An Astrologicall Judgement upon His Majesties Present March [with Postscript by William Lilly]

12pp., woodcut diagram, woodcut head-piece incorporating royal coat of arms and decorative initial, trimmed at head without affecting text, marginal light damp-staining, modern cloth-backed boards, new endpaper, small 4to, [London], As it was Printed at Oxford by H. Hall, 1645.

One of the three editions published in 1645.

This scarce prophetic pamphlet is the most defining work produced by Royalist astrologer, Sir George Wharton.

Astrologers had been around for centuries, and in the 17th century the life of an astrological adviser could be lucrative. In the absence of a police force, pregnancy test and modern medicine, astrologers were often society’s only recourse, answering questions like the gender of unconceived children and providing vivid descriptions of criminals.

A devoted Royalist, Wharton used astrological charts and planetary positions to interpret the likely failure or success of the King’s campaign. However, after determining his calculations that God favoured the Parliamentary cause, fellow astrologer William Lilly appointed himself the champion of the Parliamentarians. This sparked a paper war of astrological papers that ran parallel to those that acted out on the battlefields, with both sides claiming the stars augured victory for their cause.

The conflict came to a head on 14 June 1645, the day of the decisive battle of Naseby. On the 12th June, two days before Wharton published this pamphlet An Astrologicall Judgement… which predicted a major victory for the King, a copy was sent to Lilly by Samuel Luke. Lilly notes in his autobiography that he ‘had but Twelve House’ to come up with a response to Wharton’s prediction. Lilly’s response, The Starry Messenger , predicted the death of the King and the uncanny circumstance of both pamphlets appearing on the very day of Naseby propelled Lilly into unassailable astrological prominence. Its timing, however, may have been providential, but it was due at least as much to political chicanery as prophetic inspiration.

The unlucky Wharton spent Cromwell’s reign locating natural phenomena to bolster the morale of Royalist supporters. He spent time in prison for his work, and was constantly under threat of death for treason, from which Lilly’s great efforts ultimately saved him.

This pamphlet is a primary source for understanding the intersection of astrology and politics during the English Civil War. It demonstrates how astrological beliefs were used to interpret and predict events, even in the context of major political and military conflicts.

[Wing W1542, Geneva, Astrology and the Seventeenth Century Mind, 1995]