Carto confesseth the influence of Stars to have a great hand to this peculiar disease, so doth Jason Pratensis, Lonicerius præfat. de Apoplexiâ, Ficinus, Fernelius, &c. P. Cnemander acknowledgeth the Stars an universal cause, the particular from parents, and the use of the six non-natural things. Baptista Port. mag. l. 1. c. 10, 12, 15. will have them causes to every particular individuum.

Instances and examples, to evince the truth of those Aphorisms, are common amongst those Astrologian Treatises. Cardan in his 37. geniture, gives instance in Math. Bolognius. Camerar. hor. natalit. centur. 7. genit. 6, & 7. of Daniel Gare, and others; but see Græcus cap. 33. Luc. Gauricus. Tract. 6. de Azemenis, &c.

the time of this melancholy is, when the significators of any geniture are directed according to Art, as the Hor: Moon, Hylech, &c. to the hostile beames or termes of ♄ and ♂ especially, or any fixed Star of their nature, or if ♄ by his revolution, or transitus, shall offend any of those radical promissors in the geniture.

Other signes there are taken from Physiognomy, Metoposcopy, Chiromancy, which because Joh. de Indagine, and Rotman the Landgrave of Hassia his Mathematician, not longe since in his Chiromancy; Baptista Porta in his celestial Physiognomy, have proved to hold great affinity with Astrology, to satisfie the curious, I am the more willing to insert.

The general notions Physiognomers give, be these; Black colour, argues natural melancholy; so doth leanness, hirsuitness, broad veines, much hair on the browes, saith Gratanarolus cap. 7. and a little Head, out of Aristotle, high sanguine, red colour shewes head melancholy; they that stutter and are bald, will be soonest melancholy, (as Avicenna supposeth) by reason of the drynes of their brains,

but he that will know more of the several signes of humors and wits out of Physiognomy, let him consult with old Adamantus and Polemus, that comment, or rather paraphrase upon Aristotles Physiognomy, Baptista Porta’s four pleasant books, Michael Scot de secretis naturæ, John de Indagine, Montaltus, Antony Zara. anat. ingeniorum. sect. 1. memb. 13. & lib. 4.

Chiromancy hath these Aphorismes to foretel melancholy. Tasneir. lib. 5. cap. 2. who hath comprehended the sum of John de Indagine: Tricassus, Corvinus, and others in his book, thus hath it; The Saturnine line going from the Rascetta through the hand, to Saturnes mount, and there intersected by certain little lines, argues melancholy; so if the vital and natural make an acute angle.

Aphorisme 100. The Saturnine, Epatick and natural lines, making a grosse triangle in the hand, argue as much; which Goclenius cap. 5. Chiros. repeats verbatim out of him. In general they conclude all, that if Saturnes mount be full of many small lines & intersections such men are most part melancholy, miserable and full of disquietnesse, care and trouble, continually vexed with anxious and bitter thoughts, alway sorrowful, fearful, suspitious; they delight in husbandry, buildings, pooles, Marshes, springs, woods, walkes, &c.

Thaddæus Haggesius in his Metoposcopia, hath certain Aphorisms derived from Saturnes lines in the fore-head, by which he collects a melancholy disposition; and Baptista Porta makes observations from those other parts of the body, as if a spot be over the spleen; or in the nailes, if it appear black, it signifieth much care, grief, contention, and Melancholy;

The reason he refers to the humors, and gives instance in himself, that for seven years space he had such black spots in his nailes, and all that while was in perpetual Law-sutes, controversies for his inheritance, fear, loss of honor, banishment, grief, care, &c. and when his miseries ended, the black spots vanished. Cardan in his book de libris propriis, tels such a story of his own person, that a little before his sons death, he had a black spot, which appeared in one of his nailes; and dilated it self as he came nearer to his end.

But I am overtedious in these toyes, which howsoever, in some mens too severe censures, they may be held absurd and ridiculous, I am the bolder to insert, as not borrowed from circumforanean Rogues and Gipsies, but out of the writings of worthy Philosophers, and Physitians, yet living some of them, and religious Professors in famous Universities, who are able to patronize that which they have said, and vindicate themselves from all cavillers and ignorant persons.