ned him to
presage of matters to come, which have come to pass since his death. The
like praise won he with his calendars and almanack-making; for when he
presaged of anything, operations, and alterations of the weather or
elements, as wind, rain, fogs, snow, hail, moist, dry, warm, cold,
thunder, lightning, it fell so duly out, as if an angel of heaven had
forewarned it. He did not, like the unskilful astronomers in our time,
that set in winter, cold moist air, frosty, and in the dog days, hot,
dry, thunder, fire, and such like; but he set in all his works the day
and hour, when, where, and how it should happen. If any wonderful things
were at hand, as mortality, famine, plague, wars, he would set the time
and place, in true and just order, when it would come to pass.

CHAPTER XVIII.

_A Question put forth by Dr. Faustus to his Spirit, concerning
Astronomy._

Now Faustus falling to practice, and making his prognostications, he was
doubtful in many points, wherefore he called unto him Mephistophiles his
spirit, saying, "I find the ground of the science very difficult to
attain unto; for when that I confer Astronomia and Astrologia, as the
mathematicians and ancient writers have left in memory, I find them
vary, and very much to disagree; wherefore I pray thee to teach me the
truth of this matter."

To whom his spirit answered: "Faustus, thou shalt know that the
practitioners or speculators, or at least the first inventors of these
arts, have done nothing of themselves certain, whereupon thou mayst
attain to the true prognosticating or presaging of things concerning the
heavens, or of the influence of the planets; for if by chance some one
mathematician or astronomer have left behind him anything worthy of
memory, they have so blinded it with enigmatical words, blind
characters, and such obscure figures, that it is impossible for any
earthly man to attain the knowledge thereof without the aid of some
spirits, or else the special gift of God, for such as are the hidden
works of God from men, yet do we spirits, that fly and fleet all
elements, know such; and there is nothing to be done, or by the heavens
portended, but we know it, except only the day of doom. Wherefore,
Faustus, learn of me: I will teach thee the course and re-course of the
planets, the cause of winter and summer, the exaltation and declination
of the sun, and eclipse of the moon, the distance and height of the
poles and every fixed star, the