¶ The Book of Demands of the science of philosophy, and astronomy, Between king Boctus, and the Philosopher Sydracke. Sydracke. King Boctus. ¶ The King asked, how was the world made, and how holdeth it. Sydracke, Answereth. GOD made Heaven and water, & when he would make man, after that the evil Angels fell down from heaven in abysm. He said that the world be made, and anon forthwith was his commandment done. And the world was fo●med upon the water as his pleasure was. And all the water that is in thair it abideth upon the earth, for 〈◊〉 can not be so deep nor so parfound● but it must needs abide on the ert● and as ye shall understand that th● same earth, and also this that is discovered hath other water under him also, that sustaineth it. For the fundament of the earth is the water, and the fundament of the water is the firmament, and the one and the other hangeth and holdeth together by the firmament, and by the might and will of God. GOD of his great might made the world to the semblance of an egg, as in likeness the shell of the Egg is the firmament, that enuyrons and goeth all about the world, and the white of the egg is the water that is between the firmament that enuyrons and goeth about the earth. The yolk of the egg ●s the earth that enuyroneth all abou●e with water, and set upon the wa●er. In likewise as the yolk of the egg that is set and environed all about with the white of the egg. The ●eede that is between the yolk and he white of the egg, that be the folks that be on earth, even as the seed is on the yolk &, thus is the form of the world. But than it is as round as a Bowl, that hath neither head nor tail. ¶ The King asked, mounteth the son more upward than he descendeth or descendeth he more than he mounteth. Sydracke, Answereth. THe son by the morrow when he riseth red and clear he mounteth always till half the day be past, that is called midday. And then after the half day, he descendeth and cometh lower, till he go down, and as red ye may see the son at his going down, as at his rising, and as much he descendeth downward as he mounteth upward. ¶ The King asked, the son doth he mount & descend as well by night as by day. Sydracke, Answereth. WHen the Son appeareth to us, hear, that he goeth down and faileth us, he showeth to other folk in another country, that be in the other part of the world, and he showeth him in his turning to them, that the day approacheth to as he doth us, when the day cometh and lighteth us. And at after midnight, till it be day he goeth lower to them, toward us waxeth higher, for to them he approacheth in the night, and to us in the day, & when he faileth us he appeareth unto them in another country. ¶ The King asked, why groweth the Moon, and at sometime waxeth less and less. Sydracke, Answereth. THe Moon appeareth & seemeth to us that she groweth, and other while waxeth less, and all this appeareth to us, for the son and the turning of the firmament, for all the while that she is against the son, she is covered, and appeareth unto us that she waxeth less. And when it appeareth to us that she is all failed and showeth nothing, than she is approached nigh to the Son, and loseth all her light, for the covering of the son. And at the same point that she faults all her light to us, at the same point the son passeth her, for the movement of the tyrmament, & then she discovereth on the other part of the son, and then she is new seeming to us here, and for the feeble sight that we have, we may not see her at that point. And every xu days she groweth, & other xu days she waneth and waxeth less. ¶ The King asked, what is the reason that in some place in the world, the Clyps of the Son and of the Moon may be seen, and in some place it may not be seen. Sydracke Answereth. THe Son maketh his Clyps', aswell by day as by night, and by night as by day, for when we have day here, other folks have in other places night, and when it is night here with us, it is day with them for the firmament never ceaseth turning, and therein a bideth the son the Moon, and the stars, that environ and go about all the world, and at no time they fail not their light, for when their light faileth to us here, they show it to other folks in other places, and when it faileth other folks there, it showeth to us here. And all this is for the roundness of the world, for the world is all round as an ball, for when the Son draweth low, he giveth his light to that part that he draweth low to, and then it is dark behind him, as and a man held a candle light before him the visage of him should have the shadow. And so in likewise doth the son about the firmament, by cause of the roundness of the world. This is the day and the night, for God made the night for the rest of man, and for other creatures. And therefore when the Son is in the clyps here with us, we have it by day and therefore we may see it, and then it is night with other folks, and therefore they may not see it, for the shadow of the earth Also when the son is in the clyps with other folks they have day, and we have night, therefore they may see it, and we may not see it, for the shadow of the earth. And likewise is the Moon as the Son in the clyps, when time and season is, aswell by day as by night. And therefore it is day with us when it is night with other folks. How be it that the firmament maketh always his turn for our day and our night is all one, for where soever they turn they have always light & resplendour and brightness that God of his grace hath given them. ¶ The King asked, is there any point in the day that is good. Sydracke Answereth. AT that point that the Moon maketh her turn at, the xxxvi points after, thou shalt have a good point: & from the point at. C. lvij. points, another. And from that at. CCC. lxxvij. points, thou shalt have another. And from that point at .v. M. ij. points thou shalt have another. And from the point at vij C. xi. points thou shalt have another. And from the point at. CCC. xvi. points thou shalt have another. That is to say, points in every Moon where the xxiiij hours of the day and of the night been. ¶ The King asked, how should a man know the evil point. Sydracke, Answereth. AT every time that the moon is new, thou shalt tell by xvij times xvij points, and at every time of the xvij points, or as many hours as the Moon is new in that day that points after, and the second, the third, the fourth, & the fift be evil, & then ye shall count yet as many points as ye have told and counted before .v. points after been evil points. And always to count this count, the hours begin, whar the Son goeth down, and the night and the day be xxiiij hours. And they begin at the son going down because the night was before the day. ¶ The King asked, is there any other folks underneath us that see the light of the firmament as we do. Sydracke, Answereth. FOr because of the roundness of the world there are folks underneath us that seeth the light of the firmament as we do, and also their feet go against our feet, and that is for the highness and longnes of the parties of the world and for his ros●denes, for the east part is much higher where the Son riseth, than the west part where the Son goeth down. When the son riseth in the east, than it is dawning of the day in the west. And also when the son goeth low in the west, them it is even night in the east, for the greatness & roundness of the world, for while the son shall make one shadow on earth of four than shall the firmament have course in his tower. M. leagues. It is not to be understand that the son showeth not nor cometh not so low as the earth, nor nigh to it, but a great time and a great way from the earth asmuch as the length of the earth is from the one head to the other, and as much again, and is more further for to go up, then for to go down. There is a land an folks dwelling therein, that the Son abideth not there but one hour of the day, and a none it is night. There is another land where it is dark always as it were night. And when it is in one place of world winter, in another place it is summer. And when it is summer there, it is in the other parts winter and all this is by the reason of the Son that taketh another way, by the volent and will of God every year. ¶ The King asked, how long, how large, and how thick is the world. Sydracke, Answereth. Forsooth the world is as much of length, as of largeness, and of thickness the same, for it is all as round as an apple. And who would go, from one heed to the other right through the world, and went every day well and commonly, from the morrow till even, and the breed of the see that is between east and west, were all ferme land and earth, and all the world were as plain as the paume of a man's hand, no man might go from the one heed to tother, in less ●hen a. M. days, and the largeness, and thickness is as much. ¶ The King asked, may any man go about the world. Sydracke, Answereth. THere is no man that may go or turn about the world, and a man might live a. M. year and more, and all the earth were farm & plain, and if he would go he should find so many countries, hills, mountains, and dales. That he might not pass them in no wise, and also he should find so much drought and dry places, that he should not find one soap of water. And also he should find many perilous and divers beasts, and fowls, that he should be slain and devoured, and if he might pass all these perils, yet he should find so great desert, where there is great obscure and darkness that he should see no sight. And if he should pass all this, yet he should find so great & marvelous chines & caves in the earth, by the which the see that is called the see Betee, that passeth thorough the land, and parts one country from another, and by many reasons he might not go it. And if it were so that a fowl should fly, yet he might not do it, for the great thirst and hunger that he should have, for he should find no food, and also for the great wilderness, & for other fowls that would slay and devour him, and for many other reasons. ¶ The King asked, how many lands is there. Sydracke, Answereth. THere is but one land, but for the reason of the See that entereth throwout it, and partis it in iii parties, thereof there are named iii Countries, withouten Isles in the see, but all is one land farm, and all be upon one fundament, and all GOD form and made in one hour, and all at ones. And a man were all beneath under the world, which were unpossible for any man to be there, but by the will of God he might well be, and went all about and beheld well, he should find that all the earth and land were one as well there as the see is not, as there as she is, for so perfounde and deep may no man be under her, but that same earth, hath yet other water under her, that sustaineth her. ¶ The King asked, might a man sail so long in a ship, and he had wind and wether at his will, or the see, that he might come nigh to the place where the firmament turneth about. Sydracke, Answereth. AND a man were in a ship, and the see bore him, and the wind put him forth always forward, and sailed ten year on the see or more, and that Ship parted from the East, she should be a great while after that, or she came into the west, and also and she departed from the west she should be as long or she arrived in the East And also in likewise in the traverse and overthwart the world, and if it so were that it ware the will of God that a man were as great and as bold and hardy as all the world, and he were nigh unto the firmament, where he turneth about by. M M leagues or more, the fear that he should have when the firmament maketh his turn, and of the tempest & noise that he maketh and of his moving that great and bold hardy man, as all the world should be deed anon at that same hour, and should not live one hour, nor might not, how be it that a man were as hardy and as great as is aforesaid, and yet the firmament seizeth not always to turn by the will of God. ¶ The king asked, shall all the earth be inhabited with folks. Sydracke, Answereth. ALL the earth shall be inhabited, and shallbe divided in three parties. The first party is named Asye Le Grande, and is as great as the other two. And this party dureth from Septentrion by Orient till myddye. The second party is named Ewrope and dureth from occident unto neptentrion. The third parti is named africa that dureth from myddy unto occident. ¶ The king asked in what place is paradise Terrestre. Sydracke Answereth. paradise terrestre is in the first region of Asye le grand towar Orient, and there is none earthly man that may come there but god or his Angels lead him and guide him thy there For this paradise sithen that Adam was east and driven out thereof by an Angel, anon forthwith it was environed all about with great fire that dureth from the earth unto the sky above that no man may enter nor come thereto. And also there is all about paradise great wildernesses where there is great multitude of many divers and perilous beasts. ¶ The king asked, in what place is hell. Sydracke, Answereth. HEll is in the mids of africa under the earth and is set in the mids of earth, as a kernel of an apple is in the mids of the apple, for as much earth is there above as beneath. And there be the souls, that be dampened in great pain and torment without end. ¶ The king asked, may there come any tokens or Signs, that a man may see boldly out of heaven or hell. Sydracke, Answereth. A Man may see openly the waters that cometh from paradise Terrestre, for there is a well spring of the which three Rivers cometh out of it. And one of those three Rivers goeth by the parties of myddy toward Orient, and falleth into the see of occident, and that ariseth out of hell again that is in the parties of Ynde. And the other two Rivers, ariseth again in Ewrope of an hill there, & there pass by many countries, till they meet, and then they fall into the see, as nature requireth. And also a man may see in Auffryke openly two hills, that be soupyrall of hell, & they cease not neither day nor night and be ever brenning with fierce fire. ¶ The King asked, what is the can see that the blood of a man, the brains, the marry, and the waters groweth and waxeth less and more. Sydracke, Answereth. When God made the firmament the vij planets, and the twelve Signs, and stablished and ordained them for to light the world, than he stablished & ordained, as a lord that the blood, and the brains, and the marrow of mankind, and the waters also should wax and wane as the Moon doth, that is more near the earth than any of the other planets And also she groweth and waneth in heaven, but to us here on earth it seemeth & appeareth to us that she groweth & waneth here. And all this is by cause of the movement of the firmament, & for the turn that she maketh, for she goeth all about the world. ¶ The king asked, is any man the worse if he be poor, or son to a poor man, or bond to another, or not so well favoured as another. Sydracke, Answereth. AS spiritually and against god a man is never the better, nor never the worse for his riches, nor for his poverty, nor for his evil favour, but for his works and deeds if thou be rich and puissant, and I poor, yet with all my poverty, God hath given me form of man, as he hath done to thee, for as well am I borne of a woman and gotten of a man as thou art. And also I have a sprite as thou haste. And I have also my poor body all hole, and complete and my arguments as thou hast in thy rich body. And when thou shalt depart & go to another world, thou sh●lt go as poorly as I And for thy riches nothing may not be the better but only by thy good deeds and works. And though I be bond, or son to a bond man, I am never the worse so that I live Godly and truly and cleanly after the course and nature of man. Such is the world, for some be rich and some be poor, and some be fair and some fowl. And at their end they be all one of birth, of life, and of death, and of all other things of the body. And not one better than another to God ward, but only by their good works and deeds. And he that believeth otherwise, believeth folyouslye. ¶ The king asked, which is the most delectable place in the world. Sydracke, Answereth. THe most delectable place in the world, is there as the heart of man loveth, and hath will to be, for and a man were in the fairest place of the world, and had all that ever might be necessary and needful to him, and he loved another place better, that fair place should like him nought, against the love that he had into another place, how be it that it were right fowl. And if a man were in the most vilest & foulest place that is, and he loved well that place, yet he would think that it were the most d●lectable place in the world, because that he loved it, and therefore we may say that the most delectable place it the world is there as the heart loveth and desireth, be it fair or fowl. ¶ The king asked, when all this word was all water, was their in the water any fish. Sydracke Answereth NAy forsooth, for when God mad other creatures he made all fishes, for in the water there was no creature movable, nor other creatures nor none other things but great Tenebres and darkness, and in that water was the holy ghost, as a great light. And wit yewel without doubt that no angel nor archangel nor no creature that ever was, nor is, nor shallbe, could not from that time forward know all the puissance and the might of God our creature. ¶ The king asked, whether is more the gravel of the earth, or the drops of water of the see. Sydracke, An. THe Gravel of the earth is much more than be the drops of the water of the see. For one handful of Gravel, mounteth a great quantity of drops of water. For the very small Sand and Gravel is much smaller than the drops of water. And the water may not be in no part, but she be upon the earth and upon the Gravel, and the Gravel sustaineth the water and beareth it. And in many places in the world, Gravel is right great and right hard in many parts of the world that a man shall find no drop of water, and in the deepest of the see, it can not be so deep but that there is Gravel & earth under the most deepest. And therefore there is for one drop of water a. C. of Gravel. For all the water in the world resteth upon earth and upon Gravel, and often times when a man taketh away the earth he findeth water, the hard Rock, and that Rock standeth upon Gravel. And for this reason, & for the smallness of the Gravel, and for the most part where there is moche Gravel, there is no drop of water. Therefore the Gravel is moche more than the drops of water in the see. But ye shall understand that we speak not of the water, that sustaineth and beareth all the earth in the world. ¶ The king asked might a man number the drops of the water of the see or the Gravel of the earth. Sydracke, Answereth. AND the world were greater than it is a. M. times, and a. M and were all ferme earth, and that it dured a. M. times a. M. year going and were all inhabited with folks, the day and the night he xxiiij hours, and every hour is a. M. lxxx. points, and in every point were borne a. M. M. times men, & as many women, and they were all full of here, and for every here should have a. M. M. times drops. of water of the see. Yet the drops of the see water. And yet the misericord and the mercy of God is more than the one and the other, or all other things that be in that world or were or shallbe unto them that seek to have it & deserve it. ¶ The king asked, which of the vij planets governed the world before the time of noah's flood. Sydracke, Answereth. BEfore the time of noah's flodde there were two planets that governed the world. And though were Saturnus & jupiter: and Mars began to govern that world before that flood. CC. xliiij. year, for fro the beginning of Adam to the time of Noah it was ij. M. cc. xliiij. year. And the two M. year governed Saturus and jupiter, everich of them a. M. year. And Mars began to govern the world before the flood of Noah. CC. xliiij. year. And after noah's flood. Mars governed ty● his. M. year were ended, that is to wit, he governed after the fled vii C. lvi. year. And now in out time sol governeth the world, & thus shall end all the other planets, for everich of them shall govern the world a. M. year by the will and commandment of God. And when these vij M. year be passed and and gone, from thence forth the world shall dure at the will, pleasure & commandment, of almighty God, for ferther I cannot say. ¶ The king asked, of the goodness & harm that cometh of wine. Sydracke, Answereth. NOble King Alexandre, forget not to take tart syropes in the morning fasting when phlegmatic humours abound to much. For it is profitable and wasteth them much also I marvel that any man may die or be sick that eateth breed of clean and good wheat, wholesome and good flesh, and drink good wine of grapes temperately. And if he keep him fro to much drinking, eating, & travail. If sickness overcome such a man he must be healed as a drunken man. That is to wit he must be washed with warm water and than set over a running water between two green wylowes, and his stomach anointed with an ointment of sandres, or sandalles, & have a fumigation of frankincense, and other sweet spices, and it will do him much good: and if any man will forsake holy the drinking of wine ought not to leave in suddenly at once but little & ly●●●, and to mingle it every day with water more & more, till at last there the nothing but clear water: & so he may keep his health and good complexion. Th●●● govern thy body if thou wilt live long, and keep my doctrines, & consider these things following wherein nature comforteth greatly. That is to wit goodly pastimes, sight of great richesses great reverence, victory over enemies, feeding on good meats, noise of mynstralsy, sight of precious garments, often hearing of good tidings speech of wise men, to inquire of things past and to come, and communication with fair gentlewomen. ¶ FINIS. ¶ ¶ Imprinted by me Robert wire, dwelling in the Duke of Suffolk's Rents, beside chating Cross. ¶ Cum privilegio, ad imprimendum solum.