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| He Refutes the Divinations of the Astrologers, Deduced from the Constellations.
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Chapter VI.—He Refutes the
Divinations of the Astrologers, Deduced from the
Constellations.
8. Now also had I repudiated the lying
divinations and impious absurdities of the astrologers. Let Thy
mercies, out of the depth of my soul, confess unto thee489
for this
also, O my God. For Thou, Thou altogether,—for who else is it
that calls us back from the death of all errors, but that Life
which knows not how to die, and the Wisdom which, requiring no
light, enlightens the minds that do, whereby the universe is
governed, even to the fluttering leaves of trees?—Thou providedst
also for my obstinacy wherewith I struggled with Vindicianus,490
| 490 See iv. sec. 5, note, above. | an acute old
man, and Nebridius, a young one of remarkable talent; the former
vehemently declaring, and the latter frequently, though with a
certain measure of doubt, saying, “That no art existed by which
to foresee future things, but that men’s surmises had oftentimes
the help of luck, and that of many things which they foretold some
came to pass unawares to the predictors, who lighted on it by their
oft speaking.” Thou, therefore, didst provide a friend for me,
who was no negligent consulter of the astrologers, and yet not
thoroughly skilled in those arts, but, as I said, a curious
consulter with them; and yet knowing somewhat, which he said he had
heard from his father, which, how far it would tend to overthrow
the estimation of that art, he knew not. This man, then, by name
Firminius, having received a liberal education, and being well
versed in rhetoric, consulted me, as one very dear to him, as to
what I thought on some affairs of his, wherein his worldly hopes
had risen, viewed with regard to his so-called constellations; and
I, who had now begun to lean in this particular towards
Nebridius’ opinion, did not indeed decline to speculate about the
matter, and to tell him what came into my irresolute mind, but
still added that I was now almost persuaded that these were but
empty and ridiculous follies. Upon this he told me that his father
had been very curious in such books, and that he had a friend who
was as interested in them as he was himself, who, with combined
study and consultation, fanned the flame of their affection for
these toys, insomuch that they would observe the moment when the
very dumb animals which bred in their houses brought forth, and
then observed the position of the heavens with regard to them, so
as to gather fresh proofs of this so-called art. He said, moreover,
that his father had told him, that at the time his mother was about
to give birth to him (Firminius), a female servant of that friend
of his father’s was also great with child, which could not be
hidden from her master, who took care with most diligent exactness
to know of the birth of his very dogs. And so it came to pass that
(the one for his wife, and the other for his servant, with the most careful
observation, calculating the days and hours, and the smaller
divisions of the hours) both were delivered at the same moment, so
that both were compelled to allow the very selfsame constellations,
even to the minutest point, the one for his son, the other for his
young slave. For so soon as the women began to be in travail, they
each gave notice to the other of what was fallen out in their
respective houses, and had messengers ready to despatch to one
another so soon as they had information of the actual birth, of
which they had easily provided, each in his own province, to give
instant intelligence. Thus, then, he said, the messengers of the
respective parties met one another in such equal distances from
either house, that neither of them could discern any difference
either in the position of the stars or other most minute points.
And yet Firminius, born in a high estate in his parents’ house,
ran his course through the prosperous paths of this world, was
increased in wealth, and elevated to honours; whereas that
slave—the yoke of his condition being unrelaxed—continued to
serve his masters, as Firminius, who knew him, informed me.
9. Upon hearing and believing these things, related
by so reliable a person, all that resistance of mine melted away;
and first I endeavoured to reclaim Firminius himself from that
curiosity, by telling him, that upon inspecting his constellations,
I ought, were I to foretell truly, to have seen in them parents
eminent among their neighbours, a noble family in its own city,
good birth, becoming education, and liberal learning. But if that
servant had consulted me upon the same constellations, since they
were his also, I ought again to tell him, likewise truly, to see in
them the meanness of his origin, the abjectness of his condition,
and everything else altogether removed from and at variance with
the former. Whence, then, looking upon the same constellations, I
should, if I spoke the truth, speak diverse things, or if I spoke
the same, speak falsely; thence assuredly was it to be gathered,
that whatever, upon consideration of the constellations, was
foretold truly, was not by art, but by chance; and whatever
falsely, was not from the unskillfulness of the art, but the error
of chance.
10. An opening being thus made, I ruminated
within myself on such things, that no one of those dotards (who
followed such occupations, and whom I longed to assail, and with
derision to confute) might urge against me that Firminius had
informed me falsely, or his father him: I turned my thoughts to
those that are born twins, who generally come out of the womb so
near one to another, that the small distance of time between
them—how much force soever they may contend that it has in the
nature of things—cannot be noted by human observation, or be
expressed in those figures which the astrologer is to examine that
he may pronounce the truth. Nor can they be true; for, looking into
the same figures, he must have foretold the same of Esau and
Jacob,491
| 491 He uses the same illustration when speaking of the
mathematici, or astrologers, in his De Doct. Christ.
ii. 33. | whereas the
same did not happen to them. He must therefore speak falsely; or if
truly, then, looking into the same figures, he must not speak the
same things. Not then by art, but by chance, would he speak truly.
For Thou, O Lord, most righteous Ruler of the universe, the
inquirers and inquired of knowing it not, workest by a hidden
inspiration that the consulter should hear what, according to the
hidden deservings of souls, he ought to hear, out of the depth of
Thy righteous judgment, to whom let not man say, “What is
this?” or “Why that?” Let him not say so, for he is
man.
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