Than forth I wente into a medow grene, With Flora paynted in many a sundry colour, Lyke a gay goddesse of all floures the quene, She encenced out her aromatyke odour. The brethe of Zepherus encreased the floure. Amiddes the medow fayre replendishaunt, Was a pavilyon right hye and quadraunt, Of grene sarcenet bordered with golde, Wherein dede hange a fayre astrology. Which oft Astronomy did full well beholde; Unto whome than I came full shortly, And kneled adowne before her mekely, Beseching her of her great gentylnes Of her scyence to shew the perfitenes. My scyence, sayd she, it is ryght resonable, And is the last of the sciences seven; Unto man it is also ryght profitable, Shewing the course above of the heaven; Right merveylous for any man to neven. Who knew astronomy at every maner ceason, Might set in ordre every thing by reason. Also the other vi. sciences liberall By astronomy principally were found; And one were lost they were vanished all, Eche upon other had so sure a ground. In all the world, that is so wide and round, Is none so wise that can then multiply, Nor know them all right well and surely. The hye astronomier, that is God omnipotent, That the first day devided all the lyght Frome the derkenes with his wyll prepotent; And the second day, with his excellent might, The waters above he did devide aryght, From the erthely waters which are inferiall; The third daye herbes and fruytes in speciall In erthe he planted for to have their life By divers vertues and sundry growing, So to continue and be vegitative; And the third day he sette in werking The bodies above to have their moving, In the xii. signes them selfe to domify, Some rethrogarde, and some dyrectly. The fyfth day he dyd fysshes make; In the see the great stormy flode, To and fro theyr courses for to take And in the water for to have theyr fode, Lyke to the same colde alway theyr blode; The vi. day, bestes, wyth foules sensatyve, And man also, with soule intellectyve. The sevent day he restes of hys werke, Nothynge constrayned as of werynes, As wryteth many a ryght famous clerke; But that he had accomplysshe doutles Her purpensed purpose by infynite prowes, As to us doth moost playnely discure The perfyte grounde of holy Scrypture. Thus God hym selfe is chyef astronomyer, That made all thyng according to his wyll; The sunne, the mone, and every lytle sterre, To a good entent and for no maner of yll. Wythouten vayne he dyd all thyng fulfyll, As astronomy doth make apparaunce, By reason he weyed all thynges in balauns. CAP. XXIII. OF THE DIRECT OPERATION OF NATURE.