commandements of God and doe all good workes that we should have accustomed The third coniecture is when wee hear gladly the word of God as Sermons and good counsellers for our saluation The fourth when we be sorry and contrite at our heart to have commised and done any sin The fift is when with good purpose and will of our selves we persever to keep us from sin in time to come These coniectures be they whereby Shepheards and lay people know if they be in his grace or not as much as in them is possible to know The sixt thing that every man ought to know is God for all men ought to know God for to accomplish his will and commandement by the which he would be loved with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all the force that we have which we may not doe if we know him not then who that would love God ought to know him and the more that they know him the more they love him wherefore hereafter shall be said how Shepheards and simple people doe know him Shepheards and simple people for to have knowledge of God of their possibility considering 3 things The first is that they consider the right great riches of God his puissance his soveraign dignity his soveraign noblenesse his soveraign ioy and blisse The second is for they consider the right noble right great and marvellous operations and workes of our Lord God And the third consideration is for they consider the innumerable benefits that they have received of God and that continually every day they receive of him and by these considerations they come to his cognisance and knowledge First to know God Shepheards and lay people consider his great riches plenteous abundance of the goodnesse that he hath for all the treasures and riches of heaven and of the earth bee his and all goodnesse he hath made of the which he is fountaine creator and master and distributeth them largely unto every creature and he hath no need of any other Wherfore it behoveth to say that he is right rich Secōdly he is right puissant for by his great puissance hee hath made heaven earth and the sea with all things contained in them and might undoe them if it were his will unto the which puissance all other be subiect and tremble before him for his great excellency And who that would consider every work of God should find enough to marvell on By the first of these consideratiōs God is known to be right rich by gifts that he giveth to his friends and by the second he is known right puissant for to avenge him on his enemies Thirdly he is soveraignly worthie for all the things of heaven and earth oweth him honour and reverence as to their Creatour and him that made them as wee see children honour father and mother of whom they be descended by a generation and all things be descended of God by a creation to whom ought to be given great reverence and he is so worthie Fourthly hee is soveraignly noble for who that is soveraignly rich puissant and worthie him behoveth to be soveraignlie noble but none other but God hath riches puissance and dignity as he hath wherfore of such nobles ought to be said that he is right noble Fifthly he hath soveraign ioy for he that is rich puissant worthie and right noble is not without soveraign ioy and this ioy is full of all goodnesse and ought to be our felicitie to the which we hope to come That is to know and see God in his soveraign ioy and gladnesse for to have with him eternall ioy that ever shall endure And this is the first consideration of GOD. that shepheards and other simple people ought to have Secondly for to know God considering his great noblenesse and marvellous workes the bounty and the beauty of the things that he hath made for it is commonly said one may know the workman by the work· Knowledge wee then the work of God and knowledge we that his beauty bounty shineth in the operations that he hath made which if they bee fair and good the workman that hath made them must needs bee fair and good without comparison more than any thing that he hath made Be it considered of the heavens and the things therein set what noble and marvellous work how may one consider their excellence beauty Bee it considered also as we may of the earth the right noble marvellous works of God the gold the silver and all manner of metals precious stones in it the fruits that it beareth the trees the beasts that it sustaineth and of the bountie that it nourisheth Be it in like wise considered of the sea the rivers the fish nourished in them The weather the elements the ayre the winds the birds that flie in them and all the usage and service of men And consider the workeman that of his puissance hath made all by his sapience hath right well ordered his works and governeth them by his great bounty and by this manner we may know God as shepheards and simple folkes in considering his work Thirdly for to know God consider the great benefits that we receive daily of him which may not be numbred for their great multitude nor spoken of for their noblenesse dignity albeit in their hearts be vi principally noted For the which another Shepheard giving praises to God said in this manner Lord God I know thou hast indued me with thy infinit benefits by thy great bounty First the benefit of thy creation by the which thou madest me a reasonable man unto thy image and similitude giving me body and soul and raiment to clothe me Lord thou hast given me my wits of nature understanding for to govern my life my health my beautie my strength and my science for to get my living honestly I yeeld to thee graces and great thankes Secondly Lord I know the goodnes of my redemption how by thy misericordious pity thou boughtst me dearly by the affection of thy most precious bloud paines and torments that for me thou hast suffered finally endured death thou hast given me thy body thy soul and thy life for to keep me from damnation wherefore humblie I yeeld to thee graces and great thankes Thirdlie Lord I know the goodnesse of my vocation how of thy great grace thou hast called me again for to inherit thy eternall benediction and also thou hast given unto me faith and knowledge of thine owne self as baptism and all the other sacraments that none intendment may comprize their noblenesse and dignity that so many times hath pardoned me of my sinnes Lord I know that this is to mee a singular gift that thou hast not given to them which have no knowledge of thee whereof I am more beholding humblie bound I yeeld thee graces and thanks Fourthly Lord I knowledge that thou hast given this world and the things that be therein made for my
is all thing Fields and Meads spred most beautiously And birds sing with right sweet harmony Reioycing lovers with hot love all indued With fragrant flowers all about renued June Who of my season taketh right good heed Ought not at all my name to adâ—ul For in my time for all the commons weed From sheep is shorn all the flesh and wool And had in merchandise by great ships full Over the sea wherefore we ought to pray Vnto our Lord and thank him night and day July If that my time were praised all aright Among all months I am one of the chief For I enripe through my great force and might Fruits of the earth to man and beasts relief Feeding horses kine muttons and strong beef With other properties that I could tell But I must passe I may no longer dwell August I am named the hot month of August For redolent heat of Phoebus brightnesse In my time each man ought for to have lust To labour in harvest with great businesse To reap and sheef eschuing idlenesse And rise early with great diligence Thanking our Lord of his great providence September Who can my name perfectly remember With the commodities of my season Ought of right to call me September Plenteous of goods by all manner of reason As wheat rie oats beans fitches and peason Of which fruit every man ought to have in store To live directly and thank the Lord therefore October Among the other October I hight Friend unto Vintners naturally And in my time Bacchus is ready dight All manner of wine to presse and clarify Of which is sacred as we see daily The blessed body of Christ in sign of flesh blood Which is our hope refection and food November I November will not abide behind To shew my kindly worthinesse and ure For in my time the blastes of the wind Abateth leaves and sheddeth their verdure Wherefore every prudent creature Ought for to live right as they should dy For all things in me taketh end naturally December December every man doth me call In whose time the mother inviolate Delivered was in an old Oxe stall Of Iesu Christ Gods own Son incarnate Wherefore I think me the most fortunate Of all the other to whom pray we then That we may come unto his blisse Amen The beginnings and ends of the four seasons of the year THe first Prime time that thus doth begin From mid February unto mid May And from mid May Summer is entred in To mid August and then is Harvest day And from that time Winter entreth alway On Saint Clements day who so taketh heed And mid February it faileth indeed Thus endeth the praise of the xii months with the beginnings and endings of the four quarters And after followeth the figure for to know in what sign the Moon is every day This figure is for to know in what signe the moon is every day and the declaration is of the letters of the sign of the Kalender hereafter following  i ii iii iv v vi vii viii ix x xi xii xiii xiv xv xvi xvii xviii xix Aries y n c v l ê° s h z p e u m a s i q f Aries z o d u m a s i q f x n b t k ê° r g Aries p e x â— b t k ê° r g y o c v l a s h Taurus ê° q f y o c v l a s h z p d u m b s i Taurus a r g z p d u m b s i q e x n c t k Gemini b s h q e x n c t k ê° r f y o d v l Gemini c s i ê° r f y o d v l a s g z p e u m Cancer d t k a s g z p e u m b s h q f x n Cancer e v l b s h q f x n c t i ê° r g y o Leo f u m c t i ê° r g y o d v k a s h z p Leo g x n d v k a s h z p e u l b s i q Leo h y o e u l b s i q f x m c t k ê° r Virgo i z p f x m c t k ê° r g y n d v l a s Virgo k q g y n d v l a s h z o e u m b s Libra l ê° r h z o e u m b s i p f x n c t Libra m a s i p f x n c t k ê° q g y o d v Scorpio n b s k ê° q g y â— d v l â— r h z p e u Scorpio o c â— l a r h z p â— u m â— s i q f x Sagittarius p d â— m b f i q f x n c s k ê° r g y Sagittarius q â— u n â— â— k ê° â— g y â— d t l a s h z Sagittarius r f x o d t l a s h z p c v m b s i Capricornus s g y p e v m b s i q f u n c t k ê° Capricornus s h z q f u n c t k ê° r g x o d v l a Aquarius t i r g x o d v l a s h y p e u m b Aquarius v k ê° s h y p e u m b s i z q f x n c Pisces u l a s i z q f x n c t k r g y o d Pisces x m b t k r g y o d v l ê° s h z p e Pisces y n c v l ê° s h z p e u m a s i q f By this figure here above a man may know in what sign the moon is every day and the declaration is of the A.b.c. letters that are in the kalender at the ends of the lines and be named the letters of the signs wherefore mark well first the letter of the Kalender on the day that yee would have then look out the said Letter in the figure here above in the line descending under the Golden number that runneth Then look at the head of the lines whereas as is written the names of the signs and it that beholdeth directly overthwart the figure to the said letters is it that the Moon is in that day And like as one golden number for a year so the said line under the golden number serveth alone for the same yeer as in the year of his Kalender we have xvi for the golden number the line under xvi serveth all the said year and when we have xvii the line under xvii shall serve to the yeer that xvii is for the golden number and so forth of the other VT coelum signis praesurgens est duodenis Sic hominis corpus assimulatur eis Nam caput facies Aries sibi gaudet habere Gutturis colli jus tibi Taure detur Brachia cum manibus Geminis sunt apta decenter
that exceed the understanding of shepheards as the moving of the firmament in the which been the stars against the first mobile in an hundred yeer one degree and the moving of the planets in their eclipses of the which how well the shepheards be not ignorant of all yet they make no meÌ„tion here for it sufficeth them only of two wherof the one is from orient into occident above the earth from occident to the orient under it that is called the diurnall moving that is to say that it maketh from day to day xxiiii howres by the which moving the ninth Sky that is the first mobile draweth after and maketh the other Skies to turn that be under it The other moving is of the seven planets and is from occident to orient above the earth and from orient into the occident under it and is contrary to the first and bee the two movings that shepheards knowledgeth and how wel they been opposites yet they move continually and be passible as is shewed by example If a ship on the sea came from orient into occident and that he of his own moving went in the ship softly toward orient this man should move a double moving whereof one should be of the ship and of himself together and the other should be of his own moving that he maketh softly toward orient Semblably the planets be transported with their sky from orient to occident by the diurnall moving of the first mobile but later and otherwise than the fixed stars by which each planet hath his proper moving contrary to the moving of the stars for the Moon maketh a course lesse in a month about the earth than a star fixed and the sun a course lesse in a yeer and the other planets in a certain time each after the quantity of his movings Thus it appeareth that the planets move two movings Some shepheards suppose by imagination that all the skies ceased to move by the dayly moving the Moon would make a course in going from the occident into the orient in as much time as lasteth now xxvii dayes and eight houres and Mercury Venus and Sol would make in manner course in the space of a yeer and Mars in two yeer or there about and Saturn in thirty yeer or there about For now they make their course or revolutions and accomplish their proper movings in the time here named The proper movings of Planets is not straight from occident to orient but it is as sideway and shepheards see them sensibly for when they see the moon before a star one night the second or third night it is behind not straight toward orient but shall be drawed one time toward Septentrion and another time toward midday and this is because of the latitude of the zodiake in the which be the xii signes under whom the Planet reigneth CHAP. XXXIII Of the Equinoctiall and Zodiake that be in the twelve skies that containeth the firmament under it IN the concave of the first mobile shepheards imagin to be the two circles and they been there royally the one is as small as a threed and it is called Equinoctiall and the other is large in manner of a girdle or as a garland of flowers which they call the Zodiake and these two circles divide the one and the other equally but not straight For the Zodiak crosseth crookedly and the places where it crosseth been said Equinoctials For to understand the Equinoctial we see sensibly all the sky turn from orient into occident and it is called the dayly moving or diurnall then ought one to imagine a straight line that passeth through the middle of the earth comming from the one end of the sky to the other about the which line is made this moving and the two ends be two points in the sky that move not and be called the poles of the world of the which one is over us by the Star of the North that alwayes appeareth unto us and is the Pole artick or Septentrionall and the other is under the earth alwayes hid called the pole Antartick or pole Australl in the middest of the which pole in the first mobile is the circle equinoctiall equally before in the part as in the other of the said poles and after this circle is made and measured the daily moving of xxiiii houres that is a naturall day and it is called equinoctiall for that when the Sun is in it the day and the night been equall through all the world The large Zodiake as is said is in the first mobile also it is as a girdle mannerly figured set with Images of signes intrailed subtilly and well composed and set with fixed stars as shining Carbuncle or precious gems full of great vertue set by the mistris right nobly adorned in the which Zodiacke be iiii principal points that divide them equally in 4. parts One is high called the solstice of summer which when the Sun is entered in Cancer it is the longest day of summer another is low called the solstice of winter which is when the sun is entred in Capricorne then it is the shortest day of winter and men call it equinoctiall of harvest that the Sun entreth in Libra in the month of September And the other is called equinoctiall of prime time that the Sun entereth in Aries in the month of March The which four parts divided each in 3 equall parts maketh twelve parts that be called signes named Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Capricornus Aquarius and Pisces Aries beginneth in the Equinoctiall and crosseth the Zodiacke and when the sun is there it beginneth to decline that is to say approching Septentrion and toward us it extendeth to the orient Then is Taurus second Gemini the third and so of other as the figure hereafter sheweth Also every signe is divided in xxx degrees and be in the Zodiacke ccc â—â— degrees and every degree divided by 60. minutes every minute in 60. seconds every second into 60. thirds and this division sufficeth for shepheards CHAP. XXXIV Here followeth the story of the twelve Signes Equinoctium autumni These lines by the which the sun defendeth of solsticiuÌ„ of summer in the solst of winter Equinoctium primi teÌ„poris Their six lines by the which the sun mounteth of solsticium in winter into the solsticium of summer SHepheards knowledgeth a subtile variation in the skies and is for three stars fixed bee not under the same degrees of the zodiack that they were created because of the moving of the firmament the which bee against the first mobile in an hundred yeer of one degree for the which mutation the sun may have other regard to a star and other signification than it had in the time passed and also when the books were made for that the star hath hanged his degree or sign under which it was And this oftentimes causeth them that make prognostications and iudgments comming to fail All the circles of the sky been
narrow and small except the Zodiack which is large and containeth in length three hundred and threescore degrees of largeness twelve the which largenesse is divided by the middle six Degrees one the on sign and six on the other and this division is made by a line named Eclâ—ptick and is the way of the Sun for the Sun never departeth under that line thus it is alway in the midle of the Zodiack but the other planets been alwayes on the one side or of the other of the said line save when they been in the head or in the tail of the Dragon as the Moon that passeth twice in a month and it happen when it reneweth it is Eclipse of the Sun and if it happen the full Moon and that it be right under the nadyr of the Sun it is generall Eclips and if it be but a part it is not seen when it is eclips of the Sun it is not generall through all the climates but onely in some but when it is eclipse of the Moon it is generall over all Of two great circles that is to say one Meridian and the other Orison that intersequeth the one the other and crosseth directly Meridian is a great circle imagined on the sky which passeth by the poles of the world and by the point of the sky right over our heads the which is called Zenith and when the Sun is come over from Orient unto that circle it is midday and therefore it is called Meridian and the half of that circle is over the earth and the other under it that passeth by the point of midnight directly opposite to Zenith and when the Sun toucheth the part of the circle it is midnight and if a man goe toward orient or occident he hath new meridian and therefore it is sooner midday to them that bee toward Orient then to other if a man stand still his Meridian is one stil or if he goe toward mid-day or septentrion but if he stirre he hath other Zenith and these two circles crosseth directly Orison is a great circle that divideth the part of the sky that we see from that we see not And shepheards say that if a man were in a plaine Country he should see iustly half of the sky which they call their emisphery that is to say half spheare orison is ioyning nigh to the earth of the which orison the entry is the middle and is the place in the which we have been thus each is always in the midst of his orison and Zenith is the pole and as a man transporteth him from one place to another he is in the other places against the sky hath other Zenith other Orison all Orison is right or oblik They have right Orison that abideth under the Equinoctiall and have their Zenith in the Equinoctial for their Orison intersequeth and divideth the Equinoctiall even by these two poles of the world in such wise that none of the poles of the world is raised above their Orison ne deprived under it but they that habit other where than under the equinoctiall have their Orison oblike for their Orison followeth and divideth the Equinoctiall side way and not right and there appeareth unto them of all times one of the poles of the world raised above their Orison and the other be ever hid so that they see them not more or lesse after divers habitations and after that they be of farnesse from the Equinoctiall and the more that the one pole is raised the more the orison oblike and the other pole deprived is to wit that there is as much distance from the Orison to the pole as from the Zenith to the Equinoctiall and that Zenith is the fourth part of Meridian or the middest of the bow diurnall of the which the two ends be on the Orison And also that of the Pole unto the Equinoctiall is the fourth part of all the roundnesse of the skies and also of the Meridian circle sith it passeth by the poles and crosseth the Equinoctiall directly Example of the Orison of Paris after the opinion of shepheards over the which Orison they say that the pole is raised 49. degrees wherefore they say also that from the Zenith of Paris unto the equinoctiall bee 49. degrees and that from the orison unto the Zenith is the fourth part of the Meridian circle bee xc degrees and from the pole to the Zenith be xâ—i degrees and from the pole unto the solstice of summer be lxii degrees and from the solstice unto the equinoctiall be 32. degrees there be from the pole unto the equinoctiall 50. degrees and is the fourth part of the roundnesse of the sky from the equinoctiall unto the solstice of winter be 33. degrees and from the solstice unto the orison â—8 Thus shall the equinoctiall be raised over the orison 12. degrees and the solstice of summer 63 degrees in the which solstice is the Sun at the hour of noon the longest day of summer and then it entreth into Cancer and is most neerest to our habitable parts that may be And when the Sun is in the solstice of winter the shortest day of the yeer at the hour of noon it entereth into Capricornus and the said solstice is not raised over the orison of Paris but 8. degrees The which elevations and risings a man may find plainly so that he know one only and in every region in like wise after the situation Of the two other great circles of the sky and four small TWo great circles be on the sky named colures divideth the skies in four equall parts and crosseth their self directly the one passeth by the poles of the world and by the two solstices and the other by the poles also and by the two equinoctials The first small Circle is called the Circle Artik because of the pole Zodiak about the pole Artik and his like is to his opposite named the Circle Antartik The other two be named Tropikes the one of Summer and the other of Winter The Tropik of summer is cause of the solstice of summer beginning of Cancer and the Tropik of winter of the solstice of winter beginning of Capricorn and be equally distant one Circle from the other Here ought to be noted that the distances of the pole artik to the Circle artik and the distance of the Tropik of summer to the equinoctiall and that of equinoctiall to the Tropik of winter and from the Circle antartik to the pole antartik are iust equall each of 24. degrees a half or there about then the distance from the equinoctiall to the tropik of summer and from the Circle artik to the pole make together 47. degrees The which take away of the quarter between the pole and the equinoctiall whereas be xc degrees save that there abideth 44. that be the distance between the tropik of Winter and the Circle antartik and these Circles be said little for they be not so great as the other neverthelesse
have in like wise two summers and two winters and four shadowes in a yeer and they have no difference of the first save that they have longer dayes in summer and shorter in winter for as the Equinoctiall lengtheneth so likewise doth the dayes in summer and in that part of the earth is the first climate and almost half of the second is named Araby wherein is Ethiopia Thirdly they that inhabit under the Tropike of summer have the Sun over their heads and at the day of the solstice of Summer at noon they have their shadowes smaller then we have and there is a part of Ethiopia Fourthly they that be between the tropike of summer and the circle Artike have longer daies in summer then the above said in as much as they be further from the Equinoctiall and shorter in winter and they have the sun over their heads ne toward septentrion and that part of the earth we inhabit Fiftly they that inhabit under the circle Artike have the eclyptike of the Zodiake to their orison and when the sun is in the solstice of summer it resconceth not and thus they have no night but naturall dayes of 24. hours Semblably when the Sun is in the solstice of winter it is natural day when they have continuall night and that the Sun riseth not to them Sixtly they that be between the Circle artike and the pole artike have in summer divers natural dayes that be to them one day artificial without any night And in winter be many naturall daies which are to them alwayes night the more that it approcheth the pole the more is the artificial day all summer long and dureth in some place a week in other a month in other two in other three in other more proportionally the night is greater for some of the signes be ever on their orison and some alwayes under and as long as the Sun is in the signes above it is day and while it is in the signs underneath it is night Seventhly they that inhabit right under the Pole have the Sun half of the year on their horison and have continuall day and the other half of the year continuall night and the equinoctiall is in their orison that divideth the signes six above six beneath wherefore when the sun is in the signes that be high and toward them they have continual day and when it is in the signes toward midday they have continual night and thus in a year they have but one day and one night And as it is said of that part of the earth toward the pole Artick a man may understand of the other half and of the habitations toward the pole Antartick The division of the earth and of the parts inhabited SHepheards and other as they divide the earth inhabitable in 7. parts that they call climates The first Diamerous The second Climate Diaciens The third Dalixandry The fourth Diathodes The fift climate Diaromes The sixt Daboristines The seventh Diaripheos Of the which each hath his longitude determined and the latitude also and the nearer they be to the Equinoctiall the longer they be and larger and proceed in longitude from orient to occident and in latitude from midday to Septentrion The first climate after some shepheards containeth in length half the circuit of the earth that is two hundred thousand 4 hundred mile it hath a hundred thousand two hundred mile of length The second and so of the other for the lessening of the earth comming toward Septentrion To understand what a climate is after the saying of the shepheards A climate is a space of earth equally large whereof the length is from orient to occident and the breadth is comming from midday and from the earth inhabitable toward the Equinoctiall drawing to septentrion as much as an horologe or clock changeth not For in earth habitable the clocks change vii times in the breath of the climates It is of necessity to say that they be seaven and where the variation of horologes is there is the diversity of climates howbeit that such variation properly ought to be taken in the midst of the climates and not in the beginning or end for the proximity and covenance the one of the other Also one climate hath always a day artificial of summer shorter or longer then another climate this day sheweth the difference in the midst of every climate better than the beginning or end the which thing wee may sensibly know at eye and thereby iudge the difference of the climates And it is to be noted that under the Equinoctiall the dayes and the nights in all times are equal each of twelve houres but comming toward septentrion the dayes of summer longeth and the winter dayes shorteth and the more that one approcheth septentrion the more waxeth the dayes in such wise that at the five of the last climate the dayes in summer be longer by three houres and an half than they be at the begining of the first and the pole is more raised by 38. degrees At the beginning of the first climate the longest day of summer hath 12. houers and xlv minutes and in the pole is raised on the orison 12. degrees and xlv minutes and the midst of the climate the longest day hath 13. hours and the pole raised xvi degrees and the latitude dures unto the longest day of summer that is 13. houres and xv minutes and the pole raised 20. degrees and an half which largenesse is ccccxl mile of earth The second climate beginneth at the end of the first and the midst is there as the day hath 12. houres and an half and the pole is raised over the oryson 24. degrees and 15. minutes And the latitude dureth unto three as the longest day hath 13. houres and xlv minutes and the pole is raised xxxii degrees and an half and this largenesse containeth of earth CCCC miles iust The third climate beginneth at the end of the second and the midst is there as the day hath 13. houres and the pole is raised 30. degrees and xlv minutes and the latitude extendeth unto there as the longest day hath 14. houres and xv minutes and the pole is raised 23. degrees and xi minutes The fourth climate at the end of the third and the midst is there as the longest day hath 24. houres and an half and the pole is raised 26. degrees and 20. minutes the latitude dureth unto there as the longest day hath 13. houres and xlv minutes and the pole is raised 30. degrees and the laregnesse containeth of earth ccc mile The fift climate at the end of the fourth and the midst is there as the longest day hath 15. houres and the pole is raised 4â— degrees and 20. minutes and the latitude dureth unto there as the longest day hath 15. houres and 15. minutes and the pole is raised 44. degrees and an half and the largenesse containeth of earth CClii. mile The sixt climate at the end of
the fift and the midst is there as the longest day hath 15. houres and an half and the pole is raised over the orizon xlv degrees and 23. minutes of which the largenesse dureth unto there as the longest day hath 15. houres and xlv minutes which largenesse containeth of earth CCxii mile The seventh climate at the end of the sixt and the midst is there as the longest day hath xvi houres and the pole is raised 48. degrees and xl minutes the latitude extendeth unto there as the longest day hath 16. hours and 15. minutes and the pole is raised fifty degrees and an half and the largenesse of the earth containeth 186. mile A marvellous consideration of the great understanding of shepheards IF case were after the length of the climates one might goe about the earth from Orient to Occident to his first place some shepheards say that this compasse may almost bee made Saying that if a man went this compasse in 12. naturall dayes going regularly toward Occident and began now at midday he should passe every day naturall the twelfth part of the circuit of the earth and be 20. degrees whereof it behoveth that the Sun make a course about the earth and 30. degrees further or he be returned on the morrow at the meridian of the said man and so the said man should have his day and night of 26. houres and should bee further by the twelfth part of a naturall day than if he rested him wherefore it followeth of necessity that in twelve naturall days the sayd man should only have but 11. dayes and 11. nights and somewhat lesse and that the Sun should light him but eleven times resconce eleven times for eleven dayes and eleven nights every day night of 26. hours make 12. naturall dayes each day of 24. houres In like manner it behoveth that another man should make this course going toward Orient have his day and night shorter than a naturall day by 2. houres then his day and night should bee but of 22. hours then if he made this course in like space to wit in twelve days and somewhat more Thus if John made the course toward occident and Peter toward orient and that Robert abode them at the place whence they departed the one as soon as the other and they meet at Robert both together Peter would say he had 2 dayes and 2. nights more than John and Robert who had rested a day lesse than Peter and a day more than John howbeit they have made this course in 12. naturall dayes or an hundred or in 10. yeers all is one This is a pleasant consideration among shepheards how John and Peter arive one self day put case it were on sunday John would say it is Saturday Peter would say munday and Robert would say Sunday CHAP. XXXVIII Of the Pomell of the skies a star named the star of the North neare the pole Artike called Septentrionall AFter the abovesaid things here will we speak of some stars in particular And first of them that shepheards call the pomell of the skies or star of the North wherefore we ought to know that we see sensibly the sky turne from Orient to Occident by the diurnall moving that is of the first mobile which is made on two points opposites which be the poles of the sky of the which one we see and it is the pole Artike and the other wee see not which is the pole Antartike or of midday which is alway hid under the earth By the pole Artike which is the star most approched which shepheards call the pomell of the sky the which they say is the highest and most stedfast from us by the which they have the knowledge they have of other stars and parts of the sky The stars which be by the said pomell goe never under the earth of the which be the stars which make the Chariot and divers other but they who be far from it goe sometime under earth as the Sun the Moon and other planets Vnder this pomell directly is the angle of the earth in the place where-against the sun is at the houre of midnight Of Andromeda a star fixed Aries is a signe hot and dry that governeth the head of man the face and the regions Babylon Percy and Araby And signifieth small trees and under him at the 16. degree riseth a star fixed named Andromeda that shepheards figureth a maid in her hair upon the brink of the sea set to be devoured of the monster of the sea but Perseus son of Jupiter fought with his sword against the said monster and slew it and so the said Andromeda was delivered They that be born under her constellation be in danger of prison or to die in prison but if a good planet take regard they scape both death and prison Aries is the exaltation of the Sun at the 20. degree and Aries is the house of Mars with Scorpio where he is most Of Perseus a star fixeâ— Lord of the sphere Taurus hath the trees plants and impes and governeth of man the neck and the throat bol the regions Ethiopy Egypt and the country about and under the 22. degree riseth a star fixed of the first magnitude that shepheards call Perseus son of Jupiter that smot off the head of Meduse who made al them to die that beheld her and by no manner they might eschue it Shepheards say that when Mars is conioyned with this star they that be born under the constellation shall have their heads smitten off if God shape not remedy and sometime they call this star Lord of the sword and figure him a man naked with a sword in one hand and in the other the head of Meduse and looketh on it And Taurus is the exaltation of the moon in the third degree Of Orison a star fixed and his fellows Gemini signifieth large good courage wit beauty clergy and governeth of man the shoulders armes and hands and the regions Iugen Armony Carthage and hath the small trees and under the 18. degree riseth a star fixed named Orison and with it 36. other stars and is figured a man armed in maile and a sword girt about him and signifieth great Captains They that be born under the constellation be in danger to be slain by treason if good fortune be not with them Gemini and Virgo be the houses of Mercury but Virgo is it in which he ioyeth most and Gemini in the third degree is the exaltation of the Dragons head Of Alhabor a star fixed Cancer domineth the long and equall Trees and of the body of man the brain the heart the stomack the side the lights and the lungs The Regions Armony the little and the Region of Orient And there riseth under it in the eight degree a star fixed which Shepheards call Alhabor that is to say the great dog and they say they that be born under the constellation and that be in the ascending or the middest of the sky it