chaucer’s frequent use of astrology in his  poetry would make it hard to believe that he was not considerably  influenced by its philosophical aspects at least in the general way that  dante was
part and parcel of the dramatic action in most of his poems is  the idea of stellar influences
yet we cannot assert with the same  assurance that we can say it of dante that chaucer believed even in a  general way in the influence of the stars on human life
in dante’s  poetry as we have said the poet himself is always before us
chaucer  with socratic irony always makes it plain to the reader that his attitude  is purely objective that he is only the narrator of what he has seen or  dreamed only the copyist of another’s story
even when chaucer makes  himself one of the protagonists as in the hous of fame and the  canterbury tales it is only that his narrative may be the more  convincing
he tells a story and makes its protagonists actually live  before us as individual men and women
it is possible to imagine all of  his use of astrology in his poetry not as the reflection of his own faith  in its cosmic philosophy but the expression of his genius for  understanding people and truthfully describing life and character
considerable discussion as to chaucer’s attitude towards astrology has  been called forth by passages in whichpg 56 he speaks in words of scorn with  regard to some of the practices and magic arts that were often used in  connection with astrology
in the astrolabe after describing somewhat at  length the favorable and unfavorable positions of planets he says  “natheles thise ben observauncez of iudicial matiere and rytes of  payens in which my spirit ne hath no feith ne no knowing of hir  horoscopum�141  again in the franklin’s tale he speaks in a similar disdainful tone of  astrological magic  “he him remembred that upon a day  at orliens in studie a book he say  of magik naturel which his felawe  that was that tyme a bacheler of lawe  al were he ther to lerne another craft  had prively upon his desk ylaft  which book spak muchel of the operaciouns  touchinge the eighte and twenty mansiouns  that longen to the mone and swich folye  as in our dayes is not worth a flye  for holy chirches feith in our bileve  ne suffreth noon illusion us to greve�142  and elsewhere in the same tale he writes  “so atte laste he hath his tyme yfounde  to maken his iapes and his wreccednesse  of switch a supersticious cursednesse�143  here follows a long description of the clerk’s instruments and  astrological observances ending in the lines  “for swiche illusiouns and swiche meschaunces  as hethen folk used in thilke dayes  for which no lenger maked he delayes  but thurgh his magik for a wyke or tweye  it seemed that alle the rokkes were aweye�144  pg 57on the strength of these passages professor t r lounsbury145 holds  that chaucer was far ahead of most of his contemporaries in his attitude  toward the superstitious practices connected with the astrology of his  day that his attitude toward judicial astrology was one of total  disbelief and scorn and he even goes so far as to say that chaucer was  guilty of a breach of artistic workmanship in expressing his disbelief so  scornfully in a tale in which the very climax of the dramatic action  depends upon a feat of astrological magic
the luck of flowers  it has been a favorite pastime with maidens in all ages to try to foretell  their future by the aid of flowers and plants
one of the most popular fancies is provided by the fourleaved clover the  story of which is told in various legends
one runs to the effect that three  beautiful sisters faith hope and charity came from over the seas and  wherever they walked threeleaved clovers crimson white and yellow  bloomed profusely
in their footsteps came another more beautiful being  whose name was love and in his honor the clover added a fourth petal  to the trefoil
in time it became the talisman of lovesick maidens who wore it in their  shoe to ensure a speedy meeting with their sweetheart wore it over their  heart to frighten away evil spirits and to prevent being jilted
in the case  of a quarrel it served to effect a reconciliation
apart from its sentimental associations a fourleaved clover has long been  regarded as an emblem of good luck and has been worn by those who  believe in such things when they wished to increase their chances of good  fortune
spring flowers—naturally many beliefs flourish around the flowers  of the garden and the hedgerow
if you chance to find the first flower of the season on a monday it means  good luck
if on a tuesday big undertakings are likely to be successful
if on a wednesday it denotes your approaching wedding
if on a thursday hard work with little profit will fall to your lot
if on a friday unexpected wealth reaches you
if on a saturday you may look out for misfortune
if on a sunday phenomenal good luck will come to you
the first wild flower—from the first wild flowers which you  gather in spring it is possible to discover the initials of your future husband or  wife
if for instance they should chance to be daisies violets and buttercups  then expect to find some suitable person with the initials d v b  but they may not be necessarily in this order
if someone presents you with a yellow flower then you may expect a  gift of money directly
if you can turn a bluebell inside out without breaking it then your lover  will be true as long as both of you live
100  no
21
the pansy—if you wish to know your future destiny pluck a pansy  which takes its name from pensee a thought
count the streaks or lines upon  the petals
four streaks tell that your dearest wish will be fulfilled
five streaks stand for hope with fear
six streaks suggest a surprise
seven streaks tell of constancy in your lover
eight streaks fickleness
nine streaks a change and then riches
markings leaning towards the left denote trouble
markings leaning to the right denote prosperity
should the central streak be the longest then sunday should be chosen  as your wedding day
the daisy—one of the oldest of flower charms is to pluck at the petals  of a daisy or marguerite
at first pluck these words are said he loves  me at the second he loves me not
these sentences are repeated alternately  until the flower is deprived of all its petals
whichever sentence  was uttered last describes his affections
101  the ivy—  ivy ivy i thee pluck  and in my bosom i thee put
the first young man who speaks to me  my own true lover he shall be
no
22
the hawthorn or may—once upon a time every porch was decorated  with a branch of may to avert the evil eye and prevent witchcraft but the  idea has been departed from and now it is regarded as a harbinger of  illluck and is rarely brought inside a house
the mistletoe—from very ancient times this plant has been regarded  with curious veneration
probably it gained special fame in the first instance  owing to the peculiar manner in which it grew
the druids looked  upon it as a plant possessing marvelous properties and they esteemed nothing  in the world more sacred than it
they gathered it when the moon was  just six days old because the moon was then thought to be at its greatest  power
this done they sacrificed two young bullocks which were milkwhite
after that the mistletoe was cut into small pieces with the aid of  a golden hook or bill and distributed among the people present
these  took it home and suspended it in a prominent place to ward off evil spirits
from these associations the mistletoe has become an emblem under which  young people may kiss without any evil coming to them through their act
holly is used as a christmas decoration because the romans chose it to  hang in their houses on the fast in honor of saturn
friends gave bunches of it  to those whom they wished to endow with luck and happiness probably  because the prickly leaves symbolized the crown of thorns worn by christ  and the red berries the blood of the cross
102  birthday flowers  just as there are birth stones so there are flowers which stand for each  month of the year
by wearing the blossom named for your month you may  count on good fortune as the result
january—the snowdrop which is the emblem of purity hope and  gentleness
february—the violet the emblem of modesty kindness and faith
march—the daffodil the emblem of daintiness sincerity and graciousness
april—the primrose the emblem of lovers
may—the white lily the emblem of purity and sweetness
june—the wild rose the emblem of love and loyalty
july—the carnation the emblem of kindly thoughts
august—the white heather the emblem of luck and the best of  good fortune
september—the michaelmas daisy the emblem of riches and happiness
october—the rosemary the emblem of remembrance and kind  thoughts
november—the chrysanthemum the emblem of faith and truth
december—the ivy the emblem of loyalty fidelity and faithfulness
the language of flowers  for many generations certain flowers have been accepted as having definite  meanings
thus a gift of any of the examples listed below may be taken  to infer whatever description is appended
camellia—beauty lovelinesscandytuft—indifference lack of affectioncarnation red—alas for my poor heartcarnation white—disregard disdainclover fourleaved—be minecolumbine—foolishnessdaisy—innocence puritydeadly nightshade—falsehood untruefern—you fascinate meforgetmenot—the same as the namefoxglove—i bow down to yougeranium—to console yougolden rod—be on your guard
103heliotrope—i am devoted to youhyacinth white—your beauty is recognizedivy—faithfulness
i cling to youlily white—sweetnesslily yellow—gay happy joyfullily of the valley—happiness will returnmignonette—your qualities are even greater than your charmsmyrtle—loveorange blossom—chastitypansy—thoughtspassion flower—willing to suffer hardships for youpeach blossom—i am captivated by youprimrose—a token of loverose—a token of love alsorose red—bashful shyrose white—i will be worthy of yourose yellow—jealousyrosebuds—a confession of great lovesweet pea—leave me and depart or i leave youverbena—pray for me
combinations of flowers  in order to convey definite phrases lovers have long been used to resorting  to certain combinations of flowers
a bunch made up of them has the  meaning which we print below
daisy and mignonette—your qualities surpass even your great  beauty
ferns and lily of the valley—you are sweet and charming  and you fascinate me
ivy leaves and yellow rose—your jealousy has put an end  to our friendship
columbine daisy and lily—you have played false and broken  our friendship
pink and laurel leaves—your high qualities have been noticed  by me
golden rod sweet pea and forgetmenot—danger is  at hand be careful
i go away but do not forget me
104  superstitions regarding animals  serpents—these creatures have been regarded from very different angles  according to the time and the country
the story of the serpent in the garden  of eden has caused many people to detest them but numerous are the  references in histories which go to show that serpents and snakes have been  reverenced
in ancient rome the serpent was a household god at other  times it was regarded as a symbol of life and vitality and it was frequently  used as a medium for healing the sick
in india this creature is looked upon  as a mascot for time and wisdom
thus it is worn by fanatics as a part of  their headgear and people make metal replicas and wear them as rings  bracelets etc
clearly then serpents have found more favor than disapproval  and they may be counted as mascots standing for wisdom long life and good  health
cats—cats the most domestic of animals are regarded with mixed feelings
generally speaking they are supposed to be unlucky though oddly  enough a black cat is credited with good qualities when it takes up its abode  in a house
this is due to the fact that during the middle ages black cats  were supposed to be associated with witches and in league with the evil one
as a result people treated them kindly and showered favors on them not  because they liked them but because they thought that this treatment would  avert bad luck
the person who drowns or kills a cat may look for illfortune for nine  years
bad luck attends the vessel or ship on which a cat is found but on no  account may the creature be thrown overboard after the vessel has sailed
this would only make matters worse
if a cat leaves a house it is supposed to take the luck with it and leave  nothing but bad fortune behind
if a white cat enters a home it announces  trouble and sickness
a cat licking itself all over signifies fair weather but  if it merely washes its face it means the approach of rain or storms
dogs—a dog howling under a window indicates death
dogs begin in jest and end in earnest
a dog a woman a walnut tree  the more you beat em the better they be
if a dog bark go in if a bitch go out
a dog will bark ere he bite
hares—if a hare crosses your path you may look out for a disappointment
if it runs past houses there will soon be a fire in one of them
in the isle of man hares are believed to be the spirits of old women and  on that account are shunned as articles of food
in other parts those who  wish to look beautiful for a week make a point of eating hare
105  birds—robins are variously regarded in different parts of the country
some people think them unlucky possibly because of their association with  the tragedy of the babes in the wood
but generally they are welcomed to  a garden or house which is supposed to be all the luckier for their coming
robins that show signs of being friendly are considered to foretell a hard  winter
woodpeckers and kingfishers are also lucky and any suggestion of illluck  is only possible when birds are deliberately killed after having built their nest  and claimed the hospitality of a home
the screech of a peacock is best unheard when luck is particularly wanted
the feathers of this bird known to everyone by reason of their beautiful  coloring should never be taken indoors as they are reckoned specially unlucky
there is an old superstition regarding the cuckoo
should a maiden hearing  its notes for the first time that season kiss her hand to it and say—  cuckoo cuckoo  tell me true  when shall i be married
she may tell the number of years which will elapse until her wedding by  counting the number of times the bird cries cuckoo
she must reckon  each cry as a year
another superstition relating to the cuckoo is that what you are doing  when you hear its cries for the first time in any season is what you will spend  most time at during the remainder of the year
folk in the channel islands  claim that they are sure to be fortunate if they jingle their purses and run a  short distance when hearing the cuckoo for the first time in the year
owls crows and magpies do not presage any good in fact many people  would rather not meet them when anxiety is at hand
an old jingle says of  magpies—  one for anger  two for mirth  three for a wedding  four for a birth
ravens are supposed to bring luck to the house where they build their nests  so it is unlucky to kill one
it is unlucky to touch a yellowhammer in may since there is the devils  blood in it then
for a white pigeon to single out a house and hover round it is a sure sign  of an early marriage or engagement in that house
a cock crowing during the nighttime means a bad illness for someone close  at hand if it crows during the afternoon a visitor will arrive
sailors are not overfond of seagulls believing them to be the spirits of their  dead mates yet they are most indignant if anyone tries to shoot or kill one  of them
106  other animals—a cricket singing within a house ensures good luck  for all the household
kill a spider and it will surely rain
see a moth on your clothes and you will get new ones
a deaths head moth indicates bereavement
pigs are unlucky creatures when seen singly
to see a white horse and then shortly after a redhaired person tells of  approaching good fortune
moles are unlucky to find alive
of bees the following rhyme is prophetic—  a swarm of bees in may  is worth a load of hay
a swarm of bees in june  is worth a silver spoon
a swarm of bees in july  is not worth a fly
country people are still given to treating bees as if they belonged to the  family
for instance not a few folk tell the bees of the betrothal marriage  and other outstanding events happening in the home
prophecies regarding animals  a when black snails cross your pathblack clouds much moisture hath
b when the peacock loudly bawlssoon well have both rain and squalls
c when rooks fly sporting high in airit shows that windy storms are near
d bees will not swarm before a near storm
e when the cuckoo comes to the bare thornsell your cow and buy your cornbut when she comes to the full bitsell your corn and buy some sheep
f little bantams are great at crowing
g good luck for a grey horse
h let a horse drink what he will not when he will
i trust not a horses heel nor a dogs tooth
j plenty of ladybirds plenty of hops
k never offer your hen for sale on a rainy day
l when the glowworm lights her lampthe air is always damp
m unlucky to hear the cuckoo sing sittingor to sit and see the first swallow flitting
107  crystal gazing  before we start this chapter will you just take a look at the following short  list of terms used in crystal gazing and spiritualism
you will find that they  will make what follows quite clear and that they will be useful to refer to
spiritualistic—belonging to the spirit world
second sight—the power which all have but few develop
the  power to see the future and other things with the spirit eye
aura—the circle of thought which each one of us is unconsciously sending  out by our characters and personalities
the crystal—any object which helps to fix our attention ie a crystal  a bowl of water shining metal
there is nothing about the crystal that is  magical by itself
psychic persons—persons possessing second sight
looking into the future  it is believed that this portion of the book will be found particularly  interesting because it is here that we touch upon spiritualism perhaps one of  the most talkedof subjects of today
in crystal gazing we actually see many things happen which maybe have  not happened as yet
in palmistry and astrology we see the signs but not the  actual events
another distinct difference is that in crystal gazing it is  impossible to give definite instructions as to how to receive these messages  or visions because there is no how
what we hope to do in this chapter is to show you that perhaps you  possess powers of which you know nothing
without making the foolish  mistake of taking this subject too seriously you will be able to interest and  amuse your friends
you may say but i havent got this power—i could never see anything  in a crystal
dont say that and dont think it
we all have a little of this power  sleeping within us
if we wish to improve it we must use and practise it  but dont overdo the thing
to understand crystal gazing even a little it is quite important to know  just a few simple facts about spiritualism the study of the spirit world
this second sight or clairvoyance call it what you will is merely in its  childhood as yet
a very short while ago we should have thought it a miracle  for anyone to speak from new york to london along a wire
now we  think no more of it than we should of crossing a road
so with the crystal
at present a few of us only are able to see more or108  less clearly those visions of the future
who knows but that in some future  time we shall consider this quite an ordinary and natural thing to do just like  telephoning for instance
the first thing to get hold of is this we have not one body but two
an  earthly body and its exact copy in a spirit body
by this i do not mean the  soul but rather our earthly body with all its features just as before is copied  in a spirit of ether body
this may sound difficult but just try to grasp the  idea
in spiritualism there are two of each one of us one an earthly you the  other dwelling usually in your earthly body a spiritual you
but sometimes  this spirit body escapes from its earthly prison maybe during sleep sometimes  when we look into the crystal and sometimes in what is called a trance  or artificial sleep
it is then when the spirit body is free that visions of  future things are seen and maybe premonitions or feelings of the future  are felt
our spirit body with its ten thousand times more clearsighted eyes sees  things which are invisible to the earthly eyes
this body is able to travel  swiftly from place to place although it always keeps a link or connection  with its earthly double
when a person goes off into a trance this is what has happened
the  earthly body sleeps while the spiritual body roams about the future past and  present or perhaps visits distant places
it is of course able to speak with  other spirit bodies and thus get information about other folk who have  passed over as the spiritualists call death
now perhaps you can better appreciate the wonderful stories which you  hear about mediums people who pass into these trances who have spoken—or  are alleged to have spoken for the verdict of science is not proven—with  the voices of folk long dead and whom they have never seen
while everyone does not actively possess this power of releasing his spirit  body we all have it
that this is true can be seen in several ways
have you  never had a presentiment or feeling of evil to come a strong feeling which  it took all your determination and common sense to drive away
anyway  you will have frequently heard other people saying i had a feeling that soandso  would happen
that feeling is explained by this wandering of the spirit body for a short  time we have had our spirit eyes freely opened and have gained a glimpse  of the unknown
as our spirit eyes are as yet undeveloped it is but a glimpse  then down falls the thick curtain and the mystery is once more hidden from  us
just as some children learn to walk more easily than others so do some  people learn to walk with their spirit body and to speak the spirit language  more quickly than others
which seems very natural doesnt it
let us briefly refresh our minds with the absolutely necessary facts which  you must know to understand the first steps in fortunetelling by the crystal
what we are going to say next will then be more readily understood—  109  firstly—we have not one body but two an earthly and a spiritual  body
secondly—though normally contained in the earthly body it is possible  for the spirit to escape from its prison and pass from place to place at a  speed greater than light
this occurs during sleep the artificial or forced  sleep of the trance and also when one gazes into the crystal
thirdly—we have four eyes
two earthly eyes and two very much  keener spirit eyes
it is with these spirit eyes that we see the future and the  past in the crystal
fourthly—each one of us is sending out thoughtwaves at this moment
these are known by spiritualists as our aura
it is found in different  colors which depend on our characters or the thoughts leaving us
certain reds  show rage for instance
what the crystal is for  the first thing to get hold of is that there is nothing magic or in any way  wonderful about the crystal itself
it is merely a means of fixing the attention  of our earthly eyes so that we may see the more clearly with our spirit eyes
now for a few hints upon actually looking into the crystal
when you gaze into whatever object you have chosen your earthly body  and earthly eyes pass into a more or less sleepy state thus enabling your spirit  body to escape
that gives us our first point to remember
here it is when you look into the crystal whatever you do dont worry  about whether or not you will see anything
try to think steadily of what  you wish to see this will at first seem hard but practice will help you and  practice makes perfect
then remember to keep any glare of light from the eyes it is wise to sit  with ones back towards the light
let your surroundings be quiet and peaceful  there must be absolutely nothing which may catch your attention and so  take it off the crystal
if for instance a noisy bus or other vehicle were to  pass during the time in which you were making your attempt it would  probably disturb things very much
one should never be discouraged if nothing whatever is seen at the first  few attempts
a puppy cannot at first see out of its eyes and it is the same  with a beginner in crystal gazing his spirit eyes may take some little time to  open while others more fortunate may find theirs open almost at once
never strain the eyes in an unwinking stare
let them wink and blink quite  naturally
to do anything else would be sure to take your attention from  the picture which you wish to see
how to begin  the best thing to do is to try these various methods and then see for yourself  which is the most successful in your own individual case
here are a few means you might try in order to test this for yourself
110  use either a 1 crystal 2 a polished object 3 a bright coin 4 a  sparkling gem or 5 ordinary glass in the shape of a sphere or ball
there  are others but they are not important
in conclusion it will be of interest to know just what you may expect to see  when and if your spirit eyes open
probably a misty fogged appearance will  first be seen in the crystal
this will remain for some little time until finally  the scene or person whatever it may be will appear
the latter may be  faint and dim or it may be clearcut like a good photograph
the clearness or otherwise will depend among other things upon the  keenness of sight of the spirit eye
it will also be influenced by the degree of  quiet and upon the absence of anything likely to disturb the searcher in the  realms of the future
111  the moon and the luck it brings  people of all ages have looked upon the moon as a provider of good and  bad luck and most of us have probably noticed that it has influenced our  actions at times
here are some of the beliefs that are centuries old
if you see a new moon over your right shoulder it means that you will  experience good luck all the month
if you have money in your pocket and you meet the new moon face to  face turn the money over and you will not run short of money that month
it is unlucky to see the new moon through glass
if you do go out of  doors curtsey three times to the moon and turn some silver in your hand
this will break the spell which will be cast over you if you do not do as  directed
there is one little point connected with this superstition which  has set us thinking
what of all those individuals who wear glasses
we do  not know the answer
there is a strongly prevalent idea that everything falling to the lot of man  when the moon is waxing will increase or prosper but things decrease and  do not prosper when the moon is on the wane
irish colleens were wont to drop on their knees when they first caught sight  of the new moon and say oh moon leave us as well as you have found  us
and long ago yorkshire maidens did worship the new moon on their  bent knees kneeling upon the earthcast stone
if the full moon known as the harvest moon appears watery it is an ill  sign for the harvest
the harvest moon is due about the middle of september
if the moon shows a silver shield be not afraid to reap your field but if  she rises haloed round soon well tread on deluged ground
if the moon changes on a sunday there will be a flood before the month  is out
a saturday moon if it comes once in seven years comes too soon
a fog and a small moon bring an easterly wind soon
in the waning of the moon  cloudy morning fair afternoon
pale moon doth rain red moon doth blow  white moon doth neither rain nor snow
when the moons halo is far the storm is nar near
when the moons halo is nar the storm is far
it has long been a custom for girls to go to the nearest stile to turn their  back on the first new moon after midsummer and to chant these verses  all hail new moon all hail to thee
i prithee good moon reveal to me  this night who shall my true love be
who he is and what he wears  and what he does all months and years
112  if she were to be married in the course of the next twelve months the  moon answered her questions during her sleep of the same evening
in many parts of the country it is supposed that on christmas eve the  moon will help maidens to find out when they are to be married
the plan  is for a maiden to borrow a silk handkerchief from a male relation and to  take it and a mirror to some sheet of water while the night is dark
she  must go quite alone but the sheet of water may be an unromantic pail full  to the brim stationed at the bottom of the garden
as soon as the moon  shows itself the maiden places the flimsy piece of silk in front of her eyes and  by holding the mirror half towards the moon and half towards the water it  is possible for her to see more than a pair of reflections
the number of  reflections are the months which will ensue before her wedding bells ring out
we recently came across the following information in a document quite  three hundred years old  the first second and third days of the moons age are lucky for buying  and selling the seventh ninth and eleventh are lucky for engagements and  marriage the sixteenth and twentyfirst are not lucky for anything
the same document affirmed that  a baby born before the new moon is twentyfour hours old is sure to be  lucky
anything lost during the second twentyfour hours of the moons  age is sure to be found
all things begun on the fifth twentyfour hours will  turn out successfully
a dream experienced on the eighth twentyfour hours  must come true
113  chapter xv
chiromancy and its origin  chiromancy is a science which teaches us to read not only the character  but the whole destiny—for good or evil the length of life and often  the manner of death of a man by the lines and marks to be seen in his  hand
this study is sometimes called palmistry in which case however  it properly refers only to a judgment formed from what appears  in the palm of the hand whilst chiromancy taken from the word  cheir a hand and manteia divination signifies the  revelations made by the hand taken as a whole
chiromancy is nearly as  ancient as astrology with which it is indissolubly connected  for the hand represents as has been before said a natural horoscope  which is placed upon it at the time both of the conception and the  birth by the influence of the stars
the seven planets are all  represented in the hand and also the twelve signs of the zodiac so  that the casting of a nativity is needless as by simply examining a  hand by the light of chiromancy we can indicate what planets have been  powerful at the time of birth and what therefore will be their  effect for good or evil over the existence and we can also find the  dates of the principal events of the life
we find many allusions to  this subject in the bible and still more in the ancient kabbala
the holy kabbala as it was called by the magi must not be confounded  with what is called the black art it is on the contrary the  quintessence of reason and morality as they were understood by the  ancients and contains that traditional science of the secrets of nature  which from age to age is borne towards us as the wave is carried by  the tide to the shore but it has been transmitted obscurely because  the doctrines of the kabbala were known only in those early ages to  the adept and the initiation later on of neophytes was only yielded  after a series of severe and terrible ordeals whilst the revelation of  its mysteries to the uninitiated was punished by death
the necessity of silence was in fact one of the principal tenets of  the kabbala and is represented in the figure of addanari16 by the  position of the fingers of the hand holding the flowering branch of  abundance the thumb and the first two fingers which in chiromancy  represent will power and fatality are held open  whilst the third and fourth fingers representing light and science  are closed
this was meant to indicate to the good—the initiated—that  they would have when united strength and will to direct fate but  that they must keep hidden from the wicked and ignorant both light and  science
it must however in justice to the ancient kabbalists be  suggested that their inculcation of silence probably arose not so much  from a desire of domination but rather from the fact that feeling  themselves superior in knowledge they thought they were obeying a  divine law in refusing to the wicked those lights which when possessed  by them led as perhaps they had sometimes found to error
we seeing  things in a wider light give or try to give equal knowledge to all  without submitting the ignorant to the ordeal of initiation to prove  their worthiness as recipients but after all it amounts to much the  same thing—give to all men truth and light in abundance but all will  not profit by it
we see this every day in our college system the  lesson is the same for all but it is only the few who profit by it  and although we appear to be obeying a divine law in opening the way of  light and life—the life of knowledge—to all as god makes his sun to  shine on good and bad equally still we can in some sort understand  the feeling of the ancient magi whose motto was know dare will  but keep silence
to face chapter xvi
chapter xvi
the principal lines in the hand and the mounts  in the plate belonging to this chapter we give a hand on which are  marked the principal lines seen on the palm three of which viz the  line of life the line of head and the line of heart are found in a  clearer or fainter degree on all hands but which vary as regards  their relative position in every hand
the first and largest that  which encircles the thumb is called the line of life by the length  colour and evenness or the reverse of this line the length of life is  indicated and also the illnesses and accidents by which the life is  menaced in running its course
the line immediately above it crossing  the palm of the hand is the line of head by it we are to judge of the  intellectual powers
above it is the line of heart from which we form  an opinion of the strength of affection or the want of it in the  native
the lines which are not always to be found are the lines going from the  wrist to the finger of saturn which is called the saturnian line and  which shows the events of the life the line of the sun which goes  towards the finger of the sun and which indicates success in art  literature or the pursuit of riches and the line of health which  goes from the wrist to the finger of mercury this line is often absent  in a hand
all these lines will be more fully discussed further on at present it  is only necessary to name them in order to explain the plate belonging  to this chapter
at the base of each figure there is a mount more or less developed on  every hand
now each of these mounts corresponds with one of the  planets from which it has received more or less influence according to  its development and the signs or marks to be found upon it
it will be seen also from the plate that the ancients gave to each  finger the name of one of the planets thus—  the first finger represented jupiter the mount at its base being  called the mount of jupiter
the second saturn the mount at its root being the mount of saturn
the third the sun the mount below being the mount of the sun
the fourth mercury the mount at its base being called the mount of  mercury
the thumb is sacred to venus and the root of the thumb is called the  mount of venus
it will also be seen that the planet mars although no finger is  dedicated to it is twice represented in the hand along the side of  the palm by the mount of mars and in the palm between the line of  life and the line of the head which is called the plain of mars
the moon is only represented by the mount of the moon at the lower  part of the palm on the opposite side of the hand to the thumb
when these mounts are well in their places and clearly but not too  strongly defined they give the qualities of the planet they represent  but when any mount is not well marked or even as frequently happens  is quite deficient there is a want of the qualities shown to exist  where the mount is clearly defined
if the mounts are not only  illdefined but represented by a cavity that cavity would indicate  the existence of qualities which are the reverse of those indicated by  the mount whereas an exceeding development would denote an excess of  the qualities given by the mount
thus the mount of jupiter which is immediately under the index finger  when fairly developed indicates noble ambition willpower love of  nature kindliness generosity religion and happy marriage
when in  excess—that is when the mount is so large as to invade that next  it—the mount of saturn—it gives superstition exaggerated pride and  domineering selfassertion
the total absence of this mount which is  sometimes but rarely seen indicates coldness selfishness  irreligion and that want of dignity which is produced by the utter  absence of selfrespect
the mount of saturn is found immediately beneath the second finger  which the ancients assigned to saturn the planet of fatality
saturn  gives extreme misfortune or extreme good fortune according to the  development of the mount and the signs and lines to be seen upon it  and the course of the saturnian line or line of fate of which we will  speak further on in the palm of the hand
this mount also denotes a  tendency to occult science
those born specially under the influence of  saturn are timid lovers of solitude and very seldom marry but are  very persistent in their affections when they do love
saturn when well developed gives prudence wisdom and to a certain  extent success when in excess it gives sadness taciturnity  asceticism dread of the afterlife and yet sometimes a  predisposition to suicide
the total absence of the mount indicates an  insignificant existence
the mount of the sun is placed at the root of the third finger which  was sacred to the sun when this mount is well developed it indicates  love of art and literature which shows itself according to  temperament in poetry painting sculpture or music it gives also  religion of the �sthetic tolerant sort grace riches and celebrity  in excess it gives love of show frivolity and vaingloriousness
the  total absence of the mount means a thoroughly material existence  absence of all taste for art—a life without colour a day without  sunlight
the mount of mercury is found at the base of the fourth finger and  when well defined indicates intelligence success in science and in  occult studies the love of work and activity both of mind and body  and eloquence in excess it gives impudence theft and falsehood  absence of the mount indicates no aptitude for science no  intellectuality—a negative existence
of course should the mount of  the sun be well defined the last quality would be overridden by the  success which that indicates
the mount of mars is at the side of the hand opposite the thumb just  below the mount of mercury and when well developed indicates  courage ardour and resolution in excess it gives cruelty anger  revenge and tyranny the absence of the mount gives cowardice and want  of selfcommand
the mount of the moon is found immediately below that of mars and  when well developed gives imagination of the dreamy sentimental  order gentle melancholy and love of solitude in excess it gives  morbid melancholy caprice and fantastic imagination the absence of  the mount indicates want of poetry in the nature positivism
the mount of venus which is formed by the root of the thumb  indicates when fairly developed love of the beautiful melody in  music the desire of pleasing and sensuous tenderness in excess it  gives love of material pleasures coquetry inconstancy and when other  signs afterwards to be explained are also seen in the hand extreme  sensuality
viii
the sacred pickaxe  told by the magistrate  the first wolfgrey of the dawn was creeping over the scene and turning  to a sickly yellow the flare of the little oil lamps arranged around the  veranda
the morning air bit shrewdly and more than one of the seated  or reclining figures had gathered his robes more closely around him
all  eyes were now turned on the kotwal
he alone of the company had not  contributed from his store of experiences
methinks it is too late for any more storytelling he protested  diffidently with gesture and glance toward the east in token that he  spoke truly
nay nay cried the rajput this night will not be complete without  the full measure of our entertainment
come come friend the sun is  yet an hour below the horizon
murmurs of approval showed that the general wish had been interpreted
be it so then assented the magistrate
i have heard so many stories  this night that it would indeed be churlish on my part to refuse to give  you one of mine
well listen
know my friends that i am a district judge inpg 171 delhi presiding over  that quarter known as the bara bazaar where the merchants most do  congregate
one day some few years ago it befell that i was seated alone  in the hall where i hold my court
it was the afternoon hour all the  suits of the day had been disposed of punishment had been meted out to  those who deserved it justice had been done to rich and poor alike in  accordance with the orders of our most righteous master akbar to whom  be all honour and glory
i had taken from my garments my silver betelnut box and was leisurely  spreading on a leaf the smear of lime preparatory to enjoying my pan  supari musing the while on the strange little ironies of life that came  to my knowledge each day in the discharge of my magisterial functions
all at once a shadow from the open doorway fell across the room
raising  my eyes i beheld the tall figure of a man
on meeting my look he bowed  his body and with both hands outstretched courteously salaamed me
protector of the poor listen to my story he said
in silence while i adjusted the fragments of betelnut on the limed  leaf and rolled up the morsel i motioned him to a place on the edge of  the carpet whereon i myself sat
for my first glance had shown me that  the stranger was a man of consequence his garments being rich and his  look that of one accustomed to the exercise of authority
he took his seat and arranged his flowing and finely embroidered robes  around him
i profferedpg 172 him the pan supari i had prepared but with a  wave of the hand he declined this courtesy
so i placed the morsel in my  own mouth fell to its meditative mastication and awaited the beginning  of his tale
i am a welltodo traveller as you would think
o kadi—a pilgrim on  my way to the sacred shrine of juggernaut as i profess myself to all  who make inquiry and to whom an answer is due
but i am not what i  appear to be
in reality you behold in me—a thug
the man lowered his voice mysteriously when he pronounced the last  word bending forward so that i might hear it
and what may be a thug
i asked for the name to me was quite a new  one
listen he said eagerly and still in a low whisper
the thugs are  worshippers of bowani
there are countless thousands who worship kali the dread goddess i  replied
yes but we the thugs not only worship her as the wife of siva god  of destruction but we are her devoted priests who put men to death in  her name and for her glory
now indeed did i prick up my ears and listen intently
but i did not  suffer my awakened interest to betray itself in look or tone of voice
some fanatics may seek to justify human sacrifice i said
i was  treading cautiously later i would tell the man that such foul deeds  were against the decrees of akbar and involved the penalty of deathpg 173  under the feet of elephants
but meanwhile i wanted his confession
ah you know nothing about the thugs continued the stranger
but  hearken to me for i have come to tell you all and for a reason you  will presently understand
we are thousands strong and we live in all  parts of hindustan and the deccan
we are caste brothers and are bound  together by our worship of bowani
the traditions of our creed have been  handed down for generations from father to son
you have never heard of  the thugs o kadi although you sit in the place of justice
do you know  why
because i am the very first of the sect who has broken his vows of  silence and spoken the word thug to one outside our secret  association
yet you say you are thousands strong
yes we are strong in numbers but stronger still in our fidelity to  our vows
when once we have sworn on the sacred pickaxe it is  impossible to speak words of treachery
if it be for the good and happiness of all men i interpolated  encouraging him to keep on speaking freely there can be no treachery  no breaking of vows in revealing the truth
it is to reveal the truth that i have come to you
it is by the orders  of bowani herself for i have wronged her and she is angry and has  loudly proclaimed to me that thuggee is ended—that her protection is  for ever withdrawn from me and my fellows because o misery we have  grievously offended her
hark
do you not hear the voice of bowani even  now
the man raised his face toward the rafters of the room and with rightpg 174  hand uplifted his attitude was one of intent listening
unworthy unworthy unworthy he murmured in a strange absent  monotone as if repeating words he was actually hearing
you have  broken my laws
go now to your doom you and all your brothers
such  priests kali will not have
thuggee is no more
i will seek some other  worshippers
after a pause of tense silence as if the listener was awaiting for  more he dropped hand and eyes
and now my mind took a new turn of  thought
there was the confused unmistakable glare of insanity in the  mans eyes
half unconsciously i leaned back on my cushions and placed  a hand upon the dagger in my kummerbund
the stranger noticed the movement and lunatic though he undoubtedly  appeared to be interpreted my thoughts
be not afraid of me master he said
this is the only weapon i  carry
and with these words he slipped off a silken scarf that he had been  wearing loosely around his throat and tossed it on the carpet between  us
now was i all the more confirmed in my estimate of his madness
to call  such a thing a weapon—a strip of soft fabric that might kill a  butterfly but would be poor defence indeed to rely on against sword or  dagger
i suppose i smiled contemptuously for again the man read my  thoughts
then instantly did he do a thing that made mypg 175 blood run cold
with a  toss of the scarf into the air he formed it into a noose and this he  threw over one upbended knee
next with a swift twist of fierce hands he  drew the knot tight and so terribly realistic was his action that for  the moment i saw above his knee the contorted mouth and protruding eyes  of his suddenly strangled victim
there was horror in my gaze now but only calm professional pride in  his as he flung back the still looped and knotted kerchief on to the  carpet
yes i am a strangler he said calmly as are all the thugs born to  become stranglers and taught how to use the roomal in early youth by  their own fathers hands
of strangling as a means of murder i of course knew and indeed  during the years of my magistracy i had heard vague rumours of robbers  habitually resorting to this method of dispatching their victims rather  than to clubs or swords
but such appalling dexterity as this man  displayed in the handling of an innocentlooking silken scarf i had  never imagined