Chap. xii. Of the Number Nine, and the Scale thereof. The number nine is dedicated to the Muses, by the help of the order of the Celestiall Spheres, and divine spirits: Hence there are nine movable Spheres, and according to those there are nine Muses, viz. Calliope, Urania, Polymnia, Terpsichore, Clio, Melpomene, Erato, Euterpe, Thalia, which nine Muses indeed are appropriated to the nine Spheres, so that the first resembles the supreme Sphere, which they call Primum mobile, and so descending by degrees, according to the written order, unto the last, which resembles the Sphere of the Moon, so, viz. Calliope is appropriated to the Primum mobile; Urania to the Starry Heaven, Polymnia to Saturn, Terpsichore, to Jupiter, Cleo to Mars, Melpomene to the Sun, Erato to Venus, Euterpe to Mercury, Thalia to the Moon.
There are also nine orders of blessed Angels, viz. Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations, Powers, Vertues, Principallities, Archangels, Angels, which Ezekiel figures out of nine Stones, which are the Saphir, Emrald, Carbuncle, Berill, Onyx, Chrysolite, Jasper, Topaze, Sardis: This number hath also a great, and Occult mysterie of the Cross: For the ninth hour our Lord Jesus Christ breathed out his Spirit. And in nine dayes the Ancients buryed their dead, and in so many yeers they say Minea received Laws from Jupiter in a Cave; whence this number was most especially taken notice of by Homer, when Laws were to be given, or answers were to be given, or the sword was like to rage. The Astrologers also take notice of the number nine in the Ages of men, no otherwise then they do of seven, which they call Climactericall years, which are eminent for some remarkable change. Yet sometimes it signifies imperfectness, and incompleatness, because it doth not attain to the perfection of the number ten, but is less by one, without which it is deficient, as Austin interprets it out of the ten Leapers: Neither is the longitude of nine Cubits of Og King of Basan, who is a type of the divel, without a
