Inaccordancewiththeplanlaiddownintheintroductiontothisvolume，weproceedtotheconsiderationofthefolliesintowhichmenhavebeenledbytheireagerdesiretopiercethethickdarknessoffuturity。Godhimself，forhisownwisepurposes，hasmorethanonceundrawntheimpenetrableveilwhichshroudsthoseawfulsecrets；and，forpurposesjustaswise，hehasdecreedthat，exceptintheseinstances，ignoranceshallbeourlotforever。Itishappyformanthathedoesnotknowwhatthemorrowistobringforth；but，unawareofthisgreatblessing，hehas，inallagesoftheworld，presumptuouslyendeavouredtotracetheeventsofunborncenturies，andanticipatethemarchoftime。Hehasreducedthispresumptionintoastudy。Hehasdivideditintosciencesandsystemswithoutnumber，employinghiswholelifeinthevainpursuit。Uponnosubjecthasitbeensoeasytodeceivetheworldasuponthis。Ineverybreastthecuriosityexistsinagreaterorlessdegree，andcanonlybeconqueredbyalongcourseofself-examination，andafirmreliancethatthefuturewouldnotbehiddenfromoursight，ifitwererightthatweshouldbeacquaintedwithit。
Anundueopinionofourownimportanceinthescaleofcreationisatthebottomofallourunwarrantablenotionsinthisrespect。Howflatteringtotheprideofmantothinkthatthestarsintheircourseswatchoverhim，andtypify，bytheirmovementsandaspects，thejoysorthesorrowsthatawaithim！He，lessinproportiontotheuniversethantheallbutinvisibleinsectsthatfeedinmyriadsonasummer’sleaf，aretothisgreatglobeitself，fondlyimaginesthateternalworldswerechieflycreatedtoprognosticatehisfate。Howweshouldpitythearroganceofthewormthatcrawlsatourfeet，ifweknewthatitalsodesiredtoknowthesecretsoffuturity，andimaginedthatmeteorsshotathwarttheskytowarnitthatatom-titwashoveringneartogobbleitup；thatstormsandearthquakes，therevolutionsofempires，orthefallofmightymonarchs，onlyhappenedto，predictitsbirth，itsprogress，anditsdecay！Notawhitlesspresuminghasmanshownhimself；notawhitlessarrogantarethesciences，socalled，ofastrology，augury，necromancy，geomancy，palmistry，anddivinationofeverykind。
Leavingoutofviewtheoraclesofpaganantiquityandreligiouspredictionsingeneral，andconfiningourselvessolelytothepersonswho，inmoderntimes，havemadethemselvesmostconspicuousinforetellingthefuture，weshallfindthatthesixteenthandseventeenthcenturieswerethegoldenageoftheseimpostors。Manyofthemhavebeenalreadymentionedintheircharacterofalchymists。Theunionofthetwopretensionsisnotatallsurprising。Itwastobeexpectedthatthosewhoassumedapowersopreposterousasthatofprolongingthelifeofmanforseveralcenturies，shouldpretend，atthesametime，toforetelltheeventswhichweretomarkthatpreternaturalspanofexistence。Theworldwouldasreadilybelievethattheyhaddiscoveredallsecrets，asthattheyhadonlydiscoveredone。ThemostcelebratedastrologersofEurope，threecenturiesago，werealchymists。Agrippa，Paracelsus，Dr。Dee，andtheRosicrucians，alllaidasmuchstressupontheirknowledgeofthedaystocome，asupontheirpretendedpossessionofthephilosopher’sstoneandtheelixiroflife。Intheirtime，ideasofthewonderful，thediabolical，andthesupernatural，wereriferthanevertheywerebefore。Thedevilorthestarswereuniversallybelievedtomeddleconstantlyintheaffairsofmen；andbothweretobeconsultedwithproperceremonies。
Thosewhowereofamelancholyandgloomytemperamentbetookthemselvestonecromancyandsorcery；thosemorecheerfulandaspiring，devotedthemselvestoastrology。Thelattersciencewasencouragedbyallthemonarchsandgovernmentsofthatage。InEngland，fromthetimeofElizabethtothatofWilliamandMary，judicialastrologywasinhighrepute。DuringthatperiodflourishedDrs。Dee，Lamb，andForman；withLilly，Booker，Gadbury，Evans，andscoresofnamelessimpostorsineveryconsiderabletownandvillageinthecountry，whomadeittheirbusinesstocastnativities，aidintherecoveryofstolengoods，prognosticatehappyorunhappymarriages，predictwhetherjourneyswouldbeprosperous，andnoteluckymomentsforthecommencementofanyenterprise，fromthesettingupofacobler’sshoptothemarchingofanarmy。Menwho，tousethewordsofButler，did“DealinDestiny’sdarkcounsel，Andsageopinionofthemoonsell；
TowhomallpeoplefarandnearOndeepimportancedidrepair，Whenbrassandpewterpotsdidstray，Andlinenslunkoutoftheway。“