[Footnote 11:  She was afterwards beheaded at Winchester, for harbouring one Nelthrop, a rebel in the Duke of Monmouth’s army 1685.  She had made herself remarkable, by saying at the martyrdom of King Charles I, 1648, ’that her blood leaped within her to see the tyrant fall;’ for this, when she fell into the state trap, she neither did nor could expect favour from any of that martyr’s family.]

In 1644, I published Merlinus Anglicus Junior about April.  I had given one day the copy thereof unto the then Mr. Whitlocke, who by accident was reading thereof in the House of Commons:  ere the Speaker took the chair, one looked upon it, and so did many, and got copies thereof; which when I heard, I applied myself to John Booker to license it, for then he was licenser of all mathematical books; I had, to my knowledge, never seen him before; he wondered at the book, made many impertinent obliterations, framed many objections, swore it was not possible to distinguish betwixt King and Parliament; at last licensed it according to his own fancy; I delivered it unto the printer, who being an arch Presbyterian, had five of the ministry to inspect it, who could make nothing of it, but said it might be printed, for in that I meddled not with their Dagon.  The first impression was sold in less than one week; when I presented some to the members of Parliament, I complained of John Booker the licenser, who had defaced my book; they gave me order forthwith to reprint it as I would, and let them know if any durst resist me in the reprinting, or adding what I thought fit; so the second time it came forth as I would have it.

I must confess, I now found my scholar Humphreys’s words to be true concerning John Booker, whom at that time I found but moderately versed in astrology; nor could he take the circles of position of the planets, until in that year I instructed him.  After my Introduction in 1647 became publick, he amended beyond measure, by study partly, and partly upon emulation to keep up his fame and reputation; so that since 1647, I have seen some nativities by him very judiciously performed.  When the printer presented him with an Introduction of mine, as soon as they were forth of the press; ‘I wish,’ saith he, ’there was never another but this in England, conditionally I gave one hundred pounds for this.’  After that time we were very great friends to his dying day.

In June, 1644, I published Supernatural Sight; and, indeed, if I could have procured the dull stationer to have been at charges to have cut the icon or form of that prodigious apparition, as I had drawn it forth, it would have given great satisfaction; however, the astrological judgment thereupon had its full event in every particular.

That year also I published the White King’s Prophecy, of which there were sold in three days eighteen hundred, so that it was oft reprinted:  I then made no commentary upon it.