Phillip Stubbes's Anatomy of the abuses in England in Shakspere's youth, A.D. 1583 / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

  • Stubbs, Philip, active 1581-1593.
Date:
1877-1882
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Phillip Stubbes's Anatomy of the abuses in England in Shakspere's youth, A.D. 1583 / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    These fantastical fellows turn God into a Jack out of office. [‘ Sig. I. 2.] The busy-headed astronomers as- sign every kind of man to a par- ticular Sign, and every month too. The 7 Days they put to the 7 Planets. [’ Sig. I. 2. back] 6o II. I. The 12 Signs governing Meris Limbs. fellowes were looked to in time, that wil go about to difthronize the mightie God Jehoua of his regall throne of maieftie and glorie, makin gan Officiperda of him, a iacke out of office, & to pul him (as it were) E c<sli<!, Out of the heauens, downe to the earth, giuing him no power nor authoritie at all. Theod. Haue the fignes and planets then no power nor authoritie at all vpon things on the earth ? Amphil. Yes, they haue their power, their operation, force, ftrength and effedl in thofe things whereto GOD hath created them, as namely in the growing, increafing, cheriffiing, foftering, renewing, comforting & reuiuing of ‘ all natural thing.s. And alfo they haue their influence & operation in mans bodie, for letting of bloud, receiuing of purgations & the like. But to fay they worke thefe efiedls of their own proper force & ftrength, or that they rule or difpofe the fpirits & foules of man, is vtterly falfe, & at no hand true. And yet notwithftanding, fo far infatuat are thefe bufie heded aftronomer.s, & curious ferching aftrologers, that they attribute euery part of mans body to one par- ticular figne & planet, affirming that part of the bodie to be ruled by that figne, or planet. And therefore to Aries they haue affigned the gouernement of the head & face. To Tau[rns] the necke and throte. To Gem [ini] the flioulders, the armes & the hands. To Leo the hart and back. To Can[cer] the breft, ftomake and lungs. To Lib[ra] the raines and loines. To Vir[go] the guts & bellie. To Scor[pio] the priuie parts & bladder. To Sag[ittarius] the thighes. To Capr[icornu.s] the knees. To Aqu[arius] the legs. To Pifc[es] the feet. And thus haue they, & doe, beare the world in hand that the whole bodie of man both Interne externe, within & without, is ruled and gouerned by the xii. fignes, by ftarres, and planets, & not by God only. For the coiffirmation of which fained vntruth, they pretend the xii. moneths in the yere to be ruled & gouerned by the xii. fignes in the element, and the feuen dales in the weeke to be ruled by the feuen planets ^alfo. Befides this, they haue their particular houres, times and feafons, wherein they chiefly worke their effeits, and haue greateft ftrength. So that by their reafons, no moneth in the yere, nor day in the weeke, no, nor houre in the day nor night, but it is ruled and gouerned by the influence and couftel-