登陆注册
5214200000078

第78章

But even in the very conception of twins, which certainly occurs at the same moment in the case of both, it often happens that the one is conceived a male, and the other a female.I know two of different sexes who are twins.Both of them are alive, and in the flower of their age; and though they resemble each other in body, as far as difference of sex will permit, still they are Very different in the whole scope and purpose of their lives (consideration being had of those differences which necessarily exist between the lives of males and females),--the one holding the office of a count, and being almost constantly away from home with the army in foreign service, the other never leaving her country's soil, or her native district.Still more,--and this is more incredible, if the destinies of the stars are to be believed in, though it is not wonderful if we consider the wills of men, and the free gifts of God,--he is married; she is a sacred virgin: he has begotten a numerous offspring; she has never even married.But is not the virtue of the horoscope very great ? I think I have said enough to show the absurdity of that.But, say those astrologers, whatever be the virtue of the horoscope in other respects, it is certainly of significance with respect to birth.But why not also with respect to conception, which takes place undoubtedly with one act of copulation ? And, indeed, so great is the force of nature, that after a woman has once conceived, she ceases to be liable to conception.Or were they, perhaps, changed at birth, either he into a male, or she into a female, because of the difference in their horoscopes ? But, whilst it is not altogether absurd to say that certain sidereal influences have some power to cause differences in bodies alone,--as, for instance, we see that the seasons of the year come round by the approaching and receding of the sun, and that certain kinds of things are increased in size or diminished by the waxings and wanings of the moon, such as sea-urchins, oysters, and the wonderful tides of the ocean, --it does not follow that the wills of men are to be made subject to the position of the stars.The astrologers, however, when they wish to bind our actions also to the constellations, only set us on investigating whether, even in these bodies, the changes may not be attributable to some other than a sidereal cause.For what is there which more intimately concerns a body than its sex ? And yet, under the same position of the stars, twins of different sexes may be conceived.

Wherefore, what greater absurdity can be affirmed or believed than that the position of the stars, which was the same for both of them at the time of conception, could not cause that the one child should not have been of a different sex from her brother, with whom she had a common constellation, whilst the position of the stars which existed at the hour of their birth could cause that she should be separated from him by the great distance between marriage and holy virginity ?

CHAP.7.--CONCERNING THE CHOOSING OF A DAY FOR MARRIAGE, OR FOR PLANTING, ORSOWING.

Now, will any one bring forward this, that in choosing certain particular days for particular actions, men bring about certain new destinies for their actions ? That man, for instance, according to this doctrine, was not born to have an illustrious son, but rather a contemptible one, and therefore, being a man of learning, he choose an hour in which to lie with his wife.He made, therefore, a destiny which he did not have before, and from that destiny of his own making something began to be fatal which was not contained in the destiny of his natal hour.Oh, singular stupidity ! A day is chosen on which to marry; and for this reason, Ibelieve, that unless a day be chosen, the marriage may fall on an unlucky day, and turn out an unhappy one.What then becomes of what the stars have already decreed at the hour of birth ? Can a man be said to change by an act of choice that which has already been determined for him, whilst that which he himself has determined in the choosing of a day cannot be changed by another power? Thus, if men alone, and not all things under heaven, are subject to the influence of the stars, why do they choose some days as suitable for planting vines or trees, or for sowing grain, other days as suitable for taming beasts on, or for putting the males to the females, that the cows and mares may be impregnated, and for such-like things ? If it be said that certain chosen days have an influence on these things, because the constellations rule over all terrestrial bodies, animate and inanimate, according to differences in moments of time, let it be considered what innumerable multitudes of beings are born or arise, or take their origin at the very same instant of time, which come to ends so different, that they may persuade any little boy that these observations about days are ridiculous.For who is so mad as to dare affirm that all trees, all herbs, all beasts, serpents, birds, fishes, worms, have each separately their own moments of birth or commencement ? Nevertheless, men are wont, in order to try the skill of the mathematicians, to bring before them the constellations of dumb animals, the constellations of whose birth they diligently observe at home with a view to this discovery; and they prefer those mathematicians to all others, who say from the inspection of the constellations that they indicate the birth of a beast and not of a man.They also dare tell what kind of beast it is, whether it is a wool-bearing beast, or a beast suited for carrying burthens, or one fit for the plough, or for watching a house; for the astrologers are also tried with respect to the fates of dogs, and their answers concerning these are followed by shouts of admiration on the part of those who consult them.

同类推荐
  • The Enchiridion

    The Enchiridion

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 欧阳南野先生文集摘

    欧阳南野先生文集摘

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 庚申君遗事

    庚申君遗事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 杂阿含经

    杂阿含经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 外科证治全书

    外科证治全书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 珞珈谪仙记

    珞珈谪仙记

    这里是仙侠世界中的“珞珈界”。工学部主教变成通天高楼;网球场变成龙腾云海;鲲鹏广场云抟九万;樱花大道花开千里;鉴海烟波无极;珞樱大帝在珞珈山悟道成圣,于樱花城堡建立珞樱帝国……将珞珈山下的世界变成一片神仙浩土,其中人往来修道,斩妖除魔,生死轮回……歌曰:“天地泰,日月长。珞珈界,图自强。南北东西,樱花无量。乾坤上下,万道争光。黄鹄一举兮,知山川之纡曲。息焉游焉,亿兆莫疆。再举兮,知天地之圆方。藏焉修焉,同于阴阳。念茫茫宙合,悠悠文物。鸡鸣风雨,日就月将。游心太玄兮,踏浪溟沧。明明德兮,履道皇皇。大道兮无亲,珞珈兮永昌。”
  • 重生混元道

    重生混元道

    大梦不觉醒,周成溺水后幸运地回到了开天辟地之前。天地未开,大道未定,生灵未出,诸多天材地宝也散落在混沌各方。万般重宝,俯拾皆是,一一收入囊中。盘古开天后,周成杀仙屠神,斩妖镇魔。大战元始天尊,逆天证道,最后成为天地间最强至尊。鱼相忘于江湖,人相忘于道术,若夫天地相忘,则为混元大道。
  • 暴力牛魔王

    暴力牛魔王

    我是内家形意拳大师,我是穿越者叶寒,我是战斗中的人肉搅拌机,我是铁蹄部落牛头人凯特尔......热血铸就王座,暴力打造基石!我是牛魔王-----叶?凯特尔......
  • 入侵神话

    入侵神话

    若兰寺中我见过聂小倩的妖媚,雷峰塔下我感受过白素贞的痴情,陈塘关东海之滨我屠过恶龙,我还用宝莲灯烧过仙人,特别是我曾弯弓射金乌,而且我也大闹过天宫。入侵神话故事中的世界,唯我独尊!
  • 末世异能

    末世异能

    黑色曼陀罗花:不可预知的爱和死亡。一个什么都不懂的大学生,变成杀戮魔鬼的非人类,一个和他疏远关系的女孩和他产生虐心爱情。前女友和自己一样走向极端,同甘共苦的兄弟到最后却与自己反目。事到如今自己还在乎这种痛吗?
  • 公主,微臣要失礼了

    公主,微臣要失礼了

    重生凤凰还巢,她纤纤玉指收拾渣男恶女,搅弄庙堂风云,步步为营终于站在皇权之巅。赫然回首,才发现自己身边多了一人,白衣墨发,偏偏若仙。他是天下闻名的佞臣,将帝王玩弄在鼓掌之中,愿为她圈养在权谋之中;公主:“你得罪了皇上,夫妻本是同林鸟,大难临头各自飞。”微臣:“不用飞,皇上已被我废除了。”公主:“你可不可以再无耻点。”微臣:“可以,床榻上。”公主,放开微臣!【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 苏格兰玛丽女王

    苏格兰玛丽女王

    玛丽·斯图亚特女王是苏格兰历史上最受爱戴和最有争议的女性之一。玛丽女王是国王詹姆斯四世和妻子玛格丽特·都铎的孙女,她既是英国王位的继承人,又因苏格兰改革中的暴力,使她具有了16世纪最有戏剧性和不为人知的人生经历。《苏格兰玛丽女王》讲述了玛丽的真实故事,主要聚焦她作为苏格兰女王统治期间,更多的赞美了她的生活,告诉大家为什么她是真正一位走在时代前端的女性。本书是《世界史上的传奇巾帼》系列丛书之一,是一部具有创造性的纪实性传记。共包括四个时期的介绍。
  • 我家爹地很傲娇

    我家爹地很傲娇

    面对重伤的男友,破败的家业,她走上了一条不归之路——只要陪那个陌生的男人一个晚上,她就有医药费,就有重振家业的资本……然而,当她发现自己怀孕了,当她不贞的事实摆在那个男友面前,她得到的根本不是心疼,不是理解,而是残忍的抛弃……--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 呐谁,请許我一世承诺!

    呐谁,请許我一世承诺!

    请你记住我说过的,“如果有一天,我的放手可以过得更好,哪怕会很痛,我可以放手成全你。”
  • 将军,你夫人又失忆了

    将军,你夫人又失忆了

    她是骄傲的小公主,他是无名小卒之子。他送书表白却被她狠狠的羞辱,多年之后,时事变迁,她已心有所属,他带兵征战多年,凯旋之时,却求赐婚于她……