Ten Treatises on Astronomy (Book of Astronomy) (1506) - Page 16

...that leader of the army who was born at night:
they will both say, "Each leader was born at night; who will pre-
vail?" You will say: "That army will prevail which began to
fight first." And if they say: "Suppose both armies begin to fight
at once and the same time; which will prevail?" You will say: "The one that moved
from the east toward the west, or the one that moved
from the north toward the south." And that one will suc-
cumb who moved from the west toward the east,
or who moved from the south toward the north. And
they will then say—as if proposing something impossible—"Suppose both
armies moved from the east and toward the west,
or moved from the north and went toward the south; who
will prevail?" You will say that they are fools, and one should
not speak with them. For it seems impossible that two
armies, being enemies, should move from one and the same place
at once and the same time without there being some "easterliness" or "west-
erliness" or "northerliness" or "southerliness" between them.
But they, like fools or blasphemers, have said: "Let it be
posited that both armies move from the east,
or from the west, or from the south, or from the north." Then
it does not seem possible; and one must say to them that they are positing things unseen
and unheard of: that ever two armies held their feet
in one place when one began to go against the other; just as it is im-
possible for the sky to fall. But say to them: "If the sky were to fall,
where would the stars remain? And if the sky fell, would it not over-
whelm the earth? Suppose an ass could fly; the vulture would not lose its
flight." Thus, lest they say you have failed in reason, you will be
able to answer them in such a way that they will have nothing
further to ask; and so you will cut off every way of
questioning, criticizing, and blaspheming. And you will be
able to answer them thus: that the side where the Part of Fortune original: "pars fortune"; a mathematical point in a horoscope used to predict success or luck.
is found will prevail. The one who keeps their back toward the west
(or the parts most adjacent to it) and their face toward the east,
or their back toward the south (or the parts most adjacent
to it) and their face toward the north—that one will succumb. And the
one who keeps their back toward the east (or the parts most
adjacent to it) and their face toward the west, or their back
toward the north and their face toward the south (or the parts
most adjacent to it) will prevail. And thus are cut off and de-
stroyed all the ways of blasphemers and cursers. And
if they were to say again that the Part of Fortune will be on the side that holds
its back toward the south or toward the west, say that
the one on whose side the Part of Fortune is found [prevails], and thus will cease
their objections, which, though they seem to have the appearance [of truth],
nevertheless do not have the reality. ¶ The pilcrow symbol (¶) is used here to denote a new point or objection. There will also
perhaps rise up certain fools not speaking reasonably, [asking]: "Why
do you, who are an astrologer, allow any sinister thing to happen to you,
since you ought to foreknow all future things that ought to happen to you?"
To which we respond that such people count among "judgments" all
accidental occurrences in times that are almost imper-
ceptible, such as a thorn being stuck in a foot, or the foot
slipping so that a man falls, and similar accidents
about which there is no art. For judgment original: "iudicium"; the technical term for an astrological prediction or "reading." is not concerned except
with those things that can be deliberated upon before they happen.
Those things, however, which a sudden accident does not permit us to
deliberate upon, are left to the industry of the wise
or to caution; for they are not considered by art nor by na-
ture, but happen by chance, as they believe.

Chapter eleven against those who said universally that astrology was nothing, to show that it is something and what it is.

Following me speaking of the judgments of astronomy, and of
those things that seem to pertain to judgments, and of
those certain things I told you at the beginning of this work, it does
not seem inappropriate to me to tell you what astronomy is,
as the wise men of this science define it; and

to show those who said it was nothing, so that
they might clearly see that it is something, and is a useful,
truthful, natural, and good thing. For nothing in nature
is found which can by right be called evil, or useless,
or a lie, or false. "Astronomy is the rule of the stars,"
as certain wise men have defined it.
For a "rule" is a right ordering and a clear decla-
ration of that which is, according to the truth of its being—not that truth
is taken from the rule, but that the rule is born from that which is truth.
A legal expert, however, without changing the
meaning, says: "A rule is that which briefly tells what a thing is; not that the law
is taken from the rule, but from the law which exists, the rule
is made." Some, indeed, not far from these sentiments,
have defined it thus: "Astronomy is the science
through which there is knowledge not only of present things, but also of
past and future things." It is also defined in
another way according to its two parts or species: briefly, the con-
templative and the active, which are astrology and astronomy. In the medieval period, these two terms were often used interchangeably or with their modern meanings reversed. Here, the author distinguishes between the theory and the application.
I will tell you how these two parts differ.
Astrology, which is its contemplative part or species,
is the science of mobile magnitude, which
investigates the courses of the constellations and the habits of the stars around themselves
and around the earth by certain reason. And of this
part—namely, astrology—there are three divisions. The first of
these is about the numbers and figures of the celestial bodies; about
their orders in the world; about their quantities,
limits, proportions, and the quantities of the distances
between them. The second is about the movements in the
heavens—how many there are; and that all their movements
are spherical; and which of them is common to all the
stars, and which is their own particular movement; and how many kinds of movement there are for
each of them; and in which directions they move, which are six:
forward, backward (and under these are grouped "direction" and "retrograda-
tion"); then there are upward, downward, to the right, and to the
left. Others also see six [kinds of movement], though they do not seem to belong to the
consideration of the astrologer: generation and corruption,
increase and decrease, alteration and change according to place.
Some have said that "alteration" was not a movement.
[This part is also] about certain aspects and conjunctions,
when these happen, and similar things. The third part, indeed, inquires into
the inhabited part of the earth, and the uninhabited part; it holds the
disposition of the seven climates original: "climatum"; ancient latitudinal zones used to map the known world. and the diversity of day and
night according to each region.

Chapter twelve to know what astronomy is, which is the active part.

Astronomy, indeed, is its second part—namely, the active part—
although sometimes, indeed often, one name is used
for the other. Concerning this, these things can be inquired into: namely, what is
astronomy; what are its species; what is its of-
fice; what is its end; what are its instruments; who
is its practitioner; why it is called by such a name; and in what or-
der it is taught. Its definition is such as was said
above. But others define it in another way, saying:
"Astronomy is the science that describes the knowledge of the courses of the stars and their
disposition according to the opinion of those using it, by a fore-
guiding reason of times." Furthermore, each of
those parts is known by its own definition or "what-
ness." For it is a genus according to which it responds to a proposed
question as is appropriate, by judging the
position of the planets and signs and their nature.
There are, however, several other sciences of judging, according as
they propose questions through them: such as geomancy, which
is practiced in the earth and in other various ways suitable
to it; hydromancy in water; aeromancy in air; py-
romancy in fire; chiromancy in the hand, as Aristotle
witnesses in his Book of Animals; and spatulamancy in [shoulder blades].