[Sidenote: [The fyfthe Met{ur}.]]
++Who so þat ne knowe nat þe sterres of arctour yto{ur}ned neye to þe
souereyne contre or point. þat is to seyne yto{ur}ned neye to þe
souereyne pool of þe firmament {and} woot nat whi þe sterre boetes
passeþ or gaderiþ his wey[n]es. {and} drencheþ his late flaumbes in þe
see. {and} whi þat boetes þe sterre vnfoldiþ his ouer swifte arisynges.
þan shal he wo{n}dre{n} of þe lawe of þe heye eyre. {and} eke if þat he
ne knowe nat why þat þe hornes of þe ful[le] moene waxen pale {and}
infect by þe bou{n}des of þe derke nyȝt ¶ and how þe moene dirk {and}
confuse discouereþ þe sterres. þat she had[de] ycouered by hir clere
visage. þe co{m}mune errour moeueþ folk {and} makiþ wery hir bacines of
bras by þikke strookes. þat is to seyne þat þer is a maner poeple þat
hyȝt[e] coribandes þat wenen þat whan þe moone is in þe eclips þat it be
enchau{n}tid. and þerfore forto rescowe þe moone þei betyn hire basines
wiþ þikke strokes. ¶ Ne no man ne wondreþ whan þe blastes of þe wynde
chorus betyn þe strondes of þe see by quakynge floodes. ne no man ne
wondreþ whan þe weyȝte of þe snowe yhardid by þe colde. is resolued by
þe brennynge hete of phebus þe sonne. ¶ For here seen men redyly þe
causes. but þe causes yhid þat is to seye in heuene trouble þe brestes
of men. ¶ þe moeueable poeple is a-stoned of alle þinges þat comen selde
{and} sodeynely in oure age. but yif þe troubly errour of oure
ignora{n}ce departid[e] from vs. so þat we wisten þe causes whi þat
swiche þinges bitiden. certys þei sholde{n} cesse to seme wondres.