41_b_. UMBRA RECTA.

An-other maner of werking upon the same syde. Loke upon which

poynt thy rewle falleth whan thou seest the top of the tour thorow two

litil holes; and mete than the space fro thy foot to the baas of the

tour; and right as the nombre of thy poynt hath him-self to 12, right

so the mesure be-tween thee and the tour hath him-self to the heighte 5

of the same tour. Ensample: I sette caas thy rewle falle upon 8;

than is 8 two-thrid partyes of 12; so the space is the two-thrid partyes

of the tour.

42_a_. UMBRA VERSA.

To knowe the heyghth by thy poyntes of _umbra versa_. Yif thy

rewle falle upon 3, whan thou seest the top of the tour, set a prikke

there-as thy foot stont; and go ner til thou mayst see the same top at

the poynt of 4, and sette ther another lyk prikke. Than mete how

many foot ben be-tween the two prikkes, and adde the lengthe up to 5

thyn eye ther-to; and that shal be the heyght of the tour. And note,

that 3 is [the] fourthe party of 12, and 4 is the thridde party of 12.

Now passeth 4 the nombre of 3 be the distaunce of 1; therfore the

same space, with thyn heyght to thyn eye, is the heyght of the tour.

And yif it so be that ther be 2 or 3 distaunce in the nombres, so

shulde 10

the mesures be-tween the prikkes be twyes or thryes the heyghte of

the tour.

43_a_. AD COGNOSCENDUM ALTITUDINEM ALICUIUS REI PER UMBRAM RECTAM.

To knowe the heyghte of thinges, yif thou mayst nat come to the

bas of a thing. Sette thy rewle upon what thou wilt, so that thou may

see the top of the thing thorw the two holes, and make a marke ther

thy foot standeth; and go neer or forther, til thou mayst see thorw

another poynt, and marke ther a-nother marke. And loke than what 5

is the differense be-twen the two poyntes in the scale; and right as

that difference hath him to 12, right so the space be-tween thee and

the two markes hath him to the heyghte of the thing. Ensample: I

set caas thou seest it thorw a poynt of 4; after, at the poynt of 3.

Now passeth the nombre of 4 the nombre of 3 be the difference of 1; 10

and right as this difference 1 hath him-self to 12, right so the mesure

be-tween the two markes hath him to the heyghte of the thing, putting

to the heyghte of thy-self to thyn eye; and thus mayst thou werke

fro 1 to 12.

42_b_. PER UMBRAM VERSAM.

Furthermore, yif thou wilt knowe in _umbra versa_, by the craft of

_umbra recta_, I suppose thou take the altitude at the poynt of 4, and

makest a marke; and thou goost neer til thou hast it at the poynt of

3, and than makest thou ther a-nother mark. Than muste thou

devyde 144 by eche of the poyntes be-fornseyd, as thus: yif thou 5

devyde 144 be 4, and the nombre that cometh ther-of schal be 36, and

yif thou devyde 144 be 3, and the nombre that cometh ther-of schal be

48, thanne loke what is the difference be-tween 36 and 48, and ther

shalt thou fynde 12; and right as 12 hath him to 12, right so the space

be-tween two prikkes hath him to the altitude of the thing. 10

COMMENTARY ("FOOTNOTES").

Little Lewis my son, I perceive that thou wouldst learn the Conclusions of

the Astrolabe; wherefore I have given thee an instrument constructed for

the latitude of Oxford, and purpose to teach thee _some_ of these

conclusions. I say _some_, for three reasons; (1) because some of them are

unknown in this land; (2) because some are uncertain; or else (3) are too

hard. This treatise, divided into five parts, I write for thee in English,

just as Greeks, Arabians, Jews, and Romans were accustomed to write such

things in their own tongue. I pray all to excuse my shortcomings; and thou,

Lewis, shouldst thank me if I teach thee as much in English as most common

treatises can do in Latin. I have done no more than compile from old

writers on the subject, and I have translated it into English solely for

thine instruction; and with this sword shall I slay envy.

The _first_ part gives a description of the instrument itself.

The _second_ teaches the practical working of it.

The _third_ shall contain tables of latitudes and longitudes of fixed

stars, declinations of the sun, and the longitudes of certain towns.

The _fourth_ shall shew the motions of the heavenly bodies, and especially

of the moon.

The _fifth_ shall teach a great part of the general rules of astronomical

theory.

Here begins the _first_ part; i.e. the description of the Astrolabe itself.

1. _The Ring._ See figs. 1 and 2. The Latin name is _Armilla suspensoria_;

the Arabic name is spelt _alhahuacia_ in MS. Camb. Univ. Ii. 3. 3, but

Stöffler says it is _Alanthica_, _Alphantia_, or _Abalhantica_. For the

meaning of 'rewle,' see § 13.

2. _The Turet._ This answers nearly to what we call an _eye_ or a _swivel_.

The metal plate, or loop, to which it is fastened, or in which it turns, is

called in Latin _Ansa_ or _Armilla Reflexa_, in Arabic _Alhabos_.

3. _The Moder._ In Latin, _Mater_ or _Rotula_. This forms the body of the

instrument, the back of which is shewn in fig. 1, the front in fig. 2. The

'large hole' is the wide depression sunk in the front of it, into which the

various discs are dropped. In the figure, the 'Rete' is shewn fitted into

it.

4. See fig. 1; Chaucer describes the 'bak-half' of the instrument first.

The centre of the 'large hole amydde' is the centre of the instrument,

where a smaller hole is pierced completely through. The _Southe lyne_

(marked _Meridies_ in figs. 1 and 2) is also called _Linea Meridiei;_ the

_North lyne_ is also named _Linea Mediæ Noctis_.

5. The _Est lyne_ is marked with the word _Oriens;_ the _West lyne_, with

_Occidens_.

6. The rule is the same as in heraldry, the _right_ or _dexter_ side being

towards the spectator's left.

7. As the 360 degrees answer to 24 hours of time, 15° answer to an hour,

and 5° to twenty minutes, or a _Mile-way_, as it is the average time for

walking a mile. So also 1° answers to 4 minutes of time. See the two

outermost circles in fig. 1, and the divisions of the 'border' in fig. 2.

8. See the third and fourth circles (reckoning inwards) in fig. 1.

9. See the fifth and sixth circles in fig. 1.

10. See the seventh, eighth, and ninth circles in fig. 1. The names of the

months are all Roman. The month formerly called _Quinctilis_ was first

called _Julius_ in B.C. 44; that called _Sextilis_ was named _Augustus_ in

B.C. 27. It is a mistake to say that Julius and Augustus made the

alterations spoken of in the text; what Julius Cæsar really did, was to add

2 days to the months of January, August (Sextilis), and December, and 1 day

to April, June, September, and November. February never had more than 28

days till he introduced bissextile years.

11. See the two inmost circles in fig. 1. The names given are adopted from

a comparison of the figures in the Cambridge University and Trinity MSS.,

neither of which are quite correct. The letters of the 'Abc.' are what we

now call the Sunday letters. The festivals marked are those of St. Paul

(Jan. 25), The Purification (Feb. 2), The Annunciation (Mar. 25), The

Invention of the Holy Cross (May 3), St. John the Baptist (June 24), St.

James (July 25), St. Lawrence (Aug. 10), The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

(Sept. 8), St. Luke (Oct. 18), St. Martin of Tours (Nov. 11), and St.

Thomas (Dec. 21).

12. The 'scale' is in Latin _Quadrans_, or _Scala Altimetra_. It is certain

that Chaucer has here made a slip, which cannot be fairly laid to the

charge of the scribes, as the MSS. agree in transposing _versa_ and

_recta_. The side-parts of the scale are called _Umbra versa_, the lower

part _Umbra recta_ or _extensa_. This will appear more clearly at the end

of Part II. (I here give a _corrected text_.)

13. See fig. 3, Plate III. Each plate turns on a hinge, just like the

'sights' of a gun. One is drawn flat down, the other partly elevated. Each

plate (_tabella vel pinnula_) has two holes, the smaller one being the

lower. This _Rewle_ is named in Arabic _Alhidada_ or _Al´id[=a]da;_ in

Latin _Verticulum_, from its turning easily on the centre; in Greek

_Dioptra_, as carrying the sights. The straight edge, passing through the

centre, is called the _Linea Fiduciæ_. It is pierced by a hole in the

centre, of the same size as that in the _Mother_.

14. See fig. 4, Plate III. The _Pin_ is also called _Axis_ or _Clavus_, in

Latin-Arabic _Alchitot;_ it occupies the position of the Arctic or North

Pole, passing through the centre of the plates that are required to turn

round it. The _Wedge_ is called _cuneus_, or _equus restringens_, in Arabic

_Alfaras_ or the horse, because it was sometimes cut into the shape of a

horse, as shewn in fig. 7, Plate IV, which is copied from MS. Univ. Camb.

Ii. 3. 3.

15. See fig. 2, Plate II. In the figure, the cross-lines are partly hidden

by the _Rete_, which is separate and removable, and revolves within the

border.

16. The _Border_ was also called _Margilabrum_, _Margolabrum_, or _Limbus_.

It is marked (as explained) with hour-letters and degrees. Each degree

contains 4 minutes _of time_, and each of these minutes contains 60 seconds

_of time_.

17. We may place under the _Rete_ any plates we please. If only the

_Mother_ be under it, without any plate, we may suppose the _Mother_ marked

as in fig. 2. The plate or disc (_tympanum_) which was usually dropped in

under the _Rete_ is that shewn in fig. 5, Plate III, and which Chaucer now

describes. Any number of these, marked differently for different latitudes,

could be provided for the Astrolabe. The greatest declination of the sun

measures the obliquity of the ecliptic, the true value of which is slightly

variable, but was about 23° 31' in Chaucer's time, and about 23° 40' in the

time of Ptolemy, who certainly assigns to it too large a value. The value

of it must be known before the three circles can be drawn. The method of

finding their relative magnitudes is very simple. Let ABCD (fig. 8, Pl. IV)

be the tropic of Capricorn, BO the South line, OC the West line. Make the

angle EOB equal to the obliquity (say 23½°), and join EA, meeting BO in F.

Then OF is the radius of the Equatorial circle, and if GH be drawn parallel

to EF, OH is the radius of the Tropic of Cancer. In the phrase _angulus

primi motus_, _angulus_ must be taken to mean angular motion. The 'first

moving' (_primus motus_) has its name of 'moving' (_motus_) from its

denoting motion due to the _primum mobile_ or 'first moveable.' This

_primum mobile_ (usually considered as the _ninth_ sphere) causes the

rotation of the _eighth_ sphere, or _sphæra stellarum fixarum_. See the

fig. in MS. Camb. Univ. Ii. 3. 3 (copied in fig. 10, Pl. V). Some authors

make 12 heavens, viz. those of the 7 planets, the _firmamentum_ (_stellarum

fixarum_), the _nonum coelum_, _decimum coelum_, _primum mobile_, and

_coelum empyræum_.

18. See fig. 5, Pl. III. This is made upon the alt-azimuth system, and the

plates are marked according to the latitude. The circles, called in Latin

_circuli progressionum_, in Arabic _Almucantar[=a]t_, are circles of

altitude, the largest imperfect one representing the horizon (_horizon

obliquus_), and the central dot being the zenith, or pole of the horizon.

In my figure, they are 'compounded by' 5 and 5, but Chaucer's shewed every

second degree, i.e. it possessed 45 such circles. For the method of drawing

them, see Stöffler, leaf 5, back.

19. Some Astrolabes shew 18 of these azimuthal circles, as in my figure

(fig. 5, Pl. III). See Stöffler, leaf 13, where will be found also the

rules for drawing them.

20. If accurately drawn, these _embelife_ or oblique lines should divide

the portions of the three circles below the _horizon obliquus_ into twelve

equal parts. Thus each arc is determined by having to pass through three

known points. They are called _arcus horarum inequalium_, as they shew the

'houres inequales.'

21. In fig. 2, Pl. II, the _Rete_ is shewn as it appears when dropped into

the depression in the front of the instrument. The shape of it varied much,

and another drawing of one (copied from Camb. Univ. MS. Ii. 3. 3, fol. 66

_b_) is given in fig. 9, Pl. IV. The positions of the stars are marked by

the extreme points of the metal tongues. Fig. 2 is taken from the figures

in the Cambridge MSS., but the positions of the stars have been corrected

by the list of latitudes and longitudes given by Stöffler, whom I have

followed, not because he is _correct_, but because he probably represents

their positions as they were supposed to be in Chaucer's time very nearly

indeed. There was not room to inscribe the names of all the stars on the

_Rete_, and to have written them _on the plate below_ would have conveyed a

false impression. A list of the stars marked in fig. 2 is given in the note

to § 21, l. 4. The Ecliptic is the circle which crosses the Equinoctial at

its East and West points (fig. 2). In Chaucer's description of the zodiac,

carefully note the distinction between the Zodiac of the Astrolabe and the

Zodiac of Heaven. The former is only _six_ degrees broad, and shews only

the northern half of the heavenly zodiac, the breadth of which is

_imagined_ to be 12 degrees. Chaucer's zodiac only shewed _every other_

degree in the divisions round its border. This border is divided by help of

a table of right ascensions of the various degrees of the ecliptic, which

is by no means easily done. See Note on l. 4 of this section. I may add

that the _Rete_ is also called _Aranea_ or _Volvellum_; in Arabic,

_Al´ancab[=u]t_ (the spider).

22. _The Label._ See fig. 6, Pl. III. The _label_ is more usually used on

the _front_ of the instrument, where the _Rete_ and other plates revolve.

The _rule_ is used on the _back_, for taking altitudes by help of the

scale.

23. _The Almury_; called also _denticulus_, _ostensor_, or 'calculer.' In

fig. 2, it may be seen that the edge of the _Rete_ is cut away near the

head of Capricorn, leaving only a small pointed projecting tongue, which is

the almury or denticle, or (as we should now say) pointer. As the _Rete_

revolves, it points to the different degrees of the border. See also fig.

9, where the almury is plainly marked.

Part II, § 1. [The Latin headings to the propositions are taken from the

MS. in St. John's College, Cambridge.] See fig. 1. Any straight edge laid

across from the centre will shew this at once. Chaucer, reckoning by the

old style, differs from us by about eight days. The first degree of Aries,

which in his time answered to the 12th of March, now vibrates between the

20th and 21st of that month. This difference of eight days must be

carefully borne in mind in calculating Chaucer's dates.

2. Here 'thy left side' means the left side of thine own body, and

therefore the right or Eastern edge of the Astrolabe. In taking the

altitude of the sun, the rays are allowed to shine through the holes; but

the stars are observed by looking through them. See figs. 1 and 3.

3. Drop the disc (fig. 5) within the border of the mother, and the _Rete_

over it. Take the sun's altitude by § 2, and let it be 25½°. As the

altitude was taken by the _back_ of the Astrolabe, turn it over, and then

let the _Rete_ revolve westward till the 1st point of Aries is just within

the altitude-circle marked 25, allowing for the ½ degree by guess. This

will bring the denticle near the letter C, and the first point of Aries

near X, which means 9 A.M. At the same time, the 20th degree of Gemini will

be on the _horizon obliquus_. See fig. 11, Pl. V. This result can be

approximately verified by a common globe thus; elevate the pole nearly 52°;

turn the small brass hour-circle so that the figure XII lies on the

equinoctial colure; then turn the globe till IX lies under the brass

meridian. In the next example, by the Astrolabe, let the height of Alhabor

(Sirius) be about 18°. Turn the denticle Eastward till it touches the 58th

degree near the letter O, and it will be found that Alhabor is about 18°

high among the _almicanteras_, whilst the first point of Aries points to

32° near the letter H, i.e. to 8 minutes past 8 P.M.; whilst at the same

time, the 23rd degree of Libra is almost on the _Horizon obliquus_ on the

Eastern side. By the globe, at about 8 minutes past 8 P.M., the altitude of

Sirius is very nearly 18°, and the 23rd of Libra is very near the Eastern

horizon. See fig. 12, Pl. V.

4. The ascendent at any given moment is that degree of the zodiac which is

then seen upon the Eastern horizon. Chaucer says that astrologers reckoned

in also 5 degrees _of the zodiac_ above, and 25 below; the object being to

extend the planet's influence over a whole 'house,' which is a space of the

same length as a _sign_, viz. 30°. See § 36 below.

5. This merely amounts to taking the mean between two results.

6. This depends upon the refraction of light by the atmosphere, owing to

which light from the sun reaches us whilst he is still 18° below the

horizon. The nadir of the sun being 18° high on the W. side, the sun itself

is 18° below the Eastern horizon, giving the time of dawn; and if the nadir

be 18° high on the E. side, we get the time of the end of the evening

twilight. Thus, at the vernal equinox, the sun is 18° high soon after 8

A.M. (roughly speaking), and hence the evening twilight ends soon after 8

P.M., 12 hours later, sunset being at 6 P.M.

7. Ex. The sun being in the first point of Cancer on the longest day, its

rising will be shewn by the point in fig. 5 where the _horizon obliquus_

and _Tropicus Cancri_ intersect; this corresponds to a point between P and

Q in fig. 2, or to about a quarter to 4 A.M. So too the sunset is at about

a quarter past 8, and the length of the day 16½ hours; hence also, the

length of the night is about 7½ hours, neglecting twilight.

8. On the same day, the number of degrees in the whole day is about 247½,

that being the number through which the _Rete_ is turned in the example to

§ 7. Divide by 15, and we have 16½ equal hours.

9. The 'day vulgar' is the length of the 'artificial day,' with the length

of the twilight, both at morn and at eve, added to it.

10. If, as in § 7, the day be 16½ hours long, the length of each 'hour

inequal' is 1 h. 22½ m.; and the length of each 'hour inequal' of the night

is the 12th part of 7½ hours, or 37½ m.; and 1 h. 22½ m., added to 37½ m.,

will of course make up 2 hours, or 30°.

11. This merely repeats that 15° of the border answer to an hour of the

clock. The '4 partie of this tretis' was never written.

12. This 'hour of the planet' is a mere astrological supposition, involving

no point of astronomy. Each hour is an 'hour inequal,' or the 12th part of

the artificial day or night. The assumptions are so made that _first_ hour

of every day may resemble the _name of the day_; the first hour of Sunday

is the hour of the _Sun_, and so on. These hours may be easily found by the

following method. Let 1 represent both Sunday and the Sun; 2, Monday and

the Moon; 3, Tuesday and Mars; 4, Wednesday and Mercury; 5, Thursday and

Jupiter; 6, Friday and Venus; 7, Saturday and Saturn. Next, write down the

following succession of figures, which will shew the hours at once.

1642753|16427531642753164275316.

Ex. To find the planet of the 10th hour of Tuesday. Tuesday is the third

day of the week; begin with 3, to the left of the upright line, and reckon

10 onwards; the 10th figure (counting 3 as the _first_) is 6, i.e. Venus.

So also, the planet of the 24th hour of Friday is the Moon, and Saturday

begins with Saturn. It may be observed that this table can be carried in

the memory, by simply observing that the numbers are written, beginning

with 1, in the _reverse order of the spheres_, i.e. Sun, Venus, Mercury,

Moon; and then (beginning again at the outmost sphere) Saturn, Jupiter,

Mars. This is why Chaucer takes a _Saturday_; that he may begin with the

remotest planet, _Saturn_, and follow the reverse order of the spheres. See

fig. 10, Pl. V. Here, too, we have the obvious reason for the succession of

the names of the days of the week, viz. that the planets being reckoned in

this order, we find the Moon in the 25th place or hour from the Sun, and so

on.

13. The reason of this is obvious from what has gone before. The sun's

meridional altitude is at once seen by placing the sun's degree on the

South line.

14. This is the exact converse of the preceding. It furnishes a method of

testing the accuracy of the drawing of the almikanteras.

15. This is best done by help of the _back_ of the instrument, fig. 1. Thus

May 13 (old style), which lies 30° to the W. of the S. line, is nearly of

the same length as July 13, which lies 30° to the E. Secondly, the day of

April 2 (old style), 20° above the W. line, is nearly of the same length as

the night of Oct. 2, 20° below the E. line, in the opposite point of the

circle. This is but an approximation, as the divisions on the instrument

are rather minute.

16. This merely expresses the same thing, with the addition, that on days

of the same length, the sun has the same meridional altitude, and the same

declination from the equator.

17. Here _passeth any-thing the south westward_ means, passes somewhat to

the westward of the South line. The problem is, to find the degree of the

zodiac which is on the meridian with the star. To do this, find the

altitude of the star _before_ it souths, and by help of problem 3, find out

the ascending degree of the zodiac; secondly, find the ascending degree at

an equal time _after_ it souths, when the star has the same altitude as

before, and the mean between these will be the degree that ascends when the

star is on the meridian. Set this degree upon the Eastern part of the

_horizon obliquus_, and then the degree which is upon the meridional line

souths together with the star. Such is the solution given, but it is but a

very rough approximation, and by no means always near to the truth. An

example will shew why. Let Arcturus have the same altitude at 10 P.M. as at

2 A.M. In the first case the 4th of Sagittarius is ascending, in the second

(with sufficient accuracy for our purpose) the 2nd of Aquarius; and the

mean between these is the 3rd of Capricorn. Set this on the Eastern horizon

upon a globe, and it will be seen that it is 20 min. past midnight, that

10° of Scorpio is on the meridian, and that Arcturus has past the meridian

by 5°. At true midnight, the ascendent is the 29° of Sagittarius. The

reason of the error is that right ascension and longitude are here not

sufficiently distinguished. By observing the degrees of the _equinoctial_,

instead of the _ecliptic_, upon the Eastern horizon, we have at the first

observation 272°, at the second 332°, and the mean of these is 302°; from

this subtract 90°, and the result, 212°, gives the right ascension of

Arcturus very nearly, corresponding to which is the beginning of the 5° of

Scorpio, which souths along with it. This latter method is correct, because

it assumes the motion to take place round the axis of the equator. The

error of Chaucer's method is that it identifies the motion of the equator

with that of the ecliptic. The amount of the error varies considerably, and

may be rather large. But it can easily be diminished, (and no doubt was so

in practice), by taking the observations _as near the south line as

possible_. Curiously enough, the rest of the section explains the

difference between the two methods of reckoning. The modern method is to

call the co-ordinates _right ascension_ and _declination_, if reckoned from

the equator, and _longitude_ and _latitude_, if from the ecliptic. Motion

in _longitude_ is not the same thing as motion in _right ascension_.

18. The 'centre' of the star is the technical name for the extremity of the

metal tongue representing it. The 'degree in which the star standeth' is

considered to be that degree of the zodiac which souths along with it. Thus

Sirius or Alhabor has its true longitude nearly equal to that of 12° of

Cancer, but, as it souths with the 9th degree, it would be said to stand in

that degree. This may serve for an example; but it must be remembered that

its longitude was different in the time of Chaucer.

19. Also it rises with the 19th degree of Leo, as it is at some distance

from the zodiac in latitude. The same 'marvellous arising in a strange

sign' is hardly because of the latitude being north or south from the

_equinoctial_, but rather because it is north or south of the _ecliptic_.

For example, Regulus ([alpha] Leonis) is on the ecliptic, and of course

rises with that very degree in which it is. Hence the reading _equinoctial_

leaves the case in doubt, and we find a more correct statement just below,

where we have 'whan they have no latitude fro the ecliptik lyne.' At all

places, however, upon the earth's equator, the stars will rise with the

degrees of the zodiac in which they stand.]

20. Here the disc (fig. 5) is supposed to be placed beneath the Rete (fig.

2). The proposition merely tells us that the difference between the

meridian altitudes of the given degree of the zodiac and of the 1st point

of Aries is the _declination_ of that degree, which follows from the very

definition of the term. There is hardly any necessity for setting the

second prick, as it is sufficiently marked by being the point where the

equinoctial circle crosses the south line. If the given degree lie

_outside_ this circle, the declination is _south;_ if _inside_, it is

_north_.

21. In fig. 5, the almicanteras, if accurately drawn, ought to shew as many

degrees between the south point of the equinoctial circle and the zenith as

are equal to the latitude of the place for which they are described. The

number of degrees from the pole to the northern point of the _horizon

obliquus_ is of course the same. The latitude of the place for which the

disc is constructed is thus determined by inspection.

22. In the _first_ place where '_orisonte_' occurs, it means the _South_

point of the horizon; in the _second_ place, the _North_ point. By

referring to fig. 13, Plate V, it is clear that the arc [Aries]S,

representing the distance between the equinoctial and the S. point, is

equal to the arc ZP, which measures the distance from the pole to the

zenith; since PO[Aries] and ZOS are both right angles. Hence also Chaucer's

second statement, that the arcs PN and [Aries]Z are equal. In his numerical

example, PN is 51° 50'; and therefore ZP is the complement, or 38° 10'. So

also [Aries]Z is 51° 50'; and [Aries]S is 38° 10'. Briefly, [Aries]Z

measures the latitude.

23. Here the altitude of a star (A) is to be taken twice; firstly, when it

is on the meridian in the most _southern_ point of its course, and

secondly, when on the meridian in the most _northern_ point, which would be

the case twelve hours later. The mean of these altitudes is the altitude of

the pole, or the latitude of the place. In the example given, the star A is

only 4° from the pole, which shews that it is the Pole-star, then farther

from the Pole than it is now. The star F is, according to Chaucer, any

convenient star having a right ascension differing from that of the

Pole-star by 180°; though one having the _same_ right ascension would serve

as well. If then, at the first observation, the altitude of A be 56, and at

the second be 48, the altitude of the pole must be 52. See fig. 13, Plate

V.

24. This comes to much the same thing. The _lowest_ or northern altitude of

Dubhe ([alpha] Ursæ Majoris) may be supposed to be observed to be 25°, and

his _highest_ or southern altitude to be 79°. Add these; the sum is 104;

'abate' or subtract half of that number, and the result is 52°; the

latitude.

25. Here, as in § 22, Chaucer says that the latitude can be measured by the

arc Z[Aries] or PN; he adds that the depression of the Antarctic pole, viz.

the arc SP' (where P' is the S. pole), is another measure of the latitude.

He explains that an obvious way of finding the latitude is by finding the

altitude of the sun at noon at the time of an equinox. If this altitude be

38° 10', then the latitude is the complement, or 51° 50'. But this

observation can only be made on two days in the year. If then this seems to

be too long a tarrying, observe his midday altitude, and allow for his

declination. Thus, if the sun's altitude be 58° 10' at noon when he is in

the first degree of Leo, subtract his declination, viz. 20°, and the result

is 38° 10', the complement of the latitude. If, however, the sun's

declination be _south_, the amount of it must be added instead of

subtracted. Or else we may find [Aries]A', the highest altitude of a star

A' above the equinoctial, and also [Aries]A, its nether elongation

extending from the same, and take the mean of the two.

26. The 'Sphere Solid' answers nearly to what we now call a globe. By help

of a globe it is easy to find the ascensions of signs for _any latitude_,

whereas by the astrolabe we can only tell them for those latitudes for

which the plates bearing the almicanteras are constructed. The signs which

Chaucer calls 'of right (i.e. direct) ascension' are those signs of the

zodiac which rise more directly, i.e. at a greater angle to the horizon

than the rest. In latitude 52°, Libra rises so directly that the whole sign

takes more than 2¾ hours before it is wholly above the horizon, during

which time nearly 43° of the equinoctial circle have arisen; or, in

Chaucer's words, 'the more part' (i.e. a larger portion) of the equinoctial

ascends with it. On the other hand, the sign of Aries ascends so obliquely

that the whole of it appears above the horizon in less than an hour, so

that a 'less part' (a smaller portion) of the equinoctial ascends with it.

The following is a rough table of Direct and Oblique Signs, shewing

approximately how long each sign takes to ascend, and how many degrees of

the equinoctial ascend with it, in lat. 52°.

_Oblique Degrees of the Time of | _Direct Degrees of the Time of

Signs._ Equinoctial. ascending. | Signs._ Equinoctial. ascending.

Capricornus 26° 1 h. 44 m. | Cancer 39° 2 h. 36 m.

Aquarius 16° 1 h. 4 m. | Leo 42° 2 h. 48 m.

Pisces 14° 0 h. 56 m. | Virgo 43° 2 h. 52 m.

Aries 14° 0 h. 56 m. | Libra 43° 2 h. 52 m.

Taurus 16° 1 h. 4 m. | Scorpio 42° 2 h. 48 m.

Gemini 26° 1 h. 44 m. | Sagittarius 39° 2 h. 36 m.

These numbers are sufficiently accurate for the present purpose.

In ll. 8-11, there is a gap in the sense in nearly all the MSS., but the

Bodley MS. 619 fortunately supplies what is wanting, to the effect that, at

places situated on the equator, the poles are in the horizon. At such

places, the days and nights are always equal. Chaucer's next statement is

true for _all_ places _within the tropics_, the peculiarity of them being

that they have the sun vertical twice in a year. The statement about the

'two summer and winters' is best explained by the following. 'In the

tropical climates, ... seasons are caused more by the effect of the winds

(which are very regular, and depend mainly on the sun's position) than by

changes in the direct action of the sun's light and heat. The seasons are

not a summer and winter, so much as recurrences of wet and dry periods,

_two in each year_.'--English Cyclopædia; _Seasons, Change of_. Lastly,

Chaucer reverts to places on the equator, where the stars all seem to move

in vertical circles, and the almicanteras are therefore straight lines. The

line marked _Horizon Rectus_ is shewn in fig. 5, where the _Horizon

Obliquus_ is also shewn, cutting the equinoctial circle obliquely.

27. The real object in this section is to find how many degrees of the

equinoctial circle pass the meridian together with a given zodiacal sign.

Without even turning the _rete_, it is clear that the sign Aries, for

instance, extends through 28° of the equinoctial; for a line drawn from the

centre, in fig. 2, through the end of Aries will (if the figure be correct)

pass through the end of the 28th degree below the word _Oriens_.

28. To do this accurately requires a very carefully marked Astrolabe, on as

large a scale as is convenient. It is done by observing where the ends of

the given sign, estimated along the _outer_ rim of the zodiacal circle in

fig. 2, cross the _horizon obliquus_ as the _rete_ is turned about. Thus,

the beginning of Aries lies on the _horizon obliquus_, and as the _rete_

revolves to the right, the end of it, on the outer rim, will at last lie

exactly on the same curved line. When this is the case, the _rete_ ought to

have moved through an angle of about 14°, as explained in § 26. By far the

best way is to tabulate the results once for all, as I have there done. It

is readily seen, from fig. 2, that the signs from Aries to Virgo are

_northern_, and from Libra to Pisces are _southern_ signs. The signs from

Capricorn to Gemini are the _oblique_ signs, or as Chaucer calls them,

'tortuous,' and ascend in less than 2 hours; whilst the _direct_ signs,

from Cancer to Sagittarius, take more than 2 hours to ascend; as shewn in

the table on p. 209. The _eastern_ signs in fig. 2 are said to _obey to_

the corresponding _western_ ones.

29. Here _both_ sides of the Astrolabe are used, the 'rewle' being made to

revolve at the _back_, and the 'label' in _front_, as usual. First, by the

back of the instrument and the 'rewle,' take the sun's altitude. Turn the

Astrolabe round, and set the sun's degree at the right altitude among the

almicanteras, and then observe, by help of the label, how far the sun is

from the meridian. Again turn the instrument round, and set the 'rewle' as

far from the meridian as the label was. Then, holding the instrument as

near the ground and as horizontal as possible, let the sun shine through

the holes of the 'rewle,' and immediately after lay the Astrolabe down,

without altering the azimuthal direction of the meridional line. It is

clear that this line will then point southwards, and the other points of

the compass will also be known.

30. This turns upon the definition of the phrase 'the wey of the sonne.' It

does not mean the zodiacal circle, but the sun's apparent path on a given

day of the year. The sun's altitude changes but little in one day, and is

supposed here to remain the same throughout the time that he is, on that

day, visible. Thus, if the sun's altitude be 61½°, the _way of the sun_ is

a small circle, viz. the tropic of Cancer. If the planet be then on the

zodiac, in the 1st degree of Capricorn, it is 47° S. from the way of the

sun, and so on.

31. The word 'senith' is here used in a peculiar sense; it does not mean,

as it should, the _zenith_ point, or point directly overhead, but is made

to imply the point on the horizon, (either falling upon an azimuthal line,

or lying between two azimuths), which denotes the point of sunrise. In the

Latin rubric, it is called _signum_. This point is found by actual

observation of the sun at the time of rising. Chaucer's azimuths divide the

horizon into 24 parts; but it is interesting to observe his remark, that

'shipmen' divide the horizon into 32 parts, exactly as a compass is divided

now-a-days. The reason for the division into 32 parts is obviously because

this is the easiest way of reckoning the direction of the wind. For this

purpose, the horizon is first divided into 4 parts; each of these is

halved, and each half-part is halved again. It is easy to observe if the

wind lies half-way between S. and E., or half-way between S. and S.E., or

again half-way between S. and S.S.E.; but the division into 24 parts would

be unsuitable, because _third-parts_ are much more difficult to estimate.

32. The Latin rubric interprets the conjunction to mean that of the sun and

moon. The time of this conjunction is to be ascertained from a calendar.

If, e.g. the calendar indicates 9 A.M. as the time of conjunction on the

12th day of March, when the sun is in the first point of Aries, as in § 3,

the number of hours after the preceding midday is 21, which answers to the

letter X in the border (fig. 2). Turn the _rete_ till the first point of

Aries lies under the label, which is made to point to X, and the label

shews at the same moment that the degree of the sun is very nearly at the

point where the equinoctial circle crosses the azimuthal circle which lies

50° to the E. of the meridian. Hence the conjunction takes place at a point

of which the azimuth is 50° to the E. of the S. point, or 5° to the

eastward of the S.E. point. The proposition merely amounts to finding the

sun's azimuth at a given time. Fig. 11 shews the position of the _rete_ in

this case.

33. Here 'senyth' is again used to mean azimuth, and the proposition is, to

find the sun's azimuth by taking his altitude, and setting his degree at

the right altitude on the almicanteras. Of course the two co-ordinates,

altitude and azimuth, readily indicate the sun's exact position; and the

same for any star or planet.

34. The moon's latitude is never more than 5¼° from the ecliptic, and this

small distance is, 'in common treatises of Astrolabie,' altogether

neglected; so that it is supposed to move in the ecliptic. First, then,

take the moon's altitude, say 30°. Next take the altitude of some bright

star 'on the moon's side,' i.e. nearly in the same azimuth as the moon,

taking care to choose a star which is represented upon the _Rete_ by a

pointed tongue. Bring this tongue's point to the right altitude among the

almicanteras, and then see which degree of the ecliptic lies on the

almicantera which denotes an altitude of 30°. This will give the moon's

place, 'if the stars in the Astrolabe be set after the truth,' i.e. if the

point of the tongue is exactly where it should be.

35. The motion of a planet is called _direct_, when it moves in the

direction of the succession of the zodiacal signs; _retrograde_, when in

the contrary direction. When a planet is on the right or east side of the

Meridional line, and is moving forward along the signs, without increase of

declination, its altitude will be less on the second occasion than on the

first at the moment when the altitude of the fixed star is the same as

before. The same is true if the planet be retrograde, and on the western

side. The contrary results occur when the second altitude is greater than

the first. But the great defect of this method is that it may be rendered

fallacious by a change in the planet's declination.

36. See fig. 14, Plate VI. If the equinoctial circle in this figure be

supposed to be superposed upon that in fig. 5, Plate III, and be further

supposed to revolve backwards through an angle of about 60° till the point

1 (fig. 14) rests upon the point where the 8th hour-line crosses the

equinoctial, the beginning of the 2nd house will then be found to be on the

line of midnight. Similarly, all the other results mentioned follow. For it

is easily seen that each 'house' occupies a space equal to 2 hours, so that

the bringing of the 3rd house to the midnight line brings 1 to the 10th

hour-line, and a similar placing of the 4th house brings 1 to the 12th

hour-line, which is the _horizon obliquus_ itself. Moving onward 2 more

hours, the point 7 (the nadir of 1) comes to the end of the 2nd hour,

whilst the 5th house comes to the north; and lastly, when 7 is at the end

of the 4th hour, the 6th house is so placed. To find the nadir of a house,

we have only to add 6; so that the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th

houses are the nadirs of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th houses

respectively.

37. Again see fig. 14, Plate VI. Here the 10th house is at once seen to be

on the meridional line. In the quadrant from 1 to 10, the even division of

the quadrant into 3 parts shews the 12th and 11th houses. Working downwards

from 1, we get the 2nd and 3rd houses, and the 4th house beginning with the

north line. The rest are easily found from their nadirs.

38. This problem is discussed in arts. 144 and 145 of Hymes's Astronomy,

2nd ed. 1840, p. 84. The words 'for warping' mean 'to prevent the errors

which may arise from the plate becoming warped.' The 'broader' of course

means 'the larger.' See fig. 15, Plate VI. If the shadow of the sun be

observed at a time _before_ midday when its extremity just enters within

the circle, and again at a time _after_ midday when it is just passing

beyond the circle, the altitude of the sun at these two observations must

be the same, and the south line must lie half-way between the two shadows.

In the figure, S and S' are the 2 positions of the sun, OT the rod, Ot and

Ot' the shadows, and OR the direction of the south line. Ott' is the metal

disc.

39. This begins with an explanation of the terms 'meridian' and

'longitude.' 'They chaungen her Almikanteras' means that they differ in

latitude. But, when Chaucer speaks of the longitude and latitude of a

'climate,' he means the length and breadth of it. A 'climate' (_clima_) is

a belt of the earth included between two fixed parallels of latitude. The

ancients reckoned _seven_ climates; in the sixteenth century there were

_nine_. The 'latitude of the climate' is the breadth of this belt; the

'longitude' of it he seems to consider as measured along lines lying

equidistant between the parallels of latitude of the places from which the

climates are named. See Stöffler, fol. 20 _b_; and Petri Apiani

Cosmographia, per Gemmam Phrysium restituta, ed. 1574, fol. 7 _b_. The

seven climates were as follows:--

1. That whose central line passes through Meroë (lat. 17°); from nearly 13°

to nearly 20°.

2. Central line, through Syene (lat. 24°); from 20° to 27°, nearly.

3. Central line through Alexandria (lat. 31°); from 27° to 34°, nearly.

4. Central line through Rhodes (lat. 36°); from 34° to 39°, nearly.

5. Central line through Rome (lat. 41°); from 39° to 43°, nearly.

6. Central line through Borysthenes (lat. 45°); from 43° to 47°.

7. Through the Riphæan mountains (lat. 48°); from 47° to 50°. But Chaucer

must have included an _eighth_ climate (called _ultra Mæotides paludes_)

from 50° to 56°; and a _ninth_, from 56° to the pole. The part of the earth

to the north of the 7th climate was considered by the ancients to be

uninhabitable. A rough drawing of these climates is given in MS. Camb.

Univ. Lib. Ii. 3. 3, fol. 33 _b_.

40. The longitude and latitude of a planet being ascertained from an

almanac, we can find with what degree it ascends. For example, given that

the longitude of Venus is 6° of Capricorn, and her N. latitude 2°. Set the

one leg of a compass upon the degree of longitude, and extend the other

till the distance between the two legs is 2° of latitude, from that point

inward, i.e. northward. The 6th degree of Capricorn is now to be set on the

horizon, the label (slightly coated with wax) to be made to point to the

same degree, and the north latitude is set off upon the wax by help of the

compass. The spot thus marking the planet's position is, by a very slight

movement of the _Rete_, to be brought upon the horizon, and it will be

found that the planet (situated 2° N. of the 6th degree) ascends together

with the _head_ (or beginning of the sign) of Capricorn. This result, which

is not _quite_ exact, is easily tested by a globe. When the latitude of the

planet is _south_, its place cannot well be found when in Capricorn for

want of space at the edge of the Astrolabe.

As a second example, it will be found that, when Jupiter's longitude is at

the _end_ of 1° of Pisces, and his latitude 3° south, he ascends together

with the 14th of Pisces, nearly. This is easily verified by a globe, which

solves all such problems very readily.

It is a singular fact that most of the best MSS. leave off at the word

'houre,' leaving the last sentence incomplete. I quote the last five

words--'þou shalt do wel y-now'--from the MS. in St. John's College,

Cambridge; they also occur in the old editions.

41. Sections 41-43 and 41_a_-42_b_ are from the MS. in St. John's College,

Cambridge. For the scale of _umbra recta_, see fig. 1, Plate I. Observe

that the _umbra recta_ is used where the angle of elevation of an object is

greater than 45°; the _umbra versa_, where it is less. See also fig. 16,

Plate VI; where, if AC be the height of the tower, BC the same height

_minus_ the height of the observer's eye (supposed to be placed at E), and

EB the distance of the observer from the tower, then _bc_ : E_b_ :: EB :

BC. But E_b_ is reckoned as 12, and if _bc_ be 4, we find that BC is 3 EB,

i.e. 60 feet, when EB is 20. Hence AC is 60 feet, _plus_ the height of the

observer's eye. The last sentence is to be read thus--'And if thy "rewle"

fall upon 5, then are 5-12ths of the height equivalent to the space between

thee and the tower (with addition of thine own height).' The MS. reads '5

12-p_ar_tyes þe hey[gh]t of þe space,' &c.; but the word _of_ must be

transposed, in order to make sense. It is clear that, if _bc_ = 5, then 5 :

12 :: EB : BC, which is the same as saying that EB = 5/12 BC. Conversely,

BC is 12/5 EB = 48, if EB = 20.

42. See fig. 1, Plate I. See also fig. 17, Plate VI. Let E_b_ = 12, _bc_ =

1; also E'_b'_ = 12, _b'c'_ = 2; then EB = 12 BC, E'B = 6 BC; therefore EE'

= 6 BC. If EE' = 60 feet, then BC = 1/6 EE'=10 feet. To get the whole

height, add the height of the eye. The last part of the article, beginning

'For other poyntis,' is altogether corrupt in the MS.

43. Here _versa_ (in M.) is certainly miswritten for _recta_, as in L. See

fig. 18, Plate VI. Here E_b_ = E'_b'_ = 12; _b'c'_ = 1, _bc_ = 2. Hence E'B

= 1/12 BC, EB = 2/12 BC. whence EE' = 1/12 BC. Or again, if _bc_ become =

3, 4, 5, &c., successively, whilst _b'c'_ remains = 1, then EE' is

successively = 2/12 or 1/6, 3/12 or 1/4, 5/12, &c. Afterwards, add in the

height of E.

44. Sections 44 and 45 are from MS. Digby 72. This long explanation of the

method of finding a planet's place depends upon the tables which were

constructed for that purpose from observation. The general idea is this.

The figures shewing a planet's position for the last day of December, 1397,

give what is called the _root_, and afford us, in fact, a _starting-point_

from which to measure. An 'argument' is the angle upon which the tabulated

quantity depends; for example, a very important 'argument' is the planet's

_longitude_, upon which its _declination_ may be made to depend, so as to

admit of tabulation. The planet's longitude for the given above-mentioned

date being taken as the _root_, the planet's longitude at a second date can

be found from the tables. If this second date be less than 20 years

afterwards, the increase of motion is set down separately for each year,

viz. so much in 1 year, so much in 2 years, and so on. These separate years

are called _anni expansi_. But when the increase during a large round

number of years (such as 20, 40, or 60 years at once) is allowed for, such

years are called _anni collecti_. For example, a period of 27 years

includes 20 years _taken together_, and 7 separate or _expanse_ years. The

mean motion during smaller periods of time, such as months, days, and

hours, is added in afterwards.

45. Here the author enters a little more into particulars. If the mean

motion be required for the year 1400, 3 years later than the

starting-point, look for 3 in the table of expanse years, and add the

result to the number already corresponding to the 'root,' which is

calculated for the last day of December, 1397. Allow for months and days

afterwards. For a date earlier than 1397 the process is just reversed,

involving subtraction instead of addition.

46. This article is probably not Chaucer's. It is found in MS. Bodley 619,

and in MS. Addit. 29250. The text is from the former of these, collated

with the latter. What it asserts comes to this. Suppose it be noted, that

at a given place, there is a full flood when the moon is in a certain

quarter; say, e.g. when the moon is due east. And suppose that, at the time

of observation, the moon's actual longitude is such that it is in the first

point of Cancer. Make the label point due east; then bring the first point

of Cancer to the east by turning the _Rete_ a quarter of the way round. Let

the sun at the time be in the first point of Leo, and bring the label over

this point by the motion of the label only, keeping the _Rete_ fixed. The

label then points nearly to the 32nd degree near the letter Q, or about

S.E. by E.; shewing that the sun is S.E. by E. (and the moon consequently

due E.) at about 4 A.M. In fact, the article merely asserts that the moon's

place in the sky is known from the sun's place, if the difference of their

longitudes be known. At the time of conjunction, the moon and sun are

together, and the difference of their longitudes is zero, which much

simplifies the problem. If there is a flood tide when the moon is in the

E., there is another when it comes to the W., so that there is high water

_twice_ a day. It may be doubted whether this proposition is of much

practical utility.

41_a_: This comes to precisely the same as Art. 41, but is expressed with a

slight difference. See fig. 16, where, if _bc_ = 8, then BC = 12/8 EB.

41_b_: Merely another repetition of Art. 41. It is hard to see why it

should be thus repeated in almost the same words. If _bc_ = 8 in fig. 16,

then EB = 8/12 BC = 2/3 BC. The only difference is that it inverts the

equation in the last article.]

42_a_ This is only a particular case of Art. 42. If we can get _bc_ = 3,

and _b'c'_ = 4, the equations become EB = 4BC, E'B = 3BC; whence EE' = BC,

a very convenient result. See fig. 17.]

43_a_: The reading _versam_ (as in the MS.) is absurd. We must also read

'_nat_ come,' as, if the base were approachable, no such trouble need be

taken; see Art. 41. In fact, the present article is a mere repetition of

Art. 43, with different numbers, and with a slight difference in the method

of expressing the result. In fig. 18, if _b'c'_ = 3, _bc_ = 4, we have E'B

= 3/12 BC, EB = 4/12 BC; or, subtracting, EE' = (4-3)/12 BC; or BC = 12

EE'. Then add the height of E, viz. E_a_, which = AB.

42_b._: Here, 'by the craft of _Umbra Recta_' signifies, by a method

similar to that in the last article, for which purpose the numbers must be

adapted for computation by the _umbra recta_. Moreover, it is clear, from

fig. 17, that the numbers 4 and 3 (in lines 2 and 4) must be transposed. If

the side parallel to _b_E be called _nm_, and _mn_, E_c_ be produced to

meet in _o_, then _mo_ : _m_E :: _b_E : _bc_; or _mo_ : 12 :: 12 : _bc_; or

_mo_ = 144, divided by _bc_ (= 3) = 48. Similarly, _m'o'_ = 144, divided by

_b'c'_ (= 4) = 36. And, as in the last article, the difference of these is

to 12, as the space EE' is to the altitude. This is nothing but Art. 42 in

a rather clumsier shape.

Hence it appears that there are here but 3 independent propositions, viz.

those in articles 41, 42, and 43, corresponding to figs. 16, 17, and 18

respectively. Arts. 41_a_ and 41_b_ are mere repetitions of 41; 42_a_ and

42_b_, of 42; and 43_a_, of 43.

CRITICAL NOTES.

As, in the preceding pages which contain the text, the lower portion of

each page is occupied with a running commentary, such Critical Notes upon

the text as seem to be most necessary are here subjoined.

TITLE. Tractatus, &c.; adopted from the colophon. MS. F has 'tractatus

astrolabii.' A second title, 'Bred and mylk for childeren,' is in MSS. B.

and E.

[The MSS. are as follows:--A. Cambridge Univ. Lib. Dd. 3. 53.--B. Bodley, E

Museo 54.--C. Rawlinson 1370.--D. Ashmole 391.--E. Bodley 619.--F. Corpus

424.--G. Trin. Coll. Cam. R. 15. 18.--H. Sloane 314.--I. Sloane 261.--K.

Rawlinson Misc. 3.--L. Addit. 23002. (B. M.)--M. St. John's Coll. Cam.--N.

Digby 72.--O. Ashmole 360.--P. Camb. Univ. Lib. Dd. 12. 51.--Q. Ashmole

393.--R. Egerton 2622 (B. M.).--S. Addit. 29250 (B. M.) See the

descriptions of them in the Introduction.]

PROLOGUE. l. 26. thise B; þese C; _miswritten_ this A; see above, ll. 21,

22.

32. curious BC; _miswritten_ curios A.

Many similar very slight alterations of spelling have been silently made in

the text, and are not worth specifying here. A complete list of them is

given in my edition of this treatise for the Early English Text Society. I

give, however, the real variations of reading. Thus, in l. 58, A. has _som_

for _sonne_; and in l. 64 omits the second _the_.

PART I. § 1, l. 3. wol B; wolde AC.

§ 2, l. 2. _Rowm_ is here an adjective, meaning _large_, _ample_. It is the

right reading; we find Rowm AB rowme C; rvm M.

§ 3, l. 1. AB _omit_ the.

§ 9, l. 3. nombre AB; nou_m_bre C; _but_ nombres _in old editions_.

§ 12, l. 5. The MSS. all[60] read--'_vmbra recta_ or elles _vmbra extensa_,

& the nether partie is cleped the _vmbra versa_.' This is certainly wrong.

§ 13, l. 2. a certein] _so in_ AB; CM _omit_ a. But Chaucer certainly uses

the phrase 'a certain'; cf. 'of unces a certain,' C. T., G 776; and see G

1024.

§ 14, ll. 2, 5. The word _halt_ for _holdeth_, and the expression

_to-hepe_, together, both occur in Troil. iii. 1764:--

'And lost were al, that Love _halt_ now _to-hepe_.'

§ 17, l. 1. principal C; tropikal AB; M _om._ The reading _tropikal_ is

absurd, because there are but _two_ such; besides which, see l. 34 below.

17. the nyht (_over an erasure_) B; thee nyht (_over an erasure_) A; þe

ni[gh]tes C; þe ny[gh]tes M.

§ 20, l. 4. figure; _here (and sometimes elsewhere) miswritten_ vig_ur_ A.

Throughout the whole treatise, the scribe has commonly written 'vig_ur_';

in many places, it has been corrected to 'fig_ur_e.'

§ 21, l. 15. the (_before_ sterres) _supplied from_ BC.

27. where as C; wher AB.

56. ou_er_keruyd A; ou_er_kerued B; ou_er_kerueth (_the latter part of the

word over an erasure_) C; _first time only_.

PART II. § 2, l. 8. eu_er_ M; euere C; eu_er_y (_wrongly_) AB.

§ 3, ll. 31, 32. A _has_ 12 degres, _corrected to_ 18 degres; B. _has_ 12

degrees; C _has_ 18. The numbers in the MSS. in these propositions are

somewhat uncertain; it seems probable that some alteration was made by

Chaucer himself.

The readings in MS. B give one set of calculations, which are no doubt the

original ones; for in MS. A the same set is again found, but altered

throughout, by the scribe who drew the diagrams. The sets of readings are

these:--

Ll. 31, 32. 12 degrees B; _so in_ A, _but altered to_ 18; C _has_ 18.

37. passed 9 of the clokke the space of 10 degrees B; _so in_ A, _with_ 9

_altered to_ 8, _and_ 10 _altered to_ 2; C _has_ ij _for_ 9, _but agrees

with_ A _in the reading_ 2.

39. fond ther 10 degrees of taur_us_ B; _so in_ A _originally, but_ 10 _has

been corrected to_ 23, _and_ libra _is written over an erasure_. C _agrees

with neither, having_ 20 _for_ 10, _but agreeing with_ A _as to_ libra. The

later MSS. sometimes vary from all these.

42. an _supplied from_ C; AB _omit._

§ 4, l. 5. largest C; largesse AB.

6. upon C; vn (!) AB.

8. forseide degree of his longitude] forseyde same degre of hys longitude

C; forseid same gre of his longitude P; forseyde latitude his longitude

(_sic!_) AB.

9. planete ys C; _miswritten_ planetes AB, _but_ is _is added in margin of_

A.

16. For '25 degrees,' all the MSS. have '15 degrees.' The mistake is

probably Chaucer's own; the correction was made by Mr. Brae, who remarks

that it is a mere translation from the Latin version of Ptolemy's

Tetrabiblos, which has--'Signum ascendentis, quod est a _quinque_ gradibus

qui super horizontem ante ipsum ascenderant usque ad _viginti quinque_ qui

ad ascendentem remanserint'; Lib. iii. c. 10. In fact, it is clear that 25

must be added to 5 to make up the extent of a 'house,' which was 30

degrees.

16. ys like C; is lik P; _miswritten_ illyk AB.

17. in _is supplied from_ GM; ABC _omit it_.

23. _second_ the _supplied from_ CP; AB _omit_.

32. wel _supplied from_ CPM; AB _omit_.

36. than] þan CM; þenne P; AB _omit_.

40. _The number_ 10 _is supplied from_ C; AB _omit_.

42. some folk _supplied from_ CPG; AB _omit_.

44. yit is] AB _wrongly have_ yit it is; _but_ CPGM _omit_ it.

§ 5, l. 3. by 2 and 2 ACG; by 3 and 3 P; _left blank in_ B. Either reading

makes sense, but it is clear that divisions representing three degrees each

must have been very awkward.

10. of _supplied from_ CPGM: AB _omit_.

§ 6, l. 5. est C; west A (_which is absurd_); west (_corrected to_ est) B.

9. signe CGP; signes ABM.

§ 10, l. 3. than B; þan C; A _has_ & by nyht, _which is absurd_.

4, 5. A _omits_ day with the howr inequal of the, _which is supplied from_

BCP; _the number_ 30 _is also supplied from_ BCM, _as_ A _has a blank space

here_; see l. 10.

§ 11, l. 12. _The number_ 4 _is from_ CP; AB _omit; old edd._ fourthe.

13. ther _supplied from_ PM; þere C; AB _omit_.

§ 12, l. 1. the _supplied from_ BC; A _omits_.

8. _The figure_ 2 _is from_ BCP; G _has_ secunde; A _omits_.

§ 14, l. 9, 10. The last clause supplied from B.

§ 15, l. 6. pointe] point P; pointes A; pointz B; poy_n_tes C; _but grammar

requires the singular_.

9. the _supplied from_ CP; AB _omit_.

§ 16, l. 5. AB _wrongly insert_ the _before_ Cancer; CP _omit it_.

8. y-lyke] Ilyke G; ilik P; y-like C; ilke AB; see l. 7.

§ 17. _Latin rubric_; for _latitudinem_ (as in M) read _longitudinem_. l.

18. heued B; hed ACP; see sect. 16, l. 3. The word 'the' (rightly placed in

BCMP) is, in A, wrongly placed before 'Aries' instead of before 'ende.'

23. _second_ the] þe C; AB _omit_.

§ 19. _Latin Rubric_; for _orizon_ (as in M) read _statio_.

§ 20. _Latin Rubric_; the MS. (M) transposes the words _in_ and _a_, having

_a zodiaco in circulo_, which contradicts the sense.

§ 22. _Latin Rubric_; for _centri_ (as in M) read _regionis_.

§ 23, l. 21. The figure '8' is omitted in AB.

23. than] A _omits_; thanne _inserted afterwards in_ B.

§ 25, l. 3. _first_ the] _supplied from_ B; AC _omit_.

15. CP _om._ and 10 minutes.

16. CP _om._ and minutes out. _For_ 51 degrees and 50 minutes, C _has_ 52,

þan is 52 degrees; _and_ P _has_ 52. Þenne is .52. grees.

19. CP _om._ as I mighte prove.

20. the _supplied from_ CP; AB _om._

27. the firste degree] 10 degrees C; 10 gree P.

28. 58 degrees and 10 minutes] almost 56 C (_meaning_ 56 degrees); almost

.56. grees P.

29. almost 20] almost 18 C.

31. thee] C _om._ and odde Minutes] CP _om._

It thus appears that there is a second set of readings, involving a

different calculation. The second set supposes the Sun to be in the 10th

degree of Leo, his altitude to be 56°, and his declination 18°; the

difference, viz. 38°, is the complement of the latitude. Either set of

readings suits the sense, but the one in the text agrees best with the

former latitude, viz. 51°. 50'.

37. _After_ there, C _inserts_ 38 grees, þat is; _and omits the words_ of

the pole, 51 degrees and 50 minutes. But this is a mere repetition of the

'height of the Equinoctial,' and is obviously wrong. _After_ pole, _in_ l.

38, A _inserts_ an that, _which is unmeaning, and omitted in_ B.

§ 26, l. 8. Nearly all the MSS. omit from _Fertherover_ down to _right

orisonte_. The missing clause appears in MS. Bodley 619; I have not found

it elsewhere. It is obviously correct, and agrees sufficiently closely with

the conjectural addition by Mr. Brae, in his edition of Chaucer's

Astrolabe, p. 48.

§ 27, l. 2. _second_ the] _supplied from_ BCPM; A _om._

§ 28. _Latin Rubric._ MS. has _in recto circulo_; read _obliquo_.

3. set] sett C; sete P; AB _omit_.

11. these] þese C; thise B; the A.

23. ende] heed A; heued C. In fact, _heed_, _heued_, or _hed_ seems to be

the reading of all the MSS. and printed copies, and may have been a slip of

the pen in the first instance. The reading _ende_ is, however, amply

justified by its previous occurrence, four times over, in lines 10, 13, 16,

18. We thus have

Six Northern signs. From _head_ of Aries to _end_ of Virgo.

Six Southern signs. From _head_ of Libra to _end_ of Pisces.

Six Tortuous signs. From _head_ of Capricorn to _end_ of Gemini.

Six Direct signs. From _head_ of Cancer to _end_ of Sagittarius.

Opposite 'sagittare' is written 'sagittarie' in the margin of A, probably

as a correction; but it is left uncorrected in l. 27.

§ 29, l. 3. Turne thanne] Turne þan C; turn_e_ the thanne AB.

9. thou] þou C; two AB.

14. rewle] rule CP; _miswritten_ rewles AB; _see_ l. 9.

§ 30. l. 11. wey A; place C. _After_ zodiak C _inserts_--for on þe morowe

wol þe s_on_ne be in a-noþer degre þan þan, et cetera; P _inserts_--For yn

þe morowe wol þe sonne be yn an oþer gree, & norþ_er_ or souþ_er_ par

aventure. Nothing can be plainer than that 'the way of the sun' in this

passage means the small circle formed by the sun's apparent path during a

day; the text says expressly--'the wey wher as the sonne wente thilke day.'

We need not argue about the impossibility of a planet being found in 'the

way of the Sun' at midnight at the time of the Summer solstice, because

Chaucer makes no assertion whatever here about the relative positions of

the sun and planet; indeed, he carefully repeats 'if' three times. He is

only concerned with defining the phrase--'the latitude of a planet from the

way of the sun'; and in every possible case, it is clear that a planet can

be either (1) situate in the small circle called in the Latin rubric

_cursus solis_, or (2) to the north of such a circle, or (3) to the south

of such a circle. About this there need be no difficulty at all. It is all

copied from Messahala.

§ 31, l. 7. azimut] azymutz ABC; cf. sect. 32, l. 8.

§ 33, l. 2. Azimut] Azymutz ABC; minutis P; _the same error as in_ sect.

31, l. 7; _but see_ sect. 32, l. 8.

3. _second_ in] yn P; ABC _omit_.

4. the night] _so in_ AB; CP _om._ the.

§ 34. _English Rubric_; latitude for] _so in_ CP; latitude and for AB.

6. toucheth] touchiþ P; to which (_sic_) ABC; _see_ sect. 27, l. 6.

§ 35, l. 15. _After_ west side, AB _add_ & yf he be on the est syde, _a

mere superfluous repetition_; see l. 11.

17. sothly] soþly CP; _miswritten_ he settes (!) AB.

18. hir Episicle] _so in_ CP; _by an odd mistake_, AB _put_ hire _after_

manere, _instead of before_ Episicle.

§ 37, l. 10. than] þan C; AB _omit_. is] AS _omit; but it is obviously

wanted_; C _varies here_.

12. 12 house next] 12 hous next C; howses nex (_sic_) AB.

13. thanne] þan C; A _omits_. howse] hous C; howses AB.

17. AB _absurdly insert_ fro _before_ the byginning.

18. _first_ the] þe C; AB _omit_.

§ 38, l. 1. warpyng MP; werpynge C; weripinge (_sic_) A.

2. _first_ a CP; AB _omit_.

3, 4. an euene C; a enene AB (_twice_).

8. fro the centre; i.e. _above_ the centre. The length of the pin, measured

from the centre in which it is inserted, is to be not more than a quarter

of the diameter, or half the radius. This would make the ratio of the

gnomon to the shadow (or radius) to be one-half, corresponding to an

altitude _a_, where tan _a_ = ½; i.e. to an altitude of about 26½°. As

Chaucer talks about the sun's altitude being 25½° at about 9 o'clock, at

the time of the equinoxes (sect. 3), there is nothing that is particularly

absurd in the text of this section. For Mr. Brae's conjectural emendations,

see p. 56 of his edition.

16. tak thanne] _so in_ P; tak me thanne AB; take me þan C. But there seems

no sufficient reason for thus inserting _me_ here.

§ 39. At this point MS. A, which has so far, in spite of occasional errors

of the scribe, afforded a very fair text, begins to break down; probably

because the corrector's hand has not touched the two concluding sections,

although section 40 is much less corrupt. The result is worth recording, as

it shews what we may expect to find, even in good MSS. of the Astrolabe.

The section commences thus (the obvious misreadings being printed in

italics):--

'This lyne M_e_ridional ys but a Man_er_ desc_r_ipc_i_on _or the_ ymagined,

that passeth vpon the pooles of þis _the_ world And by the cenyth of owre

heued / And hit is _the same_ lyne M_er_idional / for in what place þat any

maner man [_omission_] any tyme of the yer / whan that the sonne _schyneth

ony thing_ of the firmament cometh to his verrey _Middel lyne of the_ place

/ than is hit verrey Midday, þat we clepen owre noon,' &c.

It seems clear that this apparent trash was produced by a careless scribe,

who had a good copy before him; it is therefore not necessary to reject it

all as unworthy of consideration, but it is very necessary to correct it by

collation with other copies. And this is what I have done.

MS. B has almost exactly the same words; but the section is considerably

better, in general sense, in MSS. C and P, for which reason I here quote

from the former the whole section.

[_Rawl. MS. Misc. 1370, fol. 40 b._]

DESCRIPCIOUN OF ÞE MERIDIONAL LYNE, OF ÞE LONGITUDES AND LATITUDES OF

CITEES AND TOWNES, AS WEL AS OF A (SIC) CLYMATZ.

39. _conclusio._ This lyne meridional is but a man_er_ discripcio[=n] or

lyne ymagyned, þat passeþ upon þe pooles of þis worlde, and by þe Cenith

of oure heued. ¶ And yt is cleped þe lyne meridional, for in what place

þat any man ys at any time of þe [gh]ere, whan þat þe so_n_ne by menynge

of þe firmament come to his uerrey meridian place / þan is it þe u_er_rey

mydday þat we clepe none, as to þilke man. And þerefore is yt cleped þe

lyne of mydday. And no_ta_, þat eu_er_mo of any .2. citees or of 2

townes, of which þat oo towne a-procheþ neer þe est þan doþ þe oþer

towne, trust wel þat þilke townes han diuerse meridians. No_ta_ also, þat

þe arche of þe equinoxial, þat is contened or bownded by-twixe þe two

meridians, is cleped þe longitude of þe towne. ¶ & [gh]if so be / þat two

townes haue I-like meridian or one merydian, ¶ Than ys þe distaunce of

hem boþe I-like fer from þe est, & þe contrarye. And in þis maner þei

chaunge not her meridyan, but soþly, þei chaungen her almyka_n_teras, For

þe enhaunsynge of þe pool / and þe distau_n_ce of þe so_n_ne. ¶ The

longitude of a clymate ys a lyne ymagyned fro þe est to þe west, I-like

distaunte fro þe equinoxial. ¶ The latitude of a clymat may be cleped þe

space of þe erþe fro þe by-gynnynge of þe first clymat unto þe ende of þe

same clymat / euene-directe a-[gh]ens þe pool artyke. ¶ Thus seyn so_m_me

auctours / and so_m_me clerkes seyn / þat [gh]if men clepen þe latitude

of a contrey[61], þe arche mer[i]dian þat is contened or intercept

by-twixe þe Cenyth & þe equinoxial; þan sey þei þat þe distaunce fro þe

equinoxial unto þe ende of a clymat, euene[62] a-gaynes þe pool artik, is

þe latitude off þ_a_t climat[62] forsoþe.

The corrections made in this section are here fully described.

1. of lyne P; of a line I; or lyne C; or the AB.

2. this] þis the AB, _absurdly;_ CP _omit_ the, _rightly_.

3. ycleped the] y-clupid þe P; cleped þe C; the same (_sic_) AB.

4. is at; _supplied from_ PCI; AB _omit_.

5. by moeving] by meuynge C; by mevyng PI; schyneth ony thing (_sic_) A;

schyned eny thing B; _for the spelling_ moeving, _see_ sect. 35, l. 5.

6. meridian CP; meridianale I; Middel lyne of the (_sic_) AB.

8. 2 citees CI; too citees P; any lynes (_sic_) AB.

9. aprocheth] a-procheþ C; ap_ro_chiþ P; _miswritten_ aprochid AB.

more toward] neer C; ner P; neerer I; thoward AB.

11. conteyned I; conteynyd P; contened C; consideer_e_d (_sic_) A; contined

B.

13. yf P; [gh]if C; if it I; AB _omit_. N.B. It is best to use the spelling

_yif_, as the word is commonly so spelt in A.

22. same CPI; s_e_c_on_de AB. The reading _same_ is right; for the

'latitude of a climate' means the breadth of a zone of the earth, and the

latitude of the first climate (here chosen by way of example) is the

breadth as measured along a great circle perpendicular to the equator, from

the beginning of the said first climate to the end of _the same_. The words

'evene-directe agayns the poole Artik' mean in the direction of the North

pole; i.e. the latitude of a climate is reckoned from its beginning, or

_southernmost_ boundary-line, towards the end of the same, viz. its

_northern_ boundary-line.

22. þe poole Artik P; þe pool artyke C; the pole artike I; from north to

south AB. Observe that this singular error in A, 'euene direct_e_ agayns

from north to south,' probably arose from a confusion of the text 'euene

direct_e_ agayns þe poole Artik' with a gloss upon it, which was 'from

north to south.' It is important as throwing light on the meaning of the

phrase, and proving that the interpretation of it given above (note to l.

22) is correct.

24. intercept CP; intercepte I; except (_over an erasure_) AB.

The only reading about which there is any doubt is that in line 18, which

may be either 'illike distant by-twene them alle' (A), or 'I-like distaunte

fro þe equinoxial' (C). But it is immaterial which reading be adopted,

since _Illike-distant_ is here used merely in the sense of _parallel_, and

the boundaries of the climates are parallel both to one another, and to the

equinoctial. The climates themselves were of different breadths.

§ 40, l. 4. this samples AB; þese ensamples C.

5. for sothe] _miswritten_ for sonne AB; in gen_er_al C; yn special P; _the

reading_ sonne _points to_ sothe, _and makes it very probable that_ for

sothe _is the true reading_.

6. the longitude] þe longitude C; latitude AB (_absurdly_); see l. 11.

7. planete; _miswritten_ that A, _but corrected_ to planete _in the

margin_; C _has_ planete, _correctly_. The figure 6 is omitted in C; so are

all the other figures further on. him] hir C.

8. I tok] Than toke I C. 8, 16. 2 degrees A; 3 degrees B.

10. Than tok I] Than toke I C; _for_ tok AB _wrongly have_ stykke,

_afterwards altered to_ stokke _in_ A. _second_ the] _supplied from_ C,

_which has_ þe; AB _omit_.

23. the] þe C; AB _omit_.

27. prikke] prickes C; _perhaps_ prikkes _would be a better reading_.

29. AB _omit the figure_ 2; _but see_ l. 8.

31. in alle] in al C; A _has_ septe_n_t_r_ionalle, _an obvious mistake for_

septe_n_trional in alle, _by confusion of the syllable_ 'al' _in the former

with_ 'al' _in the latter word_; B _has_ septentrional, _omitting_ in alle.

34. signes C] tymes AB (_wrongly_); see l. 32.

46. _Perhaps_ evene _before_ of _should be omitted, as in_ C. AB _have_ in

the ende euene ou_er_ of thee, _where_ euene ouer _is repeated from the

former part of the line_.

47. F endlang] F endlonge C; A euene AB; _but see_ ll. 23, 24.

A _omits_ of _and_ degrees, _yet both are required_; BC _omit_ of 3 degrees

_altogether_.

49. til] tyl þat C; tho AB (_absurdly_).

50. saw] sey C; may AB; _see_ l. 28.

56. hir] his ABC. a] ABC _omit_.

57. _At the word_ houre _four of the best_ MSS. _break off_, viz. MSS.

ABCE, _although_ E _adds one more section, viz._ sect. 46; _others come to

a sudden end even sooner_, viz. MSS. DFGHK. _But_ MS. P _carries us on to

the end of_ sect. 43, _and supplies the words_--þu shalt do wel ynow, _as

in the old editions_.

§ 41. 7. betwixe] be M (_wrongly_); betwixe R; by-twyx L.

M _inserts_ & _before_ to þe altitude; _a mere slip_. For; _miswritten_ Fro

M.

8. thridde; _miswritten_ ridde M; þrydde R.

13. LM _wrongly place_ of _after_ the hey[gh]t _instead of before it_.

§ 42, l. 2. see] _so in_ LR; _miswritten_ sette M; see sect. 41, l. 4.

3. _second_ I] _so_ L; y R; M _omits_.

8. M _omits_ as, above, _and_ is þe; L _has_ 12 passethe 6 the.

11. seest] _so in_ LR; _miswritten_ settest M.

12. 60] _so in_ LNR; sexe M.

13. M _omits from_ 10 is _to_ 10 feet, _which is supplied from_ NLPR.

14. For] _so in_ LNR; fro M.

15. _For_ 2, M _has_ 6; _so also_ R. _For_ 3, M _has_ 4.

16. _For_ 2, M _has_ 6; _for_ 6, M _has_ 2; _and the words_ and 3 is 4

p_ar_tyes of 12 _are omitted, though_ L _has_--& 4 is the thrid p_ar_tye of

12.

17. betwen R] by-twene L; bitwixe P; _miswritten_ be M; cf. sect. 41, 7.

19. thre R] 3 LP; _miswritten_ þe M.

§ 43. Rubric _in_ M, _Umbra Versa_; obviously a mistake for _Recta_. The

error is repeated in l. 1. LPR rightly read _Recta_.

3. M _omits_ 1, _which is supplied from_ LPR; see l. 5.

11. _After_ heythe (_as in_ M), LNR _add_ to thyn eye. _In place of lines_

9-11, P _has_--& so of all_e_ oþ_er_, &c.

§ 44. From MS. Digby 72 (N). Also in LMOR.

2. fro] _so in_ LO; for M.

3. into] _so in_ L; in M. for] _so in_ O; fro M.

6. [gh]eris M; LNO _omit_.

7. tabelis NO; table M; tables L.

8. where L; qwere O; wheþ_er_ N.

9. loke LM; N _omits_.

11, 2. NM _omit from_ or what _to_ or; _supplied from_ O, _which has_--or

qwat nombre þat euere it be, tyl þe tyme þat þ_o_u come to 20, or 40, or

60. _I have merely turned_ qwat _into_ what, _as in_ L, _which also has

this insertion_.

13. wreten N; _the alteration to_ wryte _is my own_; see l. 23.

under] _so in_ L; vndirneþe M.

14. to-geder] too-geder M; _miswritten_ to 2 degreis N; to the 2 degrees L.

15. hast M; _miswritten_ laste N; last L.

16. that (1); _supplied from_ M; LN _omit. For_ 1 (_as in_ M) LN _have_ 10.

21. to-gedere M; to the degreis N; 2 grees O; to degrees L.

22. that (2); _supplied from_ M; LNO _omit_.

lasse] passid LNO; M _omits_. Of course _passid_ is wrong, and equally of

course _lasse_ is right; see ll. 5, 6 above, and l. 25 below.

25. that] _so in_ L; þ_a_t MO; if h_i_t N.

27. entringe] e_n_tre M; entre L. ther] _so in_ M; _miswritten_ the [gh]ere

N; the [gh]eer L.

30. m_er_ydie LM; m_er_die N.

32. for LM; fro N (_twice_).

34. tha[gh]the N; have tau[gh]t M; have taw[gh]t O; haue tauht L.

36. the (1); _supplied from_ M; LNO _omit_.

w_i_t_h_ the] _so in_ M; wyche N; _see_ l. 36.

40. in (2)] in-to N; yn M.

§ 45. From MS. Digby 72 (N); also in LOR; but not in M.

4. that N; the L; þe O (_after_ wryte _in_ l. 3).

6. wrytou_n_ O; Iwyton N. _But_ L _has_ I wold wyttyn; _read_--I wolde

witen precise my rote; cf. ll. 19, 30.

8. 1397] _miswritten_ 1391 LN; O _has_ 1391, _corrected to_ 1397; see l. 3.

11. so[gh]th N; sowte O; sowthe L; _read_ soghte.

14. vnd_er_ N; vndyr-nethe O; vndre-nethe L.

20, 1. oþer i_n_ any oþ_er_ tyme or monyth N; or any oder tymys or monthys

O; or i_n_ eny other moneth L.

27. adde] _supplied from_ L; NO _omit_. There is no doubt about it, for see

l. 16.

31. wete the] _so in_ O; wete thi L; _miswritten_ with thy N; see l. 19.

35. and (3)] _supplied from_ LO; N _omits_.

§ 46, 5, 6. þat same E; þe same S.

10. it S; E _omits_.

13. þ_a_t same (_om._ tyme) E; þe same tyme S.

16. þ_o_u þan esely E; than shallt thou easly S.

17. tyme of E; tyme of the S.

20. S meve (_for_ bringe furþe).

§ 41_a_. This and the remaining sections are certainly spurious. They occur

in LMNR, the first being also found in O. The text of 41_a_-42_b_ is from

M.

3. hast] _supplied from_ LR; M _omits_.

§ 42_a_, 1. heyth by þy N; heyth by the L; heythe bi þi R; M _om._

4. lyk] lykk M; L. _omits_. mete] mette M; mett L.

9. is L; _miswritten_ bys M.

§ 43_a_, 1. nat] not R; nott L; M _omits_; see the footnote. In the rubric,

M has _versam_; but L has the rubric--_Vmbra Recta_.

§ 42_b_, 5. as] _so in_ LR; _miswritten_ & M.

6. 4 _is supplied from_ LR; M _omits_.

NOTES TO THE HOUSE OF FAME.

BOOK I.

Written in three Books; but I number the lines consecutively throughout,

for convenience; at the same time giving the _separate_ numbering (of Books

II. and III.) within marks of parenthesis. The title of the poem is

expressly given at l. 663. The author gives his name as Geffrey; l. 729.

Lydgate's Temple of Glass is partly imitated from the House of Fame;

Warton, Hist. E. Poetry, 1871, iii. 61. The same is true of the Palice of

Honour, by Gawain Douglas. For further remarks, see the Introduction.

As the poem is not quite easy to follow, I here subjoin a brief Argument of

its contents.

BOOK I. A discussion on dreams. I will tell you my dream on the 10th of

December. But first let me invoke Morpheus. May those who gladly hear me

have joy; but may those who dislike my words have as evil a fate as

Croesus, King of Lydia! (1-110).

I slept, and dreamt I was in a temple of glass, dedicated to Venus. On a

table of brass I found the opening words of Vergil's Æneid; after which I

saw the destruction of Troy, the death of Priam, the flight of Æneas, the

loss of Creusa, the voyage of Æneas to Italy, the storm at sea sent by

Juno, the arrival of Æneas at Carthage, how kindly Dido received him, and

how Æneas betrayed and left her, causing Dido's lament and suicide. Similar

falsehood was seen in Demophon, Achilles, Paris, Jason, Hercules, and

Theseus. Next, Æneas sailed to Italy, and lost Palinurus; he visited the

lower regions, where he saw Anchises, Palinurus, Dido, and Deiphobus.

Afterwards he warred in Italy, slew Turnus, and won Lavinia (111-467).

After this I went out of the temple, and found a large plain. Looking up, I

saw an eagle above me, of enormous size and having golden feathers

(468-508).

BOOK II. Such a strange vision as mine never appeared to Scipio,

Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, or Turnus. O Venus and Muses, help me to tell it!

The great eagle swooped down upon me, seized me, and bore me aloft, and

told me (in a man's voice) not to be afraid. I thought I was being borne up

to the stars, like Enoch or Ganymede. The eagle then addressed me, and told

me some events of my own life, and said that he would bear me to the House

of Fame, where I should hear many wonderful things (509-710).

The House stood in the midst, between heaven, earth, and sea; and all

sounds travelled thither, 'Geoffrey,' said he, 'you know how all things

tend to seek their own proper place; a stone sinks down, while smoke flies

up. Sound is merely broken air, and if you would know how all sounds come

to Fame's House, observe how, when a stone is thrown into water, the rings

made by the ripples extend from the spot where it fell till they reach the

shore. Just so all earthly sounds travel till they reach Fame's House.' He

then bade me look below me, and asked what I saw. I saw fields, hills,

rivers, towns, and sea; but soon he had soared so high that the earth

dwindled to a point. I was higher up (I said) than ever was Alexander,

Scipio, or Dædalus. He then bade me look upward; I saw the zodiac, the

milky way, and clouds, snows, and rain beneath me. Then I thought of the

descriptions of heaven in Boethius and Marcian. The eagle would have taught

me the names of the stars; I refused to learn. He then asked if I could now

hear the sounds that murmured in the House of Fame. I said they sounded

like the beating of the sea on rocks (711-1045).

Then he set me down upon my feet in a way that led to the House, and bade

me go forward; observing that I should find that the _words_ that flew

about in Fame's House assumed the outward forms of the _men_ upon earth who

uttered them (1046-90).

BOOK III. Apollo, aid me to write this last book! My rime is artless; I aim

at expressing my thoughts only (1091-1109).

The House of Fame stood high upon a lofty rock, which I climbed

laboriously. The rock was formed of ice. On the southern side it was

covered with names, many of the letters of which were melted away. On the

northern side, it was likewise covered with names, which remained unmelted

and legible. On the top of the mountain I found a beautiful House, which I

cannot describe though I remember it. It was all of beryl, and full of

windows. In niches round about were harpers and minstrels, such as Orpheus,

Arion, Chiron, and Glasgerion. Far from these, by themselves, was a vast

crowd of musicians. There were Marsyas, Misenus, Joab, and others. In other

seats were jugglers, sorcerers, and magicians; Medea, Circe, Hermes, and

Coll Tregetour. I next beheld the golden gates. Then I heard the cries of

those that were heralds to the goddess Fame. How shall I describe the great

hall, that was plated with gold, and set with gems? High on a throne of

ruby sat the goddess, who at first seemed but a dwarf, but presently grew

so that she reached, from earth to heaven. Her hair was golden, and she was

covered with innumerable ears and tongues. Her shoulders sustained the

names of famous men, such as Alexander and Hercules. On either side of the

hall were huge pillars of metal. On the first of these, composed of lead

and iron, was the Jew Josephus; the iron was the metal of Mercury, and the

lead of Saturn. Next, on an iron pillar, was Statius; and on other iron

pillars were Homer, Dares, Dictys, Guido, and the English Geoffrey, who

upbore the fame of Troy. On a pillar of iron, but covered over with tin,

was Vergil; and beside him Ovid and Lucan. On a pillar of sulphur stood

Claudian (1110-1512).

Next I saw a vast company, all worshipping Fame. These she rejected, but

would say of them neither good nor bad. She then sent a messenger to fetch

Æolus, the god of wind, who should bring with him two trumpets, namely of

Praise and Slander. Æolus, with his man Triton, came to Fame. And when many

undeserving suppliants approached her, she bade Æolus blow his black trump

of Slander. He did so, and from it there issued a stinking smoke; and so

this second company got renown, but it was evil. A third company sued to

her, and she bade Æolus blow his golden trump of Praise. Straightway he did

so, and the blast had a perfume like that of balm and roses. A fourth

company, a very small one, asked for no fame at all, and their request was

granted. A fifth company modestly asked for no fame, though they had done

great things; but Fame bade Æolus blow his golden trumpet, till their

praise resounded everywhere. A sixth company of idle men, who had done no

good, asked for fame; and their request was granted. A seventh company made

the same request; but Fame reviled them; Æolus blew his black trump, and

all men laughed at them. An eighth company, of wicked men, prayed for good

fame; but their request was refused. A ninth company, also of wicked men,

prayed for a famous but evil name, and their request was granted. Among

them was the wretch who set on fire the temple at Athens (1513-1867).

Then some man perceived me, and began to question me. I explained that I

had come to learn strange things, and not to gain fame. He led me out of

the castle and into a valley, where stood the house of Dædalus (i.e. the

house of Rumour). This strange house was made of basket-work, and was full

of holes, and all the doors stood wide open. All sorts of rumours entered

there, and it was sixty miles long. On a rock beside it I saw my eagle

perched, who again seized me, and bore me into it through a window. It

swarmed with people, all of whom were engaged in telling news; and often

their stories would fly out of a window. Sometimes a truth and a lie would

try to fly out together, and became commingled before they could get away.

Every piece of news then flew to Fame, who did as she pleased with each.

The house of Dædalus was thronged with pilgrims, pardoners, couriers, and

messengers, and I heard strange things. In one corner men were telling

stories about love, and there was a crush of men running to hear them. At

last I saw a man whom I knew not; but he seemed to be one who had great

authority--(_here the poem ends, being incomplete_; ll. 1868-2158).

The general idea of the poem was plainly suggested by the description of

Fame in Vergil, the house of Fame as described near the beginning of the

twelfth book of Ovid's Metamorphoses, and various hints in Dante's Divina

Commedia. For a close and searching comparison between the House of Fame

and Dante's great poem, see the article by A. Rambeau in Engl. Studien,

iii. 209.

1. For this method of commencing a poem with a dream, compare The Book of

the Duchesse, Parl. of Foules, and The Romance of the Rose.

For discourses on dreams, compare the Nonne Preestes Tale, and the remarks

of Pandarus in Troilus, v. 358-385. Chaucer here propounds several

problems; first, what causes dreams (a question answered at some length in

the Nonne Preestes Tale, B 4116); why some come true and some do not

(discussed in the same, B 4161); and what are the various sorts of dreams

(see note to l. 7 below).

There is another passage in Le Roman de la Rose, which bears some

resemblance to the present passage. It begins at l. 18699:--

'Ne ne revoil dire des songes,

S'il sunt voirs, ou s'il sunt mençonges;

Se l'en les doit du tout eslire,

Ou s'il sunt du tout à despire:

Porquoi li uns sunt plus orribles,

Plus bel li autre et plus paisible,

Selonc lor apparicions

En diverses complexions,

Et selonc lors divers corages

Des meurs divers et des aages;

Ou se Diex par tex visions

Envoie revelacions,

Ou li malignes esperiz,

Por metre les gens en periz;

De tout ce ne m'entremetrai.'

2. This long sentence ends at line 52.

7. This opens up the question as to the divers sorts of dreams. Chaucer

here evidently follows Macrobius, who, in his Commentary on the Somnium

Scipionis, lib. i. c. 3, distinguishes _five kinds_ of dreams, viz.

_somnium_, _visio_, _oraculum_, _insomnium_, and _visum_. The fourth kind,

_insomnium_, was also called _fantasma_; and this provided Chaucer with the

word _fantome_ in l. 11. In the same line, _oracles_ answers to the Lat.

_oracula_. Cf. Ten Brink, Studien, p. 101.

18. _The gendres_, the (various) kinds. This again refers to Macrobius, who

subdivides the kind of dream which he calls _somnium_ into five species,

viz. _proprium_, _alienum_, _commune_, _publicum_, and _generale_,

according to the things to which they relate. _Distaunce of tymes_, i.e.

whether the thing dreamt of will happen soon, or a long time afterwards.

20. 'Why this is a greater (more efficient) cause than that.'

21. This alludes to the four chief complexions of men; cf. Nonne Preestes

Tale, B 4114. The four complexions were the sanguine, phlegmatic,

melancholy, and choleric; and each complexion was likely to have certain

sorts of dreams. Thus, in the Nonne Preestes Tale, B 4120, the _choleric_

man is said to dream of arrows, fire, fierce carnivorous beasts, strife,

and dogs; whilst the _melancholy_ man will dream of bulls and bears and

black devils.

22. _Reflexiouns_, the reflections or thoughts to which each man is most

addicted; see Parl. of Foules, 99-105.

24. 'Because of too great feebleness of their brain (caused) by

abstinence,' &c.

43. _Of propre kynde_, owing to its own nature.

48. The _y_ in _By_ is run on to the _a_ into _avísióuns_.

53. 'As respects this matter, may good befall the great clerks that treat

of it.' Of these great clerks, Macrobius was one, and Jean de Meun another.

Vincent of Beauvais has plenty to say about dreams in his Speculum

Naturale, lib. xxvi.; and he refers us to Aristotle, Gregory (Moralia, lib.

viii.), Johannes de Rupella, Priscianus (ad Cosdroe regem Persarum)

Augustinus (in Libro de diuinatione dæmonum), Hieronimus (super Matheum,

lib. ii.), Thomas de Aquino, Albertus, &c.

58. Repeated (nearly) from l. 1.

63. I here give the text as restored by Willert, who shows how the

corruptions in ll. 62 and 63 arose. First of all _dide_ was shifted into l.

62, giving _as dide I_; as in Caxton's print. Next, an additional _now_ was

put in place of _dide_ in l. 63; as in P., B., F., and Th., and _dide_ was

dropped alltogether. After this, F. turned the _now_ of l. 64 into _yow_,

and Cx. omitted it. See also note to l. 111.

64. 'Which, as I can (best) now remember.'

68. Pronounced fully:--With spé-ci-ál de-vó-ci-óun.

69. Morpheus; see Book of Duch. 137. From Ovid, Met. xi. 592-612; esp. ll.

602, 3:--

'Saxo tamen exit ab imo

Riuus aquae Lethes.'

73. 'Est prope Cimmerios,' &c.; Met. xi. 592.

75. See Ovid, Met. xi. 613-5; 633.

76. _That ... hir_ is equivalent to _whose_; cf. Kn. Tale, 1852.

81. Cf. 'Colui, che tutto move,' i.e. He who moves all; Parad. i. 1.

88. Read _povért_; cf. Clerkes Tale, E 816.

92. MSS. _misdeme_; I read _misdemen_, to avoid an hiatus.

93. Read _málicióus_.

98. 'That, whether he dream when bare-footed or when shod'; whether in bed

by night or in a chair by day; i.e. in every case. The _that_ is

idiomatically repeated in l. 99.

105. The dream of Croesus, king of Lydia, and his death vpon a gallows,

form the subject of the last story in the Monkes Tale. Chaucer got it from

the Rom. de la Rose, which accounts for the form _Lyde_. The passage occurs

at l. 6513:--

'Cresus ...

Qui refu roi de toute _Lyde_, ...

Qu'el vous vuet faire au _gibet_ pendre.'

109, 10. The rime is correct, because _abreyd_ is a _strong_ verb. Chaucer

does not rime a pp. with a _weak_ pt. tense, which should have a final _e_.

According to Mr. Cromie's Rime-Index, there is just _one_ exception, viz.

in the Kn. Tale, A 1383, where the pt. t. _seyde_ is rimed with the 'pp.

_leyde_.' But Mr. Cromie happens to have overlooked the fact that _leyde_

is here _not_ the pp., but the _past tense_! Nevertheless, _abreyd-e_ also

appears in a _weak_ form, by confusion with _leyd-e_, _seyd-e_, &c.; see C.

T., B 4198, E 1061. Cf. Book of the Duchess, 192. In l. 109, he refers to

l. 65.

111. Here again, as in l. 63, is a mention of Dec. 10. Ten Brink (Studien,

p. 151) suggests that it may have been a _Thursday_; cf. the mention of

_Jupiter_ in ll. 608, 642, 661. If so, the year was 1383.

115. 'Like one that was weary with having overwalked himself by going two

miles on pilgrimage.' The difficulty was not in the walking two miles, but

in doing so under difficulties, such as going barefoot for penance.

117. _Corseynt_; O.F. _cors seint_, lit. holy body; hence a saint or

sainted person, or the shrine where a saint was laid. See Robert of Brunne,

Handlyng Synne, 8739:--

'And hys ymage ful feyre depeynte,

Ry[gh]t as he were a _cors seynt_.'

See also P. Plowman, B. v. 539; Morte Arthure, 1164; and (the spurious)

Chaucer's Dream, 942.

118. 'To make that soft (or easy) which was formerly hard.' The allusion is

humorous enough; viz. to the bonds of matrimony. Here again Chaucer follows

Jean de Meun, Rom. de la Rose, 8871:--

'Mariages est maus liens,

Ainsinc m'aïst saint Juliens

Qui pelerins errans herberge,

Et saint Lienart qui defferge

Les prisonniers bien repentans,

Quant les voit à soi démentans';

i.e. 'Marriage is an evil bond--so may St. Julian aid me, who harbours

wandering pilgrims; and St. Leonard, who frees from their fetters (lit.

un-irons) such prisoners as are very repentant, when he sees them giving

themselves the lie (or recalling their word).' The 'prisoners' are married

people, who have repented, and would recall their plighted vow.

St. Leonard was the patron-saint of captives, and it was charitably hoped

that he would extend his protection to the wretched people who had

unadvisedly entered into wedlock, and soon prayed to get out of it again.

They would thus exchange the _hard_ bond for the _soft_ condition of

freedom. 'St. Julian is the patron of pilgrims; St. Leonard and St. Barbara

protect captives'; Brand, Pop. Antiquities, i. 359. And, at p. 363 of the

same, Brand quotes from Barnabee Googe:--

'But Leonerd of the prisoners doth the bandes asunder pull,

And breaks the prison-doores and chaines, wherewith his church is full.'

St. Leonard's day is Nov. 6.

119. The MSS. have _slept-e_, which is dissyllabic. Read _sleep_, as in C.

T. Prol. 397.

120. Hence the title of one of Lydgate's poems, The Temple of Glass, which

is an imitation of the present poem.

130. Cf. the description of Venus' temple (Cant. Tales, A 1918), which is

imitated from that in Boccaccio's Teseide.

133. Cf. 'naked fleting in the large see.... And on hir heed, ful semely

for to see, A rose garland, fresh and wel smellinge'; Cant. Tales, A 1956.

137. 'Hir dowves'; C. T., A 1962. 'Cupido'; id. 1963.

138. _Vulcano_, Vulcan; note the Italian forms of these names. Boccaccio's

Teseide has _Cupido_ (vii. 54), and _Vulcano_ (vii. 43). His face was brown

with working at the forge.

141, 2. Cf. Dante, Inf. iii. 10, 11.

143. A large portion of the rest of this First Book is taken up with a

summary of the earlier part of Vergil's Aeneid. We have here a translation

of the well-known opening lines:--

'Arma uirumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris

Italiam, fato profugus, Lauinia uenit

Littora.'

147. _In_, into, unto; see note to l. 366.

152. _Synoun_, Sinon; Aen. ii. 195.

153. I supply _That_, both for sense and metre.

155. _Made the hors broght_, caused the horse to be brought. On this idiom,

see the note to Man of Lawes Tale, B 171.

158. _Ilioun_, Ilium. _Ilium_ is only a poetical name for Troy; but the

medieval writers often use it in the restricted sense of the citadel of

Troy, where was the temple of Apollo and the palace of Priam. Thus, in the

alliterative Troy-book, 11958, _ylion_ certainly has this sense; and Caxton

speaks of 'the palays of _ylyon_'; see Spec. of English, ed. Skeat, p. 94.

See also the parallel passage in the Nonne Preestes Tale, B 4546. Still

more clearly, in the Leg. Good Women (Dido, 13), Chaucer says, of 'the tour

of Ilioun,' that it 'of the citee was the cheef dungeoun.' In l. 163 below,

it is called _castel_.

160. _Polites_, Polites; Aen. ii. 526. Also spelt _Polite_ in Troil. iv.

53.

163. _Brende_, was on fire; used intransitively, as in l. 537.

164-73. See Aen. ii. 589-733.

174. Read _this_, rather than _his_. Cf. Aen. ii. 736.

177. Iulus and Ascanius were one and the same person; see Æn. i. 267.

Perhaps Ch. was misled by the wording of Æn. iv. 274. (On the other hand,

Brutus was _not_ the same person as Cassius; see Monkes Tale, B 3887).

Hence, Koch proposes to read _That hight_ instead of _And eek_; but we have

no authority for this. However, Chaucer has it right in his Legend of Good

Women, 941; and in l. 192 below, we find _sone_, not _sones_; hence l. 178

may be merely parenthetical.

182. _Wente_, foot-path; Aen. ii. 737. Cf. Book Duch. 398.

184. 'So that she was dead, but I know not how.' Vergil does not say _how_

she died.

185. _Gost_, ghost; see Aen. ii. 772.

189. Repeated from l. 180.

198. Here Chaucer returns to the first book of the Æneid, which he follows

down to l. 255.

204. 'To blow forth, (with winds) of all kinds'; cf. Æn. i. 85.

219. _Ioves_, Jove, Jupiter. This curious form occurs again, ll. 586, 597,

630; see note to l. 586. Boccaccio has _Giove_.

226. _Achatee_ (trisyllabic), Achates, Æn. i. 312; where the abl. form

_Achate_ occurs.

239. The story of Dido is told at length in Le Rom. de la Rose, 13378; in

The Legend of Good Women; and in Gower, Conf. Amantis, bk. iv., ed. Pauli,

ii. 4. Chaucer now passes on to the fourth book of the Æneid, till he comes

to l. 268 below.

265. 'Mès ja ne verrés d'aparence Conclurre bonne consequence'; Rom. Rose,

12343.

272. 'It is not all gold that glistens.' A proverb which Chaucer took from

Alanus de Insulis; see note to Can. Yem. Tale, G 962.

273. 'For, as sure as I hope to have good use of my head.' _Brouke_ is,

practically, in the optative mood. Cf. 'So mote I brouke wel myn eyen

tweye'; Cant. Ta., B 4490; so also E 2308. The phrase occurs several times

in the Tale of Gamelyn; see note to l. 334 of that poem.

280-3. These four lines occur in Thynne's edition only, but are probably

quite genuine. It is easy to see why they dropped out; viz. owing to the

repetition of the word _finde_ at the end of ll. 279 and 283. This is a

very common cause of such omissions. See note to l. 504.

286. _By_, with reference to.

288. _Gest_, guest; Lat. _aduena_, Æn. iv. 591.

290. 'He that fully knows the herb may safely lay it to his eye.' So in

Cotgrave's Dict., s.v. _Herbe_, we find; '_L'herbe qu'on cognoist, on la

doit lier à son doigt_; Prov. Those, or that, which a man knowes best, he

must use most.'

305. In the margin of MSS. F. and B. is here written:--'Cauete uos,

innocentes mulieres.'

315. _Swete herte_; hence E. _sweetheart_; cf. l. 326.

321. Understand _ne_ (i.e. neither) before _your love_. Cf. Æn. iv. 307, 8.

329. I have no hesitation in inserting _I_ after _Agilte_, as it is

absolutely required to complete the sense. Read--_Agílt' I yów_, &c.

343. Pronounce _détermínen_ (_i_ as _ee_ in _beet_).

346. Cf. Æn. iv. 321-3.

350. 'Fama, malum quo non aliud _uelocius_ ullum,' Æn. iv. 174; quoted in

the margin of MSS. F. and B.

351. 'Nichil occultum quod non reueletur'; Matt. x. 26: quoted in the

margin of MSS. F. and B.

355. _Seyd y-shamed be_, said to be put to shame.

359. _Eft-sones_, hereafter again. In the margin of MSS. F. and B. we here

find:--'Cras poterunt turpia fieri sicut heri.' By reading _fieri turpia_,

this becomes a pentameter; but it is not in Ovid, nor (I suppose) in

classical Latin.

361. _Doon_, already done. _To done_, yet to be done. Cf. Book Duch. 708.

366. I read _in_ for _into_ (as in the MSS.). For similar instances, where

the scribes write _into_ for _in_, see Einenkel, Streifzüge durch die

Mittelengl. Syntax, p. 145. Cf. l. 147.

367. In the margin of MSS. F. and B. is an incorrect quotation of Æn. iv.

548-9:--'tu prima furentem His, germana, malis oneras.'

378. _Eneidos_; because the books are headed _Æneidos liber primus_, &c.

379. See Ovid, Heroides, Epist. vii--Dido Æneæ.

380. _Or that_, ere that, before.

381. Only Th. has the right reading, viz. _And nere it to longe to endyte_

(where _longe_ is an error for _long_). The expressions _And nor hyt were_

and _And nere it were_ are both ungrammatical. _Nere_ = _ne were_, were it

not.

388. In the margin of F. and B. we find:--'Nota: of many vntrewe louers.

Hospita, Demaphoon, tua te R[h]odopeia Phyllis Vltra promissum tempus

abesse queror.' These are the first two lines of Epistola ii. in Ovid's

_Heroides_, addressed by Phyllis to Demophoon. All the examples here given

are taken from the same work. Epist. iii. is headed _Briseis Achilli_;

Epist. v., _Oenone Paridi_; Epist. vi., _Hypsipyle Iasoni_; Epist. xii.,

_Medea Iasoni_; Epist. ix., _Deianira Herculi_; Epist. x., _Ariadne

Theseo_. These names were evidently suggested by the reference above to the

same work, l. 379. See the long note to Group B, l. 61, in vol. v.

Demophoon, son of Theseus, was the lover of Phyllis, daughter of king

Sithon in Thrace; she was changed into an almond-tree.

392. _His terme pace_, pass beyond or stay behind his appointed time. He

said he would return in a month, but did not do so. See the story in The

Legend of Good Women. Gower (ed. Pauli, iii. 361) alludes to her story, in

a passage much like the present one; and in Le Rom. de la Rose, 13417, we

have the very phrase--'Por _le terme qu'il trespassa_.'

397. In the margin of F. and B.:--'Ouidius. Quam legis a rapta Briseide

litera venit'; Heroid. Ep. iii. 1.

401. In the same:--'Ut [_miswritten_ Vbi] tibi Colc[h]orum memini regina

uacaui'; Heroid. Ep. xii. 1. For the accentuation of _Medea_, cf. Leg. of

Good Women, 1629, 1663.

402. In the margin of F. and B.:--'Gratulor Oechaliam'; Heroid. Ep. ix. 1;

but _Oechaliam_ is miswritten _yotholia_.

405. Gower also tells this story; ed. Pauli, ii. 306.

407. In F. and B. is quoted the first line of Ovid, Heroid. x. 1.

_Adriane_, Ariadne; just as in Leg. Good Wom. 2171, &c., and in C. T.,

Group B, l. 67. Gower has _Adriagne_.

409. 'For, whether he had laughed, or whether he had frowned'; i.e. in any

case. Cf. l. 98.

411. 'If it had not been for Ariadne.' We have altered the form of this

idiom.

416. _Yle_, isle of Naxos; see notes to Leg. Good Wom. 2163, and C. T.,

Group B, l. 68 (in vol. v.).

426. _Telles_ is a Northern and West-Midland form, as in Book Duch. 73. Cf.

_falles_, id. 257. A similar admixture of forms occurs in Havelok, Will. of

Palerne, and other M.E. poems.

429. _The book_, i.e. Vergil; Æn. iv. 252.

434. _Go_, gone, set out; correctly used. Chaucer passes on to Æneid, bk.

v. The _tempest_ is that mentioned in Æn. v. 10; the _steersman_ is

Palinurus, who fell overboard; Æn. v. 860.

439. See Æn. bk. vi. The _isle_ intended is Crete, Æn. vi. 14, 23; which

was not at all near (or 'besyde') Cumæ, but a long way from it. Æneas then

descends to hell, where he sees Anchises (vi. 679); Palinurus (337); Dido

(450); Deiphobus, son of Priam (495); and the tormented souls (580).

447. _Which_ refers to the various sights in hell.

449. _Claudian_, Claudius Claudianus, who wrote De raptu Proserpinae about

A.D. 400. _Daunte_ is Dante, with reference to his Inferno, ii. 13-27, and

Paradiso, xv. 25-27.

451. Chaucer goes on to Æn. vii-xii, of which he says but little.

458. _Lavyna_ is Lavinia; the form _Lavina_ occurs in Dante, Purg. xvii.

37.

468. I put _seyën_ for _seyn_, to improve the metre; cf. P. Pl. C. iv. 104.

474. 'But I do not know who caused them to be made.'

475. Read _ne in_ as _nin_; as in Squi. Tale, F 35.

482. This waste space corresponds to Dante's 'gran diserto,' Inf. i. 64;

or, still better, to his 'landa' (Inf. xiv. 8), which was too sterile to

support plants. So again, l. 486 corresponds to Dante's 'arena arida e

spessa,' which has reference to the desert of Libya; Inf. xiv. 13.

487. 'As fine [said of the sand] as one may see still lying.' Jephson says

_yet_ must be a mistake, and would read _yt_. But it makes perfect sense.

Cx. Th. read _at eye_ (put for _at yë_) instead of _yet lye_, which is

perhaps better. _At yë_ means 'as presented to the sight'; see Kn. Ta., A

3016.

498. _Kenne_, discern. The offing at sea has been called the _kenning_; and

see _Kenning_ in Halliwell.

500. _More_, greater. Imitated from Dante, Purgat. ix. 19, which Cary

translates thus:--

'Then, in a vision, did I seem to view

A golden-feather'd eagle in the sky,

With open wings, and hovering for descent.'

Cf. also the descent of the angel in Purg. ii. 17-24.

504-7. The omission of these lines in F. and B. is simply due to the scribe

slipping from _bright_ in l. 503 to _brighte_ in l. 507. Cf. note to l.

280.

BOOK II.

511. _Listeth_, pleases, is pleased; the alteration (in MS. F.) to

_listeneth_ is clearly wrong, and due to confusion with _herkneth_ above.

(I do not think _listeth_ is the imp. pl. here.)

514. _Isaye_, Isaiah; actually altered, in various editions, to _I saye_,

as if it meant 'I say.' The reference is to 'the vision of Isaiah'; Isa. i.

1; vi. 1. _Scipioun_, Scipio; see note to Parl. Foules, 31, and cf. Book of

the Duch. 284.

515. _Nabugodonosor_, Nebuchadnezzar. The same spelling occurs in the

Monkes Tale (Group B, 3335), and is a mere variant of the form

_Nabuchodonosor_ in the Vulgate version, Dan. i-iv. Gower has the same

spelling; Conf. Amant. bk. i., near the end.

516. _Pharo_; spelt _Pharao_ in the Vulgate, Gen. xli. 1-7. See Book of the

Duchesse, 280-3.

_Turnus_; alluding to his vision of Iris, the messenger of Juno; Æneid ix.

6. _Elcanor_; this name somewhat resembles _Elkanah_ (in the Vulgate,

_Elcana_), 1 Sam. i. 1; but I do not know where to find any account of his

vision, nor do I at all understand who is meant. The name _Alcanor_ occurs

in Vergil, but does not help us.

518. _Cipris_, Venus, goddess of Cyprus; called _Cipryde_ in Parl. Foules,

277. Dante has _Ciprigna_; Par. viii. 2.

519. _Favour_, favourer, helper, aid; not used in the ordinary sense of

Lat. _fauor_, but as if it were formed from O.F. _faver_, Lat. _fauere_, to

be favourable to. Godefroy gives an example of the O.F. verb _faver_ in

this sense.

521. _Parnaso_; the spelling is imitated from the Ital. _Parnaso_, i.e.

Parnassus, in Dante, Par. i. 16. So also _Elicon_ is Dante's _Elicona_,

i.e. Helicon, Purg. xxix. 40. But the passage in Dante which Chaucer here

especially imitates is that in Inf. ii. 7-9:--

'O Muse, o alto ingegno, or m' aiutate;

O mente, che scrivesti ciò ch' io vidi,

Qui si parrà la tua nobilitate.'

This Cary thus translates:--

'O Muses! O high genius, now vouchsafe

Your aid. O mind, that all I saw hast kept

Safe in a written record, here thy worth

And eminent endowments come to proof.'

Hence _ye_ in l. 520 answers to Dante's _Muse_, the Muses; and _Thought_ in

l. 523 answers to Dante's _mente_, Cf. also Parad. xviii. 82-87. And see

the parallel passage in Anelida, 15-19.

The reason why Chaucer took _Helicon_ to be a well rather than a mountain

is because Dante's allusion to it is dubiously worded; see Purg. xxix. 40.

528. _Engyn_ is accented on the latter syllable, as in Troil. ii. 565, iii.

274.

529. _Egle_, the eagle in l. 499; cf. ll. 503-7.

534. Partly imitated from Dante, Purg. ix. 28-30:--

'Poi mi parea che, più rotata un poco,

Terribil come fulgor discendesse,

E me rapisse suso infino al foco.'

Cary's translation is:--

'A little wheeling in his aëry tour,

Terrible as the lightning, rushed he down,

And snatch'd me upward even to the fire.'

But Chaucer follows still more closely, and verbally, a passage in

Machault's Jugement du Roi de Navarre, ed. Tarbé, 1849, p. 72, which has

the words--

'la foudre

Que mainte ville mist en poudre';

i.e. literally, 'the _foudre_ (thunder-bolt) which reduces many a town to

powder.' Machault nearly repeats this; ed. Tarbé, p. 97.

Curiously enough, almost the same words occur in Boethius, bk. i. met. 4,

where Chaucer's translation has:--'ne þe wey of thonder-leyt, that is wont

to smyten heye toures.' It hence appears that Chaucer copies Machault, and

Machault translates Boethius. There are some curious M.E. verses on the

effects of thunder in Popular Treatises on Science, ed. Wright, p. 136.

_Foudre_ represents the Lat. _fulgur_. One of the queer etymologies of

medieval times is, that _fulgur_ is derived _a feriendo_; Vincent of

Beauvais, Spec. Nat. iv. 59. It was held to be quite sufficient that both

_fulgur_ and _ferire_ begin with _f_.

537. _Brende,_ was set on fire; cf. l. 163. The idea is that of a falling

thunderbolt, which seems to have been conceived of as being a material

mass, set on fire by the rapidity of its passage through the air; thus

confusing the flash of lightning with the fall of a meteoric stone. See Mr.

Aldis Wright's note on _thunder-stone_, Jul. Cæs. i. 3. 49.

543. _Hente_, caught. We find a similar use of the word in an old

translation of Map's Apocalypsis Goliæ, printed in Morley's Shorter Eng.

Poems, p. 13:--

'And by and by I fell into a sudden trance,

And all along the air was marvellously _hent_.'

544. _Sours_, sudden ascent, a springing aloft. It is well illustrated by a

passage in the Somp. Tale (D 1938):--

'Therfor, right as an hauk up, at a _sours_,

Up springeth into their, right so prayeres

Of charitable and chaste bisy freres

Maken hir _sours_ to Goddes eres two.'

It is precisely the same word as M.E. _sours_, mod. E. _source_, i.e. rise,

spring (of a river). Etymologically, it is the feminine of O.F. _sors_, pp.

of _sordre_, to rise (Lat. _surgere_). At a later period, the _r_ was

dropped, and the word was strangely confused in sound with the verb

_souse_, to pickle. Moreover, the original sense of 'sudden ascent' was

confused with that of 'sudden descent,' for which the correct term was (I

suppose) _swoop_. Hence the old verb to _souse_, in the sense 'to swoop

down,' or 'to pounce upon,' or 'to strike,' as in Shak. K. John, v. 2. 150;

Spenser, F. Q. i. 5. 8; iii. 4. 16; iv. 3. 19. 25; iv. 4. 30; iv 5. 36; iv.

7. 9. The sense of 'downward swoop' is particularly clear in Spenser, F. Q.

ii. 11. 36:--

'Eft fierce retourning, as a faulcon fayre,

That once hath failed of her _souse_ full neare,

Remounts againe into the open ayre,

And unto better fortune doth her-selfe prepayre.'

Such is the simple solution of the etymology of Mod. E. _souse_, as used by

Pope (Epilogue to Satires, Dial. ii. 15)--'Spread thy broad wing, and

_souse_ on all the kind.'

557. Cf. Dante, Inf. ii. 122:--'Perchè tanta viltà nel core allette?' Also

Purg. ix. 46:--'Non aver tema.'

562. 'One that I could name.' This personal allusion can hardly refer to

any one but Chaucer's wife. The familiar tone recalls him to himself; yet

the eagle's voice sounded kindly, whereas the poet sadly tells us that his

wife's voice sounded far otherwise: 'So was it never wont to be.' See

Ward's Chaucer, pp. 84, 85; and cf. l. 2015 below. Perhaps Chaucer disliked

to hear the word 'Awak!'

573. It would appear that, in Chaucer, _sëynt_ is sometimes dissyllabic;

but it may be better here to use the feminine form _seynt-e_, as in l.

1066. Observe the rime of _Márie_ with _cárie_.

576. 'For so certainly may God help me, as thou shall have no harm.'

586. _Ioves_, Jove, Jupiter; cf. l. 597. This remarkable form occurs again

in Troil. ii. 1607, where we find the expression '_Ioves_ lat him never

thryve'; and again in Troil. iii. 3--'O _Ioves_ doughter dere'; and in

Troil. iii. 15, where _Ioves_ is in the accusative case. The form is that

of an O.F. nominative; cf. _Charles_, _Jacques_, _Jules_.

_Stellifye_, make into a constellation; 'whether will Jupiter turn me into

a constellation.' This alludes, of course, to the numerous cases in which

it was supposed that such heroes as Hercules and Perseus, or such heroines

as Andromeda and Callisto were changed into constellations: see Kn. Tale, A

2058. Cf. 'No wonder is thogh Iove hir stellifye'; Leg. Good Women, prol.

525. Skelton uses the word (Garland of Laurell, 963); and it is given in

Palsgrave.

588. Perhaps imitated from Dante, Inf. ii. 32, where Dante says that he is

neither Æneas nor Paul. Chaucer here refers to various men who were borne

up to heaven, viz. Enoch (Gen. v. 24), Elijah (2 Kings ii. 11), Romulus,

and Ganymede. Romulus was carried up to heaven by Mars; Ovid, Metam. xiv.

824; Fasti, ii. 475-512. Ganymede was carried up to heaven by Jupiter in

the form of an eagle; cf. Vergil, Æn. i. 28, and see Ovid, Metam. x. 160,

where Ovid adds:

'qui nunc quoque pocula miscet,

Invitaque Iovi nectar Iunone ministrat.'

In the passage in Dante (Purg. ix. 19-30), already alluded to above (note

to l. 534), there is a reference to Ganymede (l. 23).

592. _Boteler_, butler. No burlesque is here intended. 'The idea of

Ganymede being _butler_ to the gods appears ludicrous to us, who are

accustomed to see the office performed by menial servants. But it was not

so in the middle ages. Young gentlemen of high rank carved the dishes and

poured out the wine at the tables of the nobility, and grace in the

performance of these duties was highly prized. One of the oldest of our

noble families derives its surname from the fact that its founder was

_butler_ to the king'; Bell. So also, the royal name of _Stuart_ is merely

_steward_.

597. _Therabout_, busy about, having it in intention.

600-4. Cf. Vergil's words of reassurance to Dante; Inf. ii. 49.

608. The eagle says he is Jupiter's eagle; 'Iouis ales,' Æn. i. 394.

614-40. A long sentence of 27 lines.

618. I supply _goddesse_, to complete the line. Cf. 'In worship of Venús,

goddésse of love'; Kn. Tale, A 1904; and again, 'goddésse,' id. A 1101, 2.

621. The necessity for correcting _lytel_ to _lyte_ is obvious from the

rime, since _lyte is_ rimes with _dytees_. Chaucer seems to make _lyte_

dissyllabic; it rimes with _Arcite_, Kn. Ta., A 1334, 2627; and with

_hermyte_ in l. 659 below. In the present case, the _e_ is

elided--_lyt'is_. For similar rimes, cf. _nones_, _noon is_, C. T. Prol.

523; _beryis_, _mery is_, Non. Pr. Ta., B 4155; _swevenis_, _swevene is_,

id. B 4111.

623. In a note to Cant. Ta. 17354 (I 43), Tyrwhitt says that perhaps

_cadence_ means 'a species of poetical composition distinct from riming

verses.' But it is difficult to shew that Chaucer ever composed anything of

the kind, unless it can be said that his translation of Boethius or his

Tale of Melibeus is in a sort of rhythmical prose. It seems to me just

possible that by _rime_ may here be meant the ordinary riming of two lines

together, as in the Book of the Duchess and the House of Fame, whilst by

_cadence_ may be meant lines disposed in stanzas, as in the Parliament of

Foules. There is nothing to shew that Chaucer had, at this period, employed

the 'heroic verse' of the Legend of Good Women. However, we find the

following quotation from Jullien in Littré's Dictionary, s.v.

_Cadence_:--'Dans la prose, dans les vers, la cadence n'est pas autre chose

que le rhythme ou le nombre: seulement on y joint ordinairement l'idée

d'une certaine douceur dans le style, d'un certain art dans l'arrangement

des phrases ou dans le choix des mots que le rhythme proprement dit ne

suppose pas du tout.' This is somewhat oracular, as it is difficult to see

why _rhythm_ should not mean much the same thing.

637. 'And describest everything that relates to them.' (Here _hir_ =

their), with reference to lovers.

639-40. 'Although thou mayst accompany those whom he is not pleased to

assist.' Nearly repeated in Troilus, i. 517, 518.

652. In a note upon the concluding passage of the Cant. Tales, Tyrwhitt

says of the House of Fame:--'Chaucer mentions this among his works in the

Leg. Good Women, verse 417. He wrote it while he was Comptroller of the

Custom of Wools, &c. (see Bk. ii. l. 144-8 [the present passage]), and

consequently after the year 1374.' See Ward's Chaucer, pp. 76, 77, with its

happy reference to Charles Lamb and his 'works'; and compare a similar

passage in the Prol. to Legend of Good Women, 30-6.

662. Cf. Dante, Inf. i. 113, which Cary thus translates:--

--'and I, thy guide,

Will lead thee hence through an eternal space.'

678. _Long y-served_, faithfully served for a long time, i.e. after a long

period of devotion; alluding to the word _servant_ in the sense of lover.

681. Alluding to sudden fallings in love, especially 'at first sight.' Such

take place at haphazard; as if a blind man should accidentally frighten a

hare, without in the least intending it. We find in Hazlitt's collection of

Proverbs--'The hare starts when a man least expects it'; p. 373.

682. _Iolytee and fare_, happiness and good speed. The very same words are

employed, but ironically, by Theseus in the Knight's Tale, A 1807, 1809.

The _hare_ also accompanies them; id. A 1810.

683. 'As long as they find love to be as true as steel.' Cf. Troilus, iv.

325:--'God leve that ye finde ay love of steel.'

689. 'And more beards made in two hours,' &c. 'Yet can a miller make a

clerkes berd'; (Reves Tale), C. T., A 4096. 'Yet coude I make his berd'; C.

T., D 361. Tyrwhitt's note on the former passage is: '_make a clerkes

berd_,' i.e. cheat him. _Faire la barbe_ is to _shave_, or _trim_ the

beard; but Chaucer translates the phrase literally, at least when he uses

it in its metaphorical sense. Boccace has the same metaphor, Decamerone,

viii. 10. Speaking of some exorbitant cheats, he says that they applied

themselves 'non a radere, ma a scorticare huomini' [not to shave men, but

to scarify them]; and a little lower--'si a soavemente _la barbiera_ saputo

menare il rasoio' [so agreeably did the she-barber know how to handle the

razor]. _Barbiera_ has a second and a bad sense; see Florio's Dictionary.

'Myght I thaym have spyde,

I had _made thaym a berd_.'

Towneley Mysteries, p. 144.

692. _Holding in hond_ means keeping in hand, attaching to oneself by

feigned favours; just as _to bear in hand_ used to mean to make one believe

a thing; see my note to Man of Lawes Tale, B 620.

695. _Lovedayes_, appointed days of reconciliation; see note in vol. v. to

Chaucer's Prol. 258, and my note to P. Plowman, B. iii. 157. 'What, quod

she, maked I not a _louedaie_ bitwene God and mankind, and chese a maide to

be nompere [umpire], to put the quarell at ende?' Test. of Love, bk. i. ed.

1561, fol. 287.

696. _Cordes_, chords. Apparently short for _acordes_, i.e. musical chords,

as Willert suggests. It is rather a forced simile, like _cornes_ in l. 698.

698. _Cornes_, grains of corn; see note to Monkes Tale (Group B, 3225).

700. _Wis_, certainly; cf. _y-wis_. The _i_ is short.

702. _Impossíble_, (accent on _i_); cf. Clerkes Tale, E 713.

703. _Pyes_, mag-pies, chattering birds; Squi. Ta., F 650.

708. _Worthy for to leve_, worthy to believe, worthy of belief.

712. _Thyn owne book_, i.e. the book you are so fond of, viz. Ovid's

Metamorphoses, which Chaucer quotes so continually. Libraries in those days

were very small (Cant. Ta. Prol. 294); but we may be almost certain that

Chaucer had a copy of the Metamorphoses of his own. The reference here is

to Ovid's description of the House of Fame, Metam. xii. 39-63. See

Golding's translation of this passage in the Introduction.

730. This passage is founded on one in Boethius; cf. Chaucer's translation,

bk. iii. pr. 11, ll. 98-110. Imitated also in Le Rom. de la Rose, 16963-9.

Cf. Dante, Par. i. 109, which Cary thus translates:--

'All natures lean,

In this their order, diversely,' &c.

738. _That_ practically goes with _hit falleth doun_, in l. 741. The

sentence is ill-constructed, and not consistent with grammar, but we see

what is meant.

742. _By_, with reference to (as usual in M. E). Cf. Dante, Purg. xviii.

28, which Cary thus translates:--

'Then, as the fire points up, and mounting seeks

His birth-place and his lasting seat,' &c.

745. _At his large_, unrestrained, free to move. Cf. _at thy large_, Cant.

Ta., A 1283, 1292.