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good companions； he had turned over all the archives of the heavens；
calculated the quadratures of the moon； hooked out all that has ever been
thought by all the Astrophils； Hypernephilists； Anemophylakes； Uranopets
and Ombrophori； and felt on every point with Empedocles。＇30＇
＇30＇ Pantagrueline Prognostication； Rabelais； W。 F。 Smith's translation；
1893； Vol。 II； p。 460。
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Even physicians of the most distinguished reputation practised
judicial astrology。 Jerome Cardan was not above earning money by casting
horoscopes； and on this subject he wrote one of his most popular books
（De Supplemento Almanach； etc。； 1543）； in which astronomy and
astrology are mixed in the truly mediaeval fashion。 He gives in it some
sixty…seven nativities； remarkable for the events they foretell； with an
exposition。 One of the accusations brought against him was that he had
〃attempted to subject to the stars the Lord of the stars and cast our
Saviour's horoscope。〃＇31＇ Cardan professed to have abandoned a practice
looked upon with disfavor both by the Church and by the universities； but
he returned to it again and again。 I show here his own horoscope。 That
remarkable character； Michael Servetus； the discoverer of the lesser
circulation； when a fellow student with Vesalius at Paris； gave lectures
upon judicial astrology； which brought him into conflict with the faculty；
and the rarest of the Servetus works； rarer even than the 〃Christianismi
Restitutio；〃 is the 〃Apologetica disceptatio pro astrologia；〃 one copy of
which is in the Bibliotheque Nationale。 Nor could the new astronomy and
the acceptance of the heliocentric views dislocate the popular belief。 The
literature of the seventeenth century is rich in astrological treatises dealing
with medicine。
＇31＇ De Thou； Lib。 LXII； quoted by Morley in Life of Jerome Cardan；
Vol。 II； p。 294。
No one has ever poured such satire upon the mantic arts as did
Rabelais in chapter twenty…five of the third book of 〃Pantagruel。〃 Panurge
goes to consult Her Trippathe famous Cornelius Agrippa； whose opinion
of astrology has already been quoted； but who nevertheless； as court
astrologer to Louise of Savoy； had a great contemporary reputation。 After
looking Panurge in the face and making conclusions by metoposcopy and
physiognomy； he casts his horoscope secundum artem； then； taking a
branch of tamarisk； a favorite tree from which to get the divining rod； he
names some twenty…nine or thirty mantic arts； from pyromancy to
necromancy； by which he offers to predict his future。 While full of rare
humor； this chapter throws an interesting light on the extraordinary
number of modes of divination that have been employed。 Small wonder
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that Panurge repented of his visit！ I show here the title…page of a popular
book by one of the most famous of the English astrological physicians；
Nicholas Culpeper。
Never was the opinion of sensible men on this subject better expressed
than by Sir Thomas Browne：＇32＇ 〃Nor do we hereby reject or condemn a
sober and regulated Astrology； we hold there is more truth therein than in
ASTROLOGERS； in some more than many allow； yet in none so much as
some pretend。 We deny not the influence of the Starres； but often suspect
the due application thereof； for though we should affirm that all things
were in all things； that Heaven were but Earth Celestified； and earth but
Heaven terrestrified； or that each part above had an influence upon its
divided affinity below； yet how to single out these relations； and duly to
apply their actions； is a work ofttimes to be effected by some revelation；
and Cabala from above； rather than any Philosophy； or speculation here
below。〃
＇32＇ Sir Thomas Browne： Pseudodoxia Epidemica； Bk。 IV； Chap。 XIII。
（Wilkin's ed。； Vol。 III； p。 84。）
As late as 1699； a thesis was discussed at the Paris Faculty； 〃Whether
comets were harbingers of disease；〃 and in 1707 the Faculty negatived the
question propounded in a thesis； 〃Whether the moon had any sway on the
human body。〃
The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw； among intelligent men； a
progressive weakening of the belief in the subject； but not even the satire
of Swift； with his practical joke in predicting and announcing the death of
the famous almanac maker； nor contemptuous neglect of the subject of late
years sufficed to dispel the belief from the minds of the public。 Garth in
the Dispensary （1699） satirizes the astrological practitioners of his day：
The Sage in Velvet Chair； here lolls at Ease To promise future Health
for present Fees Then as from Tripod solemn Sham reveals And what the
Stars know nothing of foretell。 （Canto ii。）
The almanacs of Moore and Zadkiel continue to be published； and
remain popular。 In London； sandwich men are to be met with carrying
advertisements of Chaldeans and Egyptians who offer to tell your fortune
by the stars。 Even in this country； astrology is still practiced to a surprising
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extent if one may judge from advertisements in certain papers； and from
publications which must have a considerable sale。 Many years ago； I had
as a patient an estimable astrologer； whose lucrative income was derived
from giving people astral information as to the rise and fall of stocks。 It is
a chapter in the vagaries of the human mind that is worth careful study。＇33＇
Let me commend to your reading the sympathetic story called 〃A Doctor
of Medicine〃 in the 〃Rewards and Fairies〃 of Kipling。 The hero is
Nicholas Culpeper； Gent。； whose picture is here given。 One stanza of the
poem at the end of the story； 〃Our Fathers of Old；〃 may be quoted：
Wonderful tales had our fathers of old Wonderful tales of the herbs
and the stars The Sun was Lord of the Marigold； Basil and Rocket
belonged to Mars。 Pat as a sum in division it goes （Every plant had a star
bespoke） Who but Venus should govern the Rose？ Who