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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；
This world departe thei begonne。
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。
And thanne upon that other syde
Westward； as it fell thilke tyde；
The brother which was hote Cham
Upon his part Aufrique nam。
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
As lond desert that is unable；
For it mai noght ben habitable。
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
Be weie of kinde； so it geth
Out of the See and in ayein；
The water； as the bokes sein。 600
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
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。 620
Bot overthis nou tak good hiede；
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
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。
Benethe upon this Erthe hiere
Of alle thinges the matiere；
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
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
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。
And forto telle it more plein；
These olde philosphres 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
Ther ben； that mannes sihte demeth；
Bot thorizonte； as to ous semeth。
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
To Alisandre and it betauhte；
Wherof that he was fulli tawht
Of wisdom； which was him betawht。 720
Benethe alle othre stant the Mone；
The which hath with the See to done：
Of flodes hihe and ebbes lowe
Upon his change it schal be knowe；
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
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；
Which nou is cleped Engelond；
For thei travaile in every lond。
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
Is most in Burgoigne and in France。 770
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；
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 godde