abu ali al-khayyat -- The Judgments of Nativities

现代英译本。

此典籍在西方星命术法的历史上，其重要性应无庸置疑，
亦足以作为中世纪初期占星术的代表之一。

善意提醒下，站在我个人立场，
终究是建议读者在使用本书所言及之论断技巧之前，
能够多看其他更多的经典，多看多比较多思考，
也许得到的会比单纯将西洋古星学视为论命神准的工具多了乙份智慧的灵光.....

序文

TO HIS TEACHER,
THE VERY FAMOUS AND LEARNED PHILIP MELANCHTHON, Joachim Heller of Weissenfels With the Greatest Respect Dives Special Greeting.

Long ago, Most Learned Teacher,*1 I prayed to God, the Best and Greatest, that eventually some testimony of my gratitude and everlasting respect for you would come to public notice. By some peculiar chance beyond my hope and expectation it has happened, both quickly and as I hope, happily enough. There fell into my hands an old manuscript of admirable antiquity containing some commentaries on celestial matters. This manuscript, which formerly belonged to the library of that magnanimous and glorious hero, Matthew, King of Hungary,*2 escaped by no less happy a fate than by that singular (as I indeed interpret it) genius of our city, which constantly favors this most beautiful part of philosophy, and was preserved until now and finally brought to me to be sold. In it there are several treatises of the old astrologers, and also the one which now for the first time appears in public under the auspices of your famous name, that of the Arabian Astrologer.

May you accept then, Dearest Teacher, an ancient book not previously edited, but short and written in a humble style, not indeed because it might seem to be a worthy gift for such a patron, but because it was made by me. For I would rather seize this occasion, such as it is, for declaring my good will towards you, than pursue the hope of a greater gratitude. And I ask most earnestly that you pardon me en my love and zeal for you.

*1. According to Lyin Thorndike (HMES, V, 337, 365, 394-6), Joachim Heller (c.1518-c.1590) studied at Wittenberg under the famous Reformation scholar and theologian Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560), who was professor of