The Moon (says Barrett) measures the whole space of the Zodiac in the time of 28 days, hence it is that the wise men of the Indians, and most of the ancient astrologers have granted 28 mansions to the Moon, which, being fixed in the eighth sphere, do enjoy divers names and properties, from the various signs and stars which are contained in them; through which, while the Moon wanders, it obtains many other powers and virtues; but every one of these mansions, according to the opinion of Abraham, contained twelve degrees, and fifty-one minutes, and almost twenty-six seconds. In the first quarter of these mansions the 1st conduces to discords and journies; the second to the finding of treasures, and to the retaining of captives; the 3rd to benefit sailors, huntsmen, and alchymists; the 4th the destruction and hindrances of buildings, fountains, mills, gold mines, the flight of creeping things, and begets discord; the 5th to help the return from a journey, the instruction of scholars, and confirms edifices, gives good health and good will; the 6th to hunting and besieging towns, and revenge of princes, destroying harvests and fruits, and hinders the operation of the physician; the 7th to confirm gain and friendship; is profitable to lovers, and destroys magistracies. In a similar manner the remaining three quarters have the characters of their several mansions allotted to them with equal exactness, and of course indisputable veracity also. We have here a fair example of the arrogant assumptions of ancient and indeed of all astrologers, magicians, and sorcerers, men who are incompetent to elucidate the ordinary phenomena of nature in the animal or vegetable creation, and yet with unbounded effrontery affect to build up an empirical system, delivered in a language of their own invention, a pompous parade of jargon made up of the most incomprehensible materials--which if wholly due to antiquity partakes of ancient simplicity, credulity, deceit, and superstition; and if somewhat polished and refined to suit the advances of literature and science, has never been able to prove the correctness of its groundwork, or afford a solitary instance of its possessing any meritorious quality beneficial to mankind; while on the other hand its evil consequences have been many, by destroying the peace and happiness of thousands, encouraging deceit, and misapplying in its ignoble pursuit the time and labour and property of its ardent but deluded admirers.