[Sidenote: [THE FIFTEEN STARS.]] Upon sondri creacion Stant sondri operacion, [Sidenote: Hic tractat super doctrina Nectanabi, dum ipse iuuenem Alexandrum instruxit, de illis precipue xv. stellis vna cum earum lapidibus et herbis, que ad artis magice naturalis operacionem specialius conueniunt.] Som worcheth this, som worcheth that; The fyr is hot in his astat And brenneth what he mai atteigne, The water mai the fyr restreigne, The which is cold and moist also.[1029] Of other thing it farth riht so Upon this erthe among ous here; And forto speke in this manere, 1290 Upon the hevene, as men mai finde, The sterres ben of sondri kinde And worchen manye sondri thinges To ous, that ben here underlinges. Among the whiche forth withal Nectanabus in special, Which was an Astronomien And ek a gret Magicien, And undertake hath thilke emprise To Alisandre in his aprise 1300 As of Magique naturel To knowe, enformeth him somdel Of certein sterres what thei mene; Of whiche, he seith, ther ben fiftene, [Sidenote: =P. iii. 129=] And sondrily to everich on A gras belongeth and a Ston, Wherof men worchen many a wonder To sette thing bothe up and under. [Sidenote: Prima Stella vocatur Aldeboran, cuius lapis Carbunculus et herba Anabulla est.] To telle riht as he began, The ferste sterre Aldeboran, 1310 The cliereste and the moste of alle, Be rihte name men it calle; Which lich is of condicion To Mars, and of complexion To Venus, and hath therupon Carbunculum his propre Ston: His herbe is Anabulla named, Which is of gret vertu proclamed. [Sidenote: Secunda stella vocatur Clota seu Pliades, cuius lapis Cristallum et herba Feniculus est.] The seconde is noght vertules; Clota or elles Pliades 1320 It hatte, and of the mones kinde[1030] He is, and also this I finde, He takth of Mars complexion: And lich to such condicion His Ston appropred is Cristall, And ek his herbe in special The vertuous Fenele it is. [Sidenote: Tercia Stella vocatur Algol, cuius lapis Dyamans et herba Eleborum nigrum est.] The thridde, which comth after this, Is hote Algol the clere rede, Which of Satorne, as I may rede, 1330 His kinde takth, and ek of Jove Complexion to his behove. His propre Ston is Dyamant, Which is to him most acordant; [Sidenote: =P. iii. 130=] His herbe, which is him betake, Is hote Eleborum the blake. [Sidenote: Quarta Stella vocatur Alhaiot, cuius lapis Saphirus et herba Marrubium est.] So as it falleth upon lot, The ferthe sterre is Alhaiot, Which in the wise as I seide er