Somortalshallbethestrifebetweenthem，Thateachoneshalloccupyafortagainsttheother；
　　Fortheirreignandlifeshallbethequarrel。“
　　SomeLilliusRedivivuswouldfindnodifficultyinthisprediction。Touseavulgarphrase，itisasclearasapikestaff。HadnottheastrologerinviewDonMiguelandDonPedrowhenhepennedthisstanza，somuchlessobscureandoracularthantherest？
　　HeistothisdayextremelypopularinFranceandtheWallooncountryofBelgium，whereoldfarmer-wivesconsulthimwithgreatconfidenceandassiduity。
　　CatherinediMediciswasnottheonlymemberofherillustrioushousewhoentertainedastrologers。Atthebeginningofthefifteenthcentury，therewasamannamedBasil，residinginFlorence，whowasnotedoverallItalyforhisskillinpiercingthedarknessoffuturity。ItissaidthatheforetoldtoCosmodiMedicis，thenaprivatecitizen，thathewouldattainhighdignity，inasmuchastheascendantofhisnativitywasadornedwiththesamepropitiousaspectsasthoseofAugustusCaesarandtheEmperorCharlesV。[HermippusRedivivus，p。142。]AnotherastrologerforetoldthedeathofPrinceAlexanderdiMedicis；andsoveryminuteandparticularwasbeinallthecircumstances，thathewassuspectedofbeingchieflyinstrumentalinfulfillinghisownprophecy；averycommonresourcewiththesefellows，tokeepuptheircredit。HeforetoldconfidentlythatthePrinceshoulddiebythehandofhisownfamiliarfriend，apersonofaslenderhabitofbody，asmallface，aswarthycomplexion，andofmostremarkabletaciturnity。Soitafterwardshappened；AlexanderhavingbeenmurderedinhischamberbyhiscousinLorenzo，whocorrespondedexactlywiththeabovedescription。[JoviiElog。p。320。]
　　TheauthorofHermippusRedivivus，inrelatingthisstory，inclinestothebeliefthattheastrologerwasguiltlessofanyparticipationinthecrime，butwasemployedbysomefriendofPrinceAlexander，towarnhimofhisdanger。
　　Amuchmoreremarkablestoryistoldofanastrologer，wholivedinRomagna，inthefifteenthcentury，andwhosenamewasAntiochusTibertus。[LesAnecdotesdeFlorenceoul’HistoiresecretedelaMaisondiMedicis，p。318。]AtthattimenearlyallthepettysovereignsofItalyretainedsuchmenintheirservice；andTibertushavingstudiedthemathematicswithgreatsuccessatParis，anddeliveredmanypredictions，someofwhich，forguesses，werenotdeficientinshrewdness，wastakenintothehouseholdofPandolfodiMalatesta，thesovereignofRimini。Hisreputationwassogreat，thathisstudywascontinuallythronged，eitherwithvisitorswhowerepersonsofdistinction，orwithclientswhocametohimforadvice，andinashorttimeheacquiredaconsiderablefortune。
　　Notwithstandingalltheseadvantageshepassedhislifemiserably，andendeditonthescaffold。Thefollowingstoryafterwardsgotintocirculation，andhasbeenoftentriumphantlycitedbysucceedingastrologersasanirrefragableproofofthetruthoftheirscience。Itwassaid，thatlongbeforehediedheutteredthreeremarkableprophecies；onerelatingtohimself，anothertohisfriend，andthethirdtohispatron，PandolfodiMalatesta。Thefirstdeliveredwasthatrelatingtohisfriend，GuidodiBogni，oneofthegreatestcaptainsofthetime。Guidowasexceedinglydesiroustoknowhisfortune，andsoimportunedTibertus，thatthelatterconsultedthestars，andthelinesonhispalm，tosatisfyhim。Heafterwardstoldhimwithasorrowfulface，thataccordingtoalltherulesofastrologyandpalmistry，heshouldbefalselysuspectedbyhisbestfriend，andshouldlosehislifeinconsequence。Guidothenaskedtheastrologerifhecouldforetellhisownfate；uponwhichTibertusagainconsultedthestars，andfoundthatitwasdecreedfromalleternitythatheshouldendhisdaysonthescaffold。Malatesta，whenheheardthesepredictions，sounlikely，toallpresentappearance，toprovetrue，desiredhisastrologertopredicthisfatealso；andtohidenothingfromhim，howeverunfavourableitmightbe。Tibertuscomplied，andtoldhispatron，atthattimeoneofthemostflourishingandpowerfulprincesofItaly，thatheshouldsuffergreatwant，anddieatlast，likeabeggar，inthecommonhospitalofBologna:andsoithappenedinallthreecases。GuidodiBogniwasaccusedbyhisownfather-in-law，theCountdiBentivoglio，ofatreasonabledesigntodeliverupthecityofRiminitothepapalforces，andwasassassinatedafterwards，byorderofthetyrantMalatesta，ashesatatthesupper-table，towhichhehadbeeninvitedinallapparentfriendship。Theastrologerwas，atthesametime，thrownintoprison，asbeingconcernedinthetreasonofhisfriend。
　　Heattemptedtoescape，andhadsucceededinlettinghimselfdownfromhisdungeonwindowintoamoat，whenhewasdiscoveredbythesentinels。ThisbeingreportedtoMalatesta，hegaveordersforhisexecutiononthefollowingmorning。
　　Malatestahad，atthistime，noremembranceoftheprophecy；andhisownfategavehimnouneasiness:buteventsweresilentlyworkingitsfulfilment。Aconspiracyhadbeenformed，thoughGuidodiBogniwasinnocentofit，todeliverupRiminitothePope；andallthenecessarymeasureshavingbeentaken，thecitywasseizedbytheCountdeValentinois。Intheconfusion，Malatestahadbarelytimetoescapefromhispalaceindisguise。Hewaspursuedfromplacetoplacebyhisenemies，abandonedbyallhisformerfriends，and，finally，byhisownchildren。Heatlastfellillofalanguishingdisease，atBologna；
　　and，nobodycaringtoaffordhimshelter，hewascarriedtothehospital，wherehedied。Theonlythingthatdetractsfromtheinterestofthisremarkablestoryisthefact，thattheprophecywasmadeaftertheevent。
　　ForsomeweeksbeforethebirthofLouisXIV，anastrologerfromGermany，whohadbeensentforbytheMarshaldeBassompierreandothernoblemenofthecourt，hadtakenuphisresidenceinthepalace，tobeready，atamoment’snotice，todrawthehoroscopeofthefuturesovereignofFrance。WhentheQueenwastakeninlabour，hewasusheredintoacontiguousapartment，thathemightreceivenoticeoftheveryinstantthechildwasborn。Theresultofhisobservationswerethethreewords，diu，dure，feliciter；meaning，thatthenew-bornPrinceshouldliveandreignlong，withmuchlabour，andwithgreatglory。Nopredictionlessfavourablecouldhavebeenexpectedfromanastrologer，whohadhisbreadtoget，andwhowasatthesametimeacourtier。Amedalwasafterwardsstruckincommemorationoftheevent；
　　upononesideofwhichwasfiguredthenativityofthePrince，representinghimasdrivingthechariotofApollo，withtheinscription“OrtussolisGallici，“——therisingoftheGallicsun。
　　Thebestexcuseevermadeforastrologywasthatofferedbythegreatastronomer，Keppler，himselfanunwillingpractiseroftheart。
　　Hehadmanyapplicationsfromhisfriendstocastnativitiesforthem，andgenerallygaveapositiverefusaltosuchashewasnotafraidofoffendingbyhisfrankness。Inothercasesheaccommodatedhimselftotheprevailingdelusion。Insendingacopyofhis“Ephemerides“toProfessorGerlach，hewrotethattheywerenothingbutworthlessconjectures；buthewasobligedtodevotehimselftothem，orhewouldhavestarved。“Yeoverwisephilosophers，“heexclaimed，inhis“TertiusInterveniens；““yecensurethisdaughterofastronomybeyondherdeserts！Knowyenotthatshemustsupporthermotherbyhercharms？Thescantyrewardofanastronomerwouldnotprovidehimwithbread，ifmendidnotentertainhopesofreadingthefutureintheheavens。“
　　NECROMANCYwas，nexttoastrology，thepretendedsciencemostresortedto，bythosewhowishedtopryintothefuture。TheearliestinstanceuponrecordisthatoftheWitchofEndorandthespiritofSamuel。NearlyallthenationsofantiquitybelievedinthepossibilityofsummoningdepartedghoststodisclosetheawfulsecretsthatGodmadecleartothedisembodied。Manypassagesinallusiontothissubject，willatoncesuggestthemselvestotheclassicalreader；
　　butthisartwasnevercarriedonopenlyinanycountry。Allgovernmentslookeduponitasacrimeofthedeepestdye。Whileastrologywasencouraged，anditsprofessorscourtedandrewarded，necromancerswereuniversallycondemnedtothestakeorthegallows。
　　RogerBacon，AlbertusMagnus，ArnoldofVilleneuve，andmanyothers，wereaccused，bythepublicopinionofmanycenturies，ofmeddlingintheseunhallowedmatters。Sodeep-rootedhasalwaysbeenthepopulardelusionwithrespecttoaccusationsofthiskind，thatnocrimewaseverdisprovedwithsuchtoilanddifficulty。Thatitmetgreatencouragement，nevertheless，isevidentfromthevastnumbersofpretenderstoit；who，inspiteofthedanger，haveexistedinallagesandcountries。
　　GEOMANCY，ortheartofforetellingthefuturebymeansoflinesandcircles，andothermathematicalfiguresdrawnontheearth，isstillextensivelypractisedinAsiaticcountries，butisalmostunknowninEurope。
　　AUGURY，fromtheflightorentrailsofbirds，sofavouriteastudyamongtheRomans，is，inlikemanner，explodedinEurope。Itsmostassiduousprofessors，atthepresentday，aretheabominableThugsofIndia。
　　DIVINATION，ofwhichtherearemanykinds，boastsamoreenduringreputation。Ithasheldanempireoverthemindsofmenfromtheearliestperiodsofrecordedhistory，andis，inallprobability，coevalwithtimeitself。ItwaspractisedalikebytheJews，theEgyptians，theChaldeans，thePersians，theGreeks，andtheRomans；isequallyknowntoallmodernnations，ineverypartoftheworld；andisnotunfamiliartotheuntutoredtribesthatroaminthewildsofAfricaandAmerica。Divination，aspractisedincivilizedEuropeatthepresentday，ischieflyfromcards，thetea-cup，andthelinesonthepalmofthehand。Gipsiesalonemakeaprofessionofit；buttherearethousandsandtensofthousandsofhumblefamiliesinwhichthegood-wife，andeventhegood-man，resorttothegroundsatthebottomoftheirteacups，toknowwhetherthenextharvestwillbeabundant，ortheirsowbringforthanumerouslitter；andinwhichtheyoungmaidenslooktothesameplacetoknowwhentheyaretobemarried，andwhetherthemanoftheirchoiceistobedarkorfair，richorpoor，kindorcruel。Divinationbycards，sogreatafavouriteamongthemoderns，is，ofcourse，amodernscience；ascardsdonotyetboastanantiquityofmuchmorethanfourhundredyears。Divinationbythepalm，soconfidentlybelievedinbyhalfthevillagelassesinEurope，isofolderdate，andseemstohavebeenknowntotheEgyptiansinthetimeofthepatriarchs；aswellasdivinationbythecup，which，asweareinformedinGenesis，waspractisedbyJoseph。
　　DivinationbytherodwasalsopractisedbytheEgyptians。Incomparativelyrecenttimes，itwaspretendedthatbythismeanshiddentreasurescouldbediscovered。ItnowappearstobealtogetherexplodedinEurope。Onomancy，ortheforetellingaman’sfatebythelettersofhisname，andthevarioustranspositionsofwhichtheyarecapable，isamoremodernsortofdivination；butitreckonscomparativelyfewbelievers。
　　ThefollowinglistofthevariousspeciesofDivinationformerlyinuse，isgivenbyGaule，inhis“Magastromancer，“andquotedinHone’s“YearBook，“p。1517。