Of golde glist'ring spoke and wheel The Sun his cart hath fair and wele, In which he sitteth, and is croned[1] With bright stones environed: Of which if that I speake shall, There be before in special Set in the front of his corone Three stones, whiche no person Hath upon earth; and the first is By name cleped Leucachatis. That other two cleped thus Astroites and Ceraunus; In his corone, and also behind, By olde bookes as I find, There be of worthy stones three, Set each of them in his degree. Whereof a crystal is that one, Which that corone is set upon: The second is an adamant: The third is noble and evenant, Which cleped is Idriades. And over this yet natheless, Upon the sides of the werk, After the writing of the clerk, There sitten five stones mo.[2] The Smaragdine is one of tho,[3] Jaspis, and Eltropius, And Vendides, and Jacinctus. Lo thus the corone is beset, Whereof it shineth well the bet.[4] And in such wise his light to spread, Sits with his diadem on head, The Sunne shining in his cart: And for to lead him swith[5] and smart, After the bright daye's law, There be ordained for to draw, Four horse his chare, and him withal, Whereof the names tell I shall. Eritheus the first is hote,[6] The which is red, and shineth hot; The second Acteos the bright; Lampes the thirde courser hight; And Philogens is the ferth, That bringen light unto this earth, And go so swift upon the heaven, In four and twenty houres even, The carte with the brighte sun They drawen, so that over run They have under the circles high, All midde earth in such an hie.[7] And thus the sun is over all The chief planet imperial, Above him and beneath him three. And thus between them runneth he, As he that hath the middle place Among the seven: and of his face Be glad all earthly creatures, And taken after the natures Their ease and recreation. And in his constellation Who that is born in special, Of good-will and of liberal He shall be found in alle place, And also stand in muchel grace Toward the lordes for to serve, And great profit and thank deserve. And over that it causeth yet A man to be subtil of wit, To work in gold, and to be wise In everything, which is of prise.[8] But for to speaken in what coast Of all this earth he reigneth most, As for wisdom it is in Greece, Where is appropred thilk spece.[9] [1] 'Croned:' crowned. [2] 'Mo:' more. [3] 'Tho:' those. [4] 'Bet:' better. [5] 'Swith:' swift. [6] 'Hot:' named. [7] 'Hie:' haste. [8] 'Prise:' value. [9] 'Thilk spece:' that kind. THE TALE OF THE COFFERS OR CASKETS, &c. In a chronique thus I read: About a kinge, as must need, There was of knightes and squiers Great rout, and eke officers: Some of long time him had served, And thoughten that they have deserved Advancement, and gone without: And some also been of the rout, That comen but a while agon, And they advanced were anon.