good thynges ben now knowen alle comen of the seuen sciences that the philosophers fonde somtyme by their wyttes For therby had they vnderstondyng to loue god his vertues And the 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 â—â—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 that 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 whaÌ„ they haue not lerned that they ought to lerne there shal they haue more ê“uffyt of their scieÌ„ces the loued better to coÌ„quere clergye thaÌ„ the fool to coÌ„ne knowe to assemble the grete tresours the 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 cheuauÌ„ce the scieÌ„ces 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 vjo. NOw regneth clergye moche strongely in ffraunce in the cyte of parys as somtyme was in yeâ—yte of athenes whiche thenne was moche noble puyssauÌ„t The philosophers that thenne were whiche that oughte to teche lerne other acompted but thre maner of people in the world after their vnderstandyng and that were clerkes knyghtes and labourers The labourers ought to pourueye for the 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 wroÌ„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 the 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 the 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 the 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 theÌ„ne the kynge of fraunce of Englonde may be ioyous that there is in his royames suche seignourye as is scieÌ„ce 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 takeÌ„ 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 habouÌ„deth 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 emoÌ„ge 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 scieÌ„ce that after this mortal lyf they lese not the seignorye of heuen For by nature lygâ—age ought they alle to loue clergye alway to lerne it certes themperour of almaygne louyd wyth al his herte clergye And auauÌ„ced 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 enhauÌ„ce crysten fayth ¶ And therfore he neuer lefte but helde the THe first of the vij scieÌ„ces is gramayre of whiche for the tyme that is now is not knowen the fourth parte wythout whiche science sykerly alle other sciences in especial ben of lytyl recommeÌ„dacion by cause wythout gramayre ther may none prouffyte For gramâ—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 the meÌ„ speke wyth who that coude all gramayre he couthe make construe eueri worde and ê“nouÌ„ce it by exemple god made the worlde by worâ—e the word is to the world sentence ¶ Here foloweth of logyke ca. viij THe seconde scieÌ„ce is logike whiche is called dyaletyque This 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
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 xiiijo. 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 the 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 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 xvo. 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 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 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 th ende 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
perisshe for the 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 xvo. 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 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 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 xvjo. 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 on that other side of the leef sheweth the 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 xvijo. 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 roūde 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 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
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 xvjo. 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 in this manere he reneweth his byl And whaÌ„ 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 doun to slepe hym shold seme anon in his slepe dreming that alle the deuyllys of helle shold come to hym and wold straÌ„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 Caplo. 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 chalâ—e in colde water anon it chauffeth is hoot that nomaÌ„ may suffre his hand on it The rayes of the sonne make the heer of a man abourne or blouÌ„de 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 glaâ— 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 meâ—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 the 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 the 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 xviijo. 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 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