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 chased sore aboute；
Til it to fyr and leyt be falle；
And thanne it brekth the cloudes alle；
The whiche of so gret noyse craken；
That thei the feerful thonder maken。
The thonderstrok smit er it leyte；
And yit men sen the fyr and leyte；
The thonderstrok er that men hiere：
So mai it wel be proeved hiere 310
In thing which schewed is fro feer；
A mannes yhe is there nerr
Thanne is the soun to mannes Ere。
And natheles it is gret feere
Bothe of the strok and of the fyr；
Of which is no recoverir
In place wher that thei descende；
Bot if god wolde his grace sende。
And forto speken over this；
In this partie of thair it is 320
That men fulofte sen be nyhte
The fyr in sondri forme alyhte。
Somtime the fyrdrake it semeth；
And so the lewed poeple it demeth；
Somtime it semeth as it were
A Sterre； which that glydeth there：
Bot it is nouther of the tuo；
The Philosophre telleth so；
And seith that of impressions
Thurgh diverse exalacions 330
Upon the cause and the matiere
Men sen diverse forme appiere
Of fyr； the which hath sondri name。
Assub； he seith； is thilke same；
The which in sondry place is founde；
Whanne it is falle doun to grounde；
So as the fyr it hath aneled；
Lich unto slym which is congeled。
Of exalacion I finde
Fyr kinled of the fame kinde； 340
Bot it is of an other forme；
Wherof； if that I schal conforme
The figure unto that it is；
These olde clerkes tellen this；
That it is lik a Got skippende；
And for that it is such semende；
It hatte Capra saliens。
And ek these Astronomiens
An other fyr also； be nyhte
Which scheweth him to mannes syhte； 350
Thei clepen Eges； the which brenneth
Lik to the corrant fyr that renneth
Upon a corde； as thou hast sein；
Whan it with poudre is so besein
Of Sulphre and othre thinges mo。
Ther is an other fyr also；
Which semeth to a mannes yhe
Be nyhtes time as thogh ther flyhe
A dragon brennende in the Sky；
And that is cleped proprely 360
Daaly； wherof men sein fulofte；
〃Lo； wher the fyri drake alofte
Fleth up in thair！〃 and so thei demen。
Bot why the fyres suche semen
Of sondri formes to beholde；
The wise Philosophre tolde；
So as tofore it hath ben herd。
Lo thus； my Sone； hou it hath ferd：
Of Air the due proprete
In sondri wise thou myht se； 370
And hou under the firmament
It is ek the thridde element；
Which environeth bothe tuo；
The water and the lond also。
And forto tellen overthis
Of elementz which the ferthe is；
That is the fyr in his degre；
Which environeth thother thre
And is withoute moist al drye。
Bot lest nou what seith the clergie； 380
For upon hem that I have seid
The creatour hath set and leid
The kinde and the complexion
Of alle mennes nacion。
Foure elementz sondri ther be；
Lich unto whiche of that degre
Among the men ther ben also
Complexions foure and nomo；
Wherof the Philosophre treteth；
That he nothing behinde leteth； 390
And seith hou that thei ben diverse；
So as I schal to thee reherse。
He which natureth every kinde；
The myhti god； so as I finde；
Of man； which is his creature；
Hath so devided the nature；
That non til other wel acordeth：
And be the cause it so discordeth；
The lif which fieleth the seknesse
Mai stonde upon no sekernesse。 400
Of therthe； which is cold and drye；
The kinde of man Malencolie
Is cleped； and that is the ferste；
The most ungoodlich and the werste；
For unto loves werk on nyht
Him lacketh bothe will and myht：
No wonder is； in lusty place
Of love though he lese grace。
What man hath that complexion；
Full of ymaginacion 410
Of dredes and of wrathful thoghtes；
He fret himselven al to noghtes。
The water； which is moyste and cold；
Makth fleume； which is manyfold
Foryetel； slou and wery sone
Of every thing which is to done：
He is of kinde sufficant
To holde love his covenant；
Bot that him lacketh appetit；
Which longeth unto such delit。 420
What man that takth his kinde of thair；
He schal be lyht； he schal be fair；
For his complexion is blood。
Of alle ther is non so good；
For he hath bothe will and myht
To plese and paie love his riht：
Wher as he hath love undertake；
Wrong is if that he be forsake。
The fyr of his condicion
Appropreth the complexion 430
Which in a man is Colre hote；
Whos propretes ben dreie and hote：
It makth a man ben enginous
And swift of fote and ek irous；
Of contek and folhastifnesse
He hath a riht gret besinesse；
To thenke of love and litel may：
Though he behote wel a day；
On nyht whan that he wole assaie；
He may ful evele his dette paie。 440
After the kinde of thelement；
Thus stant a mannes kinde went；
As touchende his complexion；
Upon sondri division
Of dreie； of moiste； of chele； of hete；
And ech of hem his oghne sete
Appropred hath withinne a man。
And ferst to telle as I began；
The Splen is to Malencolie
Assigned for herbergerie： 450
The moiste fleume with his cold
Hath in the lunges for his hold
Ordeined him a propre stede；
To duelle ther as he is bede：
To the Sanguin complexion
Nature of hire inspeccion
A propre hous hath in the livere
For his duellinge mad delivere：
The dreie Colre with his hete
Be weie of kinde his propre sete 460
Hath in the galle； wher he duelleth；
So as the Philosophre telleth。
Nou over this is forto wite；
As it is in Phisique write
Of livere； of lunge； of galle； of splen；
Thei alle unto the herte ben
Servantz； and ech in his office
Entendeth to don him service；
As he which is chief lord above。
The livere makth him forto love； 470
The lunge yifth him weie of speche；
The galle serveth to do wreche；
The Splen doth him to lawhe and pleie；
Whan al unclennesse is aweie：
Lo； thus hath ech of hem his dede。
And to sustienen hem and fede
In time of recreacion；
Nature hath in creacion
The Stomach for a comun Coc
Ordeined； so as seith the boc。 480
The Stomach coc is for the halle；
And builleth mete for hem alle；
To make hem myghty forto serve
The herte； that he schal noght sterve：
For as a king in his Empire
Above alle othre is lord and Sire；
So is the herte principal；
To whom reson in special
Is yove as for the governance。
And thus nature his pourveance 490
Hath mad for man to liven hiere；
Bot god； which hath the Soule diere；
Hath formed it in other wise。
That can noman pleinli devise；
Bot as the clerkes ous enforme；
That lich to god it hath a forme；
Thurgh which figure and which liknesse
The Soule hath many an hyh noblesse
Appropred to his oghne kinde。
Bot ofte hir wittes be mad blinde 500
Al onliche of this ilke point；
That hir abydinge is conjoint
Forth with the bodi forto duelle：
That on desireth toward helle；
That other upward to the hevene；
So schul thei nevere stonde in evene；
Bot if the fleissh be overcome
And that the Soule have holi nome
The governance； and that is selde；
Whil that the fleissh him mai bewelde。 510
Al erthli thing which god began
Was only mad to serve man；
Bot he the Soule al only made
Himselven forto serve and glade。
Alle othre bestes that men finde
Thei serve unto here oghne kinde；
Bot to reson the Soule serveth；
Wherof the man his thonk deserveth
And get him with hise werkes goode
The perdurable lyves foode。 520
Of what matiere it schal be told；
A tale lyketh manyfold
The betre； if it be spoke plein：
Thus thinke I forto torne ayein
And telle plenerly therfore
Of therthe； wherof nou tofore
I spak； and of the water eke；
So as these olde clerkes spieke；
And sette proprely the bounde
After the forme of Mappemounde； 530
Thurgh which the ground be pourparties
Departed is in thre parties；
That is Asie； Aufrique； Europe；
The whiche under the hevene cope；
Als ferr as streccheth eny ground；
Begripeth al this Erthe round。
Bot after that the hihe wrieche
The water weies let out seche
And overgo the helles hye；
Which every kinde made dye 540
That upon Middelerthe stod；
Outake Noe5 and his blod；
His Sones and his doughtres thre；
Thei were sauf and so was he；…
Here names who that rede rihte；
Sem； Cam； Japhet the brethren hihte；…
And whanne thilke almyhty hond
Withdrouh the water fro the lond；
And al the rage was aweie；
And Erthe was the man