Book 11, Chapter 21: That figure-casters are witches, the uncerteintie of their art, and of their contradictions, Cornelius Agrippas sentence against judiciall astrologie
1 These casters of figures may bee numbred among the cousening witches, whose practise is above their reach, their purpose to gaine, their knowledge stolne from poets, their art uncerteine & full of vanitie, more plainly derided in the scriptures, than any other follie. And thereupon many other trifling vanities are rooted and grounded; as physiognomie, palmestrie, interpreting of dreames, monsters, auguries, &c: the professors whereof confesse this to be the necessarie key to open the knowledge of all their secrets. For these fellowes erect a figure of the heavens, by the exposition whereof (togither with the conjectures of similitudes and signes) they seeke to find out the meaning of the significators, attributing to them the ends of all things, contrarie to truth, reason, and divinitie: their rules being so inconstant, that few writers agree in the verie principles therof. For the Rabbins, the old and new writers, and the verie best philosophers dissent in the cheefe grounds thereof, differing in the proprietie of the houses, whereout they wring the foretelling of things to come, contending even about the number of spheres, being not yet resolved how to erect the beginnings and endes of the houses: for Ptolomie maketh them after one sort, Campanus after another, &c.
2 And as Alpetragus thinketh, that there be in the heavens diverse movings as yet to men unknowne, so doo others affirme (not without probabilitie) that there maie be starres and bodies, to whome these movings maie accord, which cannot be seene, either through their exceeding highnes, or that hitherto are not tried with anie observation of the art. The true motion of Mars is not yet perceived, neither is it possible to find out the true entring of the sunne into the equinoctiall points. It is not denied, that the astronomers themselves have received their light, and their verie art from poets, without whose fables the twelve signes and the northerlie and southerlie figures had never ascended into heaven. And yet (as C. Agrippa saith) astrologers doo live, cousen men, and game by these fables; whiles the poets, which are the inventors of them, doo live in beggerie.
3 Rabbi Levi. C. Agrip. in lib. de vanit. scient. Archelaus. Cassander.
4 The verie skilfullest mathematicians confesse, that it is unpossible to find out anie certeine thing concerning the knowledge of judgements, as well for the innumerable causes which worke togither with the heavens, being all togither, and one with the other to be considered: as also bicause influencies doo not constraine but incline. For manie ordinarie and extraordinarie occasions doo interrupt them; as education, custome, place, honestie, birth, bloud, sicknesse, health, strength, weakenes, meate, drinke, libertie of mind, learning, &c. And they that have written the rules of judgement, and agree neerest therein, being of equall authoritie and learning, publish so contrarie opinions upon one thing, that it is unpossible for an astrologian to pronounce a certeintie upon so variable opinions; & otherwise, upon so uncerteine reports no man is able to judge herein. So as (according to Ptolomie) the foreknowledge of things to come by the starres, dependeth as well upon the affections of the mind, as upon the observation of the planets, proceeding rather from chance than art, as whereby they deceive others, and are deceived themselves also.
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