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 gret Magicien；
And undertake hath thilke emprise
To Alisandre in his aprise 1300
As of Magique naturel
To knowe； enformeth him somdel
Of certein sterres what thei mene；
Of whiche； he seith； ther ben fiftene；
And sondrily to everich on
A gras belongeth and a Ston；
Wherof men worchen many a wonder
To sette thing bothe up and under。
To telle riht as he began；
The ferste sterre Aldeboran； 1310
The cliereste and the moste of alle；
Be rihte name men it calle；
Which lich is of condicion
To Mars； and of complexion
To Venus； and hath therupon
Carbunculum his propre Ston：
His herbe is Anabulla named；
Which is of gret vertu proclamed。
The seconde is noght vertules；
Clota or elles Pliades 1320
It hatte； and of the mones kinde
He is； and also this I finde；
He takth of Mars complexion：
And lich to such condicion
His Ston appropred is Cristall；
And ek his herbe in special
The vertuous Fenele it is。
The thridde； which comth after this；
Is hote Algol the clere rede；
Which of Satorne； as I may rede； 1330
His kinde takth； and ek of Jove
Complexion to his behove。
His propre Ston is Dyamant；
Which is to him most acordant；
His herbe； which is him betake；
Is hote Eleborum the blake。
So as it falleth upon lot；
The ferthe sterre is Alhaiot；
Which in the wise as I seide er
Of Satorne and of Jupiter 1340
Hath take his kinde； and therupon
The Saphir is his propre Ston；
Marrubium his herbe also；
The whiche acorden bothe tuo。
And Canis maior in his like
The fifte sterre is of Magique；
The whos kinde is venerien；
As seith this Astronomien。
His propre Ston is seid Berille；
Bot forto worche and to fulfille 1350
Thing which to this science falleth；
Ther is an herbe which men calleth
Saveine； and that behoveth nede
To him that wole his pourpos spede。
The sexte suiende after this
Be name Canis minor is；
The which sterre is Mercurial
Be weie of kinde； and forth withal；
As it is writen in the carte；
Complexion he takth of Marte。 1360
His Ston and herbe； as seith the Scole；
Ben Achates and Primerole。
The sefnthe sterre in special
Of this science is Arial；
Which sondri nature underfongeth。
The Ston which propre unto him longeth；
Gorgonza proprely it hihte：
His herbe also； which he schal rihte
Upon the worchinge as I mene；
Is Celidoine freissh and grene。 1370
Sterre Ala Corvi upon heihte
Hath take his place in nombre of eighte；
Which of his kinde mot parforne
The will of Marte and of Satorne：
To whom Lapacia the grete
Is herbe； bot of no beyete；
His Ston is Honochinus hote；
Thurgh which men worchen gret riote。
The nynthe sterre faire and wel
Be name is hote Alaezel； 1380
Which takth his propre kinde thus
Bothe of Mercurie and of Venus。
His Ston is the grene Amyraude；
To whom is yoven many a laude：
Salge is his herbe appourtenant
Aboven al the rememant。
The tenthe sterre is Almareth；
Which upon lif and upon deth
Thurgh kinde of Jupiter and Mart
He doth what longeth to his part。 1390
His Ston is Jaspe； and of Planteine
He hath his herbe sovereine。
The sterre ellefthe is Venenas；
The whos nature is as it was
Take of Venus and of the Mone；
In thing which he hath forto done。
Of Adamant is that perrie
In which he worcheth his maistrie；
Thilke herbe also which him befalleth；
Cicorea the bok it calleth。 1400
Alpheta in the nombre sit；
And is the twelfthe sterre yit；
Of Scorpio which is governed；
And takth his kinde； as I am lerned；
And hath his vertu in the Ston
Which cleped is Topazion：
His herbe propre is Rosmarine；
Which schapen is for his covine。
Of these sterres； whiche I mene；
Cor Scorpionis is thritiene； 1410
The whos nature Mart and Jove
Have yoven unto his behove。
His herbe is Aristologie；
Which folweth his Astronomie：
The Ston which that this sterre alloweth；
Is Sardis； which unto him boweth。
The sterre which stant next the laste；
Nature on him this name caste
And clepeth him Botercadent；
Which of his kinde obedient 1420
Is to Mercurie and to Venus。
His Ston is seid Crisolitus；
His herbe is cleped Satureie；
So as these olde bokes seie。
Bot nou the laste sterre of alle
The tail of Scorpio men calle；
Which to Mercurie and to Satorne
Be weie of kinde mot retorne
After the preparacion
Of due constellacion。 1430
The Calcedoine unto him longeth；
Which for his Ston he underfongeth；
Of Majorane his herbe is grounded。
Thus have I seid hou thei be founded；
Of every sterre in special；
Which hath his herbe and Ston withal；
As Hermes in his bokes olde
Witnesse berth of that I tolde。
The science of Astronomie；
Which principal is of clergie 1440
To dieme betwen wo and wel
In thinges that be naturel；
Thei hadde a gret travail on honde
That made it ferst ben understonde；
And thei also which overmore
Here studie sette upon this lore；
Thei weren gracious and wys
And worthi forto bere a pris。
And whom it liketh forto wite
Of hem that this science write； 1450
On of the ferste which it wrot
After Noe5； it was Nembrot；
To his disciple Ychonithon
And made a bok forth therupon
The which Megaster cleped was。
An other Auctor in this cas
Is Arachel； the which men note；
His bok is Abbategnyh hote。
Danz Tholome is noght the leste；
Which makth the bok of Almageste； 1460
And Alfraganus doth the same；
Whos bok is Chatemuz be name。
Gebuz and Alpetragus eke
Of Planisperie； which men seke；
The bokes made： and over this
Ful many a worthi clerc ther is；
That writen upon this clergie
The bokes of Altemetrie；
Planemetrie and ek also；
Whiche as belongen bothe tuo； 1470
So as thei ben naturiens；
Unto these Astronomiens。
Men sein that Habraham was on；
Bot whether that he wrot or non；
That finde I noght； and Moi5ses
Ek was an other： bot Hermes
Above alle othre in this science
He hadde a gret experience；
Thurgh him was many a sterre assised；
Whos bokes yit ben auctorized。 1480
I mai noght knowen alle tho
That writen in the time tho
Of this science； bot I finde；
Of jugement be weie of kinde
That in o point thei alle acorden：
Of sterres whiche thei recorden
That men mai sen upon the hevene