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whole olympiads and divers decads of years. For as Censorinus relateth, the ancient Arcadians observed a year of three months, the Carians of six, the Iberians of four; and as Diodorus and Xenophon de Equivocis allege, the ancient Egyptians have used a year of three, two, and one month: so that the climacterical was not only different unto those nations, but unreasonably distant from ours; for sixty-three will pass in their account, before they arrive so high as ten in ours.

Nor, if we survey the account of Rome itself, may we doubt they were mistaken, and if they feared climacterical years, might err in their numeration. For the civil year, whereof the people took notice, did sometimes come short, and sometimes exceed the natural. For according to Varro, Suetonius, and Censorinus, their year consisted first of ten months; which comprehend but 304 days, that is, sixty-one less than ours containeth; after by Numa or Tarquin, from a superstitious conceit of imparity, were added fifty-one days, which made 355, one day more than twelve revolutions of the moon. And thus a long time it continued, the civil compute exceeding the natural; the correction whereof, and the due ordering of the leap-year was referred unto the Pontifices; who either upon favour or malice, that some might continue their offices a longer or shorter time, or from the magnitude of the year, that men might be advantaged, or endamaged in their contracts, by arbitrary intercalations, depraved the whole account. Of this abuse Cicero accused Verres, which at last proceeded so far, that when Julius Cæsar came unto that office, before the redress hereof he was fain to insert two intercalary months unto November and December, when he had already inserted twenty-three days unto February; so that the year consisted of 445 days; a quarter of a year longer than that we observed; and though at the last the year was reformed, yet in the mean time they might be out wherein they summed up climacterical observations.

Lastly, one way more there may be of mistake, and that not unusual among us, grounded upon a double compute of the year; the one beginning from the 25th of March, the other from the day of our birth, unto the same again, which is the natural account. Now hereupon many men frequently

miscast their days; for in their age they deduce the account not from the day of their birth, but the year of our Lord, wherein they were born. So a man that was born in January, 1582, if he live to fall sick in the latter end of March, 1645, will sum up his age, and say I am now sixty-three, and in my climacterical and dangerous year; for I was born in the year 1582, and now it is 1645, whereas indeed he wanteth many months of that year, considering the true and natural account unto his birth; and accounteth two months for a year: and though the length of time and accumulation of years do render the mistake insensible; yet is it all one, as if one born in January, 1644, should be accounted a year old the 25th of March, 1645.4

All which perpended, it may be easily perceived with what insecurity of truth we adhere unto this opinion; ascribing not only effects depending on the natural period of time, unto arbitrary calculations, and such as vary at pleasure; but confirming our tenets by the uncertain account of others and ourselves, there being no positive or indisputable ground where to begin our compute. That if there were, men have been several ways mistaken; the best in some latitude, others in greater, according to the different compute of divers states, the short and irreconcilable years of some, the exceeding error in the natural frame of others, and the lapses and false deductions of ordinary accountants in most.

Which duly considered, together with a strict account and critical examen of reason, will also distract the witty determinations of astrology. That Saturn, the enemy of life, comes almost every seventh year, unto the quadrate or malevolent place; that as the moon about every seventh day arriveth unto a contrary sign, so Saturn, which remaineth about as many years as the moon doth days in one sign, and holdeth the same consideration in years as the moon in days, doth cause these periculous periods. Which together with other planets, and profection of the horoscope, unto the seventh house, or opposite signs every seventh year, oppresseth

▲ should be accounted a year old, &c.] Whereas, if born on the first of January, 1644, he would be only 85 days old on the 25th of March, that being the first day of the year 1645: still more strange does it sound, to assert that on the 24th of March, 1645, he would be a year older than on the 25th March of the same year.

living natures, and causeth observable mutations in the state of sublunary things.

Further satisfaction may yet be had from the learned discourse of Salmasius* lately published, if any desire to be informed how different the present observations are from those of the ancients; how every one hath different climactericals; with many other observables, impugning the present opinion.5

CHAPTER XIII.

Of the Canicular or Dog-days.

WHEREOF to speak distinctly.-Among the southern constellations, two there are which bear the name of the dog; the one in sixteen degrees of latitude, containing on the left thigh a star of the first magnitude, usually called Procyon or Anticanis, because say some it riseth before the other; which if truly understood, must be restrained unto those habitations, who have elevation of pole above thirty-two degrees. Mention thereof there is in Horace,† who seems to mistake or confound the one with the other; and after him in Galen, who is willing the remarkablest star of the other should be called by this name; because it is the first that ariseth in the constellation; which notwithstanding, to speak strictly, it is not; unless we except one of the third magnitude in the right paw, in his own and our elevation, and two more on his head in and beyond the degree of sixty. A second and more considerable one there is, and neighbour unto the other, in forty degrees of latitude, containing eighteen stars, whereof that in his mouth, of the first magnitude, the Greeks

*De Annis Climactericis.

Jam Procyon fuerit et stella vesani Leonis.

Which duly, &c.] The two concluding paragraphs were added in 2nd edition.

I subjoin several references here transcribed from a copy belonging to my late friend Rev. Jos. Jefferson; which may be useful to others, though I have not had opportunity to avail myself of them. See Pluche, i. 266.-Vid. J. F. Ringelbergii Lucubrationes de Annis Climactericis, p. 548.-Concerning an "odd number," see Stopford's PaganoPapismus, p. 262.-Jeff.

call Zɛípios, the Latins canis major, and we emphatically the dog-star.

Now from the rising of this star, not cosmically, that is, with the sun, but heliacally, that is, its emersion from the rays of the sun, the ancients computed their canicular days; concerning which, there generally passeth an opinion, that during those days all medication or use of physick is to be declined, and the cure committed unto nature. And therefore as though there were any feriation in nature or justitiums7 imaginable in professions, whose subject is natural, and under no intermissive, but constant way of mutation, this season is commonly termed the physician's vacation, and stands so received by most men. Which conceit, however general, is not only erroneous but unnatural, and subsisting upon foundations either false, uncertain, mistaken, or misapplied, deserves not of mankind that indubitable assent it findeth.8

For first, which seems to be the ground of this assertion, and not to be drawn into question, that is, the magnified quality of this star, conceived to cause or intend the heat of this season, whereby these days become more observable than the rest, we find that wiser antiquity was not of this opinion. For, seventeen hundred years ago it was a vulgar error rejected by Geminus, a learned mathematician, in his Elements of Astronomy, wherein he plainly affirmeth, that common opinion made that a cause, which was at first observed but as a sign; the rising and setting both of this star and others being observed by the ancients, to denote and testify certain points of mutation, rather than conceived to induce or effect the same. For our fore-fathers, saith he, observing the course of the sun, and marking certain muta

6

7 feriation.] Vacations. justitiums.] Probably, statute laws. there generally passeth, &c.] In the present day, it is difficult to believe that so absurd a position could have obtained general credence, even among the ignorant, much more that it could have exercised any influence on medical science. Yet that Sir Thomas knew it to have that influence in his day, is evident not only from the present, but especially from the concluding paragraph of this chapter. Nor is his estimate of the evil resulting from such a "vulgar error in practice' less forcibly proved by the pains, ingenuity, and labour, with which he attacks it, and from the great length to which his very judicious investigation of the subject is here carried..

tions to happen in his progress through particular parts of the zodiack, they registered and set them down in their parapegmes, or astronomical canons; and being not able to design these times by days, months, or years (the compute thereof, and the beginning of the year being different, according unto different nations), they thought best to settle a general account unto all, and to determine these alterations by some known and invariable signs; and such did they conceive the rising and setting of the fixed stars; not ascribing thereto any part of causality, but notice and signification. And thus much seems implied in that expression of Homer, when speaking of the dog-star he concludeth, кaкóv dé te oñμa TÉTUKTAI, Malum autem signum est; the same, as Petavius observeth, is implied in the word of Ptolemy, and the ancients, Tepi inionμwolwr, that is, of the signification of stars. The term of Scripture also favours it; as that of Isaiah, Nolite timere à signis cæli, and that in Genesis, ut sint in signa et tempora, let there be lights in the firmament, and let them be for signs and for seasons.

The primitive and leading magnifiers of this star were the Egyptians, the great admirers of dogs in earth and heaven; wherein they worshipped Anubis or Mercurius, the scribe of Saturn, and counsellor of Osyris, the great inventor of their religious rites, and promoter of good unto Egypt, who was therefore translated into this star; by the Egyptians called Sothis, and Siris by the Ethiopians, from whence that Sirius or the dog-star had its name is by some conjectured.9

And this they looked upon, not with reference unto heat, but celestial influence upon the faculties of man, in order to religion and all sagacious invention, and from hence derived the abundance and great fertility of Egypt, the overflow of Nilus happening about the ascent hereof; and therefore, in hieroglyphical monuments, Anubis is described with a dog's head, with a crocodile between his legs, with a sphere in his hand, with two stars, and a water-pot standing by him, implying thereby the rising and setting of the dog-star, and the inundation of the river Nilus.

But if all were silent, Galen hath explained this point

9 The primitive, &c.] This paragraph was added in 2nd edition; the next paragraph was added in the 3rd edition.

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