William Lilly's History of His Life and Times, from the Year 1602 to 1681Lilly, William
Religion
William Lilly's History of His Life and Times, from the Year 1602 to 1681
Lilly, William
Astrologers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Astrology; Lilly, William, 1602-1681
All the ancient astrologers of England were much startled and confounded
at my manner of writing, especially old Mr. William Hodges, who lived
near Wolverhampton in Staffordshire, and many others who understood
astrology competently well, as they thought. Hodges swore I did more by
astrology than he could by the crystal, and use thereof, which indeed he
understood as perfectly as any one in England. He was a great royalist,
but could never hit any thing right for that party, though he much
desired it: he resolved questions astrologically; nativities he meddled
not with; in things of other nature, which required more curiosity, he
repaired to the crystal: his angels were Raphael, Gabriel, and Uriel:
his life answered not in holiness and sanctity to what it should, having
to deal with those holy angels. Being contemporary with me, I shall
relate what my partner John Scott, the same Scott as is
before-mentioned, affirmed of him. John Scott was a little skilful in
surgery and physick, so was Will Hodges, and had formerly been a
school-master. Scott having some occasions into Staffordshire, addressed
himself for a month or six weeks to Hodges, assisted him to dress his
patients, let blood, &c. Being to return to London, he desired Hodges to
shew him the person and feature of the woman he should marry. Hodges
carries him into a field not far from his house, pulls out his crystal,
bids Scott set his foot to his, and, after a while, wishes him to
inspect the crystal, and observe what he saw there. 'I see,' saith
Scott, 'a ruddy complexioned wench in a red waistcoat, drawing a can of
beer.' 'She must be your wife,' said Hodges. 'You are mistaken, Sir,'
said Scott. 'I am, so soon as I come to London, to marry a tall
gentlewoman in the Old Bailey.' 'You must marry the red waistcoat,' said
Hodges. Scott leaves the country, comes up to London, finds his
gentlewoman married: two years after going into Dover, in his return, he
refreshed himself at an inn in Canterbury, and as he came into the hall,
or first room thereof, he mistook the room, and went into the buttery,
where he espied a maid, described by Hodges, as before said, drawing a
can of beer, &c. He then more narrowly viewing her person and habit,
found her, in all parts, to be the same Hodges had described; after
which he became a suitor unto her, and was married unto her; which woman
I have often seen. This Scott related unto me several times, being a
very honest person, and made great conscience of what he spoke. Another
story of him is as followeth, which I had related from a person which
well knew the truth of it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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