¶Hier begynneth the booke callyd the Myrrour of the worlde. And treateth first of the power and puyssaunce of god / Capitulo primo.

WE ought to knowe that whan our lorde god made the worlde And that he had made alle thynges of nought / he had no nede of it. For as moche had he byfore / as he had after­ward certainly god was to fore. And shal be incessantly after wythout en­de / and wythout begynnyng / ¶Thenne he shal nothyng amende ne be better For hym faylled neuer ony thynge he seeth all hereth all knoweth alle / And holdeth alle thynge in his honde. He had neuer hunger. ne thurste. ne tyme / ne daye / ne hour / but abydeth contynuelly in alle goode. For to hym ne aperteyneth soone ne late / And of alle them that euer were / that ben / and shal be haue alway ben and shal be to fore his eyen as well the ferre as the nyghe / And the euyll as the goode he sawe as wel the world er it was made and fourmed as he doth now at this daye / ¶And yf he had neuer made the worlde / as moche had he ben thenne worth. and of as grete valewe as he euer myght haue be. ¶For other wyse he myght not be god. Yf he knewe not sawe and herde alle that myght be. And yf he were not soo he sholde be lackyng and not myghty of euery thynge. [Page] ¶ And of so moche he was and shold be a mortal man / but his nature was not suche / For he is god entierly and hooll wythout begynnyng and wythout ende / Nothyng is to hym newe ne olde / Alle weel and goode thyngis ben his by right. And by nature goon. and retourne ageyn to hym. For fro hym alle thynges procede and meue. And re­tornyng to hym in holdyng the right waye / He retcheth ne­uer of ony harme. For his bounte is alle pure / clene hool / and clere wythout ony espece of euyll / Certes alle euyll is ben to hym contraryes / And therfor it is pure necessite that they wythdrawe them vnder hym & fro all his goodnes for it is / nothyng but donge and ordure / whiche must nedes d [...]scende in to the deppest / And the good thyngis must nedes goo vpward to fore the souerayn creatour whiche is clere net / and pure. And the synnes whiche ben obscure. horryble and derke aboue alle other thyng seuen the goode whiche is aboute god and auale and goo doun / For so behoueth it to be by rayson and nature / Alle in lyke wyse as we see the ordure of the wyn that is put in the vessell. and the [...]oule departeth fro the clere / In suche wyse as the good and clere abydeth aboue / ¶And the lye whiche is thordure abydeth byneth in the bottom as infecte and not goode / And the good wyn that is aboue abydeth alwaye clere and fyn / ¶And that whiche is not good that is benethe in the bottom abydeth alway obscure / fowle. and black / And so moche the more as the wyn is good and more clere / so moche more reteyneth the lye more of fylthe and obscure / thus is it of the good and euyll / For the euyll muste descende in to places derke and horryble / and full of all sorow and bitter­nesse / ¶And so moche more as the good shyneth to fore [Page] god and the more it Ioyeth / so moche the more sorowe and derkenesse is in helle. where it is contynuell and shal be as longe as god shal be in heuen / Where as god hath alle goodnesse to fore hym and alleway shal haue wythout payne. wythout trauayll / and wythout grief or Ennoye he hath alle / and alle he enlumyneth wythout ony defaulte and wythout ony terme / God may make alle thyng. and alle deffete or vnmake wythout changyng hym self in ony thyng that may be / For he may alle and conceyueth alle. ¶Ther is nothyng that may hurte hym / he is esta­bled wythout ony meuyng. And alle meuynges m [...]ue of hym / An hondred thousand yere mounte not to hym so moche as the thousand parte of one onely houre of thys world. ne to alle them that be in heuen / of whiche the les­te that abydeth there hath more Ioye in an hour only. and of deduyte soulace gladnes and of honour of whiche he shal neuer be wery ne full / than ony man may thynke ne knowe ne esteme in this world in an hondred thousand yere yf he myght so longe lyue and endure. thaugh he were the most subtyll of alle the men that euer were born or euer shal be though he thought the beste he myghte / ¶Of this so grete and Inestymable glorye is god the veray and souerayn lord wythout ony other. as god that alle knoweth and alle seeth. alle that euer that hath ben alle that is / and alle that euer shal be / & alle that belongeth to hym / Hym faylled neuer ony thynge that is good / he hath hem allew [...]y to fore hym / Ner ther was neuer ony goode thynge ne neuer shal be / But that it was pourtrayed to fore hym. byfore the creacion of the world / Now ye shal here why and wherfore god created and made the world /

¶Wherfor god made and created the world / Capitulo. ij.

GOd made and created al the world of his onli wille by cause that he myght haue some thynge that myght be suche as myght deser­ue of his wele and goodnes yf it were not in his defaulte / And therfore he establysshid this world. Nothynge for y^t he shold be the better ne y^t he had ony nede / But he dyde it for charyte & by his grete debonayrte / For as right charytable / he wolde that other shold parte wyth hym of his wele and goodnes. And that alle other creatures euerich after his nature shold fele of his puyssaū ce after that it myght apperteyne to hym. Thus wold god establissh this world. that suche thyngs shold Issue y^t might vnderstande & knowe the noblesse of his power & of his sapyence / & also of the good that he made for the man erthely / that he myght serue hym in suche maner. y^t by hym he myght deserue the grete wele & good that he had made for hym / then ne ought we aboue alle other thynge to loue hym & than­ke hym that made and fourmed vs / Whan we haue suche power and suche auctoryte by hym. That yf we wyll loue him we shal be lordes of all goodes. Now loue we him thē ne wyth all our myght. & thenne shal we doo as wyse men [Page] ¶And yf we doo not we shal haue grete harme and dā ­mage / For yf we by our cause lose suche goodes as our lord hath made for vs / Yet for alle that god shal lese nothyng / Certaynly he made them to thende that we shold haue them syth that by our good dedes we myght conne deserue them and that he of his grace hath gyuen to vs the wytte. then­tendement and the power /

¶Wherfore god fourmed man lyke vn­to his ymage and to his se­mblaunce / Capl^o. iij.

Whan god fourm [...] ­ed mā he wol­de make and create hym li­ke vnto his ymage and semblamce / to thende that he shold haue remembranuce of the goodes that he had lente hym / ¶And that he myght deserue them alle by ryght and ray­son / For he shewde to hym so grete loue / that aboue alle o­ther treasures he fourmed hym to his fygure and sem­blaunce / And gaf to hym naturelly right parfyght vn­derstondyng for to loue and knowe hym more than ony other thynge / to thende that he myght parte more largely of his goodes than ony other creature / Ne god dyde nene [...] ne made for other creature so many goode thynges / as he hath made for man / But who is he that wyll deserue them And yf he doo not it is reason that he sorowe. For he doth [Page] to god no bounte. that doth well for to haue his grace and his loue / For he doth it more for his owen prouffyt / than he doth it for other / And ther for he doth well that loueth and seruyth hym. For moche may he calle hym self caytyff and meschaunt / that by his folye leseth so hye. so noble and so excellente glorye. For his synne that prouffyteth hym nought. And hath not in thende but shame and blame And draweth hym in to suche a place where is no thynge but payne. y [...]e. sorowe. and heuynesse. of whiche he shal neuer see hym delyuerd as longe as helyueth / Thus hath he­loste the grete Ioye that was gyuen to hym / whiche is ta­ken awaye by his synne. And myght haue ben a lord yf he had wolde / Yf he had mayntened hym self in doyng al­way goode werkes. and wold haue absteyned and kepte hym fro doyng euyll / For who that doth wel in this worlde he hath so moche good and honour that thangels of heuen make hym theyr lord and maystre / by fore god kynge of alle kynges. ¶Thenne he may well holde hym for ewrous and happy that doth so moche goode in erthe duryng his lyff that may conquere and haue this honour / And that may euery persone do all for hym self yf it pleseth hym / ¶Now late euerych doo as hym goode shal seme. and ta­ke whiche that he wylle / For he may wynne by doyng well and also lese by doyng euyll /

¶Wherfor god made not the man / suche as he myght not synne / Capitulo. iiij.

WHan our lord god created the man / he gaf to hym power to doo his fre wylle. That is to wete to doo good or euyll whiche he wolde / For yf god had made the man suche as he myght not haue synned ne to haue doon nothyng but well. he shold haue take from hym somwhat [Page] of his power / For he myght not thenne haue doon euyll whan it had plesyd hym / And thenne it shold haue fo­lowed / that wold he or not / he shold alwaye haue doon well wythoute reson / ¶And thus he shold not haue ben cause of the goode that he sholde haue doon / but it sholde haue proceded of another whiche by force sholde haue cau­sed hym and haue gyuen hym the wylle / ¶And he by the moyen of that he so sholde doo / sholde deserue the gwer­don / and not onely he / For lytyl deserueth he that by force of other doth seruyse / who that to morow shold put me in a stronge pryson ayenst my wylle for to doo goode / I sholde not holde hym for wyse / For he shold doo me wronge / Neuertheles it was well in our lordes power yf it had plesed hym to haue made man suche that he shold not haue synned ne haue don ony harme ne euyll / But he had not deseruyd yet suche meryte ne reward as he now doth in noo tyme of the world / And therfore god gaf to man playn frewylle to doo well or euyll to thende that in wel doyng and leuyng the euyll he myght haue more meryte / For other­wyse he myght not deserue so moche / yf god had made than­gels suche as myght not haue synned dedly / ne haue don e­uyll / For that yet shold not they deserue so noble a yefte as the men / And who that wyll deserue these hye merytes / he ought gladly wyth entyer herte and parfyght serue by grete loue and grete reuerence hym that hath made hym for to conquere and come to the most hye honour. And our lord god wolde that man were suche / that by ryght he myght deserue as moche goode a boute hym as he hym self hath. ¶And therfore he gaf to hym witte and r [...]son for to haue entencion to hym / For by ryght he ought well to serue hym / Thenne is he a moche fooll that pourueyeth [Page] not to doo wel whiles he is here lyuynge / For all the good that euery man shal do. shal be for hym self / & alle the euyll also. And eche man shal haue for one good thinge / an hon­dreed good thynges / and for one euyll an hondred euellis / For he is a moche fool that weneth to doo god ony bounte of his goodys in ony maniere that it be / And whan he ab­steneth hym fro doyng euyll. so moche our lord holdeth hym the derrer. and loueth hym the better. For yf he loste alle the world. Our lord shold neuer be the lasse worth. ne none of the goodys that ben in his power / yf alle the sayntes that euer here to fore in the world or euer shal be / had neuer don goode / ¶And that alle by her demerytes were perpetuelly dampned in helle. yet for alle that our lord god shold neuer haue the lasse Ioye ne consolacion. And shold not be the lasse worth. ne noo thynge that is in heuen / But the sayntes were wyse prudent. and constaunt for to doo well and prouffyt / as they that playnely knewe that this world is not but a vayn thynge and transsitoyre. And had moche leuer to suffre paynes & trauaylles / and offre their bodyes to tourment and martirdom & to haue shames / blasphemies and other Iniuryes for the loue of our lord in this misera­ble world that so lytyl whyle endureth / And to haue the goodes of heuen euerlastyng. than to haue ease chaungea­ble to the body / for to haue payne perdurable / They retched not ne had no charge of suche goodys that atte laste shold be of noo value / ¶But they toke the brydle by the teeth for to gete the right hye wytte and vnderstandyng of he­uen. And ther ben many of them that hol [...]e them for foolys in this world / the whiche now at this tyme haue their nee­kys charged. of whiche the other be deliueryd. For they ben herberowed in heuen / And yet holde they many a wyse [Page] man for fool that preyse not moche their wordes. Ther ben plente of wyse people in heuen now / that yf they had prey­sed the foolissh dictes or sayngis And the folishe werkys of the people that so moche coueyte the honouyr and loos of this world for the worde of foles. that they had lefte the commaundementꝭ of god / In whiche the sayntes in heuen dyde gretely their deuoyr / For they lefte not for the delytes of the world to serue their maker and creatour for to gete heuen where they haue Ioye and alle honour as they that ben lordes and shal ben wythout ende / ¶And yf they had doon otherwyse they shold haue perpetuelly shame fylthe & tourmentis of helle where as ben alle the euyllys that man can deuyse. ¶It is moche grete meruayle of this world how that it is so. that ther ben so moche people that wyl suffre payne and trauaylle more for to gete loos of the people or for to amasse grete tresours. the whiche so lytyl tyme a­byde wyth hem / that in an one hour fayll / than they wylle doo for to conquere the goodes of our lord the whiche shal neuer fayll. whiche the blyssyd sayntes haue goten by a ly­tyl hard lyf that they haue endured in this world that me semeth but a right delyte to them that of good herte doo it / ¶And in thend [...]it semeth to them. that for litil or nought they haue goten heuen / and alle thus may euery persone gete it. and be comyn of the goodes of our lord and haue the Ioyes and glorye of heuen / yf the defaulte be not in hem self. But they that desyre the Ioyes the glorye and henours of this world / they empayre them self so moche that they may not lerne no good ne entende to their sauacion / And had moche leuer the ease and consolacions of the body of whiche they ben so sone put out. and brought to sorow and payne than they doo the ease of the soule whiche endureth [Page] wythout ende / Ne they preyse not the witte ne entendemēt of the man yf he can not wel haue hym in the world and haue plente of temporal goodes. by whiche he may be en­haunsed and lyft vp in the world / but saye he is nyce and folissh by cause he can not knowe their malyces & cawteles ¶But alle they ben cursed of god by the mouth of dauid the prophete that so payne them to plese the world by alle the wayes that they can doo / For suche pryde is vayne thynge by whiche y^e soule is enpayred / of whom dauid saith in the psaulter accursid be alle they and confused / as peo­ple of exyle that playse the world / For of all goodes they extende them and discorde fro god and fro his loue / Syth they haue gyuen them and that they accorde them to the world to his vanytees and delytes. For god hath them all in despyte / and put them fro his grace / by cause they seche y^e loos and the glorye. of the world / In whiche he was put out and sette a backe and in thende crucyfyed and helden for a fool. ¶Thus sayth our lord god in his gospel / that alle they shal be blyssyd that haue the world in despyte / ¶And shal be as people hated defowled and cast out as foles for the loue of me and of my name / For they shal haue in heuē their reward and guerdon / And this may euery man see yf god hym self lye not / And trouthe may not be false / that they whiche plese the world / and wylle haue and take the loos and glorye of the world / it may not be but they after haue sorowe. ¶Therfore he is a fool that secheth to haue it by cause alle they that weeshe or pourchace it. be euyl coun­seyled / For alle suche maner of people ben by the deuyl ledde in to helle where they haue a ryght sorouful guerdon / And ther is nowher so valyaunt a kynge ne so puyssaūte prince / duk. erle. knyght. or noble man to whom the deuyll [Page] hath regard but that he do to hym as moche gryef to his power / as to the most vyle and most poure that cometh into helle / whan he hath so vsed his dayes and lyf that he is fallen in his handes / For alle they that ben dampned for to goo theder of what estat that they be. ben called rybauldis For he myght haue conquerd in heuen more noble and more worthy Royamme than is in this world / For who that in thys world serueth our lord vnto the deth / he is more honoured in heuē than alle the kynges that euer were in this world that so lityl endureth wyth vs / Now serue we him thēne & leue we the euyl / the glorye & y^e vanyte of this world / Syth thenne that hereto fore we haue deuysed how & wherfore god hath created the world & wherfor he made mā / we shal deuyse to yow herafter the fourme of y^e world and the facyon after that it conteyneth & compryseth / and how it is made and composed rounde aboute. But it is ex­pedyent that to fore this we speke of the vij Artes lyberal and of their resons. And how they were founden by them that apperceyued the sciences and vertues. For by the vij. Artes ben knowen the faytes of the world / And how it is sette. And therfore we owe now to speke therof for to vnderstonde the better that we shal saye here after.

¶Wherfor and how the seuen Artes liberall were foūden and of their ordre / Capitulo / v^o.

NOw declared this booke whiche is drawen out of Astronomye how somtyme the notable & wyse phi­losophers wold enquere of the maner of the world / & how hit had ben created and made of god. wherof moche people meruaylled / And thenne whan the world was made and compassed / ther was people ynowhe / of whiche many behelde [Page] the firmamēt / that torned round aboute the world & meuyd they had grete meruaylle how it myght be made / And they waked & studyed many nyghtes & many dayes. Thenne be­gan they to beholde the sterres that roos in the eest. & meuyd aboute ouer their hedes Certaynly thyse philosophers ape­tyted not these grete mangeryes ne. delycyous wynes ne for to fylle their belyes as don beestis that seche nothynge but their pasture lyke as this day do they that retche of no­thynge but to fylle their paūche wyth good wynes & good vitaylles & after to haue a fair bedde / whyte shetes & softe / And there to slepe as the swyne / but those were wakyng & studienge many nyghtes & it greued them not. but they were embelysshid moche of that they sawe the fyrmament thus tourne & so nobly to holde his cours & termes / Thus sawe they the sterres meue tyl they went doun in the weste. somme on that one syde. & somme on that other syde / And somme sonner than the other / Thus behelde the prudent mē philosophers & other aboute the firmament tyl it was day y^t they sawe the sonne shewe & reyse in the mornyng rede and clere whiche ascended & mounted half the day / And that o­ther half descended so longe tyl he went vnder whiche made the nyght tapproche / & thenne cam agayn the sterres in the nyght in their cours tyl the sonne cam agayn & enlumyned the day / & helde his way and cours tyl that he repayred on y^e morne in to his pryncypal place. After they behelde the mo­ne. whiche was a comune thynge & apered to the world dyuersely. One tyme she mas rounde. another tyme half. and after horned / & so wente & becam suche as noman myght see her / And after she appered horned & syth half as she had ben to fore / & also round & ful. Thenne knewe they wel by their entendement that she approched the sonne tyl she was euen [Page] ayenst hym. and after departed / And after she wythdrewe her more and more tyl that she was vnder the sonne as she had ben to fore. And thenne she went & cam agayn euery nyght & tornyng and makyng her cours aboute the firma­ment. right as she now doth with out ony thing changyng the contrarye. But now as said is the people that ben now thynke more / And ben moche more curyous of their grete and fatte paunches for to fylle / and to make them fatte. by whiche they come the sonner to their ende and to carayn̄ & by their ouer moche norysshyng and vylaynous. whiche delyuereth them first to trauaylle & after to shame & damp­nacyon. The auncient faders gouerned them not in this wyse / For they setted not by mete & drynke / but for to taled­ge their hungre and thurste for to susteyne theyr bodyes & tobolee hem in helthe in suche wyse as they might helpe them self by their wyttes / as they ought to doo for to come to the glorye of our lord / And that tyme they lyued xx or xxx ye­re lenger than they do now of an honderd one / And that procedeth of their folissh & outrageous gouernaunce / Cer­taynly suche people vnderstande not wel the worde of our lord whan he sayd to the deuyll whā he cam to tempte him and sayde that he shold make of the stones brede and that he shold ete / Thenne Ihesu Cryst answerd. that man lyued not onely by brede / but by the worde that procedeth fro the mouth of god yf the men in thyse dayes vnderstode well this worde / they wolde reteyne more gladly the doctrynes that procede and come fro the mouth of our creatour and maker But the grete rentes that they haue. and the grete tresours of their coffres ben cause of shortyng & abredgyng of their dayes. by their disordynat mangeries that ouer­moche noye and greue them. so that nature may not well [Page] bere ne susteyne / wherof the muste nedes the sonner rendre their soule and deye. Thus their rentes / their tresours or other thynge wherin they delyte them / take away thier lyf their herte / & their wytte alle attones. In suche wyse that whan deth cometh & muste nedes dye / they haue lost wytte & vnderstondyng / of whom many ben deed & dampned / whiche at their nede may not be coūseylled ne can not helpe them self / whā they haue most nede / they lyue not lyke them that for to kepe them fro perilles studyed in sciences & vsed their lyf in suche manere that they wold but susteyne theyr body onely as longe as they shold be in this world. as they that well knewe that this lyf shold not to them longe endure / And had enuye at none other thynge. but onely for to ler­ne suche science by whiche they myght knowe the souerayn kynge allmyghty that alle hath created of nought & ma­de it wyth his hand. Thenne they thought in their entende­ment as people that was of noble and vertuous entenciō that they shold neuer haue knowleche of our lord god ne of so hye myght but yf they entended & serched in his wer­kes whiche they fonde so excellente. And as grete as they myght enquere & knowe. For men shal neuer wel knowe the maystre. but yf byfore mē knowe par [...]yghtly his estate and what his werkes ben / For by the werkys is the wer­keman knowen. and how he may be suche one / And therfor the auncyent faders wold employe them & assaye the werkys of our lorde / And first for to haue knowleche of his power and his vertue. Consideryng that they myght not ocupye them self in a more digne ne worthy scyence ne more diffycyle. And whan the more that they knewe of his werkys & of his wysedom / somoche more had they the better wylle to loue her creatour and maker / & to honoure [Page] hym consyderyng that he had made so noble a thynge and so worthy as is the heuen in whiche ben y^e sterres that shyne bright therin / and his other meruayllous vertues whiche they preysed moche. For how moche more they presed hym / somoche wyth good wylle they seruyd hym. For it was all their affeccion. Intencion and reson to knowe god / for as moche as they knewe certainli that god had gyuē to them wyth nature wytte and rayson for to serche and compryse of thynges of therthe. and of them of heuen as moche as they might knowe. For otherwyse they myght neuer haue thought it / Thus a man be he neuer so wyse ne discrete / may neuer come for to vnderstande the hye secretes of god ne of his myracles / but by hym for by right he knoweth al But of them that by nature be made and ordeyned in he­uen and in erthe / man may wel enquere somme resons yf it be gyuen him & that he be garnisshed of good quyk witte And that be haue sette & employed his tyme to studye & to lerne / And sith they had goten vnderstandyng & rayson by their grete estudye labour and trauayll / somoche that they myght compryse wherfore & how alle the world was made & compassed as ye haue herd here to fore / So thought they thenne / that they myght wel knowe and haue reson of somme thynges sith they had the vnderstandyng of hym that is almyghty to knowe in partye or atte leste of suche as they myght se wyth their eyen. how well that they were ferre. Thus wold they knowe the reson of that. that they sawe so meue the sterres of the firmament & of them that shone so clere. Certaynly this was the princyial cause whi first they put them to studye for tenquere the science that they knewe not. And knewe wel that they shold enquere sonner of thynges that they sawe than of them that they [Page] sawe not / And therfore were they meuyd for to knowe & tenquere the sciēce whiche they knewe not of that they had ofte seen y^e firmament to meue / & wold knowe the trouth And sayde it was right good to knowe it / Yf it pleasyd god / & to knowe of his naturel werkes. for the more par­fightly to byleue & knowe how he was god all myghty / for men coude not knowe ne fynde no resons of god but only by his werkis / The good auncient wyse men / whiche dy­lygenly wold vnderstonde this mater / had no cure for to amasse none other goodes / but only to lerne the pure sciē ­ce. they were not couetous / ne sette not to gadre tresours / & ther were plente of them that apperceyued as wyse men y^t it was a grete charge to them oftymes as wel to kepe it / as to spende it by mesure as in other wayes to gete it and brynge it to gydre / And that alle this was a lettyng to them for to lerne. And they delyberyd emonge them and concluded that somme caste and threwe their tresour in to the see. The other gaf it away and abandonned to them that wold take it. & wente as heremytes. And the other departed it to poure people. And other ther were that lefte their good in suche wyse as them semed that they shold ha­uelasse cause to thynke theron. & reteyned nothing but onli for their vse / And helde wyth hem certayn folke to serue them to thende only that they shold entende to nothyng but to studye and to lerne / They dyde do edefye their houses fro the people lyke as relygeous people and sette them in suche places that thries or foure tymes the weke they myght as­semble & come to gydre for to solace them & sporte / and there eche rendred his reson of that he had founde and lerned / And so longe dyde they thus tyl they had experymented whiche was trewe. and who knewe moste & that they had [Page] foūde who had moste grettest entendement / And hym they chose by consent of them alle for maystre. And he recorded their resons heryng all the felawys / & reherced to them alle to gydre that euery man had sayd / In this manere were y^e clergyes first foūden contryued & auaūced. and so moche trauaylled & studyed that they knew by the helpe of our lorde of whom all science groweth & haboundeth grete partye of that it is. But this was not in lytyl tyme. For they were longe in studie and vnderstode moche / And they that were first. alle that they vnderstode & knewe. they put it in wry­tyng the best wyse they coude. to thende that they that sholde come after them. & wold entremete in conning myght haue their wrytynges & trauaylle allway in the science as they had don byfore Alle that they foūde and sawe / they sette in compylacyons / And dyde so moche eche in his tyme that they were more than .ij.M. & CCCC. yere er they by their labours & contynuel studyes had goten the vij. artes or sciences liberal & put to gydre. but they helde their labour well employed & the payne that they put therto / For they kne­we by their wytte and by their clergye / alle that was come on erthe by nature / whan they wold sette ther cure theron. And also were not abasshed whan a merueyllous caas happed on heuen or on erthe / for they coude wel enquere the reson wherfore it was & sith that it happed by nature / And so loued god moche y^e more whan they sawe suche meruayl­lous werkis. And watched many nyghtes wyth right grete Ioye & grete studye of this that they sawe fonde so hye werkes by whiche they amended them self ayenst our lord that they knewe trouth. & lefte the vanyte of this world / that so lytyl is worth for to come to y^e Ioye that neuer shal faylle / Of whom plente of wyse philosophers that were in [Page] the world deyde wrongfully & wythout reson / by cause they shewde rightfully to the grete lordes / & gaf them fayr examples in repreuyng & myspreysyng their euyl tyrannyes & thextorsions that they dyde to moche people. And preched to them ryght & trouth. & thoo that wold not byleue them & had shame of that they were of them blamed / they made them to be put in their prysons / where they made them to deye by greuous tourmentes by cause they shewd to them y^e trouth wherof they were certayn / lyke as was don to holy sayntes that suffred deth & passyon for the loue of Ihu crist whom they wold enhaunse. so were ther suche philosophers that by their wytte & vnderstandyng prophecyed the holy tyme of the comyng of Ihu crist lyke as virgyle said whiche was in the tyme of Cezar at rome / by whiche plente of people haue ben better syth / than they were byfore / For he sayde that a newe lygnage was enioyed fro heuen on hygh that shold doo vertues in erthe by whom the deuyll shold be ouercomen / Vpon whiche saynt poul that sawe this scrypture whiche he moche preysed / sayde wyth a sorowful herte for so moche as he had not ben crysten. Ha that I shold haue ren / dred & yelden y^t to god yf thou haddest lyued / & that I had come to the. Other philosophers ther were of whome eue­rich sayde goode wordes and meruayllous. But we may not now reherce alle the goode thynges that they sayde For they were prudent alle and valyant. seen that they set to fore alle other thinges clergye / For yf it were not by clergye / men shold not knowe that god were / And yf they had not ben so prudent men as they were ther had neuer be so grete clergye as is now / And yf ther were now suche as they were thenne that founde first clergye / It sholde be other wyse than it now is / But clergye goth now all to [Page] noght that almost it is perysshid. For in thise dayes y^e people seeth not by cause that they that ought vnderstande vertues & to teche other & enseyne & gyue example to doo well they ben they that recule & wythdrawe fro it. And all this procedeth by their folye / For noman holdeth clergye for ver­tue. ne he loueth it not ne applyeth it in all poyntes. But many ther ben that sechen the lyes & drestys / & leue the clere wyn / For noman lerneth ne secheth now / but for to conne so moche that he myght conquere & gete the moneye / And whan they haue goten & largely assemblyd therof / thenne ben they werse than they were a fore / For the money hath so surprysed them that they may entende to none other thynge. Ther ben plente of poure clerkes that gladly wold lerne yf they had the power / But they may not entende therto. by cause they haue not wherof for to furnysshe them of their neces­sytees as wel for to haue bookes as mete drinke & clothes But ben cōstrayned for to gete their liuyng other wyse / for the riche haue now in thise dayes seased somoche / that the poure abyde naked & must suffre. yet ben ther plente of riche clerkis that haue bookes wythout nombre of one & other richely adoubed and couerd to thende that they ben holden for wyse and goode clerkes / For they seche to haue nomore. but only the loos and preysing of the people / And dooo in lyke wyse as the Cock that shrapeth in the duste for to fynde pasture. he shrapeth so longe in the duste and mulle tyl he fynde a gemme riche and precyous whiche shineth clere / thenne he be gynneth to loke theron and beholdeth it / and doth no more but late it lye / For he demandeth not af­ter the ouche or gemme / but had leueyr haue somme corn to ete / In lyke wyse is it of many of thyse not wyse clerkys couetous that haue the precyous bookes richely lymned [Page] storyed & wel adoubed. that do nothynge but loke & beholde them wythout forth while they be newe by cause them seme that they ben fair / & so they beholde them gladly & passe ther­wyth / & after they torne on that other syde & thynke for to fylle their belyes. & to come to their folyssh desyres / and they myght lerne ynoughe yf they wold entende it. For they ha­ue wel the power. & myght do as the wise men dyde herto fo­re / the whiche by their trauayl studye & dylygēce fonde first the clergyes. but they haue their entendemēt folyssh & out of the way / And therfore the sciences & artes perysshe in suche wyse that vnneth and wyth grete payne knowe they their partes of reson whiche is the first booke of gramayre. the whiche is the fyrst of the seuen sciences / But put their ar­tes in their males / and goo lerne anon the lawes or decre­tals / and become aduocates and iuristes for to amasse and gadre alway money wherin the deuyll conforteth hem / and yet doo they not somoche for to lerne / as they doo for to fylle their purses / In Parys / Oxenford and Cambrydge is there suche maner of clerkes that ben acustomed to wylle haue the renomme and fame to be called maystres for to be the more preysed and honoured / ¶And haue leuer to conne lytyll and to haue the name of maystre. than they shold be good clerkes wythout hauyng the degree and na­me of maystre. But they be called maystres wrongfully / For vanyte maystryeth them in suche wyse that they can but lytyl trouthe. bycause that they haue so sone the name of maystre they leue the clergye / ¶And take them to the wynnyng / lyke as marchants doo and brokers / And in this wyse ben many in the world that haue the name of maystre. that knowe right lytyl of good and reson / For they that now desyre this ben not maystres after right. for [Page] they ordeyne them otherwyse to the sciences than they dyde that fonde them first. They entred first in to gramayre for to drawe reson in their ordynaūce & after logique for to preue & shewe the trouth fro the false. After they fonde rethorique for to speke fayr in iugement & right whiche they mo­che loued & after arsmetrique for to be expert in all thinges After they foūde geometrye for to mesure & cōpasse all maistrye & after the foūde they sciēce of musyque for to sette al thinges in cōcordaūce / after they had y^e vnderstandyng of astronomye. for therby were they meuyd to haue science & vertue. In this manere ye may vnderstāde how they y^e first foūde science ordeyned the vij artes or vij sciēces. & they ben in suche wyse entrelaced that they may not be auctorised that one wythout that other ne entierly preysed. And also the first may not be perfyghtly cōned wythout the laste / ne the laste wythout the first / & he that wyl lerne one a right and vnderstonde it. hym behoueth to lerne all the other / ffor other wyse may not be knowen apertly the certayn / ne the incer­tayn / For that one is so comune to that other that it beho­ueth to knowe of alle. but now men seche to lerne nomore but the arte for to gete the moneye / & ben to blame of that the other were preysed that first so trauaylled of whiche it is to vs so grete nede / For lytyl shold we haue knowen yf we had not seen it by writyng / For as it is to fore sayd / yf clergye had be lost we had knowen nothyng ne who had be god / ne men shold neuer haue knowen / what thyng had ben best to do. & so shold all y^e world haue ben dampned thē ­ne had we ben born in an euyl houre For the men had kno­wen nomore than dombe beestis / & all the good thynges ben now knowen & alle comen of y^e seuen sciences that the philosophers fonde somtyme by their wyttes / For therby [Page] had they vnderstondyng to loue god & his vertues / And y^e god is alway & shal be wythouten ende. & so byleued they in grete fayth truly in the auncyent lawe / But in thyse dayes the sciences perisshe by our enuyes detractions & other euylles in suche wyse that ryght lytyl is reteyned of one & other / For now dar no man entende but for rychesse / For [...]yssayers felons & enuyous men that wyl lerne no good. & yf they see ony entende to sciences & clergyes. & they be not riche & myghty for to furnysse hem / the riche men wyl anon scorne & mocque them / & thus wyl the deuyl exhorte them y^t is their maister & their lord & to whom it pleseth that they myssaye in so moche as he shal reward them wyth grete hyre that they shal be sure to haue all euyl aduentures in hel­le that stynketh where they shal mocke them self & shal sa­ye that they were born in an euyll houre whā they haue not lerned y^t they ought to lerne / there shal they haue more ꝓuffyt of their sciēces / y^e loued better to cōquere clergye thā the fool to cōne knowe to assemble y^e grete tresours & y^e grete richesses / & knowe ye that all they that for to gete wordely goodes lefte their tyme for to lerne good / ben all assured to haue euyl & payne after their deth. for by their auaryce and cheuaūce the sciēces come to nought. so that almost they be perisshid. & that whiche now is knowen. cometh & groweth of the vnyusitees of parys oxenford & cambrige & other &c

¶Of thre maner of people and how clergye cam fyrst in to the royamme of ffraunce / Capitulo vj^o.

NOw regneth clergye moche strongely in ffraunce in the cyte of parys as somtyme was in y^e [...]yte of athe­nes whiche thenne was moche noble & puyssaūt / The philosophers that thenne were / & whiche that oughte to teche & lerne other / acompted but thre maner of people in the world [Page] after their vnderstandyng / and that were clerkes. knygh­tes and labourers. The labourers ought to pourueye for y^e clerkes and knyghtes suche thynges as were nedeful for them to liue by in the world honestly / & the knyghtes ought to defende the clerkis & the labourers that ther were no wrō ge don to them. And the clerkis ought to enseygne & teche these two maner of people / & to adresse them in their wer­kis in suche wyse that none do thyng by whiche he shold displese god ne lese his grace. Thus setted somtyme the wyse philosophers thre maner of people in y^e world / as they that knewe / That no man myght sette his corage in that he myght be wyse a ryght in two maners or thre / For it hap­ped neuer day of y^e world that clergye cheualrye & labourers of therthe myght be well knowen by one onely man in all his lyf ne lerned ne reteyned / therfore he that wold lerne byhoueth hym / only to lerne one of the thre. and therfore y^e philosophers sette thre manner of people wythout moo in the erthe. for they wold seche the very trouthe / And sought a cyte in the world. where they myght best be & dwelle for tenquere thestate of the clergye. and thus the better for ta­dresse them / & to teche other they chees the cyte of athenes whiche was noble and somtyme one where they had their comyn resydence & assemble. And there regned first chiual­rye wyth clergye / & after fro thens it wente to rome / whi­che now is of grete renomme. And there cheualrye conty­nued long / And frothens after it remeuyd into ffraunce / where chyualrye hath more power than ony other place in the world. And thus haboundeth there that one & that o­ther / For chiualrye sieweth alway clergye where she goth. thēne the kynge of fraunce & of Englonde may be ioyous that there is in his royames suche seignourye as is sciēce [Page] of clergye where euery man may drawe out wytte & con­nyng humayn. & ther abydeth neuer the lasse. For it is as a fontayn that contynuelly sourdeth and springeth. And the more it renneth & the ferther. the more it is holsom. & how more the sprynge of the fontayn renneth and ferther somoche is the more of the water. & the more may be takē fro it for nede / In lyke wyse may I saye to yow / that pa­rys Oxenford & Cambryge ben the fontayns where men may drawe out most science & more in parys than in other places / & syth it is soo that clergye is soo moche auaunced in fraunce. Thenne ought to knowe by reson in especyall yf the heyres of ffraunce daygne to conne it. For lyke as the sonne is moyst fayr of alle the sterres. & causeth moste good thynges to growe in the world by the bounte that haboūdeth in hym. so ought the kyng be of more valewe than ony other. & to haue more vnderstandyng & clergye / that so by his valyaunce & suffysaunce he myght shyne emōge o­ther people / & by thexemple of his wel doyng that they see in hym they myght by right conduyte drawe them to our lord & in suche wyse shold he be kynge by right in this world / & in heuen / so thenne shold it be wel right & rayson that they do their dyligence to lerne suche clergye & sciēce. that after this mortal lyf they lese not the seignorye of heuen. For by na­ture & lyg [...]age ought they alle to loue clergye & alway to lerne it certes themperour of almaygne louyd wyth al his herte clergye / And auaūced it to his power in ffraunce / And alle the good clerkys that he coude fynde he reteyned them to his courte. & sente for them oueral where he knewe ony. he had in his tyme many a trauayll / many a payne / & many a daunger & ennoye for to mayntene and enhaūce crysten fayth. ¶And therfore he neuer lefte / but helde the

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THe fi­rst of the vij sciē ­ces is gra­mayre / of whiche for y^e tyme that is now. is not knowen the fourth parte wythout whiche science sykerly alle other sciences in especial ben of lytyl recommē ­dacion by cause wythout gramayre ther may none prouf­fyte. For gram [...]yre is the fondement and the begynnynge of clergye. & it is the yate by the whiche in thenfancye is begonne & in contynnyng men come and atteyne to sapience of clergye. this is the science to fourme the speche be it in latyn frenshe or englissh or in ony other langage y^e mē speke wyth. & who that coude all gramayre he couthe make & cons­true eueri worde. and ꝓnoūce it by exemple god made the worlde by wor [...]e / & the word is to y^e world sentence

¶Here fo­loweth of logyke ca. viij

THe se­conde sciēce is logike whiche is called dyaletyque This [Page] science proueth the. pro. and the. contra / That is to saye the veryte or trouthe / & other wyse / And it preueth wherby shal be knowen the trewe fro the fals / & the good fro the euyll. So veryly that for the good was created heuen & maad. & on the contrarye wyse for the euyl was helle maad & esta­blysshyd whiche is horryble stynkyng & redoubtable /

¶Hier speketh of Rethoryque. Capitulo / ix^o.

THe therde of the vij. sciēces is callid rethoryque whiche cō teineth in substance / right­wysnes ray­son and ordy­naūce of wordes / & ought not to be hol­den for folye / For the droytes and lawes by whiche the Iu­gemēts be made and that by rayson and after right ben kept and mayntened in the court of kynges of prynces & of barons come and procede of rethoryque / Of this science were extrayt and drawen the lawes and decrees whiche by nede serue in alle causes / and in all rightes and droytes / Who well knewe the science of rethoryque. he shold knowe the right and the wronge / For to doo wronge to another who so doth it / is loste and dampned / and for to doo right & reson to euery man. he is saued and geteth the loue of god his creatour /

¶Here foloweth arsmetryque & wherof it procedeth / ca / x^o.

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THe fourth sciēce is called ars­metrique this sciēce cometh after rethory­que / & is sette in the myddle of the vij sci­ences / And wythout her may none of the vij sciences parfyghtly ne weel and entierly be knowē wherfore it is expedyent that it be wel knowen & conned For all the sciences take of it their substaūce in suche wyse that wythout her they may not be / And for this reson was she sette in the myddle of the vij sciences. & there hol­deth her nombre. For fro her procede al maners of nombres And in alle thynges renne comme & goo. And no thyng is wythout nombre / But fewe perceyue how this may be. but yf he haue be maystre of the vij Artes so longe that he can truly saye the trouthe / But we may not now recomp­te ne declare alle the causes wherfore / For who that wolde dispute vpon suche werkes him behoued despute and kno­we many thynges and moche of the glose who that kne­we well the science of arsmetryque he myght see thordy­naunce of alle thynesby ordynaunceg was the world made and created. And by ordynaunce of the souerayn it shal be deffeted /

¶Next foloweth the science of Geometrye / Capitulo / xj^o.

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THe fif­the is called geometrie the whi­che more auaileth to astronomye than ony of the vij o­ther. For by her is compassed & mesured Astronomye Thus is by geometrye mesured all thyngis where ther is mesure by geometrye / may be knowen the cours of y^e ster­res whiche alleway go & meue / And the gretenes of the firmament of the sonne of the mone & of the erthe. By geometrye may be knowen all thinges & also the quantyte they may not be so ferre yf they may be sen or espyed wyth eye but it may be knowen / who wel vnderstode geometrye he myght mesure in all maystryes. for by mesure was the world made and alle thynges hye▪ lowe and deep /

¶here folowed of musyque. Capitulo / xij^o.

THe syxthe of the vij sciences is called musyque. the whiche fourmeth hym of arsmetryque / Of this sciēce of musyque cometh alle attemperaunce / And of this arte procedeth somme phsisyque / For lyke as musique accordeth all thynges that dycorde in them / & remayne them to cōcordaūce. right so in like wyse trauaylleth phisyque to brynge nature to poynt that disnatureth in mannes body / whan ony maladye or sekenes encombreth hit. But phisique is not of the nombre of the vij sciēces of philosophie / But it is a maestier or a craft that entēdeth to y^e helthe of mānes [Page]

body & for to preserue it fro alle maladyes & sekenesse as longe as the lyf is in the body. and therfore it is not liberal / For it serueth to hele mānes body / whiche ellys oftentymes my­ght lyghtly perysshe. & ther is nothyng liberal ne free that groweth of therthe / & for as moche as science that serueth to mānes body leseth his franchise. but science that serueth to the soule deserueth in the world to haue name liberal. for y^e soule ought to be liberal as thing that is of noble beyng as she that cometh of god / & to god wylle & ought retorne. & therfor ben the vij sciēces liberall / for they make the sou­le al free. & on that other part / they teche & enseygne al that in euery thyng ought proprely to be don / & this is the very reson why thyse artes all vij ben called vij sciēces liberall / For they make the soule liberall / & delyuer it fro all euyll / Of this arte is musyque thus comune / that she accordeth her to euerich so well that by her the vij sciēces were sette in concorde that they yet endure / by this sciēce of musyque ben extrayt & drawen all the songes that ben songen in ho­ly chirche & all the accordaūces of all y^e instruments that haue diuerse accordes & dyuse sownes. & where ther is reson & entendement of somme thynges / Certes who can wel the science of musyque / he knoweth the accordaunce of alle [Page] thynges / And alle the creatures that payne them to doo well remayne them to concordaunce /

¶Here speketh of Astronomye. Capitulo. xiij^o.

The vij & the laste of the vij sciēces lyberall is astronomie Whiche is of alle cler­gie the ende by this science may & ought to be enquyred of thynges of heuen & of therthe / & in especyall of them that ben made by nature / how ferre that they be / And who knoweth wel & vnderstandeth astronomye / he can set­te reson in alle thynges. For our creatour made alle thynges by reson & gaf his name to euery thyng / By this ar­te & science were first emprysed & goten alle other sciences of decrees & of dyuinyte / by which all crystiante is cōuted to the right fayth of our lord god to loue hym / & to serue y^e kynge almyghty. fro whom all goodes come and to whom they retorne / whiche made all astronomye. & heuen & erthe / the sonne / y^e mone & the sterres. as he that is the very rew­ler & gouernour of all the world / & he that is the very ref­fuge of all creatures. For wythout his playsir nothynge may endure. Certes he is the very Astronomyer. For he knoweth all the good & the badde as he hym self that com­posed astronomye. that somtime was so strongly frequēted & was holden for a right hye werke. for it is a science of so [Page] noble being. that who y^e myght haue y^e parfayt sciēce therof he myght wel knowe how y^e world was cōpassed & plente of their parcyal sciēces / for it is y^e sciēce aboue all other by whiche all maner of thinges ben knowen the better / by the sciēce of astronomye only. were foūden alle the other .vj. to fore named / & wythout them maye none knowe a right astronomye / be he neu so sage ne myghty / In lyke wyse as an hamer or an other tool of a mason ben the instruments by whiche he formeth his werke. & by whiche he doth his crafte / In like wyse by right maistrye ben the other / the instru­ments & fondements of astronomye. & the auncient wyse­men as kynges / princes. dukes / erles knyghtes & other grete lordes by their vnderstōdyng grete trauayl / estudye. & by the hye cōduyte that was in them sette by good manere al their payne & labour to lerne & knowe y^e sciēces & artes of clergye for to vnderstōd the sciēce of astronomye / & so longe they trauaylled that by the wylle of our lord they lerned & knewe ynough. for they knewe plente of grete affaires & werkes that happened in y^e world. & they preysed nothing tho thinges that were erthely. as they that knewe wel the resons therof / And that tyme was the custome that yf a man were bonde / to one or moo. or yf he were comen of litil extraction. & were riche & ful of grete goodes. yet durste he not estudye in the vij sciēces liberall / For the nobles & hye men that in all poyntes wolde reteyne them pryncypal & to thende that they were free & liberal / & by this reson they put therto for name the vij artes or sciēces liberall / for they ben so fre / that they [...]endre to god the soule all free / & they ben so wel to poynt that ther may nothing be taken away. ne nothing put to. how wel yf ony wold or coude medle therwith thaugh he were a good clerke & experte / For yf they were torned or chaūged ony thing that myght be. all shold be disfygured [Page] by cause they ben so resonabli & truly cōposed / that that ther is nomā lyuyng in the world. be he neuer of so moche & profoūde sciēce / be he paynem Iewe or cristen that may ony thyng or can change torne / ne take away ne defowle it in ony maner. & who that parfyghtly knewe the vij artes. he shold be byleuid in all lawes / for ther is nomā y^t coude interrupte hym of ony thing that he wold preue. were it true or otherwyse / by cause he shold preue by quyck reson all that he wold were it wronge or right Thēne is he a fool that thinketh to knowe perfyghtly ony thyng that appeteyneth to clergye / By what mestere or crafte that may come to him but yf it be by myracle of god that all may doo. yf he can none of the vij sciēces / for otherwyse all his trauaylle shold be of no valewe ne he shold not conne shewe thynge of recom­mēdaciō ne preue by right the pro. & contra. Therfor the vij sciēces ben byleued in all the lawes. there as they ben red / And ther is noman be he neuer of so dyuerse a lawe ne of diuse[?] langage that yf he conuerse wyth people that can no­thing of the vij sciēces ne preue of their vsages ne of their partes that shal be bileuyd for experte & wyse / Ne ther shal neuer be Paynem ne sarasyn so moche diuerse / that a Cristē man or a Iewe may wythsaye hym of thynges that he wil aledge or preue / And the decretals ne the lawes be not e­uyll / thaugh somme people holde euyl the cōstitucions that ben emonge them bycause that other doo them & holden / For alle the lawes depende of the vij sciences / And alle men byleue them and reteyne them. there where as people kno­we them. And alle resons that procede of the vij sciences ben trewe in alle causes and in alle places. Thus ben not the sciences muable / but allewaye ben estable & trewe Herwyth I deporte me to speke more to you herof / For ther is ynough here of tofore made ample mencion / And now [Page] I shal reherce to you here after of thaccidentes & of the fay­tes of nature & that shal be short / for god created nature al­therfirst. & tofore he created ony other thynge that apper­teyned to the world. & we ought to fore all other werke saye & declare what she is / for to deuyse after & descryue of the world / For the firmament torneth & meueth by nature / & in lyke wyse do all y^e thinges that haue meuyng / Nature meueth the sterres & maketh them to shyne & growe & al­so may anoye & greue as moche as she wylle. and by cause alle men vnderstonde not wel what this foloweth in sub­staūce / we shal declare a lytyl our matere a longe / for to gyue the better vndestondyng what nature is / & how she werketh to thende that more fully ye may compryse the facion of the world by this that herafter shal be to you declared. yf ye wyl well vnderstande the resons / And therfore gyue ye dylygence for to compryse them & wel to reteyne them /

¶Here foloweth of nature / how she werketh & what she is ¶Capitulo / xiiij^o.

OVre lord god created alther first nature / for she is the thinge by whiche all creatures & other werkes haue dured & lyue what someuer they bee or­deyned of god vnder y^e heuen / wythout nature may nothin­ge growe / And by her haue all thynges created lyf / & ther­fore behoueth nature to be the firste / For she noryssheth and entertieneth all creatures. & habondonneth her self where it pleseth the creator or maker / Nature werkyth in lyke wyse whan she is employed. as doth the axe of a carpenter. whan he employeth it in his werke. For the axe doth nothynge but cutte. And he that holdeth it addressyth it to what par­te he wylle so that in thende by the axe the werke is achie­uyd and made after thentente of the werker. right so natu­re maketh redy and habandonneth where as god wyll For alle thinges ben made by her. & entiertiened as god wylle [Page] make them / & she werketh after this in suche manere. that yf she lacke on one syde she recouerith it on that other na­ture formeth nothyng in vayn / But she werketh in suche maner that she taketh away fro nothyng his playn / For her werke is alway hool after that she fyndeth matere / be i [...] in persones or in beestes / Thenne ben her werkes aboue all other to be recomended as she that doth nothyng that in ony wyse may be contrarye to god / But where as ma [...]er lac [...]keth she leueth to werke / & alleway somoche ther is more of mater somoche more she werketh. as men see of somme beestis. of whiche somme haue two heedes & vj feet / or it hath a mēbre lasse than he ought to haue. of whiche he abydeth wythout veray fourme naturell / & many be called therfor a mōstre. also men see otherwhile some that almost lacke all & other that haue plente & habondaūce in their faites all in lyke wyse falleth ofte & is seen happen vpon some men the whiche whan they ben born / they haue vj fyngres on one hand / & other that haue one or ij or iij lasse than they shold haue / or them lacketh an hole membre / by whiche they be of lasse valewe of that / that apperteyneth to the world & in an other shal be so grete habondaūce of nature or matere in body or in mēbre that he hath other thing than forme humayn setteth / for hym lacketh a foot or a honde / Or he shal be born somtyme more or lasse / or he shal haue a legge more lenger or shorter or an arme than y^e other. yet ther is another thin­ge whiche ought not to be forgoten. For that one shal be born black or broun. & that other whyte. one grete and ano­ther lytyll. that one shal happen to be wyse and dyscrete & that other folissh or shrewyssh sōme be wise & sadde in their yongthe. & in their age ben ofte folissh sōme be soles yong & olde / And other ben wyse alle their lyff yong & olde som­me be fatte / & sōme be lene. somme ben se [...]k & sōme ben hoole [Page] some be sklendre. & sōme be thyk sōme be harde & rude / and sōme be softe & tendre sōme be slowe & sōme be hasty sōme be hardy & sōme be cowardys. sōme be lame. haltyng & cro­ked sōme ben wel fourmed in all rightis & poyntes / A grete man is ofte euyll made / and a lytyl man is ofte wel made & auenaūt / for ther is no membre but it be wel made & a­perteynyng to his body / A fair childe oftymes in his gro­wyng becometh fowl / Sōme wyl haue their wylles / & o­ther desyre it but lytyl. euerich hath his talente & his apety­te. a lytyl man engēdreth ofte a grete mā / & a grete mā ofte getyth a lityl one▪ a lytyl man otherwhile empriseth to do a grete thing that right a grete mā wyl not emprise / Sōme deye lightly & other lyue longe / & sōme lyue aslonge tyl age make them to gyue ouer the world / after that / that nature endureth to them by y^e wylle of god. also it is seen ofte emō gemen that sōme entende to clergye. & other gyue them to other style of sciēce & crafte as of carpenter mason smyth or ony other crafte in whiche he employed his tyme. For euy man gyueth hym self gladly to that whiche his entēdemēt is enclyned to & to other crafte or sciēce than nature & vn­derstondyng gyueth hym to / he shal neuer perfyghtly vnder­stonde ne so wel meddle wyth all as he shold to that whiche his propre nature gyueth hym to / ther ben yet other maner of people that sette and gyue them self to do many thynges that other may not ne can not do. for asmoche as their na­ture hath not gyuē it to them / for sōme pretēde to hye esta­tes & grete richesses / & other ben cōtent wyth lityl estate. & it happeth ofte that a man cometh to that where he pretēdeth & other can not come therto. but torneth cōtrarye to them & to their dommage / & ofte wyth grete payne may they come to their aboue / of y^e thing y^t they wold accōplysshe. & other doo & make plente of thynges. that sōme can not ne may not [Page] doo ne make / For in the persones ben so many dyuersetees and facions not lyke and of wylles that men shal not finde in ony contree of the world two men that parfyghtly be lyke / who ferre they can seche / but that they be dyuerse in sō ­me cas. or of body or of membres or of entendement or of the vysage or of their sayngis or of their faytes or dedes / For the puyssaūce of nature is so diuerse / that ther is no­thyng that hath growyng but that she hath vpon it myght in suche wyse that she gyueth to one somme thyng that another hath not in hym / how be it that noman can perceyue o­ny dystaūce / Suche is the vertu of nature where plente of clerkes haue somtyme sette their entendement & cure and haue strongely laboured to thende that they myght better declare the fayte & puissance of nature / And first of all saith Plato whiche was a man of grete renomme / that nature is an ouer puyssaūce or myght in thynges that she maketh to growe lyke by lyke after that / that euerych may bee. and this may be vnderstande by one man that engendreth another. and by beestes by plantes & by sedes the whiche after their semblaunces growe & aftyr their facion. And lo this is that that the wyse platon saith whiche was a grete cler­ke / After hym sayth aristole / that this was a yefte comen fro the hye prynce. Whan he gaf vertu to the firmament & to the sterres for to meue & to be / And that wythout god suche power ne myght not be gyuen / as the thynges that ha­ue power to remeue to bee & to meue / Aristotle that sayth this studied in many a booke treatyng of nature. Many o­ther philosophers ther were that sayd that nature proceded of vertues of hete whiche causeth all thynges to growe & nourisshe. But for this present tyme I passe ouer for to speke of other matere Tho philosophers ensiewen better plato [Page] than Arystotle. Thus sayd they that them semeth. & they spack so hye lyke as afore is said. that fewe clerkes myght atteyne to come therto / and for to abredge it. he is not that myght parfyghtly knowe what it is / sauf god that al knoweth & that all seeth / And that first wold establysshe for taccomplyssh all thynges / herby may well be knowen that god is of moche grete puyssaūce / And it is of hym a right grete thynge whan he of nought & wythout trauayll crea­ted and fourmed so excellent a thinge & so hye & noble awerke. And therfore wold he hym self create & make man to y^e ende that he myght be so myghty & haue suche wytte & vn­derstandyng in hym self that he knewe by nature that whi­che myght greue hym in his sowle. & lyue vnto our lord. for yf he wylle Iustely & rightfully conduyte hym self. he may well brynge his herte to that. that nature shal not mowe greue hym in no manere. And therfore were foūden the vij sciences or artes. For to take away the euyll thoughtes that myght brynge a man to the deth. whiche they may des­troye by the sciences. And thus may one chaūge his euyl estate / by the techynges of a good maystre. and therfore it is good for to haunte emonge the vertuous men / For ther men may lerne & prouffyte in dyuerse maners. Thus then­ne is he wyse that is prudent in suche manere that after his deth he hath the better / and that god receyueth hym in gree Thus than he shal haue doon more for his owen prouffyt than for an other. This knewe alle men certaynly. For he shall resseyue alle the weel. And moche is he a fooll that somoche louy [...] his body that he forgeteth to saue his sowle. Whiche god hath lente to hym pure and clene to thende that he shold rendre it suche agayn at his deth. And that he gouerne hym not in suche wyse that by hys culpe and [Page] defawte defowle hym in synnes / he that so conduyteth hym self doth in lyke wyse as the euyll seruaunt dyde / to whom the maystre delyuerd his besaūtes for to multyplye in good But he dyde not iustly as he that was of euyll fayth wherfore the maystre seeyng the vntrouth of hym chaced hym away fro hym And euer after he had shame & reproche ly­ke as the gospel wytnesseth & to vs wherceth / Alle in lykewyse shal it be of them that leue the good grayn / for the chaff / these ben they that suffre their soules to perisshe for y^e playsance of their bodyes / of whiche alle euylles come to them herwyth for this present I leue the declaracion of the vij sciences and of nature / & purpose by the grace of god to deuyse the facion of the world how it is by nature made & pourtrayed of god / whiche of one onely wylle created and formed the world and alle that is therof appendant. Now entende ye to this that we saye to yow /

¶Of the fourme of the firmament Capitulo / xv^o.

GOd fourmed the world alle rounde. lyke as is a pe­lette / the whiche is all round. and he made the heuen all rounde whiche enuyroneth and goth rounde aboute the erthe on alle parties hooly wythout ony defaulte alle in lyke wyse as the shelle of an egge that enuyronneth the whytte all aboute. ¶And so the heuen goth rounde aboute an ayer / whiche is aboue thayer the whiche in latyn is called Hester / this is as moche to saye as pure ayer and clene / ¶For it was made of pure and of clere purete / This ayer shyneth nyght and daye of resplenduer perpetuel / And is so clere and shynyng that yf a man were a­bydyng in that parte / he shold see alle one thynge and other And alle that is fro on ende to the other also lyghtly or more as a man shold doo here byneth vpon the erthe ther [Page] only lengthe of a foot or lasse yet yf he had nede. Alle in lyke wyse I saye to yow. who that were there he myght see al aboute hym aswell ferre as nyghe. the ayer is so clere & nette / Of this hester thangels taken their bodies and their wynges / whan our lord god sendeth them in message hether lowe in to therthe to his frendes. Whan he wyll shewe to them ony thynge. And therfore seme they to be so clere to synfull men in this world / that their eyen may not suffre the resplendour ne beholde the grete clerenes as they that ben ful of obscurte and derknes / that is to saye of synnes and of inyquytees of whiche they ben replenesshid / And it happeth oftymes. that whan angels ben comen to ony man in ony place by the wyll of god for to saye and shewe their messaye / that whiles thangele speketh to hym He fal­leth to grounde as he were a slepe or in a traūce / and hym se­meth he hereth not the worde of thangele but as he dremed / And is muet wythout spekyng / vnto the tyme that than­gele repayreth agayn. Thenne whan he is awaked / and comen agayn to hym self / he remembryd well the sayeng of thangele / and what he hadde shewd to hym. Thus I saye you for trouthe that no bodyly man. may not susteyne for to see hym in no manere / for so moche as a man is made of heuy matere / Ne no byrde ne fowle be he neuer so stronge ne so well fleyng may not suffre to be there. but that hym behoueth to come doun as sone as a stone. tyl that he come in to thayer where he may repryse his fleyng / yf he were not a­basshyd to descende. for there may nothyng abyde. but yf it be thynge espirytuell / ne may not lyue there / For nomore than the fysshe may lyue in this ayer where we ben in ne susteyne hym / but right soone muste dye / and shortely perys­she. but yf he be contynuelly nouryssed in the water. All in [Page] lykewyse I saye you of vs / For we may not meue in this ayer perpetuell ne lyue ne dwelle there as longe as we ha­ue the body mortall /

¶How the four Elementes ben sette / Capitulo / xvj^o.

THis clerenesse of whiche we haue spoken. whiche is callyd ayer spyrytuell / And where the angels take their araye and atourement enuyronneth all aboute the worlde / the foure elementis whiche god created and sette that one wyth in that other / ¶Of whiche that one is the ffyre / The seconde is thayer. The thyrde is the water. And the fourthe is therthe / Of whiche that one is fastned in that other. And that one susteyned that other in suche maner as therthe holdeth hym in the myddle. The fyre whiche is the firste / encloseth this ayer / in whiche we bee / And this ayer encloseth the water after the whiche holdeth hym all aboute the erthe. Alle in lyke wyse as is seen of an eg­ge and as the whyte encloseth the yolke / And in the myddle of the yolke is also as it were a drope of grece whiche holdeth on no parte / And the drope of grece whiche is in the myddle / holdeth on neyther parte / By suche and sembla­ble regard is the erthe sette in the myddle of heuen so iuste and so egally. that as fer is the erthe fro heuen fro aboue as fro bynethe For whersomeuer thou be vpon therthe thou art lyke ferre fro heuen. lyke as ye may see the poynt of a compas whiche is sette in the myddle of the cercle / that is to saye. that it is sette in the lowest place / For of alle fourmes that be made in the compaas / alway the poynt is lowest in the myddle / And thus ben the foure Elementes sette that one wythin that other so that the erthe is alway in the myddle / For as moche space is alway the heuen from vnder erthe as it appiereth from a boue This fygure folowyng [Page] on that other side of the leef sheweth y^e vnderstāding therof. and deuyseth it playnly / and therfore ye may take hede therto /

¶How the erthe holdeth her right in the myddle of the worlde Capitulo. xvij^o.

FOr as moche as therthe is heuy more than ony other of thelemen­tis / therfore she holdeth her more in the myddle. and that / whiche is most heuy abydeth aboute her / for the thynge / whiche most weyeth. draweth most lowest / And alle that is heuy draweth therto / And therfore behoueth vs to Ioyne to the erthe / and alle that is extrayt of therthe / yf so were / & myght so happene / that ther were nothing vpon therthe / watre ne other thynge that letted and trobled the waye. what someuer pate that a man wold he myght goo round aboute therthe / were it man or beeste aboue and vn­der. whiche parte that he wold lyke as a flye goth round aboute a round apple In lyke wyse myght a man goo roū de aboute therthe as ferre as therthe dureth by nature. alle aboute so that he sheld come vnder vs / And it shold seme to hym that we were vnder hym / lyke as to vs he shold seme [Page] vnder vs for he shold holde his feet ayenst oure / And the heed towad heuen / no more ne lasse as we doo here and the feet toward therthe. And yf he wente alway forth his way to fore hym he shold goo so ferre that he shold come agayn to the place fro whens he first departed. And yf it were so that by aduēture two men departed that one fro that other And that one went alleway toward the eest / & that other toward the weste / so that bothe two wente egally / it behoued that they shold mete agayn in the opposite place fro where as they departed. And bothe two shold come agayn to the place. fro whens they meued first / For thēne had that one and that other go on rounde aboute the erthe aboue and vnder / lyke rounde aboute a whele that were stylle on ther­the in lyke wyse shold they goo aboute therthe. as they that contynuelly drewe them right toward y^e myddle of therthe for she fastneth all heuy thing toward her / & that most we­yeth most draweth & most ner holdeth toward the myddle / For who moche depper one delueth in therthe. so moche heuy­er

shal he fynde it & for to vnderstonde this that j haue de­uysed to you here to fore of the goynges of the flies aboute thapple. & of the mē aboute therthe In like wyse maye ye see all the manere & facion by thyse two figures y^• whiche ben here to you represented and shewde alle entierly / dij.

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BBut for to vnderstonde the better & more clerly conceyue / ye may vnder­stāde by another ensāple yf the erthe were depar­ted right in the myddle in suche wyse that the heuen myght be seen thurgh / And yf one threwe a stone or an heuy plomette of leed that wel weyed whan it shold co­me in the myddle and half waye thurgh of therthe / there right shold it abyde and holde hym for it myght nether goo lower ne aryse hyer. But yf it were that by the force of the grete heyght it myght by the myght of the weyght in fal­lyng falle more depper than the myddle. but anon / it shold aryse agayn in suche wyse that it shold abyde in the myddle of therthe / ne neuer after shold meue thens / For thenne shold it be egally ouerall vnder the firmament whiche tor­neth nyght and daye / And by the vertue and myght of his tornyng nothyng may approche to it that is poysant & heuy / But wythdraweth alway vnder it / of whiche ye may see the nature and vnderstondyng by this present fygure. on that other syde /

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ANd yf ther the were perced thurgh in ij places of whiche that one hole were cutte ī to y^e other like a crosse and foure mē stoden ryght at the foure hedes of thise ij hooles one / aboue / & a nother bineth. & in lyke wyse on bothe sydes and that eche of them threwe a stone in to the hoole whether it were grete or lytyl eche stone shold come in to the myddle of therthe. wythout e­uer to be remeuyd fro thens. But yf it were drawen away by force / & they shold holden them one aboute another for to take place eueryche in the myddle of therthe & yf the stones were of like weight. they shold come therto alle at one tyme assone y^e one as that other / For nature wold suffre it none other wyse. & that one shold come ayenst another as ye may ANd yf their weyght & ¶playnely see by this fygure powers were not egall fro the place fro whens they shold falle / that whiche were most heuy / y^t shold sonnest co­me to the myddle of therthe. & other shold be al aboute her as this seconde fygure sheweth playnly on that other syde / ANd so moche may be caste therin that the hooles may be full lyke as they were to fore / as ye may playnli see [Page]

in this fygure. whiche sheweth to you the plain trouth now this suffyseth ynouh herof / & here after we shal speke of other thynges /

¶What y^e roū denes of the er­the is. ca. xviij^o.

NOw then ne plese it you to here for to deuyse playn­ly to you how the erthe is rounde. Who that myghte moūte

on hye in thayer & how that myght beholde by valeyes & by playnes the hyenes of the grete montaynes / & the grete & depe valeyes y^e grete wa­wes of the See & y^e grete flodes they shold seme lasse tappere vnto the gretnes of the erthe than sholde an heer of a man do vpon an apple. or vnder his fygure / For nether montayne ne valeye. how someuer hye ne depe it be taketh not away fro therthe [Page] his roundenesse nomore than the galle leueth to be rounde for his prickys / For it behoueth the erthe to be rounde. For to amasse the more people. and we shal saye to you here after how the world muste nedes be rounde /

¶Wherfor god made the world al rounde. Capl^o. xix^o.

GOd fourmed the world al round / For of all the fourmes that be / of what dyuerse maners they be / may none be so plenere ne resseyue so moche by nature. as may y^e fygure rounde. For that is the most ample of alle fygures

that ye may take example by. For ther is none so wyse ne so subtil in all thinges ne somoche can vn­derstāde that may for ony thing make a vessel be it of woode or of stone / or of metal that may be so ample ne that may holde within it so moche ī right quantite as shal do the rounde / Ne fygure that ony may make may so sone meue ne so lyghtly make his torne to goo aboute. that ony man can vnderstande. but that it must take other place than this to fore / sauf only the roūde whi­che may meue roūd without takyng other place / for she may haue non other than the first. Ne passe one only ligne or ray fro the place where she holdeth her in wherof ye may see [Page] the nature by a fygure squared sette wythin a roūde or ano­ther which is not round And make them bothe to torne. the corners of them that ben not roūd shal take dyuerce places that the rounde secheth not / And that may ye see by thyse iij. fygures in one whiche ben here / of whiche that one is round all aboute & that other tweyne ye may see squared /

YEt is ther another thynge that ther is no thyng vn­der heuen enclosed of what dyuerse facion it be / that may so lyghtly meue by nature as may the rounde / And therfore god made the worlde rounde. to this ende that it myght best be fylled on all partyes For he wyl leue nothin­ge voyde / and wyll that it torne day and nyght For it behoueth to haue meuyng on the heuen. whiche maketh alle to meue For alle meuynges come fro heuen. therfor it behoueth lyghtly and swyftly to meue. And wythout it ther is no­thyng may meue /

¶Of the meuynges of heuen and of the vij planetes & of the lytylnes of therthe vnto the regarde of heuen. Capl^o. xx

OWr lord god gaf meuyng vnto the heuen / whiche goth so swyftly and so appertly / that noman can cō ­pryse in his thought. but it semeth not to vs for his grete­nes / no more than it shold seme to a man. yf he sawe fro fer­re an horse rennyng vpon a grete montayne it shold not se­me to hym that he wente ne onely paas / And for somoche as he sholde be most ferre fro hym somoche the lasse / sholde he seme to goo / And the heuen is so moche hye and ferre abo­ue vs that yf a stone were in thayer as hye as the sterres be / And were the most heuyest of alle the world of leed or of metall / And began to falle fro an hye aboue this thyng [Page] is proued and knowen. That it shold not come to therthe tyl thende of an hondred yere so moche and ferre is the heuē fro vs. The whiche is so grete. that alle the erthe rounde aboute hath nothyng of gretenes ayest y^e heuē nomore than hath the poynt or pricke in the myddle of the most grete cō paas that may be ne to the grettest cercle that may be ma­de on therthe / And yf a man were aboue in heuen / and behelde and loked here doun in the erthe / And that alle the erthe were brennynge all in cooles flammyng & lyghted. it shold seme to hym more lytyll / than the lest sterre / that is aboue semeth to vs here in therthe / thawh we were on a montay­ne or in a valeye / and therfore it may well be knowen. that the heuen muste lyghtly meue. whan it maketh his torne & goth round aboute therthe in a day & a nyght / lyke as we may apperceyue by the sonne / that men see in the mornyng arise in thoryent or in the eest / & goth doun in the west / & on the morn erly we see hym come agayn in the eest / For thē ­ne he hath perfourmed his cours roūd aboute therth. whiche we calle a day naturel / the whiche conteyneth in hym day & nyght Thus goth and cometh the sonne the whiche neuer shal haue reste / ne neuer shal fynysshe to goo wyth the heuen. lyke as the nayle that is fyxed in the whele. the whiche torneth whan she torneth. But by cause that it hath meuyng ayenst the cours or tornynge of the fyrmament / ¶We shal saye to yow another reson / yf a flye wente rounde aboute a whele that went rounde itself. And that the flye wente ayenst it / The whele shold brynge the flye wyth her / And so shold it falle that the whele shold haue made many tornes / whylis that the flye shold make one torne. and er she had gon rounde aboute the whele vnto the [Page] first poynt / So ye muste vnderstonde that in suche manere gon the mone & the sonne. by away that is comune to the vij planetes that ben on the heuen / whiche alle goo by the same way alleway toward the eest / and the heuen torneth toward the weste. lyke as nature ledeth hym / Thus & her­wyth the first partie taketh his ende of this present booke. And shal folowe for to deuyse of the seconde partye of ther­the & of the fourme of the firmament /

¶Here after bygynneth the seconde partye of this present book. and declareth how therthe is deuyded and what partie she is enhabyted / Capitulo primo.

SYth that the erthe is so lytyl as ye haue herd here to fore deuysed lytyl maye we preyse the goodes therof vnto the regard of heuen. lasse than men do donge a­yenst fin gold. or ayenst precyous stones / how wel that in thende that one and that other shal be of no walewe. but for somoche as we beyng in this world vs semeth that the erthe is moche grete we haue declared to you as wel the roūdenesse as the gretenes to our power & that shortly. syth we haue vnderstande how the erthe is rounde on alle partes as an apple. Neuertheles it is not enhabyted in all parties whiche is well knowen. of no people of the world / And it is not enhabyted but in one quarter only lyke as the philo­sophers haue enserched / whiche put for to knowe it grete trauayll & estudye and therfore we shal deuyse it al aboute in foure parties / of whiche ye may take ensample by an apple / whiche shal be parted by the myddle in foure parties right of lengthe & of brede by the core / and pare a quarter. & stratche the parell for to se & vnderstōde the facion in playn erthe or in your hande /

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ANd in y^e ende of this lyne / Lyke as she gooth right by lyne / We may see a cyte whiche is callyd Aron it is sette in y^e myd­dle of y^e world. and was made all roūde ther was foūdē first astronomye by gre­te studye / by grete maistrye / & by grete dylygēce / This pla­ce Aaron is named y^e right mydday as she that is sette in y^e myddle of y^e world that other heed of this lyne. whiche gooth right toward the lyfte syde. is cal­lyd septentrion that is to saye north and taketh his name [Page] of the vij sterres / and torneth toward another sterre that ledeth the maronners by the see / In that other lyne that is y^e myddle / whiche the south cutteth in the ende toward the eest as the auctours saye is paradis terrestre. where adam was in somtyme This place is callyd oryent that is to saye eest For fro thens cometh the sonne whiche maketh the day a­boute y^e world. And that other heed is callyd occydent that is to saye weste. For there the day faylleth and wexith derke whan the sonne goth doun there. thus and by this reson

be nam [...]d the foure parties of the world of whiche the first cōteineth the eest. The seconde the west The therde the south. And the fourthe the north. & this that we ens [...]ygne you ye may see by this figure to fore on that other syde

THyse foure partyes that I haue declared to yow. whiche ben sette in a quarter of alle the erthe of the world ought to haue a rounde fourme / For rayson and nature gyue that alle the worlde be rounde / ¶And therfore vnderstande ye of this quarter as it were alle rounde ¶ Now make we thenne of this quarter [Page]

a cercle that is al round & al h [...]ol / & late vs sette in y^e middle of th­is lyne y^t sheweth y^e eest & y^e west for to sette the parties in her rig­ht as this presēte figure y^t here is repre­sēteth sheweth to you plainli

AFter late eche partye be torned toward his name in therthe / of whiche eche shal be the fourth parte / & this

present fygu­re is enseyg­nement and demonstraūce certayne and trewe wyth­out ony varyacyon ne doubtaunce.

¶What parte of therthe is in hahyted Capl^o. ij^o.

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ALle the erthe y^t is the world enhabyted is deuided in thre parties. and therfor it behoueth by this reson to ma­ke an other dyuysion. Of whiche y^e par­tie toward orient is callyd Asia y^e grete And taketh the name of a quene that somtyme was lady of this regyon and was callyd asia this partie named asia

holdeth and conteyneth as moche space as doethe o­ther tweyne. And therfor it is callyd Asia the grete and dureth fro the north vnto y^e south like as this fygure she­wyth /

[Page]That other part is called europe. & taketh his name of akynge callyd europes / the whiche was lord of this contre / & therfor it was so callyd. And it endureth fro the weste vnto the north. & marcheth vnto Asie the grete / that other parte is affryque whiche stratcheth fro the south vnto y^e west & affryque hath his name of helbe / & is as moche to saye as born away lyke as this figure deuyseth in iij. par­tyes of whiche figure this is the demonstrance /

OF these thre partyes of the world here tofore named holden euerych many regyons & many coutreees / of whiche or at the leste of y^e most noble partie we shal declare the names / & how the bestes that ben there ben most comynly called. Thus we shal saye to you the condycions & fourmes of somme / & in especial of them that ben most seen by men / And first we shal speke of the people of the contrees / And after of the bestes and fisshes lyke as the book dyuy­seth to vs out of whiche is drawen this Mappe mundi /

¶First of paradis terrestre. and of the foure grete flodes that departe fro thens / ¶Capitulo / iij^o.

THe fyrst regyon of Asia the grete is paradys ter­restre. This is a place whiche is full of solace / of playsances and of delyces / so that none that is therin may be greuyd ne haue none euyll in no maner of the worlde. In this paradys is the tree of lyf / and who that had eten of the fruyt. he shold not deye as longe as the world en­dureth. But noman lyuyng may come theder / but yf our lord god or his angele conduyted and brought hym theder. For alle round aboute / it is enclosed wyw fyre brennyng the whiche goth flammyng vnto y^e clowdes Ther wythin­ne sourdeth and spryngeth a fontayne or welle whiche is deuyded in to four flodes / Of whom that one is called [Page] vngages that renneth a longe thurgh the royame of Inde And departeth in to many armes or braces. It sourdeth of the mount that is called Ortobares / the whiche is toward thorient / and falleth in to the see Occyan / The seconde of y^e four flodes is named gyon. or nylus / Whiche entreth in to therthe by an hool. and renneth vnder the erthe so ferre that it resourdeth in to the longe see / whiche enuyronneth alle Ethiope so that it departeth in to vij partyes / and goth ren­nyng by egypte so longe that it cometh and falleth in to y^e grete see / The other two flodes of whiche that one is callid Tygris. and that other eufrates sourden in hermenye nygh vnto amoche grete montayne whiche is named partheacus And thyse two flodes trauerse many grete contrees so lon tyl they mete in the see moyen where bothe two falle inne lyke as their nature requyreth On this side paradys terres­tre alle aboute ben [...]ny dyuerse places wythout ony resorte For none may dwelle there ne fynde place to lyue in / But there be plente of euyll beestis whiche ben fiers and crymynel and of many guyses ther ben. Ther ben geaūtes rowh and heery whiche deuoure and ete alle thyng as wulues don. And many other wylde beestes.

¶Here speketh of ynde & of thynges that be found therin / Capitulo iiij^o.

AFter comen the contrees of Inde whiche take their name of a water that is called Inde / whiche sourdeth in the north. The Indes ben closed wyth the grete see that enuyronneth them round aboute. In Inde is an yle named Probane wherin ben founded ten cytees and plente of other townes. where as euery yere ben two somers & two wyn­ters / And ben so attemprid that there is alway verdure / & vpon the trees ben contynuelly flowres l [...]euis and fruyt [Page] And it is moche plentuous of gold and syluer and moche fertyle of other thynges / There be the grete montaynes of gold and of precyous stones and other richesses plente / but noman dar approche it for the dragons and for the gryf­fons wylde whiche haue bodyes of lyons / fleyng whiche easily bere a man away armed and syttyng vpon his hors Whan he may sease him wyth his clawes and vngles ther ben yet plente of other places so delectable so swete and so spirituel that yf a man were ther in / he shold saye / that it we­re a very paradys /

¶Here foloweth the dyuersitees beyng in y^e lande of Inde Capitulo / v^o.

THere is in the lande of Inde a right grete montayne that men calle mount capyen / and it is a moche grette regyon / Ther ben a maner of people wythout wytte and wythout discrescyon / Whiche the kynge Alysander enclo­sed therin / And ben named goths and magoths or gog or magog / they ete flessh all rawe be it men or wymyn or beestes as men wood / mad or demonyacks / This Inde of whiche I yow reheree conteyneth xiiij regyons / and in eue­rich of thise regyons ben moche people / And also ther is therin grete trees and so hye that they towche the cloudes / And there dwelleth people that ben horned / and ar but two cubites hye / And they goon to gydre in grete companyes For ofte they fighte ayenst the cranes / whiche them assaylle / But wyth in vij yere they become aged & olde that they deye for age / This people is callyd pygmans / and ben as lytyl as dwarfes / right nygh vnto this contree groweth pepre alle whytte / But the vermyne is there so grete that whan thyy wold gadre & take it they muste sette fyre therin for to dryue away the vermyne / And whan it is so [Page] brent / the pepre is founden al blacke soorchid and crispe / ye ben there other people whiche ben callyd groyne and brag­man whiche ben fayrer than they to fore named / that for to saue anothers lyf. wyll put them in to a brennyng fyre / There is yet another maner of peple / y^e whiche whan their faders and moders or their other frendes ben passyng olde & eaged. they slee them & sacryfye them / be it wrong or right and eten their flesshe and holde them for meschaūt and ny­gardis that so doo not to their frendes / For they holde this maner emong them for grete wele grete worship / and for grete largesse / And therfore eche of them vse it / Toward y^e [...]est is another maner of people that worshippe the sonne only and taketh it for their god for the grete goodes that come ther by. And by cause that in alle the world they see none so fayre a thyng to their semyng / they byleue in it as their god. Yet ben ther other people that ben all rough / whiche eten fysshe all rawe and drynke water of the salt see / Toward this same contre is a maner of people that ben half beestes and half men / yet ben ther in that partye other people whiche haue on one foot viij toes. In thyse contrees is grete nombre of beestes right dredfull and terryble / whiche haue bodyes of men and heedes of dogges. And haue so grete vngles or clawes that areste alle that they can holde and clothe them wyth the hydes and skynnes of bestes. And haue suche maner of voys as barkyng of dogges. Yet ben ther other callyd Cyclopyens whiche passe by ren­nyng the wynde. & haue only but one fote / of whiche the plā te is so right longe and so brode. that they couere them ther wyth fro the shadowe. whan the hete cometh ouer sharp on them / Another maner people ther is / whiche haue only but one eye. & that standeth right in the myddys of the fronte or [Page] forhede whiche is so reed and so clere that it semeth properly fyre brennyng. And there also ben founde another maner of p [...]ople that haue the vysage & the mouth in the myddle of their breste / and haue one eye in euery sholdre. and their nose hangeth doun to their mouth / And haue brestles a­boute their mosell lyke swyne. yet ben ther founden toward the ryuer of ganges a maner of strange people and cur­toys. whiche haue the right fygure of a man. whiche lyue only by the odour and smellyng of an apple only / And yf they goo ferre in to ony place. they haue nede to haue the apple wyth them / For yf they fele ony stenche euyll & stynekyng & haue not thapple / they deye incontynent /

¶Of the serpentes & of the beestes of Inde / Ca. vj^o.

IN Inde ben plente of serpentes. whiche ben of suche force and myght / that they deuoure & take by streng­the the hertes and buckes. Yet ther is another maner beeste whiche is callyd Centyoore whiche hath y^e horne of an herte in the myddle of his face / And hath the breste and thyes lyke a lyon / and hath grete [...]eris & feet lyke an hors / And hath a round mouth / his mosel is lyke the heed of a Bere And his eyen ben nyghe that one that other / and his voys is moche lyke the voys of a man / Another beeste men fyn­de there moche fyers. whiche hath the body of an hors / the heed of a wylde boor. and the tayll of an Olyphaunt. And he hath two hornes whiche eueriche is as lōge as a cubyte Of whiche he sette that one vpon his back whyles he figh­teth wyth that other. he is black and a moche terryble beeste and meruyellous delyuere / And is both in watre & on the londe / There ben also seen bollys whiche ben al whyte / They haue grete hedes. & their throte is as wyde & brode that it endureth from that one eere to that other & haue hornes that [Page] remeue aboute hym so that nomā may tame ne daūte them Another maner of beestes ther is in Inde that ben callyd mantycora / and hath visage of a man / & thre huge grete teeth in his throte / he hath eyen lyke a goot & body of a lyon tayll of a Scorpyon and voys of a serpente in suche wyse that by his swete songe he draweth to hym the people and deuoureth them / And is more delyuerer to goo / than is a fowle to flee / Ther is also a maner of Oxen or buefs that haue their feet all round and haue in the myddle of their fronte iij hornes / Yet is ther auother beeste of moche fayr corsage or shappe of body whiche is called monotheres / whiche hath the body of an hors / and feet of an Olyfant / heed of an herte and voys clere and hye and a grete tayle / And hath but one horne / whiche is in the myddle of his forhede. whiche is four foot longe right and sharpe lyke a sw [...]rd and cuttyng lyke a rasour / And alle that he attey­neth to fore hym and towcheth is broken & cutte / for trouthe this beeste is of suche condicion that by what someuer en­gyne he is taken / of grete desdayn he suffreth to be slayn and deyd / But he may not be taken but by a pure vyrgyne whi­che is sette to fore hym where as he shal passe / the whiche muste be well and gentely arayed / Thenne cometh the beest vnto the mayde moche symply / and slepeth in her lappe / and so he is taken slepyng / In Inde ben ther other beestes grete and fyers whiche ben of blew colowr / & haue clere spottes on the body / and ben so right stronge and crymynel that no men dar approche them / and ben named tygris. & they ren­ne so swyftly. and by so grete myght that the hunters may not escape fro them in no wyse. but yf they take myrrours of glasse and caste them in the waye where they shal renne [Page] For the tygris ben of suche nature / that whā they see their semblaunce they wene that it be their fawnes thēne goon they aboute the myrrours so longe tyl they breke the glasse and see nomore. in whiche whyle the hunters escape fro them that ben there. And somtyme it happeth so of thyse tygres that they thynke so longe and beholde their fygures that otherwhile they ben taken so lokyng all quick and ly­uyng Yet ben ther other beestes whiche ben called castours which haue this nature in them. y^t whā they ben honted for to be taken. they byte wyth their teeth their owne geny­tours or ballocks / and lete them falle / and thus they ghel­de them self / For they wel knowe. that for none other thinge they be hunted. Also the [...] groweth another beest lyke a Mous / and hath a lytyl mouthe and is named muske or muskaliet / In this contree ben the drye trees that spake to Alysa undre the puyssaunt kynge / Another beeste ther is that men calle Salemandre whiche is fedde & nourysshed in the fyre / This Salemandre bereth wulle / of whiche is made cloth and gyrdles that may not brenne in the fyre Ther ben yet myes the whiche ben as grete as cattes and also swyft in rennyng / Toward thoryent ben the lyons whiche haue more strength and myght. in their brestes to fore and in all their membres than ony other beeste haue. And they come to fede their fawnes the iij day after they haue fawned. as they that were deed and ben as reysed a­gain from deth & whan they slepe they holde their eyen open & whan the hunters hunte them they couer the traas of their feet wyth their taylle / They shal neuer do harme ne grief to man / but yf they ben angred / And whan they be assaylled they deffende them / And whan he that kepeth them bete and chastyseth a lytyl dogge to fore them / they fere and doubte [Page] hym lyke as they knewe hym well and the lyonesse hath the first yere fyue fawnes and euery yere after folowyng one lasse vnto her ende so declynyng. Ther is another beeste whiche is lytyl / and is so terryble and redoubted. that no beste dar approche it. and by nature the Lyon doubteth and fleeth from it / For of it sleeth the lyon / ¶In this partye conuerseth and repayreth another beste whiche is of dyuer­se colours by spottes whytte black. grene. blewe. and Ielow lyke as it were paynted / and is moche propre and is called Panthere / and ther cometh out of his mouth so swete a sauour and breeth / that the beestes goo folowyng after it for the swetenes of his body / sauf the serpent. to whom the swete smelle greueth in suche wyse that ofte the serpent deyeth / and whan this beeste is otherwhyle so fylled and full of venyson that he hath taken and eten / He slepeth iij dayes hool wythout a wakyng / And whan he awaketh. he gy­ueth out of his mouth so swete a sauour and smelle / that anon the bestes that fele it seche hym / This beest hath but ones yong fawnes / And whan she shal fawne. she hath suche destresse and anguyssh that she breketh wyth her nay­les and renteth her matryce in suche wyse that her fawnes come out. And neuer after whan the matryce is rente and broken they engendre ne brenge forth fawnes. Ther is a maner of mares that conceyue of the wynde / and ben in a contre that is named Capydoce / but they endure not but iij yere / In this contre ben the Olyphaunts whiche is a beest grete stronge and fyghtyng. And whan the see their blodshedde to fore them. they be most corageous & most stron­ge and fyght in alle places and alle bataylles vpon this olyphaunts were wonte to fyghte the people of Inde and of perse / For an olyphaunt berett, wel a tour of woode vpō [Page] his back fulle of men of armes whan it is wel sette on & fermely / And they haue to fore them in maner of boyell grete and large / whiche they ete. by whiche they renne on men / & haue anon deuoured them. kynge alysandre whiche was a good clerke and prynce of grete recommendacion & that wente in to many contrees for to serche and enquyre y^e aduentures more than he dyde to conquere thenne whan he shold fyght ayenst them that had taught and lerned tholy­fauntes to fyghte in playn londe / he dyde do make vessels of copper in fourme of men / and dyde do fylle them wyth fyre brennyng / and sette them to fore hym to fyght ayenst them that were vpon tholyfauntes / And whan tholyphauntes caste their boyel by whiche they slewe the people vpon the men of copper / feelyng that they were so hoot that they bren­ned them / Thenne they that were so taught wolde nomore approche tho men for doubte of the fyre / For they thoughte / that all men had ben as hoot. as they were of copper. whiche were full of fyre / And thus kynge Alysander as a sage prynce eschewed the paryll and daunger of thyse olyphaun­tes. And conquerd this wylde people / & in suche wyse domp­ted tholy^ophauntes that they durst do nomore harme vnto the men. The olyphauntes goo moche symply & accordyng­ly to gydre. And whan they mete and encountre eche other They bowe their hedes that one to that other lyke as they entresalewed eche other. They be right colde of nature / wher­of it is so that whan one putteth vpon the tooth of yuorye a lynnen cloth and brennyng cooles ther vpon the lynnen cloth shal not brenne / for assone as the coole feleth the cold he quencheth the yuorye is so coold. the tooth of an olyfant is yuorye / Tholyphaunts haue neuer yong fawnes but o­nes in longe tyme / and they bere them two yere in their [Page] flankes / an olyphaunt lyueth [...]CC yere / He doubteth & fereth the wesel & the culeuure & dredeth vermyne / yf the culeuure clyue & be on y^e olyphaūt. it departeth not tyl it hath slayn hym. she fawneth her fawnes & hydeth them where is no woode & fawneth in the water / For yf she laye on ther­the she shold neuer aryse ne releue / for as moche their bones ben al hool wythout Ioyntes from the bely vnto the feet / & whan tholyphaunt wylle slepe / he leneth vnto a tree & there slepeth stondyng / And hunters that seche them and kno­we the trees to whiche they lene whan they slepe / Thenne whan they haue founden them / they sawe them lowe by the ground almost a sondre / that whan the olyphaunt cometh and knoweth nothyng therof and wold slepe and leneth to the tree. and anon he falleth wyth the tree vnto the groūde and may not releue hym self / Thenne he begynneth for to braye crye and waylle. that somtyme ther come many oly­phauntes to hym for to helpe hym / And whā they may not redresse and reyse hym they crye and braye and make a merueyllous sorowe / And they that ben most lytyl and smale goo aboute for to lyfte and reyse hym to their power in su­che wyse that other while they lyfte and reyse hym vp / but whan they may not reyse ne releue hym. they go on their way wayllyng and makyng grete sorowe and leue hym / And the honters that ben embusshed by. come and by their engyns that they haue propyce for the same take him thus by this subtylte ben tholyphaunts taken / wythin the ryuer & flode of Inde named Ganges goon the eeles by grete renges whiche ben CCC feet long & ben good mete to ete at nede Many other bestes peryllous & terryble ben ther in inde as dragons serpentes & other dyuerse beestes whiche haue feet heedes / and taylles dyuerse / Ther ben the basylycocks [Page] whiche haue the fyght so venymous that they slee all men And in lyke wyse doo they all fowles & bestes. he hath the heed lyke a cocke and body of a serpent / he is kynge of alle serpents. lyke as the lyon is kynge aboue all beestes. he is whytte rayed here and there. Ther is neyther herbe ne fruyt on the erthe wherby he shal passe / ne the trees y^t ben plāted but they shal perisshe. yf he haue byte or slayn beeste or other thynge. Neuer other beste dar approche it / Ther is in this regyon another maner of serpents that haue hornes lyke a shepe / Ther groweth a beest named aspis that may not be deceyuyd ne taken but by charmyng / for he heeryth gladly y^• sowne / But assone as he heeryth the charme he putteth his tayll in his one eere / and that other leyeth to the gronude doubtyng to be deceyuyd by y^e charme / Other serpentes ther be named Tygrys whiche ben taken alle quyck by force of engyns. And of them men make triacle / Whyche deffe­teth and taketh away other venym / ¶Other wormes ther growe there whiche haue two armes so longe and so dyuerse that they bete and slee the Olyphaunts ¶This worme lyueth ryght longe / And whan he is olde and feleth hym feble / he consumeth hym self by fastynge / And suffreth to be enfamyned so ouer moche that lytyl abydeth of his body / ¶Thenne he goth in to a lytyll hooll of somme stone whiche is wel strayt and thenne he putteth hym self out wyth so ryght grete distresse / that his shynne remayneth all hooll. ¶And ther groweth and cometh on hym another skynne / And thus reneweth his age as a wyse beeste that he is / There ben plente of other serpents that haue many precyous stones in the hedes and in the eyen / the whiche ben of right grete vertue for them that myght haue them and [...]ere them / Now we shal deuyse [Page] to yow of stones that growe in Inde & ben there founden /

¶Here foloweth of precious stones and of their vertue whiche growe in Inde / Capitulo vij

IN Inde groweth the admond stone / whiche is a sto­ne charged wyth many grete vertues / she by her nature draweth to her yron and maketh it to cleue to it so fast that it may vnneth be taken fro it for the vertu that is in it The dyamond groweth also in Inde al hool / & it may not be brokē in pieces ne vsed / but it be by y^e vertue of the blod of a ghoot alle hoot / yet growe there other stones of many diuerse facions & vertues the whiche ben of moche noble recomendacion renōmee and of moche fayr vertue / & first I shal speke of the Emerawde whiche is so playsaunt to the eye / that it reconforteth all the sight of hym that it beholdeth In lyke wyse groweth in Inde an other stone the whiche is callyd carboncle. the whiche by nyght or yf it be in derke place & obscure / it shyneth as a cole brennyng / Also ther growe Saphyres whiche by their vertue take away the swellyng & redenes of the eyen / Ther groweth also a stone callyd topace whiche is of colour lyke vnto fyn golde and also is of hye vertue / yet also ther growe there rubyes / whiche is a stone moche preysed and loued emong the people / & is also of right more grete valewre and vertue than is the topace / he reioyceth the sight and conforteth it moche and specyally to them that bere it yet ben ther also in Inde plen­te of other maner stones whiche haue in them moche fair vertues and bountes / And who that wyl more knowe of their vertues & bountes maye rede in the book called lapy­dare in whiche he shal knowe the names & vertues / For now at this tyme we shal make an ende of this mater / for to recoūte yow the contrees & roy^oames of Inde /

¶Here foloweth of the contrees and Royames of Inde Capitulo / viij^o.

IN Inde is plente of grete contres merueyllously. whiche ben peopled wyth dyuerse maners of people and of grete plente of bestes of many dyuerse facions and con­dicions / Emonge all other ther is a contree named Perse and conteyneth xxxiij regyons of whiche the first is the royame of Perse. where as a science called. Nygromancye was first founden whiche science constrayneth the enemye the fende to be taken and holde prisoner / In this contree gro­weth a pese whiche is so hoot it skaldeth the handes of them that holde it / and it growyth wyth encresyng of the mone and wyth wanyng is descreceth at eche tyme of his [...]ours / It helpeth wel to them that ben nygromancyers After this royame is another whiche is called Mesopotamye / wherin Nynyue a cyte of grete seynourye and myghty is sette and establysshid whiche is iij dayes Iourneyes of lengthe and is moche large & brood. In babylone is a tour that somty­me was made by grete pryde of whiche the wallys ben meruayllously grete stronge / and hye and is called the tour of babell / It is of heyght round aboute .iiij.M. paas vnto the hyest / In the regyon of Caldee was first founden Astro­nomye / In this regyon is the lande of Saba / and therby is the regyon of tharse / And after is that of Arabie of thyse iij Regyons were lordes and prynces the thre kynges that offryd to our lord sauyour Ihesu Cryste gold / encence / and Myrre / That tyme whan he laye in the Cryb­be after his blessyd Natyuyte as he that was the sone of god. And this knewe they by their grete wytte and vn­derstandyng of Astronomye in whiche they were endowed and founded. ¶In this regyon of Arabe groweth [Page] thencence and the myrre / And ther ben therin many peo­les and dyuerse folke / Ther is also in Egypte a Regyon whiche is called assyrye / And the regyon of fenyce is the­re whiche taketh his name of a byrde callyd fenyx / of whi­che in alle the world is on this day but only one a lyue. & whan he deyeth anone groweth another of hym self. He is grete and moche fair of Corsage and hath a creste on his heed / lyke as the pecok hath. The breste and the gorge of hym shyneth and draweth toward the propre colour of fyn golde / And he is alonge the back also reed as a rose / And toward the tayll he is of the colour of asure lyke vn­to the heuen whan it is pure and clere / and whan he is olde & eaged he wythdraweth hym vnto an hye & merueyllous fair place / or montaygne where as sourdeth a fontayne ry­ght grete and large. and the water fair and clere. and ouer the welle groweth a fair tree and grete / whiche may be seen fro ferce. & he maketh vpon this tree his neste and his se­pulture right in the myddle of the tree / But he maketh it of spices of so right grete odour that ther may be foūden no better / And after he adressyth hym in his neste whan he hath all perfourmed it. he thenne begynneth to meue and to bete his wynges ayenst the sonne so faste & so longe / that a grete hete cometh in his fethers in suche wyse that it quykeneth of fire and brenneth al rounde aboute his body that he is on a clere fyre / And thus the fyre brenneth and consumeth hym alle in to asshes / and out of theyse asshes and poulder groweth agayn another byrde all lyuyng semblable to him ¶After this regyon of fenyce is the royame of Damas where as goode truytes growe / And after Damas is founden the regyon of Anthyoche where as be founden grete plente of Camels / ¶After cometh the contree of [Page] Palatyne / & after that Samarye. thenne sebaste. & thenne Pentapolye where somtyme were founded two myghty cytees that one callyd Sodome and that other Gomor / the whiche god wold they shold perysshe for the grete and enor­me synnes that they commysed / on this parteis the dede see in whiche is nothyng that bereth lyf / there is a contree that men calle Ismaelyte / whiche is enhabyted by xij maner of people. & after this thenne is Egypte the grete where it ne­uer reyneth & conteyneth xxiiij peoples / another regyon ther is y^t whiche cometh toward the north in whiche ther dwel­leth noman / but wymmen whiche ben as fyers as lyons / And whan nede is they fyghte frely ayenst the men They go armed as knyghtes in bataylle / & brynge doun their ene­myes wythout sparynge / they haue fair tresses of their heer whiche hange doun byhynde them / And they be garnysshed wyth grete prouesses in all their werkes & affayres / And ben called Amazones / But they haue men nyghe to their contre dwellyng / Whom they euery yere fetche for to be in their companye viij or xv dayes longe and suffre them to knowe them carnelly so longe that they suppose that they haue conceyuyd / and thenne departe the men fro that contre And goon agayn thedyr that they come fro / and whan thyse wymmen haue childed. yf it be a doughter they reteyne her wyth them / And yf it be a sone they nourysshe it fyue or syxe yere / and after sende it out of the contree yet in other places ben many fayr ladyes whiche in bataylles / & in estowes vse alle their Armes of syluer for lacke of yron and of steell. of whiche they haue not. In the woodes of Inde ben other wymmen the whiche haue their berdes so longe that they come doun to their pappes / They lyue by wylde beestys / and clothe them wyth the skynnes of the [Page] wyld beestis / & clothe them wyth the skynnes of the same beestis / And ther ben men and wymmen alle naked and also rowhe as beeres & ben dwellyng in caues in the erthe. And whan they see other men they hyde them in the caues so that they appere not oute / Other people ther ben that ben also rowhe as swyne and whynyng / And ther ben other wymmen rowh also lyke vnto the men / but they ben moche bestyall & whyte as snowe / their teeth ben more lyke vnto houndes than to other & dwelle & abyde wel in the water / Another grete regyon ther is in whiche dwelle xliij peo­ples. ther ben the byrdes whiche ben ful of deduyte / of whom the pennes shyne by nyght like vnto fyre. There ben popen gayes which ben grene & shynyng lyke pecoks whiche ben but lytyl more than a Iaye / of whom as men saye. they that haue on eche foot fyue clawes ben gentyl & the vylayns ha­ue but thre. he hath a tayl lenger than a foot / & abecke cour­bed & a grete tongue & forked / who that myght haue one he myght wel lerne hym to speke in the space of ij yere / Ano­ther byrde ther is in this contre is named pellycane / and all hoor whan he leueth his chekens and cometh agayn to fyn­de them as is of nede / hym semeth that they ben alle deed / thenne he smyteth hym self wyth his bylle in his breste tyll that the blood springe out. wherof he reyseth agayn to lyf his byrdes / In armenye is a maner of people that haue al their heer whytte. In thyse partyes is a moche hye mon­tayne where vpon the arke of Noe abood and rested after the flood was passed / After cometh the prouynce of Inde the lasse whiche is alle enuyronned wyth the see wherin ben many regions of whom for this present tyme we wyl not declare the names / In this prouynce of Asie is the Re­gyon of dardane. And the contre of ffrygye in to whiche parys whan he had rauisshed helayne brought her to wher­for [Page] the puyssaunte cyte of Troye the grete was at them­pryse of the grekes destroyed by fyre and glayue / This cyte was sette at one of thendes of grece / In thise partye is sette the noble cyte of lychaonye / And nyghe to the same stondeth another Cyte callyd Cayer by whiche renneth the gre­te flood name herme of whiche the grauel is of gold alle shynyng / Fro this parte toward thende of egypte cometh to vs the payllole whiche is of fyn golde. Ther is toward thoryent on that other syde a maner of people that somtyme descended fro the Iewes. and ben people of their condycion vyle. fowl / and stynkyng. they haue no wyues wedded ne holde no concubynes ne other for as moche as they may not byleue that wymmen may holde them to one man only wythout to double them wyth other / And therfore they set­te no store by wymmen / but only y^t they may haue genera­cion / Another maner of peoole ther ben in this prouynce whiche ben callyd barbaryns / & ben also called Iacobyns. For Iacob was aūcyenly their maystre & ben Cristen men corrumped by the maryages & alyaūces that they doo & ma­ke wyth the sarasyns whiche on that one syde marche on them / Thyse barbaryns pourpryse wel xl. royames / In no wyse they byleue that confession be vayllable to shewe it to ony man sauf to god only / whan they cōfesse them to god they sette by them fyre and encence. And they wene cer­taynly that their thoughtes goo vp vnto our lord in this fumee but it is not so as they byleue / but they mysbyleue saynt Iohan baptyste the whiche first baptysed them / For to fore all thynges they behoued to saye their [...]ynnes to him self / And after they receyued of hym baptesme / For seynt Iohan baptest sayth hym self that whan one telleth his sinnes to another that may be a synner as he is / this shame [Page] that he hath to saye his synnes is torned to hym in stede of penytence. and is to hym allegeance of his synnes / and him ought by reson the sonner to absteyne hym fro synnyng / seen that he muste shewe them to another man / By whiche he may ha [...]e of our lorde remyssyon and pardon of his syn­nes and inyquitees / this wytnesseth to vs saynt Iohan baptist / the whiche by the holy and blessyd sacrament of baptisme rendreth vs quyte ayenst our lord god of our syn­nes / And that we may be purged by very confessyon / good contricion and full satisfaction euerich after his power / therfor thyse Iacobyns ben grettely deceyued / For they haue euyl reteyned the holsome doctryne that seynt Iohn baptist taught them / In this regyon is another maner of people Crysten that byleue a lytyl better in god and ben stronge & myghty in bataylle / The sarasyns doubte them moche And dar not mysdoo them / but ben to them swete and amyable. thyse people be named Georgyens / and ben good crysten men. And ben enclosed round aboute wyth feloun & mysbyleuyd people. And they ben called as a fo [...]e is sayd georgy­ens. by cause they crye alway on seynt george in batayll in estours and in recountres ayenst the sarasyns. And also they worshipe and loue hym aboue alle other seyntes / They haue alle crownes shauen on their heedes / But the clerkes haue them roūde / & the laye people haue them square / whan they go to Iherusalem for to worshipe the holly sepulture of our lord Ihesus / The sarrasyns dar not take of them o­ny tolle ne nothyng hurte them by cause they doubte that whan they come and repayre agayn they sholde abye it dere / The gentyl ladyes of the contree / Arme them & ryde vpon good horses rennyng and swyfte. and fyghte asprely in the companye of the knyghtes of Georgye ayenst y^e sarasyns [Page] They vse lyke lawes / and lyke termes of speche as doon the grekes /

¶Hier speketh of the fysshes that be founden in Inde. Capitulo / ix^o.

IN the see of Inde is a maner of fysshes that on their skynnes growe heer so longe that the people make therof robes mantellis and other vestimentys whiche they were whan they haue taken and made them. Yet ther is a­nother maner of fysshe in this see whiche ben named escimuz whiche ben no lengre that a foot longe / but they haue suche strēgthe that in contynēt that they touche a ship one of them only reteyneth hym stylle that he may not goo forward ne afterward / Ther is also another maner of fysshe that be co­mynly callyd dolphins. they haue acustome that whā they fele that the tempest shal come. and that the shippes ben in daūger for to be lost and perisshid / they warne them out of the watre and shewe and playe on the wawes of the see in suche wyse that somtyme they be playnly seen In this see of Inde is another fysshe so huge and grete that on his backe growrth erthe and grasse. And semeth proprely that it is a grete Ile / wherof it happeth somtyme that the maron­ners sayllyng by this see ben gretly deceyued and abused / For they wene certaynly that it be ferme londe. Wherfor they goo out of their shippes theron / and whan they haue made their preparacions and their logys theron and lygh­ted their fyre and made it to brenne after their nede wenyng to be on a ferme londe. but incontynent as this merueyl­lous fysshe feleth the hete of the fyre. he meueth hym sodenly and deualeth doun in to the water as depe as he may / And thus alle that is vpon hym is lost in the see And by this moyen. many shippes ben drowned and perisshid. and the [Page] people. whan they supposed to haue be in sauete / Ther is in this see plente of other fysshe the whiche haue heedes and bodyes lyke vnto a mayde / & haue fayr tresses made of their heer / the shapp of their bodies vnto y^e nauel is lyke a may­de And the remenaunt is lyke the body & tayll of a fysshe And somme haue wynges lyke fowles / And their songe is so swete & so melodyous that it is meruaylle to here & they be called seraynes or mermaydens. Of whom som­me saye that they be fisshes & other saye that they be fowles whiche flee by the see. But take it a worth. For at this tyme I shal deporte to speke more of this mater For to telle & recoūte to yow of y^e meruayllous trees that growe in Inde / of whiche ben many dyuerse and bere sondrely fruyt / as here after al a longe shall be declared to yow /

¶Here foloweth of the trees that ben in Inde & of their fruytes / Capitulo / x^o.

IN Inde groweth a tree moche grete & right fayr / and is moche swete smellyng & is called palmyer / and be­reth dates / This fruyt is good and holsom / Ther ben also applet [...]es the whiche ben full of longe apples / whiche ben of merueyllous good sauour /

¶And they entretiene & cleue to gydre wel an hondred in a clustre / & the leues that growe on this apple trees ben wel two fote longe / & a foot brode / Other apples ther gro­we moche grete / wherin appiereth the bytte of a man wyth his teeth / And ben called thapples of Adam by cause of y^e bytte that apiereth in them / ther ben other trees whiche bere apples / that ben right fair wythout forth / And wythin it is as it were asshes. The vygnes bere there grapes / of whiche wyn̄ is maade. they ben so habondaunt of fruyt / And y^e clustres of grapes ben so grete & so ful of muste. that two [Page] men ben gretly charged to bere one of them only vpon aco­lestaf / Also ther growe lytyl smale trees that be remeuyd euery yere the whiche bere cotoun. also ther growe in many places canes grete and longe whiche ben wythin forth ful of sugre. so moche and especiall that ther growe none lyke in alle the worlde / At one of the heedes of the Royame of babylone groweth the bame whiche is moche dere / and cris­ten men that ben prysonners there delue and laboure the er­the / And sarasyns saye that they hane ofte preuyd it / that whan they doo delue and laboure that erthe wyth people of other nacions than crysten men that it bereth no fruyt ne bame that yere / And vpon the felde where the bame gro­weth / some saye that there spryngeth a fontayne where the blessyd vyrgyne Marie bayned her sone Ihesus / And with the watre of this fontayne is the bame watred. and of this water may not be employed ne born in to other place / For in substaunce it doth nomore than other water. In this contre ben other trees the whiche in stede of leues bere wulle / of whiche is made cloth right fayr and subtyll / of whiche thynhabytauns of the contree make them robes & mantellis for their weryng / Yet ben ther other trees that bere a fruyt right swete smellyng / But this tree taketh his fruyt by nyght in hym / and in the mornyng it cometh out agayn when the sonne is rysen / Ther growe there plente of other trees / Of whom the cooles whan they ben a fyre duryn in their asshes an hool yere wythout goyng out / or quenchyng or mynnyssyng / Also ther growe plente of Ce­dres and of lybans / the whiche as men saye may not rote / other trees there growe moche gloryous & right good whiche bere clowes / And other that bere notemygges / And of the rynde and scorce is the canell or synamon / And also [Page] ther groweth gynger / In this partye growe the g [...]ode espy­ces of all maner haboundantly / Also there growe notes grete plente / whiche ben also grete as grete apples. And other that ben as grete as the hede of a man. To the regard of the trees that ben in paradys terrestre we knowe not what fruyt they brynge forth But it is wel knowen of y^e tree / that / Eue had so grete desyre to ete aboue the commandement of our lord god / & of whiche she deceyued Adam our first fader and in lyke wyse is there the tree of lyf / of whiche we haue spoken to fore more largely. Ther ben in this noble paradis so many other tres bering fruit so good and so delicyous that it semeth that the glorye of our lord be therin ouerall / But ther is a meruayllous watche and kepar / ¶For the Angele of god is kepar of thentre wyth a nakyd swerde in his honde contynuelly brennyng to thende that nomen ne bestes ne euyll spirytes ap­proche ne Auaūce them for to take in ony wyse there their delytes and playsaunces. and taccomplissh them ther with­in / And here wyth we make an ende of this prupoos for to speke of the contrees of europe and of the condicions /

Now foloweth of Europe and of his contrees. Ca. xj^o.

SYth we haue deuysed to you of Asye and of his contrees and regyons / I shal saye to yow of Euro­pe and his condicions shortly / For as moche as we may ofte here speke therof / The first partye of Europe is romanye and a parte of Constantynoble / Trapesonde / macedone / Thesalye / Boheme. Saxonye / Pyrre / and a moche holsom contre named Archade. In this contre sourdeth & springeth a fontayne in whiche men may not quenche brē ­nyng brondes / ne cooles on fire and brennyng / In archade is a stone which in no wyse may be quenchyd after it is [Page] sette a fyre tyl it be all brent in to asshes. After archade is the Royame of denmarke. and thenne Hongrye. and sythe hosterich And thenne foloweth germanye whiche we calle Almayne whiche conteyneth a grete pourprys toward thocciden[?]. In whiche pourprys ben many grete and puys­saunt Royames / In Allemayne sourdeth a grete flood and ryuere named dunoe. the whiche stratcheth vnto in Con­stantynople. and there entreth in to the see / But erst it trauerseth vij grete floodes by his radour and rennyng / And as I haue herd saye the hede of this dunoe begynneth on o­ne syde of a montayne. and that other side of the same montayne sourdeth another gtete ryuer / Whiche is named the Ryn and renneth thurgh almayne by Basyle. strasburgh Magounce / Couelence Coleyn / and nemyng / where fast by it departeth in to iiij ryuers and renneth thurgh the londes of Cleue. ghelres. and holande and so in to the see. And yet er this ryuer entre in to to see. he entreth in to another ryuer named the Mase. and than loseth he his name. and is called the mase / and xl myle longe in the see / In europe is also swauen. basse Almayn. Fraunce / Englonde / scotland and Irlonde[?]. And aboue thise many other contrees whiche endure vnto the mount Ius. and thus moche space holdeth the partye of Europe. Now shal we deuyse to yow how moche Affryke conteyneth.

¶ Here foloweth of affryke and of his regyons and contrees. Capitulo xij^o.

AFter europe is Affryke of which the regyon of lybe is the firste / This is a londe moche riche. wel pepled & strongly garnysshid. After cometh the royamme of Sur­rye. Iherusalem and the contrey aboute. This is the holy londe where our lord Ihu Cryst receyuyd our humanyte & [Page] passyon. & where he roos fro deth to lyf. after thoppynyon of somme is that this holy londe longeth to asye / After thēne cometh grece. cypres. cecyle / toscane / naples. lombardye. gascoyen / spayne. cateloyne / galyce. nauarre. portyngal. & aragō And how be it that the auctour of this book saye that thi­se contrees ben in Affryke / yet as I vnderstonde all thise ben wythin the lymytes & boūdes of europe / Also ther ben somme of thyse regyons & contrees that take their name of somme beestes that dwelle in the same londes / & the cy­tees haue taken the fourmes / as rome hath the fourme of a lyon / And troye the grete of an hors &c. All barbarye is in affryke & alysandre / & ethiope stratcheth vnto thende of affryke / In this contre of ethyope the people ben black for hete of the sonne. For it is so hoot in this contre. that it se­meth that the erthe shold brenne. beyonde ethyope is no londe but deserte / and londe wythout bryngyng forth of ony fruyt / but it is ful of serpentes of vermyne and of wylde beestis whiche londe endeth at the grete see /

¶Here shal we speke of dyuerse Iles of the see / Ca / xiij

SYth we haue descryuid and uydesed the londe. It is reson that we enqure of the Iles of the see. And in especial of them that we knowe the names of whi­che ther ben plente in the see. Ther is a moche grete yle cal­led andos whiche is toward europe / & syth is the yle of col­chos. where the flyes of gold was foūd lyke as to vs reher­seth thystorye of Iason / Ther is another yle called Maron In this yle was born the holy man seynt denys whiche re­ceyuid martirdom in fraūce / Toward asye the grete ben the nombre of xliiij. There is one yle named delos / this yle ap­piered first after noes flood / Ther is another whiche is called meloth. & it is so called for the right grete melodye that [Page] is herd therin of swete songe of byrdes that ben in this yle contynuelly in this Ile groweth plente of whyte marble / Ther is another yle in this contre that is called psalmos in whiche the quene sebylle was born / the whiche prophecyed of many thinges of our lord Ihu cryst longe tyme byfore he was born of the virgyne Marie / and she prophecyed thise thynges at rome / where she was sent fore. In this yle was first foūden the maner to make pottes of erthe / whiche ben yet vsed in many contrees / In this yle was born a grete phylosophre & a good clercke named pictogoras / the whiche by his grete entendement fonde the poyntes and the difference or musyque. In affryke is also an yle in the see whiche is callyd sardayne. where an herbe groweth whiche is of suche vertue that yf one ete of it he deyeth anon forth wyth all lawhing. Another yle ther is named bosut wherin is no ser­pent ne vermyne / And ther is another whiche is called colombyne. where as is grete plente & foyson of vermyne & meruayllous serpentes / Yet ther is another yle that is mo­che longe & right brode that is called alleares / In this yle was first founden the maner of meltyng of metals / Also ther is the yle of Meroes the whiche at the myddle of the day hath no shadowe. yet ther is a pytte in this yle that by right nombre and mesure is vij foot brode and an hondred foot depe / And the sonne shineth in to the bottom. Also ther is another yle whiche is called Cylla where the Cy­clopyens were somtyme. Another yle is in this contree so grete as the wyse plato wytnesseth the whiche in his tyme was a clercke of right grete renomme / whiche hath more of purpris and space than all europe & affryke conteynen / But sith the tyme of plato it was in suche wyse destroyed and broken lyke as it ples [...]d our lord / that it sanke doun in [Page] to Abisme for the grete synnes that they commysed that were dwellers & habytaūts therin / & is now the see right that is called bethee. Another yle is there the whiche may not be seen whan men wold goo therto / but some goo the­der as men saye / & it is called the yle loste / This yle fonde seynt Brandon the whiche beyng therin on ferme londe sa­we & fonde many meruaylles lyke as his legende contey­neth / and who that wyl knowe it maye vysite his legende & rede it / In the marches hetherward ben foūde many goode yles / The yle of Cypre & of secyle ther ben and other plente that be founden in the see / of whiche I now speke not / And be not admeruaylled of suche thynges as ye haue founden w [...]eton in this boocke / the whiche may seme to yow moche strange dyuerse and moche dyffycyle to byleue / for our lord god whiche is almyghty maker and creatour of all thyn­ges And in whom alle goodes and vertues ben. hath made by his only wylle and playsir in the erthe many meruaylles and many werkes to be meruaylled on by cause that noman knoweth by no waye the resons wherfore / & therfor we ought not to mysbyleue in no wyse that we here redde ne tolde of the meruaylles of the world vnto the tyme we knowe it be so or no. For y^e werkes of our lord ben so hye and to the men so diffycile & hard that euery man may re­porte hym to that / that it is / how wel that a man doth not moche amys somtime to gyue no byleue to somme thinges whā he knoweth not the trouthe so that it be not in erryng ayenst the fayth / For it is a good and proffytable thyng to euery man to vnderstande and reteyne to thende that he may lerne / of whiche he be not abasshed whan he hereth speke of suche thynges. and can answere to the trouthe / For in lyke wyse as to vs seme grete meruaylle of thynges that [Page] I here reherce In lyke wyse semeth it to them that ben fer fro vs. that those thynges of thyse contrees ben moche dyuerse & strange / & meruaylle gretly by cause they haue lytyl seen of it. And therfore a man ought not to meruaylle yf he be­re somtyme ony thyng though he can not vnderstonde the reason / for alleway a man ought to lerne /

¶And ther is noman that knoweth all sanf onli god whiche all seeth and alle knoweth / The geaunts that ben in som place haue right grete meruaylle of this that we be so lytyl ayenst them / Lyke as we meruaylle of them that ben half lasse than we be / As it is tofore sayd / & they ben y^e Pygmans whiche ben but iij foot longe. And in lyke wy­se meruaylle they of vs▪ of that we ben so grete / and repute vs also for geaunts / They that haue but one eye and one foot. haue grete meruaylle that we haue tweyue / lyke as we doo of them that haue but one / And also as we deuyse their bestis & name them by their names in lyke wyse deuyse they oures / by theires / bothe of body & of membres / Yf the centyoore haue an foot of an hors / In lyke wyse hath the hors the foot of a centyoore / Also we may wel saye that y^e hors hath the body of monotheros. For they ben lyke corsayge. And thus their bestes resemble vnto oures whiche ben dyuerse of hedes of bodyes and of membres / as oures ben contrarye to theires /

¶Of dyuersitees that ben in europe & in affryke / ca. xiiij

WE haue in thise partyes many thynges that they of Asye & of affryke haue none. Ther is toward Irlonde on the one syde a maner of byrdes that flee & they growē on trees & on olde shippe sides by the bylles / & whan they be nygh rype / they that falle in the water lyue. & the other not they ben callyd bernacles. Irlād is a grete Ilonde in which [Page] is no serpent ne venymous beeste / & who that bereth with hym the erthe of this yle in to another contre & leyeth it where as venymous vermyne is. there anon it deyeth / another ylonde is in Irlonde whiche stondeth ferre in the see / where no wymmen may dwelle / & also the byrdes that ben femal­les may not abyde there / Ther is another yle wherin nomā may dye in no tyme of the world. but whan they ben so olde & feble that their membres faylle & ake & lyue wyth payne that they may not helpe ne susteyne them self / and that they had leuer dye than lyue. they doo them to be born in to another yle & ouer the water for to dye. & the trees that ben in this yle kepe their leues greue & in verdure alle tymes wynter & somer. In another yle in Islonde the nyght endu­reth vj monethes. & thenne cometh the daye that dureth o­ther vj monethes shynyng fair & clere. Another place is in the same ylonde whiche brenneth nyght & day. Ther is also in Irlonde a place called seynt Patryks purgatorye / whiche place is perillous yf ony men goon therin & be not confessed and repentaūt of their synnes / They be anon ra­uysshid and loste in suche wyse that noman can telle whe­re they be come / And yf they be confessyd and repentaūt / & that they haue doon satisfaction and penaunce for their synnes wythout that all be clensed and ful satisfyed therafter shal they suffre payne and greef the tormentis in passyng this crymynel passage / And whan he is retorned agayn fro this purgatorye / Neuer shal no thyng in this world plese hym that he shal see ner he shal neuer be Ioyous ne glad ne shal not be seen lawhe. but shal be contynuelly in wayllynges & wepynges for the synnes that he hath com­mysed. hit may wel be that of auncyent tyme it hath ben thus as afore is wreton as the storye of Tundale & other [Page] witnesse / but I haue spokē with dyuerse men that haue ben therin / And that one of them was an hye chanon of wa­terford whiche told me that he had ben therin v. or vj times & he sawe ne suffred no suche thynges he sayth that wyth processyon the relygyous men that ben there brynge hym in to the hool and shette the dore after hym. & than he wal­keth groping in to it where as he said ben places & maner of cowches to reste on / And there he was all the nyght in cō ­templacion & prayer / and also slepte there / & on the morn he cam out agayn / other while in their slepe sōme men haue meruayllous dremes & other thynge sawe he not / And in lyke wyse tolde to me a worshipful knyght of brudgis named sir Iohn / de banste that he had ben therin in lyke wyse & see none other thyng but as afore is sayd / In brytaygne that now is called Englond as is sayd is a fontaygne & a pyller or a perron therby / And whan men take water of this welle & caste it vpon the perron / anon it begynneth to rayne & blowe / thondre & lyghtne meruayllously Also in fraūce hath ben seen somtyme a maner of peple that haue be horned / toward the moūtes of moūt Ius / ye shal fynde plente of wymmen y^t haue botches vnder the chyn̄ whiche hāge doun of some doun to the pappes. & they that haue grettest ben holden for fairest / Other folke ther ben that haue botches on their backes & ben croked as crochettes. & they that see all thise thynges ofte meruaylle but lytyl / also it is ofte seen that in this contre ben born children deef & dombe. & also of them that haue bothe nature of man & woman yet ben ther ofte seen sōme children comen in to this world somme wythout handes and somme wythout armes /

¶Of the maner & condycion of beestes of thyse contrees / Capitulo. xv^o.

[Page]THe fox is of suche a condicion that whan he depar­teth fro the woode and gooth in to the feldes / there he lyeth doun and stratcheth hym on the grounde as he were deed for to take byrdes / Whan the herte wylle renue his age he eteth of som venymous beeste / Yf the tode Crapault or spyn [...] byte a man or woman / they be in daunger for to dye / It hath be ofte seen / The spyttle of a man fastynge sleeth comynly the spyncoppe and the tode yf it touche them yf a wulf and a man see that one that other fro ferre / He that is first seen becometh anon a ferd / the wulf bereth the sheep wythout hurtynge or greuyng of hym doubtyng that he wold crye / and that he shold not be folowed / And after deuoureth hym whan he hath brought hym to the wode / and yf he be constrayned to leue hym in his berynge He destrayneth hym wyth all his myght at his departyng The spyther or spyncop of his propre nature spynneth & weueth of his entraylles the threde / of whiche he maketh his nettes for to take flyes whiche he eteth / whan the she ape hath two whelpes or fawnes she loueth that one mo­che better than that other / She beryth hym that she loueth best in her armes / and that other she leteth goo / whiche whā she is hunted lepeth on the moders backe and holdeth her faste / And that other that she bereth in her armes / she le­teth falle and is ofte constrayned to saue her self / Also it is so that the hounde kepeth the goodes of his lorde and maystre. And ben by hym warantes ayenst men and bes­tes. And aboue alle other he knoweth his lord & maystre by his smellyng. & loueth hym of so right good loue that ofte it happeth be it ryght or wronge he wyl not forsake / his maystre vnto the deth. And also he is so sorowful for the deth of his maystre / that other whyle he loseth his lyff [Page] In englond in som place is ther a maner of houndes that go on and seche out the theuys. and bryngē them fro thens where they fonde them / The muskele is a right lytyl beeste and sleeth the basylycock / and in longe fyghtyng byteth hym out of mesure / She of her nature remeueth so ofte her fawnes fro one place to another that wyth grete payne they may vnnethe be founden / The hyrchon whan he fyn­deth apples beten or blowen doun of a tree / he waloweth on them tyl he. be chargyd and laden wyth the fruyt styckyng on his pryckes / And whan he feleth hym self laden as moche as he may bere he gooth his way wyth them syn­gyng and make his deduyt / And yf he mete ony beeste that wold doo hym harme. he reduyseth hym self as rounde as a bowle / and hydeth his groyne and his feet / & armeth hym wyth his pryckes aboute his skynne in suche wyse that no beeste dar approche hym doubtyng his pryckes The lambe whiche neuer sawe wulf / of his propre nature doub­teth and fleeth hym / But he doubteth nothyng other bestes but gooth hardyly emonge them /

¶Of the maner of byrdes of thyse forsayd contrees Capitulo / xvj^o.

THe Egle of his nature taketh his byrdes by the vngles or clawes wyth his bylle. And hym that holdeth fastest he loueth beste and kepeth them next by him / And them that holden but febly / he leteth hem goo / and taketh none hede of them / whan the Egle is moche aged he fleeth so hye that he passeth the clowdes / And holdeth there his syght so longe ayenst the sonne / that he hath all loste it and brente alle his fethers / Thenne he falleth doun on a montayn in the water that he hath to fore chosen / and [Page] in this manere he reneweth his byl / And whā his bylle is ouer longe he breketh and bruseth it ayenst an hard sto­ne and sharpeth it whan the Turtle hath loste her make whom she hath first knowen / Neuer after wyl she haue make ne sytte vpon grene tree. But fleeth emonge the trees contynuelly bewayllyng her loue. The hostryche by his nature eteth well yron. and greueth hym not / whan the heyron seeth the tempest come / he fleeth vp so hye tyl he be aboue the clowdes for teschewe the rayn and tempeste / The Chowe whan she fyndeth gold or syluer of her nature she hydeth and bereth it away. ¶And who somtyme heereth her voys. It semeth proprely that she speketh / The crowe weneth that he is the fayrest byrde of alle other / and the beste syngyng / Yf her byrdes be whyte in ony parte / she wyll neuer doo them good tyl they be all black. The pecok whan he byholdeth his fethers he setteth vp his tayll as Rounde as a wheell all aboute hym / by cause his beaulte sholde be alowed and preysed / and is moche prowde of his fayr fethrrs and plumage / But whan he beholdeth toward his feet / whiche ben fowl to loke on / thenne he leteth his tayll falle wenyng to couer his feet. The goshawke and sperhawk taken their prayes by the ryuers / But they that ben tame and reclaymed brynge that they take to theyr lord whiche hath so taught them. The culuuer or the downe is a symple byrde / and of her nature nourysshith well the pigeons of another douue / And apperceyuyth well in the water by the shadowe and seeth therin whan the hawke wold take her / The huppe or lapwynche is a byrde crested / whiche is moche in mareys and fylthes / and abydeth leuer therin than out therof / who someuer ennoynteth hym self wyth the blode of the huppe. and happe that after leyde hym [Page] doun to slepe hym shold seme anon in his slepe dreming that alle the deuyllys of helle shold come to hym and wold strā ­gle hym / The nyghtyngal of her propre nature syngyth wel and louge and otherwhyle so longe that she deyeth syn­gyng / And the larke lyke wyse deyeth ofte syngeng / The swanne syngeth ofte to fore her deth / In lyke wyse doo of­to many men / Of thyse thynges and of many other. Moche people meruaylle that neuer herde of suche thynges to fore. ne knowe not therof as we doo here that dayly. fynde it. For in this booke we fynde many thynges and resons / wherof men meruaylle strongly that neuer haue seen lerned ne herd of them /

¶Of dyuersytes of somme comyne thynges / Capl^o. xvij

PLente and many thynges ther ben at eye / of whiche the resons ben conuert and hyd fro vs / of whiche the people meruaylle but lytil / by cause they see it so ofte / The quick syluer is of suche nature & manere that it susteyneth a stone vpon it where as water & oyle may not. for the sto­ne in them goth to the bottom. the lyme or brent chal [...]e / in colde water anon it chauffeth & is hoot that nomā may suffre his hand on it / The rayes of the sonne make the heer of a man abourne or bloūde / and it maketh the flessh of a man broun or black / And it whyteth the lynnen cloth / And the erthe that is moyst and softe. maketh drye and hard. and waxe that is drye / jt relenteth and maketh softe. Also it maketh cold water in a vessel warme Also oute of a gla [...] ayenst the sonne men make fyre / and out of Crystal in lyke wyse also wyth smytyng of a stone ayenst yron co­meth fyre and flammeth / The breeth of a man whiche is hoot coleth hoot thing / And it chauffeth colde / and ayer / by [Page] me [...]yng. The erthe whiche is peysant and right heuy by nature holdeth hit in the myddle of thayer wythout pyler and foundement only but by nature. And therfore he is a fooll that merueylleth of thynges that god maketh / For no creature hath y^e power to shewe reson whefore they ben or not For ther is nothyng how lytyl it be that the glose may be knowen vnto the trouthe sauf only that whiche pleseth to our lord god / For to be wel founded in clergye may men knowe and vnderstande the reson of somme thinges / and also by nature suche thynge as by reson can not be compre­hended. Thawh a man enquyre neuer so longe of that is wrought in therthe by nature / he shal not mowe come to y^e knowelege wherfore ne how they be made. This may no­man certaynly knowe / sauf god only whiche knoweth the reson and vnderstandeth it /

¶For to knowe where helle stondeth. and what thyng it is Capitulo / xviij^o.

WE haue declared to yow and deuysed the erthe wyth­out forth the best wyse that we can / But now it is expedyent after that this that is sayd to knowe and enquyre what places and what mansyons ther may be wythin therthe / and whether it be paradys. helle purgatorye. lymbo or other thynge / And whiche of them is best / and whiche of them alle is worste / As to the regard of me and as me semeth that / that whiche is enformed and closed in the erthe is helle. I saye this for as moche as helle may in no wyse be in thayer whiche is one so noble a place. Also I may frely mayntene that it is not in heuen. For that place is so right excellent pure and net / that helle may not endure the­re / For as moche as helle is so horryble stynkyng fowl / and obscure / Also it is more poysaunt & heuy than ony thing [Page] may be / wherfor it may be clerly vnderstanden that helle is beyng in the most lowest place. most derke / and most vyle of the erthe / And as I haue here sayd to yow the causes why / In trouthe it may not be in thayer. and yet lasse in heuen for it is in alle poyntes contrarye to heuen aboue. for as moche as these two ben contrarye one to another of whiche places in that one is founden but alle glorye and con­solacion / that is heuen. In that other is nothing but of all trybulacyon. that is helle / And therfore it is wythdrawen alle vnder fro that other as ferre as it may. and that is in the myddle of therthe. I saye not that helle is not in none other place where it be / For after the deth he hath payne & sorowe that hath deserued it / And whan suche one shal haue his payne aboue / so moche hath he the worse. Alle thus as it shold be of somme man that had a grete maladye so moche that he shold deye. And that he were brought in to a fayr place and plesaunt for to haue Ioye and solace / of so moche shold he be more heuy and sorowful whan he sawe that he coude ne myght helpe hym self ne take therby noo spoort ne releef / In lyke wyse shal it be of thyse vnhappy caytifs that ben by their demerytes dampned in helle / whe­rof we shal now herafter to yow more ample and largely declare / for to fynysshe the bettre our booke / Now yf ye wille take hede and vnderstonde. we shal deuyse how helle is in the myddle of therthe / and of what nature it is of / And of the inestymable tormentis whiche they haue that ben therin put and condempned. ye haue wel vndestanden how by na­ture the iiij elementes holde them that one wythin that other so that therthe is in the myddle and holdeth hym in the myddle of the firmamēt all in lyke wyse is ther in the myddle of therthe a place whiche is called Abisme or swolowe / & [Page] erthe of perdycion / Thus moche saye I to yow of this place that it is ful of fyre and of brennyng sulfre / And it is ouer hydows stynkyng ful of ordure and of alle euyll aduenture. hit is moche large wythin. & bynethe it is strayt. Alle that falleth therin anon the sulph [...]e contynuelly brē ­neth destroyeth and consumeth / And that thyng that co­meth therin shal neuer fynysshe ne haue ende. but alleway shal brenne wythout ende / Alleway it brennth. and alle­way reneweth / And alle that come therin may neuer deye For this place is of suche nature that the more it brenneth the lenger it endureth. This place of helle hath wythin hym alle the euylles of his partye / There deth holdeth his standard. whiche sendeth out thurgh all the world for to fetche them that ben his / Who that hath Ioye of heuynesse Thyder come all euylles and all the euyll aportes / this place is called the erthe of deth / For the sowles that ben brought thyder / they abyde and dwelle there wythout ende / Certaynly they deye lyuyng / And alleway lyue deyeng / The deth is there their lyf and their vyande and mete The deth holdeth them there at his commandement / This is the right pytte of fyre that brennyth. And all in lyke wyse as the stone is drewned in the see whan it is throwen and sonken / and neuer shal be after seen right so ben the sowles sonken in to the bottom whiche contynuelly brenne and be drowned ther / but for al that they dymynysshe not ne haue ende. But in suche myserye abye their folyes nyght and day. and so shal endure perpetuelly and wythout ende. For what someuer thyng that is spyrituel may neuer dye in suche wyse that it be alle deed / but the deth wold they ha­ue and weesshe after it incessauntly / the sowle may neuer deye after that it is out of the body. But whan it is there / [Page] It shal alleway languysshe / And euer after that it is in helle it shal haue nothyng but euyl / this is the contre & the londe of oblyuyon and forgetyng. For alle they that ben there shal be forgoten. Lyke as they forgate in this world their maker whiche is ful of pyte and of mysericorde / ¶ And therfore he hath leyd them there in forgetyng where they shal neuer haue mercy ne pardon in this londe so tenebrouse hydouse and full of all stenche / and of soro­wes. anguysshes. heuynes / hungre. and thyrste shal neuer creature haue gladnesse ne Ioye thise ben the terryble gehy­nes stynknyge / And there is fyre so ouer moche ardaunt hote and anguysshous that our fyre and the hete is nomore vnto the regard of that fyre of helle than a fyre paynted on a walle is in conparyson and to the regard of our fyre / There ben the flodes perylla [...]us whiche ben of fyre and of yee so hydows / horryble / ful of venyme and of fowle beestes that make so grete noyse and so grete grief payne & ennoye vnto the dolorouse soules that ben in the sayd abysme / that nys creature that can or may recounte or telle the hondred parte / In this contre ther is plente of other places whiche ben peryllous and horryble. And of them ben somme in the see as wel as wythin therthe / In many yles that ben by the see is terryble stenche of sulphre ardaūt in grete fyre whiche is moche paynfull. Ther ben many grete montaynes of sulphre that brenne nyght and daye where as many sow­les ben encombred & brenne contynuelly for to purge their synnes and inyquitees / This may thenne well suffyse as touchynge to speke ony more of this matere. For ther is no creature that can telle the grete tormētes and inesty­mable paynes that a man of euyll lyf receyueth for his de­meryte whan he is departed fro this world. For he gooth [Page] euyl to werse here we shal cesse for this present tyme / and now saye no more herof / And seen that we haue spoken wel a longe of one of the foure Elementis whiche is therthe / we shal now speke of the seconde / and that is of the water that alway renneth. And after we shal speke of thayer and after of the fyre euerych in his right ordre /

¶How the watre renneth by & thurghe therthe / Ca xix^o.

THe water that is the depe see the whiche enuyronneth and goth round aboute the world / and of this see / meuen alle the flodes and ryuers that renne thurgh the erthe / And renne so ferre their cours / and that they retorne and come agayn thedyr from whens they departed / and that is the see / And thus goth the see contynuelly tornyng and makyng his cours that for so moche as the water is more lyght than the erthe / so moche is it aboue and is most next to therthe / She departeth and deuydeth the contrees / and she spredeth her thurgh out alle therthe. she falleth agayn in to the see / And spredeth agayn by the flodes and ryuers and goth sourdyng and spryngyng in the erthe from one place to another by vaynes / alle in lyke wyse as the blood of a man goth and rennth by the vaynes of the body. and goth out and yssueth in somme place / alle in lyke wyse renneth the water by the vaynes of therthe and sourdeth and springeth out by the fontaynes and welles / fro whiche it gooth al aboute. that whan one delueth in therthe depe in medowe or in montaygne or in valeye men fynde water salte or swete or of somme other maner /

¶How the water swete or salte / hoot or enuenymed sourdeth out of the erthe. Capitulo xx^o.

[Page]ALle watres come of the see as wel the swete as the salt. what someuer they be / alle come out of the see. & theder agayn alle retorne. vherupon somme may demaūde / syth the see is salt. how is it that somme water is fresshe & swete / Herto answerth one of thauctours and sayth that the water that hath his cours by the swete erthe is fresshe & swete / & becometh swete by the swetenes of therthe. whiche taketh away from it his saltnes and his bytternes by her nature. For the water whiche is salt and bytter whan it renneth thurgh the swete erthe. The swetnes of therthe receyneth his bytternes and saltnes / And thus becometh the water swete and fresshe whiche to fore was salt and byttre Other waters sourden and spryngen bytter & black. whi­che somme men drynke for to be heled of their maladyes in­stede of poyson / the whiche oftymes make grete purgaciōs to somme people / This is a water that spryngeth black & clere and renneth in therthe whiche is bytter and black / & it is ful of moche fylthe / wherfore men haue grete meruaylle / how it may be holsom to the body of a man. In another place sourdeth water whiche is hoot. and that ther myght be scal [...]ed therin a pygge or a ghoos / whiche ben called bathes or baynes naturell. Of suche maner bathes ben ther in al­mayne in the cyte of Acon. and in Englond at bathe / In lorayne another atte thabbay of plounners / and at Ays in Gascoygne another / ¶This procedeth for as moche as wythin therthe ben many caues whiche ben hoot and bren­nyng as fyre / And therthe hath plente of vaynes whiche ben alle full of sulphre / And ther cometh other whyle a wynde grete and stronge the whiche cometh by the water that sourdeth. And that it put forth so strongly that the sulphre catcheth fyre and brenneth. lyke as a fornayce alle [Page] brennyng shold doo / And the water that hath his cours by thyse vaynes become also hoot as fyre / And yf it happed that the water ryght there shold sprynge out of erthe / It shold yssue sourdyng alle enflammed and alle boylyng as it were on a fyre / But fro as feere as his cours renneth fro thens so moche wexeth it lasse brennyng. and it may renne so longe & so ferre that in thende it becometh agayn alle colde / For ther is nothyng so hoot but that it koleth / sauf only the fyre of helle whiche contynuelly brenneth / & shal brenne wythout ende wythin therthe is plente of other places whiche ben ful of fowle bestes and venymous in suche wyse that the water that renneth therby is alle en­feeted and sourdeth in somme places on therthe. But who that drynketh therof secheth his deth /

¶Of dyuerse fontaynes and welles that sourde on therthe / Capitulo / xxj

THer ben plente of fontaynes in other places that moche ofte chaunge their colour And other of whom come myracles / but it is not wel knowen wherof this procedeth / In the londe of Samarye is a wel that chaun­geth and differenceth his colour four tymes in a yere. Hit is first grene / and after it chaungeth in to Sangwyne and after it becometh trowble / And after alle this it beco­meth clere nette / and right fyne. in suche wyse that men de­lyte them in beholdyng of it / but no persone dar drynke of it In this partye is yet another fontayne whiche springeth thre or four dayes the weke good and holsomme / And the other thre dayes it springeth not / but is alle drye / Ther is also a grete Ryuer that renneth syxe dayes duryng in the weke / And on the sabotte daye it renneth not / For assone [Page] as the sabbotte day approcheth / he rebouteth and goth into therthe agayn / By acres the Cyte is founden a maner of sande. And there is founden also of the glayre of the see / Whiche ben medled to gydre / And of thyse two myxtyons is made good glasse and clere / In Egypte is the rede see / where the children of Israhel passed ouer drye foote for to come in to the londe of byheste. This see taketh his name of therthe / For therthe is alle rede in the bottom and on the sydes in suche wyse that the water of this see semed alle reed / In perse is a ryuer longe and brode whiche in the nyght is so hard frozen. that people may goo ouer a foot & trauerse it / And on daye tyme it is cleer and rennyng / ther is in Espyre a welle of whiche the nature is meruayllous y^t whiche quencheth brondes of fyre all brennyng / & after it setteth them a fyre agayn In ethyope is another whiche by nyght hath so grete hete that no creature may thenne dryn­ke therof / And alle the daye it is so colde that it is frorn alle harde / In lorayne nygh vnto metm the cyte is a wa­ter that renneth there / the whiche is soden in grete payelles of copper. and it becometh falt fayr and good / And this water furnyssheth alle the contre of salt / And this water sourdeth of a pitte whiche is the pitte of Dauyd / In this contre ben other fontaynes that ben so hoot that it brenneth alle that is toucheth / In the same place sourde & sprynge other that ben as colde as yce. There ben baynes wel attempryd and medlyd wyth colde water and hoot / And they that bayne them in thyse baynes / their scables and soores become all hool. Yet ther be of other fontaynes right black whiche ben holden right holsom / and people drynke of them in stede of medecynes / And they make oftyme grete pur­gacyons / and gretter than of a medycyne or a laxatysf / [Page] Another fontayne ther is toward the Oryent wherof is made fyre grekyssh wyth other myxtyons that is put ther­to the whiche fyre whan it is taken and lyght is so hoot / that it can not be quenchid wyth water / But wyth aysel / vryne. or wyth sonde only. The sarasyns selle this water right dere and derrer than they doo good wyne. Other fon­taynes sourden in many other places that hele sore eyen & many soores and woundes / Other fontaynes ther be that rendre to a man his mynde and memorye. Other make men to forgete Other that refrayne people fro lecherye. other that meue them therto. Other ther be that make wymmen to conceyue and bere children. And other that make them bareyne and may bere none / Ther ben somme ryuers that make sheep black / And other that make them whyte as the lylye. On that other syde the [...] ben many pondes or stagnes in whiche may nothyng swymme man ne hounde ne other beste but anon it synketh doun to the bottom / Ther ben other in whiche nothyng may synke. but contynuelly flote aboue / Ther ben yet other fontaynes hoot. that blynde the theues whan they forswere them of the trespaas that they haue commysed touchyng their thefte. And yf they be charged and born wrongly on honde wythout reson and thenne drynke of this water. certaynly they shal haue bet­ter sight than tofore ¶Of alle thyse thynges can noman rendre the reson / but that we ought to vnderstonde that alle this procedeth by myracle / Yet ben ther other fontaynes whiche ben styll and clere / Whiche that whan men pleye ouer them wyth harpe or other instrumentis that resowne in maner of consolacion by their sowne / The water of those wellys sprynge vp wyth grete bobles and sprynge ouer in the waye / Other fontaynes ben in other places whiche [Page] ben right peryllous / But for this present we shal reste her wyth all. For to telle of this that cometh by the waters. whiche holde their cours wythin therthe and also aboue. of whiche it happeth other while so grete a quauyng that the erthe meueth so strongly / that it behoueth to falle alle that whiche is theron thaugh it were a massyue tour /

¶Wherfor and how the erthe quaueth and trembleth Capitulo xxij^o.

NOw vnderstande ye thenne / what it is of the me­uyng of the erthe / And how the erthe quaueth and shaketh that somme people calle an erthe quaue / by cause they fele therthe meue and quaue vnder theyr feet. And oftymes it quaueth so terrybly and meueth that somtyme Cytees ben sonken in to therthe that neuer after be seen / And this cometh of the grete waters that come wythin therthe. so that by the puttyng out of the grete flodes and waters growe somme tyme cauernes vnder therthe / And the ayer that is shette fast wythin / the whiche is enclosed in grete distresse. Yf therthe be there feble so that it may not reteyne it all wythin. thenne is it constrayned to opene & cleue. For ayer enforceth to yssue out / wherof it happeth ofte that townes cytees and castellys ben sonken doun in­to the abysme. And yf therthe be of suche force and streng­the that it openeth not ne cleueth by the shouynge or heuynge of the wyndes that ben wythin / Thenne therthe meueth & quaueth so meruayllously that the grete walles and hye towres that ben theron falle doun so sodenly in therthe that it destroyeth and sleeth the people that ben therin whiche ben not aduysed ne pourueyed of suche daungers. Whiche is a grete sorowe for the pour peple that dwelle where suche [Page] meschief happeth / whan they be not aduertysed at what ty­me suche tempeste shal come for teschewe it. But wyse men that doubte for to deye arme them and make them redy ayenst the deth / And gyue alle dylygence for to seche to haue accordaunce vnto the souerayn Iudge / of their synnes and defaultes after their lawe and byleue that they haue / as they that haue none houre ne space to lyue where as / they ben hool and wel at ease / Thus the water and the wynde maken the right meuyng and quauyng by whiche the erthe cleueth and quaueth /

¶How the water of the see becometh salt. Capitulo. xxiij

NOw I wyl recounte and telle to yow how the water of the see becometh salt. whiche is so bittre that no persone may drynke ne the bestys in lyke wyse hit cometh by the sonne on hye / For it maketh so grete hete in somme place / that the see is chauffed so strongly that therthe whiche is vnder draweth to hym a moysture byttre / which taketh away alle sauour / For in the see ben right grete and hye montaynes and depe valeyes whiche ben ful of bitternesses greuous and infected / And the erthe whiche is in the bot­tom of thyse valeyes scumeth for the heete of the sonne vpward / Whiche medleth wyth the water in the depe in suche wyse that it draweth the saltnes vp by the hete of the sonne so longe tyl it be medlyd wyth that other / And thus is the water of the see salt wyth that other / Thenne we shall here fynysshe to speke ony more of the watres fressh or salt / And shal recounte to yow of the Ayer whiche is one of the iiij Elementis and of his propretees /

¶Here foloweth of Ayer and of his nature / Ca xxiiij

THe Ayer is sette aboue the water / & is moche more subtyl than the water or the erthe / and enuyronneth therthe on alle partyes / and domyneth also hye as the clowdes moūte / This ayer which enuyronneth vs on all sydes is moche thycke / But we lyue therby in lyke wyse as the fysshe lyueth by the water. whiche he draweth in and after casteth it out agayn. In suche maner the ayer prouffyteth to vs / For we drawe it in / and after we put it out agayn And thus it holdeth the lyf wythin the body / For a man shold sonner deye wythout ayer than a fysshe shold doo wyth out water to whom the lyf is sone fynysshid whan it is out of the water / Thayer maynteneth in vs the lyf by the moys­ture that is in hym / And by the thycknes that is in hym he susteyneth the byrdes fleeyng that so playe wyth their wynges and meue them so moche al aboute therin that they dis­porte them ledyng their Ioye therin and their deduyt▪ Thus goon the byrdes by thayer fleyng / syngyng and preysyng their maker and creatour / lyke as the fysshes that goon swymmyng in the water / And ye may apperceyue in this maner. take a rodde and meue it in thayer / and yf ye meue it fast and roydly it shal bowe anon / And yf it fonde not thayer thycke it shold not bowe ne ploye / but shold holde him strayght and right / how faste someuer ye meued it. of this Ayer the euyl esperytes take their habyte / and their bodyes whiche in somtyme put them in the semblaunce of somme thynges as whan they may appere in som place for to de­ceyue som persone man or woman. or for to make them to yssue out of their mynde / wherof they haue sōtyme y^u might Or whan by the arte of nygromancye he putteth hym in [Page] somme semblaunce or in suche a fygure as he wylle / But this is a science that who that gyueth hym therto to doo euyl. hit gyueth hym the deth. For yf he taketh not hede the­rof. he shal be dampned body and sowle. But we shal en­quyre here after what cometh fro thayer in to therthe.

¶How the clowdes & rayn come comynly. Ca. xxv

NOw we shal speke of the clowdes for to knowe what it is and of the rayne also. The sonne is the foundement of alle hete and of alle tyme. all in suche wyse as the herte of a man is the foūdement by his valour that is in hym of all natural hete. For by hym he hath lyf. & all lyueth by hym that groweth on therthe as it pleseth to our lord / as here after shal be declared yf ye wyl here and well reteyne the mater and substaunce of this present beoke / for the sonne maketh the clowdes to mounte on hye. and after it maketh the rayne and to auale doun. And I shal shewe to yow how it is doon & shortly / by his force / and vnderstande ye in what manere whan the sonne spredeth his rayes vpon therthe & vpon the mareys. he dreyeth them strongely And draweth vp the moysture whiche he enhaunseth on hye / But this is a moysture subtyl whiche appereth but lytyl and is named vapour / and it mounteth vnto the myd­dle of thayer & there is assembled and cometh to gydre and abydeth there / And lytyl & lytyl it encreceth that it cometh thycke & derke in suche wyse that it taketh fro vs the syght of the sonne / And this thynge is the clowde / But it hath not so moche obscurete that it taketh fro vs the clerenes of the day / And whan it groweth ouer thycke it becometh water whiche falleth on the erthe / and the clowde abydeth whyte. thenne shyneth the sonne / whiche is on hye thurgh [Page] the clowde / Yf it be not ouer black. lyke as thurgh aglasse / Also lyke a candel wythin a lanterne. whiche gyueth vs lyght wythout forth. and yet we see not the candel / Thus shyneth the sonne thurgh the clowde whiche is vnder hym and rendreth to vs the clerenesse of the day / as longe as he maketh his tourne aboue therthe. And the clowde that al­waye so longe abydeth and taketh more moysture / so longe after / that it becometh black and moyste / Thenne yssueth out the water whiche cometh to therthe / and thus groweth the rayne. And whan it is alle fallen to therthe. and the gre­te moysture is staunched the clowde hath lost his broun co­lour that he byfore helde and the derkenesse of whiche she em­pesshid the day. Thenne aperith the clowde clere and whyte whiche thenne is lyght and mounteth on hye somoche that in thende she falleth and is deffeted by the hete of the sonne on hye whiche al dreyeth vp / Thenne thayer wexeth agayn pure and clere / and the heuen as blew as azure / Of therthe groweth the rayn and the clowdes also / as of cloth that is weet / and shold be dreyed by the fyre. thēne yssueth therof a moysture lyke a smoke or fumee and gooth vpward. who thenne helde his hande ouer the fumee / he shold fele a va­pour whiche shold make his hande moyst and weet / Yf it dured longe he shold appertly knowe that his hande were alle weet / and that water shold droppe and falle therof / And thus I saye to yow that in this maner growe ofte the clo­wdes and raynes / and our lord god multyplyeth wel them whan it pleseth hym for to make the seedes and fruytes growe that ben on therthe /

¶Of frostes and snowes / Capitulo. xxvj

THe grete snowes and the grete frostes comen by the grete coldes of thayer whiche is colde in the myddle [Page] more than it is on ony other parte. lyke as ye may see of the montaynes whiche ben in hye place. lyke as the mon­taynes of sauoye. of pyemont or in wales. & in thise other montaynes. where ther is of custome more snowe. than is in places that ben in playn groūde. Alle this cometh of y^e coldnes of thayer. whiche hath lasse hete aboue. than benethe by cause it is more subtyl / than that whiche is bynethe / and whan the more subtyl is on hye so moche reteyneth he las­se of hete. But the more that thayer is thycke somoche more it chauffeth. and the sonner where the sonne may come / ¶ Of whiche cometh that yron and steel wexe more hoot by the sonne than dooth the stone. For of so moche as the thynge is more hard and of more thyck mater / so moche taketh it the fyre more asprely & sonner than they that ben of lasse force / Thus saye I to yow of thayer that is aboue on hye. whiche is more c [...]lde than this is bynethe / For as moche as it is not so thycke as that is whiche is nyghe therthe / And for the wynde that ofte gro­weth. Whiche maketh it ofte to be in meuyng / For the water that renneth faste eschausfeth lasse than that doth that holdeth hym stylle / So doth thayer whiche is an hye / And therby groweth the colde that freseth this moysture anon as it is goon vp on hye / And falleth doun agayn y frorn /

¶Of haylle and of tempestes / Capitulo. xxvij

BY this manere comen in the somer the grete haylles^o. and the grete tempestes / For in thayer they growe / wherof oftyme cometh grete colde so that the moysture that is in thayer brought vp / is drawen to be frorn. And it is in thayer assembled and amassed / For the hete that cha­ceth after it / And the sonne causeth it to lose and to falle on therthe / But it falleth not so grete to the grounde as it is frorn aboue an hye / For it cometh doun brekyng and [Page] amenuysyng in the fallyng / And this is the tempest whiche falleth ofte in the somer / the whiche is greuous and ennoyous to many thynges /

¶Of lyghtnynges and of thondres / Capitulo / xxviij^o.

IN thayer happen many thinges of whiche the people speke not gladly / For they retche not moche of suche thynges of whiche they can not wel come to the knowle­che / This that maketh therthe to quaue. And this that maketh the clowdes to thondre / that whiche maketh the erthe to opene / And this that maketh the clowdes to sparkle and lyghtne whan the thondre is herde / For thondres and lyghtnynges ben deboutemens and brekyng out of wyndes that mete aboue the clowdes so asprely and shdrply / that in theyr comyng groweth ofte a grete fyre in tha­yer / And this thondre that falleth in many places whiche the wyndes constrayne so terrybly that the clowdes cleue and breke and maketh to thondre and lyghtne & falleth doun in so grete rage by the wynde that destrayneth it so asprely that it confoundeth alle that it atteyneth in suche wyse that nothyng endureth ayenst it / And it is of so heuy nature that somtyme it perseth therthe vnto the myd­dle. And somtyme it quencheth er it cometh to the grounde after that it is of poyse / and that is not of ouer stronge nature. For whan the clowde is moche derke / and thycke and that ther is grete plente of water / the fyre passeth not so soone. but it is quenchid in the clowde by the grete quā ­tyte of the water that is therin byfore it may perse thurgh so that it may not approche therthe / but in the straynyng & brekyng that hit maketh thenne in the clowde. groweth a sowne so grete and stronge / that it is meruayllous to here I declare to you for certayn that this is the thondre. whiche [Page] is moche to be doubted & drad / In lyke wyse as of an hoot & brennyng yron that is put in a tubbe of water therof groweth a noyse & a grete sowne & also whan cooles ben quen­chid / But the lyghtnyng of the thondre appereth and is seen er ye here the voys or sowne. for as moche as the sight of a man is more subtyl than the heeryng lyke as men see fro ferre ouer a water betyng of clothes or smytyng of marteaulx or hamers / the strokes ben seen of them that smyte. or the soun be herde of the stroke. Alle in lyke wyse may I saye to yow of the thondre / the whiche men see to fore and er they here it / and so moche the ferther it is aboue vs. so moche the ferther is the soun of the lyghtnyng after it is seen / er the soun be herd / & the sonner after the lyghtnyng is seen & the yons herd somoche is the thondre more nygh vnto vs /

¶For to knowe how the wyndes growe & come. ca. xxix^o

OF the wyndes may men enquire reson of them that vse the sees / And the wyndes renne round aboue therthe oftymes / and entrecounte and mete in som place so asprely / that they ryse vpon heyght in suche wyse that they lyft vp thayer on hye And thayer that is so lyft and taken fro his place / remeueth other ayer in suche facion that it re­torneth as it were afterward and gooth cryeng and bra­yeng as water rennyng / For wynde is none other thyng but ayer that is meuyd so longe tyl his force be beten doun wyth the stroke / Thus come ofte clowdes ray [...]es thon­dres and lyghtnynges / and the thynges tofo [...] sayd / Ther ben yet other resons how these werkes comen / But thyse that beste serue to knowelege and lyghtly to be vnder­stonde we haue drawen out shortly. and now we shal cesse of this mater for to speke of the fyre whiche is aboue the ayer on hye /

¶Of the fyre and of the sterres that seme to falle / Capitulo. xxx^o.

YE ought to knowe that aboue thayer is the fyre / this is an ayer whiche is of moche grete resplendour and shynyng and of moche grete noblesse / & by his right grete subtylte he hath no moysture in hym. And is moche more clere than the fyre that we vse / and of more subtyl na­ture / than thayer is ayenst y^e water, or also the water ayenst the erthe / This ayer in whiche is no maner moysture / It stratcheth vnto the mone / And ther is seen ofte vnder this ayer somme sparkles of fyre / and seme that they were ster­res of whiche men saye they be sterres. whiche goon ren­nyng / and that they remeue fro their places. But they be none / but it is a maner of fyre that groweth in thayer of somme drye vapour. whiche▪ hath no moysture wythin it / whiche is of therthe and therof groweth by the sonne whi­che draweth it vpon hye / & whan it is ouer hye it falleth & is sette a fyre lyke as a candel brennyng as vs semeth. & after falleth in thayer moyste and ther is quenchid by the moystnes of thayer / And whan it is grete & the ayer drye it cometh al brennyng vnto therthe / wherof it happeth ofte that they that saylle by the see or they that goon by londe ha­ue many tymes founden and seen them al shynyng & bren­nyng falle vnto therthe. & whan they come where it is fallen they fynde none other thyng but a lytyl ass [...]es or like thing or lyke som leef of a tree roten. that were weet / Thenne ap­perceyue they well and byleue that it is no sterre. For the sterres may not falle / but they muste alle in their cercle meue ordynatly and contynuelly nyght & day egally /

¶Of the pure Ayer and how the seuen planetes ben sette / Capitulo. xxxj^o.

[Page]THe pure ayer is aboue the fire whiche purpryseth & taketh his place vnto the heuen / In this ayer is no obscurte ne derknes / For it was made of clere purete it re­splendissheth & shyneth so clerly that it may to nothyng be compared / in this ayer ben vij sterres whiche make their cours al aboute therthe / The whiche be muche clene & clere & be named y^e vij planetes / of whome that one is sette aboue that other & in suche wyse ordeyned that ther is more space

fro that one to y^e other / Than ther is frō the erthe to the mone whiche is ferther fyf­ten tymes than all the erthe is grete and euerich renneth by myracle on the firma­ment & maketh his cercle that o­ne grete & that other lytyl after that it is & sitteth more lowe / For af somoche that it maketh his cours more nyghe therthe / so moche is it more short / & sonner hath per­fourmed his cours / than that whiche is ferthest / that is to saye that who that made a poynt in a walle and wyth a compaas made dyuerse cercles aboute. alway that one mo­re large than another / That whiche shold be next y^e poynt shold be lest of the other & lasse shold be his cours / for he shold sonner haue don his cours than the grettest / so that they wente both egally as ye may see by this fygure to fore /

[Page]THus we may vnderstande of the vij planetes of whiche I haue spoken that / that one is vnder that other / in suche wyse that she that is lowest of alle the other is leest of all and that is the mone / but by cause that it is next to therthe / it semeth grettest and most apparaunt of alle the other. and for thapprochement of therthe and bycause it goth so nygh. it hath not pure clerenes that cometh of hym self proprely by cause therthe is so obscure / but the clernes & lyght that it rendreth to vs / she taketh alway of the sonne / lyke as shold a myrrour whan the rayes of y^e son­ne smyteth therin and of the reflexyon the myrrour smyteth on the walle and shyneth theron as longe as the rayes of the sonne endure in the glasse / In lyke maner sheweth & lyghteth to vs the lyght of the mone / & in the mone is a body polysshyd & fayr lyke a pommell right wel burnysshed. Whiche reflaumbeth and rendryth lyght and clerenes whā the rayes of the sonne smyteth therin / The lytyl clowdes or derkenes that is seen therin. somme saye that it is therthe that appereth wythin / And that whiche is water appereth whyte lyke as ayenst a myrrour whiche receyueth dyuerse colours / whan she is torned therto. other thynke other wyse & saye that it happed & byfelle whā adam was deceyued by thapple that he ete. whiche greued alle humanye lygnage / And that thenne the mone was empesshed and his clere­nesse lassed and mynuysshed. Of thyse vij sterres or plane­tes that ben there and make their cours on the firma­ment of whom we haue here to fore spoken. First were no moo knowen but the tweyne / that is to wete the sonne & the mone. thr other were not knowen but by Astronomye / Neuertheles yet shal I name them for as we haue spoken of them to yow / of thyse ther ben tweyne aboue the mone & [Page] byneth the sonne and that one aboue that other of whom eche hath on therthe propre vertues / And they named mercurye & venus / Thenne aboue the mone and thyse tweyne. is the sonne / whiche is so clere fayr & pure / that it rendreth lyght & clerenesse vnto alle the world and the sonne is sette so hye aboue / that his cercle is gretter & more spacyouse thā the cercle of the mone. whiche maketh his cours in xxx dayes xij sithes so moche / For the sonne whiche gooth more ferther fro the erthe than the mone maketh his cours / hath CCClxv dayes. this is xij tyme somoche & more o­uer as the calender enseigneth / & yet more the fourth part of a day / that be vj houres. but for this that the yere hath dyuersly his begynnyng that one begynneth on the daye and another on the nyght whiche is grete ennoye to moche people this part of a day is sette by cause alleway in iiij yere is a daye cōsumed whiche is aboue in that space the whiche yere is named bysexte or lepe yere whiche in iiij yere falleth ones / & so is sette fro foure yere to foure yere alway more a daye. & thēne is the sonne comen agayn in his first poynt / And that is in the myd marche / whan the newe tyme recomenceth / & that all thynges drawe to loue by the vertu of the retorne of the sonne / for in this season had the world first his begynnyng / & therfore thenne alle thyng reneweth and cometh in verdure by right nature / of the ty­me and none otherwyse / Aboue the sonne ther be thre sterres clere and shynyng / and one aboue another / That is to wete mars iupiter & saturnus / Saturne is hyest of the seuen whiche hath in his cours xxx yere er he hath all goon his cercle / & thyse iij sterres reteyne their vertues in thyn­ges here bynethe & ye may see yf ye beholde this figure how they be in ordre eche aboue other whiche fygure sheweth it well /

¶How the vij planetes gyue the names to the vij dayes / Capitulo / xxxij^o.

Thise vij planetes ben suche that they haue power on thinges that growe on therthe & haboū de their vertues more than all the other that ben on y^e firmamēt & more appertli werke lyke as thaūciēt sage philosophers haue enserched by their wyttes of thyse vij planetes taken the dayes of the weke their names as ye shal here / The mone hath the monday / & mars the tewsday / mercurye the wednesday / Iupiter the thursday. venus the fryday saturnus y^e saterday. & the holy sonday hath his name of the sonne / whiche is the most fayr. & therfor the sonday is better than ony of the other dayes of the weke / For this day is sette & reseruyd from alle payne & labour / And on this day shold men doo thyngis that shold playse our lord / but syth in this chapytre we haue touched of the firmament we shal speke after of somme caas that come on the heuen and therthe. The sonday is as moche to saye as the daye of pees and of praysin­ge / For the creatour of alle thynges cessed this day / the whiche made and created all /

¶Of the meuyng and goyng aboute of the firmament & of the sterres that ben therin / Capitulo. xxxii [...] ^o.

[Page]ABoue saturne whiche is the last planete / and hyest from vs of alle the vij planetes is the heuen that men see so full of sterres as it were sowen. whan it is cle­re tyme and weder / This heuen that is so sterryd is the firmament whiche meueth and goth round of whiche me­uyng is so grete Ioye so grete melodye and so swete / that ther is nomā that yf he myght here it that neuer after shold haue talente ne wylle to do thynge that were contrarye vnto our lord in ony thinge that myght be. so moche shold he desire to come theder where he myght alleway here so swete melodyes and be alway wyth them wherrof somme were somtyme that saide that lytyl yonge children herde this me­lodye whan they lawghed in their slepe / For it is said that thenne they here the angels of our lord in heuen synge whe­rof they haue suche Ioye in their slepe / But herof knoweth noman the trouthe sauf god that knoweth all / Whiche setted the sterres on the heuen and made them to haue suche power. For ther is nothinge wythin the erthe ne wythin the see / how dyuerse it be. but it is on the heuen fygured and compassed by the sterres. of whiche none knoweth y^e nom­bre sauf god only / whiche at his playsir nombreth them & knoweth the name of eueriche of them as he that alle knoweth and alle created by good reason at the regard of the sterres that may be seen they may be wel nombred and en­quyred by Astronomye. but it is a moche maystryse. For ther ne is sterre so lytyl. But that it hath in hym hole his vertue / In herbe. in flour / or in fruyt be it in facion / in colour or otherwyse / Ther is nothing in erth that ought to be. ne therin hath growyng but somme sterre hath strengthe and puyssaunce by nature / is it good or otherwyse suche as god [Page] hath gyuen to it / And for the firmament and for the pla­netes take this fygure to fore on that other syde / and ye shal see therin the sytuacyon of them /

BVt syth we haue descriued and spoken of the firma­ment in this second partye of this volume / we shal speke of somme caases that come and happen on hye and also lowe. And shal speke of the mesure of the firmament. For to vnder stande the better the facion and how it is made and proporcioned and of that whiche is aboue / And al­so we shal speke of heuen /

¶Here beginneth the thirde parte of this present volume & declareth first how the day & the nyght come / Ca. primo

IN this thirde and last partye of this present booke we shal fynysshe it wyth spekynge of the faytes of Astronomye. And I wyl declare to you first how the daye cometh and the nyght and for to make you vnderstande of the Ecplises / And also for to vnderstande other thynges / the whiche may moche prouffyte to them that wylle do payne to knowe them / For to gouerne them the better after the disposicyon of the tyme /

¶Here declareth how the daye and nyght comen.

TRouthe it is that the sonne maketh his torne and cours aboute therthe in the daye and nyght & gooth egally euery houre. And also longe as he abydeth aboue therthe so longe haue we the deduyt of the day / and whan he is vnder therthe thenne haue we the nyght / lyke as ye went tornyng abrennyng candel aboute your heed or as ye [Page] shold here it a lytyl ferther of / Round aboute an apple / And that the candel were alway brēnyng / thēne the partye that were alway ayenst the candel shold alleway be lyght And that other partye that is ferthest fro it shold be obscure and derke / Thus in lyke wyse doth the sonne by his propre na­ture for to be day & nyght aboute therthe. he maketh the day to growe byfore hym / And on that other parte the erthe is vmbreuse & derke by hynde hym & where as he may not shy­ne. And this is the shadowe of the nyght whiche y^e deduyt of the day taketh away from vs / But for as moche as the sonne is moche gretter that therthe. the shadowe goth lytyll and lytyl tyl at thende it cometh to nought / lyke the sown of a clocke endureth after the stroke / But yf the sonne and therthe were of one lyke gretenesse. this shadowe shold ha­ue none ende / but shold be all egal wythout declynyng. and yf therthe were gretter than the sonne thenne the shadowe oe the sonne shold goo enlargyng & be more as ye may see the fourme by thyse thre fygures folowyng. & also ye may preue it otherwyse wythout fygures / Take somme derke thynge that may reteyne lyght wythin it as of tree or of stone or other thynge what it be that may be sen thurgh thē ne sette that to fore your eyen / ayenst that thyng that ye wold see is it the heuen or erthe or ony other thynge / yf that thyng that ye holde is more bredder & larger that your two eyen be a sondre / it shal take away y^e syght ayenst that whiche is no brodder / And yf the thyng be alle egale in lengthe as moche as ye may stratche your two eyen▪ as moche shal it be taken fro you as y^e thynge shal haue of gretnes / as ye may see by this fygure byneth an that other side / And yf y^e thynge haue lasse of gretnes than the lengthe is bytwene your bothe eyen. it shal take fro you lasse for to see / as well nyghe as ferre that it is of largenes of that which ye wold [Page] see / And whan ye put the thynge ferther fro your eyen. so­moche

moche the more mai ye see of that o­ther part o­uer and aboue you. so that ye may see all. In ly­ke wyse is it of the sonne wythout ony doubtaū ce or varya­cion. For it passeth ther­the in gretnesse so that it seeth the heuē al aboute the sterres and alle that is on the firmament /

¶Why the sterres ben not seen by-day as wel as ay nyght ¶ Capitul^o. ij^o.

[Page]THe sterres of the firmamēt on whiche the sonne rendreth clernes make contynuelly nyght & day their tornyng & cours wyth n firmamēt aboute roūd aboue as byneth But them that ben ouer vs we may not see by daye / For the sonne by his grete clernes and lyght taketh from vs the sight of them / In lyke wyse as ye shold do of candelis that were ferre brennyng from yow / And yf ther were a grete fyre brennyng bytwene yow & the cā ­dellis. & had grete flawme & lyght / It shold take away fro yow your syght that ye shold not see the candellis / & yf the fyre were take away & put byhynde yow / ye shold inconty­nent see the / candellis to fore you brennyng / Thus in lyke wyse I saye yow of y^e sterres that may not be seen by daye as longe as the sonne maketh his torne and cours aboue therthe / And whan the sonne is vnder therthe the sterres ben seen by vs / But tho sterres that ben ouer vs in the so­mer on the day tyme / in wynter they be ouer vs in the nyght. for tho sterres that we see in y^e somer by nyght we may not see them on the day / for the sonne that goth roūd aboute vs taketh fro tho sterres their clernes that ben on the day tyme where the sonne is vnto the tyme that he dra­weth hym vnder / but all they be lyght what someuer part they torne as well by day as by nyght. as longe as y^e sonne goth aboute hye & lowe shynyng sauf y^e whiche ben hyd by therthe fro vs / For as longe at the shadowe may com­prise it. the sonne may gyue them no lyght that ye may vnderstande by the fygure thus the shadowe discreaceth by the sonne whiche is moche gretter than therthe / and fyny­sheth in lassyng And it endureth ferther fro therthe. than the mone is hye. but it faylleth aboueu the mone /

¶Wherfor the sonne is not seen by nyght as it is by day Capitulo iij^o.

THe erthe is suche that she deffendeth the day whiche the sonne

gyueth vs Yf therthe we­re so clere that men myght see thurgh thēne my­ght y^e sone be seen cōtynuelly as wel vnder therthe as aboue. But it is so obscure & derke that it taketh a­way the sight fro vs. & it maketh y^e shadowe to go alway torning after the sōne whih maketh as many tornynges aboute therthe as the sonne doth whiche al­leway is ayenst it for whā the sonne ariseth in the mornyng in theest / the shadowe is in the west and whan it is right ouer & [Page] a [...]ue vs a [...] mydday. thenne is therthe shadowed vnder her And whan the sōne goth doun in the west the shadowe of it is in the eest & thenne whan the sonne is vnder we haue thē ne the shadowe ouer vs whiche goth drawyng to the west / longe tyl the sonne ariseth and shyneth and rendrith to vs the day / And this may ye see by thyse two fygures to fore on that other syde.

¶How the mone receyueth dyuersly her lyght & clerenesse Capitulo. iiij^o.

SYth that ye haue vnderstonde what it is of the da­ye & of the nyght / wylle ye thenne after see the fayt of the mone / & how she receyueth lyght of the sonne / She receyueth lyght in suche maner that she is contynuelly half ful in what someuer place she be / & whan we see her round / thēne we calle her ful / but how moche the ferther she is fro the sone so moche the more we see of her apparayl. & whā she is right vnder the sōne / thenne she apperithe not to vs. For thēne she is bytwene therthe & the sōne & thenne she shyneth toward the sonne & toward vs she is all derke / and therfore we see her not / But whan she is passed the poynt & is re­meuyd fro the sone / Thenne begynneth her clerenesse to ap­pere to vs as she were horned / & so moche as she wythdra­weth her fro the sonne somoche more apperith she shynyng And thenne whan she apperith to be half ful of lyght thenne hath she gon a quarter of her cercle. whiche is the four­the parte of her torne & cours that she goeth euery moneth and thus alleway her clernesse encreacyng and growyng she goth tyl she be alle rounde fayre and clere in semblaunce of a rolle. And that we calle the full mone / Thenne is she right vnder the sonne as she may be right ayenst the sight in suche wyse that all her lyght is torned toward vs / Thēne is therthe bytwene y^e sonne & the mone so that we [Page] may not se them bothe vpon therthe. but right lityl / but one of them may be seen. For whan that one goth doun in the west that other ariseth in the eest / & so at euen or morn may bothe be seen but not longe / For that one goth vnder ther­the & that other cometh aboue Thenne y^e mone whiche hath ben opposite of the sonne & hath gon half her cours thenne she goth on that other side approching the sonne. & begyn­neth to lasse her lyght & mynusshe it tyl it be but half agayn & thēne hath she gon thre quarters of her cercle & is thenne as nygh the sonne on that side. as she was at the first quarter on that other side / & so approcheth ner & ner tyl she appere horned as to fore / and thus she goth tyl she be al fayleth that

we may se no­more thēne of her / For thenne is she vnder the sōne as ye may see by this pre­sent fygure & I saye nomore herof. but that she is thēne bitwene the sonne & therthe /

¶How the e­clipses of the mone happen / Capitulo. v^o.

IT happeth ofte tymes that the mone muste nedes lose her lyght / And that happeth whan she apperith most full / And she becometh as vanysshed away / and der­keth lytyl and lytyl / Tyl she be all faylled ye haue herd here to fore how the mone taketh light of the sonne / that alway [Page] she hath half her lyght hole / But whan it is so that she is in eclipse. thēne hath she no light in no parte / & this hap­peth neuer but whan she is torned right so that y^e sonne gyueth her ful lyght. For the mone goth not alway so right as doth the sonne. For somtyme she passeth in her cours by suche away that therthe shadoweth her alle / For therthe is gretter than the mone is / & therfore whan therthe is iuste bytwene the sōne and the mone thēne she thus shadoweth her / For bytwene the sonne & the mone is a lygne whiche declyneth so moche to the mone by whiche the sonne smy­teth his rayes in her as longe as ther is no letting by therthe / For the more that ther is bytwene them the more is y^e mone shadowed / And the lasse that it is bytwene somoche lasse is the shadowe / & the mone leseth the lasse of her light that she receyueth of the sonne / whan she is so shadowed / Thus ye may vnderstonde / yf a lygne passed thurgh ther­the by the poynt of the myddle of it / & stratched that one en­de vnto the body of the sonne in suche wyse by right sight that it endured on that other ende vnto the mone / whiche euery moneth goth here and there. hyer and lower / yf she were se euen ayenst the sonne / thenne shold [...]he falle euery moneth in that shadowe whi [...]he on alle partes shold em­pesshe her lyght / whiche thenne myght not come to her for therthe in no wyse / For the ferther she is fro the right lyg­ne. so moche hath and receyueth she the more of lyght / And whan she is so that therthe is ex opposito bytwene them than loseth the mone her lyght / Thus is seen somtyme the mone in the myddle of his moneth lose his lyght and derk / whan she is most ful / And her lyght torned vnto derkenesse whiche we calle eclypse of the mone. as ye may wel see & vnderstonde by this fygure yf ye beholde it well /

¶How the Eclypse of the Sonne cometh / Ca. vi^o.

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Yt happeth som­tyme that the sonne leseth his clerenes & the lyght in y^e plain daye. For it gooth as to decline. and is called in latin eclipsis / This eclipse procedeth by cause of defaulte of lyght / and it happeth in this manere that whan the mone whiche is vnder the sonne co­meth right bytwene vs and the sonne / thenne in the right lygne it behoueth y^e toward vs y^e mone taketh & reteyneth the lyght of y^e sonne on hye / so that it semeth to vs that is defaylled / for the mone is not so pure that the sonne may shyne ouer her / & thurgh her as thurgh an other sterre / alle like as a cādel / whiche is sette ferre fro your sight / & after ye helde your honde right to fore the candel. thēne ye shold not see nothyng therof / & the more right ye hold your hand by­twene / the more lasse shold ye see this candel / & so moche ye may sette your hand ryght to fore your eyen & so ferre that ye shold see nothyng therof. In this maner I telle yow of the Eclypse that bytwene the Sonne and the Mone is not one waye comune / But the mone gooth an other [Page] waye whiche destourneth her a lytyl from the Sonne. Wherfore vs behoueth to vnderstande that the mone gooth oftymes whan she is bytwene vs and the sonne somtyme aboue and otherwhile bynethe / here and there as she ryseth and declyneth / But whan she passyth in the right lygne euen bytwene vs and the sonne thenne taketh the mone fro vs the lyght and clernes of the sonne in suche wyse as we may not clerly see her in that paas / For thenne shado­weth she therthe / And kepeth the raynes of the sonne that they may not shyne on therthe / And they that ben in this parte / haue in their syght the shadowe behynde them / But it apperyth not comunely to alle men thurgh al the world For the mone is not so grete nowher nygh as all therthe therfor she shadoweth not all but only where she is in the right lygne bytwene therthe and the sonne / And thyder the philosophers were wont to goo where as they knewe it / For by their wyt and studye they had lerned for to ap­proue the daye and tyme whan suche thynges sholde happe By whiche they preuyd plente of thynges wherfore they preysed moche our lord / Thu [...] see we here byneth the eclyp­se of the sonne aboue vs whan the mone is right vnder the sonne for as moche as she is bynethe sonne and aboue vs. And thenne the sonne passeth the ryght lygne and gooth departyng and wythdrawyng so moche / that she apperyth as she dyde afore / And thenne the mone departed is horned thre dayes after this Eclypse / And by this fygure ye may vnderstonde playnly this that ye haue herd here tofore /

¶Of the Eclypse that happed atte deth of our lord god Capitulo / vij^o.

[Page]THus as the mone taketh away fro vs the lyght of the sonne / So it happeth oftyme that therthe taketh away the lyght of the mone as to fore is declared / But the Eclipse of the mone may not be in no wyse but whan she apperith most full ne theclipse of the sonne may not be but whan the mone is all waned and faylled and

that we calle the coniunciō but yf god whiche made all thinge chaun­ge and deffete at his plaisir make it to co­me or happene otherwyse / like as it hap­ped at su­che tyme as our sauiour Ihesu Cryste was on the crosse / at whiche tyme the lyght and bryghtnesse of the day faylled fro myd­day vnto the ix hour of the day and thenne was the mone vnder therthe at the fulle as moche as she myght be / whiche thenne in no wyse myght empesshe the lyght of the sonne / & the day at that tyme was as derke & obscure as it had ben propre nyght / whiche by nature at that tyme shold haue be bryght & pure / For whiche cause seynt Dyonyse whiche at [Page] this tyme is schryned in Fraūce & thenne beyng an estu­dyaūt in grece a paynem lyke a grete clercke as he was. For he knewe moche of astronomye. whan he apperceyued this grete obscurte and derknes / he had right grete meruaylle / and fonde by astroonmye that this myght not be by na­ture ne by reson. that the eclipse of the sonne shold happe & falle in suche season / thenne sayd he a derke worde in this maner or the god of nature suffreth grete torment by wrō ge / or all the world discordeth & shal desolue & faylle / as it that muste take an ende / & though in hym self that he was a grete god that so susfred /

And that he had power and myght aboue alle other god­des / as he that byleuyd on many goddes. after his lawe. Thenne this holy dyonyse made an aulter in his oratorye alle aboue the other aulters & also a parte where as no per­sone repayred but he hym self only / by cause he wold not be reputed in mysbyleue. and whan it was made & he had sene it. he called it the aulter of the god vnknowen & worship­ped & adoured hym. & helde hym for a right dere & grete god / It was not longe after this / that the holy doctour Seynt poul cam to this place where seynt dionyse was / as he that knewe hym for a right grete clerck / And by commynyca­cion & preching of seynt Poul. he was sone conuerted by the helpe of our lord whiche wrought so therin / that thenne he had very knowleche how our lord had suffred his passiō For they were bothe good clerkes as is more playnly conteyned in their legendes. And thus was the noble clerk saynt dyonyse bycomen a good and very crysten man whi­che all his lyf to fore had be a paynem and he so employed his science and his tyme / fro that day forthon that it auaylled hym gretly to y^e helthe of his sowle / this eclipse deceyuid [Page] hym not ne this that he knewe astronomye. but he bycam after a mā of so good & holy lyf. that he gate for his reward the blysse of heuen. ye haue herd the fayt of Eclypses yf ye wyl vnderstande them wel. And ye shal not fare the werse ne y^e lasse auaylle you / For to knowe it may moche prouffyte to euery persone. for suche demonstraūces ben signefyca­cions of grete werkes & thynges that ofte after happen & falle / This fynde wel astronomyers by Astronomye as somtym scarcete and defaulte of goodes / of a grete derthe of warre / or deth of kynges or prynces that falleth in the world / as they may enquyre and serche by theyr science and reson / This eclipse that was so grete signefyed the deth of Ihesu Cryst / And it ought wel to come otherwyse for hym than for another / For he was and is by right lord & kinge of alle the world. And may deffete & desolue it / and ordeyne at his good playsyr the other eclypses comen by nature whiche reteyne on therthe their vertues of thinges that ben come / for it byhoueth all to fynysshe & come to nought to all y^t is on therthe / & that shortly / god made not y^e firmamēt ne the sterres for noght whiche as sayd is goth tornyng ouer & aboue vs / and gyueth to the sterres names & vertues in heuen and in erthe / eche after his myght on all thinges that hath growyng. For ther is nothyng but it hath somme power for as moche as it hath growyng / suche as it ought to haue by nature and by resen we shal now for this present leue for to speke ony more of the eclipses / and shal recomp­te and declare of the vertue of the firmament and of the sterres / For who so wel knewe the vertue of them / he shold knowe the trouthe of alle suche thynge that is bynethe he­re on therthe by reson of nature / whether the thynge were obscure and derke or not /

¶ Of the vertu of heuen and of the sterres / Capl^o. viij^o.

NOw wylle ye here of the science by the whiche men gete sapience for to knowe and enquyre the thinges that may happen in therthe by the werker of right nature whiche is fygured by the world / The heuenes and the sterres ben the very instrumēts of nature to the world by whiche she werketh alle as god wylle as wel nygh as ferre. and who that coude knowe her myght / he had knowlege of alle thyng that sayd is / as wel of the sterres that ben on heuen whiche haue vertueson therthe whiche god hath gyuen and graunted to euerich & specyally to the sonne & to the mone whiche gyue lyght vnto the world & wythout whom nothyng lyuyng may be / For by them growe alle thynges that be in this world and whiche haue ende and begynnyng / this consenteth and permyseth he that is al­myghty. Alle dyuersitees that be in persones and whiche haue dyuersitees of makyng and of corsage and alle that happeth by nature / be it in herbes / in plantes or in beestes. this happeth by the vertue celestyal whiche god gaf to the sterres. Whan he first created the world / And that he sette them & endowed them wyth suche nature that he ordeyned them to goo roūd aboute the world ayenst the tornyng of the firmament / And by their tornyng and by their vertu whiche lyeth in heuen. lyue alle thynges that ben vnder it / And yf it pleasyd our lord that he wold holde the heuen all stylle in suche wyse that it torned not aboute. ther is no­thing in alle the world / that myght meue him. In hym shold be no vnderstondyng nomore than in a dede body. whiche fe­leth nothyng ne therin is no wytte ne vnderstandyng ne moeuyng as he that hath no lyf / in suche poynt / shal euery thynge be whan the heuen shal leue his moeuyng. Alle [Page] thus shold they be and neuer moeue / tyl that the heuen had agayn his moeuyng / And thenne shold they be otherwyse but who that thenne myght vse his wytte & se what he shal be. moche myght he see of semblaūces & of dyuerse contenaū ces in other men that myght not remeue them / For yf ther were no meuyng on the heuen / ther is nothyng that myght lyue on erthe. Also god wyl that it so be that all thyng hath establysshid by right / Thus was the wylle of god in whom alle vertues habounde for to fourme the world / For he made ne created neuer thynge but that he gaf to it suche vertue as it ought to haue / ellis he had made somthyng for nought & without reson / but he dyde not so for he neuer faylled in no thynge / he made and created alle the sterres & gaf to euerich his vertue & who y^t wyll not byleue. thus In him is nether memoyre ne reson / For we see openly that the mone taketh lyght whan we see her all full. for the man hath thenne neyther membre ne vayne / but that it is full whan it is in the cours of humours and suche thynges & in lyke wyse it happeth on alle bestes. For they haue thenne their hedes and other membres more garnysshid of margh & of humeurs / And the see also floweth & ebbeth in his cours euery moneth wherof it happeth that they that ben nygh y^e see whan they knowe that the mone is ful they wythdra­we them fro the see on hye. And saue them & theyre meynage. and in this poynt they wythdrawe them and holde them in hye places vnto the tyme that the see wythdraweth and lasseth agayn. And thus do they euery moneth. But alle this happeth by the mone whiche is one of the seuen plane­tes / In lyke wyse is it seen of the sonne. that after the wyn­ter whan he begynneth to mounte / he causeth the fruyt to be brought forth of therthe / and appparylleth the trees wyth [Page] leues. and alle verdure to come agayn. And the byrdes begynne agayn their songe for the swetenes of the new ty­me. And whan he rebasshith and declyneth / he maketh the wynter to begynne and causeth flowres and leuis to falle and falle so longe tyl he begynne to mounte agayn as to fore is sayd. Syth that thyse two sterres haue suche ver­tues / and cause suche thynges to be don / The other whiche ben pourtrayed on the heuen / were not made to serue of nought / But to eueriche is ordeyned his vertue and his right after his nature. Wherfore they make dyuersitees in thynges that ben on therthe / And the moeuynges of tyme / of whiche that one cometh soone and that other late / And the fruytes that come on therthe. Somme come sone and erly and the other late and ben otherwhyle sooner rype in o­ne yere that in an other. And more assured of tempestes & other greuaunces / And thus chaunge in sondry maners. For one somer is softe and moyste / And another is drye and wyndy / Of the wynter it happeth oftymes that they chaūge / so that one is colde / rayny and more desplaysaunt than y^e other / And another shal be more Ioyous & lasse damageable / Thus is seen that the one is dere of somme vy­taylle or other thynges And that other shal be plentyuous And also it is ofte that ther is plente and good chepe in one yere / In another yere it is had in grete chierte / and is of grete scarset [...] this fallyth somtyme and ofte. Alle thy­se dyuersytees cause the sterres whiche ben on the heuen / But alle this is by the wylle of our lord that hath sette e­eueriche in his propre place / where he maketh naturelly his cours / and euerich dyuersly / For yf none other thynge had his vse in tymes sauf the sonne only wythout moo / as he that goth swyftly by the firmament euery yere / And [Page] mounteth as moche and as hye in one somer as in another And as moche descendeth in one wynter as in another euery day egally tyl that he come in to / his right poynt / And Ioyneth that other after hym where he was to fore / this knowe well Astronomyers that he gooth euery yere abou­te the heuen one torne. And where he is this day in the sa­me place he shal be this day a yere. Ther by is it knowen that if none other hath no power thēne shold euery yere be lyke other. & euery yere alway shold be lyke as the yere to fore was / and euery moneth shold be lyke the same as eueriche shold come / that is to wyte / one Ianyuer lyke another Ianyuer / and feuerer lyke another feuerer / and in lyke wyse alle the other x. moneths / For the sonne gooth alle lyke in one moneth / As he shal the next yere in the same moneth. And this day sholde reassemble and be lyke vnto this day a yere in alle maner thynge that is to wete of hete / of colde of fair wether. of rayne and of other thinges euerich after their comyng all the yere duryng. Thēne sholde it falle by right nature that in all the somers and all the wynters that e­uer haue ben and shal be shold not come no dyuersytees. And all the tymes shold be lyke as they that by the. sonne shold be alway demened / eschauffed and contynuelly gouerned. For he goth egally alway and endeth his cours euery yere and holdeth his right way in one estate as he that goth not out of his waye. Thus is he the right veyle and patro­ne of all the other sterres. For it is the most fyn of all the other by the grete clerenesse that is in hym / and in all thyn­ges by hym / and he hath on therthe more power on thyn­ges of whiche may be enquyred of nature reson and right than all the other sterres / yet somtyme they restrayne his heetes and after they enlarge thēm after that they be fer or [Page] nygh / as he otherwhyle hath nede / lyke vnto a kynge whi­che is the gretter lorde and the more myghty in hym self for his hyghnesse than ony other of the people / Neuertheles he hath somtyme nede of them for to be holpen and serued of them / For how moche the nerer he is to his people / so mo­che more is he stronge and puissaunt / And the ferther he wythdraweth fro his folke / so moche the lasse he exployteth of his werke / ¶In lyke wyse I saye to yow of the sonne whiche is as ye may vnderstōde. the grettest. the most myghty / And the most vertuous / of whiche he hath gretter po­wer in erthe / than ony other sterre may haue. but the other haue their power euerich in his degre. But syth we haue recounted to yow the shortest wyse we may of the vertue of the firmament. we shal declare to you herafter in short how the world was mesured as well in heyght as in depnesse. And on alle sydes of lengthe and brede by them that k [...]e­we the resons of the seuen sciences / Of whiche geometrie is one. by whiche the sonne / the mone. therthe / and the firmament ben mesured as well wythin as wythoute / how mo­che it is of gretenes / And how moche it is fro therthe to the firmament / and alle the gretenes of the sterres / For this is preuyd by ryght byholdyng. And they that founde this science perceyuyd that it myght not be knowen truly by astronomye ne the nature of the sterres wythout kno­wyng of their mesures / Therfore wolde they mesure them and preue all their gretenesse /

¶Wherfore and how they mesured the world / Capl^o. ix

[Page]FYrst of alle the auncient philosophers wolde mesure the gretnes of the world all round aboue therthe tofore ony other werke. by whiche they preuyd the heyght of the sterres. and the gretnes of the firmament all aboute / And they coude not fynde more gretter mesure to be mesured / and whan they had mesured therthe how moche it had of large­nes all aboute / and how moche it had of thycknes thourgh they enquyred after of the mone by cause it was leste hye fro therthe. & most nyhest therto. And after they enquyred of the sonne. how ferre it was fro therthe / And how moche the body therof had of gretnes / And they fonde it more thā all therthe was▪ And whan they had mesured thyse thre thynges the Sonne / the Mone and therthe. They myght lyghtly after enquyre of the other sterres / how moche eue­riche is nygh or ferre. And the gretenes of euerich / Of whiche they fonde none. but his body were of more gretenes than alle therthe is excepte only thre of the planetes wyth­out more whiche ben Venus. Mercurye. and the Mone / whiche is the thirde / and euery man may enquyre this. yf he knowe the science of geometrye & the science of astronomye wyth all / For that muste he knowe first to fore he may fynde and knowe the trouthe. But for as moche as alle be not good clerkis ne maystres of Astronomye that may proue this. we wyll recounte here after how moche the erthe is longe. And how thycke it is thurgh. And also how moche the mone is aboue therthe. And the sonne also whiche is aboue the mone / And how moche eche of them hath of gretenes lyke as the kynge Tholomeus hath pre­ned / And also we shal speke after that of the sterres and of the firmament / Of alle this we shal saye to you / but [Page] first tofore all I shal recounte to yow of the faytes and dedes of the kynge Tholomeus. whiche knewe so many de­monstraunces of apparicions. and so moche loued Astro­nomye that he wold serche alle these thynges / And we shal saye to you of somme thynges. whiche ben not contra­rye to yow / yf ye wyll well vnderstande and reteyne them by whiche ye may lerne som good. And thenne after we shal mesure to yow the world the best wyse we may / Now entende ye of the kynge tholomeus and of the werkes of somme other philophers for youre owne prouffyt.

¶Of the kynge Tholomeus and of somme other philo­sophers / Capitulo x^o.

THolomeus was a kynge moche subtyl in Astrono­mye. This tholomeus was kynge of egipte whi­che helde the contree longe tyme / Ther were somtyme many kynges that were named Tholomeus / But emonge the other this was he that knewe most of Astronomye and that most enserched of the sterres / and more vnderstode of them than the other / of whiche he composed and made plente of right fayr volumes and bookes / And many dy­uerse instrumentes by whiche was foūde appertly alle the gretenes of therthe / And the heyght of the firmament / And how the sterres make their cours bothe by nyght and by daye / By hym were founden first the oryloges of the chirches whiche begynne the houres of the dayes and of the nyghtes / The dayes passe fast on wherfor the chirches haue grete nede to haue good orloges. for to doo therby al­way the seruyse of our lord at hour competent and due as well by day as by nyght. For god loueth moche for to be adoured and seruyd entyerly and ordynatly euery day / [Page] For the Orysons that ben sayd and receyted euery day in the chirches playse more to our lord than do they that ben sayde in many other places / And therfor the oryloges ben necessarye in euery chirche. And men serue god the better in due tyme and fare the better / and lyue the lenger. For yf they ruled soo them self to praye at a certayn hour / And at an other hour in lyke wyse to ete. & other thinges in his right hour / it shold be a lyght thynge to doo & plese god Yf men wold applye them as wel to suche thynges. as they do to do that whiche confoūdeth and sleeth them that is to wete that they be al enclyned to conquere the richesses / of whi­che they cesse not nyght ne daye. And wenen to prolonge their lyf therby / But they amasse and gete grete tresours / and pourchasse their deth / For by y^e grete goodes that they assemble on alle sydes / they put them in suche thought and payne that they lese ofte their wytte & vnderstandyng. and also their mynde so that they may not enclyne and thinke on thoo werkes that towche their saluaciō as they ought to doo / & by suche werkes shold they be in more ease & lyue lenger and plese better our lord. And shold also haue more helthe of body and of sowle / but they loue somoche the wyn­nyng of the goodes of the world / that they leue that whiche shold more auayle and prouffyte them. ¶I wote neuer wherfore they gete this hauoir and good. For they lose therby the ease of the worlde / bycause whan they wene to sette them in ease and to be in pees / Thenne cometh deth and maketh them to deye wyth ryght grete sorowe. For the grete couetyse of the good and the payne that they haue made alle way to gete it wythout ordynaunce and mesure hath moche the more hastelyer brought them to their deth And so ben many men deed / that yf they had ordeyned [Page] their affayres and besynesse as they ought to doo at euery hour competently and by ordre / whiche yet had ben a lyue & in good helthe / And lo thus ye may see how they abredge their dayes and auaunce their deth / For at longe nature may not suffre dyuerse mayntenes vnresonable ne the so­deyn agrauacions ne griefs / of whiche by their folyes they trauaylle nature. and it displesyth moche vnto god. And also no good may come therof / But gladlyer and wyth better wyll they traueylle and more dylygently for to wynne and gete the worldly goodes. than the loue of god / And neuer do they thynge by ordre. One day goon they erly to the chirche. and another day late or at suche an hour / as they wene that it shal not hurte them to auaunce their gayne & wynnyng / Thus go they neuer to chirche for to praye vn­to god vnto the tyme that they wene that they shal wynne nomore worldly goodes. But they wynne the lasse / For they serue god in vayn / And god shal rendre to them their reward. and they shal bye right dere that they leue to serue hym / For he may rendre to them more meryte in one day. than they may gete in a thousand yere. Suche people ben foles and euyl aduysed. whan of nought they wene to ser­ue hym that alle knoweth and all seeth. ye the lest thought that they thynke yet ben ther somme / whan they go to chir­che they goo not in entencion to praye god but only for to gete the loos and goodes of the world. And praye more for their richesses. that god sholde kepe and multyplye them than they do for the saluacion of their sowles whiche ben in grete parylle to be perysshed. And it is a grete mer­uaylle of suche maner of people / that thynke wel in their hertes and knowe wel that it is euyl that they do / yet for al that they amende them not▪ of whiche it is grete pyte [Page] whan they so folowe the deuyll whiche is so feble a thyng fro whom alle euyllis sourden Truly y^e deuyl is ful of iny­quyte and wythout power and strengthe ouer ony persone of hym self / For he may not vainquysshe ne ouercome / but hym that consenteth to his wyll / For who that wyll con­duyte and rule hym self well The inyquytees of hym may not noye ne greue / ne in nothynge trauaylle hym / of whi­che he hath cause to sorowe fore / as longe as he wyll dispo­se hym to doo well / Thenne may wel be sayd / fy. ¶For they ben more than faylled whan he ouercometh them so febly and taketh them in their euill dedes and synnes and le­deth them to perdycion / where they neuer shal be wythout payne / ne neuer shal haue Ioye ne in no wyse haue hope of mercy of this purpos we shal saye nomore now / but re­coūte of kynge tholomeꝰ / The whiche employed his tyme / in the werkes of our lord god / out of his bookes were dra­wen the nombres of whiche the yeres ben ordeyned / And of the same is foūde the cours of the mone / By whiche is seen whan she is newe / of suche Iuliꝰ Cezar whiche of ro­me was emperour made a booke called the somes / the sōmes / the whi­che is ful necessarye in holy chirche / and it declareth the gol­den nombre of the kalender / For by the kalender is knowen the cours of the mone / and of alle the yere / by whiche is al­so knowen how we ought to lyue after reson euery daye / That is to wete in etyng and drynkyng / and in worshi­pyng our lord on hye dayes and symple / and for to solemp­nyse suche dayes as holy chyrche hath ordeyned and by blessyd sayntes establysshed / ¶By the kalender we knowe the holy tymes as the ymbre dayes / The lente / aduente / And the hye dayes and festes thet we ben most bounde to serue god / For to gete his Inestimable Ioye [Page] and glorye / Whiche our lord hath promysed vnto his good and trewe frendes whiche wyth good herte serue hym / Alle this lerneth vs the calender / the whiche was drawē out of Astronomye whiche the good kynge Tholomeus louyd so moche and he knewe more than ony other man sauf adam whiche was the first man / For adam knewe alle the seuen sciences lyberall entyerly wythout fayllyng of a worde / as he that the creatour made and fourmed wyth his propre hā des / And so wold our lord haue hym souerayn in beaute. in wytte and strengthe. ouer all them̄ that shold be born after hym vnto the comyng of Ihesu Cryste sone of god / The whiche had gyuen to hym suche vertues. Ne neuer after Adam gaf he so moche to one man. ne neuer shal. But anon as he had consented and commysed the synne deffen­ded. he lost so moche of his wytte and power. that anon he becam a man mortall / And he was suche to fore er he had synned. that he shold neuer haue felte deth / Ne alle we des­cended of hym shold not haue lasse meryte than he / In Ioye in solaas and in deduyt of paradys terrestre alle to gydre & born and nouryshed wythout synnes / And after in heuen gloryfyed. But syth they tasted of the fruyt▪ whiche god deffended them his wytte and his entendement were so destroyed and corumped by his synne. that alle we abyde entetched and foylled ther by / Ne ther is nothyng vnder the firmament. but it is werse sythen than to fore and of lasse valew. Ye the sterres gyue lasse lyght / than they dyde to fore / ¶Thus alle thynges empayred of their goodnes and vertues by the synne of Adam / whiche god had made for man / as he that wold make hym maystre of all the goodes that he had made / ¶But anon as he had commysed the synne / he felte hym so bare of his wytte and [Page] entendement strengthe & of his beaute / that hym semed he was al naked. & that he had loste all goodes as a man put in exyle / But notwythstondyng this yet abode wyth hym more wytte strēgthe & beaute / than euer ony man had sithē And to the regard of thyse thre vertues that adam had / The kynge dauyd that was so vertuous & wyse had two sones whiche myght be compared y^e one to the beaulte of a­dam. & that other to his wysedom / absolon myght be compa­red to his beaulte & salamon vnto his wytte & wysedom / And sampson the forte vnto his strengthe / Thus were thyse thre vertues in adam so parfyghtly that noman syth myght compare wyth hym. Ne the two sones of dauid ne sampson / ne none other. For as it is sayd tofore he knewe the vij sciences liberall better than alle the men that ben descended of hym / as he to whom his god & maker had taught them to hym and erseygned. & after that they were sought by many a man whiche rendred grete payne / for to fynde them. and to saue them for cause of the flood / knowyng that it shold come to the world by fyre or by water.

¶How the scryptures & sciences were saued ayenft the flood / Capitulo / xj^o.

SYth Adam was deed ther were many men whiche lerned the sciences of the vij artes lyberall / whiche god had sente to them in therthe / Of whome somme ther were that wold enquyre what shold bycome of y^e world or euer it shold haue an ende / And they fonde veryly / that it shold be destroyed and take ende twyes. At the first tyme by the flood of water / But our lord wold not they shold knowe whether it shold be first destroied by water or by fyre. Thenne had they grete pyte for theyr sciences [Page] that they had goten whiche they knewe / & so shold perisshe But if it were kept and ordeyned fore by their wysedoms / Thenne they aduysed them of a grete wytte and bounte / as they that wel wise / that after the first destruxcion of the world ther shold be other people / wherfor they dyde do make grete pylers of stone in suche wyse that they myght pour­traye / & graue in euery stone atte leste one of the vij scien­ces entierly in suche wyse that they myght be knowen to other Of whiche somme saye that one of thise pylers was of a stone as hard as. marble / and of suche nature that water myght not empayre it ne defface ne mynysshe it / And they made other in a stronge maner of tyles all hole wyth out ony Ioyntures that fyre myght not hurte it in no wy­se. In thyse grete colompnes or pylers as sayd is were en­taylled and grauen the vij sciences in suche wyse / that they that shold come after them / shold fynde and lerne them /

¶ Of them that fonde the science & the clergye after the flood / Capitulo xij^o.

AS ye may vnrerstonde the seuen scyences lyberall were fouuden by auncyent wyse men out of whiche alle other sciences procede. Thyse were they to whom our lord hath gyuen them and enseygned doubtyng the deluuye that god sente in to therthe / the whiche drowned alle creatures reseruyd Noe and them that he toke in to the arke with hym. And after this the world was repeoplyd and made agayn by them that descended of them For after the tyme of noe y^e people began to make agayn howses & mansions. & to make redy other werkis. but this was moche rudely as they that coude but right lytyl vnto the tyme that thyse sciences [Page] were founden agayn and thenne coude they better make & doo that was nedeful and propyce to them / And fynde re­medye for their euellys. the first that applyed hym and en­termeted for to enquyre and serche these sciences after the flood was Sem one of the sones of Noe / whiche had gy­uen his corage-therto. & in suche wyse he dyde therin suche dylygence & so ꝯtynued. that by his wytte he fonde apartye of astronomye. after hym was abraham whiche also fonde a grete partie & after hym were other that vsed their lyff the best wyse they myght so moche that they had the pryn­cyples and resons of the seuen scyences. And after cam Plato the sage and right souerayn in philosophye / and his clerke named / Aristotle the wyse clercke / This plato was the man aboue all them of the world in clergye the most experte of them that were to fore or after hym. he preuyd first that ther was but one that was only souerayn / whiche all made and of whom alle good thynge cometh / yet his lokes approue hyely that ther ne is but one souerayn whiche alle made. And of whom all good thynge cometh / yet his boo­kes approue hyely that ther ne is but one souerayn good. that is our lord god whiche made all thynges. & in this only veryte. he preuyd the right trouth [...] / For he preued his power. his wysedom. and his goodnes Theyse thee bouū ­tees reclayme alle crysten men. that is the fader. the sone / & the holy goste. Of the fader he sayde the power and puyssaunce / Of the sone sapyence / and of the holy gost the benyuo­lence / And arystotle whiche cam after hym holdeth plente of thynges nyghe to hym / and knewe the thynges that he had sayd / And ordeyned right wel the scyence of logyke. For he knewe more therof than of other sciences / Thyse ij. notable clerkes fonde by their wysedom & connyng / thre persones in one essence / & preuyd it. but they put it not in latyn [Page] For bothe two were paynems. as they that were more thā thre hondred yere to fore the comynge of oue lord Ihu crist And alle the bookes there in grekyssh lettres / After cam boece whiche was a grete philosophre & right wyse clerk / the whiche coude byhelpe hym wyth dyuerse langages / and louyd moche rigtwysnes / This boece translated of their bookes the most partye. and sette them in latyn / But he deyde er he had alle translated them / wherof was grete dom­mage for vs alle / Syth haue other clerkes translated. but this boece translated more than ony other / The whiche we haue yet in vsage / And compiled in his lyff plente of fair volumes aourned of hye and noble philosophye / of whiche we haue yet grete nede for tadresse vs toward our lord god And many other good clerkes haue ben in this world of greete auctoryte whiche haue lerned and studyed alle their tyme vpon the sciences of the seuen artes / Of whiche heue ben somme that in their tyme haue do meruaylles by Astronomye. But aboue alle them that most entremeted & tra­ueylled vpon the science of astronomye. was virgile whi­che compyled many merueyllous werkes. & therfor we shal recounte a lytyl here folowyng of the meruaylles he dyde /

¶Here folowe in substaunce of the meruaylles that vir­gyle wrought by Astronomye in his tyme by his wytte Capitulo. xiij^o.

UIrgyle the wyse philosophre born in Italie was to fore the commyng of our lord Ihesu Cryste he sette not lytyl by the vij sciences / For he trauaylled and studyed in them y^e most part of his tyme somoche that by a astronomye he made many grete meruaylles / For he made in Naples a flye of copper / Whiche whan he had sette it vp in a place / That flye enchaced and hunted away alle other flyes. so [Page] that abyde none in ony place ne durste not approche nyghe to that flye by the space of two bowe shote rounde a bowte / And yf ony flye passed the bounde that Vyrgyle had com­passed. Incontynent he shold deye / and myght no lenger lyue He had also an horse of bras / the whiche guarysshed and he­led all horses of all their maladyes and sekenesses of whi­che they were entetched. also soone as the seke horse loked on the horse of brasse / Also he founded a merueyllouse cyte vpon an egge by suche force and power / that whan the egge was moued. all the cyte quaued and shoke. And the more the egge was moued / the more the cyte quaued and trem­bred / The cyte in hie and lowe and playne / The flye of cop­per. and horse of brasse that Vyrgyīe thus made ben in Ra­ples. And the cage where the egge is in. all ben there seen. This hath be sayd to vs of them / that be comen fro thens▪ that many tymes hath seen theim. Also he made that in one daye all the fyre thrughe out Rome failled. and was quen­ched / in suche wyse that no persone myghte haue none. But yf he wente and fette it at the nature of a woman wyth a candell or otherwyse. And she was doughter of themperour and a grete lady / whiche to fore had doon to hym a gre [...]e sclaundre and dysplaysure. and all they that had fette fyre at her / myght not adresse it to other. but eueryche that wolde haue fire muste nedes goo fette it there as the other had fette it. And thus auenged he hym on her. for the dysplaysure that she had doon to hym / And he made a brydge vpō a wa­ter. the greteste that euer was made in the worlde / And is not knowen of what mater it is made / whether it is of sto­ne or of wode. But ther was neuer w [...]rkman so subtyll ne carpenter ne mason / ne other that cowde somoche knowe ne enserche wythin the erthe / ne wythin the water. that they [Page] myghte knowe and fynde howe that brydge was there sette ne how it was sustyned in no manere / ne atte endes. ne in the myddes. and men passed ouer frely / And all wythoute lettynge / He made also a garden all a boute rounde closed wyth thayer. wythoute ony other closure / whiche was as thycke as a clowde. And this gardyne was right hye fro therthe / He made also two tapres and a laūpe light & bren­nynge in suche wyse that it contynuelly brenned wythoute quenchyng. and mynushed ne lessed noo thynge / Thise thre thynges he enclosed wythin the erthe in suche wyse that noo man can fynde it / For all the crafte they can doo / Yet made he an hede to speke / Whiche answered of all that whiche he was demaunded of. And of that whiche shold happen & [...] in the erthe / Soo on a daye he demaūded of the hede how he sholde doo vnto in a certeyne werke where as he sh [...]lde goo vnto. But the hede answered to hym in suche wyse that he vnderstode it not well. For it sayd that yf he keped well the hede / he sholde come agayne all hole / and wyth this answere he wente his waye well assured / But the sonne whiche that daye gaaf grete hete smote hym on the hede and chauffed his brayne / of whiche he toke no hede / that he gate therby a sekenes and malady / wherof he deyed. For whan he had the answere of the hede that he vnderstode not that he spake of his hede / but he vnderstode of the hede that spak to hym / but it had be better that he had kept well his owne hede And whan he felte hym selfe agreued wyth sekenesse. he made hym to be borne oute of rome. For to be buried in a cas­tell. beynge toward Sezyle / and a myle nyghe the see / Yet ben there his bones / whiche ben better kepte than others ben And whan the bones of hym ben remeued / The see begyn­neth to encreace and swell soo gretly that it cometh to the castell. And the hyer they ben reysed vp. The hyer groweth [Page] the see in suche wyse that the castel shold be drowned yf they were not anon remysed and sette in their place but thenne whan they be sette agayn in their place anon the see aualeth. and gooth away there as it was to fore / And this hath be oftymes proued / and yet endure the vertues of him as they saye that haue ben there / Virgyle was a moche sage and subtyl clerke and full of grete engyne / For vnto his power he wold preue alle the vsages of cler­kes / as moche as was possyble for hym to knowe / He was a man of lytyl stature / alytyl courbed was he on the back by right nature. And wente his heed hangyng doun and beholydyng the ground / Virgyle dyde and made many grete meruaylles / whiche the herers shold holde for lesynges yf they herde them recounted / For they wolde not byleue that a nother coude doo suche thynge / as they coude not medle wyth. And whan they here speke of suche maters or of other that they see at their eyen. And that they / can not vn­derstonde ne knowe not therof / Anon they saye that it is by thelpe of the fende that werketh in suche maner. as they that gladly myssaye of people of recommendacion. And also saye it is good not to conne suche thynges. but yf they knewe the scyence and maner. they wold holde it for a mo­che noble and right werke of nature. & wythout ony other espece of euyll / And whan they knowe not ne vnderstonde the thynge / they saye moche more euyll than wel. Certayn­ly who that knewe well Astronomye ther is nothyng in the world. of whiche he coude enquyre by reson / but he shold haue knowlege therof. And many thynges shold he doo. that shold seme myracles to the people whiche that knewe nothynge of the science / I saye not but ther myght be well don euyll by hym that coude it. For ther is none so good [Page] science. but that myght be entended therin somme malyce. & that he myght vse it in euil thar wolde so applie hym therto God made neuerso good a gospel. but somme myghte tonr­ne it contrarye to trouthe / & ther is no thyng so true / but somme myght so glose that it myghte be to hys dampnac̄on who that wolde payne hym to do euyl / how wel it is no maystrye to do yll. Eueri man hath the power to drawe hym sylf to do well. or to do euyl / whiche that he wylle / as he that hath fre liberte of that one & of that other / yf he gyue hym sylfe to vertues. thys goodnes cometh to hym fro our lord and yf he be enclyned to do euyl. that bryngeth hym at thende to sorow and to payne p [...]erpetuell / Neuer shal the euyl disposed man saye well / of that he can not wele vnderstonde & knowe / Ther is no crafte. ar [...]e ne science / but it is goode to be knowen whan a / man wol gyue and applye / hym self therto / But late hym do no thynge ayenst god by whiche he leseth his grace Alle thynge is knowen by As­tronomye sauf suche thynge as god wylle that it he not knowen. And so it is better to lerne that than to lerne to amasse and gader to gyder grete tresours / For who that coude / Astronomye properly. he sholde haue alle that he wold haue on erth / For hym shold faill no thynge what som­euer he wold. and yet more / But they had leuer haue the moneye / And they knowe not that it is of Astronomye ne wherfore money was founden. how wele that they applye all their entendement for to haue it▪ But they retche not for to lerne. sauf that whiche they knowe shall redoūde to theyr singuler prouffyt / And yet for all that we shal not leue / but that we shal recyte somme caas for them that haue talente for to lerne / And late hym herkyn and take hede that wyll vnderstande it /

¶Here declareth for what cause monoye was first esta­blisshid. Capitulo. xiiij^o.

THe monoyes were establysshed / first for as moche as they had not of alle thynges necessarye to gydre That one had whete / another had wyn / and another cloth or other wares / he that had whete / had not wyn wythout he chaunged one for another. and so muste they dayly chaūge one for another. For to haue that they had not. as they that knewe none other mene. Whan the philosophers sawe this / they dyde so moche that they establisshed wyth the lordes somtyme regnyng / a lytyl lyght thynge whiche eueri man myght bere wyth hym to bye that was nedeful to hym and behoefful for his lyf. and so ordeyned by aduyse to gy­dre a thyng whiche was not ouer dere ne holden for ouer vyle. And that it were of somme valure for to bye & vse with all true marchandyse one wyth another. by vertue of suche enseygne / And that it were comune ouerall and in all ma­ner / And establed thenne a lytyl moneye whiche shold go [...] and haue cours thurgh the world / And by cause it lad mē by the waye and mynystred to them that was necessarye it was called monoye. That is as moche to saye. as to gyue to aman all that hym be houeth for his lyuyng. Monos in grekyssh langage is as moche to saye. as one thyng only / For thenne was but one maner of monoye in all y^e world But now euery man maketh monoye at his playsir by whiche they desuoye and goo out of the waye more than yf ther were but one coyne only / For by this cause is seen ofte plente of dyuerse monoyes. Thus establysshed not the phi­losophers / For they establysshed for to saue the state of the world. And I saye it for as moche yf the monoye were out of grotes & pens of siluer so thenne it shold be of lasse [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] weyght and lasse of valewe / and that shold be better for to bere by the waye for poure folke / and better shold be easid for the helpe of their nedes to their lyuyng / And for none other cause it was ordeyned first. For the monoyes be not prey­sed but for the gold and siluer that is therin / And they that establisshed it first / made it right lytyl and lyght / For the more ease to be born al aboute. where men wold goo. for now In late dayes as in the begynnyng of the regne of kynge Edward & longe after was no monoye curraunt in Englond but pens and half pens and ferthynges. And be ordeyned first the grote and half grote of siluer / And noble half noble and ferthyng in gold /

¶Here foloweth of phylosophers that wente thurgh the world Capitulo / xv^o.

THus the philosophers by the moyen of their monoye wente where they wolde thurgh the world. And the marchantes / in their marchandyses. or in pylgremages / o [...] in pourchacyng & enquyryng somme places that they wold knowe of▪ whom ther were many whiche were philosophers / & that wold haue experyence of alle thynges & they wente by see & by londe for tenserche the very trouthe of the secrete thynges of heuen & of erthe / They rested them not by the grete fyres ne brassed not as som doo now in thyse dayes in the worlde the whiche gyue them to doo no good ne applye to no vertues / but yf it be to haue the loos and preysyng of the world. But they wente serchyng by the see and the londe on alle partyes for to knowe the better the good and the euyll. and for to conne discerue that one fro that other / by whiche they endured many grete trauayl­les [Page] for to gete the sauyng of theyr sowles. and at this day alle men seche to gete rychesses and tresour. and the name to be callyd maystre for to gete louyng and honour of the world / whiche so hastely faylleth / Certaynly an euyll man may not thynke on hye thynges. For who that is of erthe to therthe entendeth. And who pretendeth to god. God at­tendeth to hym / for god hym self sayth who that is of ther­the speketh of therthe / And who that cometh fro heuen vnto heuen pretendeth he wythout other. The philosophers that wel coude vnderstōde this worde. had moche leuer to suffre trauaylles and mesayses for to lerne / thā tendende to worl­dly honours / For they helde for more dere and worthy the sciences & the clergyes. than all the seygnoryes of the world Plato whiche was a puissaunt and a recōmended maystre of Athenes lefte his noble estate and his place by cause he wold of suche renommee lyue / that he serched many londes & contrees / And had leuer haue payne. mesayse & trauayll for tenserche trouthe / and for to lerne science than for to ha­ue seynourye and domynacyon in the world ne renommee for to be mayster. For he wold saye nothyng but yf he were certayn therof / For ony veyne glorye of the world Apoly­nes whiche was so grete a prynce lefte his empire and his royamme. and departed al poure and naked for to lerne the sciences. And he was taken and solde oftymes to straun­ge men / Ne neuer was ther none of them so valyant of all them that bought & solde. that he sette ought therby so that he myght alle way lerne And more trauaylled on alle par­tyes for to lerne and knowe god. & the world / Whiche he loued better than ony other worldly thyng & he wente so ferre that he fonde syttyng in a Trone of golde an hye philosophre & of grete renommee / the whiche enseygned & taught [Page] his disciples wythin his trone where he satte / & lerned them of the faytes of nature of good mauers / the cours of the dayes and of the sterres ¶And the reson and sygnefiaun­ce of thynges touchyng of sapience and wysedom. This philosophre was named hyarchas. Affter appolynes ser­ched by many contrees so ferre that he fonde the table of fyn golde whiche was of grete renommee / that it was named the table of the sonne. wherin alle the world was pourtrayed Therin saw he and lerned many faytes and many meruaylles. Whiche he loued more than ony Royamme / he erred so ferre by strange londes that he passed the flood of Ganges and alle Inde / & in thende so ferre. that he myght fynde no more way. & where someuer he cam he fonde & lerned alleway. suche as myght auaylle and prouffyte to hym self and other for tauaūce hym tofore god / Thus the kynge alysaunder also suffred trauaylles wythout nombre for to lerne / But he wente fro place to place in estate ryall / And wyth puys­sance of people / wherefor he myght not so well lerne ne enquyre the trouthe of thynges / ¶Virgyle also wente thurgh many contrees for to enquyre and serche the trouthe of alle thynges / Tholomeus whiche of Egypte was kyn­ge was not all quyte of his parte. but wente by many contrees and Royammes for to lerne. experymente and see all the good clerkes that he myght fynde. Saynt Brandon neuer lefte for to laboure by see and by lande / For only to see and lerne / And he sawe plente of grete meruaylles. For he cam in to an yle of the see / Where he sawe certayn byrdes whiche spake as spyrites. whiche sayde to hym somtchyng whiche he demaūded of them the vnderstondyng / And so ferre he erred that he fonde one so perylous a place and so full of spirites in so terryble tormentys / that they [Page] coude not be nombred ne estemed. emonge whom he sawe one that asnwerd to hym and sayde that he was Iudas that betrayed Ihu cryst whiche euery day was tormented an hon­dred tymes and dye he myght not and plente of other grete meruaylles he sawe. as alonge is recoūted in the legende of his lyf / Ther were many other philosophers that serched y^e world as was possyble for them to do for to knowe the better the good & the euyl & spared for nothing / For they byle­ued not lyghtly a thynge tyl they knewe it wel by experiēce Ne al that they fonde in their bookes. to fore they had pre­uid it for to knowe god the better & to loue hym But they serched by see & by lande / tyl they had enserched all / & thenne after retorned agayn to their studyes alleway for to lerne the vertues & good maners / And thus loued so moche phi­losophye / For to knowe them self the better in good & iust lyf. But by cause that many tymes we haue spoken of phi­losophye & that somoche good cometh therof that a man haue therby vnderstondyng to knowe & loue god / therfor we shal telle to yow what it signefyeth /

¶What thyng is philosophye / and of thanswer that pla­to made therof. Capitulo. xvj^o.

UEray Phylosophye is to haue knowleche of god and fyn loue of sapience. And to knowe the secre­tes and ordynaunces of dyuyne thynges. and of humay­ne / For to knowe god and his power. and what a man ought to be. So that he myght conduyte hym that it myght be to god agreable. Who that well knewe god and his mysteryes / he shold well conne entyerly philosophye / Alle they ben good philosophers that of them self haue knowle­che. ¶Of whom plato answerd to somme that deman­ded hym in comune / and sayd to hym that he had lerned [Page] ynowh and nedeth nomore. For he had estudyed alle his tyme for to lerne. And it was sayd to hym. Maystre it is wel in yow for to saye to vs. somme good word proceding of hye entendement. as ye haue don other tymes / Thenne plato how wel that he was the most experymented of other answerd sayeng as in his herte troubled. that he had nomore lerned sauf as moche as he that felte hym self lyke vnto a vessel that day and nyght is all voyde & empty / Thus moche answerd Plato & nomore. how wel he was at that tyme the most grete clerke that was knowē in al y^e world and of moche perfoūde science. they that on thyse dayes wyl medle. take non hede to answere thus. but make semblaunt to be moche grete clerkis and experte / for to gete the loos & preysyng of the world whiche le [...]eth them to dampnacyon And bryngeth their folye in to their hedes so that they en­tende nomore to vertues than doo bestis. For they be not all clerkes that haue short typettis. For ther be many that haue the Araye of a clerke. that can not wel vnderstande that he redeth. ne yet somme that be prestis can notwele & tr­uly rede neyther. And whan suche knowe ony thynge that them seme be of valew. Thenne wene they to knowe alle But moche remayneth of their folyshe consayte / They be of the nature of proude foolis that ben surquydrous. that seche nothynge but loos and preysyng of the people / And tra­ueylle them self for to deceyue the world. This shal they abye dere ones. It were better for them to lerne suche scyence / that shold make them to vnderstande trouthe and right / Lyke as thyse Auncyent wyse men dyde / the whi­che so lytyll preysed the worlde / that alle theyr tyme they ocupyed in lernyng of philosophye. ¶Thus estu­dyed auncyently the philosophers to fore their deth for [Page] tadresse theim and other to theyr maker and creatour / And in dede traueylled moche for to adresse all peple to wertue / They ordeyned the monyes that they bare for to haue theyr lyuelode in byenge and payeng / For men gyue not alwaye And for couetyse of the peple that / haue fere of their dyspentes. it corumpeth right and nature / For by reason and ryght eueryche ought to take his lyuyng / And therfore was money establisshed for to susteyn to eueryche his lyuyng whan they wente by the waye. But they loue their caraynes and bodyes moche more than nede is / And reteyne and kepe more goodes and richesse than they shall nede for their ordynary / whiche thei lete rote and fayle by theim / And see that many poure persones haue grete nede therof / The monyes were not foūde for this cause. but for to haue their lyuynge vnto the tyme that deth cometh & taketh all that he oughte to take at the playsur of god / And thus they shol [...]e be more eased. than they now be and eueryche sholde haue that hym lacked / and they shold leue to do so many synnes. But they ben not soo wyse as were they / that by theyr wytte founde agayn Astronomye / of whom Tholomeus was on [...]. And traueylled soo moche / that he knewe and proued the course of the sterres that ben on the heuen. and mesured theim all on hie / wherof we haue spoken here to fore / And now we shall recounte from hens forthe the gretnes of the erth. and of heuen. of the Mone / of the Sonne. of the Sterres and of the planetes. Whiche thynges ben not comune to euery man: Lyke as the kynge Tholomeus hym selfe mesured theym vnto the Abysme. And preued by reason in a bo­ke that he compyled named Almageste. whiche ye as mo­che to saye as an hye werke / Thenne wylle ye here what he sayth herto. Whiche many a nother hathe also proued after [Page] hym by his boke / In whichehe gaaf the crafte and scyence to proue and see it by reyson.

¶How moche the erthe is of heyght rounde aboute and of thickenes by the myddle / Capitulo xvij

THe anncyent philosophers mesured the world on all partyes / by their scyence / arte and wytte vnto the ste [...]res all on hie / of whiche they wolde knowe the mesure. For to knowe the better their nature / but first they wolde mesure the erthe and preue his gretnes / And thenne whan they had mesured there all a bout by a crafte that they knewe. and proued by ryght reyson / they mesured it rounde aboute. like as they sholde haue compassed it all about wyth a gyrdle. And then̄e they stratched out the gyrdle all a long And thenne that whiche wente oute of lengthe of the gyr­dle. they fonde it in lengthe xx M.CCCC. and xx vij. my­les / Of whiche euery myle conteyneth a thousande paas & eueri paas v. fote / and eueri fote xiiij ynches / Soo moche hath the erthe in lengthe rounde a boute / by this fonde they after how thycke therthe is in the myddle. And they fonde the thycknes therof like as it sholde be clefte in the myddes from the hieste to the loweste / Or from that one side to that other vj.M. and v.C myles / By this last mesure / whiche is after nature right they mesured iustly the heyghte of the firmament / For they coude nowhere fynde a gretter mesure for to extende the gretnesse of all thynges whiche ben enclosed wythin the heuen /

¶How the mone and the sonne haue eche of theym theyr propre heyghte. Capitulo xviij

THerthe as the auncyent philosophers saye / after they had mesured it / ther mesured the sterres / the planetes & the firmamente / And first they mesured the mone [Page] and preuyd his gretnesse / And they fonde the body of ther­the wythout & wythinne / that after their comune mesure it was more grete / than the body of the mone was / by xxix tymes & a lityl more / And they fonde that it was in heyght aboue the erthe xxiiij tymes & an half as moche as therthe hath of thycknes. Also in lyke wyse preuyd they touchyng the sonne by very demonstraunce and by reson / that the son­ne is gretter than alle therthe is. by an hondred syxty & sixe sythes. But they that knowe nothynge herof / vnnethe and wyth grete payne wyl byleue it / And yet it is suffysantly preuyd / as wel by maystryse of science / as by verray con­nyng of geometrye Of whiche haue ben many syth the philosophers that fonde this first / that haue studyed & traual­led for to knowe the trouthe / Yf it were so as is sayde / or not / Somoche that by quyck reson they haue preuyd that thauncyent Philosophers had sayd trouthe as well of the quantyte of the Sonne as of the heyght / ¶And as to the regard of hym that compyled this werke / he sette alle his entent and tyme. By cause he hadde so grete meruaylle therof. Tyl he had perceyuyd playnly that of whiche he was in doubte / For he sawe appertly that the Sonne was gretter than all therthe wythout ony defaulte by an .C.lxvj. tymes. And thre partyes of the xx. parte of therthe / wyth all this that thauncyent philosophers sayde And thenne byleuyd he that / whiche was gyue hym to vnderstō ­de / And he had neuer put this in wrytyng. yf he had not certaynly knowen the trouthe / and that he playnly had proued it And it may wel be knowen that it is of grete quantyte ¶Whan it is so moche ferre fro vs / and semeth to vs so lytyl / Ne he shal neuer be so ferre aloue vs. But in lyke wyse he shal be as ferre whan he is vnder or on that other [Page] sayde of vs And for trouthe it is fro therthe vnto the sonne lyfe as the kynge Tholomeus hath prouyd it / fyue hondred lxxx. and v tymes as moche as therthe may haue of grete­nes and thycknes thurgh /

¶Here foloweth of the heyght of the sterres and of their gretenesse / Capitulo. xix^o.

NOw wyll I recounte to you briefly / of the sterres of the firmament of whiche ther is a right grete nom­bre / And they ben alle of one heyghte / but they ben not alle of one gretenes. And it behoueth ouer longe narraciō that of alle them wold descryue the gretenes / And therfore we passe lyghtly ouer and shortly / how well I aduertyse you & certefye. that ther is none so lytyl of them that ye may see on the firmament / but that it is gretter than all therthe is / But ther is none of them so grete ne so shynyng as is the sonne. For he enlumyneth all the other by his beaulte / whiche is so moche noble / Fro therthe vnto the heuen wherin the sterres ben sette in a moche grete espace / for it is tenthousand & lv. sythes as moche & more as is alle therthe of thycknes / And who that coude [...]ccoūte after the nombre and fourme / he myght knowe how many ynches it is of the honde of a man. And how many feet / how many myles. and how many Iourneyes. It is from hens to the firmament or heuen. For it is as moche way vnto the heuen / As yf a man myght goo the right way wythout lettyng. and that he myght goo euery day xxv myle of fraunce. whiche is .I. englisshe myle. and that he taryed not on the waye / Yet shold he goo the tyme of seuen M.j.C. & lvij yere and an half. er he had goon somoche waye as fro hens vnto the heuen whe­re the sterres be in. Yf the firste man that god fourmed uer. whiche was Adam. had goon fro the first day that he was made & created xxv myles euery day / yet shold he not [Page] haue comen thyder / But shold haue yet the space of vij.C.xiij yere to goo at the tyme whan this volume was per­fourmed by the very auctour. And this was atte Epyphanye in the yere of grace .i M.ij▪C. and xlvj. that tyme shold he haue had so moche to goo / Er he shold come theder / Or yf ther were there a grete stone whiche shold falle fro thens vnto therthe / it shold be an hondred yere er it cam to the grounde / And in the fallyng it shold defcende in euery hour of whiche the [...] be xxiiij in a day complete .xliij myle & an half Yet shold it be so longe er it cam to therthe. This thynge hath be proued by hym that compiled this present volume er he cam thus ferre in this werke / this is wel xl. tymes more than an h [...]rs may goo. whiche alleway shold goo. wyth outrestynge /

¶Here foloweth of the nombre of sterres. Capitulo. xx^o.

TO the regard of the sterres we shal saye to yow the nombre lyke as the noble kynge Tholomeus nom­bred them in his. Almageste / to whom he gaf the propre names. And sayd that ther were a thousand and xxij. cle­re. and that myght be all seen. wythout the vij planetes. & may be wel acounted wythout ony paryll. In alle ther be j M. and xxix / whiche may wel be seen wythout many other whiche may not wel be seen ne espyed / Ther may not well moo be espyed but so many as sayd is ne appertly be kno­wen / Now late hym beholde that wyl see it / For noman trauaylle he neuer so moche ne studye / maye fynde nomore. Neuertheles ther is no man lyuyng that may or can compte. so moche. or can so hye moūte in ony place / though hebe garnysshid of a moche gentyl instrument / and right subtyl that shold fynde moo / than the kynge tholomeus fonde by whiche he knewe & myght nombre them. and where eueryche [Page] sitteth / and how ferre it is from one to an other / be it of one or other or nygh or ferre. And the knowlege of the yma­ges of them. the whiche by their semblaunce fourmed them For the sterres whiche be named. ben of figures on the heuone and compassed by ymages. and that all haue dyuerse be­ynges. And eueriche hath his fourme and his name / Of whiche ben knowen pryncypally xlvij wythin the firma­ment. And of them ben taken xij of the most worthy whi­che ben called the xij. Sygnes. And they make a cercle roū de aboute the vij planetes where as they make their torne / we ben moche ferre from heuen merueyllously. And late euery man knowe that he that deyeth in dedly synne. shal neuer come theder. And the blyssyd sowle whiche is depar­ted fro the body in good estate. not wythstondyng the lon­ge way is sone come thether / ye truly in lasse than half an hour / and vnto the most hye place to fore the souerayn iuge whiche sitteth on the ryght side of god the fader in his blessyd heuen / the whiche is so full of delites of all glorye and of all consolacyon. that ther is no man in thys world lyuyng that may ne can esteme or thynke the Ioye & the glorie wher thys blessyd soules entreth / And ther ys no man that can esteme ne thynke the capacyte & gretnes of heuen / ne may compare it ne valewe it to the capacyte and gretnes of all therthe / or so moche as maye comprise fro therth to the firmament. As to the regarde of the estymabyl gretnes aboue the firmament. ffor the gretnes is inestymable with oute ende & with oute mesure. Certes the firmamēte on hye is so so spacyus so nobyl and so large. that of alle his wytte may not a man vnneth thynke or esteme. the nomber of li­ke masses as all therthe is / that shold fylle yt. yf they were all in one masse / Who is he that coude or myght cōprehende [Page] or compryse the grenes of them. Whan they all be assembled And euerich as grete as all therth. Neuertheles we shall saye to you therof. as moche as we may wele ymagyne.

Of the gretenes of the firmament. and of the heuene whi­che is a boue yt. Capitulo. xxj^o.

YF the erthe were so grete & so spacyous. and so mo­che more for to reseyue an hondred thousand tymes as mo­che pepyl as euer were in thys world / and euery man of them were so myghty for to engender a nother man euery day durynge / an hondreth thousand yere / & that euery man were as grete as a Geaunt / & euery man had his hows as grete as euer had eny kynge. & woodes ryuers chāpanyes gardyns medowe & pastures & vyneyerdes. eueych a boute his castell or place for to lyue wyth / & that ech had so grete foyson / that euerych myghte holde / an hondreth seruaūtes for to serue hym. and euerych of this seruaūte helde xx other. & had therto grete roume and pourpris in their maner / Alle thyse myght moche plenty [...]usly be reseruyd in the firmamēt & yet sholde ther be moche place voyde▪ more thā all they myght purprise and take for to playe and disporte them therin yf they wold / Thenne ought we wel to knowe / that our lord god is moche myghty. and of ryghte hye affayre / wh­an he canne make of noughte so noble a thynge / as the heuen / and the sonne / and all other thynges that ben on the heuen in thayer. on therth & in the See / Suche a lord and suche a maister oughte wele to be good that can make so noble thynges / of whiche we haue very knowleche. & we oughte parfytli to loue hym / And wele we may euery man thynke that the thynge that is a boue is moche gentyl and moche nobyl / whan it that is vnder is so subtyl / ffor that [Page] whiche is aboue is mor [...] grete an hondred thousand tymes than it whiche is benethe / & ouer moche more than can be knowen or may be compted by ony nombre / or may be thought / For this is a thinge that in no manere shal ha­ue ende ne terme / ¶Therfore I may wel vnderstonde / that theris nothyng that may pourpryse / ne esteme in gretenes ne other wyse this whiche is aboue the firmament / where the heuene taketh his place ne may be re­plenysshid ne fylled wyth nothyng that may be / but yf it be wyth the goodes of our lord god fyllyd / but the right debo­nayre lorde is so moche full of all goodes that be fylleth al­le other thynges / whiche ought to haue parte and meryte in goodes / And the euyll departeth fro the good in suche wyse that it is voyde and disgarnysshed from all goo­des what someuer it be / & that it shal be lyke as it were nou­ght wherof it is redde herof. that synne is nought / for as moche as it is voyde & disgarnysshid of all goodes & rendrid y^e body & the soule somoche feble & disgarnysed of all goodes of all vertues / & of all graces that / that one is totally dystroyed and perysshed wyth that other / ffor alle way the euyll com­eth to nought / And contrarye the good goth alway gro­wyng and in amendyng / And therfore ther is none euyl but synne whiche is nought / For ye may vnderstande that it cometh to nought as donge / The is nothyng that ought to be made right / But be only this that ought to be permanent / ¶And therfor it is good aman to holde hym nyghe the good. For the good amendeth al wayes / And who that customly doth gladly the good wer­kes / they ben the cause to lede hym to heuene / as he that hath none other wythdraughte ne other dwellyng place / And therfor he muste enhabyte there / hym behoueth to come in to heuene for to reteyne there his place / and also for to fylle it [Page] Ther is noman in the worlde that can doo so moche good but that he shal alway fynde his place / and his repayre propyce after his merites. ffor as moche as this so moche no­ble a place is withoute ende and wythout terme in suche wi­se that no goodes what someuer they be shal neuer haue terme ne ende. ne neuer shal haue defaulte. but it is contynuel­ly ful of alle consolacion / of alle delices of alle goodes of alle Ioye and of alle gladnesse / wythout hauyng ony thynge voyde. Of whiche they that deserue it of our lord shal haue ful possession of alle the inestimable goodes. ¶Of helle I may frely saye to you. that ther is nothyng sauf sorowe & martyrdom / truly the most anguysshous the most horrible & so moche sorowful that ther is no like And yf so were that the chyldren that haue ben syth. Adam were all dampned yet it myght not be fylled by them / though they were twyes so many more / & they that be theryn perisshed▪ shal be damp­ned and perpetuelly tormented. ffor after that they be dampned they shal abyde euer as longe as god shal be whiche is wythout begynnyng and wythout endyng And there they shal brenne in fyre eternel withoute hope of alegeaunce of ony mercy of ony hope to haue ony better but alleway wer­se fro tyme. to tyme / as it is so that the saued sowles desire y^e day of dome and of iugemēt for to be gloryfied in body and sowle / The dampned sowles redoubte and drede it thynkynge that after that day they shal be perpetuelly tormented in body and in sowle. And to that dredeful day they be not tor­mented in the body / but in the sowle / ¶And I haue recyted this thinge shortly to this ende that it may be knowen cer­taynly that ther is no good deede but it shal be rewarded ne none euyl dede but that it shal be punysshed This is the wil­le of the creatour And maker of all thynges wythoute whom ther is none that in ony maner hath ony power / [Page] & heis so moche a debonayer lorde ful of souerayn puissaūce and of grete and of infynyt goodes that ther is no compa­ryson to hym. And he that all thynge created / made & esta­blisshid of nought at his playsyr and wyll / But syth we haue spoken to yow of the inestimable gretenesse of the firmament wherin the sterres be sette whiche alleway is in moeuyig / so shal ye vnderstonde that ther is an heuen aboue Where they that ben there moeue nothyng. but ben contynu­elly in one estate. lyke as sōme man remeuyth hym from som place to another. the first place meuyd hym not / But he that shold goo so al aboute lyke rounde aboute a circle. shold ofte goo fro place to place er he come to his place. and so longe he myght goo that he shold come right to the place fro whens he departed first / But that place shold not meue / but holde him alway in a poynt. now will ye thus vnderstō de of this heuen / that ther is no maner place that is reme­uyd fro the sterres ne fro the firmament. but they holde them. also fermly all. as they most maye. this heuē muste be vnderstonde by them whiche ben Astronomyers. This is that gyueth to vs his colour blew. the whiche estendeth aboue thayer. the whiche we see whan thayer is pure and clere all aboute / And it is of so grete attemperaunce / that it may haue no violence. this is the heuen that encloseth the firma­ment / Now I shal saye yow all appertly▪ that this that ye may vnderstonde here tofore. by heeryng. may not be taken ne knowen / ne be proued yf it be trouthe or non. ne may not be by ony arte of demonstraunce. lyke as may be seen by e­yen. For the wytte of a man hath not the power. But ne­uertheles we shal saye to you this that we truly may fynde by wrytyng in certayn places lyke as sōme Auncient philosophers haue ymagyned and thought / of whiche they fonde certayn resons /

¶Here after foloweth of the heuen crystalyn and of the heuene imperyall / Capitulo. xxij

[Page]ABoue this heuen that we may see blew as sayd is / after that thaūcient clerkes saye / ther is another heuene all roūde aboute that aboue & bynethe / lyke as it were of the colour of whyte cristall. clere. pure. & moche noble. & is called the heuen crystalyn. & aboue this heuen cristalyn. alle roūde aboute that / is an other heuen of the colour of purple. lyke as the deuynes saye & that is called the heuen imperyal / This heuene is garnysshid & ful of alle beaultees / more than ony of y^e other that we haue named / & there is thayer seuen tymes more fayr & more clere than is the sonne. Fro this heuen Imperyall fylle the euyl angeles by their pryde y^t whiche were disgarnysshid of all glorye & of all goodes / And ther ben the blessyd Angeles of our lord /

¶Here foloweth of the Celestyall heuene. Capitulo xxiij

YF ye wyl vnderstande for to knowe of this heuene celestyall / whiche is aboue all the other / ye shal vnder­stonde that this place is right worthy & blyssyd in all thin­ges / wherfor ther may nothyng growe / but all goodenesse & swetnesse by reson & right / This is the propre place of the holy trynyte where as god the fader sytteth in his right worthy mageste. but in that place faylleth thentendemēt of ony erthely man / for ther is nowher so good a clercke that may thinke the x. parte of the glorye that is there / & yf our lord pourpryseth ony place / hym behoueth to haue that by right / but he is so comune oueral / that he seeth euery mā that hath deseruyd it ayenst hym & seeth all thynges here & there / He seeth all aboute as he that hath all thinges in his kepyng / of whiche ye may take ensample / by sōme whā ye here them speke / that all they of whom they here the tale they here his worde. many men vnderstōde al attones / & in one tyme heere euery man hereth al y^e worde / In lyke wyse may ye vnderstā de that god is oueral & regnyng oueral in euery place / & is in all places anon & attones / And the light & clerenes that [Page] groweth of him enlumyneth all thinges bothe here & there & also soone that one as y^e other example yf ye sette aboue many thynges a lyght. also soone shal y^e resplendour go on the syde by yonde it. as on the syde on this syde it. whan suche thinges haue lyke vertue. ouer moche more ought he to haue / that al thynge made and created. & that all goodes hath wythin hym his heuen stratched oueral as he▪ whiche of all is lord & maistre In heuen ben all thangeles all tharchāge­les and all the sayntes whiche synge all to gydre to for god glorye & lawde wyth ryght grete Ioye & cōsolacion. Ther is none that may compryse. ne herte of man mortal may vn­derstande what thynge is heuene. & how moche grete Ioye they haue to whom he hath gyuen & graūted it the beste clerk of the world the most subtyl. & the best spekyng wyth all y^t euer was lyuynge in erthe or euer shal be in ony tyme of y^e world & thaugh he had a thousand tongues spekynge. and euerich of the tongues spack by hym self. & also had a thousand hertes within his body the most subtyle & the most memoratyf that myght be taken & foūden in all the world and best chosen to vnderstāde & to exprimēte & yf this myght be & happe that all this myght be to gydre in the body of a man & after myght thynke alway the best wyse that they coude descryue & deuyse thestate of heuen. And that euery tongue myght saye & declare the intencion of euery herte. yet myght they neuer in no maner of the world saye ne recounte the thousand parte of the grete Ioye that the pourest & leest of them that shal be there shal haue. & foul be he that shal not be there. ffor they that shal be in heuene wold not be all the dayes of y^e world lordes & kynges of all y^e Monarchye of the worlde erthly thaugh all their commādements myght be obserued & don not for to ben one only hour out of heuen. ffor there is the lyf perdurable / & there is the parfyght / & inesti­mable Ioye that euer was and euer shal be / There in euery [Page] thynge is establysshed & [...]tayn for euermore without ende & wythout begynnyng ne neuer shal faille. ne there shal ne­uer be ony doubtannce of deth ne of maladye of sorow of anguysshe ne of drede of angre of trauayll of payne ne of poute of caytifnes ne of ony tribulaciō that euer may hap­pe in ony manere of the world to him that shal haue his mā syon in heuene. But he shal be continuelly in Ioye in solace. in all delices & in all goodes perdurable & without ende. and he shal haue more consolacion than ony man can thynke ne esteme thaugh he employe all his engyen for to vnderston­de it. Now for to knowe what it is of heuene. & of helle af­ter our declaracion to fore sayd / & wyth this the firmamēte the sterres & the seuen planetes I presente them to you here on that other syte. of this leef by a fygure / by whiche ye may moche prouffyte. yf ye will wel applye & employe therto yo­ur entendemente.

Her foloweth the recapitulaciō of the thynges tofore sayd Capitulo. xxiiij.

WYth this we shal make an ende of our book. the whiche at his begynnynge speketh of our lord god wherfore he fourmed the world. and why he loued man so wel that he fourmed hym to his semblaūce / & gaf hym power to doo wel & euyl / After why he made hym not suche. that he myght not synne dedely. & how first were founden the vij. sciences & the artes / Syth it speketh of thre maner of peple y^e thaūcyent philosophres put in the world / how nature wer­keth & what she is and how she diuersefyeth in euerich of her werkes / also ye haue herde of the facion of the world & of y^e diuision of the four elemētes. whiche ben round aboute. and holde them on the firmament / ¶And how the erthe heldeth hym withyn the firmament. ¶Also ye haue herde of the lytylues of therthe vnto the regard of heuen. And also how [Page] sonne maketh his cours all aboute therthe / And the other planetes in lyke wyse / alle thys haue ye herd in the first partye: In the seconde partye is declared to yow / whiche parte of therthe is Inhabyted and of the dyuysion of mappa Mundi / And first it speketh of paradys terrestre / and of the contrees and regyons of Inde. & of the dyuersytees that ben ther of men. of beestes. of trees / of stones / of byr­des / & of somme fysshes that ben there. And who so helle the

[Page] dolourous place is & stondeth and of the grete paynes that they endure that ben dampned & ben there. after ye haue herd of the second elemēt. that is of the water of y^e flodes & of the fontaynes hoot & colde. holsom & euyl whiche ben in dyuse cō ­trees / & how y^e see bycometh salt how the erthe quaueth and synketh. & after of y^e ayer how it bloweth & rayneth. of tem­pestes & of thondres. of fyre of layte / & of the sterres whi­che seme as they fylle. of pure ayer & of y^e vij planetes. how the bysexte cometh. of y^e firmamēt & of his tornyng. & of the sterres that ben roūd aboute therin / In the thirde partie ye haue herde how the day & nyght come / & of the mone & of the sōne how they rendre their light / & how eche of them leseth their clerenes by nyght & by day somtyme & of the eclipse y^t thēne happe wherby the day bycometh derke. and of y^e grete eclipse that fylle atte deth of our lord Ihu cryste. by whiche saynt dionis was afterward con [...]ted. & of the vertue of y^e firmamēt & of the sterres. & how y^e world was mesured and the heuē & therthe Of the kynge tholomeus & of his prudē ­ce of Adam & of some other & how clergye & the vn sciēces were kepte ayenst the flood & how all this was founden agayn after the flood / & of the meruaylles that virgyle made by his wytte & clergye. & for what cause monoye was so named & establysshed & of the philosophers that wente thurgh the world for to lerne what thynge is philosophye & what plato answerde therto / how moche y^e erthe. y^e mone & the sō ne haue of gretenes euerich of him self & thestages of the sterres of their nombre & of ther ymages y^t heyght & gretenes of the firmamēt & of y^e blew heuē whiche is aboue that & of the heuene crystalyn & of the heuen imperial & as ye haue herde in thende of the heuene celestyal & of his estate & of god whiche maye be ouer all by his glorye & his boū [...]e of all thise thynges ye haue herde vs recounte & telle & rendrid to you many fair resons bryefly / For the prynces & other peo­ple ben nothing curyous to here lō [...] gloses wythout grete [Page] entendemēt but loue better shorte thinges. as they y^t ben not of longe tyme. but passe bryefly / ffor in a shorte tyme they be fynisshed & ende. And alle we shal come more shortly than we wolde to nought / ffor this world passeth fro tyme to ty­me lyke as the wynde and faylleth fro day to day and ma­kyth to euerych a lityl seiournyng. ffor it is so ful of vanyte / that ther nys but lityl trouthe theryn / and it happeth ofty­mes that he that weneth lengest to soiourne here is he that leest while abydeth & that sonnest taketh his e [...]de and ther­for for I counseille euery man that eche payne & trauaylle hym self to lyue wel & truly for the lityl tyme that he hath for to abyde in this world full of tribulaciōs & miseries. ffor ther is none that knoweth what hour or tyme the deth shal co­me renne on hym and it ofte happeth that he or she that we­neth yet to lyue & playe in this world .vj / or .viij. or .x / yere / that he deyeth in lasse than fyue dayes and fyndeth hym self dampned & cast doun in to the brennyng fornays of helle. and thenne is he in a good hour born & wel aduysed whan at his ende he is taken in the seruyse of our lord. & nothyng in the worldly voluptuositees and dampnable. and that his maker hath lent [...] to hym to vnderstonde hym and that he ha [...]e time and space / ffor god shal rendre to hym so riche a yefte and so fayr that he shal haue all goodes at his aban­don wyth the Ioye perdurable of heuene The whiche to vs be graunted by the creatour and redemptour of the worlde in whom alle pyte and mercye haboundeth. & in whom be alle goodes and vertues what someuer haue ben. ben. and shal ben perdurably without ende.

Thus fynysshith the book called thymage or myrrour of the world the whiche in spekynge of god & of his werkes in estimable hath bygonne to entre in mater spekynge of hym and of his hye puyssances and dominacions / and taketh here an ende: ffor in alle begynnynges and in all [...] operacions [Page] the name of god ought to be called. As on hym wythout whom alle thynges ben nought / Thenne he so ottroye and graunte to vs so to begynne / perseuere. and fynysshe that we may be brought and receyuyd in to his blessyd glorye in heuene vnto the blessed Trynyte / Fader / Sone / and holy gost / Whiche lyueth and regneth wythout ende in secula seculorum Amen /

ANd where it is so. that I haue presumed and empry­sed this forsayd translacyon in to our englisshe and maternall tongue / In whiche I am not well parfyght / And yet lasse in frensshe / Yet I haue endeuourd me therin / atte request and desyre coste and dispence of the honourable and worshipful man / Hughe Bryce Cytezeyn and Alder­man of london / Whiche hath sayd to me that he entendeth to presente it / vnto the puissaunt noble and vertuous lorde My lorde hastynges. Chamberlayn vnto our souerayn lord the Kynge / And his lyeutenaunt of the toun of Calays and marches there / In whiche translacion I kno­wleche my self symple / rude & ygnoraunt / Wherfore I humbly byseche my sayd lord Chamberlayn to pardonne me of this rude & symple translacion. how be it / I l [...]e for myn excuse / that I haue to my power folowed my copye / And as nygh as to me is possible. I haue made it so playn that euery man resonable may vnderstonde it / Yf he aduysedly and ententyfly rede or here it / ¶And yf ther be faulte in mesuryng of the firmament / Sōne / Mone / or of ther­the. or in ony other meruaylles herin conteyned I beseche you not tarette the faulte in me but in hym that made my copye. whiche bock I began first to translate the second day of Ianyuer the yere of our lord / M.CCCC. [...]xxx. [Page] And fynysshyd the viij day of Marche the same yere / And the xxj yere of the Regne of the most Crysten kynge. Kynge Edward the fourthe. Vnder the shadowe of whos noble proteccion I haue emprysed and fynysshed this sayd lytyl werke and boke. Besechynge Almyghty god to be his protectour and defendour agayn alle his Enemyes and gyue hym grace to sudue them / And inespeciall them that haue late enterprysed agayn ryght & reson to make warre wyth­in his Royamme. And also to preserue and mayntene him in longe lyf and prosperous helthe. And after this short and transytorye lyf he brynge hym and vs in to his celesty­all blysse in heuene AMEN /