Tetrabiblos (The Quadripartite Book)

surrounding us: and on account of the admixture of the virtues of the stars which are demonstrated in the air. And this which he said, that these accidents which happen to men are those which pertain to the spirit and to the body and to the virtues and works, from the beginning, he means to say that the accidents which happen to men are only according to the matter from which they are generated and the complexion which is formed in them on account of the commixture of the virtues of the stars which occurs in the air at the hour when they were generated. And that which he said, "that which follows this after the times of that thing which will operate in him and in times." He means that which follows the body of man and the spirit on account of the complexion which it receives from the beginning, because the complexions which occur later cannot operate in him otherwise except in adding to it or only in moving the things which happen outside those which have a natural and necessary participation with the aforesaid things. He means concerning the things which follow the body and the spirit from things which are outside them. And that which he said, "the participation which is between the body and that which it earns and its companion," he means on account of the home where the body lives, and the wife, and the children, which are things by which the body helps itself. And the participation which is between the spirit, the generation, and the dominion—he means that after the spirit is the generator of the body, the spirit desires that it should remain outside it, and after it cannot remain the same, that another might remain such as that generation of it. And the spirit loves one on account of that which enters into man and that which it earns on account of this honor, all the things of which it is in need. For you will understand the certainty of this from the piety which we have in children, because naturally we love everyone; and because many have life by [their own] power and demand dominion. And that which he said, "that which it can have in the times," he means that which a man can have from these things which he said at some time and not another, such as is the woman whom a man cannot have until he is of age. But all these things until here he taught us generally, and from here forward, all things particularly, when he shall have arrived at their places.

¶ Here, however, we shall indicate the remainder of the promises, which is to investigate briefly the utility of this work.

¶ We, however, wish to say briefly that which remained of the reason which we received, for demonstrating the profit which lies in this art.

¶ He said briefly that if one wished to narrate the whole profit which lies in this art, it would be prolonged too much.

¶ But we have proposed to fore-note the manner and intention of extending the quantities of the fruit of this science.

¶ And we begin first to narrate the end of the proposition, where we wish to know the virtue and profit of this art.

¶ He means that he will show the end of the profit that a man can have in this art.

¶ For we shall say that if we should wish to consider the quantity of this utility which pertains to the soul, we shall find it to be nothing from which alacrities arise, because the soul assumes so much improvement. We say indeed there is nothing in which the soul earns so much as in the prognostication of this science. Through it, indeed, we arrive at the knowledge of divine and human things.

¶ We say, therefore, that if we should look into the virtue of the profit which lies in it on account of the spirit, we shall find that there is no thing which profits the soul so much, nor does it so exhilarate it, nor does it direct it, as much as knowing those things which are to come through this art, because man reaches human and divine things through it.

¶ When we shall have known through this art the customs coming through the virtues of the spirit, because of the fact that it follows the complexion of the body, if any malice should appear in them, we shall be able to direct them and amend them in the manner in which the philosophers spoke in their books; and if we have understood through this art that there are good customs therein, we shall increase and affirm them more. And this we can do in childhood, and in greater age when the customs of what sort they are will appear fully, because then it is very difficult to change them. Furthermore, when we shall have known through astronomy those things to which the spirit is more ready or alienated, thus we shall arrange the mastercrafts of science or laws concerning that thing to which the soul is more ready, and we shall leave that to which it is ready. And thus we shall excuse the pain and labor of the body and of the spirit, because he labors in vain who is [engaged] in a thing to which his soul is not ready. For such things we can have only through this art, and not through another. And since it is so, there is nothing through which we can better erect and gladden the soul than through this art, nor can one make greater profit for it. And since we learn those things concerning which we are ready better and with much ease if we involve ourselves in them, these are the human things which he said. Divine things, which he said to us, are the power of the stars, which a man can have once he has been prepared for them; and this power is to know God, as the ancient philosophers taught.

¶ Moreover, the utility of the body, since we deny that we arrive at those things which are discovered to be appropriate to each opinion except through the knowledge of this work.

¶ And similarly the profit of the body, which through this art we can know, are those things which are convenient and stable to each opinion.

¶ The profit of the body is to observe health and to lift infirmity from it; and when we shall have known before through astronomy what the complexion of the body will be and what manner of infirmities will happen to him in future times, we shall know how we shall prepare that body for its health being observed and for defending it from infirmity. And since it is so, there is nothing which profits the body more than to know through this art those things which are future.

¶ In riches, however, and dignities, and in things similar to these, we can see that which we consider in the whole of philosophy. For it is not the role of philosophy by itself that it might lead anyone to any profit of the aforesaid, nor yet is it suitable that they be despised by men. Similarly, therefore, neither on account of this occasion is this science to be blamed, nor are its great utilities to be postponed.

¶ Similarly, however, in the honors and great riches [sought] through this art, we must say that which we say in philosophy: that philosophy does not hold it proper for philosophers to earn great riches and status, yet it is not right that on account of this philosophy be dishonored; and similarly we ought not to dishonor this art nor leave other great profits which we can have therefrom.

¶ He wishes to say that philosophy does not have by its nature that it gives riches, but yet through it a man arrives at knowing the ways by which he can better earn. Similarly, this art, not by its own nature, but through knowing it, a man can arrive at great riches, because it teaches men to do things by which they help themselves much in earning good and many profits. Wherefore it does not befit one to dishonor philosophy in this art, by the fact that by itself it does not give great riches immediately, nor that a man should leave the honors and great profits which he can have for the body and soul, as he said.

¶ Similarly, however, the reasons of those blaming this science, and saying it to be of no utility, will be apparent to those noting that they have not brought these things forth truthfully. For their foolish deliberation was more inclined to this: that they should say that prognostications of things happening inevitably are superfluous and useless. To these their words are dissolute, lacking subtle aspect and suitable knowledge.

¶ And generally I say that you will easily understand that those who dishonor this art, saying that there is no profit in knowing it, do not hold the way of truth; and that the others who said that there is no profit in knowing things before they are, spoke empty words and without discretion.

¶ He means to say that those who said that in knowing the future there is no profit, they have not inspected their own words and have uttered words such as happened to them, and they are not determined by proof.

¶ First, indeed, we must know that when things happening necessarily shall have happened to anyone, unless he fears much, perhaps they will harm him, and to such an extent that they will carry away their own memory, or confer so much joy or sadness that the same will happen.