_How old writers varie about the matter, the maner and the meanes, whereby things augurificall are mooved._
_Theophrastus_ and _Themistius_ affirme, that whatsoever happeneth unto man suddenlie and by chance, commeth from the providence of God. So as _Themistius_ gathereth, that men in that respect prophesie, when they speake what commeth in their braine, upon the sudden; though not knowing or understanding what they saie. And that seeing God hath a care for us, it agreeth with reason (as _Theophrastus_ saith) that he shew us by some meane whatsoever shall happen. For with _Pythagoras_ he concludeth, that all foreshewes and auguries are the voices and words of God, by the which he foretelleth man the good or evill that shall beetide.
_Trismegistus_ affirmeth, that all augurificall things are mooved by divels; _Porphyrie_ saith by gods, or rather good angels: according to the opinion of _Plotinus_ and _Iamblichus_. Some other affirme they are mooved by the moone wandering through the twelve signes of the Zodiake: bicause the moone hath dominion in all sudden matters. The _Aegyptian_ astronomers hold, that the moone ordereth not those portentous matters, but _Stella errans_, a wandering starre, &c.
_How ridiculous an art augurie is, how Cato mocked it, Aristotles reason against it, fond collections of augurors, who allowed, and who disallowed it._
Verelie all these observations being neither grounded on Gods word, nor physicall or philosophicall reason, are vanities, superstitions, lies, and meere witchcraft; as whereby the world hath long time beene, and is still abused and cousened. It is written; _Non est vestrum scire tempora & momenta, &c_: It is not for you to knowe the times and seasons, which the father hath put in his owne power. The most godlie men and the wisest philosophers have given no credit hereunto. S. _Augustine_ saith; _Qui his divinationibus credit, sciat se fidem christianam & baptismum prævaricasse, & paganum Deiq; inimicum esse_. One told _Cato_, that a rat had carried awaie and eaten his hose, which the partie said was a woonderfull signe. Naie (said _Cato_) I thinke not so; but if the hose had eaten the rat, that had beene a wonderfull token indeed. When _Nonius_ told _Cicero_ that they should have good successe in battell, bicause seven eagles were taken in _Pompeies_ campe, he answered thus; No doubt it will be even so, if that we chance to fight with pies. In the like case also he answered _Labienus_, who prophesied like successe by such divinations, saieng, that through the hope of such toies, _Pompeie_ lost all his pavillions not long before.