in suspence all the days of their Lives, and unable to give a
certain assent unto any thing. For if any Man will but examine
the most eminent Sects of the Philosophers, he shall find them
much differing among themselves, and even opposing one another in
the most weighty parts of their Philosophy. But to return to the
Chaldeans, they hold that the World is eternal, which had neither
any certain Beginning, nor shall have any End; but all agree,
that all things are order'd, and this beautiful Fabrick is
supported by a Divine Providence, and that the Motions of the
Heavens are not perform'd by chance and of their own accord, but
by a certain and determinate Will and Appointment of the Gods.

"Therefore from a long observation of the Stars, and an exact
Knowledge of the motions and influences of every one of them,
wherein they excel all others, they fortel many things that are
to come to pass.

"They say that the Five Stars which some call Planets, but they
Interpreters, are most worthy of Consideration, both for their
motions and their remarkable influences, especially that which
the Grecians call Saturn. The brightest of them all, and which
often portends many and great Events, they call Sol, the other
Four they name Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter, with our own
Country Astrologers. They give the Name of Interpreters to these
Stars, because these only by a peculiar Motion do portend things
to come, and instead of Jupiters, do declare to Men before-hand
the good- will of the Gods; whereas the other Stars (not being of
the number of the Planets) have a constant ordinary motion.
Future Events (they say) are pointed at sometimes by their
Rising, and sometimes by their Setting, and at other times by