Planets, of overcoming of his Adversary, but could not throughly determine by the surest Rules of their Art, who should have the best on’t. One trusted so very much in the Stars, that his Friend had much ado to perswade him to Fee Councel, which occasioned some of the Wizzardly Fraternity, to Conjecture that he expected the Planets should have Pleaded for him. The Plaintiff Erecting a Scheme a little before Tryal, found by the Position of the Heavens, the Judge would be the Lord Ascendant in the matter, and that the Jury were the Twelve Signs, towards which, the Planets of the Law, the Councel, were to direct their Influence, and accordingly took care to secure, by the Interests of Sol, the very Mars and Mercury of the Laws, to give his Cause their Assistance, whilst the Defendant had engag’d none but Saturn on his part to bid Defiance to his Adversary.
All things being put in as good Order as they were able, the Verbal Engagement was begun so strenuously on the Plaintiff’s behalf, who, according to the Custom of such like Wars, always make the first on-set, that a stander-by might have easily foreseen who would gain the Victory, without the Rules of Astrology. The Nimble Weapons of Offence and Defence, being almost tired with long Pleading in many foregoing Causes made not half the Pastime as the Audience expected; who were Apprehensive of hearing the Conjurers Bandied about the Court from one to another, by their Bantering Advocates, and that they had chose to make the weighty Difference of their Wrangling Clients but the Courts Diversion, which the lateness of the Night, and the Weariness of the Councel, it was suppos’d prevented, to the great disappointment of many Young Students, as well as Old Practicers in the Noble Art of Pump and Wheedle; to which, in this Capacious Town, there are of both Sexes an abundance, not only Pretenders,
butbut real Artists: In half an Hours time from the beginning of the Debate, the Business without much trouble was brought to a Determination: The Plaintiff, however his Stars favour’d him, obtaining a Verdict, the Compassionate Jury, not knowing but some time or other it may be their own Case, gave him Five Pound Damage for the great Abuses he had Honestly deserved by a just Provocation.
The Decision of this Controversie prov’d very unlucky to both Enemies, for they were neither of them well satisfied with the Justice done to both Parties, the Plaintiff being very angry his damage was no more, and the Defendant very much displeas’d they had given him so much; so that the Jury would have had a very hard Task to have pleas’d both, since they were so unfortunate in their Concurrence that they could content neither.