Lilly’s acquaintance with Ashmole began in 1646, and continued till death did them part in 1681.  Through all these thirty-five years there was a close intimacy, Ashmole being a frequent visitor at Lilly’s house in the country, staying there often months at a time, and Lilly in return coming often to London, and staying weeks with his honored friend—­a kind of Damon and Pythias affair without the heroics.  Ashmole, we said, was famous in his time; but indeed he has a kind of fame now, and cannot soon be altogether forgotten, for he founded the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, and in the library there the curious can probably find all his books, and read them, if they will; but I, who have read one of them, shall not seek for more.[3]

But indeed Lilly attracted the attention of Oliver Cromwell himself, and once had an interview with him—­a remarkably silent one.  The occasion of it was as follows:  The astrologer, in his Martinus Anglicus (astrological almanac) for 1650, had written that ’the Parliament should not continue, but a new government should arise;’ and the next year he ’was so bold as to aver therein that the Parliament stood upon a tottering foundation, and that the commonalty and soldiers would join together against it.’  These things, and others, published in Anglicus, offended the Presbyterians, and on motion of some one of them, it was ordered that ’Anglicus should be inspected by the committee for plundered ministers;’ and the next day thereafter Lilly was brought before the committee, which was very full that day (thirty-six in number), for the matter was an interesting one, whispered of before in private, and now made public by prophecy.  The astrologer, by skilful management of friends, and some lies of his own, got off without damage to himself.

At the close of the first day’s proceedings in committee, as the sergeant-at-arms was carrying Lilly away, he was commanded to bring him into the committee room again.  ’Oliver Cromwell, lieutenant-general of the army, having never seen me, caused me to be produced again, where he steadfastly beheld me for a good space, and then I went with the messenger.’  This first meeting was, it appears, the only one, for Lilly speaks of no other; but Cromwell spoke a good word for him that same night, and was ever after rather friendly to him, or at least tolerant of him.  The lieutenant-general, looking fixedly at this man ’for a good space,’ saw nothing very bad in him; and knowing that his prophecies favored the good cause, he, a man of strong, practical sense, was willing to let him work as one of the influences of that time.