"And, right by ensaumple as the sonne is hid whan the sterres ben clustred (_that is to seyn, whan sterres ben covered with cloudes_) by a swifte winde that highte Chorus, and that the firmament stant derked by wete ploungy cloudes, and that the sterres nat apperen up-on hevene, so that the night semeth sprad up-on erthe: yif thanne the wind that highte Borias, y-sent out of the caves of the contres of Trace, beteth this night (_that is to seyn, chaseth it a-wey_), and descovereth the closed day: than shyneth Phebus y-shaken with sodein light, and smyteth with his bemes in mervelinge eyen." (_Boethius_, Book I.: Metre III. 3-12.) [17] _Hymn on the Nativity_, XIII. [18] _The Merchant of Venice_, Act. V. Sc. i. [19] _Parlement of Foules_, 60-63. [20] _Troilus and Criseyde_, V. 1811-1813. [21] A. 2297-9. [22] _Hous of Fame_, ii. 713 ff. [23] _Seconde Nonnes Tale_, G. 45-47. [24] _The Seconde Nonnes Tale_, G. 113-115. [25] A. 1200. [26] B. 300 ff. [27] _The Persones Tale_, I. 169 ff.: "ther shal the sterne and wrothe luge sitte above, and under him the horrible put of helle open to destroyen him that moot biknowen hise sinnes, whiche sinnes openly been shewed biforn god and biforn every creature. And on the left syde, mo develes than herte may bithinke, for to harie and drawe the sinful soules to the pyne of helle. And with-inne the hertes of folk shal be the bytinge conscience, and withoute-forth shal be the world al brenninge." [28] _The Persones Tale_, I. 216-217. [29] _The Wife of Bath's Prologue_, D. 489. [30] _The Marchantes Tale_, E. 1645 ff. [31] _The Knightes Tale_, A. 1224-7. [32] _Troilus and Criseyde_, Bk. IV. 864. [33] _Marchantes Tale_, E. 1265. [34] _Ibid._ E. 1331-1332. [35] _The Legend of Good Women_, III. 1103 ff. [36] _The Monkes Tale_, B. 3200. [37] _The Pardoneres Tale_, C. 505-511. [38] In the time of Hamurabi, 2,000 years before Christ, the Chaldeans worshipped as beneficent or formidable powers, the Earth, that may give or refuse sustenance to man, the Waters that fertilize or devastate, the Winds that blow from the four quarters of the world, Fire that warms or devours and all forces of nature which, in their sidereal religion, they confounded with the stars, giving them the generic name of 'Elements.' But the system that recognizes only four elements as the original sources of all that exists in nature, was created by the Greek philosophers. See F. Cumont, _Astrology and Religion among the Greeks and Romans_ (1912), p. 33. [39] _Paradiso_ i. 92-93. [40] _Paradiso_ i. 130-135. [41] Book III.: Metre IX. 13 ff. [42] _The Knightes Tale_, A. 2991-3. [43] _Troilus and Criseyde_, V. 1807-10. [44] _Boethius_, Book IV.; Metre I. l ff. [45] _The Hous of Fame_, II. 972-978. [46] _Boethius_, Book II.: Metre VIII. l. 1 ff.