110 Additions to the Biographies of
sood judgment was published, he should privately have falsified the opinion of his pupil, and returned to the pursuit of this barren and visionary science. The cir- cumstance, however, affords an example confirming the truth of a statement which is made by Dr. Lawrence Humphrey, that astrology was at that time " so snatched at, so beloved, and even devoured by most persons of honour and worship," that, whatever might be its merits, upon which he was personally undetermined, he felt it perfectly superfluous to say anything in its recommendation.* Even Cecill himself appears to have yielded to this delusion ; for a paper in his handwriting was seen by Strype, b containing astrological calculations upon the results to be anticipated from the Queen's marriage, made, as Strype conjectured, either by Sir Thomas Smith, or by Bomelius (a Dutch physician then resident in England), at the time when Elizabeth's projected alliance with the Duke of Anjou was in agitation, in the year 1570. With Sir Thomas Smith, the result of his passion for astrology was his composi- tion of the MS. volume containing his autobiographical memoranda, to which wo will now return. Under the year 1502, Sir Thomas Smith mentions some bickerings that occurred between himself and a party designated by the letters Se., and which were unwil- lingly reconciled. There can be little doubt that this means the Secretary Cecill, between whom and Smith traces of " some unkindness " that occurred about this time were observed by Strype. However, in the same year, Smith was sent 1 " Xani Astrologiam sic rapi, sic a<l:imari et devorari a plerisque Nobilihus video, ut non opus habennt Mimulo, MM! freno; n<>n buccinatore ad incitandum, sod vituperatore ad retardandum hunc vehementem impotum. C'ui multi adeo fisi sunt, ut Deo propemodum diffisi, exitum sortiti sint non ita foelicem, ab astris M..II pnroignificatum, nee ab ipsis expectation. Artem in totum non damno: sed Nobiles ad ejus studium 1 1 it- IK-C stiasorem habebunt, nee applausorem. Satis ubicjue prwconum est." (Optiniates, sive de Nobilitate. Laurotitio Iluuifrodo atitnre. liasilea*, 150(1, p. 347.) 1 append the translation of the passage, published in 15G3: " But Astrology I see so ravened, embraced and devoured of many, as they neede no spurre to it, liut rather a brydlc from it, no trompettcr to encourage them, but a chider to restraync theyr vehement race. Whereto some have so much credyted, as almost dyscrcditing God, they lyghted not on altogether luckyeende, nor foretolde of the starres nor foreseene of them. I condemne not universally the arte: but thereto pet they me not counceller, nor favourer. It hath plenty enough of praysers." (The Nobles, or of Nobilityc . By Lawrence Humfrey, D. of Divinity, and President of Magdaleine Colledge in Oxforde. London, 1563.) b This curious document is printed in the Annals of the Reformation, vol. ii. Appendix, No. IV. from the original said to be in the Burghley MSS. " written by Secretary Cecil propria manu." As I have not been able to find the original in the Lansdowne MSS. or elsewhere in the British Museum, it may perhaps exist at Hatfield. Dr. Nares haa noticed some of its absurd prognostications, in his Memoirs of Lord Burghley, vol. ii. p. 534. c Life of Smith (Oxford edit. 1820), p. 82.
