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
lyghtnyng is seen the yon 's herd somoche is the thondre more nygh vnto vs ¶ For to knowe how the wyndes growe come ca. xxix o OF the wyndes may men enquire reson of them that vse the sees And the wyndes renne round aboue therthe oftymes and entrecounte and mete in som place so asprely that they ryse vpon heyght in suche wyse that they lyft vp thayer on hye And thayer that is so lyft and taken fro his place remeueth other ayer in suche facion that it retorneth as it were afterward and gooth cryeng and brayeng as water rennyng For wynde is none other thyng but ayer that is meuyd so longe tyl his force be beten doun wyth the stroke Thus come ofte clowdes rayâ—es thondres and lyghtnynges and the thynges tofoâ—â— sayd Ther ben yet other resons how these werkes comen But thyse that beste serue to knowelege and lyghtly to be vnderstonde we haue drawen out shortly and now we shal cesse of this mater for to speke of the fyre whiche is aboue the ayer on hye ¶ Of the fyre and of the sterres that seme to falle Capitulo xxxo. YE ought to knowe that aboue thayer is the fyre this is an ayer whiche is of moche grete resplendour and shynyng and of moche grete noblesse by his right grete subtylte he hath no moysture in hym And is moche more clere than the fyre that we vse and of more subtyl nature than thayer is ayenst the water or also the water ayenst the erthe This ayer in whiche is no maner moysture It stratcheth vnto the mone And ther is seen ofte vnder this ayer somme sparkles of fyre and seme that they were sterres of whiche men saye they be sterres whiche goon rennyng and that they remeue fro their places But they be none but it is a maner of fyre that groweth in thayer of somme drye vapour whiche â–ª hath no moysture wythin it whiche is of therthe and therof groweth by the sonne whiche draweth it vpon hye whan it is ouer hye it falleth is sette a fyre lyke as a candel brennyng as vs semeth after falleth in thayer moyste and ther is quenchid by the moystnes of thayer And whan it is grete the ayer drye it cometh al brennyng vnto therthe wherof it happeth ofte that they that saylle by the see or they that goon by londe haue many tymes founden and seen them al shynyng brennyng falle vnto therthe whan they come where it is fallen they fynde none other thyng but a lytyl assâ—es or like thing or lyke som leef of a tree roten that were weet Thenne apperceyue they well and byleue that it is no sterre For the sterres may not falle but they muste alle in their cercle meue ordynatly and contynuelly nyght day egally ¶ Of the pure Ayer and how the seuen planetes ben sette Capitulo xxxjo. THe pure ayer is aboue the fire whiche purpryseth taketh his place vnto the heuen In this ayer is no obscurte ne derknes For it was made of clere purete it resplendissheth shyneth so clerly that it may to nothyng be compared in this ayer ben vij sterres whiche make their cours al aboute therthe The whiche be muche clene clere be named the vij planetes of whome that one is sette aboue that other in suche wyse ordeyned that ther is more space fro that one to the other Than ther is froÌ„ the erthe to the mone whiche is ferther fyften tymes than all the erthe is grete and euerich renneth by myracle on the firmament maketh his cercle that one grete that other lytyl after that it is sitteth more lowe For af somoche that it maketh his cours more nyghe therthe so moche is it more short sonner hath perfourmed his cours than that whiche is ferthest that is to saye that who that made a poynt in a walle and wyth a compaas made dyuerse cercles aboute alway that one more large than another That whiche shold be next the poynt shold be lest of the other lasse shold be his cours for he shold sonner haue don his cours than the grettest so that they wente both egally as ye may see by this fygure to fore THus we may vnderstande of the vij planetes of whiche I haue spoken that that one is vnder that other in suche wyse that she that is lowest of alle the other is leest of all and that is the mone but by cause that it is next to therthe it semeth grettest and most apparaunt of alle the other and for thapprochement of therthe and bycause it goth so nygh it hath not pure clerenes that cometh of hym self proprely by cause therthe is so obscure but the clernes lyght that it rendreth to vs she taketh alway of the sonne lyke as shold a myrrour whan the rayes of the sonne smyteth therin and of the reflexyon the myrrour smyteth on the walle and shyneth theron as longe as the rayes of the sonne endure in the glasse In lyke maner sheweth lyghteth to vs the lyght of the mone in the mone is a body polysshyd fayr lyke a pommell right wel burnysshed Whiche reflaumbeth and rendryth lyght and clerenes whaÌ„ the rayes of the sonne smyteth therin The lytyl clowdes or derkenes that is seen therin somme saye that it is therthe that appereth wythin And that whiche is water appereth whyte lyke as ayenst a myrrour whiche receyueth dyuerse colours whan she is torned therto other thynke other wyse saye that it happed byfelle whaÌ„ adam was deceyued by thapple that he ete whiche greued alle humanye lygnage And that thenne the mone was empesshed and his clerenesse lassed and mynuysshed Of thyse vij sterres or planetes that ben there and make their cours on the firmament of whom we haue here to fore spoken First were no moo knowen but the tweyne that is to wete the sonne the mone thr other were not knowen but by Astronomye Neuertheles yet shal I name them for as we haue spoken of them to yow of thyse ther ben tweyne aboue the mone byneth the sonne and that one aboue that other of whom eche hath on therthe propre vertues And they named mercurye venus Thenne aboue the mone and thyse tweyne is the sonne whiche is so clere fayr pure that it rendreth lyght clerenesse vnto alle the world and the sonne is sette so hye aboue that his cercle is gretter more spacyouse thaÌ„ the cercle of the mone whiche maketh his cours in xxx dayes xij sithes so moche For the sonne whiche gooth more ferther fro the erthe than the mone maketh his cours hath CCClxv dayes this is xij tyme somoche more ouer as the calender enseigneth yet more the fourth part of a day that be vj houres but for this that the yere hath dyuersly his begynnyng that one begynneth on the daye and another on the nyght whiche is grete ennoye to moche people
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
noman rendre the reson but that we ought to vnderstonde that alle this procedeth by myracle Yet ben ther other fontaynes whiche ben styll and clere Whiche that whan men pleye ouer them wyth harpe or other instrumentis that resowne in maner of consolacion by their sowne The water of those wellys sprynge vp wyth grete bobles and sprynge ouer in the waye Other fontaynes ben in other places whiche ben right peryllous But for this present we shal reste her wyth all For to telle of this that cometh by the waters whiche holde their cours wythin therthe and also aboue of whiche it happeth other while so grete a quauyng that the erthe meueth so strongly that it behoueth to falle alle that whiche is theron thaugh it were a massyue tour ¶ Wherfor and how the erthe quaueth and trembleth Capitulo xxijo. NOw vnderstande ye thenne what it is of the meuyng of the erthe And how the erthe quaueth and shaketh that somme people calle an erthe quaue by cause they fele therthe meue and quaue vnder theyr feet And oftymes it quaueth so terrybly and meueth that somtyme Cytees ben sonken in to therthe that neuer after be seen And this cometh of the grete waters that come wythin therthe so that by the puttyng out of the grete flodes and waters growe somme tyme cauernes vnder therthe And the ayer that is shette fast wythin the whiche is enclosed in grete distresse Yf therthe be there feble so that it may not reteyne it all wythin thenne is it constrayned to opene cleue For ayer enforceth to yssue out wherof it happeth ofte that townes cytees and castellys ben sonken doun into the abysme And yf therthe be of suche force and strengthe that it openeth not ne cleueth by the shouynge or heuynge of the wyndes that ben wythin Thenne therthe meueth quaueth so meruayllously that the grete walles and hye towres that ben theron falle doun so sodenly in therthe that it destroyeth and sleeth the people that ben therin whiche ben not aduysed ne pourueyed of suche daungers Whiche is a grete sorowe for the pour peple that dwelle where suche meschief happeth whan they be not aduertysed at what tyme suche tempeste shal come for teschewe it But wyse men that doubte for to deye arme them and make them redy ayenst the deth And gyue alle dylygence for to seche to haue accordaunce vnto the souerayn Iudge of their synnes and defaultes after their lawe and byleue that they haue as they that haue none houre ne space to lyue where as they ben hool and wel at ease Thus the water and the wynde maken the right meuyng and quauyng by whiche the erthe cleueth and quaueth ¶ How the water of the see becometh salt Capitulo xxiij NOw I wyl recounte and telle to yow how the water of the see becometh salt whiche is so bittre that no persone may drynke ne the bestys in lyke wyse hit cometh by the sonne on hye For it maketh so grete hete in somme place that the see is chauffed so strongly that therthe whiche is vnder draweth to hym a moysture byttre which taketh away alle sauour For in the see ben right grete and hye montaynes and depe valeyes whiche ben ful of bitternesses greuous and infected And the erthe whiche is in the bottom of thyse valeyes scumeth for the heete of the sonne vpward Whiche medleth wyth the water in the depe in suche wyse that it draweth the saltnes vp by the hete of the sonne so longe tyl it be medlyd wyth that other And thus is the water of the see salt wyth that other Thenne we shall here fynysshe to speke ony more of the watres fressh or salt And shal recounte to yow of the Ayer whiche is one of the iiij Elementis and of his propretees ¶ Here foloweth of Ayer and of his nature Ca xxiiij THe Ayer is sette aboue the water is moche more subtyl than the water or the erthe and enuyronneth therthe on alle partyes and domyneth also hye as the clowdes moūte This ayer which enuyronneth vs on all sydes is moche thycke But we lyue therby in lyke wyse as the fysshe lyueth by the water whiche he draweth in and after casteth it out agayn In suche maner the ayer prouffyteth to vs For we drawe it in and after we put it out agayn And thus it holdeth the lyf wythin the body For a man shold sonner deye wythout ayer than a fysshe shold doo wyth out water to whom the lyf is sone fynysshid whan it is out of the water Thayer maynteneth in vs the lyf by the moysture that is in hym And by the thycknes that is in hym he susteyneth the byrdes fleeyng that so playe wyth their wynges and meue them so moche al aboute therin that they disporte them ledyng their Ioye therin and their deduyt ▪ Thus goon the byrdes by thayer fleyng syngyng and preysyng their maker and creatour lyke as the fysshes that goon swymmyng in the water And ye may apperceyue in this maner take a rodde and meue it in thayer and yf ye meue it fast and roydly it shal bowe anon And yf it fonde not thayer thycke it shold not bowe ne ploye but shold holde him strayght and right how faste someuer ye meued it of this Ayer the euyl esperytes take their habyte and their bodyes whiche in somtyme put them in the semblaunce of somme thynges as whan they may appere in som place for to deceyue som persone man or woman or for to make them to yssue out of their mynde wherof they haue sōtyme thou might Or whan by the arte of nygromancye he putteth hym in somme semblaunce or in suche a fygure as he wylle But this is a science that who that gyueth hym therto to doo euyl hit gyueth hym the deth For yf he taketh not hede therof he shal be dampned body and sowle But we shal enquyre here after what cometh fro thayer in to therthe ¶ How the clowdes rayn come comynly Ca. xxv NOw we shal speke of the clowdes for to knowe what it is and of the rayne also The sonne is the foundement of alle hete and of alle tyme. all in suche wyse as the herte of a man is the foūdement by his valour that is in hym of all natural hete For by hym he hath lyf all lyueth by hym that groweth on therthe as it pleseth to our lord as here after shal be declared yf ye wyl here and well reteyne the mater and substaunce of this present beoke for the sonne maketh the clowdes to mounte on hye and after it maketh the rayne and to auale doun And I shal shewe to yow how it is doon shortly by his force and vnderstande ye in what manere whan the sonne spredeth his rayes vpon therthe vpon the mareys he dreyeth them strongely And draweth vp the moysture whiche he enhaunseth on hye But this is a moysture subtyl whiche appereth but lytyl and is named