For they assigned the fingers of both hands to the planets, and chiefest stars, whereas there are but five fingers in one hand, and in both ten, yet the planets are reckoned but seven. How then can these things agree amongst themselves? Now if there were seven fingers on each hand, it then might bee granted, that every finger might bee ascribed to severall planets. [Sidenote: Whether the fingers be assigned to the Planets.] But yet it falls out many times, that some men may have but seven fingers on both hands, the rest being casually cut off: but seing that they were cut off, and just seven were not at their birth, this matter cannot be related hither. And if it should be so, that a man should bee borne with seven fingers, whether on one hand, or on both: yet that were monstrous, and beside the usuall order of Nature, and not subject to the stars. Therefore this also cannot belong to this place. But if there must be but five fingers on each hand, and seven planets, and these mutually bee compared amongst themselves, it would then be convenient that the lots of the planets should be put into a box, to know which two planets must give place, and bee left out. Yet because this cannot bee, and the planets have neither dice, nor lots in the Firmament; It would be worth wondering at, if any one should usurp this power to himself, as to allot by the name of the planet, and signe, the thumb to _Venus_, the fore-finger to _Iupiter_, the midle-finger to _Saturne_, the ring-finger to the _Sun_, and the little-finger to _Mercury_, in the meane time casting out _Mars_, and the _Moon_, as it were out of their tribe and liberty. Which things being so; who can wonder that _Mars_ doth stir up his sons with just indignation to kill that caster of lots, or to beare a perpetuall hatred against him? Who can wonder why the Moon should enfeeble the brain of that player, or take away his reason? And this is their first errour, which, as wee have said, they have committed in Chiromancy. The second errour in it is this: It oftentimes happens that the originall, and naturall lines of the hands are changed by hurts, and casualties, or are made greater, or lesser, or doe appear in other places. For as if there be a high-way obstructed by any thing or be stopt up by the fall of a mountain, or be spoiled by the overflowing of waters, men go about in another way neer to it: so it happens in the old lines of the hands, that sometimes after the curing of wounds, or ulcers, together with new flesh, also new lines doe grow out, and the old are quite abolished. In the same manner also by reason of hard labours the lines are defaced, or they which were originall grow great; as it is in trees: For if a young tree send forth many branches on all sides, these being cut off, the tree it selfe becomes bigger.