Part 6

In this marveylous hall, replete with richesse, At the hye ende she sat full worthely. I came anone unto her great noblenesse, And kneled adowne before her mekely. Madame, I sayd, ye werke full ryally; I beseche you, with all my diligence, To instructe me in your wonderfull science.

My science, she sayd, it is moost profitable Unto Astronomy, for I do it mesure In every thing as it is probable; For I my selfe can ryght well discure Of every sterre, which is sene in ure, The mervaylous gretnes by my mesuring; For God made all at the begynnyng.

By good mesuryng both the heyght and depnes Of every thing, as I understand, The length and brede with al the greatnes, Of the firmament so compassing the land; And who my cunning list to take in hand, In his emyspery of hye or low degre Nothing there is but it may measure be.

Though that it be from us hye and farre, If ony thing fall we may it truely se, As the sonne or moone or any other sterre, We may therof know well the quantite. Who of this science dooth know the certaynte, All maysteries might measure perfytely; For geometry doth shew it openly.

Where that is mesure there is no lacking; Where that is mesure hole is the body; Where that is mesure good is the living; Where that is mesure wisdome is truely; Where that is mesure werke is directly; Where that is mesure, natures working Nature increaseth by right good knowledging.

Where lacketh mesure there is no plente; Where lacketh mesure seke is the courage; Where lacketh mesure there is iniquite; Where lacketh mesure there is great outrage; Where lacketh mesure is none advauntage; Where lacketh mesure there is great glotony; Where lacketh mesure is moost unhappy.

For there is no hye nor great estate, Without mesure can kepe his dignite; It doth preserve him both early and late, Keping him from the pytte of poverte. Mesure is moderate to all bounte, Gretely nedeful for to take the charge Man for to rule, that he go not at large.

Who loveth mesure can not do amys, So perfitely is the high operacion Among all thynges; so wonderfull it is, That it is full of all delectacion, And to vertue hath inclynacion. Mesure also doth well exemplefy, The hasty dome to swage and modefy.

Without mesure wo worth the jugement; Without mesure wo worth the temperaunce; Without mesure wo worth the punishmeut; Without mesure wo worth the purveyaunce; Without mesure wo worth the sustenaunce; Without mesure wo worth the sadnes; And without mesure wo worth the gladnes.

Mesure mesuring mesurably taketh; Mesure mesuring mesuratly dooth all; Mesure mesuring mesuratly maketh; Mesure mesuring mesuratly guyde shall; Mesure mesuring mesuratly doth call; Mesure mesuryng to right hye preemynence, For alway mesure is grounde of excellence.

Mesure mesureth mesure in effecte; Mesure mesureth every quantyte; Mesure mesureth all waye the aspecte; Mesure mesureth all in certayne; Mesure mesureth in the stabilitie; Mesure mesuryth in every doutful case; And mesure is the lodesterre of all grace.

Affycte of mesure is long continuaunce, Quantite without mesure is nought; Aspect of mesure devoydeth repentaunce; Certayne wold weye all thinges thought; Stabilitie upon a perfite grounde is wrought; Cace doubtfull may yet a whyle abyde; Grace may in space a remedy provyde.

Countenaunce causeth the promocyon; Nought avayleth service without attendaunce, Repentaunce is after all abusion; Thought afore wolde have had perseveraunce; Wrought how should be bydede the mischaunce; Abyde nothing tyll thou do the dede; Provyde in mynde how thou mayst have mede.

Promocion groweth after good governaunce; Attendaunce doth attayne good favour; Abusyon is causer of all variaunce; Perceyveraunce causeth great honour; Mischaunce alway is roote of dolour; Dede done can not be called agayne; Mede well rewarded both with joye and payne.

Than I toke my leve, and went from Geometry Toward Astronomy as fast as I myght: For all my mynde was set right inwardly Upon my lady that was fayre and bryght. My herte with her was bothe day and night: She had it locked with a locke so sure, It was her owne, she had therof the cure.

CAP. XXII. OF DAME ASTRONOMY.

Than forth I wente into a medow grene, With Flora paynted in many a sundry colour, Lyke a gay goddesse of all floures the quene, She encenced out her aromatyke odour. The brethe of Zepherus encreased the floure. Amiddes the medow fayre replendishaunt, Was a pavilyon right hye and quadraunt,

Of grene sarcenet bordered with golde, Wherein dede hange a fayre astrology. Which oft Astronomy did full well beholde; Unto whome than I came full shortly, And kneled adowne before her mekely, Beseching her of her great gentylnes Of her scyence to shew the perfitenes.

My scyence, sayd she, it is ryght resonable, And is the last of the sciences seven; Unto man it is also ryght profitable, Shewing the course above of the heaven; Right merveylous for any man to neven. Who knew astronomy at every maner ceason, Might set in ordre every thing by reason.

Also the other vi. sciences liberall By astronomy principally were found; And one were lost they were vanished all, Eche upon other had so sure a ground. In all the world, that is so wide and round, Is none so wise that can then multiply, Nor know them all right well and surely.

The hye astronomier, that is God omnipotent, That the first day devided all the lyght Frome the derkenes with his wyll prepotent; And the second day, with his excellent might, The waters above he did devide aryght, From the erthely waters which are inferiall; The third daye herbes and fruytes in speciall

In erthe he planted for to have their life By divers vertues and sundry growing, So to continue and be vegitative; And the third day he sette in werking The bodies above to have their moving, In the xii. signes them selfe to domify, Some rethrogarde, and some dyrectly.

The fyfth day he dyd fysshes make; In the see the great stormy flode, To and fro theyr courses for to take And in the water for to have theyr fode, Lyke to the same colde alway theyr blode; The vi. day, bestes, wyth foules sensatyve, And man also, with soule intellectyve.

The sevent day he restes of hys werke, Nothynge constrayned as of werynes, As wryteth many a ryght famous clerke; But that he had accomplysshe doutles Her purpensed purpose by infynite prowes, As to us doth moost playnely discure The perfyte grounde of holy Scrypture.

Thus God hym selfe is chyef astronomyer, That made all thyng according to his wyll; The sunne, the mone, and every lytle sterre, To a good entent and for no maner of yll. Wythouten vayne he dyd all thyng fulfyll, As astronomy doth make apparaunce, By reason he weyed all thynges in balauns.

CAP. XXIII. OF THE DIRECT OPERATION OF NATURE.

And forasmuche that he made nature Fyrst of all to have domynacyon, The power of her I shall anone dyscure, How that she taketh her operacyon, And whereupon is her fundacyon, In symple and rude, opprest wyth neclygence, Shall discryve the myght of her preemynence.

For though that aungell be invysyble, Inpalpable, and also celestiall, Wythouten substaunce as incencyble, Yet have they nature whych is angelycall; For nature naturynge nature made all, Heven and earth and the bodyes above, By cours of nature for to werke and move.

On man or beest, wythouten ony mys, She werketh directly after the aspecte Of the mater, be it more or lesse, ywys, And doth therof the hole fourme dyrecte, After the qualyte it doth take effecte; Yf there be more than may one suffyse, A bye membre she wyll than more devyse.

As that in ure ye may it dayly se, Upon one hande some hath thombes twayne; And other also somtyme armes thre; The superfluite is cause therof certayne; Whyche that dame Nature dooth constrayne So for to do, for she lesed noughte Of the mater, but hath it hooly wroughte.

And in like wyse, where is not suffycyent Of the mater for the hole reformacion, There lacketh a membre by great impediment, So that there can be no perfyte facyon; As may be judged by perfyte reason, After the qualyte of thy matter lackynge, So lacketh the of natures fourmynge.

Some lacketh a legge, some an arme also, Some a fynger, and some more or lesse; All these causes, wyth many other mo, Nature werketh so dyrectly doutles Upon the mater, as I do expresse, After the qualyte in many a sundry wyse, The kynde of her we ought nothyng to despyse.

Some be fayre and replete with grace; Some be fayre and yet right unhappy; Some be foule and can sone purchace Landes and possessyons to them shortely; Some be fooles and some be ryght wytty; Whereupon I shall shewe a dyfference Of the v. wyttes by good experyence.

CAP. XXIV. OF THE FIVE INTERNALL WITTES.

The eyen, the eres, and also the nose, The mouth, and handes, inwarde wyttes are none; But outwarde offyces, as ye may suppose, To the inwarde wyttes, whiche do judge alone; For unto them all thinges have gone, But these outwarde gates to have the knowledginge, By the inwarde wyttes to have decernynge.

These are the v. wyttes remeuing inwardly: Fyrst, commyn wytte, and than ymaginacyon, Fantasy, and estymacyon truely, And memory, as I make narracyon; Eche upon other hath occupacyon. Fyrst, the comyn wytte unto the front aplyde, Doth thynke, decerne, it may not be denyde.

Of the eyen the offyce only is the syght, To se the fayre, the lowe, or altytude, The whyte, or blacke, the hevy, or the lyght, The lytle or great, the weyke or fortytude, The ugly favour, or yet the pulcrytude; This is the use of the eyene intere, To se all thynges whiche may well appere.

But of themselfe they can decerne nothynge One frome an other; but the comyn wytte Decerneth colours by spyrytuall connynge, To the fyve inwarde wittes it is so well knytte, Nothynge is sene but it doth judge it: It doth decerne the good from badnes, The hye, the lowe, the foule, the fayrenes.

The nose, also, every ayre doth smel, But yet it hath nothynge auctoryte Yf it be swete for to judge and tell; But the comyn wyt doth it in certaynte, Decernynge favours in every degre, Knowynge the swete ayre from the stynkinge, Whan that the nose therof hath smellinge.

The eres, also, right well gyve audyence Unto a tale, herynge it perfytely; But they can not decerne the sentence To knowe whereupon it doth so ratyfy, Upon great wysedome or elles upon foly: Thus, whether the tale be ryght good or bad By the comyn wytte the knowledge is had.

Foly hath eres as well as sapience, But he can not determyne by his herynge What tale it is, for lacke of intelligence; For the comyn wytte is all understandynge, And that he lacketh to gyve hym knowynge. Wherfore the eres are but an intres To commyn wytte that sheweth the perfytnes.

The mouth tasteth both swete and bytternes, But the comyn wyt decerneth proprely Yf it be soure or replete wyth swetenes; Nor yet the handes fele nothyng certaynly, But the comyn wytte decerneth subtylly Whether it be harde, moyst, or drynes, Hote, hevy, softe, or yet colde, doutles.

Thus comyn wytte worketh wonderly, Upon the v. gates whyche are receptatyve Of every thynge for to take inwardly, By the comyn wytte to be affyrmatyve Or by decernynge to be negatyve; The comyn wytte, the fyrst of wyttes all, Is to decerne all thinges in generall.

And than, secondly, ymagynacyon; Whan the comyn wytte hath the thinge electe, It werketh by all due inclynacyon For to brynge the mater to the hole effecte; And fantasy than hath the hole aspecte, The ymagyned matter to bring to finysshement, Wyth good desyre and inwarde judgement.

And estymacion doth well comprehende The space, the place, and all the purveyaunce At what time the power might entende To brynge the cause unto perfyte utteraunce. Often it weyeth the cause in balaunce, By estymacyon ony thinge is nombred, By length or shortnes how it is accombred.

Fyftly, the mynde, whan the fourth have wrought, Retayned all tyll the minde have made An outwarde knowlege to the mater thought, Bycause nothynge shall declyne and fade, It kepeth the mater nothynge rethrogarde, But dyrectly, tyll the minde have proved All suche maters whyche the iiij. have moved.

Plauto, the connynge and famous clerke, That well expert was in phylosophy, Doth right reherse upon natures werke, How that she werketh upon all wonderly, Bothe for to minysshe and to multeply, In sondry wyse by great dyreccyon After the maner with all the hole affeccyon.

In my natyf language I wyl not opres, More of her werke, for it is obscure; Who wyl therof knowe all the perfeytnes In phylosophy he shall fynde it ryght sure, Whyche all the trouth can to hym discure. No man can attayne perfecte connynge But by longe stody and diligent lernynge.

CAP. XXXV. OF THE HYE INFLUENCES OF THE SUPERNALL BODIES.

The ryght hygh power natures naturyng, Nature made the bodyes above, In sundry wyse to take theyr workynge, That aboute the worlde naturallye do move, As by good reason the phylosophres prove, That the planettes and sterres instrumentes be To natures werkynge in every degre.

God gave great vertue to the planettes all, And specially unto depured Phebus, To enlumyne the worlde ever in specyall; And than the mone, of her selfe tenebrus, Made lyght wyth the beames gaye and gorgyous Of the sunne, is fayre replendysshaunte, In the longe nyght wyth rayes radyaunte.

By these twayne every thyng hath growynge; Bothe vegitatyfe and censatyve also, And also intellectyve wythout lesynge: No erthly thyng may have lyfe and go, But by the planettes that move to and fro; Whan that God set them in operacyon, He gave them vertue in dyvers facyon.

Some hote and moyst, and some colde and dry; Some hote and drye, moyst and colde; Thus every one hath vertues sundry, As is made mencyon in the bokes olde. They shewe theyr power and werke many a folde; Man upon them hath his dysposycyon, By the naturate power of constellacyon.

What shoulde I wryte more in thys matter hye, In my maternall tonge opprest wyth ignoraunce? For who that lyst to lerne astronomye, He shall fynde all fruytfull pleasaunce In the Latyn tonge by goodly ordenaunce; Wherfore of it I wyll no lenger tary, For fere from trouthe that I happen to vary.

Of dame Astronomy I dyd take my lycence For to travayle to the toure of Chyvalry; For al my minde, wyth percyng influence, Was sette upon the most fayre lady La Bell Pucell, so muche ententyfly, That every daye I dyd thinke fyftene, Tyl I agayne had her swete person sene.

To you experte in the seven scyence, Now al my maysters, I do me excuse If I offended by my great neclygence. This lytel werke yet do ye not refuse; I am but yonge, it is to me obtuse Of these maters to presume to endyte, But for my lernyng that I lyst to wryte.

Under obedyence and the true correctyon Of you my maysters experte in conninge, I me submytte now wyth hole affeccyon Unto your perfyte understandynge; As evermore mekely to you inclynyng, With diligent labour now without doutaunce To detraye or adde all at your plesaunce.

CAP. XXVI. HOW GRAUNDE AMOURE CAME TO THE TOURE OF CHYVALRY.

When clene Aurora, with her golden bemes, Gan to enlumyne the derke cloudy ayre, And combust Dyane her gret fyry lemes Amyddes of the Bull began to reflayre; Than on my jorney, my selfe to repayre, Wyth my verlet called Attendaunce, Forthe on I rode by longe contynuaunce:

Wyth my grayhoundes, both Grace and Governaunce, Over an hyll and so downe in a valley, Amonge the thornes of great encumbraunce, The goodli greyhounds caught me on mi wey. So foorth I passed my troublous journey, Tyll that I came unto a ryall playne, With Flora paynted in many a sundry vayne.

Wyth purple colour the floures enhewed, In dyvers knottes wyth many one ful blue, The gentyll gelofer his odoure renued Wyth sundry herbes replete wyth vertue: Amonge these floures as I dyd ensue, Castynge my syght sodaynly so ferre, Over a toure I sawe a flambynge sterre.

Towarde this toure as I rode nere and nere, I behelde the rocke of merveylous altytude, On whych it stode that quadrante did appere, Made all of stele wonderous fortytude, Gargeylde wyth beestes in sundry symylytude; And many turrettes above the toures hye, With ymages was set full marveylously.

Towarde thys toure forth on my way I wente, Tyll that I came to a myghty fortresse, Where I saw hange a merveylous instrumente, Wyth a shelde and helmet before the entres: I knewe nothynge therof the perfytnes, But at aventure the instrument I toke, And blewe so loude that all the toure I shoke.

Whan the porter herde the hedyous sounde Of my ryght lusty and stormy blast, That made the walles therof to redounde, Full lyke a knyght that was nothinge agast, Towarde the gate gave hym selfe to hast, And opened it, and asked my name, And fro whence I came, to certyfy the same.

My name, quod I, is Graunde Amoure; Of late I came fro the toure of Doctryne, Where I attayned all the hygh honoure Of the seven scyences, me to enlumyne; And frome thence I dyd determyne Forthe to travayle to thys toure of Chyvalry, Where I have blowen thys blast so sodeynly.

Whan he herd thys, ryght gentylly he sayd: Unto thys toure ye must resorte by ryght For to renue that hath be longe decayd, The flour of Chyvalry, with your hole delyght. Come on your way, it draweth toward nyghte. And therwith all he ledde me to his warde, Me to repose in pleasaunt due saufgard.

After the travayle my selfe for to ease, I did there reste in all goodly wyse, And slept right well without any disease, Till on the morow the sonne did aryse; Than up I rose, as was my perfyte guyse, And made me redy into the courte to go, With my verlet and greyhoundes also.

The gentil porter, named Stedfastnes, Into the basse courte on my way he brought, Where stode a toure of mervaylous highnes, That al of jasper ful wonderly wrought, As ony man can printe in his thought; And foure ymages above the toure there were, On horsebacke, armed, and every one a spere.

These ymages were made ful curiously, Wyth theyr horses of the stele so fyne, And eche of them, in theyr places sundry, About were sette that clerely dyd shyne, Lyke Dyane clere in her spere celestyne; And under eche horse there was, ful pryvely, A great whele made by craftly Geometry,

Wyth many cogges, unto whiche were tyed Dyvers cordes that in the horses holowe To every joynte full wonderly applyed; Whan the wheles wente the horses dyd folowe, To trotte and galop both even and morowe, Brekynge theyr speres and coude them dyscharge, Partynge asonder for to turney at large.

CAP. XXVII. OF THE MARVEYLOUS ARGUMENT BETWENE MARS AND FORTUNE.

Besyde this toure of olde foundacion There was a temple strongly edefyed; To the high honoure and reputacyon Of the mighty Mars it was so fortefyed: And for to know what it signifyed I entred in, and sawe of golde so pure Of worthy Mars the mervaylous pycture.

There was depaynted all about the wall The grete destruccion of the cite of Troye; And the noble actes do reygne memoryall Of the worthy Hector that was all theyr joye. His dolorus death was herde to occoye; And so whan Hector was cast all downe, The hardy Troylus was moost hyghe of renowne.

And as I cast my syght so asyde, Beholdynge Mars how wonderly he stode, On a whele top with a lady of pryde Haunced aboute, I thought nothing but good, But that she had two faces in one hode; Yet I kneled adowne and made mine oryson, To doughty Mars, wyth grete devocyon.

Sayenge: O Mars! O god of the warre! The gentyll lodesterre of an hardy herte, Dystyll adowne thy grace from so farre To cause all fere from me to astert: That in the felde I may ryght well subverte The hedyus monsters, and winne the victory Of the sturdy giauntes with famous chyvalry.

O prynce of honour and of worthy fame! O noble knightes of olde antiquite! O redouted courage, the cause of theyr name, Whose worthy actes fame caused to be In bokes wrytten, as ye maye well se! So gyve me grace ryght well to secure The power of fame that shall long endure.

I thought me past al chyldly ygnoraunce, The xxxi. yere of my yonge flourynge aege; I thought that Venus might nothyng avaunce Her strength against me with her lusty courage; My wytte I thought had suche avauntage, That it should rule both Venus and Cupyde: But, alas for wo! for all my sodayne pryde!

Whan that Phebus entred was in Gemine, Toward the Crab takynge ascencyon, At the tyme of the great solempnite From heven above of Goddes descencyon; In a grete temple with hole entencyon As I went walkyng my selfe to and fro, Full sodaynly Venus wrought me such wo.

For as I cast than my syght all alofte, I sawe Venus in beaute so clere, Which caused Cupide wyth his darte so softe, To wounde my herte wyth fervent love so dere; Her lovynge countenaunce so hyghe dyd appere, That it me ravyshed wyth a sodayne thought, Alas for wo! it vayled me ryght nought.

To gyve audyence unto the melody Of waytes and organs that were at the fest, Love had me wounded so sore inwardly, What was to do I knewe not the best. Replete wyth sorowe and devoyde of rest, Sythen the tyme that she my hert soo wounded, My joy and pryde she hath full lowe confounded.

CAP. XXVII. HOWE MINERVE LEDDE GRAUNDE AMOURE TO KYNG MELYZYUS, WHICHE MADE HYM KNYGHT

And so nowe, for to attayne her grace, As thou doost knowe become adventurous, Besechinge the in thys peryllous case, O Mars! me succoure in tyme tempestyous, That I may passe the passage daungerous, And to thy laude, honoure, and glorye, I shal a temple ryght strongly edefy.

Well than, sayd Mars, I shall the fortefye In all thy warre as fast as I can. But for thy payne I knowe no remedy, For Venus reyned whan that thou began, Fyrst for to love making the pale and wanne; And of the trouthe to make relacyon Thou was borne under her consolacion.

Wherefore thou must, of veray perfyte ryght, Unto her sue by the disposicion Whyche the constreyneth wyth hole delyght For to love ladies by true affeccion. Suche is her course and operacion. Wherfore whan thou hast lerned perfytely The for to governe by prudent chyvalry,

Than, to fulfyll the ryght hye enterpryse, Forth on thy waye thou shalt thy jorney take, Unto a temple in all humble wyse Before dame Venus thine oblacion to make, Whiche all thy payne may sone redresse and slake; For at that tyme she holdeth a parlemente, To redress lovers of theyr impedimente.

A, ha! quod Fortune, with the faces twayne, Behynde syr Mars; I have a grete mervayle That thou dost promyse him that he shal attayne Unto his purpose with al diligent travayle, Through thyne ayd, eke strength and counsayl; Sythens dependeth in myn ordenaunce, Hym to promote or brynge to myschaunce.

My power, estate, and ryall dygnyte, Doth torne the whele of worthely glorye Often up so downe by mutabilyte. Have not I promoted full nobly Many a lowe degre to reigne full ryally? And often have made a transmutacion Of worldly welthe into tribulacion?