ore they grumble at their hard
fortune, they are well inclined to marry, but one rub or other is ever in
the way; I know what astrologers say in this behalf, what Ptolemy
_quadripartit. Tract. 4. cap. 4._ Skoner _lib. 1. cap. 12._ what Leovitius
_genitur. exempl. 1._ which Sextus ab Heminga takes to be the horoscope of
Hieronymus Wolfius, what Pezelius, Origanaus and Leovitius his illustrator
Garceus, _cap. 12._ what Junctine, Protanus, Campanella, what the rest, (to
omit those Arabian conjectures _a parte conjugii, a parte lasciviae,
triplicitates veneris_, &c., and those resolutions upon a question, _an
amica potiatur_, &c.) determine in this behalf, viz. _an sit natus conjugem
habiturus, facile an difficulter sit sponsam impetraturus, quot conjuges,
quo tempore, quales decernantur nato uxores, de mutuo amore conjugem_, both
in men's and women's genitures, by the examination of the seventh house the
almutens, lords and planets there, _a [Symbol: Sun]d et [Symbol:
Moon-3/4]a_ &c., by particular aphorisms, _Si dominus 7'mae in 7'ma vel
secunda nobilem decernit uxorem, servam aut ignobilem si duodecima. Si
Venus in 12'ma, &c., with many such, too tedious to relate. Yet let no man
be troubled, or find himself grieved with such predictions, as Hier.
Wolfius well saith in his astrological [5901]dialogue, _non sunt
praetoriana decreta_, they be but conjectures, the stars incline, but not
enforce,

[5902] "Sidera corporibus praesunt caelestia nostris,
Sunt ea de vili condita namque luto:
Cogere sed nequeunt animum ratione fruentem,
Quippe sub imperio solius ipse dei est."

wisdom, diligence, discretion, may mitigate if not quite alter such
decrees, _Fortuna sua a cujusque fingitur moribus_, [5903]_Qui cauti,
prudentes, voti compotes_, &c., let no man then be terrified or molested
with such astrological aphorisms, or be much moved, either to vain hope or
fear, from such predictions, but let every man follow his own free will in
this case, and do as he sees cause. Better it is indeed to marry than burn,
for their soul's health, but for their present fortunes, by some other
means to pacify themselves, and divert the stream of this fiery torrent, to
continue as they are, [5904]rest satisfied, _lugentes virginitatis florem
sic aruisse_, deploring their misery with that eunuch in Libanius, since
there is no help or remedy, and with Jephtha's daughter to bewail their
virginities.

Of like nature is superst