Herschel. Saturn, and Jupiter, all being in trine aspect at the same period, which occurs only in the course of many years. This mutual trine aspect, endured from January until May, and the effect of the joint influence of HERSCHEL and Saturn (both of them being of a cold nature) was to diminish the warm or rather temperate nature of Jupiter; and thence, when the Sun formed aspects with him, that mild state of the atmosphere which I HAD PREDICTED did NOT OCCUR." The Lieutenant afterward tells us that he believes that Herschel "produces nearly as much cold as Saturn.” But before he penned this apology for the inaccuracy of his predictions, he should have remembered that he had previously in the Horoscope (p. 38) affirined the power of Herschel to be "far inferior" to that of any other planet, and that the errors of the old astrologers, arising from their ignorance of his existence, "would neither be very frequent nor very EXTENSIVE," and it may also be remarked that the Lieut. has for some years been noticing the aspects of Herschel in his predictions; but as it is particularly the trine aspect of this planet which is now under consideration, I will refer to the Horoscope (p. 47), where he lays down some "general rules for predicting the weather":"It may be considered as a general principle that the Sun should be observed in the first place, whenever we desire to foresee the nature of the weather. Whatever planet the Sun is in conjunction, or zodiacal parallel, with, it will cause the weather to be of its nature at that time. The most powerful aspect next to a conjunction, is the opposition aspect, if it be one of the evil planets [Herschel is considered to be one of them]; and then the square, then the sesquiquadrate, and last the TRINE and sextile."-From the law of influence here laid down, we should suppose that the trine of HERSCHEL could have little effect upon the general state of the weather, particularly as his general power is "FAR INFERIOR" to that of any other planet. The Lieutenant being evidently somewhat abashed at his tremendous failures in this Almanack (1837), declines, for the future, predicting the daily changes of the weather; and these distracting influences of Herschel and Saturn having so bewildered him-so agitated his pericranium he is determined not to give them so much honour as heretofore in framing his predictions. He says, "It may be better, therefore, that instead of a daily prediction of the weather, I should confine myself to a judgment of the influence produced at each aspect formed by the Moon with the Sun (12 in each month), for although MINOR EFFECTS [O the poor planets] be produced by the duily aspects of the Moon with the planets, the more general and extended effects arise from the simultaneous action of the planets on both Sun and Moon, when these are in mutual aspect."-The Lieutenant assigns two reasons for this alteration, viz: “the present state of atmospherical astrology," and the weight of prejudice against it. O where are his former vauntings ?-Left in the Horoscope, at page 72, where he says, "Our prediction regarding the height of the thermometer on the 15th, as compared with its height on the 2nd, was again perfectly correct. promised, at page 54, that it would not reach 82 degrees on the 15th in London, as it did not on the 2nd; and though thirteen days later in the summer, it was, in fact, eight degrees lower in London, and six degrees lower in Liverpool, on the 15th, than on the 2nd."-The Lieut. then challenges the Meteorological Society to do anything like this. "But O, how are the mighty now fallen !”— The Lieutenant boasted (Ho. p. 54) that he was the first writer who had ever attempted daily predictions of the weather; but BY THE FORCE OF FACTS AGAINST HIM, he is We now compelled, in his predictions, to take a wider range, that his errors may be less easily detected. Mr. Murphy too, in his Weather Almanack," frequently attempts to foretel the course of the wind; but I pronounce all such attempts vain and impious; for facts prove their vanity, and the Bible, their impiety-see John iii. 8. Seeing, therefore, that the changes in the atmosphere which produce wind, are connected with causes which must for ever elude the scrutiny of man, we hope that all weather prophets will be contemned by every person who calls himself a Christian. XVIII.-PAGE 200. The Lieutenant, at page 37 of the Horoscope, gives the planets' places at the supposed time when Philippi, in Romania, with 70,000 souls, was swallowed up; and tells us, that Turkey in general is under the sign Virgo; but at page 20, the city of Paris is said to be ruled by Virgo; and, at page 71 of his Herald of Astrology, for 1832, we are told that Switzerland is ruled by Virgo. However, till the Lieutenant can give the public some satisfactory information respecting the known and natural connexion of the heavens with the different places on our globe, all his predictions respecting them should be utterly despised, as unworthy of the attention of a rational being: for, if no data for prediction can be found, it is certain that nothing can be predicted. |