attend the committee on Friday next, being
the 25th day of October, at two o'clock in the afternoon, in the
speaker's chamber, to answer such questions as shall be then and there
asked him.

'ROBERT BROOKE.'

The question before Parliament was in relation to the great fire in
London: 'as to the causes of the late fire; whether there might be any
design therein;' and Lilly was supposed to know something about that
matter, because he, in his book or pamphlet entitled 'Monarchy or no
Monarchy,' published in 1651, had printed on page seventh a hieroglyphic
'representing a great sickness and mortality, wherein you may see the
representation of people in their winding sheets, persons digging graves
and sepultures, coffins, etc.;' and on another page another hieroglyphic
representing a fire: two twins topsy-turvy, and back to back, falling
headlong into a fire. 'The twins signify Gemini, a sign in astrology
which rules London:' all around stand figures, male and female, pouring
liquids (oil or water?) on the flames. When, therefore, the great fire
of 1666 followed the plague of the preceding year, these hieroglyphics
again attracted attention, and the maker of them was called before
Parliament to declare if he, who had foreseen these events, could see
into them, and give any explanation of their causes. But Lilly was
prudent: to the question, 'Did you foresee the year of the fire?' he
replied: 'I did not; nor was I desirous; of that I made no scrutiny.' As
to the cause of the fire, he said: 'I have taken much pains in the
search thereof, but cannot, or could not, give myself any the least
satisfaction therein: I conclude that it was only the finger of God;
but what instruments he used therein I am ignorant.'

That William Lilly, who, as we have seen, was twice called before
Parliament and questioned, attracted much attention elsewhere by his
prophecies and publications, there can be no doubt; and his books found
many readers. Their titles, so far as known to us, are as follows:
'Supernatural Insight;' 'The White King's Prophecy;' 'The Starry
Messenger;' 'A Collection of Prophecies;' an introduction to astrology,
called, 'Christian Astrology;' 'The World's Catastrophe;' 'The
Prophecies of Merlin, with a Key thereto;' 'Trithemius of the Government
of the World by the Presiding Angels;' 'A Treatise of the Three Suns
seen the preceding winter,' which was the winter of 1648; 'An
Astronomical Judgment;' 'Annus Tenebrosus;' 'Mer