IN offering an abstract of the most valuable of this clever astrologer's works to the notice of the public, I consider myself called upon to make some mention of his personal history. And it fortunately happens that this is not made up of imaginary ideas, founded on a few known facts, and a multiplicity of suppositions; for what we know of this man of extraordinary talent rests on the best evidence. He undertook, in his sixty-sixth year, to write a history of his own life to his "worthy friend," Elias Ashmole, Esq., afterwards Sir Elias Ashmole, the founder of the celebrated museum which bears his name. Mr. Ashmole made marginal notes therein, which testify his high opinion of our Author; and, fortunately for the cause of Astrology, this gentleman verified the correctness of the Figures of Heaven, which are given in the subsequent pages; for we find the following note at the foot of page 131:--"I devised the forms and fashions of the several schemes, E. A." This note was made after these observations of Lilly. "The desire I had to benefit posterity 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 finished the third book of nativities; during 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 The fact of this work having been chiefly composed under such awful circumstances, with a dreadful death immediately before his eyes, with the pestilence ravaging his own house-hold, might, with unprejudiced men, have been taken as a proof that the writer was sincere in what he wrote; and really believed in the truth of that which he taught to others as truth under the solemn appeal to Almighty God, which is so beautifully worded in his introductory epistle. Modern critics, however, can see no force in this argument, but unhesitatingly condemn William Lilly "as an accomplished impostor, and a knavish fortune-teller." 1 Such, reader, is the force of prejudice. It will not allow men to examine before they condemn; for if it did, then would the literary world speedily acknowledge the reality of those doctrines which our Author has so ably set forth in the following pages. William Lilly was born of an honest yeoman family, in the town of "Diseworth, seven miles south of the town of Derby, on the first day of May, 1602." At eleven years old he was sent to Ashby de la Zouch, to be instructed by one Mr. John Brindley. Here he says he learned the following authors, viz., Sententiæ Pueriles, Cato, Corderius, Æsop's Fables, Tully's Offices, Ovid de Tristibus; lastly, Virgil, then Horace; as also Camden's Greek Grammar, Theognis, and Homer's Iliads; and entered Udall's Hebrew Grammar. In the eighteenth year of his age his master "was enforced from keeping school, being persecuted by the Bishop's officers;" and our Author was "enforced to leave school." He then kept school himself for "one quarter of a year." On Monday, April 3rd, 1620, he left Diseworth and came to London, where he was compelled to accept the humble situation of a
In the year 1632 he began to study Astrology, being instructed in the rudiments by one Evans, a Welshman, of indifferent abilities. Lilly tells us that he applied himself to these interesting studies "many times, twelve, or fifteen, or eighteen hours, day and night;" adding, "I was curious to discover whether there was any verity in the art or not." By this his first wife he acquired a fortune of "very near to one thousand pounds." In the year 1634 he purchased the moiety of thirteen houses in the Strand, for which he gave £530. The figure of the heavens, erected on this occasion, will be found in the following pages. November the 18th, 1634, he married again, and had £500 portion with that wife. "She was of the nature of Mars," and he lived not very lovingly with her, as seems by his observations at her death. He appears to have now practised horary astrology with success, and to have instructed numerous individuals in the art; among others he taught John Humphreys, in the year 1640, for which service he received forty pounds. He also wrote, in the year 1639, a Treatise on the Eclipse of the Sun, May 22d, 1639; and appears, about that period, to He appears to have dabbled a little in magic also, but he soon "grew weary of such employment," and burned his books. Lilly's better sense led him to perceive which of these studies was worthy of an honest and intelligent man's pursuit, and which not. About April, 1644, he first published Merlinus Anglicus Junior. This work contained some of his most remarkable predictions, and was continued for many years. It attracted much attention, and was the means of adding greatly to the fame of our Author as an Astrologer. In that year he printed the White King's Prophecy, "of which were sold, in three days, eighteen hundred:" and some other works of like nature, the Prophetical Merlin, &c. In 1645 he was twice had before a Committee of the Parliament, for some observations in his Starry Messenger; but he escaped, partly by means of his numerous friends, and partly by his own ingenuity. In 1647, when he published the present work, he was introduced to General Fairfax, who paid him and his art some
In 1651 he published Monarchy or No Monarchy, which contained several hieroglyphics; among others those of the great plague and fire of London, which the reader will find a copy of in this work. These celebrated predictions were made by means of the motions of the fixed stars, as is evident by the words of Lilly; who says, "the asterisms and signs and constellations give greatest light thereunto." The Bull's North Horn, a star which, Ptolemy says, is "like Mars," was, in the year 1666, when the fire occurred, in ♊ 17° 54', which is the exact ascendant of London. It was, no doubt, by this means Lilly judged the city would suffer by fire; for in his Almanac for 1666 he states, that the 19th degree of ♊ is London's horoscope. Our Author was not very nice in his calculations; and it may be observed, that though it may be called the 19th degree, being within 6 minutes of it, yet, in reality, ♊ 17° 54' is the true ascendant of London. It was that which ascended at the moment of driving the first pile of the new London Bridge. The blood of the just, which has peen spilt in London, requires it to be burned with fire in sixty-six. He states that he made this prediction by "Astronomical Affections." In 1651 Lilly was again had before the Parliament, on ac-count of his predictions, and was thirteen days in the custody of the Serjeant-at-Arms. But the prediction which gave offence, viz. that the "Parliament stood upon a tottering foundation, and that the commonalty and soldiery would join together against them," was amply fulfilled by the members being turned out of doors by Oliver Cromwell. In February, 1654, his second wife died; and in October following he married a third, signified, in his nativity, "by Jupiter in Libra; and," says he, "she is so totally in her conditions. to my great comfort." "In 1666 happened," says our Author, "that miraculous conflagration in the city of London, whereby, in four days, the most part thereof was consumed by fire." He then gives an account of his being brought before the House of Commons by the following summons: MONDAY, 22nd OCTOBER, 1666. "At the Committee appointed to enquire after the causes of the late fires:-- "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 questions as shall be then and there asked him. "ROBERT BROOKE." "Sir Robert Brooke spoke to this purpose:-- "'Mr. Lilly, this Committee thought fit to summon you to appear before them this day, to know, if you can say anything 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, considering that in the three subsequent years the parliament acted nothing which concerned the settlement of the nation's peace, and seeing the generality of the people dissatisfied, the citizens of London discontented, the soldiery prone to mutiny, I was desirous, according to the best knowledge God had given me, to make enquiry by the art I studied, what might, from that time, happen unto the parliament and nation in general. At last, having satisfied myself as well as I could, and perfected my judgment therein, I thought it most convenient to signify my intentions and conceptions thereof in forms, shapes, types, hieroglyphicks, &c., without any commentary, 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. Having found, Sir, that the city of London should be sadly afflicted with a great plague, and not long after with an exhorbitant fire, I framed these two hieroglyphicks, as represented in the book, which, in effect, have proved very true." "Did you foresee the year?" said one. l did not," said
"The Committee seemed well pleased with what I spoke, and dismissed me with great civility." After this, nothing very remarkable happened to our Author. He left London, having acquired an independence, and settled at Hersham, in the year of the great plague, 1665. He then applied himself diligently to the study of physic, and on the 11th October, 1670, he received a licence to practise as a physician. He continued to practise with much success, no doubt by applying his astrological science thereto; and he gave his advice and, prescriptions freely, without money. His skill and his charity gained him extraordinary credit and estimation. He continued generally in good health till August, 1674; but his health and his eyesight remained very weak afterwards. He still continued to write his monthly observations and astrological judgments, though latterly by aid of an amanuensis (Mr. Henry Colley, who succeeded him as an astrologer), even until the year 1682. In the beginning of 1681 he was seized with a flux, which he recovered from, but then became totally blind. The 30th of May of that year he was seized with a dead palsy; and, after some days of severe suffering, he died about three o'clock on the morning of the 9th of June, 1681, "without any shew of trouble or pangs." He was buried in the chancel of Walton Church, his friend, A black marble stone was afterwards placed thereon by Ins friend, with the following inscription: Ne Oblivione Conteretur Urna ___________________________ "An Epistle to the Student in Astrology. "My Friend, whoever thou art, that with so much ease shalt receive the benefit of my hard studies, and doest intend to proceed in this heavenly knowledge of the starres; In the first place, consider and admire thy Creator, be thankful) unto him, and be humble, and let no naturall knowledge, how profound or transcendant soever it be, elate thy mind to neglect that Divine Providence, by whose al-seeing order and appointment all things heavenly and earthly have their constant motion: the more thy knowledge is enlarged, the more doe thou magnify the power and wisdome of Almighty God: strive to preserve thyself in his favour; for the more holy thou art, and more neer to God, the purer judgment thou shalt give. "Beware of pride and self-conceit: remember how that long agoe no irrationall creature thirst offend man the Macrocosme, but did faithfully serve and obey him; so long as he "WILLIAM LILLY."
2:1 Retrospective Review, vol. ii. p. 51. 4:1 See p. 101 of Lilly's History of his Life and Times. 12:1 I have retained the exact orthography of this epistle, which is a curious and interesting remnant of our author's day. It was penned in 1547.--ED.
GULIELMI LILLII
ASTROLOGI PERITISSIMI
QUI FATIS CESSIT
Quinto Idus Junii Anno Christo Juliano
MDCLXXXI
Hoc Illi posuit amoris Monumentum
ELIAS ASHMOLE
ARMIGER.
Footnotes