Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Notes:

Underscores “_” before and after a word or phrase indicate _italics_ in the original text. Small capitals have been converted to SOLID capitals. Illustrations have been moved so they do not break up paragraphs. Old or antiquated spellings have been preserved. Typographical and punctuation errors have been silently corrected.

PTOLEMY’S TETRABIBLOS
OR
QUADRIPARTITE
BEING
FOUR BOOKS
OF THE
_INFLUENCE OF THE STARS_

NEWLY TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK PARAPHRASE OF PROCLUS
WITH
A PREFACE, EXPLANATORY NOTES
AND
_AN APPENDIX_
CONTAINING
EXTRACTS FROM THE ALMAGEST OF PTOLEMY
AND THE WHOLE OF HIS
CENTILOQUY
TOGETHER WITH
_A Short Notice of Mr. Ranger’s Zodiacal Planisphere_
AND AN EXPLANATORY PLATE

By J. M. ASHMAND

NEW EDITION

“Ye stars, which are the poetry of Heaven!
If, in your bright leaves, we would read the fate
Of men and empires,—’tis to be forgiven.”
LORD BYRON.

LONDON:
_PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY W. FOULSHAM & CO., Ltd._
DEALERS IN SCIENTIFIC BOOKS
10/11 RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET, LONDON, E.C.4

_Made and Printed in Great Britain_

TO THE
_AUTHOR OF “WAVERLEY”_
THIS TRANSLATION
OF A
WORK CONTAINING THE BEST ACCREDITED PRINCIPLES
OF
_ASTROLOGY_
IS DEDICATED
_With the most profound admiration of his unrivalled Talents_
WHICH COULD ALONE HAVE RESTORED
INTEREST TO THE SPECULATIONS
OF AN
_ANTIQUATED SCIENCE_

ADVERTISEMENT

The use recently made of Astrology in the poetical machinery of certain works of genius (which are of the highest popularity, and above all praise), seems to have excited in the world at large a desire to learn something of the mysteries of that science which has, in all former ages, if not in these days, more or less engaged reverence and usurped belief. The apparent existence of such a general desire has caused the completion of the following Translation, and its presentation to the public; although it was originally undertaken only in part, and merely to satisfy two or three individuals of the grounds on which the now neglected doctrines of Astrology had so long and so fully maintained credit.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE