++Who so þat ne knowe nat þe sterres of arctour yto{ur}ned neye to þe souereyne contre or point. þat is to seyne yto{ur}ned neye to þe souereyne pool of þe 3796 firmament {and} woot nat whi þe sterre boetes passeþ or gaderiþ his wey[n]es. {and} drencheþ his late flaumbes in þe see. {and} whi þat boetes þe sterre vnfoldiþ his ouer swifte arisynges. þan shal he wo{n}dre{n} of þe lawe of þe 3800 heye eyre. [Sidenote: The vulgar are alarmed when shadows terrestrial obscure the moon’s brightness, causing the stars to be displayed.] {and} eke if þat he ne knowe nat why þat þe hornes of þe ful[le] moene waxen pale {and} infect by þe bou{n}des of þe derke nyȝt ¶ and how þe moene dirk {and} confuse discouereþ þe sterres. þat she had[de] [[pg 133]] ycouered by hir clere visage. [Sidenote: Thinking the eclipse the result of enchantment, they sought to destroy the charms by the tinkling of brazen vessels or cymbals.] þe co{m}mune errour moeueþ 3805 folk {and} makiþ wery hir bacines of bras by þikke strookes. þat is to seyne þat þer is a maner poeple þat hyȝt[e] coribandes þat wenen þat whan þe moone is in 3808 þe eclips þat it be enchau{n}tid. and þerfore forto rescowe þe moone þei betyn hire basines wiþ þikke strokes. [Sidenote: Yet none marvel when the north-west wind renders the sea tempestuous; nor when vast heaps of congealed snow are melted by the warm rays of the sun, because the causes are apparent.] ¶ Ne no man ne wondreþ whan þe blastes of þe wynde chorus betyn þe strondes of þe see by quakynge floodes. 3812 ne no man ne wondreþ whan þe weyȝte of þe snowe yhardid by þe colde. is resolued by þe brennynge hete of phebus þe sonne. ¶ For here seen men redyly þe causes. [Sidenote: Things whose causes are unknown disquiet the human mind.] [Sidenote: [* fol. 30.]] but þe *causes yhid þat is to seye in heuene 3816 trouble þe brestes of men. [Sidenote: The fickle mob stands amazed at every rare or sudden phenomenon.] ¶ þe moeueable poeple is a-stoned of alle þinges þat comen selde {and} sodeynely in oure age. [Sidenote: Fear and wonder, however, soon cease when ignorance given place to certain knowledge.] but yif þe troubly errour of oure ignora{n}ce departid[e] from vs. so þat we wisten þe causes whi þat 3820 swiche þinges bitiden. certys þei sholde{n} cesse to seme wondres.