[Sidenote: [The sixte met{ur}.]]
[Sidenote: He who sows his seed when the sun is in the Sign of
Cancer, must look for no produce.]
++Whan þat þe heuy sterre of þe cancre eschaufeþ by
þe beme of pheb{us}. þat is to seyne whan þat pheb{us} 612
þe sonne is in þe signe of þe Cancre. Who so ȝeueþ
þan largely hys sedes to þe feldes þat refuse to receiuen
hem. lete hym gon bygyled of trust þat he
hadde to hys corn. to acorns or okes.
[Sidenote: Think not to ingather violets in the wintry and stormy
season.]
yif þou wilt 616
gadre violettȝ. ne go þou not to þe purp{er} wode whan
þe felde chirkynge agriseþ of colde by þe felnesse of
þe wynde þat hyȝt aquilon
[Sidenote: If you wish for wine in autumn let the tendrils of the
vine be free in the spring.]
Yif þou desirest or
¶ wolt vsen grapes ne seke þou nat wiþ a gloto{n}us hande [[pg 26]]
to streine {and} p{re}sse þe stalkes of þe vine in þe first 621
somer sesou{n}. for bachus þe god of wyne haþ raþer
ȝeuen his ȝiftes to autu{m}pne þe latter ende of somer.
[Sidenote: To every work God assigns a proper time, nor suffers
anything to pass its bounds.]
[Sidenote: [* fol. 8.]]
¶ God tokeniþ {and} assigneþ *þe tymes. ablyng hem 624
to her p{ro}pre offices. ¶ Ne he ne suffreþ not stoundes
whiche þat hym self haþ deuided {and} co{n}streined to
be medeled to gidre
[Sidenote: Success does not await him who departs from the
appointed order of things.]
¶ And forþi he þat forleteþ
certeyne ordinaunce of doynge by ou{er}þrowyng wey. 628
he ne haþ no glade issue or ende of hys werkes.
[Linenotes:
612 _beme_--beemes
_seyne_--seyn
614 _hys_--hise
_refuse_--refusen
615 after _hem_ C. adds [s. corn]
_lete hym gon_ (MS. _gone_)--lat hym gon
616 _or_--of
_wilt gadre_--wolt gadery
618 _felde_--feeld
_felnesse_--felnesses
619 _hyȝt_--hyhte
620 _hande_--hond
622 _haþ_--MS. haþe
625 _her propre_--heer{e} propres
_not_--nat the
626 _haþ_--MS. haþe
627 _be medeled_--ben I-medled
628 _certeyne_--certeyn
629 _haþ_--MS. haþe]
[Headnote:
DISCOVERS THE CAUSE OF HIS DISTEMPER.]