[At this place a leaf of the MS., or more, has been lost.] [Sidenote: Tullius Cicero.] [Sidenote: Boecius.] [Sidenote: Constellacio non necessitat sed forte disponit mores hominum altor' bene vel contra, ac impressiones aeris et causa mere naturalia concernencia.] [Sidenote: Contra fiduciam adhibendam in prophesiis. Nota conclusionem. Nisi fuerit sanctissimis viris.] [Sidenote: Josephus. Orosius. Titus Livius.] [Sidenote: Gyldas.] [Sidenote: Deexpulsione Britonum in Walliam et Cornewaylle propter peccata. Destruccio regnorum.] [Sidenote: Nynyve. Babylon. Troye. Thebes. Athenes.] [Sidenote: Rome.] [Sidenote: Jerusalem.] [Sidenote: Picti gentes.] [Sidenote: Saxones.] [Sidenote: Danii. Normanni. Andegavenses.] [Sidenote: Galfridus Plantagenest.] [Sidenote: Lucius Valerius.] [Sidenote: Boicius.] [Sidenote: De republica custodienda.] [Sidenote: De justicia.] whiche may noie be, for Cicero seicthe in the booke that he made of Divinacion, and the famous doctour seint Austyn in the book of Fre wille, and also Boecius in his booke of Consolacion, or[147] Comforte ayenst mysfortune, accorden to the same, that we shuld not only trust that the thinges whiche sounethe to adversite or infortune, and the whiche comethe to us adversarily or on the lift side, for oure offenses not keping the lawes of God, that oft tymes comythe, they dyvynyng that they fallithe be casuelte of fortune, by prophesies, orellis thoroughe influence and constellacions of sterris of hevyn, whiche jugementes be not necessarilie true, for and if it were like to trouthe it were but as contingent and of no necessite, that is to sey, as likely to be not as to be. And if a constellacion or prophesie signified that suche a yere or bethin suche a tyme there shulde falle werre, pestilence, or deerthe of vitaile to a contree or region, or privacion of a contre, it is said but dispositiflie and not of necessite or certente, for than it shulde folow that the prophesies, constellacions, and influence of sterris were maistris over Goddis power, and that wolde soune to an herisie orellis to a gret erroure. And if suche {51} prophesies and influence of the seide constellacions might be trew, yet God hathe gyve that souvereynte in mannys soule that he, havyng a clene soule, may turne the contrarie disposicion that jugement of constellacion or prophesies signified. As it is verified by the famous astrologien Ptolome in his booke called Centilogie, the capitalle, seieng _quod homo sapiens dominatur astris_, that a man is sovereyn abofe suche domes of constellacions. And therfor ye oughte not deme ne conceyve the gret adversite that fallithe to us is not falle to us by prophesie or by influence of constellacion of sterris, but only for synne and wrecchidnes, and for lak of prudence and politique governaunce in dew tyme provided, and havyng no consideracion to the comen wele, but rathir to magnifie and enriche oure silfe by singler covetise, using to take gret rewardis and