He cou'd foretel whats'ever was By consequence to come to pass; As death of great men, alterations, Diseases, battles, inundations. All this, without th' eclipse o' th' sun, Or dreadful comet, he hath done, By inward light; away as good, And easy to be understood; But with more lucky hit than those That use to make the stars depose, Like Knights o' th' post, and falsely charge Upon themselves what others forge: As if they were consenting to All mischiefs in the world men do: Or, like the Devil, did tempt and sway 'em To rogueries, and then betray 'em.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The text mocks false prophets who claim supernatural insight to predict events.
- In plain terms
- Some people fake knowing the future to look powerful.
- What can you take from it?
- Be wary of those claiming secret knowledge of the future.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you tell truth from fake insight?
- Why do people believe in prophecies?
Another view
Intuition can sometimes align with facts by chance.
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