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.

    59/164 (page 39)
    Par esse la charere s’en reparet arere; E pur cest achaisun issi cest signe ad num, Sulunc Fentendement de la paiene gent. T E unzime que truverent, en Genver le poserent, ^ Aquarius ad nun sulunc le lur raisurq Char dune sunt tempestez,, pluies,, e mals orez. TfN Fevrer poserent cel qu.e peisun clamerent. Pur mult grant raisun, char ja nen ert peisuiq Chi poust ben garir qiPil ne voillet murir, Se il ewe nen ad quant il la requerrad. E pur cez achaisuns furent truvet les nuns. E del cel les cuntrees sunt issi apelees, Sulunc les divers tens del soleil e des yens, E sulunc les oret, sulunc les tempestez^ Si curae Helpri dit par veir en sun escrit. ^/TAIS que ben entendrat^ e sutilement i verrad? Co que ai cuntet sulunc divinitet, Le purrat afermer, e par veir demustrer^ E cf est allegorie ne larrai ne Y vus die. T I multuns signefie le filz sainte Marie ; ^ Char si cume cele beste ad lugs corns en la teste, Granz e recercelez, que multun apelez, En Marz fut poset, qui primes fud truvet; E issi faiterement, senz nul redutement, Deus quant le mult(sic) criat, forment se purpensat, E i90 entendum par le chef del multun : Char en chef est valur dunet, force e vigur, Ne ja rfert ben sanez, chi la ad enfermetez. E altre entente i ad, li multuns un verm ad, Qui les corns li manjue, quant del hurter se argue ; Pur 90 nument divin vervecem en Latin. —behind the wain [the polar star] he returns back ;—and for this reason this sign is thus named,—according to the notion of the pagan people. The eleventh which they found, they placed in January,—Aquarius is its name in their language,—for then are tempests, rains, and rough weather. In February they placed that which they called fish,—with very great cause, for there was no fish,—which could avoid dying,—if it has not water when it shall want it.—And for these reasons were invented their names.—And the districts of the heaven are thus named,—according to the divers times of the sun and of the winds,—and according to the weather, according to the storms,—as Helpericus tells us for truth in his writing. But he who pays good attention, and will look closely into it,—what I have re¬ lated according to theology,—he can affirm it and prove it to be true,—and it is an allegory, I will not omit to tell it you. The sheep signifies the son of St. Mary;—for as that animal has long horns on its head,—great and curved, which we call sheep,—it was placed in March, which was made the first month ;—and thus truly, without any doubt,—God, when he created the world, reflected very much in his mind,—and this we understand by the head of the sheep :—for in the head is given strength, force, and vigour,—nor was he ever very sound, who had weakness there.—And another meaning there is, the sheep has a worm,—which eats his horns, when he does not strike with them ;