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After the lawes of nature
The youthe of every creature。 1050
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；
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。
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
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；
In which men pleien many a game。 1080
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。
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。 1100
After Virgo to reknen evene
Libra sit in the nombre of sevene；
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。
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
Among the Signes upon heighte
The Signe which is nombred eighte
Is Scorpio； which as feloun
Figured is a Scorpioun。
Bot for al that yit natheles
Is Scorpio noght sterreles；
For Libra granteth him his ende
Of eighte sterres； wher he wende；
The whiche upon his heved assised
He berth； and ek ther ben divised 1130
Upon his wombe sterres thre；
And eighte upon his tail hath he。
Which of his kinde is moiste and cold
And unbehovely manyfold；
He harmeth Venus and empeireth；
Bot Mars unto his hous repeireth；
Bot war whan thei togedre duellen。
His propre Monthe is； as men tellen；
Octobre； which bringth the kalende
Of wynter； that comth next suiende。 1140
The nynthe Signe in nombre also；
Which folweth after Scorpio；
Is cleped Sagittarius；
The whos figure is marked thus；
A Monstre with a bowe on honde：
On whom that sondri sterres stonde；
Thilke eighte of whiche I spak tofore；
The whiche upon the tail ben bore
Of Scorpio； the heved al faire
Bespreden of the Sagittaire； 1150
And eighte of othre stonden evene
Upon his wombe； and othre sevene
Ther stonde upon his tail behinde。
And he is hot and dreie of kinde：
To Jupiter his hous is fre；
Bot to Mercurie in his degre；
For thei ben noght of on assent；
He worcheth gret empeirement。
This Signe hath of his proprete
A Monthe； which of duete 1160
After the sesoun that befalleth
The Plowed Oxe in wynter stalleth；
And fyr into the halle he bringeth；
And thilke drinke of which men singeth；
He torneth must into the wyn；
Thanne is the larder of the swyn；
That is Novembre which I meene；
Whan that the lef hath lost his greene。
The tenthe Signe dreie and cold；
The which is Capricornus told； 1170
Unto a Got hath resemblance：
For whos love and whos aqueintance
Withinne hise houses to sojorne
It liketh wel unto Satorne；
Bot to the Mone it liketh noght；
For no profit is there wroght。
This Signe as of his proprete
Upon his heved hath sterres thre；
And ek upon his wombe tuo；
And tweie upon his tail also。 1180
Decembre after the yeeres forme；
So as the bokes ous enforme；
With daies schorte and nyhtes longe
This ilke Signe hath underfonge。
Of tho that sitte upon the hevene
Of Signes in the nombre ellevene
Aquarius hath take his place；
And stant wel in Satornes grace；
Which duelleth in his herbergage；
Bot to the Sonne he doth oultrage。 1190
This Signe is verraily resembled
Lich to a man which halt assembled
In eyther hand a water spoute；
Wherof the stremes rennen oute。
He is of kinde moiste and hot；
And he that of the sterres wot
Seith that he hath of sterres tuo
Upon his heved； and ben of tho
That Capricorn hath on his ende；
And as the bokes maken mende； 1200
That Tholomes made himselve；
He hath ek on his wombe tuelve；
And tweie upon his ende stonde。
Thou schalt also this understonde；
The frosti colde Janever；
Whan comen is the newe yeer；
That Janus with his double face
In his chaiere hath take his place
And loketh upon bothe sides；
Somdiel toward the wynter tydes； 1210
Somdiel toward the yeer suiende；
That is the Monthe belongende
Unto this Signe； and of his dole
He yifth the ferste Primerole。
The tuelfthe； which is last of alle
Of Signes； Piscis men it calle；
The which； as telleth the scripture；
Berth of tuo fisshes the figure。
So is he cold and moiste of kinde；
And ek with sterres； as I finde； 1220
Beset in sondri wise； as thus：
Tuo of his ende Aquarius
Hath lent unto his heved； and tuo
This Signe hath of his oghne also
Upon his wombe； and over this
Upon his ende also ther is
A nombre of twenty sterres bryghte；
Which is to sen a wonder sighte。
Toward this Signe into his hous
Comth Jupiter the glorious； 1230
And Venus ek with him acordeth
To duellen； as the bok recordeth。
The Monthe unto this Signe ordeined
Is Februer； which is bereined；
And with londflodes in his rage
At Fordes letteth the passage。
Nou hast thou herd the proprete
Of Signes； bot in his degre
Albumazar yit over this
Seith； so as therthe parted is 1240
In foure； riht so ben divised
The Signes tuelve and stonde assised；
That ech of hem for his partie
Hath his climat to justefie。
Wherof the ferste regiment
Toward the part of Orient
From Antioche and that contre
Governed is of Signes thre；
That is Cancer； Virgo； Leo：
And toward Occident also 1250
From Armenie； as I am lerned；
Of Capricorn it stant governed；
Of Pisces and Aquarius：
And after hem I finde thus；
Southward from Alisandre forth
Tho Signes whiche most ben worth
In governance of that doaire；
Libra thei ben and Sagittaire
With Scorpio； which is conjoint
With hem to stonde upon that point： 1260
Constantinople the Cite；
So as the bokes tellen me；
The laste of this division
Stant untoward Septemtrion；
Wher as be weie of pourveance
Hath Aries the governance
Forth with Taurus and Gemini。
Thus ben the Signes propreli
Divided； as it is reherced；
Wherof the londes ben diversed。 1270
Lo thus； mi Sone； as thou myht hiere；
Was Alisandre mad to liere
Of hem that weren for his lore。
But nou to loken overmore；
Of othre sterres hou thei fare
I thenke hierafter to declare；
So as king Alisandre in youthe
Of him that suche thinges couthe
Enformed was tofore his yhe
Be nyhte upon the sterres hihe。 1280
Upon sondri creacion
Stant sondri operacion；
Som worcheth this； som worcheth that；
The fyr is hot in his astat
And brenneth what he mai atteigne；
The water mai the fyr restreigne；
The which is cold and moist also。
Of other thing it farth riht so
Upon this erthe among ous here；
And forto speke in this manere； 1290
Upon the hevene； as men mai finde；
The sterres ben of sondri kinde
And worchen manye sondri thinges
To ous； that ben here underlinges。
Among the whiche forth withal
Nectanabus in special；
Which was an Astronomien
And ek a