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Hou that a worthi king schal reule
His Realme bothe in werre and pes。
Lo； thus danz Aristotiles 50
These thre sciences hath divided
And the nature also decided；
Wherof that ech of hem schal serve。
The ferste； which is the conserve
And kepere of the remnant；
As that which is most sufficant
And chief of the Philosophie；
If I therof schal specefie
So as the Philosophre tolde；
Nou herkne； and kep that thou it holde。 60
Of Theorique principal
The Philosophre in special
The propretees hath determined；
As thilke which is enlumined
Of wisdom and of hih prudence
Above alle othre in his science：
And stant departed upon thre；
The ferste of which in his degre
Is cleped in Philosophie
The science of Theologie； 70
That other named is Phisique；
The thridde is seid Mathematique。
Theologie is that science
Which unto man yifth evidence
Of thing which is noght bodely；
Wherof men knowe redely
The hihe almyhti Trinite；
Which is o god in unite
Withouten ende and beginnynge
And creatour of alle thinge； 80
Of hevene； of erthe and ek of helle。
Wherof； as olde bokes telle；
The Philosophre in his resoun
Wrot upon this conclusioun；
And of his wrytinge in a clause
He clepeth god the ferste cause；
Which of himself is thilke good；
Withoute whom nothing is good；
Of which that every creature
Hath his beinge and his nature。 90
After the beinge of the thinges
Ther ben thre formes of beinges：
Thing which began and ende schal；
That thing is cleped temporal；
Ther is also be other weie
Thing which began and schal noght deie。
As Soules； that ben spiritiel；
Here beinge is perpetuel：
Bot ther is on above the Sonne；
Whos time nevere was begonne； 100
And endeles schal evere be；
That is the god； whos mageste
Alle othre thinges schal governe；
And his beinge is sempiterne。
The god； to whom that al honour
Belongeth； he is creatour；
And othre ben hise creatures：
The god commandeth the natures
That thei to him obeien alle；
Withouten him； what so befalle； 110
Her myht is non； and he mai al：
The god was evere and evere schal；
And thei begonne of his assent；
The times alle be present
To god； to hem and alle unknowe；
Bot what him liketh that thei knowe：
Thus bothe an angel and a man；
The whiche of al that god began
Be chief； obeien goddes myht；
And he stant endeles upriht。 120
To this science ben prive
The clerkes of divinite；
The whiche unto the poeple prechen
The feith of holi cherche and techen；
Which in som cas upon believe
Stant more than thei conne prieve
Be weie of Argument sensible：
Bot natheles it is credible；
And doth a man gret meede have；
To him that thenkth himself to save。 130
Theologie in such a wise
Of hih science and hih aprise
Above alle othre stant unlike；
And is the ferste of Theorique。
Phisique is after the secounde；
Thurgh which the Philosophre hath founde
To techen sondri knowlechinges
Upon the bodiliche thinges。
Of man； of beste； of herbe； of ston；
Of fissch； of foughl； of everychon 140
That ben of bodely substance；
The nature and the circumstance
Thurgh this science it is ful soght；
Which vaileth and which vaileth noght。
The thridde point of Theorique；
Which cleped is Mathematique；
Devided is in sondri wise
And stant upon diverse aprise。
The ferste of whiche is Arsmetique；
And the secounde is seid Musique； 150
The thridde is ek Geometrie；
Also the ferthe Astronomie。
Of Arsmetique the matiere
Is that of which a man mai liere
What Algorisme in nombre amonteth；
Whan that the wise man acompteth
After the formel proprete
Of Algorismes Abece：
Be which multiplicacioun
Is mad and diminucioun 160
Of sommes be thexperience
Of this Art and of this science。
The seconde of Mathematique；
Which is the science of Musique；
That techeth upon Armonie
A man to make melodie
Be vois and soun of instrument
Thurgh notes of acordement；
The whiche men pronounce alofte；
Nou scharpe notes and nou softe； 170
Nou hihe notes and nou lowe；
As be the gamme a man mai knowe；
Which techeth the prolacion
Of note and the condicion。
Mathematique of his science
Hath yit the thridde intelligence
Full of wisdom and of clergie
And cleped is Geometrie；
Thurgh which a man hath thilke sleyhte；
Of lengthe； of brede； of depthe； of heyhte 180
To knowe the proporcion
Be verrai calculacion
Of this science： and in this wise
These olde Philosophres wise；
Of al this worldes erthe round；
Hou large； hou thikke was the ground；
Controeveden thexperience；
The cercle and the circumference
Of every thing unto the hevene
Thei setten point and mesure evene。 190
Mathematique above therthe
Of hyh science hath yit the ferthe；
Which spekth upon Astronomie
And techeth of the sterres hihe；
Beginnynge upward fro the mone。
Bot ferst； as it was forto done；
This Aristotle in other thing
Unto this worthi yonge king
The kinde of every element
Which stant under the firmament； 200
Hou it is mad and in what wise；
Fro point to point he gan devise。
Tofore the creacion
Of eny worldes stacion；
Of hevene； of erthe； or eke of helle；
So as these olde bokes telle；
As soun tofore the song is set
And yit thei ben togedre knet；
Riht so the hihe pourveance
Tho hadde under his ordinance 210
A gret substance； a gret matiere；
Of which he wolde in his manere
These othre thinges make and forme。
For yit withouten eny forme
Was that matiere universal；
Which hihte Ylem in special。
Of Ylem； as I am enformed；
These elementz ben mad and formed；
Of Ylem elementz they hote
After the Scole of Aristote； 220
Of whiche if more I schal reherce；
Foure elementz ther ben diverse。
The ferste of hem men erthe calle；
Which is the lowest of hem alle；
And in his forme is schape round；
Substancial； strong； sadd and sound；
As that which mad is sufficant
To bere up al the remenant。
For as the point in a compas
Stant evene amiddes； riht so was 230
This erthe set and schal abyde；
That it may swerve to no side；
And hath his centre after the lawe
Of kinde； and to that centre drawe
Desireth every worldes thing；
If ther ne were no lettyng。
Above therthe kepth his bounde
The water； which is the secounde
Of elementz； and al withoute
It environeth therthe aboute。 240
Bot as it scheweth； noght forthi
This soubtil water myhtely；
Thogh it be of himselve softe；
The strengthe of therthe perceth ofte；
For riht as veines ben of blod
In man； riht so the water flod
Therthe of his cours makth ful of veines；
Als wel the helles as the pleines。
And that a man may sen at ije；
For wher the hulles ben most hyhe； 250
Ther mai men welle stremes finde：
So proveth it be weie of kinde
The water heyher than the lond。
And over this nou understond；
Air is the thridde of elementz；
Of whos kinde his aspirementz
Takth every lifissh creature；
The which schal upon erthe endure：
For as the fissh； if it be dreie；
Mot in defaute of water deie； 260
Riht so withouten Air on lyve
No man ne beste myhte thryve；
The which is mad of fleissh and bon；
There is outake of alle non。
This Air in Periferies thre
Divided is of such degre；
Benethe is on and on amidde；
To whiche above is set the thridde：
And upon the divisions
There ben diverse impressions 270
Of moist and ek of drye also；
Whiche of the Sonne bothe tuo
Ben drawe and haled upon hy；
And maken cloudes in the Sky；
As schewed is at mannes sihte；
Wherof be day and ek be nyhte
After the times of the yer
Among ous upon Erthe her
In sondri wise thinges falle。
The ferste Periferie of alle 280
Engendreth Myst and overmore
The dewes and the Frostes hore；
After thilke intersticion
In which thei take impression。
Fro the seconde； as bokes sein；
The moiste dropes of the reyn
Descenden into Middilerthe；
And tempreth it to sed and Erthe；
And doth to springe grass and flour。
And ofte also the grete schour 290
Out of such place it mai be take；
That it the forme schal forsake
Of reyn； and into snow be torned；
And ek it mai be so sojorned
In sondri places up alofte；
That into hail it torneth ofte。
The thridde of thair after the lawe
Thurgh such matiere as up is drawe
Of dreie thing； as it is ofte；
Among the cloudes upon lofte； 300
And is so clos； it may noght oute；…
Thanne is it chase