Him slow, and fro the carte caste. Lo, is it not a greet mischaunce, To lete a fole han governaunce (450) Of thing that he can not demeine?' And with this word, soth for to seyne, 960 He gan alway upper to sore, And gladded me ay more and more, So feithfully to me spak he. Tho gan I loken under me, And beheld the eyrish bestes, 965 Cloudes, mistes, and tempestes, Snowes, hailes, reines, windes, And thengendring in hir kindes, (460) And al the wey through whiche I cam; 'O god,' quod I, 'that made Adam, 970 Moche is thy might and thy noblesse!' And tho thoughte I upon Boëce, That writ, 'a thought may flee so hyë, With fetheres of Philosophye, To passen everich element; 975 And whan he hath so fer y-went, Than may be seen, behind his bak, Cloud, and al that I of spak.' (470) Tho gan I wexen in a were, And seyde, 'I woot wel I am here; 980 But wher in body or in gost I noot, y-wis; but god, thou wost!' For more cleer entendement Nadde he me never yit y-sent. And than thoughte I on Marcian, 985 And eek on Anteclaudian, That sooth was hir descripcioun Of al the hevenes regioun, (480) As fer as that I saw the preve; Therfor I can hem now beleve. 990 With that this egle gan to crye: 'Lat be,' quod he, 'thy fantasye; Wilt thou lere of sterres aught?' 'Nay, certeinly,' quod I, 'right naught; And why? for I am now to old.' 995 'Elles I wolde thee have told,' Quod he, 'the sterres names, lo, And al the hevenes signes to, (490) And which they been.' 'No fors,' quod I. 'Yis, pardee,' quod he; 'wostow why? 1000 For whan thou redest poetrye, How goddes gonne stellifye Brid, fish, beste, or him or here, As the Raven, or either Bere, Or Ariones harpe fyn, 1005 Castor, Pollux, or Delphyn, Or Atlantes doughtres sevene, How alle these arn set in hevene; (500) For though thou have hem ofte on honde, Yet nostow not wher that they stonde.' 1010 'No fors,' quod I, 'hit is no nede; I leve as wel, so god me spede, Hem that wryte of this matere, As though I knew hir places here; And eek they shynen here so brighte, 1015 Hit shulde shenden al my sighte, To loke on hem.' 'That may wel be,' Quod he. And so forth bar he me (510)