BLACK MONDAY: OR, A full and exact description of that great and terrible Eclipse of the Sun which will happen on the 29. day of March 1652. beginning 48. minutes after 8. a clock in the forenoon, and ending 17. minutes after 11. in which time the Sun will be almost totally darkened (as at the Passion of our Saviour) and the Stars appear in the Firmament in the day time.  
Also an Astrological conjecture of the terrible Effects that will probably follow thereupon, according to the judgement of the best Astrologers: It threatens the fall of some famous Kings or Princes, and Men in authority▪ Malice, Hatred, Uncharitableness, cruel Wars and Bloodshed▪ House-burning, great Robberies, Thefts, Plundering and Pillaging, Rapes, Depopulation, violent and unexpected Deaths, Famine, Plague, etc.  Joel 2.3. 
A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness— there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.  
The true Figure of the Eclipse.  
North.  
South.  
East.  
West.   depiction of the solar eclipse (supposed to occur on 29 March 1652) including a sword, withered plant, skull, and crossed bones, all symbols of the death and destruction occasioned by the solar eclipse 
December 5th London: Printed for William Ley, at PAUL'S Chain. 1651.   

A description of that great Eclipse of the Sun, which will be on the 29. of March next ensuing, 1652.  
TAking into consideration this notable Eclipse, which will be of the Sun, when I considered with myself the dire and fearful accidents which may happen unto this Nation, it struck me with astonishment; yet to give the world satisfaction, I thought good to write (as near as I can) the true description of this grand Eclipse. You have heard of that remarkable dark Saturday, which was on the 25. of February, 1598. 'twas much about the same time of the day that this happens with us in 1652, though many remember that, yet I am confident not any man living ever saw a greater than this.  
And we may well call it Black-Munday. First, in regard it happeneth upon a Monday. Secondly, in regard of the effects it bringeth along with it: for this dismal day (wherein the Sun shall suffer a total Eclipse to our imagination) so dark and terrible it will be, that the Stars will be seen at noon day. It shall happen on the 29. day of March next, beginning at eight of the clock, and indore till after eleven.  
Now I have showed you the time, give me leave to tell you of the sad events that come thereby: it is the Precursor of great calamities and mischiefs that shall happen to the people and places concerned in it, especially all Europe, and more particularly England; this Eclipse falls out in the fiery triplicity in Aries, (the ascendent of England) and the very degree of his Exaltation, Mars having principal government and dominion their, and in the Angle following the Eclipse, and so is Lord thereof, so that the effects must necessarily be of his quality (evil) Mars being an enemy to mankind, and to all things that are good: it is the terriblest Eclipse that hath been seen in our days; yea it will be a greater than that ominous Eclipse of the Sun that will fall out in the year 1654. howbeit never since the eldest man born did there appear two such Eclipses in England in so short a time; and as they are great and terrible, so it is as miraculous an Eclipse, as that was at the time of our Saviour's Passion, for that in many remarkable respects too sadly agrees with this; and cast back your eyes upon the Scripture, how dismal a sight was there, when there was darkness on all the Land, from the sixth hour till the ninth, and the Veil of the Temple was rend in twain, and what horrid calamities happened to the Jews after that? how were they destroyed by Titus Vespasian? their Temples destroyed, defaced, and themselves led into captivity? what alterations of government did there not happen? what bloodshed, what murders were there not perpetrated? how did they embroil their hands in one another's bowels, Father against the son, and son against the Father, till there was none left? pray God avert those calamities from these Nations, that are under the predominancy of these ruling Planets; for they presage (if we may believe Origanus, and the best and most learned Astrologers most sad and dire aspects; for it threatens exile, captivity, or slaughter of some famous King, or great Potentate, and men in Authority, etc. and great heartburning between the common people and their Magistrates and Governors, with loss to both: what events have blazing stars produced formerly? the death of Kings and Princes, great Plagues and Earthquakes; we have seen it plentifully fulfilled in our time, to the great terror and amazement of this Kingdom, and other Nations adjacent; and although there may be a cause in nature, yet do they (by the will and appointment of God) foretell such things as are the forerunners of the wrath of God; as the signs in the Air, which Josephus mentioneth immediately before the destruction of jerusalem, and the horrible signs preceding the day of judgement: do but peruse the Astrologers, and you find the sad effects of Comets, etc. did not there happen in 1631. a great Eclipse of the Sun, and in 45. another Lunar Eclipse, most of them happening in the eighth house, termed by Astrologers, domus mortis; Mars being (for the most part) predominant. In such Eclpses, surely if we would observe Gods threatening hand over us, we might see how God forewarns us by his instruments; nay we may expect military acts of great and fearful consequences in most parts of Europe, which shall produce scarcity of Doves and beasts, destruction amongst men, and the ruin of most stately Fabrics, and a great desiciency of the fruits of the earth; that there will be great things managed in the world is most certain, as to the infinite honour and fame of some, so to the great prejudice, if not consumption of some other people and Nations: Affairs shall be acted under the notion of Religion, yet not without dissimulation, and that hath been the pest and bane of all undertake, when Religion is made the stalking horse to all designs and purposes. Mars his position is in Taurus, as his detriment doth testify, and under the banner of conscientious reformation shall the sword bear sway, which is and will be paramount: if it should be demanded the time when, I answer, as those precurrent messengers which usher in the beginning of these effects, we may expect them in june or july this year, according to Hermes in his 33. Aphorism, Saturno quidem transeunte ab uno signo in aliud, fiunt in coelo signa de natura ignis, coruscations and fiery apparitions in the Air: this Conjunctions doth denote unto us, that the common people in most Countries will usurp Authority, and spurn at their Superiors; but some mitigation doth jupiter promise, that though the Sword rule, it shall seem rather justly to divide, then ravenously destroy: good grounds will be pretended, Justice as well as revenge intended in all the quarrels of the sword, and vicissitudes of things: Let me not be misunderstood, since nothing promises any support to the tottering time-serving Levite: the Farmer (I am certain) envies his tithes, and eats his pigs at home; the general part of the pretended Clergy are male-conlent at the course of things, and do not yet see the overruling hand of God, nor will they teach men to aquiesce, but sullenly stir up discontent, pretending religious superlative ends.  
Some begin to be ashamed of their Scotch Covenant, which bond them to promote the honour and dignity of the King and his Successors, subintelligitur, if they could not sell him for money to promote their own.  
Sol (the Prince regent of heaven) who hath naturally the signification of regality, worldly pomp and glory, is eclipsed in the very degree of his exaltation, and in the regal house of heaven likewise.  
Let those tyrannical powers of the world, who are limited with a non ultra possumus, who now culminate in their pride and power, expect so sure an obscuration accompanied with mutation, as not to be avoided: the Moon (the Lady of the ascendent) eclipsing the Sun in his own house, exaltation and triplicy: doth not this show and declare, that inferiors, and men of men quality shall usurp and eclipse the glory of the great and mighty? Let me not be misunderstood, but let this be a caveat to all those supreams whom this Eclipse finds with the knotty Sceptres of tyranny in their hands, be they Kings or otherwise.  
We cannot deny but England is as much, if not more than any other Nation of Europe concerned in the effects of this solar Eclipse. Lord of heaven and earth what wilt thou do with us, we are in thy hands as a ball to be tossed to and fro: and as the clay in the hands of the Potter, thou canst break us, and bruise us at thy pleasure, if thou dost take from us those that sit at the helm to guide our poor ship of the Commonwealth, I mean our Members of Parliament, of our Nobles, of our Gentry, of such as commanded and governed, and such as have not obeyed; but God thou knowest best what is fittest for us, and teach us to obey thy will, and be content with our Governors set over us; for regal Government is very nigh a period in all Nations, by the production of this Eclipse a grandee falls to nothing: many grand Potentates are eclipsed, their glory shall be taken from them, and their honour laid in the dust: the first, second, or third most principal or greatest Prince in Europe shall die e'er 1654. or (during the continuance of the effects of this Eclipse) shall suffer or be sensible of great calamities, intudes and devastations in a most miserable way, or else the loss of all, or the greatest part of his ancient patrimony. I much fear,  time limited for termination of this Eclipses effects, too many will be sensible of our judgement, for all the evils, the sword, sedition, famine, pestilence, can do to Europe, may be expected from the effects of this Eclipse. Oh that the Princes of Europe would learn to be wise from the book of the creatures, what the will of their God is, before their houses be left desolate before destruction comes as an armed man. What Kings and Governors are threatened by this Eclipse, which will be so formidable to Europe? 'tis so, that all the Princes in Europe are threatened by it, yea all those of the world where it is visible and angular, together with hogen's Moghens, Illustrisimos, and Titiladoes, I can hardly sing a quietus est to the present times, I wish I could, I cannot flatter, neither dare I writ what I think.  
This puts me in mind of that miraculous Eclipse of the Sun at the Passion of our Saviour, which in many remarkable respects too sadly agrees with this: For (as to the Position of jerusalem) Cancer then ascended, and the very degree wherein Saturn is at the time of this Eclipse, he also then Rising with the Horoscope, and in square to both the Luminaries as at this time; the Sun being then in Aries directly Culminating, and the Moon in Libra opposing him: A heavy and dreadful Position, it threatens the Exile, Captivity, or slaughter of some famous King or Prince, and Men in authority, etc. Hatred, Malice, and all uncharitableness betwixt the Common People and their Magistrates or Governors, with Detriment, or Ruin to both; the motion of a great Army, cruel Wars, much bloodshed, and pestilent seditions, the sacking of Cities and Towns, House-burning, Robberies, Thefts, Plundering and Pillaging, Rapes, Depopulations, violent and unexpected deaths, corruption of the Air, putrefaction and scarcity of Fruits, Abortive Births, Acute Fevers, Famine, the Plague, and general Murrain amongst Cattle; Piracies, Ship-wrecks, and great fights by Sea as well as by Land, discontents, murmur, and insurrections, new Governments, new Religions, new Customs, new Laws. In a word, this Eclipse, premonstrates a general madness and confusion to all such Kingdoms, Commonwealths, Countries, Cities and Towns as are under the division of Aries, Libra, Cancer, and Capricorn, viz. England, Scotland, France, Germany, Denmark, Holland, Zealand, Suevia, Polonia, Granado, Burgundia the lower, Macedonia, Austria, Alsatia, Thracia, Greece, Saxony, and divers other Nations, (more particularly) the Cities and Towns of Naples, Tetraria, Florence, Milan, Brunswick, Lisbon, Frankford, Vienna in Austria, Antwerp, Oxford, Brandenburg, Constantinople, Tunis, Venice, Genoa, Pisa, Milan, Vincentia, Berne, Lubeck, Magdeberge, Wittenberg, Gotlick, York, S. Andrews, and the Islands of Orcades, and many more, too large for my limits.  
The continuance of the effects of this Eclipse, is two years, 25. weeks, odd hours, from the 4th. day of August, 1652. until the 6th. day of jan. Anno Dom. 1954.  
The quality of the events is known from the nature and quality of the sign, in which the place of the Eclipse is, from the place and nature of the sign where any stationary superior Planet is, and from the quality of the sign and places of the Planets, that hath-most dominion in the sign of the Eclipse, and the sign of the Angle preceding the Eclipse.  
Mars generally signifieth or threatneth mischief to all in general, which shall happen through extremity of drought; particularly, he causes much war, quarrels and bloodshed, amongst men of that life or kind of profession: therefore I expect little peace here, (nor in any other part of the world (where there is war) where the Eclipse shall extend its influence) by fair means or treaty: He excites men also to many robberies, spoiling, sacking, and enslaving each other, the wrath of Kings and great men, and troubles in general to all manner or kinds of men: As also sudden death, sicknesses, and these chief, Tertian agues, or Fevers, and this shall be chief incident unto these of younger years, or in their prime or strength of youth; there shall happen much choler and anger amongst men, and from men of small repute, they shall commit unlawful things, and transgress the Law; there shall also happen many combustions, manslaughters, rapines, thefts and robberies.  
His events in the Air shall be extreme heat, and very warm winds, lightning and little rain.  
In the Sea he shall cause destruction very often to ships, by mixed winds, or lightning, or such like.  
In Rivers he shall cause a scarcity of waters, and the drought of fountains.  
And in things appertaining to the use of man, viz. beasts and vegetables, he shall cause a scarcity, there shall be much destruction or want of fruit, by reason they shall be scorched up with extremity of heat, or eaten with Locusts and Caterpillars, or they shall be destroyed by winds, or nipped in the bud.  
One word more in general, Be wise therefore O ye Kings, be instructed O ye judges of the earth; serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice in him with trembling: for the Sun being in his seat of Majesty, is Eclipsed of his glory: therefore O ye Kings and Emperors be ye not puffed up with high conceits of your dignities and honours, for your Sceptres are gone, and Democarcy takes place: your mighty Hosts shall be consumed by the Sword, 'tis not your Kingdoms nor your highborn blood can prevent God's revenging hand that is upon you, therefore repent in time, lest his Judgements fall upon you, and utterly eradicate you.  
A word to England; Oh England repent thee of thy sins also, lest God take away the flourishing Gospel, and remove the golden Candlestick from among you, and give it to a more deserving Nation.  
Soli Deo gloria.   
FINIS.