I 
 
 BHHHH 
 
 MMIWj Bflfiill 
 
 HBHHH 
 
 B HI 
 
 HI 
 
 ■MBIT 
 
 BSH1 
 
 H 
 
 WmK 
 
 II H 
 
 i$h 1111 
 
 H I 
 
 HHHB 
 
 H Hi 
 
 H 
 
 bsm 
 
 ■MBfl 
 
 11 BBS SH 
 
 HH I 
 
 11 HHHH 
 
 Bill 111 
 
 BBlBffill 
 
 1m 
 
 mm mBm< Hi Mm 
 
 HBH 
 
 B iHH 
 
 118111111 
 
 ■B- 
 
 Hi 
 I Hi 
 

 *o 
 
 cv * 
 
 ^ *'"0* <$ 
 
 ^/'•M** A? 
 
 '♦ > 
 
 
 
 ^ ••-o-- ^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^0« •- 
 
 IT 
 
 o_ * 
 
 <5, *•,*• aP 
 
 fs *p** •-« 
 
 
 >* .!^L' 
 
 
 
 <* '• 
 
 S - - - *Z* A> 
 
 
 :. ^ :* 
 
 Av '. 
 
 
 
 »V 
 
 
 
 „V %, 
 
 y 
 
 
 V •*••* <*** a? 
 
 > - V^'/AW-. W .♦* 
 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 7 ^°- 
 
 by 
 
 »*. te. A * ' .'aVa*. "^. a* .V9K*. ^. A * .V 
 
 ^e*' .' 
 
 
 
 
 : ^ov 1 
 
 «P^ 
 
 : ^ °^ 
 
 
 
 
 

 W 
 
 
 
 
 
 V** -*ftfc \/ ' ysfe *' 
 
 .4- » i 
 
 
 
 q, *Tv«.* a0 
 
 
 
&^ 
 
 WILLIAM LILLY'S 
 
 HISTORY 
 
 OF HIS 
 
 LIFE AND TIMES, 
 
 FROM THE YEAR 1U02 TO 1681. 
 
 Wlxittm tip f^tmstlf, 
 
 IN THE SIXTY-SIXTH YEAR OF HIS AGE, TO HIS WORTHY FRIEND, 
 
 ELIAS ASHMOLE, ESQ. 
 
 PUBLISHED FROM THE ORIGINAL MS. 
 London, 1715. 
 
 LONDON . 
 
 RE-PRINTED FOR CHARLES BALDWYN, 
 
 NEWGATE STREET. 
 M.DCCC.XXII. 
 
6 
 
 FifiS 
 
 .1. 
 
 ! pw /L 
 
 Gilt 
 
 Mrs. H. C. Boltoi 
 
 1912 
 
 MAURICE, PRINTER, FENCHURCH-STREET. 
 
 <1 
 
LIST OF PLATES- 
 
 William Lilly, (from Marshall's Print) to face Title. 
 
 Ditto (from the Picture) to face Life. 
 
 Dr. Simon Forman 34 
 
 John Booker 68 
 
 Charles the Second -. 95 
 
 Charles the First 107 
 
 Hugh Peters 134 
 
 Speaker Lenthall 159 
 
 Oliver Cromwell 175 
 
 Dr. John Dee 223 
 
 Edward Kelly 226 
 
 Napier of Merchiston >. . 236 
 
ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 Prefixed to the Lives of Elias Ashmole & William Lilly. 
 In 1 vol. 8vo. 1772. 
 
 ALTHOUGH we cannot, with justice, com- 
 pare Elias Ashmole to that excellent Antiquary 
 John Leland, or William Lilly to the learned 
 and indefatigable Thomas Heame ; yet I think 
 we may fairly rank them with such writers as 
 honest Anthony Wood, whose Diary greatly 
 resembles that of his cotemporary, and intiiaate 
 friend, Elias Ashmole. 
 
 Some anecdotes, connected with affairs of 
 state; many particulars relating to illustrious 
 
11 
 
 persons, and antient and noble families ; several 
 occurrences in which the Public is interested, 
 and other matters of a more private nature, can 
 only be found in works of this kind. History 
 cannot stoop to the meanness of examining the 
 materials of which Memoirs are generally 
 composed. 
 
 And yet the pleasure and benefit resulting 
 from such books are manifest to every reader. 
 
 I hope the admirers of the very laborious 
 Thomas Hearne will pardon me, if I should 
 venture to give it as my opinion, and with much 
 deference to their judgment, that William 
 Lilly s Life and Death of Charles the first 
 contains more useful matter of instruction, as 
 well as more splendid and striking occurrences, 
 than are to be found in several of those monkish 
 volumes published by that learned Oxonian. 
 
Ill 
 
 Lilly affords us many curious particular's 
 relating to the life of that unfortunate Prince, 
 ivhich are no where else to be found. In de- 
 lineating the character of Charles, he seems 
 dispassionate and impartial, and indeed it agrees 
 perfectly with the general portraiture of him, 
 as it is drawn by our most authentic historians. 
 
 The History of Lilly's Life and Times is 
 certainly one of the most entertaining narra- 
 tives in our language. With respect to the 
 science he professed of calculating nativities, 
 casting figures, the prediction of events, and 
 other appendages of astrology, he would fain 
 make us think that he was a very solemn and 
 serious believer. Indeed, such is the manner of 
 telling his story, that sometimes the reader may 
 possibly be induced to suppose Lilly rather an 
 enthusiast than an impostor. He relates many 
 anecdotes of the pretenders to foretell events, 
 
IV 
 
 raise spirits, and other impostures, with such 
 seeming candor, and with such an artless sim- 
 plicity of style, that we are almost persuaded 
 to take his word when he protests such an in- 
 violable respect to truth and sincerity. 
 
 The powerful genius of Shakespeare could 
 carry him triumphantly through subjects the 
 most unpromising, and fables the most improba- 
 ble : we therefore cannot wonder at the success 
 of such of his plays, where the magic of witches 
 and the incantation of spirits are described, or 
 where the power of fairies is introduced ; when 
 such was the credulity of the times respecting 
 these imaginary beings, and when that belief 
 was made a science of, and kept alive by artful 
 and superstitious, knavish, and enthusiastic 
 teachers ; what Lilly relates of these people, 
 considered only as matter of fact, is surely very 
 curious. 
 
To conclude; I know no record but this 
 where we can find so just and so entertaining 
 a History of Doctor Dee, Doctor Forman, 
 Booker, Winder, Kelly, Evans, (Lilly s Mas- 
 ter,) the famous William Poole, and Captain 
 Bubb Fiske, Sarah Shelborne, and many others. 
 
 To these we may add, the uncommon effects 
 of the Crystal, the appearance of Queen Mabb, 
 and other strange and miraculous operations, 
 which owe their origin to folly, curiosity, su- 
 perstition, bigotry, and imposture. 
 
R. Cooper sculp* 
 
 
 WH^ILSi^M IL2ILILT. 
 
 '^^^^^^fe^<^^^ / uM. 
 
 PUBLISHED 3Y CHAB.LE S & HEZn t SY BALD"WYN,NEWG-AIE STBEE T . 
 
THE 
 
 LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 WILLIAM LILLY, 
 
 STUDENT IN ASTROLOGY. 
 
 Wrote by himself in the 66th Year of his Age, at Hersham, in the Parish 
 of Walton-upon-Tharaes, in the County of Surry. Propria Manu. 
 
 * I was born in the county of Leicester, in 
 an obscure town, in the north-west borders 
 thereof, called Diseworth, seven miles south 
 of the town of Derby, one mile from Castle- 
 Donnington, a town of great rudeness, 
 wherein it is not remembered that any of 
 
 * " William Lilly was a prominent, and, in the opinion of 
 many of his cotemporaries, a very important personage in 
 
o LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 the farmers thereof did ever educate any of 
 their sons to learning, only my grandfather 
 sent his younger son to Cambridge, whose 
 
 the most eventful period of English history. He was a 
 principal actor in the farcical scenes which diversified the 
 bloody tragedy of civil war ; and while the King and the 
 Parliament were striving for mastery in the field, he was 
 deciding their destinies in the closet. The weak and the 
 credulous of both parties, who sought to be instructed in 
 6 destiny's dark counsels,' flocked to consult the ' wily 
 Archimage/ who, with exemplary impartiality, meted out 
 victory and good fortune to his clients, according to the 
 extent of their faith, and the weight of their purses. A 
 few profane Cavaliers might make his name the burthen 
 of their malignant rhymes — a few of the more scrupulous 
 among the Saints might keep aloof in sanctified abhor- 
 rence of the ' Stygian sophister' — but the great majority 
 of the people lent a willing and reverential ear to his pro- 
 phecies and prognostications. Nothing was too high or 
 too low — too mighty or too insignificant, for the grasp of 
 his genius. The stars, his informants, were as communi- 
 cative on the most trivial as on the most important sub- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 9 
 
 name was Robert Lilly, and died Vicar of 
 Cambden in Gloucestershire, about 1640. 
 The town of Diseworth did formerly be- 
 
 jects. If a scheme was set on foot to rescue the king, or 
 to retrieve a stray trinket — to restore the royal authority, 
 or to make a frail damsel an honest woman — to cure the 
 nation of anarchy, or a lap-dog of a surfeit, William Lilly 
 was the oracle to be consulted. His almanacks were spel- 
 led over in the tavern and quoted in the senate; they 
 nerved the arm of the soldier, and rounded the periods of 
 the orator. The fashionable beauty, dashing along in her 
 calash from St. James's or the Mall, and the prim, starched 
 dame, from Watling-street or Bucklersbury, with a staid 
 foot-boy, in a plush jerkin, plodding behind her — the 
 reigning toast among * the men of wit about town,' and the 
 leading groaner in a tabernacle concert — glided alter- 
 nately into the study of the trusty wizard, and poured 
 into his attentive ear strange tales of love, or trade, or 
 treason. The Roundhead stalked in at one door, whilst 
 the Cavalier was hurried out at the other. 
 
 " The Confessions of a man so variously consulted and 
 trusted, if written with the candour of a Cardan or a Rous- 
 
10 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 long unto the Lord Seagrave, for there is one 
 record in the hands of my cousin Melborn 
 Williamson, which mentions one acre of land 
 
 seau, would indeed be invaluable. The Memoirs of Wil- 
 liam Lilly, though deficient in this essential ingredient, 
 yet contain a variety of curious and interesting anecdotes 
 of himself and his cotemporaries, which, where the vanity 
 of the writer, or the truth of his art, is not concerned, 
 may be received with implicit credence. 
 
 '■? The simplicity and apparent candour of his narrative 
 might induce a hasty reader of this book to believe him a 
 well-meaning but somewhat silly personage, the dupe of 
 his own speculations — the deceiver of himself as well as 
 of others. But an attentive examination of the events of 
 his life, even as recorded by himself, will not warrant so 
 favourable an interpretation. His systematic and suc- 
 cessful attention to his own interest — his dexterity in 
 keeping on 'the windy side of the law' — his perfect poli- 
 tical pliability — and his presence of mind and fertility of 
 resources when entangled in difficulties — indicate an ac- 
 complished impostor, not a crazy enthusiast. It is very 
 possible and probable, that, at the outset of his career, he 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 1 1 
 
 abutting north upon the gates of the Lord 
 Seagrave ; and there is one close, called 
 Hall-close, wherein the ruins of some ancient 
 
 was a real believer in the truth and lawfulness of his art, 
 and that he afterwards felt no inclination to part with so 
 pleasant and so profitable a delusion : like his patron, 
 Cromwell, whose early fanaticism subsided into hypocrisy, 
 he carefully retained his folly as a cloak for his knavery. 
 Of his success in deception, the present narrative exhi- 
 bits abundant proofs. The number of his dupes was 
 not confined to the vulgar and illiterate, but included in- 
 dividuals of real worth and learning, of hostile parties and 
 sects, who courted his acquaintance and respected his 
 predictions. His proceedings were deemed of sufficient 
 importance to be twice made the subject of a parliamentary 
 inquiry ; and even after the Restoration — when a little 
 more scepticism, if not more wisdom, might have been ex- 
 pected — we find him examined by a Committee of the 
 House of Commons, respecting his fore-knowledge of the 
 great fire of London. We know not whether it 'should 
 more move our anger or our mirth,' to see an assemblage 
 of British Senators — the cotemporaries of Hampden and 
 
 
12 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 buildings appear, and particularly where 
 the dove-house stood ; and there is also 
 the ruins of decayed fish-ponds and other 
 outhouses. This town came at length to be 
 the inheritance of Margaret, Countess of 
 Richmond, mother of Henry VII. which 
 
 Falkland — of Milton and Clarendon — in an age which 
 roused into action so many and such mighty energies — 
 gravely engaged in ascertaining the causes of a great na- 
 tional calamity, from the prescience of a knavish fortune- 
 teller, and puzzling their wisdoms to interpret the symbo- 
 lical flames, which blazed in the mis-shapen wood-cuts of 
 his oracular publications. 
 
 "As a set-off against these honours may be mentioned, 
 the virulent and unceasing attacks of almost all the party 
 scribblers of the day ; but their abuse he shared in com- 
 mon with men, whose talents and virtues have outlived 
 the malice of their cotemporaries, and 
 
 1 Whose honours with increase of ages grow, 
 As streams roll down, enlarging as they flow/ " 
 
 Retrospective Review, Vol. ii. p. 51. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 13 
 
 Margaret gave this town and lordship of 
 Diseworth unto Christ's College in Cam- 
 bridge, the Master and Fellows whereof have 
 ever since, and at present, enjoy and possess 
 it. 
 
 In the church of this town there is but one 
 monument, and that is a white marble stone, 
 now almost broken to pieces, which was 
 placed there by Robert Lilly, my grandfa- 
 ther, in memory of Jane his wife, the daugh- 
 ter of Mr. Poole of Dalby, in the same 
 county, a family now quite extinguished. 
 My grandmother's brother was Mr. Henry 
 Poole, one of the Knights of Rhodes, or 
 Templars, who being a soldier at Rhodes at 
 the taking thereof by Solyman the Magnifi- 
 cent, and escaping with his life, came after- 
 wards to England, and married the Lady 
 Parron or Perham, of Oxfordshire, and was 
 called, during his life, Sir Henry Poole. Wil- 
 
14 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 liain Poole the Astrologer knew him very- 
 well, and remembers him to have been a very- 
 tall person, and reputed of great strength in 
 his younger years. 
 
 The impropriation of this town of Dise- 
 worth was formerly the inheritance of three 
 sisters, whereof two became votaries; one 
 in the nunnery of Langly in the parish of 
 Diseworth, valued at the suppression, I mean 
 the whole nunnery, at thirty -two pounds 
 per annum, and this sister's part is yet en- 
 joyed by the family of the Grayes, who now, 
 and for some years past, have the enjoyment 
 and possession of all the lands formerly be- 
 longing to the nunnery in the parish of Dise- 
 worth, and are at present of the yearly value 
 of three hundred and fifty pounds per an- 
 num. One of the sisters gave her part of 
 the great tithes unto a religious house in 
 Bredon upon the Hill; and, as the inhabi- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 15 
 
 tants report, became a religious person after- 
 wards. 
 
 The third sister married, and her part of 
 the tithes in succeeding ages became the 
 Earl of Huntingdon's, who not many years 
 since sold it to one of his servants. 
 
 The donation of the vicarage is in the gift 
 of the Grayes of Langley, unto whom they 
 pay yearly, (I mean unto the Vicar) as I am 
 informed, six pounds per annum. Very 
 lately some charitable citizens have pur- 
 chased one-third portion of the tithes, and 
 given it for a maintenance of a preaching 
 minister, and it is now of the value of about 
 fifty pounds per annum. 
 
 There have been two hermitages in this 
 parish; the last hermit was well remem- 
 bered by one Thomas Cooke, a very ancient 
 inhabitant, who in my younger years ac- 
 quainted me therewith. 
 
16 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 This town of Diseworth is divided into 
 three parishes ; one part belongs under Loc- 
 ington, in which part standeth my father's 
 house, over - against the west end of the 
 steeple, in which I was born : some other 
 farms are in the parish of Bredon, the rest 
 in the parish of Diseworth. 
 
 In this town, but in the parish of Locking- 
 ton, was I born, the first day of May 1602. 
 
 My father's name was William Lilly, son 
 of Robert, the son of Robert, the son of 
 Rowland, &c. My mother was Alice, the 
 daughter of Edward Barham, of Fiskerton 
 Mills, in Nottinghamshire, two miles from 
 Newark upon Trent: this Edward Barham 
 was born in Norwich, and well remembered 
 the rebellion of Kett the Tanner, in the days 
 of Edward VI. 
 
 Our family have continued many ages in 
 this town as yeomen ; besides the farm my 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 17 
 
 father and his ancestors lived in, both my 
 father and grandfather had much free land, 
 and many houses in the town, not belonging 
 to the college, as the farm wherein they were 
 all born doth, and is now at this present of 
 the value of forty pounds per annum, and in 
 possession of my brother's son ; but the free- 
 hold land and houses, formerly purchased by 
 my ancestors, were all sold by my grandfa- 
 ther and father ; so that now our family 
 depend wholly upon a college lease. Of my 
 infancy I can speak little, only I do remem- 
 ber that in the fourth year of my age I had 
 the measles. 
 
 I was, during my minority, put to learn at 
 such schools, and of such masters, as the 
 rudeness of the place and country afforded ; 
 my mother intending I should be a scholar 
 from my infancy, seeing my father's back- 
 slidings in the world, and no hopes by plain 
 
18 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 husbandry to recruit a decayed estate ; 
 therefore upon Trinity Tuesday, 1613, my 
 father had me to Ashby de la Zouch, to be 
 instructed by one Mr. John Brinsley ; one, 
 in those times, of great abilities for instruc- 
 tion of youth in the Latin and Greek tongues ; 
 he was very severe in his life and conversa- 
 tion, and did breed up many scholars for the 
 universities : in religion he was a strict Puri- 
 tan, not conformable wholly to the ceremo- 
 nies of the Church of England. In this town 
 of Ashby de la Zouch, for many years toge- 
 ther, Mr. Arthur Hildersham exercised his 
 ministry at my being there; and all the 
 while I continued at Ashby, he was silenced. 
 This is that famous Hildersham, who left 
 behind him a commentary on the fifty -first 
 psalm ; as also many sermons upon the fourth 
 of John, both which are printed; he was 
 an excellent textuary, of exemplary life, 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 19 
 
 pleasant in discourse, a strong enemy to the 
 Brownists, and dissented not from the 
 Church of England in any article of faith, 
 but only about wearing the surplice, bap- 
 tizing with the cross, and kneeling at the 
 sacrament ; most of the people in town were 
 directed by his judgement, and so continued, 
 and yet do continue presbyterianly affected ; 
 for when the Lord of Loughborough in 1642, 
 1643, 1644, and 1645, had his garrison in 
 that town, if by chance at any time any 
 troops of horse had lodged within the town, 
 though they came late at night to their quar- 
 ters; yet would one or other of the town 
 presently give Sir John Gell of Derby notice, 
 so that ere next morning most of his Majes- 
 ty's troops were seized in their lodgings, 
 which moved the Lord of Loughborough 
 merrily to say, there was not a fart let in 
 Ashby, but it was presently carried to Derby. 
 
20 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 The several authors I there learned were 
 these, viz. Sententice Pueriles, Cato, Corde- 
 rius, JEsops Fables, Tullys Offices, Ovid de 
 Tristibus ; lastly, Virgil, then Horace; as 
 also Camden s Greek Grammar, Theognis, and 
 Homer's Iliads: I was only entered into 
 TJdaWs Hebrew Grammar-, he never taught \J 
 logick, but often would say it was fit to be 
 learned in the universities. 
 
 In the fourteenth year of my age, by a fel- 
 low scholar of swarth, black complexion, I 
 had like to have my right eye beaten out as 
 we were at play ; the same year, about Mi- 
 chaelmas, I got a surfeit, and thereupon a 
 fever, by eating beech-nuts. 
 
 In the sixteenth year of my age I was 
 exceedingly troubled in my dreams concern- 
 ing my salvation and damnation, and also 
 concerning the safety and destruction of the 
 souls of my father and mother ; in the nights 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 21 
 
 I frequently wept, prayed and mourned, for 
 fear my sins might offend God. 
 
 In the seventeenth year of my age my 
 mother died. 
 
 In the eighteenth year of my age my mas- 
 ter Brinsley was enforced from keeping 
 school, being persecuted by the Bishop's 
 officers ; he came to London, and then lec- 
 tured in London, where he afterwards died. 
 In this year, by reason of my father's pover- 
 ty, I was also enforced to leave school, 
 and so came to my fathers house, where I 
 lived in much penury for one year, and 
 taught school one quarter of a year, until 
 God's providence provided better for me. 
 
 For the two last years of my being at 
 school, I was of the highest form in the 
 school, and chiefest of that form ; I could 
 then speak Latin as well as English ; could 
 make extempore verses upon any theme; 
 
22 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 all kinds of verses, hexameter, pentameter, 
 phaleuciacks, iambicks, sapphicks, &c. so 
 that if any scholars from remote schools 
 came to dispute, I was ringleader to dispute 
 with them ; I could cap verses, &c. If any 
 minister came to examine us, I was brought 
 forth against him, nor would I argue with 
 him unless in the Latin tongue, which I 
 found few of them could well speak without 
 breaking Priscian's head; which, if once 
 they did, I would complain to my master, 
 Non bene intelligit linguam Latinam, nee 
 prorsus loquitur. In the derivation of words, 
 I found most of them defective, nor indeed 
 were any of them good grammarians : all 
 and every of those scholars who were of my 
 form and standing, went to Cambridge and 
 proved excellent divines, only poor I, Wil- 
 liam Lilly, was not so happy ; fortune then 
 frowning upon father's present condition, he 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 23 
 
 not in any capacity to maintain me at the 
 university. 
 
 OF THE MANNER HOW I CAME UNTO 
 LONDON. 
 
 Worthy sir, I take much delight to re- 
 count unto you, even all and every circum- 
 stance of my life, whether good, moderate, 
 or evil; Deo gloria. 
 
 My father had one Samuel Smatty for his 
 Attorney, unto whom I went sundry times 
 with letters, who perceiving I was a scholar, 
 and that I lived miserably in the country, 
 losing my time, nor any ways likely to do 
 better, if I continued there; pitying my 
 condition, he sent word for me to come and 
 speak with him, and told me that he had 
 lately been at London, where there was a 
 gentleman wanted a youth, to attend him 
 and his wife, who could write, &c. 
 
24 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 I acquainted my father with it, who was 
 very willing to be rid of me, for I could 
 not work, drive the plough, or endure any 
 country labour ; my father oft would say, 
 I was good for nothing. 
 
 I had only twenty shillings, and no more, 
 to buy me a new suit, hose, doublet, &c. 
 my doublet was fustian : I repaired to 
 Mr. Smatty, when I was accoutred, for a 
 letter to my master, which he gave me. 
 
 Upon Monday, April 3, 1620, I departed 
 from Diseworth, and came to Leicester : 
 but I must acquaint you, that before I 
 came away I visited my friends, amongst 
 whom I had given me about ten shillings, 
 which was a great comfort unto me. On 
 Tuesday, April the 4th, I took leave of 
 my father, then in Leicester gaol for debt, 
 and came along with Bradshaw the carrier, 
 the same person with whom many of the 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 25 
 
 Duke of Buckingham's kindred had come 
 up with. Hark how the waggons crack 
 with their rich lading ! It was a very 
 stormy week, cold and uncomfortable : I 
 footed it all along ; we could not reach 
 London until Palm- Sunday, the 9th of April, 
 about half an hour after three in the after- 
 noon, at which time we entered Smithfield. 
 When I had gratified the carrier and his 
 servants, I had seven shillings and sixpence 
 left, and no more ; one suit of cloaths upon 
 my back, two shirts, three bands, one pair 
 of shoes, and as many stockings. Upon 
 the delivery of my letter my master enter- 
 tained me, and next day bought me a new 
 cloak, of which you may imagine (good 
 Esquire) whether I was not proud of ; be- 
 sides, I saw and eat good white bread, 
 contrary to our diet in Leicestershire. My 
 master's name was Gilbert Wright, born at 
 
26 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 Market Bosworth in Leicestershire ; my mis- 
 tress was born at Ashby de la Zouch, in 
 the same county, and in the town where I 
 had gone to school. This Gilbert Wright 
 could neither write nor read : he lived up- 
 on his annual rents, was of no calling or 
 profession; he had for many years been 
 servant to the Lady Pawlet in Hertford- 
 shire ; and when Serjeant Puckering was 
 made Lord keeper, he made him keeper 
 of his lodgings at Whitehall. When Sir 
 Thomas Egerton was made Lord Chan- 
 cellor, he entertained him in the same 
 place; and when he married a widow in 
 Newgate Market, the Lord Chancellor re- 
 commended him to the company of Salters, 
 London, to admit him into their company, 
 and so they did, and my master in 1624, 
 was master of that company ; he was a 
 man of excellent natural parts, and would 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 27 
 
 speak publickly upon any occasion very 
 rationally and to the purpose. I write this, 
 that the world may know he was no taylor, 
 or myself of that or any other calling or 
 profession : my work was to go before my 
 master to church ; to attend my master 
 when he went abroad; to make clean his 
 shoes; sweep the street; help to drive 
 bucks when he washed; fetch water in a 
 tub from the Thames : I have helped to 
 carry eighteen tubs of water in one morning ; 
 weed the garden ; all manner of drudgeries 
 I willingly performed ; scrape trenchers, 
 &c. If I had any profession, it was of this 
 nature : I should never have denied being 
 a taylor, had I been one ; for there is no 
 calling so base, which by God's mercy may 
 not afford a livelihood ; and had not my 
 master entertained me, I would have been 
 of a very mean profession ere I would have 
 
28 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 returned into the country again ; so here 
 ends the actions of eighteen years of my 
 life. 
 
 My master married his second wife for 
 her estate ; she was competently rich ; she 
 married him for considerations he performed 
 not, (nocturnal society) so that they lived 
 very uncomfortably ; she was about seventy 
 years of age, he sixty-six or more ; yet 
 never was any woman more jealous of a 
 husband than she ; insomuch, that when- 
 soever he went into London, she was con- 
 fident of his going to women ; by those 
 means my life was the more uncomfortable, 
 it being very difficult to please two such 
 opposite natures : however, as to the things 
 of this world I had enough, and endured 
 their discontents with much sereneness. 
 My mistress was very curious to know of 
 such as were then called cunning or wise 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 29 
 
 men, whether she should bury her husband ? 
 She frequently visited such persons, and 
 this occasion begot in me a little desire to 
 learn something that way, but wan ting- 
 money to buy books, I laid aside these 
 motions, and endeavoured to please both 
 master and mistress. 
 
 OF MY MISTRESS'S DEATH, AND OCCASION 
 THEREOF BY MEANS OF A CANCER IN 
 HER BREAST. 
 
 In 1622 she complained of a pain in her 
 left breast, whereon there appeared at first 
 a hard knob no bigger than a small pea ; 
 it increased in a little time very much, was 
 very hard, and sometimes would look very 
 red ; she took advice of surgeons, had oils, 
 sear- cloths, plates of lead, and what not : 
 in 1623 it grew very big, and spread all 
 
30 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 over her breast ; then for many weeks 
 poultices were applied to it, which in con- 
 tinuance of time broke the skin, and then 
 abundance of watery thin stuff came from 
 it, but nothing else ; at length the matter 
 came to suppuration, but never any great 
 store issued forth ; it was exceeding noi- 
 some and painful ; from the beginning of 
 it until she died, she would permit no 
 surgeon to dress it but only myself ; I ap- 
 plied every thing unto it, and her pains 
 were so great the winter before she died, 
 that I have been called out of my bed two 
 or three times in one night to dress it and 
 change plaisters. In 1624 by degrees, with 
 scissars, I cut all the whole breast away, 
 I mean the sinews, nerves, &c. In one 
 fortnight, or little more, it appeared, as it 
 were, mere flesh, all raw, so that she could 
 scarce endure any unguent to be applied. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 31 
 
 I remember there was a great cleft through 
 the middle of the breast, which when that 
 fully appeared she died, which was in Sep- 
 tember 1624; my master being then in the 
 country, his kindred in London would wil- 
 lingly have had mourning for her ; but by ad- 
 vice of an especial friend of his I contradicted 
 them ; nor would I permit them to look into 
 any chest or trunk in the house. She was 
 decently buried, and so fond of me in the 
 time of her sickness, she would never permit 
 me out of her chamber, gave me five pounds 
 in old gold, and sent me unto a private trunk 
 of her's at a friend's house, where she had 
 one hundred pounds in gold ; she bid me 
 bring it away and take it, but when I opened 
 the trunk I found nothing therein; for a 
 kinsman of hers had been there a few days 
 before, and carried all away : she was in a 
 great passion at my relating thereof, because 
 
32 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 she could not gratify my pains in all her sick- 
 ness, advised me to help myself, when she 
 was gone, out of my master's goods, which I 
 never did. 
 
 Courteous Esquire, be not weary of read- 
 ing hereof, or what folio we th. 
 
 When my mistress died, she had under her 
 arm-hole a small scarlet bag full of many 
 things, which, one that was there delivered 
 unto me. There was in this bag several 
 sigils, some of Jupiter in Trine, others of the 
 nature of Venus, some of iron, and one of 
 gold, of pure angel-gold, of the bigness of a 
 thirty-three shilling piece of King James's 
 coin. In the circumference on one side was 
 engraven, Vicit Leo de trlbu Judce Tetragram-* 
 maton -\- y within the middle there was en- 
 graven a holy lamb. In the other circum- 
 ference there was Amraphel and three +. 
 In the middle, " Sanctus Petrus, Alpha and 
 Omega. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 33 
 
 The occasion of framing this sigil was thus ; 
 her former husband travelling into Sussex, 
 happened to lodge in an inn, and to lie in a 
 chamber thereof ; wherein, not many months 
 before, a country grazier had lain, and in the 
 night cut his own throat; after this night's 
 lodging, he was perpetually, and for many 
 years, followed by a spirit, which vocally 
 and articulately provoked him to cut his 
 throat : he was used frequently to say, ' I 
 defy thee, I defy thee,' and to spit at the 
 spirit ; this spirit followed him many years, 
 he not making any body acquainted with it ; 
 at last he grew melancholy and discontented ; 
 which being carefully observed by his wife, 
 she many times hearing him pronounce, ' I 
 defy thee,' &c. she desired him to acquaint 
 her with the cause of his distemper, which 
 he then did. Away she went to Dr. Simon 
 Forman, who lived then in Lambeth, and 
 
34 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 acquaints him with it ; who having framed 
 this sigil, and hanged it about his neck, he 
 wearing it continually untill he died, was 
 never more molested by the spirit : I sold 
 the sigil for thirty-two shillings, but tran- 
 scribed the words verbatim as I have related. 
 Sir, you shall now have a story of this Simon 
 Forman, as his widow, whom I well knew, 
 related it unto me. But before I relate his 
 death, I shall acquaint you something of the 
 man, as I have gathered them from some ma- 
 nuscripts of his own writing. 
 
 OF DR. SIMON FORMAN. 
 
 He was a chandler's son in the city of 
 Westminster. He travelled into Holland for 
 a month, in 1580, purposely to be instructed 
 in astrology, and other more occult sciences ; 
 as also in physick, taking his degree of 
 Doctor beyond seas : being sufficiently fur- 
 
R.Cooper sculp. 
 
 
 PUBLISHED BY CHAKLES ScMtJRT BALDWYTCXnWCL". • 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 35 
 
 nished and instructed with what he desired, 
 he returned into England, towards the latter 
 end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and 
 flourished until that year of King James, 
 wherein the Countess of Essex, the Earl of 
 Somerset, and Sir Thomas Overbury's mat- 
 ters were questioned. He lived in Lambeth, 
 with a very good report of the neighbour- 
 hood, especially of the poor, unto whom he 
 was very charitable. He was a person that 
 in horary questions (especially thefts) was 
 very judicious and fortunate ; so also in sick- 
 nesses, which indeed was his master-piece. 
 In resolving questions about marriage he had 
 good success : in other questions very mode- 
 rate. He was a person of indefatigable pains. 
 I have seen sometimes half one sheet of paper 
 wrote of his judgment upon one question ; in 
 writing whereof he used much tautology, as 
 you may see yourself, (most excellent Es- 
 
36 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 quire) if you read a great book of Dr. Flood's, 
 which you have, who had all that book from 
 the manuscripts of Forman ; for I have seen 
 the same word for word in an English manu- 
 script formerly belonging to Doctor Wil- 
 loughby of Gloucestershire. Had Forman 
 lived to have methodized his own papers, I 
 doubt not but he would have advanced the 
 Jatro-mathematical part thereof very com- 
 pletely ; for he was very observant, and kept 
 notes of the success of his judgments, as in 
 many of his figures I have observed. I very 
 well remember to have read, in one of his 
 manuscripts, what followeth. 
 
 ' Being in bed one morning,' (says he) ' I 
 was desirous to know whether I should ever 
 be a Lord, Earl, or Knight, &c. whereupon 
 I set a figure ; and thereupon my judgment :' 
 by which he concluded, that within two years 
 time he should be a Lord or great man : 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 37 
 
 i But,' says he, ' before the two years were 
 expired, the Doctors put me in Newgate, and 
 nothing came.' Not long after, he was de- 
 sirous to know the same things concerning 
 his honour or greatship. Another figure was 
 set, and that promised him to be a great Lord 
 within one year. But he sets down, that in 
 that year he had no preferment at all ; only 
 ' I became acquainted with a merchant's 
 wife, by whom I got well.' There is another 
 
 figure concerning one Sir — - Ayre his 
 
 going into Turkey, whether it would be a 
 good voyage or not : the Doctor repeats all 
 his astrological reasons and musters them 
 together, and then gave his judgment it would 
 be a fortunate voyage. But under this figure 
 he concludes, f this proved not so, for he was 
 taken prisoner by pirates ere he arrived in 
 Turkey, and lost all.' He set several ques- 
 tions to know if he should attain the philo- 
 
38 LILLY'S HTSTORY 
 
 sophers' stone, and the figures, according to 
 his straining, did seem to signify as much ; 
 and then he tuggs upon the aspects and con- 
 figurations, and elected a fit time to begin 
 his operation ; but, by and by, in conclusion, 
 he adds, ' so the work went very forward ; 
 but upon the n of 6 the setting-glass broke, 
 and I lost all my pains :' he sets down five 
 or six such judgments, but still complains 
 all came to nothing, upon the malignant as- 
 pects of h and <?. Although some of his as- 
 trological judgments did fail, more particu- 
 larly those concerning himself, he being no 
 way capable of such preferment as he ambi- 
 tiously desired ; yet I shall repeat some other 
 of his judgments, which did not fail, being 
 performed by conference with spirits. My 
 mistress went once unto him, to know when 
 her husband, then in Cumberland, would 
 return, he having promised to be at home 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 39 
 
 near the time of the question; after some 
 consideration, he told her to this effect: 
 f Margery,' for so her name was, ' thy hus- 
 band will not be at home these eighteen 
 days; his kindred have vexed him, and he 
 is come away from them in much anger : he 
 is now in Carlisle, and hath but three-pence 
 in his purse.' And when he came home he 
 confessed all to be true, and that upon leav- 
 ing his kindred he had but three-pence in 
 his purse. I shall relate one story more, and 
 then his death. 
 
 One Coleman, clerk to Sir Thomas Beau- 
 mont of Leicestershire, having had some libe- 
 ral favours both from his lady and her daugh- 
 ters, bragged of it, &c. The Knight brought 
 him into the star-chamber, had his servant 
 sentenced to be pilloried, whipped, and af- 
 terwards, during life, to be imprisoned. The 
 sentence was executed in London, and was 
 
40 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 to be in Leicestershire: two keepers were 
 to convey Coleman from the Fleet to Leices- 
 ter. My mistress taking consideration of 
 Coleman, and the miseries he was to suffer, 
 went presently to Forman, acquainted him 
 therewith; who, after consideration, swore 
 Coleman had lain both with mother and 
 daughters; and besides said, that the old 
 Lady being afflicted with fits of the mother, 
 called him into her chamber to hold down 
 the fits with his hands ; and that he holding 
 his hands about the breast, she cried ' Lower, 
 lower,' and put his hands below her belly ; 
 
 and thefr He also told my mistress in 
 
 what posture he lay with the young ladies, 
 &c. and said, 'they intend in Leicester to 
 whip him to death; but I assure thee, Mar- 
 gery, he shall never come there; yet they 
 set forward to-morrow,' says he ; and so his 
 two keepers did, Coleman's legs being locked 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 41 
 
 with an iron chain under the horse's belly. 
 In this nature they travelled the first and 
 second day ; on the third day the two keep- 
 ers, seeing their prisoner's civility the two 
 preceding days, did not lock his chain under 
 the horse's belly as formerly, but locked it 
 only to one side. In this posture they rode 
 some miles beyond Northampton, when on 
 a sudden, one of the keepers had a necessity 
 to untruss, and so the other and Coleman 
 stood still; by and by the other keeper 
 desired Coleman to hold his horse, for he 
 had occasion also: Coleman immediately 
 took one of their swords, and ran through 
 two of the horses, killing them stark dead; 
 gets upon the other, with one of their swords ; 
 'Farewell, gentlemen,' quoth he, 'tell my 
 master I have no mind to be whipped in Lei- 
 cestershire,' and so went his way. The two 
 keepers in all haste went to a gentleman's 
 
42 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 house near at hand, complaining of their 
 misfortune, and desired of him to pursue 
 their prisoner, which he with much civility- 
 granted ; but ere the horses could be got 
 ready, the mistress of the house came down, 
 and enquiring what the matter was, went to 
 the stable, and commanded the horses to be 
 unsaddled, with this sharp speech — ' Let the 
 Lady Beaumont and her daughters live ho- 
 nestly, none of my horses shall go forth upon 
 this occasion.' 
 
 I could relate many such stories of his per- 
 formances ; as also what he wrote in a book 
 left behind him, viz. 'This I made the devil 
 write with his own hand in Lambeth Fields 
 1596, in June or July, as I now remember.' 
 He professed to his wife there would be much 
 trouble about Carr and the Countess of Es- 
 sex, who frequently resorted unto him, and 
 from whose company he would sometimes 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 43 
 
 lock himself in his study a whole day. Now 
 we come to his death, which happened as 
 follows : the Sunday night before he died, 
 his wife and he being at supper in their gar- 
 den-house, she being pleasant, told him, 
 that she had been informed he could re- 
 solve, whether man or wife should die first ; 
 ' Whether shall I ' (quoth she) ' bury you or 
 no?' '?■ Oh Trunco,' for so he called her, 'thou 
 wilt bury me, but thou wilt much repent it.' 
 'Yea, but how long first?' 'I shall die,' said 
 he, 'ere Thursday night.' Monday came, 
 all was well. Tuesday came, he not sick. 
 Wednesday came, and still he was well; 
 with which his impertinent wife did much 
 twit him in his teeth. Thursday came, and 
 dinner was ended, he very well : he went 
 down to the water-side, and took a pair of 
 oars to go to some buildings he was in hand 
 with in Puddle-dock. Being in the middle 
 
44 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 of the Thames, he presently fell down, only- 
 saying, 'An impost, an impost,' and so died. 
 A most sad storm of wind immediately fol- 
 lowing. He died worth one thousand two 
 hundred pounds, and left only one son cal- 
 led Clement. All his rarities, secret manu- 
 scripts, of what quality soever, Dr. Napper 
 of Lindford in Buckinghamshire had, who 
 had been a long time his scholar; and of 
 whom Forman was used to say he would 
 be a dunce: yet in continuance of time he 
 proved a singular astrologer and physician. 
 Sir Richard now living, I believe, has all 
 those rarities in possession, which were 
 Forman's, being kinsman and heir unto Dr. 
 Napper. [His son Thomas Napper, Esq. ; 
 most generously gave most of these manu- 
 scripts to Elias Ashmole, Esq. ;] I hope you 
 will pardon this digression. 
 
 After my mistress was dead, I lived most 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 45 
 
 comfortably, my master having a great af- 
 fection for me. 
 
 The year 1625 now comes on, and the 
 plague exceeding violent, I will relate what 
 I observed the spring /before it broke forth. 
 Against our corner house every night there 
 would come down, about five or six of the 
 clock, sometime one hundred or more boys, 
 some playing, others as if in serious dis- 
 course, and just as it grew dark would all 
 be gone home ; many succeeding years there 
 was no such, or any concourse, usually no 
 more than four or five in a company : In the 
 spring of 1625, the boys and youths of se- 
 veral parishes in like number appeared again, 
 which I beholding, called Thomas Sanders, 
 my landlord, and told him, that the youth 
 and young boys of several parishes did in 
 that nature assemble and play, in the be- 
 ning of the year 1625. ' God bless us,' quoth 
 
46 * LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 I, 'from a plague this year;' but then there 
 succeeded one, and the greatest that ever 
 was in London. In 1625, the visitation 
 encreasing, and my master having a great 
 charge of money and plate, some of his own, 
 some other men's, left me and a fellow- ser- 
 vant to keep the house, and himself in June 
 went into Leicestershire. He was in that year 
 feoffee collector for twelve poor alms-people 
 living in Clement - Dane's Church - Yard ; 
 whose pensions I in his absence paid weekly, 
 to his and the parish's great satisfaction. My 
 master was no sooner gone down, but I 
 bought a bass-viol, and got a master to in- 
 struct me ; the intervals of time I spent in 
 bowling in Lincoln's -Inn -Fields, with Wat 
 the cobler, Dick the blacksmith, and such 
 like companions : We have sometimes been 
 at our work at six in the morning, and so 
 continued till three or four in the afternoon, 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 47 
 
 many times without bread or drink all that 
 while.. Sometimes I went to church and 
 heard funeral sermons, of which there was 
 then great plenty. At other times I went 
 early to St. Antholine's in London, where 
 there was every morning a sermon. The 
 most able people of the whole city and sub- 
 urbs were out of town; if any remained, it 
 were such as were engaged by parish-offi- 
 cers to remain ; no habit of a gentleman or 
 woman continued; the woeful calamity of 
 that year was grievous, people dying in the 
 open fields and in open streets. At last, in 
 August, the bills of mortality so encreased, 
 that very few people had thoughts of sur- 
 viving the contagion: the Sunday before 
 the great bill came forth, which was of five 
 thousand and odd hundreds, there was ap- 
 pointed a sacrament at Clement Dane's; 
 during the destributing whereof I do very 
 
48 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 well remember we sang thirteen parts of the 
 one hundred and nineteenth Psalm. One 
 Jacob, our minister (for we had three that 
 day, the communion was so great) fell sick 
 as he was giving the sacrament, went home, 
 and was buried of the plague the Thursday 
 following. Mr. James, another of the mi- 
 nisters, fell sick ere he had quite finished, 
 had the plague, and was thirteen weeks ere 
 he recovered. Mr. Whitacre, the last of the 
 three, escaped not only then, but all the 
 contagion following, without any sickness at 
 all ; though he officiated at every funeral, 
 and buried all manner of people, whether 
 they died of the plague or not. He was 
 given to drink, seldom could preach more 
 than one quarter of an hour at a time, &c. 
 In November my master came home. My 
 fellow - servant's and my diet came weekly 
 to six shillings and sixpence, sometimes 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 49 
 
 to seven shillings, so cheap was diet at 
 that time. 
 
 In February of that year, my master mar- 
 ried again (one who after his death became 
 my wife.) In the same year he settled upon 
 me, during my life, twenty pounds per an- 
 num, which I have enjoyed ever since, even 
 to the writing hereof. 
 
 May 22, 1627, my master died at the 
 corner house in the Strand, where I also 
 lived so long. He died intestate ; my mis- 
 tress relinquishing the administration, it 
 came to his elder brother, who assigned the 
 estate over to me for payment of my master's 
 debts ; which being paid, I faithfully return- 
 ed the remaining part unto his administrator; 
 nor had one penny of the estate more than 
 twenty pounds per annum, which was al- 
 lowed me by contract, to undertake the 
 payment of my master's debts. 
 
 E 
 
50 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 OF MY MARRIAGE THE FIRST TIME. 
 
 My mistress, who had been twice married 
 to old men, was now resolved to be couzened 
 no more ; she was of a brown ruddy com- 
 plexion, corpulent, of but mean stature, 
 plain, no education, yet a very provident 
 person, and of good condition: she had 
 many suitors, old men, whom she declined ; 
 some gentlemen of decayed fortunes, whom 
 she liked not, for she was covetous and 
 sparing : by my fellow-servant she was ob- 
 served frequently to say, she cared not if 
 she married a man that would love her, so 
 that he had never a penny ; and would or- 
 dinarily talk of me when she was in bed : 
 this servant gave me encouragement to give 
 the onset: I was much perplexed hereat, 
 for should I attempt her, and be slighted, 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TLMES. 51 
 
 she would never care for me afterwards ; but 
 again, I considered that if I should attempt 
 and fail, she would never speak of it; or 
 would any believe I durst be so audacious 
 as to propound such a question, the dispro- 
 portion of years and fortune being so great 
 betwixt us: however, all her talk was of 
 husbands, and in my presence saying one 
 day after dinner, she respected not wealth, 
 but desired an honest man ; I made answer, 
 I thought I could fit her with such a hus- 
 band; she asked me, where? I made no 
 more ado, but presently saluted her, and 
 told her myself was the man : she replied, I 
 was too young ; I said nay ; what I had not 
 in wealth, I would supply in love ; and 
 saluted her frequently, which she accepted 
 lovingly ; and next day at dinner made me 
 sit down at dinner with my hat on my head, 
 and said, she intended to make me her hus- 
 
52 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 band ; for which I gave her many salutes, 
 &c. 
 
 I was very careful to keep all things secret, 
 for I well knew, if she should take counsel 
 of any friend, my hopes would be frustrated, 
 therefore I suddenly procured her consent to 
 marry, unto which she assented ; so that 
 upon the eighth day of September, 1627, at 
 St. George's church in Southwark, I was 
 married unto her, and for two whole years 
 we kept it secret. When it was divulged, 
 and some people blamed her for it, she con- 
 stantly replied, that she had no kindred ; if 
 I proved kind, and a good husband, she 
 would make me a man ; if I proved other- 
 wise, she only undid herself. In the third 
 and fourth years after our marriage, we had 
 strong suits of law with her first husband's 
 kindred, but overthrew them in the end. 
 During all the time of her life, which was 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 53 
 
 until October, 1633, we lived very lovingly, 
 I frequenting no company at all ; my exer- 
 cises were sometimes angling, in which I 
 ever delighted : my companions, two aged 
 men. I then frequented lectures, two or 
 three in a week ; I heard Mr. Sute in Lom- 
 bard-Street, Mr. Gouge of Black-Fryars, 
 Dr. Micklethwait of the Temple, Dr. Olds- 
 worth, with others, the most learned men of 
 these times, and leaned in judgment to 
 Puritanism. In October, 1627, I was made 
 free of the S alters' company in London. 
 
 HOW I CAME TO STUDY ASTROLOGY. 
 
 It happened on one Sunday, 1632, as my- 
 self and a Justice of Peace's clerk were, be- 
 fore service, discoursing of many things, he 
 chanced to say, that such a person was a 
 great scholar, nay, so learned, that he could 
 
54 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 make an Almanack, which to me then was 
 strange : one speech begot another, till, at 
 last, he said, he could bring me acquainted 
 with one Evans in Gunpowder-Alley, who 
 had formerly lived in Staffordshire, that was 
 an excellent wise man, and studied the Black 
 Art. The same week after we went to see 
 Mr. Evans. When we came to his house, 
 he, having been drunk the night before, was 
 upon his bed, if it be lawful to call that a 
 bed whereon he then lay ; he roused up him- 
 self, and, after some compliments, he was 
 content to instruct me in astrology ; I at- 
 tended his best opportunities for seven or 
 eight weeks, in which time I could set a 
 figure perfectly : books he had not any, ex- 
 cept Haly de judiciis Astrorum, and Orriga- 
 nass Ephemerides ; so that as often as I en- 
 tered his house, I thought I was in the wil- 
 derness. Now something of the man : he 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 55 
 
 was by birth a Welshman, a Master of Arts, 
 and in sacred orders ; he had formerly had a 
 cure of souls in Staffordshire, but now was 
 come to try his fortunes at London, being in 
 a manner enforced to fly for some offences 
 very scandalous, committed by him in these 
 parts, where he had lately lived ; for he gave 
 judgment upon things lost, the only shame 
 of astrology : he was the most saturnine per- 
 son my eyes ever beheld, either before I 
 practised or since ; of a middle stature, 
 broad forehead, beetle-browed, thick shoul- 
 ders, flat nosed, full lips, down-looked, black 
 curling stiff hair, splay-footed ; to give him 
 his right, he had the most piercing judgment 
 naturally upon a figure of theft, and many 
 other questions, that I ever met withal ; yet 
 for money he would willingly give contrary 
 judgments, was much addicted to debauch- 
 ery, and then very abusive and quarrel- 
 
56 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 some, seldom without a black eye, or one 
 mischief or other: this is the same Evans 
 who made so many antimonial cups, upon 
 the sale whereof he principally subsisted ; 
 he understood Latin very well, the Greek 
 tongue not at all : he had some arts above, 
 and beyond astrology, for he was well versed 
 in the nature of spirits, and had many times 
 used the circular way of invocating, as in 
 the time of our familiarity he told me. Two 
 of his actions I will relate, as to me deli- 
 vered. There was in Staffordshire a young 
 gentlewoman that had, for her preferment, 
 married an aged rich person, who was de- 
 sirous to purchase some lands for his wife's 
 maintenance ; but this young gentlewoman, 
 his wife, was desired to buy the land in the 
 name of a gentleman, her very dear friend, 
 but for her use : after the aged man was 
 dead, the widow could by no means procure 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 57 
 
 the deed of purchase from her friend ; where- 
 upon she applies herself to Evans, who, for 
 a sum of money, promises to have her deed 
 safely delivered into her own hands; the 
 sum was forty pounds. Evans applies him- 
 self to the invocation of the angel Salmon, of 
 the nature of Mars, reads his Litany in the 
 Common- Prayer -Book every day, at select 
 hours, wears his surplice, lives orderly all 
 that time ; at the fortnight's end Salmon ap- 
 peared, and having received his commands 
 what to do, in a small time returns with 
 the very deed desired, lays it down gently 
 upon a table where a white cloth was spread, 
 and then, being dismissed, vanished. The 
 deed was, by the gentleman who formerly 
 kept it, placed among many other of his evi- 
 dences in a large wooden chest, and in a 
 chamber at one end of the house ; but upon 
 Salmon's removing and bringing away the 
 
58 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 deed, all that bay of building was quite blown 
 down, and all his own proper evidences torn 
 all to pieces. The second story followeth. 
 
 Some time before I became acquainted 
 with him, he then living in the Minories, was 
 desired by the Lord Bothwell and Sir Kenelm 
 Digby to show them a spirit. He promised 
 so to do : the time came, and they were all 
 in the body of the circle, when lo, upon a 
 sudden, after some time of invocation, Evans 
 was taken from out the room, and carried in- 
 to the field near Battersea Causeway, close 
 to the Thames. Next morning a countryman 
 going by to his labour, and espying a man 
 in black cloaths, came unto him and awaked 
 him, and asked him how he came there? 
 Evans by this understood his condition, en- 
 quired where he was, how far from London, 
 and in what parish he was ; which when he 
 understood, he told the labourer he had been 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 59 
 
 late at Battersea the night before, and by 
 chance was left there by his friends. Sir Ke- 
 nelm Digby and the Lord Bothwell went 
 home without any harm, and came next day to 
 hear what was become of him ; just as they, 
 in the afternoon, came into the house, a mes- 
 senger came from Evans to his wife, to come 
 to him at Battersea. I enquired upon what 
 account the spirit carried him away: who 
 said, he had not, at the time of invocation, 
 made any suffumigation, at which the spirits 
 were vexed. It happened, that after I dis- 
 cerned what astrology was, I went weekly 
 into Little Britain, and bought many books 
 of astrology, not acquainting Evans there- 
 with. Mr. A. Bedwell, Minister of Totten- 
 ham-High- Cross near London, who had been 
 many years chaplain to Sir Henry Wotton, 
 whilst he was Ambassador at Venice, and 
 assisted Pietro Soave Polano, in composing 
 
60 LILLY'S HISTORY. 
 
 and writing the Council of Trent, was lately- 
 dead; and his library being sold into Little 
 Britain, I bought amongst them my choicest 
 books of astrology. The occasion of our 
 falling out was thus : a woman demanded the 
 resolution of a question, which when he had 
 done, she went her way ; I standing by all 
 the while, and observing the figure, asked 
 him why he gave the judgment he did, since 
 the signification shewed quite the contrary, 
 and gave him my reasons ; which when he 
 had pondered, he called me boy, and must he 
 be contradicted by such a novice ! But when 
 his heat was over, he said, had he not so 
 judged to please the woman, she would have 
 given him nothing, and he had a wife and fa- 
 mily to provide for ; upon this we never came 
 together after. Being now very meanly in- 
 troduced, I applied myself to study those 
 books I had obtained, many times twelve, or 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 61 
 
 fifteen, or eighteen hours day and night ; I 
 was curious to discover, whether there was 
 any verity in the art or not. Astrology in 
 this time, viz. in 1633, was very rare in Lon- 
 don, few professing it that understood any 
 thing thereof. Let it not repent you (O noble 
 Esquire) if now I make a short digression of 
 such persons as then professed astrology, that 
 posterity may understand in what condition 
 I found it, and in whose hands that little that 
 remained was lodged. 
 
 There lived then in Houndsditch one Alex- 
 ander Hart, who had been a soldier former- 
 ly, a comely old man, of good aspect; he 
 professed questionary astrology, and a little 
 of physick; his greatest skill was to elect 
 young gentlemen fit times to play at dice, 
 that they might win or get money. I went 
 unto him for resolutions for three questions 
 at several times, and he erred in every one. 
 
62 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 To speak soberly of him, he was but a cheat, 
 as appeared suddenly after ; for a rustical fel- 
 low of the city, desirous of knowledge, con- 
 tracted with Hart to assist for a conference 
 with a spirit, and paid him twenty pounds of 
 thirty pounds the contract. At last, after 
 many delays, and no spirit appearing, or mo- 
 ney returned, the young man indicts him for 
 a cheat at the Old Bailey in London ; the 
 Jury found the bill, and at the hearing of the 
 cause this jest happened : some of the bench 
 enquired what Hart did ? ' He sat like an Al- 
 derman in his gown,' quoth the fellow; at 
 which the court fell into a great laughter, 
 most of the court being Aldermen. He was 
 to have been set upon the pillory for this 
 cheat; but John Taylour, the Water Poet, 
 being his great friend, got the Lord Chief Jus- 
 tice Richardson to bail him, ere he stood 
 upon the pillory, and so Hart fled presently 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 63 
 
 into Holland, where he ended his days. It 
 was my fortune, upon the sale of his books 
 in 1634, to buy ArgolVs Primum Mobile for 
 fourteen shillings, which I only wanted. 
 
 In Lambeth Marsh at the same time lived 
 one Captain Bubb, who resolved horary 
 questions astrologically ; a proper handsome 
 man, well spoken, but withal covetous, and 
 of no honesty, as will appear by this story, 
 for which he stood upon the pillory. A cer- 
 tain butcher was robbed, going to a fair, of 
 forty pounds ; he goes to Bubb, who for ten 
 pounds in hand paid, would help him to the 
 thief; appoints the butcher such a night pre- 
 cisely, to watch at such a place, and the thief 
 should come thither ; commanded him by any 
 means to stop him ; the butcher attends ac- 
 cording to direction. About twelve in the 
 night there comes one riding very fiercely 
 upon a full gallop, whom the butcher knocks 
 
64 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 down, and seized both upon man and horse : 
 the butcher brings the man and horse to the 
 next town, but then the person whom the 
 butcher attacked was John the servant of Dr. 
 Bubb; for which the Captain was indicted 
 and suffered upon the pillory, and afterwards 
 ended his days in great disgrace. 
 
 There was also one Jeffry Neve, at this 
 time a student in physic and astrology ; he 
 had formerly been a merchant in Yarmouth, 
 and Mayor of the town, but failing in estate, 
 went into the Low- Countries, and at Fra- 
 necker took the degree of Doctor in Phy- 
 sick ; he had some little smattering in astro- 
 logy; could resolve a question of theft, or 
 love-question, something of sickness ; a very 
 grave person, laborious and honest, of tall 
 stature and comely feature ; he died of late 
 years, almost in the very street near Tower- 
 Hill : he had a design of printing two hun- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 65 
 
 dred verified questions, and desired my ap- 
 probation ere they went to press ; that I first 
 would see them, and then give testimony. 
 When I had perused the first forty, I cor- 
 rected thirty of them, would read over no 
 more : I showed him how erroneous they 
 were, desired his emendation of the rest, 
 which he performed not. These were after- 
 wards, in R. Saunders's custody, bought by 
 him either of his son or of a stationer.* 
 
 There was then William Poole, a nibbler at 
 astrology, sometimes a gardener, an appa- 
 ritor, a drawer of linen ; as quoifs, handker- 
 chiefs ; a plaisterer and a bricklayer ; he 
 would brag many times he had been of seven- 
 teen professions ; was very good company 
 for drolling, as you yourself very well re- 
 
 * But first offered to be sold to me for twenty shillings. 
 When Mr. Saunders died I bought them of his son for less. 
 
 E. A . 
 
 F 
 
66 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 member (most honoured Sir);* he pretended 
 to poetry; and that posterity may have a 
 taste of it, you shall have here inserted two 
 verses of his own making ; the occasion of 
 making • them was thus. One Sir Thomas 
 Jay, a Justice of the Peace in Rosemary- 
 Lane, issued out his warrant for the appre- 
 hension of Poole, upon a pretended sugges- 
 tion, that he was in company with some lewd 
 people in a tavern, where a silver cup was 
 lost, Anglice stolen. Poole, hearing of the 
 warrant, packs up his little trunk of books, 
 being all his library, and runs to Westmin- 
 ster ; but hearing some months after that the 
 Justice was dead and buried, he came and 
 enquired where the grave was ; and after the 
 discharge of his belly upon the grave, left 
 
 * December 17, this William Poole was married to 
 Alice How, at St. George's Church in Southwark. Mr. 
 Lilly gave her to him. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 67 
 
 these two verses upon it, which he swore he 
 made himself. 
 
 Here lieth buried Sir Thomas Jay, Knight, 
 Who being dead, I upon his grave did shite. 
 
 He died about 1651, or 1652, at St. Mary 
 Overy's in Southwark ; and this was part of 
 his last will. 
 
 ■ Item ; I give to Dr. Ardee all my books, 
 and one manuscript of my own, worth one 
 hundred of Lilly's Introduction.' 
 
 'Item; If Dr. Ardee give my wife any 
 thing that is mine, I wish the devil may 
 fetch him body and soul.' The Doctor, ter- 
 rified with this curse, gave me all the books 
 and his goods which I presently gave to his 
 widow. — Interdum seriajocis. 
 
 Now also lived this Dr. Ardee, but his true 
 name was Richard Delahay, formerly an 
 Attorney ; he studied astrology and physick, 
 being in necessity, and forced from Derby- 
 
68 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 shire, where he had lived, by the old Coun- 
 tess of Shrewsbury; he was of moderate 
 judgment, both in astrology and physick. 
 He had formerly been well acquainted with 
 Charles Sledd,* an apothecary, who used the 
 crystal, and had a very perfect sight. This 
 Dr. Ardee hath many times affirmed unto 
 me, (esto fides) that an angel, one time, ap- 
 peared unto him, and offered him a lease of 
 his life for one thousand years ; he died about 
 the age of fourscore years ; left his widow, 
 who married into Kent,| worth two or three 
 thousand pounds, and William Poole's estate 
 came to four or five pounds. 
 
 In the years 1632 and 1633, John Booker 
 became famous for a prediction of his upon a 
 
 * Of this Charles Sledd, there is mention made in Dr. 
 Dee's book of his discourse with spirits, set forth by Dr. 
 Casaubon. 
 
 t To one Moreland. 
 
4 Si 
 
 ■jsk 
 
 /A. 
 
 
 rilBLISHEDBYCHAHLES ffiHSffiYB^JWm^L^&OTE STKBET . 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 69 
 
 solar eclipse in the 19th degree of Aries 1663, 
 taken out of Leovitius de magnis conjunctioni- 
 bus, viz. Oh Reges et Principes 8$c. Both the 
 King of Bohemia, and Gustavus King of 
 Sweden, dying during the effects of that 
 eclipse. 
 
 John Booker was born in Manchester, of 
 good parentage, in the year 1601 ; was in his 
 youth well instructed in the Latin tongue, 
 which he understood very well. He seemed 
 from his infancy to be designed for astrology ; 
 for from the time he had any understanding, 
 he would be always poring on, and studying 
 almanacks. He came to London at fitting 
 years, and served an apprenticeship to an 
 haberdasher in Laurence-Lane, London ; but 
 either wanting stock to setup, or disliking the 
 calling, he left his trade, and taught to write 
 at Hadley in Middlesex several scholars in 
 that school: he wrote singularly well both 
 
70 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 Secretary and Roman. In process of time 
 he served Sir Christopher Clethero, Knight. 
 Alderman of London, as his clerk, being a 
 city Justice of Peace : he also was clerk to 
 Sir HughHammersley, Alderman of London, 
 both which he served with great credit and 
 estimation ; and by that means became not 
 only well known, but as well respected of 
 the most eminent citizens of London, even to 
 his dying day. 
 
 He was an excellent proficient in astro- 
 logy, whose excellent verses upon the twelve 
 months, framed according to the configura- 
 tions of each month, being blessed with suc- 
 cess according to his predictions, procured 
 him much reputation all over England : he 
 was a very honest man, abhorred any deceit 
 in the art he studied ; had a curious fancy in 
 judging of thefts, and as successful in resolv- 
 ing love-questions : he was no mean pro- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 71 
 
 ficient in astronomy; he understood much 
 of physick ; was a great admirer of the anti- 
 monial cup ; not unlearned in chymistry, 
 which he loved well, but did not practise. 
 He was inclined to a diabetes ; and in the 
 last three years of his life was afflicted with 
 a dysentery, which at last consumed him to 
 nothing: he died of good fame in 1667. 
 Since his decease I have seen one nativity of 
 his performance exactly directed, and judged 
 with as much learning as from astrology can 
 be expected. 
 
 His library of books came short of the 
 world's approbation, and were by his widow 
 sold to Elias Ashmole, Esq. who most gene- 
 rously gave her * far more money than they 
 were worth ; but out of his respects unto the 
 deceased and his memory, he most willingly 
 
 * They cost me one hundred and forty pounds. . 
 
72 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 paid her the money. He left behind him 
 two sons and two daughters. He left in 
 writing very little but his annual prognosti- 
 cations. He began first to write about the 
 year 1630; he wrote Bellum Hibernicale, in 
 the time of the long parliament, a very sober 
 and judicious book : the epistle thereunto I 
 gave him. He wrote lately a small treatise 
 of Easter-Day, a very learned thing, wherein 
 he shewed much learning and reading. To 
 say no more of him, he lived an honest man, 
 his fame not questioned at his death. 
 
 In this year 1633, I became acquainted 
 with Nicholas Fiske, licentiate in physick, 
 who was born in Suffolk, near Framingham* 
 Castle, of very good parentage, who educa- 
 ted him at country schools, until he was fit 
 for the university ; but he went not to the 
 
 * There is no such place in Suffolk, it being mistaken 
 for Framlingham in that county. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 73 
 
 academy, studying at home both astrology 
 and physick, which he afterwards practised 
 in Colchester ; and there was well acquaint- 
 ed with Dr. Gilbert, who wrote De Magnete. 
 He came afterwards unto London, and exer- 
 cised his faculty in several places thereof. 
 (For in his youth he would never stay long 
 in one house.) In 1633 he was sent for out 
 of Suffolk by Dr. Winston of Gresham Col- 
 lege, to instruct the Lord Treasurer Weston's 
 son in arithmetick, astronomy upon the 
 globes, and their uses. He was a person 
 very studious, laborious, of good apprehen- 
 sion, and had by his own industry obtained 
 both in astrology, physick, arithmetick, as- 
 tronomy, geometry and algebra, singular 
 judgment: he would in astrology resolve 
 horary questions very soundly ; but was ever 
 diffident of his own abilities : he was ex- 
 quisitely skilful in the art of directions upon 
 
74 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 nativities, and had a good genius in perform- 
 ing judgment thereupon, but very unhappy 
 he was, that he had no genius in teaching his 
 scholars, for he never perfected any: his 
 own son Matthew hath often told me, that 
 where his father did teach any scholars in 
 his time, they would principally learn of 
 him; he had Scorpio ascending, and was 
 secretly envious to those he thought had 
 more parts than himself; however, I must be 
 ingenuous, and do affirm, that by frequent 
 conversation with him, I came to know which 
 were the best authors, and much to enlarge 
 my judgment, especially in the art of direc- 
 tions : he visited me most days once after I 
 became acquainted with him, and would 
 communicate his most doubtful questions un- 
 to me, and accept of my judgment therein 
 rather than his own: he singularly well 
 judged and directed Sir Robert Holborn's 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 75 
 
 nativity, but desired me to adjudge the first 
 house, seventh and tenth thereof, which I 
 did, and which nativity (since Sir Robert 
 gave it me) came to your hands, and remains 
 in your library ; [oh learned Esquire !] he 
 died about the seventy-eighth year of his 
 age, poor. 
 
 In this year also William Bredon, parson 
 or vicar of Thornton in Buckinghamshire, 
 was living, a profound divine, but absolutely 
 the most polite person for nativities in that 
 age, strictly adhering to Ptolemy, which he 
 well understood ; he had a hand in compo- 
 sing Sir Christopher Heydon's Defence of Ju- 
 dicial Astrology, being that time his chaplain ; 
 he was so given over to tobacco and drink, 
 that when he had no tobacco, he would cut 
 the bell-ropes and smoke them. 
 
 I come now to continue the story of my 
 own life, but thought it not inconvenient to 
 
76 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 commit unto memory something concerning 
 those persons who practised when first I be- 
 came a student in astrology ; I have wrote 
 nothing concerning any of them, which I 
 myself do not either know, or believe to be 
 true. 
 
 In October 1633 my first wife died, and 
 left me whatever was hers : it was consider- 
 able, very near to the value of one thousand 
 pounds. 
 
 One whole year and more I continued a 
 widower, and followed my studies very 
 hard ; during which time a scholar pawned 
 unto me, for forty shillings, Ars Notoria* 
 a large volume wrote in parchment, with the 
 names of those angels, and their pictures, 
 which are thought and believed by wise 
 men, to teach and instruct in all the several 
 
 * Among Dr. Napier's MSS. I had an Ars Notoria, 
 written by S. Forman in large vellum. 
 
 U 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 77 
 
 liberal sciences, and is attained by observing 
 elected times, and those prayers appropri- 
 ated unto the several angels. 
 
 I do ingenuously acknowledge, I used 
 those prayers according to the form and 
 direction prescribed for some weeks, using 
 the word astrologia for astronomia ; but of this 
 no more : that Ars Notoria, inserted in the 
 latter end of Cornelius Agrippa signifieth no- 
 thing ; many of the prayers being not the 
 same, nor is the direction to these prayers 
 any thing considerable. 
 
 In the year 1634, I taught Sir George 
 Peckham, Knight, astrology, that part which 
 concerns sickness, wherein he so profited, 
 that in two or three months he would give a 
 very true discovery of any disease, only by 
 his figures. He practised in Nottingham, but 
 unfortunately died in 1635, at St. Winifred's 
 Well in Wales ; in which well he continued 
 
78 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 so long mumbling his Pater Nosters and 
 Sancta Winifrida ora pro me, that the cold 
 struck into his body; and, after his coming 
 forth of that well, never spoke more. 
 
 In this year 1634, I purchased the moiety 
 of thirteen houses in the Strand for five hun- 
 dred and thirty pounds. 
 
 In November, the 18th day, I was again 
 the second time married, and had five hun- 
 dred pounds portion with that wife ; she was 
 of the nature of Mars. 
 
 Two accidents happened to me in that 
 year something memorable. 
 
 Davy Ramsey, his Majesty's clock-maker, 
 had been informed, that there was a great 
 quantity of treasure buried in the cloyster of 
 Westminster- Abbey \ he acquaints Dean 
 Williams therewith, who was also then Bi- 
 shop of Lincoln ; the Dean gave him liberty 
 to search after it, with this proviso, that if 
 
 -. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 79 
 
 any was discovered, his church should have a 
 share of it. Davy Ramsey finds out one 
 John Scott,* who pretended the use of the 
 Mosaical rods, to assist him herein : I was 
 desired to join with him, unto which I con- 
 sented. One winter's night, Davy Ramsey, 
 with several gentlemen, myself, and Scott, 
 entered the cloysters ; we played the hazel- 
 rod round about the cloyster ; upon the west- 
 side of the cloysters the rods turned one aver 
 another, an argument that the treasure was 
 there. The labourers digged at least six foot 
 deep, and then we met with a coffin ; but in 
 regard it was not heavy, we did not open, 
 which we afterwards much repented. From 
 the cloysters we went into the Abbey church, 
 where, upon a sudden, (there being no wind 
 when we began) so fierce, so high, so bluster- 
 
 * This Scott lived in Pudding-Lane, and had some 
 time been a page (or such like) to the Lord Norris. 
 
80 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 ing and loud a wind did rise, that we verily 
 believed the west-end of the church would 
 have fallen upon us; our rods would not 
 move at all ; the candles and torches, all but 
 one, were extinguished, or burned very 
 dimly.* John Scott, my partner, was amazed, 
 looked pale, knew not what to think or do, 
 until I gave directions and command to dis- 
 miss the daemons ; which when done, all was 
 quiet again, and each man returned unto his 
 lodging late, about twelve o'clock at night ; 
 I could never since be induced to join with 
 any in such-like actions. 
 
 The true miscarriage of the business, was 
 by reason of so many people being present 
 at the operation; for there was about thirty, 
 some laughing, others deriding us; so that 
 if we had not dismissed the daemons, I be- 
 
 * Davy Ramsey brought an half quartern sack to put 
 the treasure in. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 81 
 
 lieve most part of the Abbey church had been 
 blown down ; secrecy and intelligent opera- 
 tors, with a strong confidence and knowledge 
 of what they are doing, are best for this 
 work. 
 
 In 1634, or 1635, a Lady living in Green- 
 wich, who had tried all the known artists in 
 London, but to no purpose, came weeping 
 and lamenting her condition, which was this : 
 she had permitted a young Lord to have the 
 use of her body, till she was with child by 
 him ; after which time he could not or would 
 not endure her sight, but commanded his 
 lacquies and servants to keep his doors fast 
 shut, lest she should get into his chamber ; 
 or if they chanced to see her near his lodging, 
 to drive her away, which they several times 
 had done. Her desire unto me was to 
 assist her to see him, and then she should 
 be content ; whereupon I ordered, such 
 
82 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 a day, such an hour of that day, to try 
 her fortune once more. She obeyed; 
 and when she came to the King's Bench, 
 where the Lord there was imprisoned, the 
 outward door stood wide open : none speak- 
 ing a word unto her, she went up stairs, no 
 body molesting her; she found the Lord's 
 chamber door wide open : he in bed, not a 
 servant to be heard or seen, so she was 
 pleased. Three days after she came to ac- 
 quaint me with her success, and then drew 
 out of her pocket a paper full of ratsbane, 
 which, had she not had admission unto him 
 that day I appointed, she would in a pint of 
 white wine have drank at the stair's foot 
 where the Lord lodged. The like misfortune 
 befell her after that ; when the Lord was out 
 of prison : then I ordered her such a day to 
 go and see a play at Salisbury-Court ; which 
 she did, and within one quarter of an hour 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 83 
 
 the Lord came into the same box wherein she 
 was. But I grew weary of such employ- 
 ments, and since have burned my books 
 which instructed these curiosities : for after 
 that I became melancholy, very much afflict- 
 ed with the hypochondriack, growing lean 
 and spare, and every day worse ; so that in 
 the year 1635 my infirmity continuing, and 
 my acquaintance increasing, I resolved to 
 live in the country, and in March and April 
 1636 removed my goods unto Hersham, 
 where I now live ; and in May my person, 
 where I continued until 1641, no notice be- 
 ing taken who, or what I was. 
 
 In the years 1637 and 1638, I had great 
 lawsuits both in the Exchequer and Chancery, 
 about a lease I had of the annual value of 
 eighty pounds : I got the victory. 
 
 In the year 1640 I instructed John Hum- 
 phreys, master of that art, in the study of 
 
84 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 astrology : upon this occasion, being at Lon- 
 don, by accident in Fleet- Street, I met Dr. 
 Percival Willoughby of Derby ; we were of 
 old acquaintance, and he but by great chance 
 lately come to town, we went to the Mitre - 
 Tavern in Fleet- Street, where I sent for old 
 Will Poole the astrologer, living then in 
 Ram- Alley: being come to us, the Doctor 
 produced a bill, set forth by a master of arts 
 in Cambridge, intimating his abilities for re- 
 solving of all manner of questions astrologi- 
 cally. The bill was shewed, and I wonder- 
 ing at it Poole made answer, he knew the 
 man, and that he was a silly fool ; ' I, quoth 
 he, ' can do more than he ; he sees me every 
 day, he will be here by and by ;' and indeed 
 he came into our room presently : Poole had, 
 just as we came to him, set a figure, and then 
 shewed it me, desiring my judgement; which 
 I refused, but desired the master of arts to 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 85 
 
 judge first ; he denied, so I gave mine, to the 
 very great liking of Humphreys, who pre- 
 sently enquired, if I would teach him, and 
 for what ? I told him I was willing to teach, 
 but would have one hundred pounds. I 
 heard Poole, whilst I was judging the figure, 
 whisper in Humphrey's ear, and swear I was 
 the best in England. Staying three or four 
 days in town, at last we contracted for forty 
 pounds, for I could never be quiet from his 
 solicitations ; he invited me to supper, and 
 before I had shewed him any thing, paid me 
 thirty-five pounds. As we were at supper a 
 client came to speak with him, and so up 
 into his closet he went with his client; I 
 called him in before he set his figure, or re- 
 solved the question, and instantly acquainted 
 him how he should discover the moles or 
 marks of his client: he set his figure, and 
 presently discovers four moles the querent 
 
86 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 had; and was so overjoyed therewith, that 
 he came tumbling down the stairs, crying, 
 * Four by G — , four by G — , I will not take 
 one hundred pounds for this one rule.' In six 
 weeks time, and tarrying with him three days 
 in a week, he became a most judicious person. 
 This Humphreys was a laborious person, 
 vain-glorious, loquacious, fool-hardy, de- 
 sirous of all secrets which he knew not, inso- 
 much that he would have given me two hun- 
 dred pounds to have instructed him in some 
 curiosities he was persuaded I had knowledge 
 of, but, Artis est celare artem, especially to 
 those who live not in the fear of God, or can 
 be masters of their own counsels : he was 
 in person and condition such another as that 
 monster of ingratitude my quondam taylor, 
 John Gadbury. After my refusal of teaching 
 him, what he was not capable of, we grew 
 strange, though I afforded him many civilities 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 87 
 
 whenever he required it ; for after the siege 
 of Colchester he wrote a book against me, 
 called Anti Merlinus-Anglicus, married a se- 
 cond wife, his first living in Cambridgeshire, 
 then practised physick by a contrary name, 
 having intentions to practise in Ireland ; he 
 went to Bristol, but there understanding the 
 parliament's forces had reduced that king- 
 dom, he came back to London, but durst not 
 abide therein ; but running from his second 
 wife, who also had another husband, he went 
 to sea, with intention for Barbadoes, but died 
 by the way in his voyage. I had never seen 
 John Booker at that time ; and telling him 
 one day I had a desire to see him, but first, 
 ere I would speak with him, I would fit my- 
 self with my old rules, and rub up my astro- 
 logy ; for at that time [and this was 1640] I 
 thought John Booker the greatest and most 
 complete astrologer in the world. My scho- 
 
88 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 lar Humphreys presently made answer, * Tu- 
 tor, you need not pump for any of your for- 
 mer knowledge, John Booker is no such 
 pumper ; we met,' saith he, 'the other day, 
 and I was too hard for him myself, upon 
 judgment of three or four questions.' If all 
 the transactions happening unto that my 
 scholar were in one volume, they would 
 transcend either Guzman, Don Quixote, La- 
 zarillo de Tormes, or any other of the like na- 
 ture I ever did see. 
 
 Having now in part recovered my health, 
 being weary of the country, and perceiving 
 there was money to be got in London, and 
 thinking myself to be as sufficiently enabled 
 in astrology as any I could meet with, I made 
 it my business to repair thither ; and so in 
 September 1641 I did; where, in the years 
 1642 and 1643, I had great leisure to better 
 my former knowledge : I then read over all 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. $9 
 
 my books of astrology, over and over;- had 
 very little or no practice at all : and whereas 
 formerly I could never endure to read Yalen- 
 tlne Naibocts Commentary upon Alcabitius, 
 now having seriously studied him, I found 
 him to be the profoundest author I ever 
 met with ; him I traversed over day and 
 night, from whom I must acknowledge 
 to have advanced my judgment and 
 knowledge unto that height I soon after ar- 
 rived at, or unto : a most rational author, 
 and the sharpest expositor of Ptolemy that 
 hath yet appeared. To exercise my genius, 
 I began to collect notes, and thought of 
 writing some little thing upon the 6 of h and 
 % then approaching : I had not wrote above 
 one sheet, and that very meanly, but James 
 Lord Galloway came to see me ; and, by 
 chance, casting his eyes upon that rude 
 collection, he read it over, and so ap- 
 
90 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 proved of it, yea, so encouraged me to 
 proceed farther, that then, and after that 
 time, I spent most of my time in composing 
 thereof, and bringing it, in the end, into that 
 method wherein it was printed 1644. I do 
 seriously now profess, I had not the assist- 
 ance of any person living, in the writing or 
 composing thereof, Mr. Fiske sent me a 
 small manuscript, which had been Sir Chris- 
 topher Heydon's, who had wrote something 
 of the conjunction of t? and % 9 1603 ; out of 
 which, to bring my method in order, I tran- 
 scribed, in the beginning, five or six lines, 
 and not any more, though that graceless fel- 
 low Gadbury wrote the contrary : but, Semel 
 et semper nebulo et mendai\ I did formerly 
 write one treatise, in the year 1639, upon the 
 eclipse of the sun, in the eleventh degree of 
 Gemini, May 22, 1639 : it consisted of six 
 sheets of paper. But that manuscript I gave 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 91 
 
 unto my most munificent patron and ever 
 bountiful friend, William Pennington, of Mun- 
 caster in Cumberland, Esq., a wise and ex- 
 cellently learned person ; who, from the year 
 1634, even till he died, continued unto me 
 the most grateful person I ever was ac- 
 quainted with. I became acquainted with 
 him by means of Davy Ramsey. 
 
 Oh ! most noble Esquire, let me now beg 
 your pardon, if I digress for some small time, 
 in commemorating his bounty unto me, and 
 my requital of his friendship, by performing 
 many things successfully for his advantage. 
 
 In 1639 he was made captain, and served 
 his Majesty in his then wars against the 
 Scots ; during which time a farmer's daugh- 
 ter being delivered of a bastard, and hearing, 
 by report, that he was slain, fathered the 
 child upon him. Shortly after he returned, 
 most woefully vexed to be thus abused, when 
 
92 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 absent. The woman was countenanced by- 
 some gentlemen of Cumberland, in this her 
 villany against him ; so that, notwithstand- 
 ing he had warrants to attach her body, he 
 could never discover her : but yet, hunting 
 her from one place to another, her friends 
 thought it most convenient to send her to 
 London, where she might be in most safety. 
 She came up to the city, and immediately I 
 had notice thereof, and the care of that mat- 
 ter was left unto me. I procured the Lord 
 Chief Justice Bramston's warrant, and had it 
 lying dormant by me. She had not been in 
 the city above one fortnight, but that I, going 
 casually to the clerk of the assizes' office for 
 Cumberland, saw there an handsome woman ; 
 and hearing of her speak the northern tone, I 
 concluded she was the party I did so want. 
 I rounded the clerk in his ear, and told him 
 I would give him five shillings to hold the 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 93 
 
 woman in chat till I came again, for I had a 
 writing concerned her. I hasted for my 
 warrant, and a constable, and returned into 
 the office, seized her person before the clerk 
 of the assizes, who was very angry with me : 
 it was then sessions at Old-Bayley, and 
 neither Judge nor Justice to be found. At 
 night we carried her before the Recorder, 
 Gardner. It being Saturday at night, she, 
 having no bail, was sent to Bridewell, where 
 she remained till Monday. On Monday 
 morning, at the Old-Bayley, she produced 
 bail; but I desiring of the Recorder some 
 time to enquire after the bail, whether they 
 were sufficient, returned presently, and told 
 him one of the bail was a prisoner in Lud- 
 gate, the other a very poor man. At which 
 he was so vexed, that he sent her to Newgate, 
 where she lay all that week, until she could 
 please me with good sureties; which then 
 
94 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 she did, and so was bound over to appear at 
 the next assizes in Cumberland ; which she 
 did, and was there sentenced to be whipped, 
 and imprisoned one whole year. 
 
 This action infinitely pleased Mr. Penning- 
 ton, who thought I could do wonders ; and I 
 was most thankfully requited for it. All the 
 while of this scandalous business, do what 
 he could, he could not discover what persons 
 they were that supported her ; but the woman's 
 father coming to town, I became acquainted 
 with him, by the name of Mr. Sute, mer- 
 chant ; invited him to a dinner ; got George 
 Farmer with me ; when we so plied him with 
 wine, he could neither see or feel. I paid 
 the reckoning, twenty-two shillings. But 
 next morning the poor man had never a 
 writing or letter in his pocket. I sent them 
 down to my friend, who thereby discovered 
 the plots of several gentlemen in the business ; 
 

S.. Coop ex sctlL-d"? 
 
 
 PUBLISHES 3T CHAKE3 S fcEEa£KrB^I3JWXN;NEWGAIE S TBEET. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 95 
 
 after which, Mr. Sute returned to his old 
 name again. 
 
 Mr. Pennington was a true royalist, whom 
 Charles the Second made one of his Com- 
 missioners of Array for Cumberland. Having 
 directions from me continually how matters 
 did and would go betwixt the King and 
 Parliament, he acted warily, and did but 
 sign one only warrant of that nature, and 
 then gave over. When the times of seques- 
 trations came, one John Musgrave, the most 
 bold and impudent fellow, and most active 
 of all the north of England, and most mali- 
 cious against my friend, had got this warrant 
 under Mr. Pennington's hand into his custo- 
 dy; which affrighted my friend, and so it 
 might, for it was cause enough of sequestra- 
 tion, and would have done it. Musgrave in- 
 tending himself great matters out of his es- 
 tate, I was made acquainted herewith. Mus- 
 
96 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 grave being in London, by much ado, I got 
 acquainted with him, pretending myself a 
 bitter enemy against Pennington, whereat 
 he very heartily rejoiced ; and so we ap- 
 pointed one night to meet at the Five Bells, 
 to compare notes; for I pretended much. 
 We did meet, and he very suddenly produced 
 upon the table all his papers, and withal, the 
 warrant of array unto which my friend had 
 set his hand ; which when I saw, ' I marry,' 
 said I, ' this is his hand I will swear ; now 
 have at all ; come, the other cup, this war- 
 rant shall pay for all.' I observed where the 
 warrant lay upon the table, and, after some 
 time took occasion ignorantly to let the can- 
 dle fall out, which whilst he went to light 
 again at the fire, I made sure of the warrant, 
 and put it into my boot ; he never missing it 
 of eight or ten days ; about which time, I 
 believe, it was above half way towards Cum- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 97 
 
 berland, for I instantly sent it by the post, 
 with this friendly caveat, ' Sin no more.' 
 Musgrave durst not challenge me in those 
 times, and so the business was ended very 
 satisfactory to his friend, and no less to 
 myself. 
 
 He was, besides, extremely abused by one 
 Isaac Antrobus, parson of Egremond, a most 
 evil liver, bold, and very rich; at last he 
 procured a minister of that country, in hope 
 of the parsonage, to article against him in 
 London, before the committee of plundered 
 ministers. I was once more invited to solicit 
 against Antrobus, which I did upon three or 
 more articles. 
 
 L That Antrobus baptized a cock, and 
 called him Peter. 
 
 II. He had knowledge of such a woman 
 and of her daughter, viz, of both their bo- 
 
 H 
 
98 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 dies, in as large a manner as ever of his own 
 wife. 
 
 III. Being drunk, a woman took a cord 
 and tied it about his privy members unto a 
 manger in a stable. 
 
 IV. Being a continual drunkard. 
 
 V. He never preached, &c. 
 
 Antrobus was now become a great cham- 
 pion for the Parliament ; but, at the day of 
 hearing, I had procured abundance of my 
 friends to be there ; for the godly, as they 
 termed themselves, sided with him ; the pre- 
 sent Master of the Rolls was Chairman that 
 day* Sir Harbottle Grimston. 
 
 Who, hearing the foulness of the cause, 
 was very much ashamed thereof. I remem- 
 ber Antrobus, being there, pleaded he was 
 in his natural condition when he acted so un- 
 graciously. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 99 
 
 ' What condition were you in,' said the 
 Chairman, ' when you lay with mother and 
 daughter V 
 
 * There is no proof of that,' saith he. 
 
 < None but your own confession,' said the 
 Chairman,, * nor could any tell so well.' 
 
 ' I am not given to drunkenness,' quoth 
 he. ' He was so drunk within this fort- 
 night,' quoth I, ' he reeled from one side of 
 the street to the other ; here is the witness to 
 prove it:' who, presently, before the com- 
 mittee, being sworn, made it good, and 
 named the place and street where he was 
 drunk. So he was adjudged scandalous, 
 and outed of his benefice, and our minister 
 had the parsonage. 
 
 You cannot imagine how much the rout- 
 ing of this drunken parson pleased Mr. Pen- 
 nington, who paid all charges munificently 
 and thankfully. 
 
100 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 But now follows the last and greatest kind- 
 ness I ever did him. Notwithstanding the 
 committee for sequestrations in Cumberland 
 were his very good friends, yet the sub- 
 sequestrators, of their own heads, and with- 
 out order, and by strength of arms, secured 
 his irons, his wood, and so much of his per- 
 sonal estate as was valued at seven thousand 
 pounds. Now had I complaint upon com- 
 plaint : would I suffer my old friend to be 
 thus abused ? it was in my power to free 
 him from these villains. 
 
 I hereupon advised what was best to do, 
 and was counselled to get Mr. Speaker Len- 
 thalFs letter to the sub-sequestrators, and 
 command them to be obedient to the com- 
 mittee of the county. 
 
 Whereupon, I framed a letter myself, unto 
 the sub-sequestrators directed, and with it, 
 myself and Mr. Laurence Maydwell (whom 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 101 
 
 yourself well knew) went to Mr. Speaker, 
 unto whom we sufficiently related the stub- 
 bornness of the officers of Cumberland ; their 
 disobedience to the committee; and then 
 shewed him the letter, which when he had 
 read over, he most courteously signed, add- 
 ing withal, that if they proceeded further in 
 sequestring Mr. Pennington, he would com- 
 mand a Serjeant at Arms to bring them up to 
 answer their contempts : I immediately post- 
 ed that letter to my friend, which when the 
 absurd fellows received, they delivered him 
 possession of his goods again ; and, for my 
 pains, when tie came to London, gave me one 
 hundred pounds; he died in 1652, of a vio- 
 lent fever. I did carefully, in 1642 and 1643, 
 take notice of every grand action which hap- 
 pened betwixt King and Parliament, and did 
 first then incline to believe, that as all sub- 
 lunary affairs did depend upon superior 
 
102 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 causes, so there was a possibility of discover- 
 ing them by the configurations of the supe- 
 rior bodies ; in which way making some es- 
 says in those two years, I found encourage- 
 ment to proceed further, which I did ; I pe- 
 rused the writings of the ancients, but there- 
 in they were silent, or gave no satisfaction ; 
 at last, I framed unto myself that method, 
 which then and since I follow, which, I hope, 
 in time may be more perfected by a more 
 penetrating person than myself. 
 
 In 1643, I became familiarly known to Sir 
 Bulstrode Whitlocke, a member of the House 
 of Commons ; he being sick, his urine was 
 brought unto me by Mrs. Lisle,* wife to John 
 
 * She was afterwards beheaded at Winchester, for 
 harbouring one Nelthrop, a rebel in the Duke of Mon- 
 mouth's army 1685. She had made herself remarkable, 
 by saying at the martyrdom of King Charles I, 1648, 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 103 
 
 Lisle, afterwards one of the keepers of the 
 Great Seal ; having set my figure, I returned 
 answer, the sick for that time would recover, 
 but by means of a surfeit would dangerously 
 relapse within one month ; which he did, by 
 eating of trouts at Mr. Sand's house, near 
 Leatherhead in Surrey. Then I went daily 
 to visit him, Dr. Prideau despairing of his 
 life ; but I said there was no danger thereof, 
 and that he would be sufficiently well in five 
 or six weeks ; and so he was. 
 
 In 1644, I published Merlinus Anglicus 
 Junior about April. I had given one day the 
 copy thereof unto the then Mr. Whitlocke, 
 who by accident was reading thereof in the 
 House of Commons : ere the Speaker took 
 
 1 that her blood leaped within her to see the tyrant fall ;' 
 for this, when she fell into the state trap, she neither did 
 nor could expect favour from any of that martyr's family. 
 
104 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 the chair, one looked upon it, and so did 
 many, and got copies thereof; which when I 
 heard, I applied myself to John Booker to 
 license it, for then he was licenser of all ma- 
 thematical books ; I had, to my knowledge, 
 never seen him before ; he wondered at the 
 book, made many impertinent obliterations, 
 framed many objections, swore it was not 
 possible to distinguish betwixt King and Par- 
 liament ; at last licensed it according to his 
 own fancy ; I delivered it unto the printer, 
 who being an arch Presbyterian, had five of 
 the ministry to inspect it, who could make 
 nothing of it, but said it might be printed, 
 for in that I meddled not with their Dagon. 
 The first impression was sold in less than one 
 week ; when I presented some to the mem- 
 bers of Parliament, I complained of John 
 Booker the licenser, who had defaced my 
 book ; they gave me order forthwith to re- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 105 
 
 print it as I would, and let them know if any 
 durst resist me in the reprinting, or adding 
 what I thought fit ; so the second time it 
 came forth as I would have it. 
 
 I must confess, I now found my scholar 
 Humphreys's words to be true concerning 
 John Booker, whom at that time I found but 
 moderately versed in astrology; nor could 
 he take the circles of position of the planets, 
 until in that year I instructed him. After 
 my Introduction in 1647 became publick, he 
 amended beyond measure, by study partly, 
 and partly upon emulation to keep up his 
 fame and reputation; so that since 1647, 1 have 
 seen some nativities by him very judiciously 
 performed. When the printer presented him 
 with an Introduction of mine, as soon as they 
 were forth of the press ; ' I wish,' saith he, 
 6 there was never another but this in England, 
 conditionally I gave one hundred pounds for 
 
106 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 this.' After that time we were very great 
 friends to his dying day. 
 
 In June, 1644, I published Supernatural 
 Sight ; and, indeed, if I could have procured 
 the dull stationer to have been at charges to 
 have cut the icon or form of that prodigious 
 apparition, as I had drawn it forth, it would 
 have given great satisfaction ; however, the 
 astrological judgment thereupon had its full 
 event in every particular. 
 
 That year also I published the White King's 
 Prophecy, of which there were sold in three 
 days eighteen hundred, so that it was oft re- 
 printed : I then made no commentary upon 
 it. 
 
 In that year I printed the Prophetical Mer- 
 lin, and had eight pounds for the copy. 
 
 I had then no farther intention to trouble 
 the press any more, but Sir Richard Napper 
 having received one of Captain Wharton's 
 
B.. Cooper sexilp: 
 
 / 7 
 
 Jf UELISHED BY <.\ . EWGATB STBEET. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 107 
 
 Almanacks for 1645, under the name Naworth, 
 he came unto me : ' Now, Lilly, you are 
 met withal, see here what Naworth writes.' 
 The words were, he called me ' an impudent 
 senseless fellow, and by name William Lilly.' 
 
 Before that time, I was more Cavalier than 
 Roundhead, and so taken notice of; but after 
 that I engaged body and soul in the cause of 
 Parliament, but still with much affection to 
 his Majesty's person and unto monarchy, 
 which I ever loved and approved beyond 
 any government whatsoever; and you will 
 find in this story many passages of civility 
 which I did, and endeavoured to do, with 
 the hazard of my life, for his Majesty : but 
 God had ordered all his affairs and counsels 
 to have no successes ; as in the sequel will 
 appear. 
 
 To vindicate my reputation, and to cry 
 quittance with Naworth, against whom I was 
 
108 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 highly incensed, to work I went again for 
 Anglicus, 1645 ; which as soon as finished I 
 got to the press, thinking every day one 
 month till it was publick : T therein made 
 use of the King's nativity, and rinding that 
 his ascendant was approaching to the qua- 
 drature of Mars, about June, 1645, I gave 
 this unlucky judgment ; ' If now we fight, a 
 victory stealeth upon us ;' and so it did in 
 June, 1645, at Naseby, the most fatal over- 
 throw he ever had. 
 
 In this year, 1645, I published a treatise 
 called the Starry Messenger, with an inter- 
 pretation of three suns seen in London, 29th 
 May, 1644, being Charles the Second's birth- 
 day : in that book I also put forth an astro- 
 logical judgment concerning the effects of a 
 solar eclipse, visible the 11th of August, 
 1645. Two days before its publishing, my 
 antagonist, Captain Wharton, having given 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 109 
 
 his astronomical judgment upon his Majes- 
 ty's present march from Oxford ; therein 
 again fell foul against me and John Booker : 
 Sir Samuel Luke, Governor of Newport- 
 pagnel, had the thing came to his garrison 
 from Oxford, which presently was presented 
 unto my view. I had but twelve hours, or 
 thereabout, to answer it, which I did with 
 such success as is incredible ; and the printer 
 printed both the March and my answer unto 
 it, and produced it to sight, with my Starry 
 Messenger, which came forth and was made 
 publick the very day of the Parliament's 
 great victory obtained against his Majesty 
 in person at Naseby, under the conduct of 
 the Lord Thomas Fairfax. 
 
 That book no sooner appeared, but within 
 fourteen days complaint was made to the 
 committee of examinations, Miles Corbet 
 then being Chairman, my mortal enemy, he 
 
HO LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 who after was hanged, drawn, and quartered, 
 for being one of the King's Judges ; he grants 
 his warrant, and a messenger to the Serjeant 
 at Arms seizeth my person. As I was going 
 to Westminster with the messenger, I met 
 Sir Philip Stapleton, Sir Christopher Wray, 
 Mr. Denzil Hollis, Mr. Robert Reynolds, 
 who, by great fortune, had the Starry Mes- 
 senger sheet by sheet from me as it came 
 from the press. They presently fell a smil- 
 ing at me ; * Miles Corbet, Lilly, will punish 
 thee soundly ; but fear nothing, we will dine, 
 and make haste to be at the committee time 
 enough to do the business;' and so they most 
 honourably performed; for they, as soon as 
 they came, sat down, and put Mr. Reynolds 
 purposely into the chair, and I was called 
 in ; but Corbet being not there, they bid me 
 withdraw until he came ; which when he did, 
 I was commanded to appear, and Corbet 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. Ill 
 
 desired to give the cause of my being in re- 
 straint, and of the committee's order. Mr. 
 Reynolds was purposely put into the chair, 
 and continued till my business was over. 
 
 Corbet produced my Anglicus of 1645, and 
 said there were many scandalous passages 
 therein against the Commissioners of Excise 
 in London. He produced one passage, which 
 being openly read by himself, the whole com- 
 mittee adjudged it to signify the errors of 
 sub -officers, but had no relation to the Com- 
 missioners themselves, which I affirmatively 
 maintained to be the true meaning as the 
 committee declared. 
 
 Then Corbet found out another dangerous 
 place, as he thought, and the words were 
 thus in the printed book — ' In the name of 
 the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, will not 
 the Excise pay the soldiers V 
 
 Corbet very ignorantly read, \ will not the 
 
112 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 Eclipse pay soldiers?' at which the Com- 
 mittee fell heartily to laugh at him, and so 
 he became silent. 
 
 There was a great many Parliament men 
 there ; the chamber was full. ' Have you 
 any more against Mr. Lilly V cried the chair- 
 man. 
 
 ' Yes/ saith the Sollieitor for the Excise, 
 6 since his Starry Messenger came forth we 
 had our house burnt, and the Commissioners 
 pulled by their cloaks in the Exchange.' 
 6 Pray, sir, when was this,' asked old Sir 
 Robert Pye, ' that the house was burnt, and 
 the Aldermen abused V ' It was in such a 
 week,' saith he. ' Mr. Lilly, when came 
 the book forth V ' The very day of Naseby 
 fight,' answered Mr. Reynolds, ' nor needs 
 he be ashamed of writing it : I had it daily 
 as it came forth of the press : it was then 
 found the house to be burnt, and the Alder- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 113 
 
 men abused, twelve days before the Starry 
 Messenger came forth.' ' What a lying fel- 
 low art thou,' saith Sir Robert Pye, ' to abuse 
 us so!' This he spoke to the Sollicitor. 
 Then stood up one Bassell, a merchant : he 
 inveighed bitterly against me, being a Pres- 
 byterian, and would have had my books 
 burnt. 'You smell more of a citizen than a 
 scholar,' replied Mr. Francis Drake. I was 
 ordered to withdraw, and by and by was 
 called in, and acquainted the committee did 
 discharge me. But I cried with a loud voice, 
 'I was under a messenger;' whereupon the 
 committee ordered him or the Serjeant at 
 Arms not to take any fees; Mr. Reynolds 
 saying, ' Literate men never pay any fees.' 
 
 But within one week after, I was likely to 
 have had worse success, but that the before- 
 named gentlemen stoutly befriended me. In 
 my Epistle of the Starry Messenger, I had 
 
114 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 been a little too plain with the committee of 
 Leicestershire ; who thereof made complaint 
 unto Sir Arthur Hazelrigg, Knight for that 
 county ; he was a furious person, and made 
 a motion in the House of Commons against 
 me, and the business was committed to that 
 committee, whereof Baron Rigby was chair- 
 man. A day was assigned to hear the mat- 
 ter ; in the morning whereof, as I passed by 
 Mr. Pullen's shop in St. Paul's Church-yard, 
 Pullen bad ' God be with you,' and named 
 me by name. Mr. Selden being there, and 
 hearing my name, gave direction to call me 
 unto him, where he acquaints me with Ha- 
 zelrigg's humour and malice towards me, 
 called for the Starry Messenger, and having 
 read over the words mentioning that com- 
 mittee, he asked me how I would answer 
 them? I related what I would have said, 
 but he contradicted me, and acquainted me 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 115 
 
 what to say, and how to answer. In the af- 
 ternoon I went to appear, but there was no 
 committee set, or would sit ; for both Mr. 
 Reynolds and Sir Philip Stapleton, and my 
 other friends, had fully acquainted Baron 
 Rigby with the business, and desired him not 
 to call upon me until they appeared ; for the 
 matter and charge intended against me was 
 very frivolous, and only presented by a cho- 
 lerick person to please a company of clowns, 
 meaning the committee of Leicester. Baron 
 Rigby said, if it were so he would not med- 
 dle with the matter, but exceedingly desired 
 to see me. Not long after he met Sir Ar- 
 thur, and acquainting him what friends ap- 
 peared for me, said, * I will then prosecute 
 him no further.' 
 
 All the ancient astrologers of England were 
 much startled and confounded at my manner 
 of writing, especially old Mr. William Hodges, 
 
116 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 who lived near Wolverhampton in Stafford- 
 shire, and many others who understood as- 
 trology competently well, as they thought. 
 Hodges swore I did more by astrology than 
 he could by the crystal, and use thereof, 
 which indeed he understood as perfectly as 
 any one in England. He was a great royalist, 
 but could never hit any thing right for that 
 party, though he much desired it : he re- 
 solved questions astrologically ; nativities he 
 meddled not with ; in things of other nature, 
 which required more curiosity, he repaired 
 to the crystal : his angels were Raphael, 
 Gabriel, and Uriel : his life answered not in 
 holiness and sanctity to what it should, ha- 
 ving to deal with those holy angels. Being 
 contemporary with me, I shall relate what 
 my partner John Scott, the same Scott as is 
 before-mentioned, affirmed of him. John 
 Scott was a little skilful in surgery and phy- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 117 
 
 sick, so was Will Hodges, and had formerly 
 been a school-master. Scott having some 
 occasions into Staffordshire, addressed him- 
 self for a month or six weeks to Hodges, as- 
 sisted him to dress his patients, let blood, 
 &c. Being to return to London, he desired 
 Hodges to shew him the person and feature 
 of the woman he should marry. Hodges 
 carries him into a field not far from his house, 
 pulls out his crystal, bids Scott set his foot 
 to his, and, after a while, wishes him to in- 
 spect the crystal, and observe what he saw 
 there. ' I see,' saith Scott, * a ruddy com- 
 plexioned wench in a red waistcoat, drawing 
 a can of beer.' ' She must be your wife,' 
 said Hodges. ' You are mistaken, Sir,' said 
 Scott. ' I am, so soon as I come to London, 
 to marry a tall gentlewoman in the Old 
 Bailey.' 'You must marry the red waist- 
 coat,' said Hodges. Scott leaves the coun- 
 
118 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 try, comes up to London, finds his gentle- 
 woman married : two years after going into 
 Dover, in his return, he refreshed himself at 
 an inn in Canterbury, and as he came into 
 the hall, or first room thereof, he mistook 
 the room, and went into the buttery, where 
 he espied a maid, described by Hodges, as 
 before said, drawing a can of beer, &c. He 
 then more narrowly viewing her person and 
 habit, found her, in all parts, to be the same 
 Hodges had described ; after which he be- 
 came a suitor unto her, and was married 
 unto her ; which woman I have often seen. 
 This Scott related unto me several times, 
 being a very honest person, and made great 
 conscience of what he spoke. Another story 
 of him is as follow eth, which I had related 
 from a person which well knew the truth of 
 it. 
 
 A neighbour gentleman of Hodges lost his 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 119 
 
 horse ; who having Hodges's advice for reco- 
 very of him, did again obtain him. Some 
 years after, in a frolick, he thought to abuse 
 him, acquainting a neighbour therewith, viz. 
 That he had formerly lost a horse, went to 
 Hodges, recovered him again, but saith it 
 was by chance ; I might have had him with- 
 out going unto him : ' Come, let's go, I will 
 now put a trick upon him ; I will leave some 
 boy or other at the town's-end with my horse, 
 and then go to Hodges and enquire for him.' 
 He did so, gave his horse to a youth, with 
 orders to walk him till he returned. Away 
 he goes with his friend, salutes Mr. Hodges,, 
 thanks him for his former courtesy, and now 
 desires the like, having lost a horse very 
 lately. Hodges, after some time of pausing, 
 said ; ' Sir, your horse is lost, and never to 
 be recovered.' ' I thought what skill you 
 had,' replies the gallant, ' my horse is walk- 
 
120 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 ing in a lane at the town's-end.' With that 
 Hodges swore (as he was too much given 
 unto that vice) f your horse is gone, and you 
 will never have him again.' The gentleman 
 departed in great derision of Hodges, and 
 went where he left his horse : when he came 
 there, he found the boy fast asleep upon the 
 ground, the horse gone, the boy's arm in the 
 bridle. 
 
 He returns again to Hodges, desiring his 
 aid, being sorry for his former abuse. Old 
 Will swore like a devil, ' be gone, be gone ; 
 go look for your horse.' This business ended 
 not so ; for the malicious man brought 
 Hodges into the star-chamber, bound him 
 over to the assizes, put Hodges to great ex- 
 pences : but, by means of the Lord Dudley, 
 if I remember aright, or some other person 
 thereabouts, he overcame the gentleman, and 
 was acquitted. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 121 
 
 Besides this, a gentlewoman of my ac- 
 quaintance, and of credit, in Leicestershire, 
 having lost a pillion-cloth, a very new one, 
 went to desire his judgment. He ordered 
 her such a day to attend at Mountsorrel in 
 Leicestershire, and about twelve o'clock she 
 should see her pillion-cloth upon a horse, 
 and a woman upon it. My friend attended 
 the hour and place ; it being told, she must 
 needs warm herself well, and then enquired 
 if any passengers had lately gone by the inn ? 
 Unto whom answer was made, there passed 
 by whilst she was at the fire, about half an 
 hour before, a man, and a woman behind 
 him, on horse-back. Inquiring of what co- 
 lour the pillion-cloth was of ; it was answer- 
 ed, directly of the colour my friend's was : 
 they pursued, but too late. 
 
 In those times, there lived one William 
 Marsh in Dunstable, a man of godly life and 
 
122 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 upright conversation, a Recusant. By astro- 
 logy he resolved thievish questions with great 
 success ; that was his utmost sole practice. 
 He was many times in trouble ; but by Dr. 
 Napper's interest with the Earl of Boling- 
 broke, Lord Wentworth, after Earl of Cleve- 
 land, he still continued his practice, the said 
 Earl not permitting any Justice of Peace to 
 vex him. 
 
 This man had only two books, Guido and 
 Haly bound together: he had so mumbled 
 and tumbled the leaves of both, that half one 
 side of every leaf was torn even to the mid- 
 dle. I was familiar with him for many 
 years : he died about 1647. 
 
 A word or two of Dr. Napper, who lived 
 at Great Lindford in Buckinghamshire, was 
 parson, and had the advowson thereof. He 
 descended of worshipful parents, and this 
 you must believe ; for when Dr. Napper's 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 123 
 
 brother, Sir Robert Napper, a Turkey mer- 
 chant, was to be made a Baronet in King 
 James's reign, there was some dispute 
 whether he could prove himself a gentleman 
 for three or more descents. ' By my saul/ 
 saith King James, ' I will certify for Napper, 
 that he is of above three hundred years 
 standing in his family, all of them, by my 
 saul, gentlemen,' &c. However, their family 
 came into England in King Henry the 
 Eighth's time. The parson was Master of 
 Arts ; but whether doctorated by degree or 
 courtesy, because of his profession, I know 
 not. Miscarrying one day in the pulpit, he 
 never after used it, but all his life-time kept 
 in his house some excellent scholar or other 
 to officiate for him, with allowance of a good 
 salary : he out-went Forman in physick and 
 holiness of life; cured the falling- sickness 
 
124 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 perfectly by constellated rings, some diseases 
 by amulets, &c. 
 
 A maid was much afflicted with the fall- 
 ing sickness, whose parents applied them- 
 selves unto him for cure : he framed her a 
 constellated ring, upon wearing whereof, she 
 recovered perfectly. Her parents acquaint- 
 ed some scrupulous divines with the cure of 
 their daughter: 'The cure is done by in- 
 chantment,' say they. ' Cast away the ring, 
 it's diabolical ; God cannot bless you, if you 
 do not cast the ring away.' The ring was 
 cast into the well, whereupon the maid be- 
 came epileptical as formerly, and endured 
 much misery for a long time. At last her 
 parents cleansed the well, and recovered the 
 ring again; the maid wore it, and her fits 
 took her no more. In this condition she was 
 one year or two ; which the Puritan minis- 
 
OF HIS LTFE AND TIMES. 125 
 
 ters there adjoining hearing, never left off, 
 till they procured her parents to cast the 
 ring quite away ; which done, the fits return- 
 ed in such violence, that they were enforced 
 to apply to the Doctor again, relating at large 
 the whole story, humbly imploring his once 
 more assistance ; but he could not be procur- 
 ed to do any thing, only said, those who des- 
 pised God's mercies, were not capable or 
 worthy of enjoying them. 
 
 I was with him in 1632, or 1633, upon oc- 
 . casion. He had me up into his library, be- 
 ing excellently furnished with very choice 
 books : there he prayed almost one hour ; 
 he invocated several angels in his prayer, viz.* 
 Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, &c. We 
 parted. 
 
 * The collect read on Michaelmas-day, seems to allow 
 of praying to angels. At some times, upon great occa- 
 sions, he had conference with Michael, but very rarely. 
 
126 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 He instructed many ministers in astrology, 
 would lend them whole cloak-bags of books ; 
 protected them from harm and violence, by 
 means of his power with the Earl of Boling- 
 broke.* He would confess my master Evans 
 knew more than himself in some things : and 
 some time before he died, he got his cousin 
 Sir Richard to set a figure to see when he 
 should die. Being brought him; ' Well,' he 
 said, ' the old man will live this winter, but in 
 the spring he will die ; welcome Lord Jesus, 
 thy will be done.' He had many enemies :. 
 Cotta, Doctor of physick in Northampton, 
 wrote a sharp book of witchcraft, wherein, 
 obliquely, he bitterly inveighed against the 
 Doctor. 
 
 In 1646, 1 printed a collection of Prophe- 
 cies, with the explanation and verification of 
 
 * Lord Wentworth, after Earl of Cleveland. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 127 
 
 Aquila, or the White King's Prophecy ; as 
 also the nativities of Bishop Laud and Tho- 
 mas Earl of Strafford, and a most learned 
 speech by him intended to have been spoke 
 upon the scaffold. In this year 1646, after a 
 great consideration, and many importunities, 
 I began to fix upon thoughts of an Introduc- 
 tion unto Astrology, which was very much 
 wanting, and as earnestly longed for by many 
 persons of quality. Something also much 
 occasioned and hastened the impression, viz. 
 the malevolent barking of Presbyterian minis- 
 ters in their weekly sermons, reviling the 
 professors thereof, and myself particularly by 
 name. 
 
 Secondly, I thought it a duty incumbent 
 upon me, to satisfy the whole kingdom of the 
 lawfulness thereof, by framing a plain and 
 easy method for any person but of indifferent 
 capacity to learn the art, and instruct him- 
 
128 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 self therein, without any other master than 
 my Introduction ; by which means, when 
 many understood it, I should have more part- 
 ners and assistants to contradict all and every 
 antagonist, 
 
 Thirdly, I found it best as unto point of 
 time, because many of the soldiers were 
 wholly for it, and many of the Independant 
 party ; and I had abundance of worthy men 
 in the House of Commons, my assured friends, 
 no lovers of Presbytery, which then were in 
 great esteem, and able to protect the art ; for 
 should the Presbyterian party have prevail- 
 ed, as they thought of nothing less than to 
 be Lords of all, I knew well they would have 
 silenced my pen annually, and committed the 
 Introduction unto everlasting silence. 
 
 Fourthly, I had something of conscience 
 touched my spirit, and much elevated my 
 conceptions, believing God had not bestow- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 129 
 
 ed those abilities upon me, to bury them un- 
 der a bushel ; for though my education was 
 very mean, yet, by my continual industry, 
 and God's great mercy, I found myself capa- 
 ble to go forward with the work, and to com- 
 mit the issue thereof unto Divine Providence. 
 
 I had a hard task in hand to begin the first 
 part hereof, and much labour I underwent to 
 methodize it as it is. 
 
 I ingenuously confess unto you (Arts' great 
 Mecsenas, noble Esquire Ashmole,) no mor- 
 tal man had any share in the composition or 
 ordering of the first part thereof, but my only 
 self. You are a person of great reading, yet 
 I well know you never found the least trace 
 thereof in any author yet extant. 
 
 In composing, contriving, ordering, and 
 framing thereof (viz. the first part) a great 
 part of that year was spent. I again perused 
 all, or most, authors I had, sometimes adding, 
 
 K 
 
130 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 at other times diminishing, until at last I 
 thought it worthy of the press. When I 
 came to frame the second part thereof, hav- 
 ing formerly collected out of many manu- 
 scripts, and exchanged rules with the most 
 able professors I had acquaintance with, in 
 transcribing those papers for impression, I 
 found, upon a strict inquisition, those rules 
 were, for the most part, defective ; so that 
 once more I had now a difficult labour to 
 correct their deficiency, to new rectify them 
 according to art ; and lastly, considering the 
 multiplicity of daily questions propounded 
 unto me, it was as hard a labour as might be 
 to transcribe the papers themselves with my 
 own hand. The desire I had to benefit pos- 
 terity and my country, at last overcame all 
 difficulties ; so that what I could not do in 
 one year, I perfected early the next year, 
 1647 ; and then in that year, viz. 1647, I 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 131 
 
 finished the third book of * nativities,! dur- 
 ing the composing whereof, for seven whole 
 weeks, I was shut up of the plague, burying 
 in that time two maid-servants thereof; yet 
 towards November that year, the Introduc- 
 tion, called by the name of Christian Astro- 
 logy, was made publick. There being, in 
 those times, some smart difference between 
 the army and the Parliament, the head-quar- 
 ters of the army were at Windsor, whither I 
 was carried with a coach and four horses, 
 and John Booker with me. We were wel- 
 come thither, and feasted in a garden where 
 General Fairfax lodged. We were brought 
 
 * The name of the person whose nativity is directed 
 and judged, is Mr. Thompson, whose father had been 
 some time an inn-keeper at the White-Hart in Newark. 
 
 t I devised the forms and fashions of the several 
 schemes. E. A. 
 
132 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 to the General, who bid us kindly welcome 
 to Windsor ; and, in effect, said thus much : 
 
 ' That God had blessed the army with 
 many signal victories, and yet their work 
 was not finished. He hoped God would go 
 along with them until his work was done. 
 They sought not themselves, but the welfare 
 and tranquillity of the good people, and 
 whole nation ; and, for that end, were re- 
 solved to sacrifice both their lives and their 
 own fortunes. As for the art we studied, he 
 hoped it was lawful and agreeable to God's 
 word: he understood it not; but doubted 
 not but we both feared God ; and therefore 
 had a good opinion of us both.' Unto his 
 speech I presently made this reply : 
 
 ' My Lord, I am glad to see you here at 
 this time. 
 
 ' Certainly, both the people of God, and 
 all others of this nation, are very sensible of 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 133 
 
 God's mercy, love, and favour unto them, in 
 directing the Parliament to nominate and 
 elect you General of their armies, a person 
 so religious, so valiant. 
 
 ' The several unexpected victories obtained 
 under your Excellency's conduct, will eter- 
 nize the same unto all posterity. 
 
 ' We are confident of God's going along 
 with you and your army, until the great work 
 for which he ordained you both, is fully per- 
 fected ; which we hope will be the conquer- 
 ing and subversion of your's and the Parlia- 
 ment's enemies, and then a quiet settlement 
 and firm peace over all the nation, unto God's 
 glory, and full satisfaction of tender con- 
 sciences. 
 
 6 Sir, as for ourselves, we trust in God ; 
 and, as Christians, believe in him. We do 
 not study any art but what is lawful, and 
 consonant to the scriptures, fathers, and an- 
 
134 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 tiquity ; which we humbly desire you to 
 believe/ &c. 
 
 This ended, we departed, and went to 
 visit Mr. Peters the minister, who lodged in 
 the castle, whom* we found reading an idle 
 pamphlet come from London that morning. 
 ' Lilly, thou art herein/ says he. ' Are not 
 you there also V I replied. ' Yes, that I am/ 
 quoth he. — The words concerning me were 
 these : 
 
 From th' oracles of the Sibyls so silly, 
 The curst predictions of William Lilly, 
 And Dr. Sybb'ald's Shoe-lane Philly, 
 
 Good Lord, deliver me. 
 
 After much conference with Hugh Peters, 
 and some private discourse betwixt us two, 
 not to be divulged, we parted, and so came 
 back to London. 
 
 King Charles the First, in the year 1646, 
 
R. Cooper sculp! 
 
 SS HI <S M F 1 T I 1 g 
 
 ?irl.-i.l,l'.'.]r|: l .D ];') rllAM. !':',:•. URN DA- RA I DH'VA \DR\n: \ n ■' ' ; 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 135 
 
 April 27, went unto the Scots, then in this 
 nation. Many desired my judgment, in 
 time of his absence, to discover the way he 
 might be taken : which I would never be 
 drawn unto, or give any direction concerning 
 his person. 
 
 There were many lewd Mercuries printed 
 both in London and Oxford, wherein I was 
 sufficiently abused, in this year, 1646. I 
 had then my ascendant ad n 6, and "C ad 
 proprium. The Presbyterians were, in their 
 pulpits, as merciless as the Cavaliers in their 
 pamphlets. 
 
 About this time, the most famous mathe- 
 matician of all Europe,* Mr. William Ough- 
 tred, parson of Aldbury in Surry, was in dan- 
 
 * This gentleman I was very well acquainted with, 
 having lived at the house over-against his, at Aldbury in 
 Surrey, three or four years. ,E. A. 
 
136 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 ger of sequestration by the Committee of or 
 for plundered ministers ; ( Ambo-dexters they 
 were;) several inconsiderable articles were 
 deposed and sworn against him, material 
 enough to have sequestered him, but that, 
 upon his day of hearing, I applied myself to 
 Sir Bolstrode Whitlock, and all my own old 
 friends, who in such numbers appeared in 
 his behalf, that though the chairman and 
 many other Presbyterian members were stiff 
 against him, yet he was cleared by the major 
 number. The truth is, he had a considerable 
 parsonage, and that only was enough to se- 
 quester any moderate judgment : he was also 
 well known to affect his Majesty. In these 
 times many worthy ministers lost their livings 
 or benefices, for not complying with the 
 Three-penny Directory, Had you seen (O 
 noble Esquire) what pitiful ideots were pre- 
 fered into sequestrated church-benefices, you 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 137 
 
 would have been grieved in your soul ; but 
 when they came before the classis of divines, 
 could those simpletons but only say, they 
 were converted by hearing such a sermon, 
 such a lecture, of that godly man Hugh Pe- 
 ters, Stephen Marshall, or any of that gan^ 
 he was presently admitted. 
 
 In 1647, I published the World's Catas- 
 trophe, the Prophecies of Ambrose Merlin, 
 with the Key wherewith to unlock those ob- 
 struse Prophecies; also Trithemius of the 
 Government of the World by the presiding An- 
 gels ; these came forth all in one book. 
 
 The two first were exquisitely translated 
 by yourself, (most learned Sir) as I do inge- 
 nuously acknowledge in my Epistle unto the 
 Reader, with a true character of the worth 
 and admirable parts, unto which I refer any 
 that do desire to read you perfectly deli- 
 neated. I was once resolved to have conti- 
 
138 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 nued Trithemius for some succeeding years, 
 but multiplicity of employment impeded me. 
 The study required, in that kind of learning, 
 must be sedentary, of great reading, sound 
 judgment, which no man can accomplish 
 except he wholly retire, use prayer, and ac~ 
 company himself with angelical consorts. 
 
 His Majesty Charles the First, having en- 
 trusted the Scots with his person, was, for 
 money, delivered into the hands of the Eng- 
 lish Parliament, and, by several removals, 
 was had to Hampton-Court, about July or 
 August 1647 ; for he was there, and at that 
 time when my house was visited with the 
 plague. He was desirous to escape from the 
 soldiery, and to obscure himself for some 
 time near London, the citizens whereof began 
 now to be unruly, and alienated in affection 
 from the Parliament, inclining wholly to his 
 Majesty, and very averse to the army. His 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 139 
 
 Majesty was well informed of all this, and 
 thought to make good use hereof ; besides, 
 the army and Parliament were at some odds, 
 who should be masters. Upon the King's 
 intention to escape, and with his consent, 
 Madam Whorewood (whom you knew very 
 well, worthy Esquire) came to receive my 
 judgment, viz. In what quarter of this nation 
 he might be most safe, and not to be disco- 
 vered until himself pleased. 
 
 When she came to my door, I told her I 
 would not let her come into my house, for I 
 buried a maid-servant of the plague very 
 lately. ' I fear not the plague, but the pox,' 
 quoth she ; so up we went. After erection 
 of my figure, I told her about twenty miles 
 (or thereabouts) from London, and in Essex, 
 I was certain he might continue undiscover- 
 ed. She liked my judgment very well; and, 
 being herself of a sharp judgment, remem- 
 
140 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 bered a place in Essex about that distance, 
 where was an excellent house, and all conve- 
 niences for his reception. Away she went, 
 early next morning, unto Hampton-Court, to 
 acquaint his Majesty ; but see the misfortune : 
 He, either guided by his own approaching 
 hard fate, or misguided by *Ashburnham, 
 went away in the night-time westward, and 
 surrendered himself to Hammond, in the Isle 
 of Wight. 
 
 Whilst his Majesty was at Hampton-Court 
 Alderman Adams sent his Majesty one thou- 
 sand pounds in gold, five hundred whereof 
 he gave Madam Whorewood. I believe I had 
 twenty pieces of that very gold for my share. 
 
 * This Ashburnham was turned out of the House of 
 Commons the 3d of November, 1667, for taking a bribe of 
 five hundred pounds of the merchants. I was informed 
 hereof 26th November, 1667. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 141 
 
 I have something more to write of Charles 
 the First's misfortunes, wherein I was con- 
 cerned; the matter happened in 1648, but I 
 thought good to insert it here, having after this 
 no more occasion to mention him. 
 
 His Majesty being in Carisbrook-Castle in 
 the Isle of Wight, the Kentish men, in great 
 numbers, rose in arms, and joined with the 
 Lord Goring ; a considerable number of the 
 best ships revolted from the Parliament ; the 
 citizens of London were forward to rise 
 against the Parliament; his Majesty laid his 
 design to escape out of prison, by sawing the 
 iron bars of his chamber window ; a small 
 ship was provided, and anchored not far from 
 the castle to bring him into Sussex ; horses 
 were provided ready to carry him through 
 Sussex into Kent, so that he might be at the 
 head of the army in Kent, and from thence 
 to march immediately to London, where 
 
142 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 thousands then would have armed for him. 
 The Lady Whorewood came to me, acquaints 
 me herewith. I got G. Farmer (who was a 
 most ingenious lock-smith, and dwelt in Bow- 
 lane) to make a saw to cut the iron bars in 
 sunder, I mean to saw them, and aqua fortis 
 besides. His Majesty in a small time did his 
 work ; the bars gave liberty for him to go 
 out ; he was out with his body till he came 
 to his breast ; but then his heart failing, he 
 proceeded no farther : when this was disco- 
 vered, as soon after it was, he was narrowly 
 looked after, and no opportunity after that 
 could be devised to enlarge him. About Sep- 
 tember the Parliament sent their Commission- 
 ers with propositions unto him into the Isle 
 of Wight, the Lord William Sea being one; 
 the Lady Whorewood comes again unto me 
 from him or by his consent, to be directed : 
 After perusal of my figure, I told her the 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 143 
 
 Commissioners would be there such a day; 
 I elected a day and hour when to receive the 
 Commissioners and propositions ; and as soon 
 as the propositions were read, to sign them, 
 and make haste with all speed to come up 
 with the Commisioners to London. The 
 army being then far distant from London, and 
 the city enraged stoutly against them, he pro- 
 mised he would do so. That night the Com- 
 missioners came, and old Sea and his Majes- 
 ty had private conference till one in the morn- 
 ing : the King acquaints Sea with his inten- 
 tion, who clearly dissuaded him from sign- 
 ing the propositions, telling him they were 
 not fit for him to sign ; that he had many 
 friends in the House of Lords, and some in 
 the House of Commons ; that he would pro- 
 cure more, and then they would frame more 
 easy propositions. This flattery of this un- 
 fortunate Lord occasioned his Majesty to 
 
144 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 wave the advice I and some others that wish- 
 ed his prosperity had given, in expectation of 
 that which afterwards could never be gained. 
 The army having some notice hereof from one 
 of the Commissioners, who had an eye upon 
 old Sea, hasted unto London, and made the 
 citizens very quiet ; and besides, the Parlia- 
 ment and army kept a better correspondency 
 afterwards with each other. 
 
 Whilst the King was at Windsor- Castle, 
 once walking upon the leads there, he looked 
 upon Captain Wharton's Almanack: ' My 
 book,' saith he, ' speaks well as to the wea- 
 ther :' One William Allen standing by ; 
 'what,' saith he, ' saith his antagonist, Mr. 
 Lilly ?' 'I do not care for Lilly,' said his 
 Majesty, * he hath been always against me,' 
 and became a little bitter in his expressions. 
 ' Sir,' saith Allen, ' the man is an honest 
 man, and writes but what his art informs 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 145 
 
 him.' * I believe it/ said his Majesty, ' and 
 that Lilly understands astrology as well as 
 any man in Europe.' Exit Rex Carolus. 
 
 In 1648 1 published a Treatise of the Three 
 Suns, seen the winter preceding ; as also an 
 Astrological Judgment upon a Conjunction of 
 Saturn and Mars 28 June, in 11 degrees 8 
 minutes of Gemini. 
 
 I commend unto your perusal that book 
 and the Prophetical Merlin, which, seriously 
 considered, (Oh worthy Esquire) will more 
 instruct your judgement ( De generalibus con- 
 tingentibus Mundi) than all the authors you 
 yet ever met with. 
 
 In this year, for very great considerations, 
 the Council of State gave me in money fifty 
 pounds, and a pension of one hundred pounds 
 per Annum, which for two years I received, 
 but no more : upon some discontents I after 
 would not or did require it. The cause mOV- 
 
146 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 ing them was this; they could get no intel- 
 ligence out of France, although they had se- 
 veral agents there for that purpose. I had 
 formerly acquaintance with a secular priest, 
 at this time confessor to one of the Secreta- 
 ries ; unto him I wrote, and by that means 
 had perfect knowledge of the chiefest concern- 
 ments of France, at which they admired ; but 
 I never yet, until this day, revealed the name 
 of the person. 
 
 One occasion why I deserted that employ- 
 ment was, because Scott, who had eight 
 hundred pounds per Annum for intelligence, 
 would not contribute any occasion to gratify 
 my friend : And another thing was, I received 
 some affront from Gualter Frost their Secre- 
 tary, one that was a principal minister be- 
 longing to the Council of State. Scott was 
 ever my enemy, the other knave died of a 
 gangrene in his arm suddenly after. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 147 
 
 In 1648 and 1649, that I might encourage 
 young students in astrology, I publickly read 
 over the first part of my Introduction, where- 
 in there are many things contained, not easily 
 to be understood. 
 
 And now we are entered into the year 1649 : 
 his Majesty being at St\ James's House, in 
 January of that year, I begun its observa- 
 tions thus : 
 
 V( Iam serious, I beg and expect justice ; 
 either fear or shame begins to question of- 
 fenders. 
 
 " The lofty cedars begin to divine a thun- 
 dering hurricane is at hand; God elevates 
 men contemptible. 
 
 "Our demigods are sensible we begin to 
 dislike their actions very much in London, 
 more in the country. 
 
 " Blessed be God, who encourages his ser- 
 vants, makes them valiant, and of undaunted 
 
148 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 spirits, to go on with his decrees : upon a 
 sudden, great expectations arise, and men 
 generally believe a quiet and calm time 
 draws nigh." 
 
 In Christmas holidays, the Lord Gray of 
 Grooby and Hugh Peters sent for me to 
 Somerset-House, with directions to bring 
 them two of my Almanacks. — I did so; Pe- 
 ters and he read January's Observations. 
 
 ' If we are not fools and knaves,' saith he, 
 ' we shall do justice:' then they whispered. 
 I understood not their meaning till his Majes- 
 ty was beheaded. They applied what I wrote 
 of justice, to be understood of his Majesty, 
 which was contrary to my intention ; for Ju- 
 piter, the first day of January, became direct ; 
 and Libra is a sign signifying Justice ; I im- 
 plored for justice generally upon such as had 
 cheated in their places, being treasurers, and 
 such like officers. I had not then heard the 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 149 
 
 least intimation of bringing the King unto 
 trial, and yet the first day thereof I was ca- 
 sually there, it being upon a Saturday ; for 
 going to Westminster every Saturday in the 
 afternoon, in these times, at White-hall I ca- 
 sually met Peters ; '■ Come, Lilly, wilt thou 
 go hear the King tried?' 'When?' said I. 
 \ Now, just now ; go with me.' I did so, and 
 was permitted by the guard of soldiers to 
 pass up to the Kings-Bench. Within one 
 quarter of an hour came the Judges, present- 
 ly his Majesty, who spoke excellently well, 
 and majestically, without impediment in the 
 least when he spoke. I saw the silver top 
 of his staff unexpectedly fall to the ground, 
 which was took up by Mr. Rushworth : and 
 then I heard Bradshaw the Judge say to his 
 Majesty, 
 
 ' Sir, instead of answering the court, you 
 
150 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 interrogate their power, which becomes not 
 one in your condition' — 
 
 These words pierced my heart and soul, to 
 hear a subject thus audaciously to reprehend 
 his Sovereign, who ever and anon replied 
 with great magnanimity and prudence. 
 
 After that his Majesty was beheaded, the 
 Parliament for some years effected nothing 
 either for the publick peace or tranquillity 
 of the nation, or settling religion as they had 
 formerly promised. The interval of time be- 
 twixt his Majesty's death and Oliver Crom- 
 wel's displacing them, was wholly consumed 
 in voting for themselves, and bringing their 
 own relations to be members of Parliament, 
 thinking to make a trade thereof. 
 
 The week, or three or four days before his 
 Majesty's beheading, one Major Sydenham, 
 who had commands in Scotland, came to 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 151 
 
 take his leave of me, and told me the King 
 was to be put to death, which I was not wil- 
 ling to believe, and said, ' I could not be per- 
 suaded the Parliament could find any English- 
 man so barbarous, that would do that foul ac- 
 tion.' ' Rather,' saith he, ' than they should 
 want such a man, these arms of mine should 
 do it.' He went presently after into Scot- 
 land, and upon the first engagement against 
 them, was slain, and his body miserably cut 
 and mangled. 
 
 In 1651 I published Monarchy or no Mo- 
 narchy, and in the latter end thereof some 
 hieroglyphics of my own, composed, at spare 
 time, by the occult learning, many of those 
 types having representations of what should 
 from thence succeed in England, and have 
 since had verification. 
 
 I had not that learning from books, or any 
 manuscript I ever yet met withal, it is reduc- 
 
152 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 ed from a cabal lodging in astrology, but so 
 mysterious and difficult to be attained, that 
 I have not yet been acquainted with any who 
 had that knowledge. I will say no more 
 thereof, but that the asterisms and signs and 
 constellations give greatest light thereunto. 
 
 During Bradshaw's being President of the 
 Council of State, it was my happiness to pro- 
 cure Captain Wharton his liberty, which 
 when Bradshaw understood, said, ' I will be 
 an enemy to Lilly, if ever he come before me.' 
 Sir Bolstrode Whitlock broke the ice first of 
 all on behalf of Captain Wharton: after him 
 the Committee, unto whom his offence had 
 been committed, spoke for him, and said he 
 might well be bailed or enlarged : I had spo- 
 ken to the Committee the morning of his de- 
 livery, who thereupon were so civil unto him, 
 especially Sir William Ermin of Lincolnshire, 
 who at first wondered I appeared not against 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TLMES. 153 
 
 him ; but upon my humble request, my long 
 continued antagonist was enlarged and had 
 his liberty. 
 
 In 1651 I purchased one hundred and ten 
 pounds per Annum in fee-farm rents for one 
 thousand and thirty pounds. I paid all in 
 ready money ; but when his Majesty King 
 Charles the Second, 1660, was restored, I lost 
 it all again, and it returned to the right own- 
 er ; the loss thereof never afflicted me, for I 
 have ever reduced my mind according to my 
 fortune. I was drawn in by several persons 
 to make that simple purchase. The year I 
 bought it, I had my ascendant directed into 
 a Trine of Jupiter first, and in the same year 
 into the Cauda Draconis — my fortune into a 
 quadrant of Mercury When Colchester was 
 besieged, John Booker and myself were sent 
 for, where we encouraged the soldiers, assur- 
 ing them the town would very shortly be sur- 
 
154 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 rendered, as indeed it was : I would willing- 
 ly have obtained leave to enter the town, to 
 have informed Sir Charles Lucas, whom I 
 well knew, with the condition of affairs as 
 they then stood, he being deluded by false 
 intelligence : at that time my scholar Hum- 
 phreys was therein, who many times deluded 
 the Governor with expectation of relief; but 
 failing very many times with his lies, at last 
 he had the bastinado, was put in prison, and 
 inforced to become a soldier ; and well it was 
 he escaped so. — During my being there, the 
 steeple of St. Mary's Church was much bat- 
 tered by two cannons purposely placed: I 
 was there one day about three of the clock 
 in the afternoon, talking with the cannoneer, 
 when presently he desired us to look to our- 
 selves, for he perceived by his perspective 
 glass there was a piece charged in the castle 
 against his work, and ready to be discharged. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 155 
 
 I ran for haste under an old ash-tree, and im- 
 mediately the cannon-bullet came hissing 
 quite over us. ' No danger now,' saith the 
 gunner, ' but begone, for there are five more 
 charging,' which was true ; for two hours 
 after those cannons were discharged, and un- 
 luckily killed our cannoneer and matross. I 
 came the next morning and saw the blood of 
 the two poor men lie upon the planks : we 
 were well entertained at the head -quarters, 
 and after two whole days abiding there, came 
 for London. 
 
 But we prosecute our story again, and 
 say that in the year 1652 I purchased my 
 house and some lands in Hersham, in the 
 parish of Walton upon Thames, in the county 
 of Surrey, where I now live ; intending by 
 the blessing of God, when I found it conve- 
 nient, to retire into the country, there to end 
 my days in peace and tranquillity ; for in 
 
156 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 London my practice was such, I had none or 
 very little time afforded me to serve God, 
 who had been so gracious unto me. The 
 purchase of the house and lands, and build- 
 ings, stood me in nine hundred and fifty 
 pounds sterling, which I have very much 
 augmented. 
 
 The Parliament now grows odious unto 
 all good men, the members whereof became 
 insufferable in their pride, covetousness, self- 
 ends, laziness, minding nothing but how to 
 enrich themselves . Much heart- burning now 
 arose betwixt the Presbyterian and Inde- 
 pendant, the latter siding with the army, 
 betwixt whose two judgments there was no 
 medium. Now came up, or first appeared, 
 that monstrous people called Ranters : and 
 many other novel opinions, in themselves he- 
 retical and scandalous, were countenanced 
 by members of Parliament, many whereof 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 157 
 
 were of the same judgment. Justice was 
 neglected, vice countenanced, and all care of 
 the common good laid aside. Every judg- 
 ment almost groaned under the heavy bur- 
 then they then suffered ; the army neglected ; 
 the city of London scorned; the ministry, 
 especially those who were orthodox and seri- 
 ous, honest or virtuous, had no countenance ; 
 my soul began to loath the very name of a 
 Parliament, or Parliament-men. There yet 
 remained in the House very able, judicious, 
 and worthy patriots ; but they, by their si- 
 lence, only served themselves : all was car- 
 ried on by a rabble of dunces, who being the 
 greater number, voted what seemed best to 
 their non-intelligent fancies. 
 
 In this year I published Annus Tenebrosus, 
 which book I did not so entitle, because of 
 the great obscurity of the solar eclipse, by so 
 many prattled of to no purpose, but because 
 
158 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 of those underhand and clandestine counsels 
 held in England by the soldiery, of which I 
 would never, but in generals, give any know- 
 ledge unto any Parliament man. I had wrote 
 publicklyin 1650, that the Parliament should 
 not continue, but a new government should 
 arise, &c. 
 
 In my next year's Anglicus, upon rational 
 grounds in astrology, I was so bold as to aver 
 therein, that the Parliament stood upon a 
 tottering foundation, and that the common- 
 alty and soldiery would join together against 
 them. 
 
 My Anglicus was for a whole week every 
 day in the Parliament House, peeped into 
 by the Presbyterians, one disliking this sen- 
 tence, another finds another fault, others 
 misliked the whole ; so in the end a motion 
 was made, that Anglicus should be inspected 
 by the Committee for plundered ministers ; 
 
B..Coonei sculp 
 
 WHILES AM ILm^.TMMLlLo 
 
 QJJb&aJcMy ' or/rne; situates 'of Ur?-, 
 / / / 
 
 ^??b77LO?2J ' . 
 
 PUBLISHED BYCKARLE G S:Ri2TKy3ALa^VYlT^TF77( Vi'? S '!'&' >J Y 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 159 
 
 which being done, they were to return them 
 to the House, viz. report its errors. 
 
 A messenger attached me by a warrant- 
 from that Committee ; I had private notice 
 ere the messenger came, and hasted unto 
 Mr. Speaker Lenthall, ever my friend. He 
 was exceeding glad to see me, told me what 
 was done ; called for Anglicus, marked the 
 passages which tormented the Presbyterians 
 so highly. I presently sent for Mr. Warren 
 the printer, an assured Cavalier, obliterated 
 what was most offensive, put in other more 
 significant words, and desired only to have 
 six amended against next morning, which 
 very honestly he brought me. I told him 
 my design was to deny the book found fault 
 with, to own only the six books. I told him, 
 I doubted he would be examined. ' Hang 
 them,' said he, ' they are all rogues. I'll 
 
160 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 swear myself to the devil ere they shall have 
 an advantage against you by my oath.' 
 
 The day after, I appeared before the Com- 
 mittee, being thirty-six in number that day ; 
 whereas it was observed, at other times, it was 
 very difficult to get five of them together. At 
 first they shewed me the true Anglicus, and 
 asked if I wrote and printed it. I took the 
 book and inspected it very needfully ; and 
 when I had done so, said thus : 
 
 6 This is none of my book, some malicious 
 Presbyterian hath wrote it, who are my mor- 
 tal enemies ; I disown it.' The Committee 
 looked upon one another like distracted men, 
 not imagining what I presently did ; for I 
 presently pulled out of my pocket six books, 
 and said, ' These I own, the others are coun- 
 terfeits, published purposely to ruin me.' 
 The Committee were now more vexed than 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 161 
 
 before : not one word was spoke a good 
 while ; at last, many of them, or the greatest 
 number of them, were of opinion to imprison 
 me. Some were for Newgate, others for the 
 Gate-House ; but then one Brown of Sussex, 
 called the Presbyterian beadle, whom the 
 Company of Stationers had bribed to be my 
 friend, by giving him a new Book of Mar- 
 tyrs ; he, I say, preached unto the Com- 
 mittee this doctrine, that neither Newgate or 
 the Gate-House were prisons unto which at 
 any time the Parliament sent their prisoners : 
 it was most convenient for the Serjeant at 
 Arms to take me in custody. 
 
 Mr. Strickland, who had for many years 
 been the Parliament's Ambassador or Agent 
 in Holland, when he saw how they inclined, 
 spoke thus : 
 
 * I came purposely into the Committee 
 this day to see the man who is so famous in 
 
 M 
 
162 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 those parts where I have so long continued : 
 I assure you his name is famous all over 
 Europe : I come to do him justice. A book 
 is produced by us, and said to be his ; he 
 denies it ; we have not proved it, yet will 
 commit him. Truly this is great injustice. 
 It is likely he will write next year, and ac- 
 quaint the whole world with our injustice; 
 and so well he may. It is my opinion, first 
 to prove the book to be his, ere he be com- 
 mitted.' 
 
 Another old friend of mine, Mr. R. spoke 
 thus : 
 
 ' You do not know the many services this 
 man hath done for the Parliament these many 
 years, or how many times, in our greatest 
 distresses, we applying unto him, he hath 
 refreshed our languishing expectations ; he 
 never failed us of comfort in our most un- 
 happy distresses. I assure you his writings 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 163 
 
 have kept up the spirits both of the soldiery, 
 the honest people of this nation, and many 
 of us Parliament men ; and now at last, for a 
 slip of his pen (if it were his) to be thus vio- 
 lent against him : I must tell, you, I fear the 
 consequence urged out of the book will prove 
 effectually true. It is my counsel, to admo- 
 nish him hereafter to be more wary, and for 
 the present to dismiss him.' 
 
 Notwithstanding any thing that was spoken 
 on my behalf, I was ordered to stand com- 
 mitted to the Serjeant at Arms. The mes- 
 senger attached my person, said I was his 
 prisoner. As he was carrying me away, he 
 was called to bring me again. Oliver Crom- 
 well, Lieutenant- General of the army, having 
 never seen me, caused me to be produced 
 again, where he stedfastly beheld me for a 
 good space, and then I went with the mes- 
 senger ; but instantly a young clerk of that 
 
164 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 Committee asks the messenger what he did 
 with me, where's the warrant ? until that is 
 signed you cannot seize Mr. Lilly, or shall- 
 Will you have an action of false imprison- 
 ment against you ? So I escaped that night, 
 but next day obeyed the warrant. That 
 night Oliver Cromwell went to Mr. R. my 
 friend, and said, 'What never a man to take 
 Lilly's cause in hand but yourself ? None to 
 take his part but you ? He shall not be long 
 there.' Hugh Peters spoke much in my be- 
 half to the Committee ; but they were re- 
 solved to lodge me in the Serjeant's custody. 
 One Millington, a drunken member, was 
 much my enemy; and so was Cawley and 
 Chichester, a deformed fellow, unto whom I 
 had done several courtesies. 
 
 First thirteen days I was a prisoner ; and 
 though every day of the Committee's sitting 
 I had a petition to deliver, yet so many 
 
OF HIS IFE AND TIMES. 165 
 
 churlish Presbyterians still appeared, I could 
 not get it accepted. The last day of the 
 thirteen, Mr. Joseph Ash was made Chair- 
 man, unto whom my cause being related, he 
 took my petition, and said I should be bailed 
 in despite of them all, but desired I would 
 procure as many friends as I could to be 
 there. Sir Arthur Hazelrigg, and Major 
 Salloway, a person of excellent parts, ap- 
 peared for me, and many now of my old 
 friends came in. After two whole hours ar- 
 guing of my cause by Sir Arthur and Major 
 Salloway, and other friends, the matter came 
 to this point ; I should be bailed, and a Com- 
 mittee nominated to examine the printer. 
 The order of the Committee being brought 
 afterwards to him who should be Chairman 
 
 9 
 
 he sent me word, do what I would, he would 
 see all the knaves hanged, ere he would exa- 
 mine the printer. This is the truth of the story. 
 
166 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 The 16th of February 165|, my second 
 wife died ; for whose death I shed no tears. 
 I had five hundred pounds with her as a por- 
 tion, but she and her poor relations spent 
 me one thousand pounds. Gloria Patri, 8$ 
 Filio, 8$ Spiritui Sancto : sicut erat in principle* 
 8$ nunc, $f semper, 8$ in scecula sceculorum : for 
 the 20th of April 1655, these enemies of mine, 
 viz. Parliament men, were turned out of doors 
 by Oliver Cromwell. A German doctor of 
 physick being then in London, sent me this 
 paper : 
 
 Strophe Alcaica : Generoso Domino Gulielmo 
 Lillio' Astrologo, de dissoluto nuper Parlia- 
 ment. 
 
 Quod calculasti Sydere prsevio, 
 Miles peregit numine conscio ; 
 Gentis videmus nunc Senatum 
 Marte togaque gravi levatum. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 167 
 
 In the time of my imprisonment, Mr. 
 Rushworth came to visit me, and told me, 
 the army would do as much as I had pre- 
 dicted unto the Parliament. 
 
 In October 1654, I married the third wife, 
 who is signified in my nativity by Jupiter in 
 Libra ; and she is so totally in her conditions, 
 to my great comfort. 
 
 In 1655, 1 was indicted at Hicks's-Hall by 
 a half-witted young woman. Three several 
 sessions she was neglected, and the Jury cast 
 forth her bill ; but the fourth time, they found 
 it against me : I put in bail to traverse the 
 indictment. The cause of the indictment 
 was, for that I had given judgment upon sto- 
 len goods, and received two shillings and 
 six-pence. — And this was said to be contrary 
 unto an Act in King James's time made. 
 
 This mad woman was put upon this action 
 against me by two ministers, who had framed 
 
168 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 for her a very ingenious speech, which she 
 could speak without book, as she did the 
 day of hearing the traverse. She produced 
 one woman, who told the court, a son of her's 
 was run from her ; that being in much afflic- 
 tion of mind for her loss, she repaired unto 
 me to know what was become of him ; that 
 I told her he was gone for the Barbadoes, 
 and she would hear of him within thirteen 
 days ; which, she said, she did. 
 
 A second woman made oath, that her hus- 
 band being wanting two years, she repaired 
 to me for advice : that I told her he was in 
 Ireland, and would be at home such a time ; 
 and, said she, he did come home accordingly. 
 
 I owned the taking of half a crown for my 
 judgment of the theft; but said, I gave no 
 other judgment, but that the goods would 
 not be recovered, being that was all which 
 was required of me : the party, before that, 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 169 
 
 having been with several astrologers, some 
 affirming she should have her goods again, 
 others gave contrary judgment, which made 
 her come unto me for a final resolution. 
 
 At last my enemy began her before-made 
 speech, and, without the least stumbling, 
 pronounced it before the court ; which ended, 
 she had some queries put unto her, and then 
 I spoke for myself, and produced my own 
 Introduction into court, saying, that I had 
 some years before emitted that book for the 
 benefit of this and other nations ; that it was 
 allowed by authority, and had found good 
 acceptance in both universities ; that the 
 study of astrology was lawful, and not con- 
 tradicted by any scripture ; that I neither 
 had, or ever did, use any charms, sorceries, 
 or inchantments related in the bill of indict- 
 ment, &c. 
 
 She then related, that she had been several 
 
170 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 times with me, and that afterwards she 
 could not rest a-nights, but was troubled with 
 bears, lions, and tygers, &c. My counsel 
 was the Recorder Green, who after he had 
 answered all objections, concluded astrology 
 was a lawful art. 
 
 * Mistress,' said he, ' what colour was 
 those beasts that you were so terrified with?' 
 
 ' I never saw any,' said she. 
 
 • How do you then know they were lions, 
 tygers, or bears V replied he. — * This is an 
 idle person, only fit for Bedlam.' The Jury 
 who went not from the bar, brought in, No 
 true Bill. 
 
 There were many Presbyterian Justices 
 much for her, and especially one Roberts, 
 a busy fellow for the Parliament, who after 
 his Majesty came in, had like to have lost life 
 and fortune. 
 
 I had procured Justice Hooker to be there, 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 171 
 
 who was the oracle of all the Justices of 
 Peace in Middlesex. 
 
 There was nothing memorable after that 
 happened unto me, until 1650, and the month 
 of October, at what time Captain Ow r en 
 Cox brought me over from his Majesty of 
 Sweden, a gold chain and medal, worth 
 about fifty pounds ; the cause whereof was, 
 that in the year 1657 and 1658, I had made 
 honourable mention of him : the Anglicus of 
 1658 being translated into the language spoke 
 at Hamburgh, printed and cried about the 
 streets, as it is in London. 
 
 The occasion of my writing so honourably 
 of his Majesty of Sweden was this: Sir 
 Bolstrode Whitlock, Knight, upon the very 
 time of Oliver's being made Protector, having 
 made very noble "articles betwixt Christina 
 then Queen of Sweden, and the English na- 
 tion, was in his being at Stockholm visited 
 
172 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 frequently by Charles Gustavus, unto whom 
 Christina resigned during his abode, and used 
 with all manner of civility by him, insomuch 
 as some other Ambassadors took it ill, that 
 they had not so much respect or equal : unto 
 which he would reply, he would be kind 
 where himself did find just cause of merit 
 unto any. He were a great lover of our na- 
 tion ; but there were some other causes also 
 moving my pen to be so liberal, viz. The 
 great hopes I had of his prevailing, and of 
 taking Copenhagen and Elsinore, which, if he 
 had lived, was hoped he might have accom- 
 plished ; and had assuredly done, if Oliver 
 the Protector had not so untimely (lied ere 
 our fleet of ships returned ; for^ Oliver sent 
 the fleet on purpose to fight the Dutch ; but 
 dying, and the Parliament being restored, 
 Sir Henry Vane, who afterwards was behead- 
 ed, had order from the Council of State to 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 173 
 
 give order to the fleet what to do now Oliver 
 was dead, and themselves restored. Vane, 
 out of state-policy, gave the Earl of Sand- 
 wich direction not to fight the Dutch. 
 Captain Symons, who carried those letters, 
 swore unto me, had he known the letters he 
 carried had contained any such prohibition, 
 he would have sunk both ship and letters. 
 Oliver said, when the fleet was to go forth, 
 6 That if God blessed his Majesty of Sweden 
 with Copenhagen, the English were to have 
 Elsinore as their share ; which if once I have,' 
 saith Oliver, ' the English shall have the 
 whole trade of the Baltick Sea : I will make 
 the Dutch find another passage, except they 
 will pay such customs as I shall impose.' 
 Considering the advantages this would have 
 been to our English, who can blame my pen 
 for being liberal, thereby to have encouraged 
 our famous and noble seamen, or for writing 
 
174 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 so honourably of the Swedish nation, who 
 had most courteously treated my best of 
 friends, Sir Bolstrode Whitlock, and by whose 
 means, had the design taken effect, the Eng- 
 lish nation had been made happy with the 
 most beneficial concern of all Christendom. 
 I shall conclude about Oliver the then Pro- 
 tector, with whom obliquely I had transac- 
 tions by his son-in-law, Mr. Cleypool ; and 
 to speak truly of him, he sent one that wait- 
 ed upon him in his chamber, once in two or 
 three days, to hear how it fared with me in 
 my sessions business ; but I never had of him, 
 directly or indirectly, either pension, or any 
 the least sum of money, or any gratuity dur- 
 ing his whole Protectorship ; this I protest 
 to be true, by the name and in the name of 
 the most holy God. 
 
 In 1653, before the dissolution of the Par- 
 liament, and that ere they had chosen any for 
 
f 
 
 /# 
 
 '&U069, 
 
 Q^%m'OMJ0tl^7Utt//fA<- ' 
 
 ?vj;:.;:--: :. _r_ :;--.-.:-::-..- .•::::--.;::<fi^v. ". _-:,: .;-.■; -.-.::- . : ; - :- : . 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 175 
 
 their Ambassador into Sweden, Mr. Cley- 
 pool came unto me, demanding of me whom 
 I thought fittest to send upon that ambassy 
 into Sweden: I nominated Sir B. Whitlock, 
 who was chosen, and two or three days after 
 Mr. Cleypool came again : ' I hope, Mr. Lilly, 
 my father hath now pleased you : Your friend 
 Sir B. Whitlock is to go for Sweden.' But 
 since I have mentioned Oliver Cromwell, I 
 will relate something of him, which perhaps 
 no other pen can, or will mention. He was 
 born of generous parents in Huntingdonshire, 
 educated some time at the university of Cam- 
 bridge : in his youth was wholly given to de- 
 bauchery, quarrelling, drinking, &c. quidnon; 
 having by those means wasted his patrimony, 
 he was enforced to bethink himself of leaving 
 England, and go to New-England : he had 
 hired a passage in a ship, but ere she launch- 
 
176 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 ed out for her voyage, a kinsman dieth, leav- 
 ing him a considerable fortune ; upon which 
 he returns, pays his debts, became affected 
 to religion; is elected in 1640 a member of 
 Parliament, in 1642 made a Captain of horse 
 under Sir Philip Stapleton, fought at Edge- 
 Hill ; after he was made a Colonel, then Lieu- 
 tenant- General to the Earl of Manchester, 
 who was one of the three Generals to fight 
 the Earl of Newcastle and Prince Rupert at 
 York : Ferdinando Lord Fairfax, and Earl 
 Leven the Scot, were the other two for the 
 Parliament: the last two thinking all had 
 been lost at Marston-Moor fight, Fairfax went 
 into Cawood Castle, giving all for lost : at 
 twelve at night there came word of the Par- 
 liament's victory ; Fairfax being then laid 
 down upon a bed, there was not a candle in 
 the castle, nor any fire : up riseth Lord Fair- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 177 
 
 fax, procures after some time, paper, ink, and 
 candle, writes to Hull, and other garrisons of 
 the Parliament's, of the success, and then 
 slept. 
 
 Leven the Scot asked the way to Tweed : 
 the honour of that day's fight was given to 
 Manchester, Sir Thomas Fairfax's brigade of 
 horse, and Oliver Cromwell's iron sides ; for 
 Cromwell's horse, in those times, usually 
 wore head-pieces, back and breast-plates of 
 iron. After this victory Cromwell became 
 gracious with the House of Commons, espe- 
 cially the Zealots, or Presbyterians, with 
 whom at that time he especially joined; the 
 name Independent, at that time, viz. 1644, 
 being not so much spoken of. 
 
 There was some animosity at or before the 
 fight, betwixt the Earl of Newcastle and 
 Prince Rupert ; for Newcastle being General 
 of his Majesty's forces in the North, a person 
 
 N 
 
178 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 of valour, and well esteemed in those parts, 
 took it not well to have a competitor in his 
 concernments ; for if the victory should fall 
 on his Majesty's side, Prince Rupert's forces 
 would attribute it unto their own General, 
 viz. Rupert, and give him the glory thereof: 
 but that it happened, Prince Rupert, in that 
 day's fight, engaged the Parliament's forces 
 too soon, and before the Earl of Newcastle 
 could well come out of York with his army ; 
 by reason whereof, though Rupert had abso- 
 lutely routed the Scots and the Lord Fairfax's 
 forces ; yet ere timely assistance could second 
 his army, Sir Thomas Fairfax and Cromwell 
 had put him to flight, and not long after all 
 Newcastle's army. A most memorable ac- 
 tion happened on that day. There was one 
 entire regiment of foot belonging to Newcas- 
 tle, called the Lambs, because they were all 
 new cloathed in white woollen cloth, two or 
 three days before the fight. This sole regi- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 179 
 
 ment, after the day was lost, having got into 
 a small parcel of ground ditched in, and not 
 of easy access of horse, would take no quar- 
 ter ; and by mere valour, for one whole hour, 
 kept the troops of horse from entering 
 amongst them at near push of pike : when 
 the horse did enter, they would have no quar- 
 ter, but fought it out till there was not thirty 
 of them living ; those whose hap it was to 
 be beaten down upon the ground as the troop- 
 ers came near them, though they could not 
 rise for their wounds, yet were so desperate 
 as to get either a pike or sword, or piece of 
 them, and to gore the troopers' horses as they 
 came over them, or passed by them. Captain 
 Camby, then a trooper under Cromwell, and 
 an actor, who was the third or fourth man 
 that entered amongst them, protested, he 
 never in all the fights he was in, met with 
 such resolute brave fellows, or whom he 
 
180 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 pitied so much, and said, ' he saved two or 
 three against their wills.' 
 
 After the fight, Manchester marched slow- 
 ly southward, &c. but at last came with his 
 army to Newbury fight; which ended, he 
 came for London, and there he accuseth 
 Cromwell, being his Lieutenant, to the Par- 
 liament, of disobedience, and not obeying 
 his orders. 
 
 The House of Commons acquaint Crom- 
 well herewith, and charge him. as he would 
 answer it before God, that the day following 
 he should give them a full account of Man- 
 chester's proceedings, and the cause and oc- 
 casion of their difference, and of the reasons 
 why Manchester did not timely move west- 
 ward for the relief of Essex, then in the west, 
 who was absolutely routed, inforced to fly, 
 all his foot taken, and all his ordnance and 
 train of artillery, only the horse escaping. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 181 
 
 Cromwell the next day gave this account 
 to Mr. Speaker in the House of Commons — 
 by way of recrimination. 
 
 That after God had given them a success- 
 ful victory at Marston over the King's forces, 
 and that they had well refreshed their army, 
 Manchester, by their order, did move south- 
 ward, but with such slowness, that sometimes 
 he would not march for three days together ; 
 sometimes he would lie still one day, then 
 two days ; whereupon he said, considering 
 the Earl of Essex was in the west, with what 
 success he then knew not, he moved Manches- 
 ter several times to quicken his march to the 
 west, for relief of Essex, if he were beaten, 
 or to divert the King's forces from following 
 of Essex ; but he said Manchester still refus- 
 ed to make any haste ; and that one day he 
 said, ' If any man but yourself, Lieutenant, 
 should so frequently trouble me, I would call 
 
182 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 him before a Council of War. We have 
 beaten the King's forces in the north ; if we 
 should do so in the west, his Majesty is then 
 undone : he hath many sons living ; if any of 
 them come to the Crown, as they well may, 
 they will never forget us.' This Major Ham- 
 mond, a man of honour, will justify as well 
 as myself. After which he marched not at 
 all, until he had order from the Committee to 
 hasten westward, by reason of Essex's being 
 lost in Cornwall, which then he did ; and at 
 Newbury fight, it is true, I refused to obey 
 his directions and order : for this it was ; his 
 Majesty's horse being betwixt four and five 
 thousand in a large common, in good order, 
 he commands me, Mr. Speaker, to charge 
 them ; we having no way to come at them 
 but through a narrow lane, where not above 
 three horse could march abreast; whereby 
 had I followed his order, we had been all cut 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 183 
 
 off ere we could have got into any order. 
 Mr. Speaker, (and then he wept ; which he 
 could do toties quoties) I, considering that all 
 the visible army you then had, was by this 
 counsel in danger to be lost, refused thus to 
 endanger the main strength, which now most 
 of all consisted of those horse under my com- 
 mand, &c. — This his recrimination was well ac- 
 cepted by the House of Commons, who there- 
 upon, and from that time, thought there was 
 none of the House of Lords very fit to be en- 
 trusted with their future armies, but had then 
 thoughts of making a commoner their Gene- 
 ral ; which afterwards they did, and elected 
 Sir Thomas Fairfax their General, and Crom- 
 well Lieutenant- General ; but it was next 
 spring first. Upon Essex's being lost in Corn- 
 wall, I heard Serjeant Maynard say, ' If now 
 the King haste to London we are undone, 
 having no army to resist him.' 
 
184 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 His Majesty had many misfortunes ever at- 
 tending him, during his abode at Oxford; 
 some by reason of that great animosity be- 
 twixt Prince Rupert and the Lord Digby, each 
 endeavouring to cross one another ; but the 
 worst of all was by treachery of several of- 
 ficers under his command, and in his service ; 
 for the Parliament had in continual pay one 
 Colonel of the King's Council of War; one 
 Lieutenant-Colonel ; one Captain ; one En- 
 sign ; one or two Serjeants ; several Cor- 
 porals, who had constant pay, and duly paid 
 them every month, according to the capacity 
 of their officers and places, and yet none of 
 these knew any thing of each other's being 
 so employed. There were several well-wish- 
 ers unto the Parliament in Oxford, where each 
 left his letter, putting it in at the hole of a 
 glass-window, as he made water in the street 
 What was put in at the window in any of 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 185 
 
 those houses, was the same day conveyed 
 two miles off by some in the habit of town- 
 gardeners, to the side of a ditch, where one 
 or more were ever ready to give the intelli- 
 gence to the next Parliament garrison : I was 
 then familiar with all the spies that constant- 
 ly went in and out to Oxford. 
 
 But once more to my own actions. I 
 had, in 1652 and 1653 and 1654, much con- 
 tention with Mr. Gatacre of Rotherhithe, a 
 man endued with all kind of learning, and the 
 ablest man of the whole synod of divines in 
 the Oriental tongues. 
 
 The synod had concluded to make an expo- 
 sition upon the bible ; some undertook one 
 book, some another. Gatacre fell upon Jere- 
 my. Upon making his exposition on the 2d 
 verse of the 10th chapter, 
 
 ' Learn not the way of the heathen, and 
 
186 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for 
 the heathen are dismayed at them.' 
 
 In his Annotations thereupon, he makes a 
 scandalous exposition ; and in express terms, 
 hints at me, repeating verbatim, ten or twelve 
 times, an Epistle of mine in one of my former 
 Anglicus. 
 
 The substance of my Epistle was, that I 
 did conceive the good angels of God did first 
 reveal astrology unto mankind, &c. but he in 
 his Annotations calls me blind buzzard, &c. 
 
 Having now liberty of the press, and hear- 
 ing the old man was very cholerick, I thought 
 fit to raise it up — and only wrote — I referred 
 my discourse then in hand to the discussion 
 and judgment of sober persons, but not unto 
 Thomas Wiseacre, for Senes bis pueri : These 
 very words begot the writing of forty-two 
 sheets against myself and astrology. The 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 187 
 
 next year I quibbled again in three or four 
 lines against him, then he printed twenty- 
 two sheets against me. I was persuaded 
 by Dr. Gauden, late Bishop of Exeter, to 
 let him alone ; but in my next year's Angli- 
 cus, in August observations, I wrote, Hdc in 
 tumbajacet Presbyter &; Nebulo, in which very 
 month he died. 
 
 Several divines applied themselves unto 
 me, desiring me to forbear any further vex- 
 ing of Mr. Gatacre ; but all of them did as 
 much condemn him of indiscretion, that in 
 so sober a piece of work as that was, viz. in 
 an Annotation upon a sacred text of scripture 
 to particularize me and in that dirty lan- 
 guage: they pitied him, that he had not 
 better considered with himself ere he pub- 
 lished it. 
 
 Dean Owen of Christ's-Church in Oxford, 
 also in his sermons had sharp invectives 
 
188 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 against me and astrology ; I cried quittance 
 with him, by urging Abbot Panormitan's 
 judgment of astrology contrary to Owen's, 
 and concluded, ' An Abbot was an ace above 
 a Dean.' 
 
 One Mr. Nye of the assembly of divines, 
 a Jesuitical Presbyterian, bleated forth his 
 judgment publickly against me and astro- 
 logy : to be quit with him, I urged Causinus 
 the Jesuit's approbation of astrology, and 
 concluded, Sic canibus catulos, 8§c. 
 
 In some time after the Dutch Ambassador 
 being offended with some things in Anglicus, 
 presented a memorial to the Council of State, 
 that Merlinus Anglicus might be considered, 
 and the abuses against their nation examined ; 
 but his paper was not accepted of, or I any 
 way molested. 
 
 In Oliver's Protectorship, I wrote freely 
 and satyrical enough : he was now become 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 189 
 
 Independant, and all the soldiery my friends ; 
 for when he was in Scotland, the day of one 
 of their fights, a soldier stood with Anglicus 
 in his hand ; and as the several troops passed 
 by him, ' Lo, hear what Lilly saith ; you are 
 in this month promised victory, fight it out, 
 brave boys ;' and then read that month's pre- 
 diction. 
 
 I had long before predicted the downfall 
 of Presbytery, as you (most honoured Sir) 
 in the figure thereof, in my Introduction, may 
 observe ; and it was upon this occasion. Sir 
 Thomas Middleton of Chark Castle, enemy 
 to Presbytery, seeing they much prevailed, 
 being a member of the House, seriously de- 
 manded my judgment, if Presbytery should 
 prevail, or not, in England ? The figure 
 printed in my Introduction, will best give 
 you an account, long before it happened, of 
 the sinking and failing of Presbytery ; so 
 
190 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 will the second page of my Hieroglyphicks. 
 Those men, to be serious, would preach well ; 
 but they were more lordly than Bishops, 
 and usually, in their parishes, more tyrannical 
 than the Great Turk. 
 
 OF THE YEAR 1660; THE ACTIONS WHERE- 
 OF, AS THEY WERE REMARKABLE IN 
 ENGLAND, SO WERE THEY NO LESS ME- 
 MORABLE AS TO MY PARTICULAR FOR- 
 TUNE AND PERSON. 
 
 Upon the Lord General Monk's returning 
 from Scotland with his army into England, 
 suddenly after his coming to London, Richard 
 Cromwell, the then Protector's, authority was 
 laid aside, and the old Parliament restored ; 
 the Council of State sat as formerly. The 
 first act they put the General upon was, to 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 191 
 
 take down the city gates and portcullisses, 
 an act which, the General said, was fitter 
 for a Janizary to do than for a General ; yet 
 he effected the commands received, and then 
 lodged in the city with his army. The citi- 
 zens took this pulling down of their gates so 
 heinously, that one night the ruder sort of 
 them procured all the rumps of beef, and 
 other baggage, and publickly burnt them in 
 the streets, in derision of the then Parlia- 
 ment, calling them that now sat, The Rump. 
 This hurly-burly was managed as well by the 
 General's soldiers as the citizens. The King's 
 health was publickly drank all over the city, 
 to the confusion of the Parliament. The 
 matter continued until midnight, or longer. 
 The Council of State, sitting at White-Hall, 
 had hereof no knowledge, until Sir Martin 
 Noell, a discreet citizen, came about nine at 
 night, and then first informed them thereof. 
 
192 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 The Council could not believe it, until they 
 had sent some ministers of their own, who 
 affirmed the verity thereof. They were at a 
 stand, and could not resolve what to do ; at 
 last Nevil Smith came, being one of them, 
 and publickly protested there was but one 
 way to regain their authority, and to be re- 
 venged of this affront, and to overthrow the 
 Lord General Monk, whom they now per- 
 ceived intended otherways than he had pre- 
 tended ; his council was, to take away Monk's 
 commission, and to give a present commis- 
 sion to Major-General Lambert to be their 
 General ; which counsel of his, if they would 
 take and put it speedily in execution, would 
 put an end unto all the present mischiefs. 
 The Council in general did all very well ap- 
 prove Nevil Smith's judgment ; but presently 
 up starts Sir Arthur Hazellrigg, and makes a 
 sharp invective against Lambert, and con- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 193 
 
 eluded, he would rather perish under the 
 King of Scot's power, than that Lambert 
 should ever any more have command under 
 the Parliament. 
 
 The Lord General suddenly after brings in 
 the long excluded Members to sit in Parlia- 
 ment, being persons of great judgment, and 
 formerly enforced from sitting therein by the 
 soldiery, and connivance of those who stiled 
 themselves the godly part of the Parliament. 
 These honourable patriots presently voted 
 his Majesty's coming into England, and so he 
 did in May 1660. But because Charles the 
 Second, now (1667) King of England, Son 
 of Charles the First, grandchild to James the 
 First, King of Great Britany, was so miracu- 
 lously restored, and so many hundreds of 
 years since prophesied of by Ambrose Merlin, 
 it will not be impertinent to mention the pro- 
 
194 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 phecies themselves, the rather because we 
 have seen their verification. 
 
 AMBROSE MERLIN'S PROPHECY WROTE ABOUT 
 990 YEARS SINCE. 
 
 He calls King James, The Lion of Right- 
 eousness ; and saith, when he died, or was 
 dead, there would reign a noble White King ; 
 this was Charles the First. The prophet dis- 
 covers all his troubles, his flying up and down, 
 his imprisonment, his death ; and calls him 
 Aquila. What concerns Charles the Second, 
 is the subject of our discourse: in the Latin 
 copy it is thus : 
 
 Delude ab Austro veniet cum Sole super llg- 
 neos equos, fy super spumantem inundationem 
 maris, Pullus Aquilce navigans in Britanniam. 
 
 Et applicans statim tunc altam domum Aquilce 
 sitiens, fy cito aliam sitiet. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 195 
 
 Deinde Pullus Aquilce nidificabit in summa 
 rupe totius Britannice : necjuvenis occidet, nee 
 ad senem vivet. 
 
 This, in an old copy, is Englished thus : 
 
 ' After then, shall come through the south 
 with the sun, on horse of tree, and upon all 
 waves of the sea, the Chicken of the Eagle, 
 sailing into Britain, and arriving anon to the 
 house of the Eagle, he shall shew fellowship 
 to them beasts. 
 
 ' After, the Chicken of the Eagle shall 
 nestle in the highest rock of all Britain : nay, 
 he shall nought be slain young; nay, he 
 nought come old.' 
 
 Another Latin copy renders the last verse 
 thus : 
 
 Deinde pullus Aquilce nidificabit in summo 
 rupium, nee juvenis occidetur, nee ad senium 
 perveniet. There is after this, percificato regno 
 omnes occidet ; which is intended of those per- 
 
196 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 sons put to death, that sat as Judges upon 
 his father's death. 
 
 THE VERIFICATION. 
 
 His Majesty being in the Low-Countries 
 when the Lord General had restored the se- 
 cluded Members, the Parliament sent part of 
 the Royal Navy to bring him for England, 
 which they did in May 1660. Holland is 
 East from England, so he came with the sun ; 
 but he landed at Dover, a port in the south 
 part of England. Wooden-horses, are the 
 English ships. 
 
 Tunc nidificabit in summo rupium. 
 
 The Lord General, and most of the gentry 
 in England, met him in Kent, and brought 
 him unto London, then to White-hall. 
 
 Here, by the highest Rooch, (some write 
 Rock,) is intended London, being the metro- 
 polis of all England. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 197 
 
 Since which time, unto this very day I 
 write this story, he hath reigned in England, 
 and long may he do hereafter. 10th Decem- 
 ber, 1667. 
 
 Had I leisure, I might verify the whole pre- 
 ceding part concerning King Charles. Much 
 of the verification thereof is mentioned in my 
 Collection of Prophecies, printed 1645. But 
 his Majesty being then alive, I forbore much 
 of that subject, not willing to give offence. 
 I dedicated that book unto him ; and, in the 
 conclusion thereof, I advised his return unto 
 Parliament, with these words, Fac hoc <§• 
 vives. 
 
 There was also a Prophecy printed 1588, in 
 Greek characters, exactly decyphering the 
 long troubles the English nation had from 
 1641 until 1660 ; and then it ended thus : 
 
 ' And after that shall come a dreadful dead 
 
198 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 man, and with him a Royal G.' [it is Gamma 
 in the Greek, intending C. in the Latin, being 
 the third letter in the alphabet,] ' of the best 
 blood in the world, and he shall have the 
 Crown, and shall set England on the right 
 way, and put out all heresies.' 
 
 Monkery being extinguished above eighty 
 or ninety years, and the Lord General's name 
 being Monk, is the Dead Man. The Royal 
 G. or C. is Charles the Second, who, for his 
 extraction, may be said to be of the best 
 blood in the world. 
 
 These two prophecies were not given vo- 
 cally by the angels, but by inspection of the 
 crystal in types and figures, or by apparition 
 the circular way, where, at some distance, the 
 angels appear, representing by forms, shapes, 
 and creatures, what is demanded. It is very 
 rare, yea, even in our days, for any operator 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 199 
 
 or master to have the angels speak articu- 
 lately ; when they do speak, it is like the 
 Irish, much in the throat. 
 
 What further concerns his Majesty, will 
 more fully be evident about 1672 or 1674, or, 
 at farthest, in 1676. And now unto my own 
 actions in 1660. 
 
 In the first place, my fee-farm rents, being 
 of the yearly value of one hundred and twenty 
 pounds, were all lost by his Majesty's com- 
 ing to his restoration ; but I do say truly, the 
 loss thereof did never trouble me, or did I re- 
 pine thereat. 
 
 In June of that year, a new Parliament was 
 called, whereunto I was unwillingly invit- 
 ed by two messengers of the Serjeant at Arms. 
 The matter whereupon I was taken into cus- 
 tody was, to examine me concerning the per- 
 son who cut off the King's head, viz. the late 
 King's. 
 
200 LtLLY'S HISTORY 
 
 Sir Daniel Harvey, of Surry, got the busi- 
 ness moved against me in great displeasure, 
 because, at the election of new knights for 
 Surrey, I procured the whole town of Walton 
 to stand, and give their voices for Sir Richard 
 Onslow. The Committee to examine me, 
 were Mr. Prinn, one Colonel King, and Mr. 
 Richard Weston of Gray's-Inn. 
 
 God's providence appeared very much for 
 me that day, for walking in Westminster- 
 Hall, Mr. Richard Pennington, son to my 
 old friend Mr. William Pennington, met me, 
 and enquiring the cause of my being there, 
 said no more, but walked up and down the 
 hall, and related my kindness to his father 
 unto very many Parliament men of Cheshire 
 and Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumberland, and 
 those northern countries, who numerously 
 came up into the Speaker's chamber, and 
 bade me be of good comfort: at last he 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 201 
 
 meets Mr. Weston, one of the three unto 
 whom my matter was referred for examina- 
 tion, who told Mr. Pennington, that he came 
 purposely to punish me, and would be bitter 
 against me ; but hearing it related, viz* my 
 singular kindness and preservation of old 
 Mr. Pennington's estate to the value of six 
 or seven thousand pounds, ( I will do him all 
 the good I can,' says he. ' I thought he had 
 never done any good ; let me see him, and 
 let him stand behind me where I sit :' I did 
 so. At my first appearance, many of the 
 young members affronted me highly, and de- 
 manded several scurrilous questions. Mr. 
 Weston held a paper before his mouth ; bade 
 me answer nobody but Mr. Prinn ; I obeyed 
 his command, and saved myself much trou- 
 ble thereby ; and when Mr. Prinn put any 
 difficult or doubtful query unto me, Mr. Wes- 
 ton prompted me with a fit answer. At last, 
 
202 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 after almost one hour's tugging, I desired to 
 be fully heard what I could say as to the per- 
 son who cut Charles the First's head off. 
 Liberty being given me to speak, I related 
 what follows, viz. 
 
 That the next Sunday but one after Charles 
 the First was beheaded, Robert Spavin, Se- 
 cretary unto Lieutenant- General Cromwell 
 at that time, invited himself to dine with me, 
 and brought Anthony Peirson, and several 
 others, along with him to dinner : that their 
 principal discourse all dinner-time was only, 
 who it was that beheaded the King ; one said 
 it was the common hangman ; another, Hugh 
 Peters ; others also were nominated, but none 
 concluded. Robert Spavin, so soon as din- 
 ner was done, took me by the hand, and car- 
 ried me to the south window: saith he, 
 ' These are all mistaken, they have not named 
 the man that did the fact : it was Lieutenant- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 203 
 
 Colonel JOICE ; I was in the room when he 
 fitted himself for the work, stood behind him 
 when he did it ; when done, went in again 
 with him : there is no man knows this but 
 my master, viz. Cromwell, Commissary Ire- 
 ton, and myself.' ' Doth not Mr. Rushworth 
 know it V said I. ' No, he doth not know it,' 
 saith Spavin. The same thing Spavin since 
 had often related unto me when we were 
 alone. Mr. Prinn did, with much civility, 
 make a report hereof in the House ; yet Nor- 
 folk the Serjeant, after my discharge, kept 
 me two days longer in arrest, purposely to 
 get money of me. He had six pounds, and 
 his Messenger forty shillings ; and yet I was 
 attached but upon Sunday, examined on 
 Tuesday, and then discharged, though the 
 covetous Serjeant detained me until Thurs- 
 day. By means of a friend, I cried quittance 
 with Norfolk, which friend was to pay him 
 
 
204 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 his salary at that time, and abated Norfolk 
 three pounds, which we spent every penny 
 at one dinner, without inviting the wretched 
 Serjeant: but in the latter end of the year, 
 when the King's Judges were arraigned at 
 the Old-Bailey, Norfolk warned me to at- 
 tend, believing I could give information con- 
 cerning Hugh Peters. At the sessions I at- 
 tended during its continuance, but was never 
 called or examined. There I heard Harrison, 
 Scott, Clement, Peters, Hacker, Scroop, 
 and others of the King's Judges, and Cook 
 the Sollicitor, who excellently defended 
 himself; I say, I did hear what they could 
 say for themselves, and after heard the sen- 
 tence of condemnation pronounced against 
 them by the incomparably modest and learn- 
 ed Judge Bridgman, now Lord Keeper of 
 the Great Seal of England. 
 
 One would think my troubles for that year 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 205 
 
 had been ended ; but in January I665, one 
 Everard, a Justice of Peace in Westminster, 
 ere I was stirring, sent a Serjeant and thirty 
 four musqueteers for me to White-Hall : he 
 had twice that night seized about sixty per- 
 sons, supposed fanaticks, very despicable 
 persons, many whereof were aged, some 
 were water-bearers, and had been Parlia- 
 ment-soldiers ; others, of ordinary callings : 
 all these were guarded unto White-Hall, 
 into a large room, until day-light, and then 
 committed to the Gate-House ; I was had into 
 the guard-room, which I thought to be hell ; 
 some therein were sleeping, others swearing, 
 others smoaking tobacco. In the chimney 
 of the room I believe there was two bushels 
 of broken tobacco-pipes, almost half one 
 load of ashes. Everard, about nine in the 
 morning, comes, writes my mittimus for the 
 Gate-House, then shews it me : I must be 
 
206 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 contented. I desired no other courtesy, but 
 that I might be privately carried unto the 
 Gate-House by two soldiers ; that was de- 
 nied. Among the miserable crew of people, 
 with a whole company of soldiers, I marched 
 to prison, and there for three hours was in 
 the open air upon the ground, where the 
 common house of office came down. After 
 three hours, I was advanced from this stink- 
 ing place up the stairs, where there was v on 
 one side a company of rude swearing persons ; 
 on the other side many Quakers, who loving- 
 ly entertained me. As soon as I was fixed, 
 I wrote to my old friend Sir Edward Walker, 
 Garter King at Arms, who presently went to 
 Mr. Secretary Nicholas, and acquainted him 
 with my condition. He ordered Sir Edward 
 to write to Everard to release me, unless he 
 had any particular information against me, 
 which he had not. He further said, it was 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 207 
 
 not his Majesty's pleasure that any of his 
 subjects should be thus had to prison with- 
 out good cause shewed before. Upon re- 
 ceipt of Sir Edward's letter, Everard dis- 
 charged me, I taking the oaths of allegiance 
 and supremacy. This day's work cost me 
 thirty-seven shillings. Afterwards Everard 
 stood to be Burgess for Westminster ; sent 
 me to procure him voices. I returned an- 
 swer, that of all men living he deserved no 
 courtesy from me, nor should have any. 
 
 In this year 1660, I sued out my pardon 
 under the Broad Seal of England, being so 
 advised by good counsel, because there 
 should be no obstruction ; I passed as Wil- 
 liam Lilly, Citizen and Salter of London ; it 
 cost me thirteen pounds six shillings and 
 eight pence. 
 - There happened a verification of an astro- 
 
208 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 logical judgment of mine in this year, 1660, 
 which, because it was predicted sixteen years 
 before it came to pass, and the year expressly 
 nominated, I thought fit to mention. 
 
 In page 111 of my Prophetical Merlin, 
 upon three sextile Aspects of Saturn and 
 Jupiter, made in 1659 and 1660, I wrote 
 thus — 
 
 ' This their friendly salutation comforts 
 us in England, every man now possesses his 
 own vineyard ; our young youth grow up 
 unto man's estate, and our old men live their 
 full years ; our nobles and gentlemen root 
 again ; our yeomanry, many years disconso- 
 lated, now take pleasure in their husbandry. 
 The merchant sends out ships, and hath pros- 
 perous returns ; the mechanick hath quick 
 trading : here is almost a new world ; new 
 laws, new Lords. Now my country of Eng- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 209 
 
 land shall shed no more tears, but rejoice 
 with, and in the many blessings God gives or 
 affords her annually/ 
 
 And in the same book, page 118, over- 
 againstthe year 1660, you shall find, A bonny 
 Scot acts his part. 
 
 The long Parliament would give Charles 
 the Second no other title than King of Scots. 
 
 I also wrote to Sir Edward Walker, Kt. 
 Garter King at Arms in 1659, he then being 
 in Holland— 
 
 Tu, Dominusque vester videbitis Angliam, 
 infra duos annos. — For in 1662, his moon 
 came by direction to the body of the sun. 
 
 But he came in upon the ascendant directed 
 unto the trine of Sol and antiscion of Jupi- 
 ter. 
 
 And happy it was for the nation he did 
 come in, and long and prosperously may 
 he reign amongst us. 
 
210 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 In 1663 and 1664, I had along and tedious 
 law-suit in Chancery, M. C. coming to quar- 
 tile of Saturn ; and the occasion of that suit, 
 was concerning houses ; and my enemy, 
 though aged, had no beard, was really satur- 
 nine. We came unto a hearing Feb. 1661, 
 before the Master of the Rolls, Sir Harbottle 
 Grimston, where I had the victory, but no 
 costs given me. 
 
 My adversary, not satisfied with that judg- 
 ment, petitioned that most just and honour- 
 able man, the Lord Chancellor Hyde, for a 
 re-hearing his cause before him. 
 
 It was N granted, and the 13th June, 1664, 
 my M. C. then directed to quartile of Venus 
 and Sol. His Lordship most judiciously 
 heard it with much attention, and when my 
 adversary's counsel had urged those deposi- 
 tions which they had against me, his Lordship 
 stood up, and said, 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 211 
 
 ' Here is not one word against Mr. Lilly.'— 
 
 I replied, ' My Lord, I hope I shall have 
 costs.' 
 
 % Very good reason,' saith he ; and so I 
 had : and, at my departure out of court, put 
 off his hat, and bid ' God be with you.' 
 
 This is the month of Dec. 1667, wherein, 
 by misfortune, he is much traduced and high- 
 ly persecuted by his enemies : is also retired, 
 however not in the least questioned for any 
 indirect judgment as Chancellor, in the Chan- 
 cery ; [but in other things he hath been very 
 foul, as in the articles drawn up by the Par- 
 liament against him, it appears. Which arti- 
 cles I presume you have not seen, otherwise 
 you would have been of another mind, A W] 
 for there was never any person sat in that 
 place, who executed justice with more up- 
 rightness, or judgment, or quickness for dis- 
 patch, than this very noble Lord. God, I 
 
212 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 hope, in mercy will preserve his person from 
 his enemies, and in good time restore him 
 unto all his honours again : from my soul I 
 wish it, and hope I shall live to see it. Amen : 
 Fiat oh tu Deusjustitice. 
 
 In 1663 and 1664, I was made church- 
 warden of Walton upon Thames, settling as 
 well as I could the affairs of that distracted 
 parish, upon my own charges ; and upon my 
 leaving the place, forgave them seven pounds 
 odd money due unto me. 
 
 In 1664, I had another law-suit with Cap- 
 tain Colborn, Lord of the manor of Esher, 
 concerning the rights of the parish of Walton. 
 He had newly purchased that manor, and 
 having one hundred and fifty acres of ground, 
 formerly park and wood ground lying in our 
 parish, conceived, he had right of common in 
 our parish of Walton : thereupon he puts 
 three hundred sheep upon the common ; part 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 213 
 
 whereof I impounded: he replevins them, 
 and gave me a ( declaration. I answered it. 
 The trial was to be at the Assizes at Kingston 
 in April 1664. When the day of trial came, 
 he had not one witness in his cause, I had 
 many ; whereupon upon conference, and by 
 mediation, he gave me eleven pounds for my 
 charges sustained in that suit, whereof I re- 
 turned him back again fifty shillings : forty 
 shillings for himself, and ten shillings for the 
 poor of the parish he lived in. 
 
 This I did at my own cost and charges, 
 not one parishioner joining with me. I had 
 now M. C. under quartile of Venus and Sol 
 — both in my second, ergo, I got money by 
 this thing, or suit. Sir Bolstrode Whitlock 
 gave me counsel. 
 
 Now I come unto the year 1665, wherein 
 that horrible and devouring plague so ex- 
 treamly raged in the city of London. 27th 
 
214 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 of June 1665, I retired into the country to 
 my wife and family, where since I have 
 wholly continued, and so intend by permis- 
 sion of God. I had, before I came away, 
 very many people of the poorer sort fre- 
 quented my lodging, many whereof were so 
 civil, as when they brought waters, viz. 
 urines, from infected people, they would 
 stand purposely at a distance. I ordered 
 those infected, and not like to die, cordials, 
 and caused them to sweat, whereby many 
 recovered. My landlord of the house was 
 afraid of those poor people, I nothing at all. 
 He was desirous I should be gone. He had 
 four children : I took them with me into the 
 country and provided for them. Six weeks 
 after I departed, he, his wife, and man-servant 
 died of the plague. 
 
 In Monarchy or no Monarchy, printed 1651, 
 I had framed an Hieroglyphick, which you 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 215 
 
 may see in page the 7th, representing a great 
 sickness and mortality; wherein you may 
 see the representation of people in their wind- 
 ing-sheets, persons digging graves and sepul- 
 tures, coffins, &c. All this was performed 
 by the more secret Key of Astrology, or Pro- 
 phetical Astrology. 
 
 In 1666, happened that miraculous confla- 
 gration in the city of London, whereby in four 
 days, the most part thereof was consumed by 
 fire. In my Monarchy or no Monarchy, the 
 next side after the coffins and pickaxes, there 
 is a representation of a great city all in flames 
 of fire. The memorial whereof some Parlia- 
 ment men remembering, thought fit to send 
 for me before that Committee which then did 
 sit, for examination of the causes of the fire ; 
 and whether there was no treachery or de- 
 sign in the business, his Majesty being then 
 in war both with the French and Dutch. 
 
216 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 The summons to appear before that Commit- 
 tee was as folio weth. 
 
 "Monday, 22d October •, 1666. 
 
 "At the Committee appointed to enquire 
 after the causes of the late fires : 
 
 "Ordered, 
 
 " That Mr. Lilly do attend this Committee 
 on Friday next, being the 25th of October, 
 1666, at two of the clock in the afternoon, in 
 the Speaker's chamber ; to answer such ques- 
 tions as shall be then and there asked him. 
 
 "Robert Brooke." 
 
 By accident I was then in London, when 
 the summons came unto me. I was timorous 
 of Committees, being ever by some of them 
 calumniated, upbraided, scorned, and de- 
 rided. However I must and did appear ; and 
 
OF HIS LIFE AtfD TIMES. 217 
 
 let me never forget that great affection and 
 care yourself (Oh most excellent and learned 
 Esquire Ashmole) shewed unto me at that 
 time. First, your affection in going along 
 with me all that day ; secondly, your great 
 pains and care, in speaking unto many wor- 
 thy Members of that Committee your ac- 
 quaintance, that they should befriend me, 
 and not permit me to be affronted, or have 
 any disgraceful language cast upon me. I 
 must seriously acknowledge the persuasions 
 so prevailed with those generous souls, that 
 I conceive there was never more civility used 
 unto any than unto myself; and you know, 
 there were no small number of Parliament 
 men appeared, when they heard I was to be 
 there. 
 
 Sir Robert Brooke spoke to this purpose : 
 
 < Mr. Lilly, This Committee thought fit to 
 
 summon you to appear before them this day, 
 
218 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 to know, if you can say any thing as to the 
 cause of the late fire, or whether there might 
 be any design therein. You are called the 
 rather hither, because in a book of your's, long 
 since printed, you hinted some such thing 
 by one of your hieroglyphics.' Unto which 
 I replied, 
 
 ' May it please your Honours, 
 
 ' After the beheading of the late King, con- 
 sidering that in the three subsequent years 
 the Parliament acted nothing which concern- 
 ed the settlement of the nation in peace ; and 
 seeing the generality of people dissatisfied, 
 the citizens of London discontented, the sol- 
 diery prone to mutiny, I was desirous, accord- 
 ing to the best knowledge God had given me, 
 to make enquiry by the art I studied, what 
 might from that time happen unto the Parlia- 
 ment and nation in general. At last, having 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 219 
 
 satisfied myself as well as I could, and perfect- 
 ed my judgment therein, I thought it most 
 convenient to signify my intentions and con- 
 ceptions thereof, in Forms, Shapes, Types, 
 Hieroglyphicks, &c. without any commen- 
 tary, that so my judgment might be concealed 
 from the vulgar, and made manifest only unto 
 the wise. I herein imitating the examples of 
 many wise philosophers who had done the 
 like.' 
 
 * Sir Robert,' saith one, ' Lilly is yet sub 
 vestibulo.' 
 
 I proceeded further. Said I, ' Having 
 found, Sir, that the city of London should be 
 sadly afflicted with a great plague, and not 
 long after with an exorbitant fire, I framed 
 these two hieroglyphics as represented in the 
 book, which in effect have proved very 
 true.' 
 
 6 Did you foresee the year V said one. 
 
220 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 ' I did not,' said I, ' or was desirous : of 
 that I made no scrutiny.' I proceeded — 
 
 1 Now, Sir, whether there was any design 
 of burning the city, or any employed to that 
 purpose, I must deal ingenuously with you, 
 that since the fire, I have taken much pains 
 in the search thereof, but cannot or could 
 not give myself any the least satisfaction 
 therein. I conclude, that it was the only 
 finger of God ; but what instruments he used 
 thereunto, I am ignorant.' 
 
 The Committee seemed well pleased with 
 what I spoke, and dismissed me with great 
 civility. 
 
 Since which time no memorable action 
 hath happened unto me, my retirement im 
 peding all concourse unto me. 
 
 I have many things more to communicate, 
 which I shall do, as they offer themselves to 
 memory. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 221 
 
 In anno 1634, and 1635, I had much fa- 
 miliarity with John Hegenius, Doctor of 
 Physick, a Dutchman, an excellent scholar 
 and an able physician, not meanly versed in 
 astrology. Unto him, for his great civility, 
 I communicated the art of framing Sigils, 
 Lamens, &c. and the use of the Mosaical 
 Rods : — and we did create several Sigils to 
 very good purpose. I gave him the true 
 key thereof, viz. instructed him of their 
 forms, characters, words, and last of all, 
 how to give them vivification, and what num- 
 ber or numbers were appropriated to every 
 planet : Cum multis aliis in libris veterum la- 
 tentibus ; aut perspicuh non intellectis. 
 
 I was well acquainted with the Speculator 
 of John a Windor, a scrivener, sometimes 
 living in Newbury. This Windor was club- 
 fisted, wrote with a pen betwixt both his 
 hands. I have seen many bonds and bills 
 
222 LILLYS HISTORY 
 
 wrote by him. He was much given to de- 
 bauchery, so that at some times the Daemons 
 would not appear to the Speculator ; he 
 would then suffumigate : sometimes, to vex 
 the spirits, he would curse them, fumigate 
 with contraries. Upon his examination be- 
 fore Sir Henry Wallop, Kt. which I have 
 seen, he said, he once visited Dr. Dee in 
 Mortlack ; and out of a book that lay in the 
 window, he copied out that call which he 
 
 used, when he invocated 
 
 It was that — which near the beginning of 
 it hath these words, 
 
 Per virtutem illorum qui invocant nomen tuum, 
 Hermeli — mitte nobis tres Angelos, fyc. 
 
 Windor had many good parts, but was a 
 most lewd person : My master Wright knew 
 him well, and having dealing in those parts, 
 made use of him as a scrivener. 
 
ILCoojer sculp. 
 
 i? j®hlm wmm 
 
 Q^k#m/m/ Wtawi^^At/u, 
 
 ^L /{/UtJiWTn/, 
 
 PUBIJ^HED3YCHAEI£S&HEN3yBAIJ3WTtTasrEWGATE SSICEET. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 223 
 
 Oliver Withers, servant to Sir H. Wallop, 
 brought up John aWindor's examination un- 
 to London, purposely for me to peruse. This 
 Withers was Mr. Fiske's scholar three years 
 more or less, to learn astrology of him ; but 
 being never the wiser, Fiske brought him 
 unto me : by shewing him but how to judge 
 one figure, his eyes were opened : He made 
 the Epistle before Dr. Neve's book, now in 
 Mr. Sander's hands, was very learned in the 
 Latin, Greek, and Hebrew tongues. 
 
 Having mentioned. Dr. John Dee, I hold it 
 not impertinent to speak something of him ; 
 but more especially of Edward Kelly's Spe- 
 culator. 
 
 Dr. Dee himself was a Cambro Briton, 
 educated in the university of Oxford, there 
 took his degree of Doctor; afterwards for 
 many years in search of the profo under stu- 
 dies, travelled into foreign parts : to be se- 
 
224 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 rious, he was Queen Elizabeth's intelligencer, 
 and had a salary for his maintenance from 
 the Secretaries of State. He was a ready- 
 witted man, quick of apprehension, very 
 learned, and of great judgment in the Latin 
 and Greek tongues. He was a very great 
 investigator of the more secret Hermetical 
 learning, a perfect astronomer, a curious 
 astrologer, a serious geometrician ; to speak 
 truth, he was excellent in all kinds of learn- 
 ing. 
 
 With all this, he was the most ambitious 
 person living, and most desirous of fame and 
 renown, and was never so well pleased as 
 when he heard himself stiled Most Excellent. 
 
 He was studious in chymistry, and attained 
 to good perfection therein ; but his servant, 
 or rather companion, Kelly, out-went him, 
 viz. about the Elixir or Philosopher's Stone ; 
 which neither Kelly or Dee attained by their 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 225 
 
 own labour and industry. It was in this 
 manner Kelly obtained it, as I had it related 
 from an ancient minister, who knew the cer- 
 tainty thereof from an old English merchant, 
 resident in Germany, at what time both Kelly 
 and Dee were there. 
 
 Dee and Kelly being in the confines of the 
 Emperor's dominions, in a city where resided 
 many English merchants, with whom they 
 had much familiarity, there happened an old 
 Friar to come to Dr. Dee's lodging. Knock- 
 ing at the door, Dee peeped down the stairs. 
 * Kelly,' says he, ' tell the old man I am not 
 at home.' Kelly did so. The Friar said, 
 ' I will take another time to wait on him.' 
 Some few days after, he came again. Dee 
 ordered Kelly, if it were the same person, to 
 deny him again. He did so ; at which the 
 Friar was very angry. ' Tell thy master I 
 came to speak with him and to do him 
 
 Q 
 
226 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 good, because he is a great scholar and fa- 
 mous ; but now tell him, he put forth a book, 
 and dedicated it to the Emperor : it is called 
 Monas Hierogliphicas. He understands it 
 not. I wrote it myself, I came to instruct 
 him therein, and in some other more pro- 
 found things. Do thou, Kelly, come along 
 with me, I will make thee more famous than 
 thy master Dee.' 
 
 Kelly was very apprehensive of what the 
 Friar delivered, and thereupon suddenly re- 
 tired from Dee, and wholly applied unto the 
 Friar ; and of him either had the Elixir ready 
 made, or the perfect method of its prepara- 
 tion and making. The poor Friar lived a 
 very short time after : whether he died a 
 natural death, or was otherwise poisoned or 
 made away by Kelly, the merchant, who re- 
 lated this, did not certainly know. 
 
 How Kelly died afterwards at Prague, you 
 
R.Cooper sculp! 
 
 
 PUBLISHED BYCEYjiriVKS?.. iJKfl KYBALIWYN, NEWGATE STREET. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 227 
 
 well know : he was born at Worcester, had 
 been an apothecary. Not above thirty years 
 since he had a sister lived in Worcester, who 
 had some gold made by her brother's projec- 
 tion. 
 
 Dr. Dee died at Mortlack in Surrey, very 
 poor, enforced many times to sell some book 
 or other to buy his dinner with, as Dr. Na- 
 pier of Linford, in Buckinghamshire, oft re- 
 lated, who knew him very well. 
 
 I have read over his book of Conference 
 with Spirits, and thereby perceive many 
 weaknesses in the manage of that way of 
 Mosaical learning : but I conceive, the rea- 
 son why he had not more plain resolutions, 
 and more to the purpose, was, because Kelly 
 was very vicious, unto whom the angels were 
 not obedient, or willingly did declare the 
 questions propounded ; but I could give other 
 reasons, but those are not for paper. 
 
228 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 I was very familiar with one Sarah Skel- 
 horn, who had been Speculatrix unto one 
 Arthur Gauntlet about Gray's-Inn-Lane, a 
 very lewd fellow, professing physick. This 
 Sarah had a perfect sight, and indeed the 
 best eyes for that purpose I ever yet did see. 
 Gauntlet's books, after he was dead, were 
 sold, after I had perused them, to my scholar 
 Humphreys : there were rare notions in them. 
 This Sarah lived a long time, even until her 
 death, with one Mrs. Stockman in the Isle 
 of Purbeck, and died about sixteen years 
 since. Her mistress one time being desirous 
 to accompany her mother, the Lady Becons- 
 field, unto London, who lived twelve miles 
 from her habitation, caused Sarah to inspect 
 her crystal, to see if she, viz. her mother, 
 was gone, yea or not : the angels appeared, 
 and shewed her mother opening a trunk, and 
 taking out a red waistcoat, whereby she per- 
 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 229 
 
 ceived she was not gone. Next day she 
 went to her mother's, and there, as she en- 
 tered the chamber, she was opening a trunk, 
 and had a red waistcoat in her hand. Sarah 
 told me oft, the angels would for some years 
 follow her, and appear in every room of the 
 house, until she was weary of them. 
 
 This Sarah Skelhorn, her call unto the 
 crystal began, 
 
 * Oh ye good angels, only and only, &c. 
 Ellen Evans, daughter of my tutor Evans, 
 her call unto the crystal was this : 
 
 ' O Micol, O tu Micol, regina pigmeorwn 
 veni, 8fc.' 
 
 Since I have related of the Queen of Fai- 
 ries, I shall acquaint you, that it is not for 
 every one, or every person, that these ange- 
 lical creatures will appear unto, though they 
 may say over the call, over and over, or 
 indeed is it given to very many persons to 
 
230 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 endure their glorious aspects; even very 
 many have failed just at that present when 
 they are ready to manifest themselves ; even 
 persons otherwise of undaunted spirits and 
 firm resolution, are herewith astonished, and 
 tremble ; as it happened not many years 
 since with us. A very sober discreet person, 
 of virtuous life and conversation, was beyond 
 measure desirous to see something in this 
 nature. He went with a friend into my 
 Hurst Wood : the Queen of Fairies was in- 
 vocated, a gentle murmuring wind came 
 first ; after that, amongst the hedges, a smart 
 whirlwind ; by and by a strong blast of wind 
 blew upon the face of the friend, — and the 
 Queen appearing in a most illustrious glory, 
 
 • No more, I beseech you,' (quoth the friend :) 
 
 * My heart fails ; I am not able to endure 
 longer.' Nor was he : his black curling 
 hair rose up, and I believe a bullrush would 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 231 
 
 have beat him to the ground : he was soundly 
 laughed at, &c. 
 
 Sir Robert Holborn, Knight, brought once 
 unto me *Gladwell of Suffolk, who had for- 
 merly had sight and conference with Uriel 
 and Raphael, but lost them both by careless- 
 ness ; so that neither of them both would 
 but rarely appear, and then presently be gone, 
 resolving nothing. He would have given me 
 two hundred pounds to have assisted him for 
 their recovery, but I am no such man. — 
 Those glorious creatures, if well commanded, 
 and well observed, do teach the master any 
 thing he desires ; Amant secreta, fugiunt 
 aperta. The Fairies love the southern side 
 
 * Mr. Gilbert Wakering gave him his berril when he 
 died ; it was of the largeness of a good big orange, set in 
 silver, with a cross on the top, and another on the handle ; 
 and round about engraved the names of these angels, 
 Raphael, Gabriel, Uriel. 
 
232 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 of hills, mountains, groves. — Neatness and 
 cleanliness in apparel, a strict diet, and up- 
 right life, fervent prayers unto God, conduce 
 much to the assistance of those who are curi- 
 ous these ways. 
 
 It hath been my happiness to meet with 
 many rarities in my time unexpectedly. I 
 had a sister lived in the Minories, in that very 
 house where formerly had lived one Evans, 
 not my tutor, but another far exceeding him 
 in astrology, and all other occult learning, 
 questioned for his life about 1612. I am sure 
 it was when the present Earl of Manchester's 
 father was Lord Chief Justice of England. 
 He was found guilty by a peevish Jury : but 
 petitioning King James by a Greek petition, 
 as indeed he was an excellent Grecian ; ' By 
 mysaul,' said King James, * this man shall 
 not die ; I think he is a better Grecian than 
 any of my Bishops :' so his life was spared, 
 
OF ttIS LIFE AND TIMES. 233 
 
 &c. My sister's master when new model- 
 ling the house, broke up a window, under 
 which were Evans's secret manuscripts,* and 
 two moulds in brass ; one of a man, the other 
 of a woman. I bought the moulds and 
 book for five shillings; the secrets were 
 wrote in an imperfect Greek character ; but 
 after I found the vowels, all the rest were 
 presently clear enough. 
 
 You see, most worthy Sir, I write freely ; 
 it is out of the sincerity of my affection, many 
 things wrote by me having been more fit for a 
 sepulture than a book : But, 
 
 Quo major est virorum prcestantium, tui si- 
 millum inopia; eo mihi charior est, 8$ esse debet 
 8$ amicitia tua : quam quidem omnibus officiis, 
 8$ studiis, quae a summa benevolentia possunt, 
 perpetud colam: However, who study the 
 
 * From these manuscripts he gained his first knowledge, 
 
234 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 curiosities before-named, if they are not very 
 well versed in astrology, they shall rarely at- 
 tain their desired ends. There was, in the 
 late times of troubles, one Mortlack, who 
 pretended unto Speculations, had a crystal, 
 a call of Queen Mab, one of the Queen of 
 Fairies ; he deluded many thereby : at last I 
 was brought into his company ; he was de- 
 sired to make invocation, he did so ; nothing 
 appeared, or would : three or four times in 
 my company he was put upon to do the work, 
 but could not ; at last he said he could do 
 nothing as long as I was in presence. I at 
 last shewed him his error, but left him as I 
 found him, a pretending ignoramus. 
 
 I may seem to some to write incredibilia ; 
 be it so, but knowing unto whom, and for 
 whose only sake, I do write them, I am much 
 comforted therewith, well knowing you are 
 the most knowing man in these curiosities of 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 235 
 
 any now living in England ; and therefore it 
 is my hope, these will be a present well-be- 
 coming you to accept. 
 
 Pr cedar a omnia quam difficilia sint, his prce- 
 sertim temporibus. (Cekberrime Armiger,) 
 non te fugit; and therefore I will acquaint 
 you with one memorable story related unto 
 me by Mr. John Man*, an excellent mathema- 
 tican and geometrician, whom I conceive you 
 remember : he was servant to King James 
 and Charles the First. 
 
 At first, when the Lord Napier, or Mar- 
 chiston, made publick his Logarithms, Mr. 
 Briggs, then reader of the astronomy lecture 
 at Gresham-College in London, was so sur- 
 prized with admiration of them, that he could 
 have no quietness in himself, until he had 
 seen that noble person the Lord Marchiston, 
 whose only invention they were : he ac- 
 quaints John Marr herewith, who went into 
 
236 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 Scotland before Mr. Briggs, purposely to be 
 there when these two so learned persons 
 should meet. Mr. Briggs appoints a certain 
 day when to meet at Edinburgh : but failing 
 thereof, the Lord Napier was doubtful he 
 would not come. It happened one day 
 as John Marr and the Lord Napier were 
 speaking of Mr. Briggs ; ' Ah, John,' saith 
 Marchiston, ' Mr. Briggs will not now 
 come:' at the very instant one knocks at the 
 gate ; John Marr hasted down, and it proved 
 Mr. Briggs, to his great contentment. He 
 brings Mr. Briggs up into my Lord's cham- 
 ber, where almost one quarter of an hour 
 was spent, each beholding the other almost 
 with admiration, before one word was spoke : 
 at last Mr. Briggs began. 
 
 * My Lord, I have undertaken this long 
 journey purposely to see your person, and 
 to know by what engine of wit or ingenuity 
 
R. Cooper sculp? 
 
 KfAIPEllIE of MHIR(SSI2g^r 
 
 cTsttfTn/ a/ /ta/ie/4 strnfrdw,/ zLD &/a&d/7?i/. 
 
 PIJBIJSHElJBYCIIAW^SSrHKNMBATJJ'WyiTlWWCya'K STltRST. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 237 
 
 you came first to think of this most excellent 
 help unto astronomy, viz. the Logarithms; 
 but, my Lord, being by you found out, I 
 wonder no body else found it out before, 
 when, now known, it is so easy.' He was 
 nobly entertained by the Lord Napier, and 
 every summer after that, during the Lord's 
 being alive, this venerable man, Mr. Briggs, 
 went purposely into Scotland to visit him ; 
 Tempora nunc mutantur. 
 
 These two persons were worthy men in 
 their time ; and yet the one, viz. Lord Mar- 
 chiston, was a great lover of astrology, but 
 Briggs the most satirical man against it that 
 hath been known : but the reason hereof I 
 conceive was, that Briggs was a severe Pres- 
 byterian, and wholly conversant with persons 
 of that judgment; whereas the Lord Mar- 
 chiston was a general scholar, and deeply 
 read in all divine and human histories : it is 
 
238 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 the same Marchiston who made that most 
 serious and learned exposition upon the Re- 
 velation of St. John ; which is the best that 
 ever yet appeared in the world. 
 
 Thus far proceeded Mr. William Lilly in 
 setting down the account of his life, with 
 some other things of note. Now shall be 
 added something more which afterwards hap- 
 pened during his retirement at his house at 
 Hersham, until his death. 
 
 He left London in the year 1665, (as he 
 hath before noted) and betook himself to the 
 study of physick ; in which, having arrived 
 at a competent degree of knowledge, assisted 
 by diligent observation and practice, he de- 
 sired his old friend, Mr. Ashmole, to obtain 
 of his Grace Dr. Sheldon, then Lord Arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, a license for the prac- 
 tice of physick ; which upon application to 
 
OF HIS LTFE AND TIMES. 239 
 
 his Grace, and producing a testimonial [Oc- 
 tober 8, 1670,] under the hands of two phy- 
 sicians of the college in London, on Mr. 
 Lilly's behalf, he most readily granted, in 
 the manner following, viz. 
 
 ' Gilbertus providentia divina Cantua- 
 riensis Archiepiscopus totius Angliae Primas 
 & Metropolitanus, dilecto nobis in Christo 
 Gu li elmo Lilly in Medicinis Professori, 
 salutem, gratiam, & benedictionem. Cum 
 ex fide digna relatione acceperimus Te in 
 arte sive facultate Medicinse per non modi- 
 cum tempus versatum fuisse, multisque de 
 salute & sanitate corporis vere desperatis 
 (Deo Omnipotente adjuvante) subvenisse, 
 eosque sanasse, nee non in arte predicta 
 multorum peritorum laudabili testimonio pro 
 experientia, fidelitate, diligentia & industria 
 tuis circa curas quas susceperis peragendas 
 in hujusmodi Arte Medicinae meritd com- 
 
240 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 mendatum esse, ad practicandum igitur & 
 exercendum dictam Artem Medicinae in, & 
 per totam Provinciara nostram Cant' (Civi- 
 tate Lond' & circuitu septem milliarum eidem 
 prox' adjacen' tantummodo exceptis) ex 
 causis praedictis & aliis nos in hac per te 
 juste moventibus, praestito primitus per te 
 juramento de agnoscendo Regiam suprema 
 potestatem in causis ecclesiastieis & tempo- 
 ralibus ac de renunciando, refutando, & recu- 
 sando omni, & omnimodae jurisdiction!, potes- 
 tati, authoritati & superioritati foraneis juxta 
 vim formam & effectum statui Parliamenti 
 hujus inclyti Regni Angliae in ea parte editi 
 & provisi quantum nobis per statuta hujus 
 Regni Angliae liceat & non aliter neque alio 
 modo te admittimus & approbamus, tibique 
 Licentiam & Facultatem nostras in hac parte, 
 tenore praesentium quamdiu te bene & lauda- 
 biliter gesseris benigne concedimus & elargi- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 241 
 
 mur. In cujus rei testimonium sigillum(quo 
 in hac parte utimur) praesentibus apponi fe- 
 cimus. Dat. undecimo die mensis Octobris, 
 Anno Domini 1670. Nostraeque translationis 
 Anno Octavo. 
 
 Sigillum Radulph. Snowe 
 
 et }»Registrarii. 
 
 Edm. Sherman 
 
 S. Rich. Lloyd, Sur. 
 
 * Vicarii in Spiritualibus Generalis 
 per Provinciam Cantuariensem.' 
 
 Hereupon he began to practise more open- 
 ly, and with good success ; and every Satur- 
 day rode to Kingston, where the poorer sort 
 flocked to him from several parts, and re- 
 ceived much benefit by his advice and pre- 
 scriptions, which he gave them freely, and 
 
242 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 without money. From those that were more 
 able, he now and then received a shilling, 
 and sometimes an half crown, if they offered it 
 to him, otherwise he demanded nothing ; 
 and, in truth, his charity towards poor peo- 
 ple was very great, no less than the care and 
 pains he took in considering and weighing 
 their particular cases, and applying proper 
 remedies to their infirmities, which gained 
 him extraordinary credit and estimation. 
 
 He was of a strong constitution, and con- 
 tinued generally in good health, till the 16th 
 of August 1674, when a violent humour dis- 
 covered itself in red spots all over his body, 
 with little pushes in his head. This, in the 
 winter [18 December] following, was se- 
 conded by a distemper whereof he fell sick, 
 and was let blood in the left foot, a little 
 above the ancle. 
 
 The 20th of December following, a hu- 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 243 
 
 mour descended from his head to his left 
 side, from eight o'clock at night till the next 
 morning; and then staying a while in the 
 calf of his leg, at length descended towards 
 his toes, the anguish whereof put him into a 
 fever. This humour fixed in two places on 
 the top of his left foot (one in that where he 
 was let blood two days before) which (upon 
 application of pledgets) growing ripe, they 
 were [28 Dec] lanced by Mr. Agar of King- 
 ston, his apothecary (and no less a skilful 
 Surgeon:) after which he began to be at 
 ease, his fever abated, and within five months 
 the cure was perfected. 
 
 The 7th of November 1675, he was taken 
 with a violent fit of vomiting for some hours, 
 to which a fever succeeded, that continued 
 four months : this brought his body exceed- 
 ing low, together with a dimness in his eyes, 
 
244 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 which after occasioned him to make use of 
 Mr. Henry Coley, as his amanuensis, to tran- 
 scribe (from his dictates) his astrological 
 judgments for the year 1677 ; but the month- 
 ly observations for that year, were written 
 with his own hand some time before, though 
 by this time he was grown very dim-sighted. 
 His judgments and observations for the suc- 
 ceeding years, till his death, (so also for the 
 year 1682,) were all composed by his direc- 
 tions, Mr. Coley coming to Hersham the be- 
 ginning of every summer, and stayed there, 
 till, by conference with him, he had dis- 
 patched them for the press; to whom, at 
 these opportunities, he communicated his 
 way of judgment, and other astrological ar- 
 canas. 
 
 In the beginning of the year 1681, he had 
 a flux, which weakened him much, yet after 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 253 
 
 Which long expected was, and might have still 
 Expected been, had not our nation's ill 
 Drawn from the heavens a sympathetic tear : 
 England hath cause a second drought to fear. 
 We have no second LILLY, who may die, 
 And by his death may make the heavens cry. 
 Then let your annals, Coley, want this day, 
 Think every year leap-year ; or if 't must stay, 
 Cloath it in black; let a sad note stand by, 
 And stigmatize it to posterity. 
 
 Here follows the Copy of an Indictment filed 
 against Mr. Lilly, for which see page 167 
 of his Life. 
 
 The jurors for the Lord Protector of the com- 
 monwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, 
 &c. upon their oaths do present, that William 
 Lilly, late of the Parish of St. Clements 
 Danes, in the County of Middlesex, Gent, 
 not having the fear of God before his eyes, 
 but being moved and seduced by the insti- 
 
254 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 gationof the devil, the 10th day of July, in 
 the Year of our Lord, 1654, at the Parish 
 aforesaid, in the County aforesaid, wickedly, 
 unlawfully, and deceitfully, did take upon 
 him, the said William Lilly, by inchantment, 
 charm, and sorcery, to tell and declare to one 
 Anne East, the wife of Alexander East, where 
 ten waistcoats, of the value of five pounds, 
 of the goods and chattels of the said Alexan- 
 der East, then lately before lost and stolen 
 from the said Alexander East, should be 
 found and become ; and two shilling and six- 
 pence in monies numbred, of the monies of 
 the said Alexander, from the said Anne East, 
 then and there unlawfully and deceitfully, 
 he, the said William Lilly, did take, receive, 
 and had, to tell and declare to her the said 
 Anne, where the said goods, so lost and stolen 
 as aforesaid, should be found and become : 
 And also that he, the said William Lilly, on 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 255 
 
 the said tenth day of July, in the Year of our 
 Lord, 1654, and divers other days and times, 
 as well before as afterwards,. at the said Parish 
 aforesaid, in the County aforesaid, unlawfully 
 and deceitfully did take upon him, the said 
 William Lilly, by inchantment, charm, and 
 sorcery, to tell and declare to divers other 
 persons, to the said jurors, yet unknown, 
 where divers goods, chattels, and things of 
 the said persons yet unknown, there lately 
 before lost and stolen from the said persons 
 yet unknown, should be found and become ; 
 and divers sums of monies of the said persons 
 yet unknown, then and there unlawfully and 
 deceitfully, he the said William Lilly did take, 
 receive, and had, to tell and declare to the 
 said persons yet unknown, where their goods, 
 chattels, and things, so lost and stolen, as 
 aforesaid, should be found and become, in 
 contempt of the laws of England, to the great 
 
256 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 damage and deceit of the said Alexander and 
 Anne, and of the said other persons yet un- 
 known, to the evil and pernicious example of 
 all others in the like case offending, against 
 the form of the statute in this case made and 
 provided, and against the publick peace, &c. 
 
 Anne East, 
 Emme Spencer, 
 Jane Gold, 
 Katherine Roberts, 
 Susannah Hulinge. 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 257 
 
 Butlers Character of William Lilly. 
 
 * " A cunning man, hight Sidrophel. 
 That deals in destiny's dark counsels, 
 And sage opinions of the moon sells ; 
 To whom all people, far and near, 
 On deep importances repair ; 
 When brass and pewter hap to stray, 
 And linen slinks out of the way : 
 
 * A cunning man, hight Sidrophel.] "William Lilly, the famous 
 astrologer of those times, who in his yearly almanacks foretold victories for 
 the parliament with as much certainty as the Preachers did in their sermons ; 
 and all or most part of what is ascribed to him by the Poet, the reader will 
 find verified in his " Letter," (if we may believe it) wrote by himself to 
 Elias Ashmole, Esq." For further curious information respecting William 
 Lilly, the reader may consult Dr. Grey's Notes to Uvdibras, vol. ii. page 
 163, &c Edition 1819, in 3 vols. 8vo. 
 
258 LILLY'S HISTORY 
 
 When geese and pullen are seduc'd, 
 And sows of sucking pigs are clious'd : 
 When cattle feel indisposition, 
 And need th' opinion of physician ; 
 When murrain reigns in hogs or sheep, 
 And chickens languish of the pip ; 
 When yeast and outward means do fail, 
 And have no power to work on ale ; 
 When butter does refuse to come, 
 And love proves cross and humoursome ; 
 To him with questions and with urine, 
 
 They for discov'ry flock, or curing. . 
 
 # * * * * * 
 
 He had been long t' wards mathematics, 
 Opticks, philosophy, and staticks, 
 Magick, horoscopy, astrology, 
 And was old dog at physiology : 
 But, as a dog that turns the spit, 
 Bestirs himself, and plies his feet 
 To climb the wheel, but all in vain, 
 His own weight brings him down again ; 
 And still he's in the self-same place, 
 Where at his setting out he was : 
 
 s 
 
OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES. 259 
 
 So, in the circle of the arts, 
 Did he advance his nat'ral parts : 
 Till falling back still, for retreat, 
 He fell to juggle, cant, and cheat : 
 For as those fowls that live in water 
 Are never wet, he did but smatter : 
 Whate'er he labour'd to appear, 
 
 His understanding still was clear, ta 
 
 Yet none a deeper knowledge boasted, 
 
 Since old Hodge Bacon, and Bob Grosted, 
 
 * * * * * * 
 
 Do not our great Reformers use 
 This Sidrophel to forebode news ? 
 To write of victories next year, 
 And castles taken yet i'th' air? 
 Of battles fought at sea, and ships 
 Sunk, two years hence, the last eclipse ? 
 A total o'erthrow giv'n the King 
 In Cornwall, horse and foot, next spring? 
 And has not he point-blank foretold r - 
 
 Whatso'er the Close Committee would;? 
 Made Mars and Saturn for the cause, 
 The Moon for fundamental laws ; 
 
260 LILLY'S HISTORY OF HIS LIFE, &c. 
 
 The Ram, the Bull, the Goat, declare 
 Against the Book of Common Prayer ; 
 The Scorpion take the Protestation, 
 And Bear engage for Reformation ; 
 Made all the royal stars recant, 
 Compound, and take the covenant." 
 
 LBAp'3C 
 
 THE END 
 
 MAURICE, PRINTER, FENCIIURCH STREET. 
 
 / 
 
 8350 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 J.°^K 
 
 » CV 
 

 K ^rrf •'*../ e o/ 7 f^ jP 
 
 %>. 
 
 
 >* V'-'V V*^> V T ^-\ 
 
 *&&y> y.<Sfc\ **£&** / 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 ^ **.ji^V v/^i*.*> ^-Stf^ 
 
 ,*^r 
 
 
 LV«\ 
 
 I* .«? v »?W:* ♦* % 'MPs & "% %w.' 
 
 c> *o # , * a 
 
 
 1* 
 
 ^ 
 
 *bv* : 
 
 » ^ 
 ^ ^ 
 
 .*/^v*\ v^tfte-V J.*** 
 
 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 021 103 874 3 
 
 ■I 
 
 
 mm 
 
 N9 
 
 Hi