alarmed the hearts of you believers in Christ, and not only of such as are simple-minded, but even of those among you who are believed to be wise. For they say that in the year which is the five hundred and seventy-second of the Alligera,4 9 and the one thousand one hundred and eighty-sixth from the Incarnation of your Lord Christ, in the month which you call September, there is to be a very mighty wind, such as is not often experienced, which shall destroy cities and towns, and overthrow everything it meets on the earth in its course. This wind shall come, they say, from the West, and shall extend even unto the East ; and after the wind a most dreadful stench, that shall destroy human beings. Of this circumstance they allege no further cause than that the planets will come in conjunction in libra, which is an aerial sign, and therefore a cause of windy weather. Now, it may at once be answered these persons, by even our children, that not only is Libra an aërial sign, but so also are Gemini and Aquarius aerial signs ; in both of which, many planets have come in conjunction, and still no danger of winds or of pestilential exhalations or of mortality has ensued. But while Saturn and Mars are two unfortunate stars, Jupiter and Venus are fortunate ones and propitious ; wherefore, if they shall happen to be in the same sign with the others, without any setting or attractions,60 or shall keep themselves duly balanced, their beneficent effect wiU temper the evil effects of the former ones. But on the day of the month in which they say that this will take place, Mars wiU not be in Libra, but in the thirteenth degree of Virgo ; while Venus in Scorpio, which is the house of Mars, wiB entirely do away with all the evil influence of Mars, both as regards his house in which she is reigning, as also in consequence of the respect due to her sex, by means of which she attracts Mars to feelings of courtesy towards her. Jupiter also, wiB assuage the disastrous influence of Saturn, Mercury being nearer to Jupiter than Saturn. Such persons ought also to recoUect, that inasmuch as Saturn performs his revolution once in thirty years, he remains two years and a half in each of the signs;6 1 whereas Mars accomplishes his course through each 4 9 Clearly meaning the Hegira. See the note to page 36. 5° It may appear doubtful, except to those versed in astrological lore, what is meant by " Si in eodem signo fuerint cum eis sine respecta, aut applicatione." 6 1 In each revolution.