<County: Somerset>
<Code: L5171a1>
<MS reference: Oxford, Bodleian Library, Ashmole 189>
<Text: Golden Table of Pythagoras, lunary and religious verse>
<Tranche 1>
<fol. 72r>Here is thechynge ande the informacion of the golden
table begynnes þt putagoras the noble philosepher
that labored . All the worlde A-boute to seke & wynne wylte
wysedome wounders & merwayles / And he cam to A . kynges
house þt hyght . Apolonus And for þe maister putagoras . was
wounder noble clerke he made grete bokes & opynly declared
þe wyttes . And the pryuytes of ˆ [t]hem & many oder . And
Also he translated meny science of notorye out of Salday
into Arabyke . And in-to latine / And in that londe he
sawe manye wounderfull thynges / And he coceyued þem
full well & had them in hys herte . And þer he seyde Amonge
All other thynges . A Ryche table & A wounderfull
þt þe kynge had made sotell . Wt gold syluer & sabull
Enameled & wryten@ wt letters of Arabike of many
diuers thynges & wounderfull . & what þe table menyth
& þe pryuyte þerof . And he rewles rewled hyt wt veray /
Jngeniente of Astronomye for to knowe & to wete All
thynges of pryuyte þt is in doubte As ye shall see her~After . Jn thys t ilke boke in þs forseyde golden@ table /
Putagoras syghe .iij. feyr~ fygures .ii. of them war~ Rounde
And as for the furst of þe round Figures þt is called A
sper~ þt stode in þe este ende of þe golden@ table . And the
secunde Fugur~ therin Also is called A spere & stode in
<fol. 72v>weste ende of þe table / And þe iijde figur~ þt wa+A squar~
stode in þe middes of þe table betwyne þe other .ij. rounde
Figures þt ar~ called a spere / The furst spere þt stode
in þe este ende was made of .ij. circles And wt-in þe
sper~ wer~ .iij. circles þt rechyn@ from þe este in-to þe weste
parted þe sper~ evyn@ yn .ij. And att þe one parte of
þ/eSper~ betokeneth goode . And þe other parte ilke . And
in þe space þt was vnder þe oder rule toward te+est that
was wˆ[r]yten thes þs werde . / Boronix that is to sey shorte
hele . And in the space betwyne þe myddell & þe one
rewle is wryten þes verse // <lat>Vita datrur celo de terra
mortis ymago .</lat> And þe ouer parte of þe spere betokeneth
lyfe goodnes All maner goode layke & prosperite . And
þe nether parte dethe wyckednes & All maner vnhappy .
& mischefe / And þe grete space of þe other partes of þe sper~
is ˆ [A] litell circle wt .ij. rewles wtin / And ther~ stages . Ehe
Eche stage hath A certayne numbre / The numbre of
th+este stage is of longe lyfe / . The numbre of þe middell
stage is of mene lyfe . The numbre of þe weste stage
is of[of] shorte lyfe . Jn þe same maner wyse hyt happeth of
dethe & other maner of mjscheffes / Jn þe nether parte of
þe sper~ ther~ is suche A-nother litell circle wt rewled
stages & numbres þt betokeneth longe sekenes wt dethe
<fol. 73r>And meane sekenes wt deth . & short sekenes wt dethe /
Thes wourdes bett wrytten in þe furst space of þe spere . Aboute
þe ouer liche lytle circle . Longe hele meane hele
Short hele . And in þe same space A-boute þe neþer circle
Ar wyttyd longe dethe . Meene dethe . Shorte dethe
And in þe nexte space þt goth A-bouth . Ar wryttyn the
letters of þe . A . B . C . wt ther numbres . þe wych numbres
ben put+to their letters of þe proper names . As names
of men@ se her~ opynly in A figur~ . And in þe nexte space
A-lone Ar wrytten þe dayes of the weke . Other þe planettes
þt þe dayes ben called After for All is one . And the
numbre that fallen@ to them for þe champions &
the fyghters seche . / And the hyghest place of all
that is vttemuste of the spere is written@ . A verse
by syllabes of wurdes & þt ys thys // <lat>Jnfima stant
duris respondent summa secundis .</lat> The one parte of þs
spere betokeneth myschef . & þe oþer parte bonchife //
IN<?> thys spere folowynge A man maye wete þe sothe
of what thynge þe euer he wyll in þs worlde do wtoute
ony doubte if he wurch warely & wysely wt þe crafte of
hyt As of lyfe or of sekenes or of deth or of stelynge or
of thefte or of in-continance . or of hele or of singuler
batell or generall or of metynge or of pledynge or who
<fol. 73v>shall dye furst of the housband or þe hosewyfe or of goode
chepe or dere yer~ who is frende who is foo who loueth
fayntly or feythfully & falsly wahage of pilgrimage of
sellynge of beynge of matrymonye of mariage of wynnynge
of losynge þt men wold wete of /
Now shall J sett . A example by þe wych þu may
know & wete how þu shalt wurche wt All þs oþer
As thys . Jf Any man@ or woman be fallen@ in sekenes
loke what day he leyde hym downe in þe sekenes & take
þe numbre of þe dayes As it stondeth in þe spere & þe
numbre of th+age of þe mone in þe same+daye . And the
numbre of þe sygne in that tyme & þe numbre of þe letters
of þe proper name & putt them aˆ[l]to-geder . And then departe
þem evyn@ in 30 & loke what ˆ [A]leueth Att þe last & seche
hyt in þe spere . And if thou fynde in þe ouer parte of þe
sper~ he shall lyue / And if þu fynde hyt þe nether parte
he shall dye wt-out doubte / And ryght so þu shalt do
wt A champion@ þt shall fyghte & All other Also .
Saue þe champyons numbre of dayes . And sekenesse
Ar not All one And ther~-fore .J . shall wryte þem bothe
here þt may be know þe one by þe other . Thys is þe numbre
of the dayes of þe seke . S The Sonday hath þe numbre
o ..15.. or ..13.. The monday hathe þe numbre .17. or .18. The
<fol. 74r>Tuysdaye hath ..25.. or ..15. The wennysday hath .25..
The thursdaye hath ..11.. The frydaye . hath .15.. The saturdaye
hath ..17.. or .16.
Now the numbre of þe champions dayes . The sonday
hath ..13.. The mondaye hath .18. The tuisdaye
hath .15. The wennysdaye hath ..25.. The thursdaye
hath .17 .11. The . Frydaye hath :15: The Saturdaye
hathe ..26. //
Now take entente to þe numbre of þe letters þt fallen
to þe proper name of þe champions for thes Ar
bothe one . A . hath .3. B .3. C .22. D .24. E .15. F 3.
G .7. H .12. J .15. K .15. L .21. M .23. N .17. O .9. P .14.
R .21. <or 27?> <?> .13. S .9. T .8. V .5. X .6. Y .3. Z .3. //
The numbre of þe sygnes bothe As they stonde
in order As þs . Aries hath .1. Taurus .2. Gemini .3.
Cancer .4. leo .5. Virgo .6. libra .7. Scorpio .8: Sagittariuus :9.
Capricornus .10. Aquariuus ..11. pisces 12 . Now to wete
thys sygne loke in þe syde nexte folowynge // <fol. 74v contains the spherical table that is described on fols 72-74.>
<fol. 75r>Now wyll . J . tell yow how the secunde
spere was made þt stode in þe weste ende of þe table
& wherfore hyt seruyth . The secunde spere was made like
to þe furst saue þe iij cercles A-bout þe spere seruen@ on the
furst spere for in th+uttermust cercle of þe spere was wytten
þe planettes of þe dayes in þe weke wt her numbres wt in þe sper~
lieth .2. rewles este & weste be-twene þe wych ben@ vreke
wreten þe .12. sygnes . And ˆ [in] the ouer parte of þe sper~ is made
A losenge wt .3. stages full of hir numbre . And euery numbre
one of þem was evyn@ & þey be-token@ life . And in þe neþer
space of þe spere was suche A neþer losenge wt dyuers numbres
& ilke one was odde & betokenes dethe . now haue .j.
tolde yow how þs spere was made . Now wyll J tell wher~for~
hyt seruyth . Thys spere talketh & shewyth wheder
shall dye furst or last þt weddeth to-gedre & þu mayste
know in thys maner wyse Take entente to þe daye of the
weddynge & take þe numbre of the daye of þe weddynge & take
þe numbre of the daye As it is in þe spere And the numbre of
the mone & the numbre of the letters of the proper names
of bothe & the numbre of the sygne & ioyne them all to-geder &
diuide them by ..30. & if þe laste numbre be evyn@ þe woman shall
dye & þe man shall leve þe numbre of þe names þe numbre of þe dayes
& þe numbre of the sygnes þt thow shalt worche wt . Take as þey
<fol. 75v>stonde in þe nexte suand figure of or spere And the numbre
of th+age of the mone & the daye of the weddynge / now
to þe spere forsayde see to hys sygne nexte folowynge
<Tranche 2>
<fol. 100r><line 6>Signa after
The dysposycyon@ of the xij sygnes :
When@ the mone ys in yerthly . Taurus . Virgo . &
Capricorne the tyme & seasonn naturelly shal+be dysposed
to þe thycke & cloudy . For the cloudys rennes by þe
Aier in A-bondaunce of watre & so ofte yt semeth
& ys seen@ cloudy or smale rayne wythoute it be lett
by Asspecte of Any odre planett or wt sterr fyxed
When@ the mone ys in the watery sygne . As Cancer
Scorpio & pisses then@ þe season@ naturally shal+be
rayne or colde & moysty A-cordynge to the natur~ of
þt sygne wt-oute Any odre Asspecte lett hyt :
When@ the mone is in Aier sygne As gemini libra
& A-quaryus the tyme shal+be feyr clere drye & whote
yett other whyles hyth hath be seyn@ rayny & cloudy
As by þ/e Asspecte hauynge contrarye vertue hath be lett
When@ the mone ys in A fyry Sygne As Aries . leo
Sagittarius The tyme naturally ought to be cler~
& feyr . Neuerthelesse when@ þ/e mone gothe & haue
Any Asspecte in the Sygne of the lyon@ otherwhyles
<fol. 100v>it shall rayne & be cloudy but it is be lett by the
corporall Aspecte of An@-odre planett or fyxe sterre
hauynge contrary vertue to lett it
The sygnifycacion@ of the seyde . xij sygnes raynynge
yn Man@
What man@ that ys bore in Aries or Libra . he shall
loue labour & couett hys owne deth
Aries . Taurus . Leo . Scorpio . Sagittariuus & Capricornius
These bethe grete lecherous
Aries Cancer . Libra . & Capricorne by nature beth
vnstedfast & lyynge
Taurus . leo . Scorpio . Aquariuus . beth . Stedfast & true
Gemini . Virgo . Sagittariuus & pisses beth indifferent
nother tru nother false
How þe seyde .xij. sygnes . And þe .vij. planettes reyneth
yn dyuerse partes of the body As her~-after folowyth
In Ariete reyneth in the brest . <symbol> . the bely . <symbol> þe hedde
<symbol> þe thyes <symbol> þe fete <symbol of venus> þe legges <symbol of mercury> þe knees <symbol of moon> holdeth
In tauro <symbol> þe stomake & þe bely <symbol> þe backe & membres <symbol>
þe brest <symbol> þe legges <symbol of venus> þe knees <symbol of mercury> þe hedde <symbol of moon> þe fete
Jni Gemini <symbol> þe bely <symbol> þe rugge <symbol> þe necke <symbol> þe knees <symbol of venus>
þe hedde <symbol of mercury> þe fete <symbol of moon> þe legges
Jn Cancer <symbol> members <symbol> thies <symbol> brest <symbol> þe Fete <symbol of venus>
Armys <symbol of mercury> Eyen@ <symbol of moon> hedde
Jn leo <symbol> the membres <symbol> thies <symbol> bely <symbol> berd <symbol of venus>
<fol. 101r>hert <symbol of mercury> shuldres <symbol of moon> necke
Jn virgine <symbol> feete <symbol> knees <symbol> bely <symbol> necke <symbol of venus>
brest <symbol of mercury> hert <symbol of moon> shuldres
Jn Libra <symbol> knees <symbol> Eyen@ <symbol> membres <symbol> shuldres <symbol of venus>
hedde <symbol of mercury> bely <symbol of moon> herte
Jn Scorpion@ <symbol> haches <symbol> feete <symbol> hedde <symbol> hert
<symbol of venus> membres <symbol of mercury> rigge <symbol of moon> bely
Jn Sagittarie <symbol> feete <symbol> hedde <symbol> hondes <symbol> bely <symbol of venus>
thies <symbol of mercury> herte <symbol of moon> rigge
Jn Capricornus <symbol> hedde <symbol> thies <symbol> knees <symbol> rigge <symbol of venus>
hert <symbol of mercury> membres <symbol of moon> Armys
Jn Aquariuus <symbol> necke <symbol> shuldres <symbol> herte <symbol> membres
<symbol of venus> knees <symbol of mercury> thies <symbol of moon> feete
Jn pisces <symbol> Shuldres <symbol> hedde <symbol> bely <symbol> Eyen@ <symbol of venus>
rigge <symbol of mercury> legges <symbol of moon> thies
To knowe whr~ þe pacyent shall lyve or dye
Take hede in what Sygne þe mone stondeth yn
And if <symbol> or <symbol> se to þe <symbol of moon> in þe iiiith Aspecte or in
þe vijth be-holdynge he shall dye <symbol of moon> And if it be so
þt nother of them loke oon@ them in þe forsayde
Aspectes . he shall nott dye of þt dysseasys & sekenes
tyll þe coniunccion@ of the Son@ And the mone beynge
in+oon@ Sygne then it is An Artycle of deth .
yf the mone stonde in A fyry Sygne þe sekenes
cometh of grete hete & dryeth As Colour . And yf
<fol. 101v>the mone stonde in A watery sygne þe sekenes
cometh of colde & moyste as Flewme
And the mone stonde in A yerthly Sygne þe sekenes
cometh of malyncoly . / And yf the <symbol of moon> stonde in A
Ayery Sygne the sekenes cometh of Sanguine :
The disposycyon@ of þe 7 planettes in their . propur oures
reynynge of A-tachement or inprisonmet~:
Now who þt ys taken@ in þe our~ of þe <symbol> they shal+be
delyuerd Att A monthes ende
And who þt ys take in the our~ of <symbol of venus> at 40 days
yende // .
And who þt ys taken@ in þe our~ of <symbol of mercury> shall haue
sorofull longe prisonynge
And who þt ys taken@ in þe our~ of . <symbol> shall haue
soroflfull & paynefull prisonynge & longe
And who þt ys taken@ in þe oure of þe . <symbol of moon> . their
businesse shal+be chaunged A-cordynge to the
Applicacion@ of þe mone wt odre planettes And
therby schal+be þe lyghtnes or þe hardnes of delyueraunce
shortenesse or tarynge burnlyd or
gouerned // .
And who þt is taken@ in þe our~ of <symbol> he shall
not be longe prison~
And who þt ys taken@ in þe oure of <symbol> shall
haue grete heuynes And grewous fettures &
<fol. 102v>grete stokes thought & labour And yf itt happe
thatt <symbol> be in Any house of <symbol> . And wyth-oute
Any aspecte betwene hem@ þt yere prisoners brekes
oute of prison@ & scapen@
<Tranche 3>
<fol. 104r><lat>Quid vltra debuit facere</lat> þt lorde þt dyed for þe & me
Cryste made man@ . yn þs maner of wyse
lyke vnto þe trynite . he deyd þe dewyse
By reson@ vertue . And orygynall Justice
And set þe . in þe plesant place of paradyse
He made þe All so . to be boþe lorde And kynge
Off erþe & off all creatures . þt beth þer-yn@ levyng~
Sonne moone & sterrys . contynuall shynynge
For thy sake fynallye he made all maner thynge
Wyth thes grete gyftes . þu cowdyst not be content
Butt by grete presumpcion@ . Assentyst to þe serpent
by cause þu woldyst be lyke . god omnipotent
than@ All thy grete vertues . A-non@ Away þey vent@
Cryst þen@ beholdynge þy grete & grewous fall
perseywynge þe spoyled . off thy gyftes naturall
was Anon@ meked . wt pyte paternall
the to make fre . that by synne was thrall
The to redeme . he founde sone remedye
vsynge remedy humylite . to þi pride clene contrarye
For wher~ As by pryde thou wer~ fall dedelye
by hys humilite restored the full hylye
For wher~<1 char>as by pride þu wer~ made dede
wt grete humylyte he toke on@ hym@ manhede
Off A vyrgyne was J-bor~ þe to rester~ in dede
Off Jesse-ys lyne And off hys kynrede
<fol. 104v>By frute of A tree þu felle to dampnacyon@
than@ be-holde & see thy makers provysyon@
howe by A tree restoreed þy saluacyon@
On@ the crosse . when@ he suffred hys passyon@
þan@ wer~ þu delyuerde fro þe captyuyte
And by feythe And baptyme restored þe A-gayne
Remyttynge þe blame . of orygynall Jniquite
And þe restored A-gayne to þy fre lyberte
Sethe cryste hathe þe honoured þus by hys natyuyte
Conueynge yn@ on@ person@ þy nature wt þe deyte
by merytes of hys passyon@ brow3t þe to felicite
to þs forseyde questyon@ . An@ Awnswer~ nowe geve me
Explicit