There ben, that mannes fighte demeth
By thorizont, as to us femeth.
And also there ben fignes twelve,
Which have her cercles by hem felve
Compaffed in the zodiaque,

In which they have her places take,
And as they ftonden in degre,
Her cercles more or laffe be
Made after the proportion
Of therthe, whose condicion
Is fet, to be the foundament
To fufteigne up the firmament.
And by this skill a man may knowe,
The more that they stonden lowe
The more ben the cercles laffe,
That causeth why that fome paffe
Her due cours to-fore an other.
But now, my leve dere brother,
As thou defireft for to wite
What I finde in the bokes write,
To telle of the planetes seven
How that they ftonde upon the heven,
And in what point that they ben in,
Take hede, for I woll begin,
So as the philofophre taught
To Alifaundre and it betaught,
Wherof that he was fully taught
Of wisdom, which was him betaught.
Beneth all other ftant the mone,

The which hath with the fee to done

Of flodes high and ebbes lowe,
Upon his chaunge it fhall be knowe.
And every fish, which hath a fhelle,
Mote in his governaunce dwelle
To wexe and wane in his degre,
se,

As by the mone a man may
And all that ftant upon the grounde

Of his moisture it mot be founde.
All other sterres, as men finde,
Ben fhinend of her owne kinde
Out take only the mone light,
Which is nought of him felve bright,
But as he taketh it of the fonne.

And yet he hath nought all full wonne
His light, that he nis fomdele derke.
But what the let is of that werke
In almagest it telleth this.

The mones cercle fo lowe is,
Wherof the fonne out of his ftage
Ne feth him nought with full visage,
For he is with the ground beshaded,
So that the mone is fomdele faded
And may nought fully fhine clere.
But what man under his powere
Is bore, he shall his place chaunge
And feche many londes ftraunge.
And as of this condicion
The mones difpoficion
Upon the londe of Alemaigne
Is fet and eke upon Britaigne,

De fecunda planeta, que Mercurius dicitur.

De tercia planeta,

Which now is cleped Engelonde,
For they travaile in every londe.

Of the planets the seconde

Above the mone hath take his bonde
Mercurie, and his nature is this,
That under him who that bore is,
In boke he shall be ftudious
And in writinge curious

And flowe and luftles to travaile
In thing, whiche elles might availe.
He loveth efe, he loveth rest,
So is he nought the worthieft.
But with fomdele befineffe
His hert is fet upon richeffe.
And as in this condicion
Theffect and difpoficion

Of this planete and of his chaunce
Is most in Borgone and in Fraunce.

Next to Mercurie as woll befalle

que Venus dicitur. Stant that planete, which men calle Venus, whofe conftellacion

Governeth all the nacion

Of lovers, where they spede or none,
Of which I trowe thou be one.
But whiderward thin happes wende,
Shall this planete shewe at ende,
As it hath do to many mo,
To fome wel, to fome wo.

And netheles of this planete
The most party is fofte and fwete.

For who that therof taketh his berth
He shall defire joy and merth,
Gentil, curteis and debonaire

To fpeke his wordes fofte and faire,
Such shall he be by wey of kinde.
And over all where he may finde
Plefaunce of love, his herte boweth

With all his might and ther he woweth.
He is fo ferforth amorous,

He not what thing is vicious.
Touchende love for that lawe

There may no maner man withdrawe,
The which venerien is bore
By wey of kinde, and therfore
Venus of love the goddeffe
Is cleped, but of wantonesse
The climate of her lechery
Is most comune in Lumbardy.

Next unto this planete of love
The brighte fonne stant above,
Which is the hinderer of the night
And furtherer of the daies light,
As he, which is the worldes eye,
Through whom the lufty compaignie
Of foules by the morwe finge,
The freshe floures fprede and springe,
The highe tre the ground befhadeth
And every mannes herte gladdeth.
And for it is the hede planete,
How that he fitteth in his fete,

Nota de fole, qui medio planetarum refidens aftrorum principatum obti

net.

De fecunda plane

ta, que Mercurius dicitur.

De tercia planeta, que Venus dicitur.

Of the planets the feconde

Above the mone hath take his bonde
Mercurie, and his nature is this,
That under him who that bore is,

In boke he shall be studious
And in writinge curious

And flowe and luftles to travaile
In thing, whiche elles might availe.
He loveth efe, he loveth rest,
So is he nought the worthiest.
But with fomdele befineffe
His hert is fet upon richeffe.
And as in this condicion
Theffect and difpoficion

Of this planete and of his chaunce
Is moft in Borgone and in Fraunce.

Next to Mercurie as woll befalle
Stant that planete, which men calle
Venus, whofe conftellacion

Governeth all the nacion

Of lovers, where they spede or none,
Of which I trowe thou be one.
But whiderward thin happes wende,
Shall this planete fhewe at ende,
As it hath do to many mo,
To fome wel, to fome wo.

And netheles of this planete
The most party is fofte and fwete.