mote I the That al the reuers saythe of hys sentence And haue wel founde by experyence That dremes ben signyfycations As wel of ioye as of trybulations That folke endure in this lyfe present There nedeth to make of this none argumeÌ„t The very prefe sheweth it in dede One of the greatest auctours that meÌ„ rede Sayth thus that whilom two felowes weÌ„t On pylgrimage in ful good entent And happed so they come in to a toun where as there was suche congregation Of people and eke of strayte herbygage That they ne fonde as moche as a cotage In whiche they bothe might yloged be Wherfore they mote of necessyte As for that nyght departe company And eche of hem gothe to his hostâ—iry And toke hys lodgyng as it wolde fal That one of hem was lodged in a stal Farre in a yerde with oxen of the plough That other man was lodged wel ynough As was his auenture or his fortune That vs gouerneth al as in comune And so befel longe or it were day This maÌ„ mette in his bedde there as he lay Howe that his felowe gan vpon him cal And sayd alas for in an oxes stal This nyght shal I be murdred there I lye Nowe helpe me dere brother or I dye In al haste come to me he sayd This man out of hys slepe for feere abrayd But whan he was waked of his slepe He turned him and toke of this no kepe Him thought his dreme was but a vanyte Thus twyse in his slepe dremed he And at the thyrde tyme yet his felawe Cam as him thouÈt sayd I now am slawe Beholde my blody woundes depe and wyde A ryse vp erly in the morowe tyde And at the west gate of the towne ê™ he A carte ful of donge there shalt thou se In whiche my body is hydde ful priuely Do thou that carte areste boldly My golde caused my dethe sothe to sayne And told him euery point how he was slayn with a ful pytous face pale of hewe And trust wel his dreme he fouÌ„d right trew For on the morowe as sone as it was day To his felowes inne he toke the waye And whan that he came to the oxes stal After his felowe he began to cal The hosteler answerde him anon And sayd syr your felowe is gon As sone as it was day he went out of y e toun This man gan fal in suspectioun Remembring of his dremes that he mette And forthe he goth no lenger wolde he lette Vnto the westgate of the towne and fonde A donge carte as it were to donge londe That was arayed in the same wyse As ye haue herde the deed man deuyse And with hardy herte he gan to crye Vengeaunce and iustyce of this felonye My felowe murdred is this same night And in this carte he lythe gapyng vpright I crye out on the mynisters ê™ he That shulde kepe and rule this cyte Harowe alas here lythe my felowe slayne What shulde I more of this tale sayne The people out starte tall y e carte to grouÌ„d And in the myddel of the donge they founde The deed man that murdred was al newe ¶ O blysful god that arte so good and trewe Lo howe thou be wrayest murdre alway Murdre wol out that se we day by day Murdre is so waltsome and abhomynable To god that so iuste is and resonable That he ne wol it suffre healed to be Though it abyde a yete two or thre Murdre wol out this is my conclusyoun And right anon the mynisters of the toun Haue hente the carter and sore him pyned And eke the hosteler so sore engyned That they beknewe her wickednesse anone And were hanged by the necke bone Here may ye se that dremes ben to drede ¶ And certes in the same lefe I rede Right in the next chapiter after this I gabbe not so haue I ioye and blys Two men wolde haue passed ouer the se For certayne causes in to a ferre countre If the wynde ne had be contrarie That made hem in a cyte to tarye That stode ful mery vpon an hauen syde But on a daye ayenst an euen tyde The wynde gan chaunge blew as hem lest Ioly and glad they went to rest And caste hem ful erly for to sayle But herken to one maÌ„ fyl a great meruayle To one of hem in slepyng as he lay He mer a wonders dreme agayn the day Him thought a maÌ„ stode by his beddes syde And hym coÌ„maunded that he shulde abyde And sayd him thus if thou to morow wende Thou shalte be dreynt my tale is at an ende ¶ He woke tolde his felow what he mette And prayed him his voyage for to lette As for that day he prayed him for to abyde His felowe that lay by his beddes syde Gan for to laugh and scorned him ful faste No dreme ê™ he may so my herte agaste That I wol let for to do my thynges I set not a strawe for thy dremynges For sweuens ben but vanytees and iapes Men meten alday of oules and of apes And eke of many a mase therwithal And dremen of thing that neuer was ne shal But sythe I se that thou wolte here abyde And thus slouthe wylfully thy tyde God wote it rueth me and haue good day And thus he toke his leue went his way But er he had halfe his course ysayled I not why ne what mischaunce it ayled But casuelly the shyppes botome to rent And shyp and men vnder the water went In fyght of other shyppes besyde That with hem sayled at the same tyde And therfore fayre Pertelot so dere By suche ensamples olde mayste thou lere That no man shulde be to rechelesse Of dremes for I say the doutlesse That many a dreme ful sore is for to drede Lo in the lyfe of saynt Kenelm we rede That was Kenelphus sonne the noble kyng Of Mereturike how Kenelm mette a thyng A lytel er he were murdred on a day His murder in hys visyon he say His norice him expowned it euery dele His sweuen and badde him kepe him wele Fro trayson but he was but seuen yere olde And therfore lytel tale he therof tolde Of any dreme so holy was his hert By god I had rather than my shert That ye had herde his legende as haue I Dame Pertelot I say to you trewly Macrobius that writeth the auisyon In Affrike of the worthy Scipion Affyrmeth dremes and sayth that they been warnyng of thynges that we after seen And farthermore I pray you loketh well In the olde Testament of Danyel Yf he helde dremes for vanyte Rede eke of Ioseph and there shal ye se wonders ben somtyme but I say nat al warnyng of thynges that after shal fal ¶ Lo of Egipt the kyng that hight Pharao His Baker and his butteler also Whether they felte none effecte in dremes who so wol seke actes of sondrie remes May rede of dremes a wonder thyng Lo Cresus whiche was of Lyde kyng
chesteyn laulere Maple thorne beche ewe hasel whipultre How they were felde shal nat be tolde for me Ne howe the goddes ronne vp and doun Disheryted of her abytacioun In whiche they wonned in rest and pees Nymphes Fauny and amadriades Ne howe the beeste ne the byrdes all Fledden for feare whan the trees fall Ne how the grounde agast was of the lyght That was nat wonte to se the sonne bryght Ne how the fyre was couched first with stre And than with drye styckes clouen a thre And than with grene wodde and spicery And than with clothe of golde and perry And garlondes haÌ„gyng with many a floure The myrre the ensence with swete odoure Ne howe Arcyte lay amonge al this Ne what rychesse aboute hys body is Ne howe that Emely as was the gyse Put in the fyre of funeral seruyse Ne how she swouned whaÌ„ maked was y e fyre Ne what she spake ne what was her desyre Ne what iewelles men in the fyre caste Whan that the fyre was great brent faste Ne how some cast her sheld some her spere And of her vestementes whiche y t they were And cuppes full of wyne mylke and bloode In to the fyre that brent as it were woode Ne howe the grekes with a huge route Thryse rydden all the fyre aboute VpoÌ„ the lefte hande with a loude showtyng And thryse with her speares clateryng And thryse howe the ladyes gan crye Ne how that ladde was homwarde Emelye Ne howe that Arcite is brent to asshen colde Ne howe the lyche wake was holde All that nyght ne howe the grekes play The wake playes kepe I nat to say Who wrestled best naked wyth oyle anoynt Ne who bare hym best in euery poynt I woll not tellen howe they gone whom to Athenes whan the play is done But shortly to the poynt than woll I wende And make of my longe tale an ende By processe and by length of yeres All stynten is the mornyng and the teres Of grekes by one generall assent Than semed me there was a parlement At Athenes vpon a certayne poynt and caas Amonge the whiche poyntes yspoken was To haue with certayne countres alyaunce And haue of Thebans fully obeysaunce For whiche thys noble Theseus anon Let sende after thys gentyl Palamon Vnwyste of him what was y e cause why But in his blacke clothes sorowfully He came at hys commaundement on hye Tho sent Theseus after Emelye Whan they were set hushte was y t place And Theseus abydden hath a space Or any worde came from his wyse brest Hys eyen sette he there hym lest And with suche a sadde vysage he syked styll And after that right thus he sayd hys wyll ¶ The fyrst mouer of the cause aboue Whan he first made the fayre chayne of loue Great was theffecte hye was hys entente Wel wyste he why what therof he mente For with that fayre chayne of loue he bonde The fyre the eyre the water and the londe In certayne bondes that they may nat fle That same prince and that mouer ê™ he Hath stablisshed iÌ„ this wretched world adosâ— Certen dayes and duracion To al that are engendred in thys place Ouer the whiche day they may not pace Al mowe they yet the dayes abredge There nedeth none auctorite to ledge For it is proued by experyence But that me lyst declaren my sentence Than may men by thys ordre discerne That thylke mouer stable is and eterne wel may men knowe but he be a fole That euery party is deryued from hys hole For nature hath not taken hys begynnyng Of one parte or cantell of a thyng But of a thyng that perfyte is and stable Discendyng so tyl it be corrumpable And therfore of hys wyse purueyaunce He hath so wel byset hys ordynaunce That spaces of thynges and progressyons Shullen endure by successyons And not eterne wythout any lye Thus mayst thou vnderstande and se at eye Lo the oke that hath so longe a norishyng Fro the tyme that it beginneth first to spring And hath so longe a lyfe as ye may se Yet at the last wasted is the tre Consydreth eke howe that the harde stone Vnder our fete on whiche we reeade gone Yet wasteth it as it lyeth in the wey The brode ryuer somtyme wexeth drey The great townes se we waue and wende Than ye se that al thys thyng hath ende And man and waman se shal we also That nedeth in one of the termes two That is to sayne in youthe orels in age He mote be deed a kyng as wel as a page Some in his bedde some in the depe see Some in the large felde as ye may se It helpeth not al gothe that ylke wey Than may ye se that al thyng mote dey what maketh this but Iupiter the Kyng That is prince and cause of al thyng Conuertyng al to hys propre wyl From whiche it is deryued sothe to tel And here agayne no creature on lyue Of no degre auayleth for to stryue Than is it wysedome as thynketh me To make vertue of necessyte And take it wel that we may not eschewe And namely that to vs al is dewe And who so grutcheth aught he dothe folye And rebel is to hym that al may gye And certaynly a man hath moste honour To dyen in hys excellence and flour whan he is syker of hys good name ThaÌ„ hath he don his frendes ne him no sham And gladder ought his frendes be of his deth whan with honour y yolde is vp the breth Than whan his name apalled is for age For al foryeten is hys vassellage Than is it best as for a worthy same To dyen whan he is best of name The contrarye of al thys is wylfulnesse why grutchen we â–ª why haue we heuynesse That good Arcite of cheualry the floure Departed is with dutye and with honoure Out of this foule prison of thys lyfe why grutchen here his cosyn and hys wyfe Of his welfare that loueth hym so wele Can he hem thaÌ„ke nay god wot neuer a dele That bothe his soule and eke hem offende And yet they mowe not her lustes amende ¶ what may conclude of thys longe story But after sorowe I rede vs be mery And thanke Iupiter of al his grace And er we departen from thys place I rede we maken of sorowes two One perfyte ioye lastyng euer mo And loke nowe where most sorowe is heryn There wol I fyrst amende and begyn Suster quod he thys is my ful assent Wyth al the people of my parlement That gentle Palamon your owne knyght That serueth you with wyl herte myght And euer hath done sythe ye fyrst hym knew That ye shal of your grace vpon hym rewe And take hym for husbonde and for lorde Lene me your honde for thys is our accorde Let se nowe of your womanly pyte He is a kynges brother sonne parde And though he were a poore bachelere Syn he hath serued you so many a yere And
it a gentle courser of Poyle were For certes fro hys tayle to hys ere Nature ne arte coude hym not amende In no degre as al the people wende But euermore her moste wonder was Howe that it couth gon and was of bras It was of fayrie as the people semed Dyuers folke dyuersly they demed As many heedes as many wyttes there ben They murmure as doth a swarme been And made of skylles after her fantesyes Rehersynge of the olde poetryes And sayden it was ylyke the Pegase The horse that had wynges for to flee Or els it was the Grekes horse Synon That brought Troye to dystruccion As men in thys olde bokes rede Myne herte ê™ one is euermore in drede I trowe some men of armes ben therin That shapen hem thys cytie for to wyn It were right good y t such thynges were know An other rowned to his felow low And sayd he lyed for it is rather ylyke An apparence made by some magyke As iogglours playen at these feastes grete Of sondry thoughtes thus they iaÌ„gle trete As leude people demeth comenly Of thynges that ben made more subtelly Then they can in her leudnesse comprehende They demen gladly to the badder ende And some of them wondren on y e myrrour That borne was vp to the mayster toure Howe men myght in it such thynges se And other answerd certes it myght wel be Naturally by composicyons Of angels and of slye reflections And sayden in Rome was suche on They speken of Alocen and Vitilion And Aristote that wryteth in her lyues Of queynte myrrours and of prospectiues As knowen they that han her bokes herde And other folke han woÌ„dred on y e sworde That wolde perce through euery thynge And fel in speche of Telophus the kynge And of Achylles for hys queynte spere For he couth wyth it heale and dere Right in such wyse as meÌ„ may w t the swerde Of which right now ye haue your selueÌ„ herd They speken of sondry hardyng of metal And speken of medycyns eke wythal And how and when it shulde hardened be whych is vnknowe algate to me ¶ Tho speake they of Canaces rynge And sayden al that suche a wonder thynge Of crafte of rynges herde they neuer non Saue that Moses and kynge Salomon Had a name of connynge of such arte Thus sayen the people draweÌ„ hem aparte But nathelesse some sayden that it was wonder to maken oâ— serue ashen glas And yet is glas not â—yke ashen of ferne But so they han knowen it so ferne Therfore they sesen her iaÌ„glyng her woÌ„der As sore wondren some on cause of thoÌ„der On ebbe fludde on gossomer and on myste And on al thynge tyl the cause is wyste Thus ianglen they and demeÌ„ and deuyse Tyl that the kyng gan fro hys borde aryse ¶ Phebus hath lefte the angle merydional And yet ascendyng was the beest royal The gentle Lyon with his Aldrian Whan that this tartre Kyng Cambuscan Rose from his borde there as he sate ful hye Byforne hym gothe the loude mynstralcye Tyl he came to hys chambre of paramentes There as they sownen dyuers instrumeÌ„tes That is lyke an heuen for to here Nowe dauncen lusty Venus chyldreÌ„ dere For in the fyshe her lady sate ful hye And loketh on hem with a frendly eye ¶ This noble kyng is sette vpon hys trone This straunge knyght is fet to hym ful sone And in the daunce he gothe with Canace Here is the reuel and the iolyce That is not able a dul man to deuyse He must hau knowe loue and her seruyse And ben a feestlyche man as fresshe as May That shulde you deuyse suche araye ¶ who coulde you tellen the forme of dauÌ„ces So vncouth and so fresh countenaunces Suche subtyll lokynges and dissimulinges For drede of ialouse mens apperceyuynges No man but Lancelot and he is deed Therfore I passe ouer al this lusty heed I say no more but in this iolynesse I lete hem tyl men to supper dresse ¶ The steward byddeth spyces for to hye And eke the wyne in al this melodye The vshers and the squyers ben ygone The spyces and the wyne is comen anone They eten dronkeÌ„ whaÌ„ this had an ende Vnto the temple as reason was they wende The seruyce is done they soupen al by day what nedeth it to rehersen her array Eche man wot wel that at a kynges feest Is plenty to the moste and to the leest And deyntes mo than ben in my knowynge And after supper gothe this noble kynge To seen this horse of brasse with al his route Of lordes and of ladyes hym aboute Such woÌ„drig ther was on his hors of bras That sythen the great siege of Troye was There as men wondred on an horse also He was there such a wondring as was tho But fynally the kyng asketh the knyght The vertue of thys horse and the myght And prayde him to tellen of his gouernauÌ„ce The horse anon gan to tryppe and daunce whaÌ„ y t this knightlayde honde on hys rayne And sayd syr there is no more to sayne But whan you lyste to ryden any where Ye mote tryll a pyn stante in hys ere whiche I shal tel you bytwene vs two Ye mote nempne hym to what place also Or to what countre you lyst to ryde And whan ye come there you lyste abyde Bydde hym discende and trylle a nother pyn For therin lyeth the effecte of al the gyn And he wol downe discende don your wyl And in that place he wol abyde styl Though al y e world had the coÌ„trary sworne He shal not thens be ythrowe ne yborne Or yf you lyst bydde hym thens gon Tryl thys pyn and he wol vanyshe anon Out of the syght of euery maner wyght And come ayen be it day or nyght whan that you lyst to clepen hem agayne In suche a gyse as I shal to you sayne Bytwyxt you and me and that ful sone Ryde whaÌ„ you lyst ther nis no more to done ¶ Enfourmed whaÌ„ y e kyng was of y e knyght And hath conceyued in hys wytte aright The maner and the forme of al thys thyng Ful glad and ful blythe the noble kyng Repayreth to hys reuel as byforne The brydel is in to the toure yborne And kept amonge his iewels lese and dere The horse vanysshed I not in what manere Out of her syght ye get no more of me But thus I lete in luste and iolyte This Cambyscan hys lordes festyng Tyl wel nye the day began to spryng ¶ Explicit prima parsâ—et se quitur pars secunda THe nortee of digestyon the slepe Gan on hem wynke bad hem take kepe That myrth drinke labour wol haue reste And with a galping mouthe hem al he keste And sayd it was tyme to lye adoun For blode was in hys domynacyoun Cherysseth blode natures frende ê™ he They thankeÌ„ him galpyng by two by thre And euery wight gan drawe him to his reste As slepe hem
he sawe vpon a daunce go Of ladyes foure and twenty and yet mo Toward the dauÌ„ce he drowe him y t yerne In hope that some wysedome shuld he lerne But certaynly er that he came fully there Vanyshed was the dauÌ„ce he niste not where No creature sawe he that bare lyfe Saue in y e grene he saw sytting an old wife A fouler wyght there may no man deuyse Agayne the knyght the olde wyfe gan aryse And sayd syr knight here forth lyeth no way Tel me what ye seken by your fay Parauenture it may the better be This olde folke conne moche thyng ê™ she ¶ My lyfe mother ê™ thys knyght certayne I nam but deed but yf that I can sayne what thyng it is y t womeÌ„ moste desyre Coude ye me wilse I wolde quite wel your hyre Plight me thy trouth here in my hoÌ„de ê™ she The next thyng that I require the Thou shalte it do yf it be in thy myght And I wol tel it you or it be nyght Haue here my trouth ê™ y e knight I graunt ¶ Than quod she I may me wel auaunt Thy lyfe is safe for I wol stonde therby Vpon my lyfe the quene wyl say as I Let se whiche is the proudest of hem al That weareth on a kerchefe or a cal That dare say nay of that I shal you teche Let vs go forthe without lenger speche Tho rowned she a pistel in his ere And bade hym to be glad and haue no fere ¶ whaÌ„ they ben comeÌ„ to y e court thys knyght Sayd he had holde his day as he had hight And redy was hys answere as he sayde Ful many a noble wyfe and many a mayde And many a wydowe for that they be wyse The quene her selfe syttyng as a iustyse Assembled ben his answere for to here And afterwarde this knight was bode apere To euery wight coÌ„maunded was sylence And that the knyght shulde tel in audyence That thyng that worldly women loued best This knyght ne stode not styl as doth a beste But to his question anon answerde with manly voyce that al the courte it herde My liege lady generally quod he women desyren to haue soueraynte As wel ouer her husbondes as her loue And for to ben in maistrye hem aboue This is your moste desyre though ye me kyl Dothe as you lyste I am here at your wyl ¶ In al the courte nas there wyfe ne mayde Ne wydowe that contraried that he sayde But sayd he was worthy han his lyfe And with y e worde vp sterte the olde wyfe which y t the knight fonde syttyng on y e grene Mercy ê™ she my souerayne lady quene Er that your couete departe do me right I taught this answere vnto thys knyght For whiche he plight me hys trouthe there The fyrst thyng I wolde of hym requere He wolde it do yf it lay in hys might Before the courte thaÌ„ praye I the sir knight Quod she that thou me take vnto thy wyfe For wel thou woste that I haue kept thy life If I say false saye nay vpon thy fay ¶ This knight answerd alas and welaway I wote right wel that suche was my beheste For goddes loue chese a newe requeste Take al my good and let my body go Nay ê™ she than I shrewe vs bothe two For though that I be foule olde and poore I nolde for al the metal ne the ore That vnder erthe is graue or lythe aboue But yf I thy wyfe were and thy loue ¶ My loue ê™ he nay my dampnation Alas that any of my nacion Shulde euer so foule disparaged be But al for naught the ende is this that he CoÌ„strayned was y t nedes must he her wedde And taketh this olde wyfe gothe to bedde ¶ Nowe wolden some men say parauenture That for my neglygence I do no cure To tellen you the ioye and the array That at the feest was that ylke day To the which thing answere shortly I shal I say there was no ioy ne feest at al There nas but heuynesse and moche sorowe For priuely he wedded her on a morowe And al day after hydde hym as an oule So wo was hym his wife loked so foule Gret was y e sorow y e knight had iÌ„ his thouÈt whan he was with his wife a bedde ibrouÈt He waloweth and turneth to and fro ¶ His olde wyfe lay smylyng euermo And sayd O dere husbonde O benedicite Fareth euery knight thus as ye Is this the lawe of kyng Artours house Is euery knyght of his loue so daungerouse I am your owne loue and eke your wyfe I am she whiche that saued hath your lyfe And certes yet dyd I neuer you vnryght why fare ye thus with me the fyrst nyght Ye â—acen lyke a man that had loste hys witte Fy what is my gilte for gods loue tel me it And it shal be amended yf I may ¶ Amended ê™ this knyght alas nay nay That wol not ben amended neuer mo Thou arte so lothly and so olde also And therto comen of so lowe a kynde That litel woÌ„der is thogh I walow wind So wolde god ê™ he myne herte wold brest ¶ Is this ê™ she the cause of your onrest Ye certaynly quod he no wonder nys ¶ Nowe syr ê™ she I couthe amende al this If that me lyst er it were dayes thre So wel ye myght beare you vnto me But for ye speke of suche gentylnesse As is discended out of olde richesse That therfore shullen ye be gentilmen Suche errogaunce is not worthe an hen Lo who that is moste vertuous alway Preuy and aperte and most entendeth aye To do the gentyl dedes that he can Take hym for the greatest gentylman Christ wolde we claymed of hym our gentylnesse Not of our elders for our olde richesse For though they yeue vs al her herytage For which we claymen to ben of hye parage Yet may they not byquethe for no thyng To none of vs her vertuous lyuyng That made hem gentylmen ycalled be And badde vs folowen hem in suche degre ¶ Wel can the wyse poete of Florence That hyght Daunte speke in thys sentence Lo in suche maner ryme is Dauntes tale Ful selde vp ryseth by his braunches smale Prowesse of man for god of his goodnesse wol that we clayme of hym oure gentylnesse For of our elders may we nothyng clayme But teÌ„poral thyng y t meÌ„ may hurte maym Eke euery wight wote this as wel as I If gentilnesse were planted naturally Vnto a certayne lynage downe the lyne Preuy aperte than wolde they neuer fyne To done of gentilnesse the fayre offyce They might don no vilanye ne vice Take fyre beare it in to the derkest hous Bytwixt this and the mounte Caucasus And let men shytte the dores and go thenne Yet wol the fyre as fayre lye and brenne As twenty thousande men might it beholde His offyce natural aye wol it holde Vp peryl of my lyfe â—yl that
that god ne might his pryde abate And for that Nychanore and Tymothe By iewes were venquished mightyly Vnto the iewes suche an hate had he That he bad greythe his chare full hastely And swore and sayd ful dispytously Vnto Hierusalem he wolde eftsone To wreke his yre on it ful cruelly But of his purpose was he let ful sone God for his manace him sore smote with inuysible wounde aye incurable That in his guttes carfe so and bote That hys paynes were importable And certaynly the wreche was resonable For many a mannes guttes dyd he payne But from his purpose cursed dampnable For al his smerte he nolde him not restrayne But bade anon aparayle his hoste And sodainly or he than was ware God daunted al his pride al his boste For he so sore fel out of his chare That al his lymmes and his skyn to tare So that he ne myght go ne ryde But in a chayre men aboute him bare Al forbrused bothe backe and syde The wreche of god him smote so cruelly That in his body wicked wormes crept And therwith al he stanke so horribly That none of hys meyne that hym kept whether that he woke or els slept Ne myght not of hym the stynke endure And in hys myschefe he wayled eke wept And knewe god lorde of euery creature To all hys hoste and to hym selfe also Ful lothsome was the stynke of hys carayne No man myght hym beate to ne fro And in hys stynke in hys horrible payne He sterfe ful wretchedly on a mountayne Thus hath thys robbour thys homicide That many a man made to wepe and plaine Suche gueâ—don as belongeth to pryde ¶ Alexander THe storye of Alexander is so commune That euery wyght that hath dyscretion Hath herde somwhat or al of hys fortune Thys wyde worlde as in conclusyon He wanne by strength and for hys renoun They were glad for peace vnto hym sende The pryde of man and bost he layde adoun where so he came vnto the worldes ende Comparison myght yet neuer be maked Betwyrre hym and an other conqueroure For al thys world for dred of hi hath quaked He was of knyghthode of fredome floure Fortune hym made y e heyre of hygh honoure Saue wyne womeÌ„ nothiÌ„g might aswage Hys hygh entent in armes and laboure So was he full of louynge corage what price were it to him though I you told Of Darius of a hundred thousande mo Of prynces erles and knyghtes bolde whych he conquered and brought to wo I saye as ferre as a man may ryde or go The world was his what shuld I more deuise For though I wrote told you euer mo Of hys knyghthode it myght not suffyse Twelue yere he reigned as I rede iÌ„ Machabe Philippes sonne of Macedone he was That fyrst was kyng of Grece that countre O worthy gentyl Alexander alas That euer shulde the fall suche a caas Enpoysoned of thy folke thou were Thy syce fortune hath tourned in to an ace And yet for the ne wept she neuer a tere Who shal yeue men teares to complayne The death of gentylnesse and of fraunchyse That all the worlde welded in hys demayne And yet hym thought it myght not suffyse So ful was hys corage of hygh empryse Alas who shall me helpe to endyte False fortune and poyson to dyspyse The whych of all thys wo I wyte ¶ Iulius Cesar BY wysdome manhode and hyghe laboure From humble bedde to royal maieste Vp rose he Iulius the conqueroure That al the occident by londe and see wan by strength of honde or els by trete And vnto Rome made hem trybutary And syth of Rome emperour was he Tyl that fortune wexte hys aduersary O myghty Cesar that in Thessaly Ayenst Pompei father thyne in lawe That of the Orient had the chyualry As ferre as that the daye begynneth to dawe Them through knyghthod hast take slawe Saue fewe folke y e wyth Pompeius fledde Through whych y u puttest all y e orieÌ„t in awe Thanke fortune that so wel the spedde ¶ But nowe a lytel whyle I wol bewayle This Pompei thys noble gouernoure Of Rome whych that fledde at thys batayle I saye one of hys men a false traytour Hys heed of smote to wynne hym fauour Of Iulius and to hym the heed brought Alas Pompei of the orient conquerour That fortune vnto suche a fyne the wrought ¶ To Rome agayne repayreth Iulius wyth hys triumphe lauriate ful hye But on a tyme Brutus Cassius That euer had of hys hye estate enuye Full priuely had made conspyracye Ayenst thys Iulius in subtel wyse And caste the place in whych he shulde dye wyth bodkyns as I shal you deuyse Thys Iulius vnto the capitol went Vpon a daye as he was wonte to gone And in the capitol anone hym hent Thys false Brutus and hys other fone And stycked hym wyth bodkyns anone wyth many a wouÌ„de thus they let him lye But neuer geueched he at no stroke but one Or els at two but yf hys storye lye So manly was thys Iulius of herte And so well loued estately honeste That tho hys deedly wouÌ„des so sore smerte Hys mantel ouer hys â—yppes caste he For no man shulde se hys priuety And as he laye in dyenge on a traunce And wyste verely that dye shulde he Of honestye yet had he remembraunce ¶ Lucan to the thys storye I recomende And to Sueton and Valery also That of thys storye wrytten worde ende Howe that these conquerours two Fortune was fyrst a frende and sythe a foe No man truste vpon her fauoure longe But haue her in awayte for euer mo wytnesse on all the conquerours stronge ¶ Cresus THe ryche Cresus whylom kynge of Lyde Of whyche Cresus Cirus sore hym drad Yet was he caught amydde all hys pryde And to brenne men to the fyre hym lad But such a raine downe froÌ„ y u fyrmameÌ„t shad That queynt the fyre made hym to scape But to beware yet no grace he had Tyl fortune on the galowes made him gape When he escaped was he could not stenâ— For to begyn a newe araye agayne He wende wel for that fortune hym sent Suche happe y t he escaped through y e rayne That of hys foes he myght not be slayne And eke a sweuen vpon a nyght he mette Of whych he was so proude eke so fayne That in vengeaunce he all hys herte sette Vpon a tree he was as hym thought Ther Iupiter hym wyshe both backe syde And Phebus eke a fayre towel him brought To drye him with therwith wext his prid And to hys doughter that stode hym besyde whych y t he knewe in hye sentence habounde He bade her tell what it sygnyfyed And she his dreme ryght thus dyd expounde The tree ê™ she the galous is to mene And Iupiter betokeneth snowe and rayne And Phebus wyth hys towel so clene Betokeneth the sonne beames soth to sayne Thou shalt honged be father certayne Rayne shall
brende Of other passyon then they wende So that she felte almoste her herte dye Fo wo and wery of that companye For whych myght she no lenger restrayne Her teryes they gan so vp to well That gaue sygnes of her bytter payne In whych her spirite was and must dwell RemeÌ„brynge her froÌ„ heuen vnto whych hell She fallen was sens she forgo the syght Of Troylus and sorowfully she syght And thylke fooles syttynge her aboute wende that she wepte and syghed sore Bycause that she shulde out of the route Departen and neuer playe wyth hem more And they that had knowen her of yore Se her so wepe thought it was kyndnesse And eche of hem wepte eke for her dystresse And besely they gonnen her to comforten One thiÌ„g god wot on which she lytel thouÈt And wyth her tales wenden her dysporten And to be glad they oft her besought But such an ease therwith they her wrought Ryght as a man is eased for to fele For ache of heed to clawen hym on hys hele But after all thys nyce vanyte They toke her leue and home they wenteÌ„ all Creseyde full of sorowfull pyte Into her chambre vp wente out of the hall And on her bedde she gan for deed to fall In purpose neuer thence for to ryse And thus she wrought as I shal you deuyse Her ownded heer y t sonnyshe was of hewe She rent eke her fyngers longe and smale She wronge ful ofte bad god on her rewe And wyth the death to do bote on her bale Her hewe whylom bright that tho was pale Bare wytnesse of her wo her constraynte And thus she spake sobbyng in her coÌ„playnt ¶ Alas quod she out of thys regioun I wofull wretch and infortuned wyght And borne in cursed constellatioun Mote gone thus departen fro my knyght wo worth alas that ylke dayes lyght On which I sawe him fyrst w t eyen twayne That causeth me and I hym all thys payne Therwyth the teeres from her eyen two Downe fell as shoure in Apryll swythe Her whyte brest she bette and for the wo After the death she cryed a thousande syth Sens he that wonte her wo was for to lyth She mote forgone for whych dysauenture She helde her selfe a forloft creature She sayd howe shall he done and I also Howe shuld I lyue yf y t I from him twynne O dere herte eke that I loue so who shall y e sorowe slene that ye ben inne O Calkas father thyne be all thys synne O mother myne that cleaped were Argyue wo worth y t daye that thou me bare on lyue To what fyne shuld I lyue sorowen thus Howe shuld a fyshe wythouten water dure what is Creseyde worth from Troylus Howe shulde a plante or lyues creature Lyue wythouten hys kynde noriture For whych full ofte a by worde here I sey That rotelesse mote grene sone dey I shal don thus sens neither sword ne darte Dare I none handle for the cruelte That ylke daye that I fro you departe yf sorowe of that nyl not my bane be Then shall no meate ne drynke come in me Tyll I my soule out of my brest vnshethe And thus my seluen woll I done to dethe And Troylus my clothes euerychone Shul blacke ben in tokenynge herte swete That I am as out of thys worlde agone That wonte was you to set in quyete And of myne ordre aye tyll death me mete The obseruaunce euer in your absence Shal sorowe ben complaynt abstynence Myne herte eke the wofull gost therin Byqueth I wyth your spirite to complayne Eternally for they shall neuer twyn For though in erth twynned be we twayne Yet in the felde of Pyte out of payne That hyght Elysos shall we ben yfere As Orpheus and Erudice hys fere Thus herte myne for Antenor alas I sone shal be chaunged as I wene But howe shull ye done in thys sorowful cas Howe shall your tendre herte thys sustene But herte myne foryet thys sorowe and tene And me also for sothly for to sey So ye welfare I retche not to dey Howe myght it euer redde ben or ysonge The playnt that she made in her dystresse I not but as for me my lytell tonge Yf I dyscryuen wolde her heuynesse It shulde make her sorowe seme lesse Then that it was and chyldyshly deface Her hye complaynt and therfore I it pace Pandare whych that sent from Troylus was vnto Creseyde as ye haue herde deuyse That for the best it was acorded thus And he full glad to done hym that seruyse Vnto Creseyde in a full secrete wyse There as she lay in turment and in rage Came her to tell al holy hys massage And fonde that she her seluen gan to trete Full petously for wyth her salte teeres Her brest and face ybathed was full wete Her myghty tresses of her sonnysh heere 's Vnbroyden hangen all aboute her eeres whych yaue hym very sygne of matere Of death whych that her herte gan desyre when she hym sawe she gan for sorowe anon Her tery face atwyxte her armes hyde For whych thys Pandare is so wo bygon That in the house he myght vnneth abyde As he that felte sorowe on euery syde For yf Creseyde had erst complayned sore Tho gan she playne a thousand tymes more And in her aspre playnte thus she seyde Pandare fyrst of ioyes mo then two was causynge vnto me Creseyde That nowe transmued ben in cruell wo whether shall I saye to you welcome or no That alderfyrst me brought vnto seruyse Of loue alas that endeth in suche wyse Endeth then loue in wo ye or men lyeth And all worldly blysse as thynketh me The ende of blysse aye sorowe it occupyeth And who troweth not that it so be Let hym vpon me wofull wretch se That my selfe hate and aye my byrth curse Felynge alwaye fro wycke I go to worse who some seeth he seeth sorowe al atonis Payne turment playnte wo and dystresse Out of my wofull body harme there none is As langour anguyshe cruell bytternesse Annoye smerte drede furye eke sycknesse I trowe ywys from heuen teeres rayne For pyte of my aspre and cruell payne And thou my syster full of dyscomforte Quod PaÌ„darus what thinkest thou to do why ne hast thou to thy seluen some resport why wylt thou thus alas thy selfe fordo Leaue al thys werke and take nowe hede to That I shall sayne herken of good entent This message y t by me Troylus you sente Turned her tho Creseyde a wo makynge So great that it a death was for to se Alas ê™ she what wordes maye ye brynge what woll my dere herte sayne to me whych that I drede neuer more to se woll he haue playnte or teeres er I wende I haue ynough yf he therafter sende She was ryght such to sene in her visage As is that wyght that men on bere bynde Her face lyke of paradys the ymage was all ychaunged in another kynde
is ful wel ysent For ryght as thou myghtest demen hym myghty of goynge y t goeth on hys fete tyll he myght comen to thylke place fro the whyche place there ne laye no waye further to be gone ryghte so muste thou nedes demen hym for ryght myghty whych that getteth and attayneth to the ende of all thynges whyche that bene to desyren beyonde the whyche ende there nys nothynge to desyre Of the whych power of good folke men maye coÌ„clude that we wycked men semen to be barayne and naked of all strength For why forletten they vertues folowen vyces nys it not for that they ne knowen not the goodes But what thynge is more feble and more caytyfe then is the blyndnesse of ignoraunce or els they knoweÌ„ wel whych thynges they oughteÌ„ folowen but lechery and couetyse ouerthroweth hem mysturned And certes so dothe dystemperaunce to feble men that mowe not wrast len ayen these vices Ne knowe they not wel that they forletten the good wylfullye and tournen hem wylfully to vyces And in thys wyse they ne forleteÌ„ not onely to be myghty but they forleten al vtterly in any wyse for to ben For they that forleteÌ„ the comune fyne of all thynges that ben they forleten also therwythall for to ben And perauenture it shuld semen to some folke that thys were a maruayle to sayne that shrewes whych that conteynen the more partes of men ne bene not ne haue no beynge But natheles it is so and thus stante thys thinge For they that be shrewes I denye not but that they be shrewes but I denye symply and playnly that they ne be not ne haue no beynge For ryght as thou myghtest fayne of the carayne of a man that it were a deed man so graunt I wel forsoth that vicious folke ben wycked but I ne may not absolutely and symplye graunt that they ben For thylke thynge that with holdeth ordre and kepeth nature thylke thynge is and hath beynge But what thynge fayleth that that is to saye he that forleteth naturel order he forleteth thylke beynge that is set in hys nature But thou wolt sayne y t shrewes mowen Certes that ne denye I not but certes her power ne dyscendeth not of strength but of feblenesse for they mowen done wyckednesse the whyche they ne myght not yf they myghten dwellen in the forme and in the doynge of good people And thylke power sheweth euydently y t they moweÌ„ ryght naught For so as I haue gadred and proued a lytell here beforn that euyll is not and so as shrewes may only but shreudnesse Thys conclusyon is al clere that shrewes ne mowe ryght naught ne haue no power And for as moch as thou vnderstandest whych is the strength of this power I haue defynyshed a lytel here beforne that no thynge nys so myghty as souerayne good Boece That is soth ê™ I P. And thylke souerayne good maye done none euell Boece Certes no ê™ I Philo. Is there any wyght theÌ„ ê™ she that weneth that men mowen done al thynges Boe. No man ê™ I but yf he be out of hys wyt Phi. But certes shrewes mowen don yuels quod she Boece Yea wolde god quod I that they ne myghten done none Phi. Then quod she so as he that is myghty to done onely good thinges he maye done all thynges and they that bene myghtye to done yuell thynges ne mowen not all thynges then is it open thynge and manyfest that they that mowen done yuell ben of lasse power And yet to proue this coÌ„clusyon there helpeth me thys that I haue shewed here beforne that all power is to be nombred amonge thinges that men oughten requyre And I haue shewed that all thynges that oughten bene desyred be referred to god ryghte as to a maner heyght of her nature but for to mowen done yuell and felonye ne maye not ben referred to god Then is not yuell of the nombre of thynges that oughten to bene desyred and requyred Then is it open and clere that the power ne the mouynge of shrewes nys no power And of all these thynges it sheweth well that the goâ—d folke ben certaynly myghty and the shrewes doutlesse vnmyghty And it is clere and opeÌ„ that thylke sentence of Plato is very soth that sayeth that onely wysemen maye donâ— that they desyren and shrewes mowen hâ—â—â—ten that hem lyketh but that they desyreâ— that is to sayne to come to souerayne good they ne haue no power to accomplyshe that For shrewes done what hem lyste when bâ— tho thynges in whych they delyten they wenen to attayne to thylke good that they desyren but they ne getten ne attayne not thertâ— for vyces ne comen not to blysfulnesse Quos vides sedere celsos Solâ— culmine regis Purpura claros intente c. WHo so that the couertures of heâ— vayne apparaylles myght strypen of these proude kynges that thoâ— seest sytten an hygh in her chayres glytterynge in shynynge purpure enuyronned wyth sorowfull armures manassynge wyth cruell mouth blowynge by woodnesse of herte he shulde sene that thylke lordes beâ—ren wythin her corages full strayte chaynes for letherye tourmenteth hem on that one syde wyth gredye venymes and troublable yre that arayseth in hem the floode of troublynges tourmenteth on that other syde her thoughte or sorowe halte hem wery and ycaught or slydynge and dysceyuynge hope tourmenteth hem And therfore sythe thou seest one heed that is to sayne one tyraunt bearen so many tyrannyes then ne dothe thylke tyraunt not that he desyreth syth he is caste downe wyth so many wycked lordes that is to sayne so many vyces that haue so wyckedly lordshyps ouer hym Vides ne igitur quaÌ„do in ceno probra voluantur que probitas luce resplendeat in quo perspicuum est nunquam bonis premia c. SEest thou not theÌ„ in how greate fylthe these shrewes ben ywrapped and wyth whyche clerenesse these good folke shynen In this sheweth it well that to good folk ne lacked neuer mo her medes ne shrewes â—â—en neuer more tourmentes For of al thinges that be done thylke thynge for whyche â—â—y thynge is done it semeth as by ryghte that thylke thynge be y e mede of that as thus yf a man renneth in the stadye or in the forlonge for the crowne then lyeth the mede in the crowne for whych he reÌ„neth And I haue â—hewed that blysfulnesse is thylke same good for whych that all thynges ben done TheÌ„ is thylke same good purposed to the werkes of mankynde ryght as a coÌ„mune mede whych mede ne maye not be dysceuered from good folke For no wyght as by ryght from thensforth that hym lacketh goodnesse ne shall be cleped good for whyche thynge folke of good maners her medes ne forsake hem neuer mo â—or al be it so that shrewes waxen as woode as hem lyst ayenst good folke yet neuerthelesse the crowne of wysemen ne shall not fallen ne fadeÌ„ fro forayne shreudnesse ne benym men not fro y e corage of good
in maner of workynge in the same conclusyons as to knowe in oure oryzonte wyth whyche degre of zodiac the Moone aryseth in anye latytude and the arysynge in anye Planete after hys latytude fro the eclyptyke lyne ¶ The fyfte partye ¶ The fyfthe partye shall ben an introductorye after the statutes of oure Doctours on whyche thou mayste lerne a great parte of the generall rules of theoryke in Astrologye In whyche fyfthe partye thou shalt fynde tables of equacyons of houses after the latitude of Oxenforde and tables of dignytees of Planettes and other notefull thynges yf god vouchsafe hys mother the mayden mo than I behete ¶ The rynge ¶ Thy Astrolabye hath a rynge to putten on thy thombe on thy ryght honde in takyng of the heyght of thynges And take kepe frome hence forwarde I woll cleape the heyght of heuy thynge that is take by the rule the altytude wythouten mo wordes ¶ The turet ¶ Thys rynge renneth in a maner of a turet fastned to the moder of thyne Astrolabye in a roume a space that it dystroubeleth not the instrument to hangen after hys ryght centure The moder of thyne Astrolabye is thickest by the brinkes that is the vtmoste ryng with degrees and al the myddle wythin the rynge shall be thynner to receyue the plates for dyuers clymates and also for the rethe that is shape in maner of a nette or els after the webbe of a loppe ¶ The moder ¶ The moder of thyne Astrolaby is the thickest plate perced wyth a large hole that receyueth in her wombe the thynne plates compowned of dyuers clymates and thy reete shapen in maner of a nette or of a webbe of a loppe ¶ Of the foure lynes ¶ Thys moder is deuyded on the backhalfe wyth a lyne that cometh discendynge fro the rynge downe to the netherest bordure the whyche lyne fro the foresayd rynge vnto the centre of the large hole amydde is cleped south lyne or els the lyne merydionall And the remenaunt of this lyne downe to the bordure is cleped the northe lyne or all the lyne of the mydnight ¶ Of foure lynes Eest West Northe and Southe OVerthwarte thys forsayd longe lyne there crosseth him another lyne of the same length fro Eest to West of the whyche lyne frome a lytell crosse in the bordure vnto the centure of the large hole is cleped the Eest lyne or els the lyne oriental and the remenaunt of the lyne fro the forsayd Orientall vnto the bordure is ycleped the west lyne or the lyne occidentall ¶ Nowe hast thou here the foure quarters of thyn Astrolabye deuyded after the foure principal plages or quarters of the fyrmament ¶ Whyche is the ryght syde and whyche is the lyfte THe Eest syde of the Astrolaby is cleaped the ryght syde and the weste syde is cleaped the lyft syde Foryet not this lytel Lowys Put y e rynge of thyne Astrolabye vpon the thombe of thy ryght hande and than wyl hys ryght syde by towarde thy lyfte syde and hys lyfte syde woll be towarde thy ryght syde Take thys rule generall as well on the backe as on the wombe syde Vpon the ende of thys Eest lyne as I fyrste sayde is ymarked a lytell crosse where as euermore generallye is consydred the entrynge of the Eest degre in the whyche the sunne aryseth ¶ The degrees fro the Eest lyne to the South FRo the lytell crosse vp to the ende of the meridionall lyne vnder the rynge shalte thou fynde the bordure deuyded with .xc. degrees and by that same proporciō is euery quarter of thyn Astrolaby deuyded ouer y e which degrees there ben nombres of augrym that deuyden thylke same degrees fro .v. to .v. as sheweth by lōge strykes bytwen of y e which longe strykes the space bytwene conteyneth a myle waye and euery degree of thylke bordure cōteyneth foure minutes that is to say foure mynutes of an houre ¶ Of the twelue sygnes Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer and the other VNder the cōpas of thilke degrees ben wrytten the names of the twelue signes as Aries Taurus Gemini Cācer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagitarius Capricornus Aquaries and pisses And y e nombres of the degrees of the sygnes ben wryttē in augrymatioue and wyth longe diuysious from fyue to fyue deuydeth from the tyme that y e signe entreth vnto the laste ende But vnderstande wel that these degrees of signes ben euerych of hem consydred of .lx. mynutes and euerye mynute of .lx. secondes so forth into smale fractions infynite as sayth Alcabucius And therfore knowe well that a degre of the bordure conteyneth .iiii. mynutes and a degre of a sygne contayneth .lx. mynutes haue thys in mynde ¶ The cercle of the dayes NExte thys foloweth the cercle of the dayes that ben fygured in maner of the degrees that conteynen in nombre CCClxv deuyded also wyth longe strykes from .v. to .v. and the nōbres of augrim wrytten vnder the cercle ¶ The cercle of the .xii. monethes NExte the cercle of dayes foloweth the cercle of the .xii. names of the monethes that is to say Ianuarius Februarius Marcius Apryll Maius Iunius Iulius August September October Nouember December The names of these mōthes taken her names some for properties some by statutes of emperours and some by other lordes of Rome Eke of these mōthes as lyked to Iulius Cesar and Cesar Augustus some were ycompowned of dyuers nōbres of dayes as Iuly August Then hath Ianuarius .xxxi. dayes Februarius .xxviij. Marcius .xxxi. April .xxx. May .xxxi. Iunius xxx August .xxxi. September .xxx. October xxxi Nouember .xxx. December .xxxi. Nathelesse all though that Iulius Cesar toke two dayes out of Feueryre and put hem in hys month of Iuly and Augustus Cesar cleped the moneth of Auguste after hys name and ordeyned it of .xxxi. dayes yet truste well that the sunne dwelleth therfore neuer the more ne the lasse in one sygne then in another ¶ The names of the holy dayes Then foloweth the names of the holy dayes in the kalender and next hem y e letters A.B.C. on whych they fallen ¶ The scale of the Astrolabye NExt the forsayd cercle of the A. B.C vnder the crosse lyne is marked the scale in maner of two squyers or els in maner of ledders that serueth by hys xxij poyntes and hys dyuysions of full many subtyll conclusyon of thys forsayde scale For the crosse lyne vnto the very angle is cleped Vmbra recta or els vmbra extensa and the nether party vmbra versa ¶ The rule Then hast thou a brode rule that hath on euery ende a square plate parted wyth certayne holes some more and some lesse to receyuen the streames of the sunne by day and eke by mediacion of thyne eye to knowe the altytude of the sterres by nyght ¶ The pyn whych is ymagined to be pole artyke and the horse Then is there a large pyn in maner of an exyltre that goth thorowe the hole that halt the tables of the clymathes in y
stronge degree in an other sygne is bycause that the latitude of the starre fyxe is eyther Northe or South fro the equinoctiall But sothly the latitudes of planetes ben comenly reckened fro the eclyptyke bycause that none of hem declineth but fewe degrees out fro the brede of the zodyake And take good kepe of thys chapiter of arysyng of celestiall bodyes for there trusteth wel that neyther moone neyther starre in our ambolyfe orizont that aryseth with the same degree of hys longitude saue in one case and that is whan they haue no longitude fro the eclyptyke lyne But neuerthelesse somtyme is eueryche of these planettes vnder the same lyne ¶ To knowe the declinacyon of euery degre in the zodiake fro the equinoctial cerâ—â—e SEt the degre of any sygne vpon the lyne meridional and recken his altitude in the almycanteras fro the Eest orizont vp to y e same degree set in the foresayde lyne set there a prycke â–ª Turne vp than thy reet and sette the heed of Aries or Libra in the same meridionall lyne and set there an other prycke And whan that is done consydre the altytudes of hem both for sothly the difference of thylke altitude is the declynacyon of thylke degree fro the equinoctiall And yf it so be that thylke degree be Northwarde fro the equinoctiall than is his declinacyon North and yf it be southward than is it South ¶ To knowe for what latitude in any regyon the almycanteras in my tables ben compowned REken how many degrees of almicanteras in the meridionall lyne be from the cercle equinoctiall vnto the sygnet or els from the pole artike vnto the north orizonte and for so greate a latitude or so smal a latitude is the table compowned ¶ To knowe the latitude of the sunne in the myddes of the daye that is cleped the altitude meridian SEt the degree of thy sunne vpon the lyne meridionall and reken how many degrees of almicantras ben betwyxt thyne eest orizont and the degre of thy sunne and take there thyne altitude meridian that is to sayne y e hyghest degre of the sunne as for that day So mayest thou knowe in the same lyne the hyghest lyne that anye starre fyxe clymbeth by night this is to sayn that whan any starre fyxe is passed the lyne meridional than begynneth it to discende and so doth the sunne ¶ To knowe the degre of the Sunne by the reet for a maner coriouste SEke busily with thy rule y e highest of the sunne in the myddes of the day turne than thyne astrolaby and w t a pryck of ynke marke the nombre of the same altitude in the lyne meridionall Turne than thy reet about tyll thou fynde a degre of thy zodiake according with the prycke this is to sayne syttyng on the prycke and in soth thou shalt fynde but 2. degrees in all the zodiake of that condicioÌ„ And yet thylke .2 degrees ben in dyuers sygnes Than mayest thou lyghtly by the seasen of the yere knowe the sygne in whiche is the sunne ¶ To knowe which day is lyke to other in length throughout the yere LOke whiche degrees ben ylyke from the heedes of Cancer and Capricorne and loke whan the sunne is in any of thilk degrees than ben the dayes like of leÌ„gth that is to sayne that as longe is that day in the moneth as was suche a daye in suche a moneth there varyeth but lytle Also if thou take two dayes naturelles in the yere ylyke farre from either poyntes of the equinoctial in the opposyte partyes than as long is the daye artificiall on that one daye as on that other and eke the contrary ¶ This chapiter is a maner declaracion to conclusyons that foloweth VNderstande well that thy zodiake is departed into halfe cercles from the heed of Capricorne vnto y e heed of Cancer and ayenwarde from the heed of Cancer vnto the heed of Caprycorne The heed of Caprycorne is the loweste poynte where as the sunne goth in wynter and the heed of Cancer is y e hyghest poynt in which the Sunne goeth in Sommer And therefore vnderstande wel that any two degrees that bene ylyke farre from any of these two heedes trust well that thylke two degrees ben lyke declynacyon be it Southwarde or Northwarde and the dayes of hem be lyke of length and the nyghtes also and shadowes ylyke and the altitudes ylyke at myddaye for euer ¶ To knowe the very degree of anye maner starre straunge after his latitude though he be indetermynate in thyne astrolaby sothly to the trouth thus he shal be knowen TAke the altytude of thy starre whan he is on the eest syde of the lyne meridional as nygh as thou mayest gesse and take an ascendent anon ryght by some maner starre fyxe which thou knowest and forget not the altitude of the fyrst starre ne thyne ascendent And whan that thys is doone aspye dylygentlye whan thys same fyrste starre passeth any thinge to the southwestwarde and catche hym anon ryght in the same nombre of the altitude on the west syde of this lyne meridionall as he was caught on the Eeste syde and take a newe ascendent anon ryght by some maner fyxe the whiche that thou knowest and forget not this seconde ascendent And whan this is done reken thaÌ„ how many degrees ben betwixt the first ascendeÌ„t and the seconde ascendent and reken well y e mydle degre betwixt both ascendentes and set thylke mydle degree vpon thyne eest oryzont and than loke what degre syt vpon the lyne meridional take there y e very degre of the ecliptyke in whiche the starre standeth for the tyme. For in the eclyptyke is the longitude of a celestial body rekened euen fro y e halfe of the heed of Aries vnto the ends of Pisces and his latitude reckened after the quantitie of his declination North or south towarde the poles of this werke As thus yf it be of the sunne or any fyxe starre recken this latitude or his declinacyon fro the equinoctial cercle and yf it be of a planete reken than the quantitie of his latitude from the ecliptike lyne albeit so that from the equinoctiall maye the declinacion or the latitude of any body celestial be rekened after the syght North or South and after the quantitie of his declinacion And yet so manye the latytude or the declinacion of any body celestial saue only of the sunne after his syght north or South And after the quantitie of his declinacion be rekened from the ecliptike lyne fro which lyne al planetes somtyme declyne North or South saue onelye the forsayde sunne ¶ To knowe degrees of longitudes of fyre sterres after that they ben determinat in thyne astrolabye if it so be that they ben truly set SEt y e centre of the ster vpon the lyne meridionall and take kepe of thy zodyake and loke what degree of any sygne syt vpon the same lyne meridional at the same tyme and there the degre in which the
arch of y e nyght is there ylyke longe and the sunne twyse euery yere passynge through the signet of her heed and 2. somers and .2 wynters in a yere haue these foresayde people and the almycantras in her Astrolabye ben streyght as a lyne so hath shewed in this fygure The vtilities to knowe the ascencyons of sygnes in the ryght cercle is this Trust well that be mediations of thylke ascencyons these Astrologiens by her tables and her instrumētes knowen verely the ascencion of euery degre and mynute in all the zodiake in the embolyfe cercle as shall be shewed And note that this forsayd ryght oryzont that is ycleped orizōte rectum deuideth the equinoctial into ryght angles and embolyfe orizont where as the poole is enhaunced vpon the orizont ouercommeth the equinoctial in embolyfe angles ¶ This is the conclusyon to knowe the ascēcyons of sygnes in the ryght cercle that is circulus directus SEt the heed of what sygne the lyst to knowe the ascending on the ryght cercle vpon the lyne meridionall and wayte where thyne almury toucheth the bordure and set there a prycke tourne than thy rete westwarde tyll the ende of the forsayde sygne set vpon the meridionall lyne and eft sones wayt where thine almury toucheth y e bordure set there an other prycke Recken than the nombres of degrees in the bordure betwyxt both pryckes and take than the ascencyon of the sygne in the ryght cercle and thus mayest thou werke with euery porcyō of the zodyake ¶ To knowe the astencions of signes in the embolyfe cercle in euery regyon I meane in circulo obliquo SEt the heed of the sygnes whiche as the lyst to knowe his ascenciō vpon the eest orizonte and wayte where thyne almurye toucheth y e bordure and set there a prycke tourne than thy reete vpwarde tyll the ende of the same sygne set vpon the eest orizonte and wayte eftsones where as thyne almury toucheth y e bordure and set there an other prycke reken than the nombre of the degrees in the bordure betwyxt bothe pryckes and take there the ascencyon of the sygne in the embolyfe cercle And vnderstande well that all the sygnes in the zodyake from the heed of Aries vnto the ende of Virgo ben cleaped sygnes of the north from the equinoctial and these sygnes arysen betwyxt the very eest and the very north in our orizonte generally for euer and all the sygnes from the heed of Libra vnto the ende of Pisces ben cleped signes of the south fro the equinoctiall and these sygnes arysen euermore betwyxte the verye Eest and the very South in our orizont also euery sygne betwyxte the heed of Caprycorne vnto the ende of Gemini ariseth in our orizont in lesse than two houres equalles these same signes from the heed of Caprycorne vnto the ende of Gemini ben called tortuous signes or croked sygnes for they rysen embolife in our orizont and these croked sygnes bene obedient to the signes that ben of the ryght ascencion These sygnes of the right ascencion ben from the heed of Cancer vnto the heed of sagitarye and these signes arysen more vpryght than doeth the other and therfore they ben called soueraygne sygnes and euery of hem ariseth in more space than in two houres of which signes Gemini obeyeth to Cancer and Taurus to Leo and Aries to Virgo Pisces to Libra Aquarius to Scorpio and Capricorne to Sagittarye and thus euermore two sygnes that ben farre from the heed of Capricorne obeyeth eueryche of hem to other ¶ To know iustly the foure quarters of the worlde as eest west south and north TAke the altitude of thy sunne whan thou lyst and note well the quarter of the worlde in which the sunne is from the tyme by the asimutes tourne than thyne astrolaby and set the degree of the sun in y e almycantras of hys altytude on thylke syde that the sunne standethe as is in maner of takynge of houres and ley thy labell on the degree of the sunne and reken howe many degrees of the sunne ben betwene the lyne meridional and the poynte of thy labell and note well the nombres Tourne than agayne thyne astrolabye and set the poynt of thy greate rule there thou takest thyne altytudes vpō as many degrees in hys bordure from his meridionall as was the poynte of thy labell from the lyne merydyonall on the wombe syde Take than thyne astrolabye wyth bothe handes sadly and slylye and let the sunne shyne throughe bothe holes of thy rule and slylye in thylke shynynge ley thyne astrolabye couche adoun euen vpon a plaine grounde and than wyll the meridional lyne of thyne astrolabye be euen southe and the Eest lyne wyl lye euen Eest the weste lyne west the North lyne Northe so that thou werke softely and auysely in the couchynge and thou hast thus foure quarters of the firmament c. ¶ To knowe the altitude of planetes from the waye of the sunne whether they bene North or south fro the waye aforesayd LOke whā a planete is on y e lyne meridionall yf that her altitude be of the same height that is the degree of the sunne for that day and than is the planet in the verey waye of the sunne and hath no latitude And yf the altitude of the planet be hyer thā the degree of the sunne than is the planette North from the waye of the sygne Southe a quantyte of latitude as sheweth by thyne Almicantras and yf the altitude be lesse thā the degree of the sunne than is the planette Southe from the waye of the sunne suche a quantyte of latitude as sheweth by thine almicantras This is to fayne from the waye of the sunne in euery place of the zodiake for on the morowe the sunne wyll be in another degree ¶ For to knowe the sygnet for the arysyng of the sunne thys is to sayne the partye of the orizonte in which the sūne ariseth THou must fyrst consyder that the sūne aryseth not in the verey Eest sygnet sometyme by North Eest and somtyme by South Eest sothly the sunne aryseth euermore in the verey Eest in our orizonte but yf he be in the heed of Aryes or Libra Nowe is thyne orizonte departed in to .24 partes of thy mynutes in sygnyfycacyon of .24 partes of the worlde thoughe it be so that shypmen reken all that parties .32 Thā is there no more but wayte in the whych mynute that the sunne entreth at hys arysynge and take there the signet of the rysinge of the sunne ¶ The maner of deuision of thine astrolaby is thus enioyned as in this case FYrst it is deuyded in four places principally with the lyne that cometh fro the Eest to the weste and than with another lyne that goth fro the South to the Northe than is it deuided in smale parties of mynutes as Eest and Eest by Southe where that is the fyrste mynute aboue y e eest line and so forth fro
the pynne entreth any thynge wyth the cercle of the compace one heer brede and make there a pricke wyth ynke abyde than styll wayting on the sunne after one of the clocke tyl that the shadowe of the pynne or of the wyre passe anye thynge out of the cercle or compace be it neuer so litle and sette there a pricke Take thā a compace and measure euen the middle bytwyxe both the pryckes set there a prycke take than a rule and drawe a stryke euen fro the pynne vnto the myddle pricke and take there the line meridional for euermore as in the same place And yf thou drawe a crosse ouerthwart the compace iustly ouer the line meridionall than haste thou Eest and west per cōsequens the oppositife that is south and North. ¶ Discription of the meridionall lyne and of the longitudes latitudes of cityes and townes as wel as of clymates THys lyne meridional is but a maner discription of a lyne ymagined that passeth vpon y e poles of the worlde by the sygnet of oure heed it is cleped the sygnette for in what place that any mā is at any tyme of the yere whan the sūne by meuyng of the firmament cometh to hys meridionall place than is it the verey myddaye that we clepe noone and therfore it is cleaped the lyne of myddaye Than take hede that euermore of two cities or of townes of whyche the one approcheth nerer the Eest than dothe the other towne truste well that thylke two twones haue diuers meridians Take kepe also y t the arche of the equinoctial that is conteyned bounded bytwene the two meridians is cleped y e lōgitude of the towne And if so be that two townes haue meridian lyke or one meridian than is the distaunce of hem bothe lyke farre in thys maner they chaunge not her meridian but sothly they chaunge her almicanteras for the haunsynge of the poole and the distaunce of the sunne The longitude of a clymate may be cleaped the space of the erth fro the begynnynge of the fyrst clymate vnto the last ende of the same clymate euen directe ayenst the pole artike thus say some auctours And some clerkes say that yf men cleape the latitude of a centre the arch meridian that is conteined or intercepte betwixt the sygnette and the equinoctiall than they say that the distaunce fro the equinoctial vnto the ende of the clymate euen ayenste the poole artyke is the longitude of the clymate for South ¶ To knowe wyth what degre of the zodiake that any planette ascendeth on the orizont where hys latitude be North or South KNowe by thine almynake the degree of the eclyptike of any signe in whiche that the planette is rekened for to be and that is cleped the degree of his longitude And knowe also the degree of hys latitude fro the eclyptyke North or southe and by these ensamples folowyng in especiall thou mayst wirch wyth euerye signe of the zodiake The longitude perauenture of Venus or of an other planet was of Capricorne and the latitude of hym was northwarde Degrees fro the ecliptyke lyne than toke I a subtyl compace cleped the one poynte of my compace A and that other F thā toke I the poynte of A and set it in the celyptyke lyne and my zodiake in the degre of the longitude of heedes that is to saye in the heede of Capricorne and than set I the poynte of F vpwarde in the same sygne bycause that the altitude was Northe vpon the latitude of Venus y t is to saye in the degree fro the heed of Capricorne and thus haue I the degrees betwyxe my two prickes than layde I downe softly my compace and set the degree of y e longitude vpō the orizont thā toke I and waxed my labell in maner of a payre of tables to receiue distinctly y e pricke of my compace than toke I thys foresayd labell and layd it fixe ouer the degree of my longitude thā toke I vp my compace the pointe of A in y e waxe of my label as I coude gesse ouer the eclyptike lyne in the ende of the longitude I sette the pointe ouer endelonge on the labell vpon the space of the latytude inwarde and on the zodiake y t is to say northward fro the ecliptyke Thā layde I downe any compace and loked well in the way vpō the eclyptyke of A and F than turned I my reete tyl that the pricke of F sate vpon the orizont Than sawe I well that the bodye of Venus in her latytude of degrees septētrionals ascendeth in the ende of degree fro the heed of Capricorne And note that in thys maner thou myghtest werche wyth any latitude septemerionall in al signes But sothly the latitude meridional of a planet in Capricorne maye not be take bycause of the lytle space betwyxt the eclyptyke and the bordure of the astrolabye sykerlye in all other sygnes it maye be take Also the degree perauenture of Iupiter or of anye other planet was in the fyrste degree of Pisces in longitude and his latitude was degrees meridionall Than toke I the poynte of A and set it in the fyrst degre of Pisces on the ecliptyke than sette I the poynt downwarde of F in the same signe because that the latiude was South degrees that is to saye fro the heed of Pisces thus haue I degrees betwyxe bothe prickes Than sette I the degree of the longitude vpon the orizont than toke I my labell and layde hym fixe vpō the degree of longitude than sette I the poynte of A on my labell euē ouer the ecliptyke lyne in the ende of the degree of the longitude I sette the poynte of F endelonge on my label the space of degrees of the latitude out warde fro the zodiake that is to say southwarde fro the ecliptyke toward the bordure and than tourned I my reete tyll the poynte of F sate vpon the orizont than saw I well that the bodye of Iupiter in hys latytude of degrees meridionall ascendeth with the degre of Pisces in horescopo And in this maner thou mayst wyrch wyth any latitude as I sayd fyrste saue in capricorne And thou wylte plye thys crafte wyth the arysinge of the mone loke thou recken well the course of houre by houre for she dwelleth in a degree of her longitude but a lytle whyle as thou woste well but neuerthelesse yf thou legen wel her very menyng by the tables or after her course houre by houre thou shalt do well ynough ¶ Vmbra recta IF thou wylt wyrche with Vmbra recta yf thou myghte come to the base of the towre in thys maner shalt thou wyrch Take the altitude of the towre wyth both hooles so that the rule lye euē on a point Ensample as thus I se him through the point of 4 than mete I y e space betwyxe me and the toure and I fynde it 20 foote than beholde I howe 4 is to