enumeration of these past events, he then proceeds to
make his deductions. "Only this I must tell thee," he writes, "that
the interpretation I write is, I conceive, grounded upon probable
foundations; and who lives to see a few years over his head, will easily
perceive I have unfolded as much as was fit to discover, and that my
judgment was not a mile and a half from truth."

There is a great significance in this "as much as was fit to
discover"--a mysterious something that Lilly thinks it expedient not to
divulge. But, nevertheless, one would imagine that he was about to
make some definite prediction about Charles I., since these three suns
appeared upon his birthday and surely must portend something concerning
him. But after rambling on through many pages of dissertations upon
planets and prophecies, he finally makes his own indefinite prediction.

"O all you Emperors, Kings, Princes, Rulers and Magistrates of Europe,
this unaccustomed Apparition is like the Handwriting in Daniel to some
of you; it premonisheth you, above all other people, to make your peace
with God in time. You shall every one of you smart, and every one of you
taste (none excepted) the heavie hand of God, who will strengthen your
subjects with invincible courage to suppress your misgovernments and
Oppressions in Church or Common-wealth;... Those words are general: a
word for my own country of England.... Look to yourselves; here's some
monstrous death towards you. But to whom? wilt thou say. Herein we
consider the Signe, Lord thereof, and the House; The Sun signifies in
that Royal Signe, great ones; the House signifies captivity, poison,
Treachery: From which is derived thus much, That some very great man,
what King, Prince, Duke, or the like, I really affirm I perfectly know
not, shall, I say, come to some such untimely end."(6)

Here is shown a typical example of astrological prophecy, which seems to
tell something or nothing, according to the point of view of the reader.
According to a believer in astrology, after the execution of Charles
I., five years later, this could be made to seem a direct and exact
prophecy. For example, he says: "You Kings, Princes, etc.,... it
premonisheth you... to make your peace with God.... Look to yourselves;
here's some monstrous death towards you.... That some very great man,
what King, Prince,. shall, I say, come to such untimely end."

But by the doubter the complete prophecy could be shown to be absolutely