He which natureth every kinde,[961]
The myhti god, so as I finde,
Of man, which is his creature,
[Sidenote: Nota hic qualiter secundum naturam quatuor
elementorum quatuor in humano corpore complexiones,
scilicet Malencolia, Fleuma, Sanguis et Colera, naturaliter
constituuntur: vnde primo de Malencolia dicendum est.]
Hath so devided the nature,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 98=]
That non til other wel acordeth:
And be the cause it so discordeth,
The lif which fieleth the seknesse
Mai stonde upon no sekernesse. 400
Of therthe, which is cold and drye,
The kinde of man Malencolie
Is cleped, and that is the ferste,
The most ungoodlich and the werste;
For unto loves werk on nyht
Him lacketh bothe will and myht:
No wonder is, in lusty place
Of love though he lese grace.
What man hath that complexion,
Full of ymaginacion 410
Of dredes and of wrathful thoghtes,
He fret himselven al to noghtes.
[Sidenote: De complexione Fleumatis.]
The water, which is moyste and cold,
Makth fleume, which is manyfold
Foryetel, slou and wery sone
Of every thing which is to done:
He is of kinde sufficant
To holde love his covenant,
Bot that him lacketh appetit,
Which longeth unto such delit. 420
[Sidenote: De complexione Sanguinis.]
What man that takth his kinde of thair,
He schal be lyht, he schal be fair,
For his complexion is blood.
Of alle ther is non so good,
For he hath bothe will and myht
To plese and paie love his riht:
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 99=]
Wher as he hath love undertake,
Wrong is if that he be forsake.
[Sidenote: De complexione Colere.]
The fyr of his condicion[962]
Appropreth the complexion 430
Which in a man is Colre hote,
Whos propretes ben dreie and hote:
It makth a man ben enginous
And swift of fote and ek irous;
Of contek and folhastifnesse
He hath a riht gret besinesse,
To thenke of love and litel may:
Though he behote wel a day,[963]
On nyht whan that he wole assaie,
He may ful evele his dette paie. 440
[Sidenote: Nota qualiter quatuor complexiones quatuor in
homine habitaciones diuisim possident.]
After the kinde of thelement,
Thus stant a mannes kinde went,
As touchende his complexion,
Upon sondri division
Of dreie, of moiste, of chele, of hete,[964]
And ech of hem his oghne sete
Appropred hath withinne a man.
And ferst to telle as I began,
[Sidenote: Splen domus est[965] Malencolie.]
The Splen is to Malencolie
Assigned for herbergerie: 450
[Sidenote: Pulmo domus[966m] Fleumatis.]
The moiste fleume with his cold[966]
Hath in the lunges for his hold
Ordeined him a propre stede,
To duelle ther as he is bede:
[Sidenote: Epar domus Sanguinis.]
To the Sanguin complexion
Nature of hire inspeccion[967]
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 100=]
A propre hous hath in the livere
For his duellinge mad delivere:
[Sidenote: Fel domus Colere.]
The dreie Colre with his hete
Be weie of kinde his propre sete 460
Hath in the galle, wher he duelleth,
So as the Philosophre telleth.
[Sidenote: Nota de Stomacho, qui vna cum aliis cordi[968]
specialius deseruit.]
Nou over this is forto wite,
As it is in Phisique write
Of livere, of lunge, of galle, of splen,
Thei alle unto the herte ben
Servantz, and ech in his office
Entendeth to don him service,
As he which is chief lord above.[969]
The livere makth him forto love, 470
The lunge yifth him weie of speche,
The galle serveth to do wreche,
The Splen doth him to lawhe and pleie,
Whan al unclennesse is aweie:
Lo, thus hath ech of hem his dede.
And to sustienen hem and fede
In time of recreacion,
Nature hath in creacion[970]
The Stomach for a comun Coc
Ordeined, so as seith the boc.[971] 480
The Stomach coc is for the halle,
And builleth mete for hem alle,
To make hem myghty forto serve[972]
The herte, that he schal noght sterve:
For as a king in his Empire
Above alle othre is lord and Sire,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 101=]
So is the herte principal,
To whom reson in special
Is yove as for the governance.
[Sidenote: [THE SOUL OF MAN.]]
And thus nature his pourveance 490
Hath mad for man to liven hiere;
Bot god, which hath the Soule diere,[973]
Hath formed it in other wise.
That can noman pleinli devise;
Bot as the clerkes ous enforme,
That lich to god it hath a forme,
Thurgh which figure and which liknesse
The Soule hath many an hyh noblesse
Appropred to his oghne kinde.
Bot ofte hir wittes be mad blinde 500
Al onliche of this ilke point,
That hir abydinge is conjoint
Forth with the bodi forto duelle:
That on desireth toward helle,
That other upward to the hevene;
So schul thei nevere stonde in evene,
Bot if the fleissh be overcome
And that the Soule have holi nome[974]
The governance, and that is selde,
Whil that the fleissh him mai bewelde.[975] 510
Al erthli thing which god began
Was only mad to serve man;
Bot he the Soule al only made
Himselven forto serve and glade.
Alle othre bestes that men finde
Thei serve unto here oghne kinde,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 102=]
Bot to reson the Soule serveth;
Wherof the man his thonk deserveth
And get him with hise werkes goode
The perdurable lyves foode. 520
[Sidenote: [THE DIVISION OF THE EARTH.]]
Of what matiere it schal be told,[976]
A tale lyketh manyfold
[Sidenote: Hic loquitur vlterius de diuisione Terre que
post diluuium tribus filiis Noe in tres partes, scilicet
Asiam, Affricam et Europam diuidebatur.]
The betre, if it be spoke plein:
Thus thinke I forto torne ayein
And telle plenerly therfore[977]
Of therthe, wherof nou tofore
I spak, and of the water eke,
So as these olde clerkes spieke,[978]
And sette proprely the bounde
After the forme of Mappemounde, 530
Thurgh which the ground be pourparties
Departed is in thre parties,
That is Asie, Aufrique, Europe,
The whiche under the hevene cope,
Als ferr as streccheth eny ground,
Begripeth al this Erthe round.
Bot after that the hihe wrieche
The water weies let out seche
And overgo the helles hye,
Which every kinde made dye 540
That upon Middelerthe stod,[979]
Outake Noë and his blod,
His Sones and his doughtres thre,
Thei were sauf and so was he;--
Here names who that rede rihte,
Sem, Cam, Japhet the brethren hihte;--[980]
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 103=]
And whanne thilke almyhty hond
Withdrouh the water fro the lond,
And al the rage was aweie,
And Erthe was the mannes weie, 550
The Sones thre, of whiche I tolde,
Riht after that hemselve wolde,[981]
This world departe thei begonne.
[Sidenote: De Asia.]
Asie, which lay to the Sonne
Upon the Marche of orient,
Was graunted be comun assent
To Sem, which was the Sone eldeste;
For that partie was the beste
And double as moche as othre tuo.
And was that time bounded so; 560
Wher as the flod which men Nil calleth
Departeth fro his cours and falleth
Into the See Alexandrine,
Ther takth Asie ferst seisine
Toward the West, and over this
Of Canahim wher the flod is
Into the grete See rennende,
Fro that into the worldes ende
Estward, Asie it is algates,
Til that men come unto the gates 570
Of Paradis, and there ho.
And schortly for to speke it so,
Of Orient in general
Withinne his bounde Asie hath al.
[Sidenote: De Aufrica[982] et Europa.]
And thanne upon that other syde
Westward, as it fell thilke tyde,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 104=]
The brother which was hote Cham
Upon his part Aufrique nam.[983]
Japhet Europe tho tok he,
Thus parten thei the world on thre. 580
Bot yit ther ben of londes fele
In occident as for the chele,
In orient as for the hete,
Which of the poeple be forlete[984]
As lond desert that is unable,
For it mai noght ben habitable.
[Sidenote: Nota de mari quod magnum Occeanum dicitur.]
The water eke hath sondri bounde,
After the lond wher it is founde,
And takth his name of thilke londes
Wher that it renneth on the strondes: 590
Bot thilke See which hath no wane
Is cleped the gret Occeane,
Out of the which arise and come
The hyhe flodes alle and some;
Is non so litel welle spring,
Which ther ne takth his beginnyng,
And lich a man that haleth breth[985]
Be weie of kinde, so it geth
Out of the See and in ayein,
The water, as the bokes sein. 600
[Sidenote: Nota hic secundum philosophum de quinto
Elemento, quod omnia sub celo creata infra suum ambitum
continet, cui nomen Orbis specialiter appropriatum est.]
Of Elementz the propretes
Hou that they stonden be degres,
As I have told, nou myht thou hiere,
Mi goode Sone, al the matiere
Of Erthe, of water, Air and fyr.
And for thou saist that thi desir
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 105=]
Is forto witen overmore
The forme of Aristotles lore,
He seith in his entendement,
That yit ther is an Element 610
Above the foure, and is the fifte,
Set of the hihe goddes yifte,
The which that Orbis cleped is.
And therupon he telleth this,
That as the schelle hol and sound
Encloseth al aboute round
What thing withinne an Ey belongeth,
Riht so this Orbis underfongeth
These elementz alle everychon,
Which I have spoke of on and on.[986] 620
Bot overthis nou tak good hiede,[987]
Mi Sone, for I wol procede
To speke upon Mathematique,
Which grounded is on Theorique.
The science of Astronomie
I thinke forto specefie,
Withoute which, to telle plein,
Alle othre science is in vein[988]
Toward the scole of erthli thinges:
For as an Egle with his winges 630
Fleth above alle that men finde,
So doth this science in his kinde.
[Sidenote: [ASTRONOMY.]]
iv. _Lege planetarum magis inferiora reguntur,_
_Ista set interdum regula fallit opus._
_Vir mediante deo sapiens dominabitur astris,_
_Fata nec immerito quid nouitatis agunt._[989]
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 106=]
Benethe upon this Erthe hiere
Of alle thinges the matiere,
[Sidenote: Hic loquitur de Artis Mathematice quarta specie,
que Astronomia nuncupata est, cui eciam Astrologia socia
connumeratur: set primo de septem planetis, que inter astra
potenciores existunt, incipiendo a luna seorsum tractare
intendit.]
As tellen ous thei that ben lerned,
Of thing above it stant governed,
That is to sein of the Planetes.
The cheles bothe and ek the hetes,
The chances of the world also,
That we fortune clepen so, 640
Among the mennes nacion
Al is thurgh constellacion,
Wherof that som man hath the wele,
And som man hath deseses fele
In love als wel as othre thinges;
The stat of realmes and of kinges
In time of pes, in time of werre
It is conceived of the Sterre:
And thus seith the naturien
Which is an Astronomien. 650
Bot the divin seith otherwise,
That if men weren goode and wise
And plesant unto the godhede,
Thei scholden noght the sterres drede;
For o man, if him wel befalle,
Is more worth than ben thei alle
Towardes him that weldeth al.
Bot yit the lawe original,
Which he hath set in the natures,
Mot worchen in the creatures, 660
That therof mai be non obstacle,
Bot if it stonde upon miracle
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 107=]
Thurgh preiere of som holy man.
And forthi, so as I began
To speke upon Astronomie,
As it is write in the clergie,
To telle hou the planetes fare,
Som part I thenke to declare,
Mi Sone, unto thin Audience.
Astronomie is the science 670
Of wisdom and of hih connynge,
Which makth a man have knowlechinge[990]
Of Sterres in the firmament,
Figure, cercle and moevement
Of ech of hem in sondri place,
And what betwen hem is of space,
Hou so thei moeve or stonde faste,
Al this it telleth to the laste.
Assembled with Astronomie
Is ek that ilke Astrologie, 680
The which in juggementz acompteth
Theffect, what every sterre amonteth,
And hou thei causen many a wonder
To tho climatz that stonde hem under.[991]
[Sidenote: [PLANETS AND SIGNS.]]
And forto telle it more plein,[992]
These olde philosophres sein
That Orbis, which I spak of err,
Is that which we fro therthe a ferr
Beholde, and firmament it calle,
In which the sterres stonden alle, 690
Among the whiche in special
Planetes sefne principal
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 108=]
Ther ben, that mannes sihte demeth,
Bot thorizonte, as to ous semeth.[993]
And also ther ben signes tuelve,
Whiche have her cercles be hemselve
Compassed in the zodiaque,
In which thei have here places take.
And as thei stonden in degre,
Here cercles more or lasse be, 700
Mad after the proporcion
Of therthe, whos condicion
Is set to be the foundement
To sustiene up the firmament.
And be this skile a man mai knowe,
The more that thei stonden lowe,
The more ben the cercles lasse;
That causeth why that some passe
Here due cours tofore an other.
Bot nou, mi lieve dere brother, 710
As thou desirest forto wite
What I finde in the bokes write,
To telle of the planetes sevene,
Hou that thei stonde upon the hevene
And in what point that thei ben inne,
Tak hiede, for I wol beginne,
So as the Philosophre tauhte[994]
To Alisandre and it betauhte,
Wherof that he was fulli tawht
Of wisdom, which was him betawht. 720
Benethe alle othre stant the Mone,
[Sidenote: [THE PLANETS.]]
The which hath with the See to done:
[Sidenote: Nota hic de prima planeta, que aliis inferior Luna
dicitur.]
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 109=]
Of flodes hihe and ebbes lowe
Upon his change it schal be knowe;[995]
And every fissh which hath a schelle
Mot in his governance duelle,
To wexe and wane in his degre,
As be the Mone a man mai se;
And al that stant upon the grounde
Of his moisture it mot be founde. 730
Alle othre sterres, as men finde,
Be schynende of here oghne kinde
Outake only the monelyht,
Which is noght of himselve bright,
Bot as he takth it of the Sonne.
And yit he hath noght al fulwonne[996]
His lyht, that he nys somdiel derk;
Bot what the lette is of that werk
In Almageste it telleth this:
The Mones cercle so lowe is, 740
Wherof the Sonne out of his stage
Ne seth him noght with full visage,
For he is with the ground beschaded,
So that the Mone is somdiel faded
And may noght fully schyne cler.
Bot what man under his pouer
Is bore, he schal his places change
And seche manye londes strange:
And as of this condicion
The Mones disposicion 750
Upon the lond of Alemaigne
Is set, and ek upon Bretaigne,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 110=]
Which nou is cleped Engelond;
For thei travaile in every lond.
[Sidenote: De secunda planeta, que Mercurius dicitur.]
Of the Planetes the secounde
Above the Mone hath take his bounde,
Mercurie, and his nature is this,
That under him who that bore is,
In boke he schal be studious
And in wrytinge curious, 760
And slouh and lustles to travaile
In thing which elles myhte availe:
He loveth ese, he loveth reste,
So is he noght the worthieste;
Bot yit with somdiel besinesse
His herte is set upon richesse.
And as in this condicion,
Theffect and disposicion
Of this Planete and of his chance[997]
Is most in Burgoigne and in France. 770
[Sidenote: De tercia planeta, que Venus dicitur.]
Next to Mercurie, as wol befalle,
Stant that Planete which men calle
Venus, whos constellacion
Governeth al the nacion
Of lovers, wher thei spiede or non,
Of whiche I trowe thou be on:
Bot whiderward thin happes wende,
Schal this planete schewe at ende,
As it hath do to many mo,
To some wel, to some wo. 780
And natheles of this Planete
The moste part is softe and swete;
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 111=]
For who that therof takth his berthe,
He schal desire joie and merthe,
Gentil, courteis and debonaire,
To speke his wordes softe and faire,
Such schal he be be weie of kinde,
And overal wher he may finde
Plesance of love, his herte boweth
With al his myht and there he woweth. 790
He is so ferforth Amourous,
He not what thing is vicious
Touchende love, for that lawe
Ther mai no maner man withdrawe,
The which venerien is bore
Be weie of kinde, and therefore
Venus of love the goddesse
Is cleped: bot of wantounesse[998]
The climat of hir lecherie
Is most commun in Lombardie. 800
[Sidenote: Nota de Sole, qui medio planetarum residens
Astrorum principatum obtinet.]
Next unto this Planete of love
The brighte Sonne stant above,
Which is the hindrere of the nyht
And forthrere of the daies lyht,
As he which is the worldes ÿe,
Thurgh whom the lusti compaignie
Of foules be the morwe singe,
The freisshe floures sprede and springe,
The hihe tre the ground beschadeth,
And every mannes herte gladeth. 810
And for it is the hed Planete,
Hou that he sitteth in his sete,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 112=]
Of what richesse, of what nobleie,
These bokes telle, and thus thei seie.
[Sidenote: Nota de curru Solis necnon et de vario eiusdem
apparatu.]
Of gold glistrende Spoke and whiel
The Sonne his carte hath faire and wiel,
In which he sitt, and is coroned
With brighte stones environed;
Of whiche if that I speke schal,
Ther be tofore in special 820
Set in the front of his corone
Thre Stones, whiche no persone
Hath upon Erthe, and the ferste is
Be name cleped Licuchis;
That othre tuo be cleped thus,
Astrices and Ceramius.
In his corone also behinde,
Be olde bokes as I finde,
Ther ben of worthi Stones thre
Set ech of hem in his degre: 830
Wherof a Cristall is that on,
Which that corone is set upon;
The seconde is an Adamant;
The thridde is noble and avenant,
Which cleped is Ydriades.
And over this yit natheles
Upon the sydes of the werk,
After the wrytinge of the clerk,
Ther sitten fyve Stones mo:
The smaragdine is on of tho, 840
Jaspis and Elitropius
And Dendides and Jacinctus,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 113=]
Lo, thus the corone is beset,
Wherof it schyneth wel the bet;
And in such wise his liht to sprede
Sit with his Diademe on hede
The Sonne schynende in his carte.
And forto lede him swithe and smarte
After the bryhte daies lawe,
Ther ben ordeined forto drawe 850
Foure hors his Char and him withal,
Wherof the names telle I schal:
Eritheüs the ferste is hote,
The which is red and schyneth hote,
The seconde Acteos the bryhte,
Lampes the thridde coursier hihte,
And Philogeüs is the ferthe,
That bringen lyht unto this erthe,
And gon so swift upon the hevene,
In foure and twenty houres evene 860
The carte with the bryhte Sonne
Thei drawe, so that overronne
Thei have under the cercles hihe
Al Middelerthe in such an hye.
And thus the Sonne is overal
The chief Planete imperial,
Above him and benethe him thre:
And thus betwen hem regneth he,
As he that hath the middel place
Among the Sevene, and of his face 870
Be glade alle erthly creatures,
And taken after the natures
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 114=]
Here ese and recreacion.
And in his constellacion
Who that is bore in special,
Of good will and of liberal
He schal be founde in alle place,
And also stonde in mochel grace
Toward the lordes forto serve
And gret profit and thonk deserve. 880
And over that it causeth yit
A man to be soubtil of wit
To worche in gold, and to be wys
In every thing which is of pris.
Bot forto speken in what cost
Of al this erthe he regneth most
As for wisdom, it is in Grece,
Wher is apropred thilke spiece.
[Sidenote: Nota de quinta planeta, que Mars dicitur.]
Mars the Planete bataillous
Next to the Sonne glorious 890
Above stant, and doth mervailes
Upon the fortune of batailes.
The conquerours be daies olde
Were unto this planete holde:
Bot who that his nativite
Hath take upon the proprete
Of Martes disposicioun
Be weie of constellacioun,
He schal be fiers and folhastif
And desirous of werre and strif. 900
Bot forto telle redely
In what climat most comunly
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 115=]
That this planete hath his effect,
Seid is that he hath his aspect
Upon the holi lond so cast,
That there is no pes stedefast.
[Sidenote: Nota de sexta planeta, que Iupiter dicitur.]
Above Mars upon the hevene,
The sexte Planete of the sevene,
Stant Jupiter the delicat,
Which causeth pes and no debar. 910
For he is cleped that Planete[999]
Which of his kinde softe and swete
Attempreth al that to him longeth;
And whom this planete underfongeth
To stonde upon his regiment,
He schal be meke and pacient
And fortunat to Marchandie
And lusti to delicacie
In every thing which he schal do.
This Jupiter is cause also 920
Of the science of lyhte werkes,
And in this wise tellen clerkes
He is the Planete of delices.
Bot in Egipte of his offices
He regneth most in special:
For ther be lustes overal
Of al that to this lif befalleth;
For ther no stormy weder falleth,
Which myhte grieve man or beste,
And ek the lond is so honeste 930
That it is plentevous and plein,
Ther is non ydel ground in vein;
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 116=]
And upon such felicite[1000]
Stant Jupiter in his degre.
[Sidenote: De septima planeta, que reliquis celsior
Saturnus dictus est.[1001]]
The heyeste and aboven alle
Stant that planete which men calle[1002]
Saturnus, whos complexion
Is cold, and his condicion
Causeth malice and crualte
To him the whos nativite 940
Is set under his governance.
For alle hise werkes ben grevance
And enemy to mannes hele,
In what degre that he schal dele.
His climat is in Orient,
Wher that he is most violent.
Of the Planetes by and by,
Hou that thei stonde upon the Sky,
Fro point to point as thou myht hiere,
Was Alisandre mad to liere. 950
Bot overthis touchende his lore,
Of thing that thei him tawhte more
Upon the scoles of clergie
Now herkne the Philosophie.
[Sidenote: [THE SIGNS.]]
He which departeth dai fro nyht,
[Sidenote: Postquam dictum est de vii. Planetis, quibus
singuli septimane dies singulariter attitulantur, dicendum
est iam de xii. Signis, per que xii. Menses Anni variis
temporibus effectus varios assequntur.[1004]]
That on derk and that other lyht,[1003]
Of sevene daies made a weke,
A Monthe of foure wekes eke
He hath ordeigned in his lawe,
Of Monthes tuelve and ek forthdrawe 960
He hath also the longe yeer.
And as he sette of his pouer
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 117=]
Acordant to the daies sevene
Planetes Sevene upon the hevene,
As thou tofore hast herd devise,
To speke riht in such a wise,
To every Monthe be himselve
Upon the hevene of Signes tuelve
He hath after his Ordinal
Assigned on in special, 970
Wherof, so as I schal rehersen,
The tydes of the yer diversen.
Bot pleinly forto make it knowe
Hou that the Signes sitte arowe,
Ech after other be degre
In substance and in proprete
The zodiaque comprehendeth
Withinne his cercle, as it appendeth.[1005]
[Sidenote: Nota hic de primo Signo, quod Aries dicitur, cui
Mensis Marcii specialiter appropriatus est.
Quo deus in primo produxit ad esse[1006] creata.]
The ferste of whiche natheles[1007]
Be name is cleped Aries, 980
Which lich a wether of stature
Resembled is in his figure.
And as it seith in Almageste,
Of Sterres tuelve upon this beste[1008]
Ben set, wherof in his degre
The wombe hath tuo, the heved hath thre,
The Tail hath sevene, and in this wise,
As thou myht hiere me divise,
Stant Aries, which hot and drye
Is of himself, and in partie 990
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 118=]
He is the receipte and the hous
Of myhty Mars the bataillous.
And overmore ek, as I finde,
The creatour of alle kinde
Upon this Signe ferst began
The world, whan that he made man.
And of this constellacioun
The verray operacioun
Availeth, if a man therinne
The pourpos of his werk beginne; 1000
For thanne he hath of proprete
Good sped and gret felicite.
The tuelve Monthes of the yeer
Attitled under the pouer
Of these tuelve Signes stonde;
Wherof that thou schalt understonde
This Aries on of the tuelve[1009]
Hath March attitled for himselve,
Whan every bridd schal chese his make,
And every neddre and every Snake 1010
And every Reptil which mai moeve,
His myht assaieth forto proeve,
To crepen out ayein the Sonne,
Whan Ver his Seson hath begonne.
[Sidenote: Secundum Signum dicitur Taurus, cuius Mensis est
Aprilis.
Quo prius occultas inuenit herba vias.]
Taurus the seconde after this
Of Signes, which figured is
Unto a Bole, is dreie and cold;[1010]
And as it is in bokes told,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 119=]
He is the hous appourtienant[1011]
To Venus, somdiel descordant. 1020
This Bole is ek with sterres set,
Thurgh whiche he hath hise hornes knet
Unto the tail of Aries,
So is he noght ther sterreles.
Upon his brest ek eyhtetiene
He hath, and ek, as it is sene,
Upon his tail stonde othre tuo.[1012]
His Monthe assigned ek also
Is Averil, which of his schoures
Ministreth weie unto the floures. 1030
[Sidenote: Tercium Signum dicitur Gemini, cuius Mensis
Maiius est.
Quo volucrum cantus gaudet de floribus ortis.]
The thridde signe is Gemini,
Which is figured redely
Lich to tuo twinnes of mankinde,[1013]
That naked stonde; and as I finde,
Thei be with Sterres wel bego:
The heved hath part of thilke tuo
That schyne upon the boles tail,
So be thei bothe of o parail;
But on the wombe of Gemini
Ben fyve sterres noght forthi, 1040
And ek upon the feet be tweie,
So as these olde bokes seie,
That wise Tholomeüs wrot.
His propre Monthe wel I wot[1014]
Assigned is the lusti Maii,
Whanne every brid upon his lay
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 120=]
Among the griene leves singeth,
And love of his pointure stingeth
After the lawes of nature
The youthe of every creature. 1050
[Sidenote: Quartum Signum Cancer dicitur, cuius Mensis
Iunius est.
Quo falcat pratis pabula tonsor equis.]
Cancer after the reule and space
Of Signes halt the ferthe place.
Like to the crabbe he hath semblance,
And hath unto his retienance
Sextiene sterres, wherof ten,
So as these olde wise men
Descrive, he berth on him tofore,
And in the middel tuo be bore,[1015]
And foure he hath upon his ende.
Thus goth he sterred in his kende, 1060
And of himself is moiste and cold,
And is the propre hous and hold
Which appartieneth to the Mone,
And doth what longeth him to done.
The Monthe of Juin unto this Signe
Thou schalt after the reule assigne.
[Sidenote: Quintum signum Leo dicitur, cuius Mensis Iulius
est.
Quo magis ad terras expandit Lucifer ignes.]
The fifte Signe is Leo hote,
Whos kinde is schape dreie and hote,
In whom the Sonne hath herbergage.
And the semblance of his ymage 1070
Is a leoun, which in baillie
Of sterres hath his pourpartie:
The foure, which as Cancer hath
Upon his ende, Leo tath
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 121=]
Upon his heved, and thanne nest
He hath ek foure upon his brest,
And on upon his tail behinde,
In olde bokes as we finde.
His propre Monthe is Juyl be name,[1016]
In which men pleien many a game. 1080
[Sidenote: Sextum Signum Virgo dicitur, cuius Mensis
Augustus est.
Quo vacuata prius pubes replet horrea messis.]
After Leo Virgo the nexte
Of Signes cleped is the sexte,
Wherof the figure is a Maide;
And as the Philosophre saide,
Sche is the welthe and the risinge,
The lust, the joie and the likinge
Unto Mercurie: and soth to seie
Sche is with sterres wel beseie,
Wherof Leo hath lent hire on,
Which sit on hih hir heved upon, 1090
Hire wombe hath fyve, hir feet also
Have other fyve: and overmo
Touchende as of complexion,
Be kindly disposicion
Of dreie and cold this Maiden is.[1017]
And forto tellen over this
Hir Monthe, thou schalt understonde,
Whan every feld hath corn in honde
And many a man his bak hath plied,
Unto this Signe is Augst applied.[1018] 1100
[Sidenote: Septimum Signum Libra dicitur, cuius Mensis
Septembris est.
Vinea quo Bachum pressa liquore colit.]
After Virgo to reknen evene
Libra sit in the nombre of sevene,
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 122=]
Which hath figure and resemblance
Unto a man which a balance
Berth in his hond as forto weie:
In boke and as it mai be seie,
Diverse sterres to him longeth,
Wherof on hevede he underfongeth
Ferst thre, and ek his wombe hath tuo,
And doun benethe eighte othre mo. 1110
This Signe is hot and moiste bothe,
The whiche thinges be noght lothe
Unto Venus, so that alofte
Sche resteth in his hous fulofte,
And ek Saturnus often hyed
Is in this Signe and magnefied.[1019]
His propre Monthe is seid Septembre,
Which yifth men cause to remembre,
If eny Sor be left behinde
Of thing which grieve mai to kinde. 1120
[Sidenote: Octauum Signum Scorpio dicitur, cuius Mensis
October est.