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APPENDIX. 11.5
having been at first the wonderful art of visionaries, it
afterwards became that of impostors. This art pretends
to teach the method of predicting all sorts of events that
shall happen upon the earth, as well such as relate to
public as to private persons; and that by the inspection
of the stars and planets.
II. Huroscopy, or casting of nativities, which Inay
also be considered as a part of astrology, is the art by
which they draw a fignre, or celestial scheme, containing
12 houses, wherein they mark' the disposition of
the heavens at a certain moment; for example, that at
which a man is born, in order to forete111~is fortune, or
the incidents of his life. But as there cannot be any
. probable or possible relation between the constellations
and the human race, all the principles they lay down,
.and the prophecies they draw from them, arc chimerical,
false, absurd, and a c!'iminal imposition on mankind.
Surely it is not less absurd, to pretend to predict future
events by the inspection of the ~rmmds of a cup of tea
or coffee, or by cards, ~liti many other like matters.
III. Chiromancy is the art "!lich teaches to know,
by inspecting the hanrl, not only the iuclination of a
man, but his future destiny. The impostors who practise
this art, pretend that the different parts, or the lines,
of the hand have a relation to the internal parts of the
body. - The notion connected with the substance sold
under the name of tho" Chinese Sensitive Leaf,It is to
be considered equally as ridiculous as Chiromancy. By
putting this substance into the hand, a person's disposition
is supposed to be ascertained.
In Scripture we find mention made of several kinds
of Divinations.
The ancient Britons were greatlY'addictcd to Divination,
and excelled so much in the practice of all its
arts, that they might have given a lesson to the ancients
themselves. Besides those which the Britons practised
in common with other nations, they hall one of a very'
horrid Datur::. "On great occasions," says an histo­
Tian, Hthe Britonfi pr'llcthse a "CJ'jT strange and incrcdibl