ch I have ever read, that of
Cardan is most memorable, for which howsoever he is bitterly censured by
[4763]Marinus Marcennus, a malapert friar, and some others (which [4764] he
himself suspected) yet methinks it is free, downright, plain and ingenious.
In his [4765]eighth _Geniture_, or example, he hath these words of himself,
[Symbol: Mars] [Symbol: Mars] and [Symbol: Mercury] in [Symbol: Mercury]
_dignitatibus assiduam mihi Venereorum cogitationem praestabunt, ita ut
nunquam quiescam._ Et paulo post, _Cogitatio Venereorum me torquet
perpetuo, et quam facto implere non licuit, aut fecisse potentem puduit,
cogitatione assidua mentitus sum voluptatem_. Et alibi, _ob [Symbol:
Moon-3/4] et [Symbol: Mercury] dominium et radiorum mixtionem, profundum
fuit ingenium, sed lascivum, egoque turpi libidini deditus et obscaenus._
So far Cardan of himself, _quod de se fatetur ideo [4766]ut utilitatem
adferat studiosis hujusce disciplinae_, and for this he is traduced by
Marcennus, when as in effect he saith no more than what Gregory Nazianzen
of old, to Chilo his scholar, _offerebant se mihi visendae mulieres, quarum
praecellenti elegantia et decore spectabili tentabatur meae. integritas
pudicitiae. Et quidem flagitium vitavi fornicationis, at munditiae
virginalis florem arcana cordis cogitatione foedavi. Sed ad rem._ Aptiores
ad masculinam venerem sunt quorum genesi Venus est in signo masculino, et
in Saturni finibus aut oppositione, &c. Ptolomeus _in quadripart._ plura de
his et specialia habet aphorismata, longo proculdubio usu confirmata, et ab
experientia multa perfecta, inquit commentator ejus Cardanus. Tho.
Campanella _Astrologiae lib. 4. cap. 8. articulis 4 and 5._ insaniam
amatoriam remonstrantia, multa prae caeteris accumulat aphorismata, quae
qui volet, consulat. Chiromantici ex cingulo Veneris plerumque conjecturam
faciunt, et monte Veneris, de quorum decretis, Taisnerum, Johan. de
Indagine, Goclenium, ceterosque si lubet, inspicias. Physicians divine
wholly from the temperature and complexion; phlegmatic persons are seldom
taken, according to Ficinus _Comment, cap. 9_; naturally melancholy less
than they, but once taken they are never freed; though many are of opinion
flatuous or hypochondriacal melancholy are most subject of all others to
this infirmity. Valescus assigns their strong imagination for a cause,
Bodine abundance of wind, Gordonius of seed, and spirits, or atomi in the
seed, which cause their violent and furi