keeping
constantly close to the same thing, attain to a perfect and distinct
Knowledge in every particular.

"But the Grecians, cunningly catching at all Opportunities of Gain,
make new Sects and Parties, and by their contrary Opinions wrangling and
quarelling concerning the chiefest Points, lead their Scholars into a
Maze; and being uncertain and doubtful what to pitch upon for certain
truth, their Minds are fluctuating and 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 their Colour, as
may be experienc'd by those that will diligently observe it; sometimes
foreshewing Hurricanes, at other times Tempestuous Rains, and then
again exceeding Droughts. By these, they say, are often portended the
appearance of Comets, Eclipses of the Sun and Moon, Earthquakes and all
other the va