Popular treatises on science written during the Middle Ages, in Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman, and English / Edited from the original manuscripts by Thomas Wright.

  • Thomas Wright
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Popular treatises on science written during the Middle Ages, in Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman, and English / Edited from the original manuscripts by Thomas Wright. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    57/164 (page 37)
    ”[7 SACEIZ pur veritet, li quint signe est poset E en Juinnet, par raisun que apelerent lean. Leuns ad tel nature^ que nen ad beste nule: Fort ad le piz devant, hardiz e cumbatant; Feble ad le trait derere, que de grant manere : Saciez pur cel voil dirre, char a itel materie Li soleilz quan la vait e cele part se trait, Enz el cumencement tute sa vertud prent. Tut est esbuillissant, forment chalt e ardant; Quant est en mi venud, n*ad gueres de vertud Plus que li leuns ad qui les greilles flans ad, Sulunc le veement a cest humaine gent. La cue signefie que il ad grant baillie; Le soleil perecus, pur le tens que est pluius; Mais nest pas perecus, ainz est veu a nus. E ce truum en escrit, que danz Nebroz le dit. U'N Aust asistrent le sist signe [e] mustrent, ^ Que en Latin apelum virginem par raisun, E en Fraceise sermun pulcele le apelum: Pulcele signefie, ne larra ne P vus die, Cose qui fruit nen ad tant cum virgine serad. Saciez tut ensement, senz nul redutement, Que terre fruit nen dune, ne arbre ne burzune, En icele saisun que Aust apelet Pum; E pur cest achaisun issi cest signe ad num, Si cum truum escrit que Helpri le dit. T? LE sedme poserent en Septembre e ruverent, ^ Que libra fust apelet, par grant sutilitet, Que nus peise apelum en Francesche raisun. E 50 est tel estrument que part mult velement, And know for truth, the fifth sign is placed—in July, which is called Lion.— The lion has such nature as no other animal has ;—he has the foot strong before, bold and pugnacioushis legs are feeble behind, the tail of great appearance :— Knowy for this I will say it, for such nature has—the sun, when he goes there and draws himself to that side,—thus in the beginning he takes all his force,—he is all boiling, very hot and burning;—when he is come to the middle, he has hardly more strength—than the lion has who has small flanks,—as it appears to this human race. —The tail signifies that he has great power;—the sun being hidden, for the wea¬ ther which is rainy :—but he is not hidden, so he is seen by us—And this we find in writing, that Dan Nehrot said it. In August they placed and show the sixth sign,—which in Latin we call virgo,— and in French we name pucelle:—maiden signifies, I will not omit to tell it you, a thing which has no fruit as long as it shall be virgin.—Know in like manner, without any doubt,—that neither earth gives fruit, nor tree buds,—in this season which is called August;—and for that reason the sign is thus named,—as we find written that Helpericus says. And the seventh they placed and ordered in September,—which was called libra, very cunningly,—which we call a balance in French.—And this is a certain instru¬ ment which divides very etpially,—as the sun does, when he comes to that part,—