XVI.—LUNA.
The Moon happy and fortunate, makes men famous, honest and honorable and of a large body; yet well proportioned, pleasant also, and sometimes voyages by sea and walking by the sides of rivers; but, if any way dissenting in the other, unconstant both in life and action, yet tending for the most part to the best. She rules the brain, stomach and belly, but if unfortunate she portends a various and inconstant kind of line, weakness, and increase of griefs and anxieties, she thus causes paralysis, &c. A commotion of the members, oftentimes an epilepsy and canker, spots in the body, severe colic, and whatever else proceeds from abundance of cold and moisture, and more especially when the lines found in the tuberculum of the moon do appear very pale; if there be fair and comely signatures near the ferient, they denote happiness to the man in his journeys and messages, and in foreign countries. To the woman, felicity and fertility in bearing of children, ominous signs do show the contrary.
XVII.—MERCURY.
Mercury, happy and fortunate, makes men ingenious, desirous of science, and seeking diligently after secrets, such as are apt for any thing, orators, poets, philosophers, astrologicians, fortune-tellers, eloquent, variable, mathematicians, and men addicted to merchandise, &c. He governs the tongue and memory.
XVIII.—THE MENSA, OR PART OF FORTUNE.
This space being great and broad, and the figure decent, declares a liberal man, magnanimous and of long life.
But if small and narrow, it indicates a slender fortune and fearfulness.
A cross or star within it, clear and well proportioned, especially under the region of the ring finger, betokens honors and dignities to ensue from, or by means of great and noble personages. If the character of Jupiter, it then promises great ecclesiastical dignities, &c.
The same star or cross tripled, portends good fortune; but if it be cut by confused little lines, the good fortune is thereby diverted, and anxieties and labors threatened in defending his honors, especially if they are under the region of the ring finger.
A cross or star in the uppermost part of the mensa, is a sign of fortunate journeys.