Bot al that was him litel worth；
For of Surrie a worthi king
Him slou； and that was his endyng。
Bot yit thurgh him this craft is used；
And he thurgh al the world accused；
For it schal nevere wel achieve
That stant noght riht with the believe： 2380
Bot lich to wolle is evele sponne；
Who lest himself hath litel wonne；
An ende proveth every thing。
Sal； which was of Juys king；
Up peine of deth forbad this art；
And yit he tok therof his part。
The Phitonesse in Samarie
Yaf him conseil be Sorcerie；
Which after fell to mochel sorwe；
For he was slain upon the morwe。 2390
To conne moche thing it helpeth；
Bot of to mochel noman yelpeth：
So forto loke on every side；
Magique mai noght wel betyde。
Forthi； my Sone； I wolde rede
That thou of these ensamples drede；
That for no lust of erthli love
Thou seche so to come above；
Wherof as in the worldes wonder
Thou schalt for evere be put under。 2400
Mi goode fader； grant mercy；
For evere I schal be war therby：
Of love what me so befalle；
Such Sorcerie aboven alle
Fro this dai forth I schal eschuie；
That so ne wol I noght poursuie
Mi lust of love forto seche。
Bot this I wolde you beseche；
Beside that me stant of love；
As I you herde speke above 2410
Hou Alisandre was betawht
To Aristotle； and so wel tawht
Of al that to a king belongeth；
Wherof min herte sore longeth
To wite what it wolde mene。
For be reson I wolde wene
That if I herde of thinges strange；
Yit for a time it scholde change
Mi peine； and lisse me somdiel。
Mi goode Sone； thou seist wel。 2420
For wisdom； hou that evere it stonde；
To him that can it understonde
Doth gret profit in sondri wise；
Bot touchende of so hih aprise；
Which is noght unto Venus knowe；
I mai it noght miselve knowe；
Which of hir court am al forthdrawe
And can nothing bot of hir lawe。
Bot natheles to knowe more
Als wel as thou me longeth sore； 2430
And for it helpeth to comune；
Al ben thei noght to me comune；
The scoles of Philosophie；
Yit thenke I forto specefie；
In boke as it is comprehended；
Wherof thou mihtest ben amended。
For thogh I be noght al cunnynge
Upon the forme of this wrytynge；
Som part therof yit have I herd；
In this matiere hou it hath ferd。 2440
Explicit Liber Sextus
Incipit Liber Septimus。
Omnibus in causis sapiens doctrina salutem
Consequitur； nec habet quis nisi doctus opem。
Naturam superat doctrina； viro quod et ortus
Ingenii docilis non dedit； ipsa dabit。
Non ita discretus hominum per climata regnat；
Quin magis ut sapiat； indiget ipse schole。
I Genius the prest of love；
Mi Sone； as thou hast preid above
That I the Scole schal declare
Of Aristotle and ek the fare
Of Alisandre； hou he was tauht；
I am somdel therof destrauht；
For it is noght to the matiere
Of love； why we sitten hiere
To schryve； so as Venus bad。
Bot natheles； for it is glad； 10
So as thou seist； for thin aprise
To hiere of suche thinges wise；
Wherof thou myht the time lisse；
So as I can； I schal the wisse：
For wisdom is at every throwe
Above alle other thing to knowe
In loves cause and elleswhere。
Forthi； my Sone； unto thin Ere；
Though it be noght in the registre
Of Venus； yit of that Calistre 20
And Aristotle whylom write
To Alisandre； thou schalt wite。
Bot for the lores ben diverse；
I thenke ferst to the reherce
The nature of Philosophie；
Which Aristotle of his clergie；
Wys and expert in the sciences；
Declareth thilke intelligences；
As of thre pointz in principal。
Wherof the ferste in special 30
Is Theorique； which is grounded
On him which al the world hath founded；
Which comprehendeth al the lore。
And forto loken overmore；
Next of sciences the seconde
Is Rethorique； whos faconde
Above alle othre is eloquent：
To telle a tale in juggement
So wel can noman speke as he。
The laste science of the thre 40
It is Practique； whos office
The vertu tryeth fro the vice；
And techeth upon goode thewes
To fle the compaignie of schrewes；
Which stant in disposicion
Of mannes free eleccion。
Practique enformeth ek the reule；
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