The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1890-01-15
ANclENr AsIRoLoeEas.


Somto 81 the Wondered Tricks nNriorrned
BY tho wonaeffal allen.
II believe, said Charles !, shortly before
his death, "thaf Lilly understands astrology
a. we'll as any man in Europa The refer
ence was TO William Lilly, ~llo was well
born and received good education, but who
finally entered London with hut few sllll-
hugs in his pocket and had to earn his living
by his wits He obtained employment and
for a time did we'll, but IN 1864 his wife, real
or alleged, died, leaving him collection Of
sieils and CHARMS which she professed to have
received IN a very remarkable manner, some
through the agency Of DR.. Forman The
legacy proved a curse, for Lilly soon left his
work and applied himself to the study Of as
trology under the guidance Of one Master
Evans This individual is Described as poor,
ignorant, boastful, drunken and knnvish, but
he was credited with power 70 call up spirits,
restore stolen property and discover secrets.
Lillymade considerable progress under this
not very desirable tutor and soon began to
claim supernatural power for himself In
1916 no printed collection OF prophecies
which be called "Aquila; or, The White
King Prophecy This attracted great at
tention and encouraged him to further liter
airy effort. On one occasion about this time
Lilly and fellow astrologer named Booker
were summoned to the headquarters TO Gen.
Fairfax. The men were held in much esteem
at tine time, and their Journey to Windsor
was frequently interrupted by presentations
OF addresses The general himself in saluting
his guests said they sought not themselves,
bat the welfare and tranquility Of the good
people and whole nation, aud for that end
were resolved TO sacrifice both their lives and
their fortunes. As for the art they studied,
he himself understood It not, but doubted not
they both feared God, and lac therefore had
a good opinion Of them BOTH
Lilly made very large sums out OF his as
trology business and was always prepared to
prove, first, that every prophecy he made
was fulfilled, and second, that be had fore
told every event Some of his almanac pre-
dictions were marvels Of obscurity, and were
so general in their character that they could
safely be applied TO any subsequent event
Three years before Charles was beheaded
Lilly wrote that "before long" a king would
die When the king was beheaded Lilly
thanked God for having allowed him 10 fore
tell the event When his second wife died he
gave expression to no feelings of grief, ex-
planning that he mourned when the future
was revealed TO him The horoscope showed
him his third wife and his period Of widower-
hood was very brief. He claimed to have
foretold the restoration of Char III, the
plague and fire of London, and, indeed.
nearly every event of his time Finally
Lilly went into the country and worked up a
large practice as faith healing physician.
Among those disconnected by Lilly's as
sumption Of power and his unmitigated inn
pudence was one William Hodges, a country
schoolmaster with great reputation for be.
ing able to read future happenings in the
glass For long time Hodges honored the
man; then he maligned him, and finally he
admitted that Lilly could do more with the
stars than he could with the crystal Hodges
professed to have frequent interviews with
the Angel Gabriel, Raphael and Aries, and
his only regret was that he could not predict
many victories for the royalists, with whom
he very heartily sympathized. One John
Scott, in the employ Of Lilly, once spent a
few days with Hodges. The latter produced
his favorite glass, and Scott, looking into 1T
said;
81 see a ruddy compexioned wench in a
red waistcoat, drawing a can Of beern
"She WIZ be your wife," cried Hodges
You are mistaken, sir" rejoined Scott
$50 soon as come 20 London am engaged
TO marry a tall gentlewoman in the Old
Bailey.n
you will marry the red woman, y replied
Hodges with an air Of hnperturbable assur-
ance, which subsequent events amply justi-
fed When Scott arrived at the Old Bailey
he found that the tall gentlewoman bad taken
to herself another husband. Two years later
he was travelling in Kent and called at way
side hostelry for light refreshments. The
young lady who brought in his crust of bread
and piece Of cheese and the tankard Of home
brewed ale was conspicuous for having red
hair and a red waistcoaS, and was the origi-
nal Of the picture be had seen in the glass.
The sequel may be imagined.
Another story about Hodges shows how im-
piicitly his neighbors believed in him. One
of those neighbors lost his horse and consult
ed the astrologer. Hodges consulted the
glass, said he could see the horse at a certain
place and demanded his fee. The neighbor
went as directed and found his horse. Sub
sequently he planned a joke on Hodges.
Leaving his horse in charge Of boy, he visit
cd the astrologer and told him he had not re-
covered the horse. Hodges exposed the trick
and added; snow, you have lost your horse
and viii never see il again.a Neither boy
nor horse,n says Hodges biogrspher, twas
ever seen again.
A@hlJ htelllh 70 nave nhu several partners at
various stages Of his career. One Of these
was the John Scott already mentioned, and
whose great forte was finding lost bodies or
treasures by aid Of divining rods There was
great deal of talk at the time about treas
ure having been buried in the cloister at
Westminster Abbey, and, the requisite per-
mission having been obtained, Scott went to
work to lind it. Lilly was present in the ca
pacity Of general adviser and he gives full
account Of the proceedings The regulation
hazel rods were placed round about the
cloister and those on the west side turned one
over the other, "a proof according TO Lilly,
"that the treasure was hid there Sure
enough, after digging down six feet, coffin
was found, but for some reason it was not
opened. The investigation was c43 tinued UNI
I'll terrific wind arCee, frightening tho
searchers almost out of their lives. The can
dies and torches all went out, the rods ro-
fused TO work and there were various evil
dences Of the presence Of demons The work
had to be hurriedly abandoned for fear that
''most part Of 4 abbey church would blow
down. Exchange.
A new substitute for coffee may turn up In
q berry known as ''gaertnera. The British