Here be .vij. Dialogues. 

The first is of the son and of the moon.  
The second of Saturne, and of the cloud.  
The .iii. of the star name Transmontana, and other stars.  
The .iiij. of the even star and the morrow star.  
The .v. of the Raynebowe, and the sign Cancer.  
The .vi. of heaven, and of Earth.  
The .vij of the Eyre, and of the wind.    
¶ By these dialogues, a man may take to himself good counsel.   

¶ Of the son,& the moon. The first Dialogue.  
AS the Phylosofers saith, the son is the iye of the world/ the gladness, and the Iocundyte of the day/ the beauty of heaven/ the measure of time, the virtue and original of all things growing, the lord of all planets, the leader and perfectour of al planets and stars.¶ The moon also as saith Ambrose exameron, is bewtye of the night, mother and minister of all humours, measure of all times, guider of the see, chaunger of the air follower of the son. And for as much as she is most like unto the son, vpon a time she began to detract and defame the son, the which he perceiving spake to the moon& said: Why dost thou backebyte me& blasphemest me/ I haue ever given the light and gone afore the to thy profit,& thou hatest me and maliciously malignest against me. Go from me said the moon for I love the not. For thy great brightness causeth me to be set little store by in the world. For& thou were not, I should be in great dignity. The son answered& said. O thou vncurteys creature be thou content with thy degree. For as I shine in the day time and bear than the rule, so thou without impediment occupyest all the night at thine own pleasure. Let us therfore meekly obey unto our maker,& exalt not thyself by pride, but suffer me patiently to do as I am ordained, and do thou thy duty. The moon considering no reason in great anger departed and gathered together all the stars, and began battle,& shot arrows against the son, and intended utterly with darts and arrows to smite him& destroy him. The son being above and at a vauntage seeing al this cruelnes, drew out his sword and smote the moon a sunder,& threw down the stars& said, as often as thou art rownde, I shal depart thee. For this cause as fables report the moon conceyueth not rownde,& stars oftentimes fall down. And so the moon was confused and said.  
less hurt is to the fit yuer, to be partend in twain  
Than to be all lost,& brought vnto vain.  
SO in likewise much people being inflate and blown up with pride& elacion, would be like unto the son, and haue domynacion above all other, and by their wills wolde that none were above them, nor like unto them, as the gloze saith. Pride is a brennyng eleuacyon in the mind, dyspysyng them that be under, and wolde be equal with them that be above, for why as Crysostom saith, desire of exaltacion is great sin, and utterly to be despised, and bead is worshipful and commendable. It is written& said, that the proud people be life on height, because their fall should be the more grievous. For he that falleth but low may soon arise as the poet saith. But he that falleth from on high may not so esely be restored to health. branches of a three growing allow, be conserved from tempests, as writeth Crysostom. But they that be on high be oftentimes broken and in great jeopardy. wherefore Quintus Curci{us} saith, that a certain person said unto king alexander, that a three being of great height may the sooner be blown up by the root. And though a lion be mighty and proud, yet be small birds fed with his flesh.¶ A philosopher came to the tomb of alexander and said/ yesterday to this man sufficed not all the world. now is he sufficed with the space of .vij. foot long. And therfore pride is to be reproved. &c.   

¶ Of Saturne& the cloud. The second Dialogue.  
philosophers write that there be .vij. planets/ that is to say, Saturne, jupiter, Mars, Sol, Venus, mercury,& Luna. But there is great space between planet& planet. For as Moyses greatest of philosophers rehearseth& saith/ also it is written in the golden legend, that every compass of every planet hath in thickness the way of .v. C. yeres that is to mean, asmuch space as a man may journey and walk in .v. C. yeres/ so that daily his journey extended to .xl. miles/& every mile to bear in length ii. M. place. Vpon a time a great thick cloud began to exalt her self& said. mine excellency is great, for I may by interposycion of my greatness cause that other planets may not show themself in the world but at my will. seeing that I am under other planets and may do so much, yf I were exalted higher, than might I do much more. And thus this cloud proudly ascended upward till she came to Saturne. Saturne seeing this cloud presumptuously aplying to go above him was sore grieved& said unto her, what arte thou that coueytest with pride to ascend there as never man cam. I shal ascend above the said the cloud, and overthrow the. That hearing Saturne and sore moved, ordained harneys and wepyn/ and stopped fast the way and threw down the cloud, and destroyed him for ever and said.  
¶ He that coveteth to be above all  
No force though he haue a fowle fall.  
SO befell it to Nabugodonosor/ which desired to be above all other kings and princes, and to be called king of all kings, and lord of all lords. For pride not considering that almighty God h dom●nacyon above all earthly lordshyp● as it is specified, Danyell .iiij. when the heart of Nabugodon●s●● was lift up by pride, wherefore he was deposed from his dignity, whereof it was said unto him. The dwelling of the shalbe among wild beasts,& God shall eiect thee and cast the out from mans company/ and thou shalt eat hay like an ox, and .vij. seasons shalbe changed over the. It is written in history scolastical that Nabugodonosor was not changed in to a beast unreasonable by mutacyon and change of the body/ but by mutacyon and elienacion of his wit and reason/ and also the eloquencie of his speech was taken from him/ and he feigned himself that in his forelymbes of his body he was like to an ox or a bul,& in his hinder parties he thought himself to be like a lion. Daniel also at the time of his elienacion prayed for him so heartily, that the .vij. seasons/ that is to say .vij. yeres by his prayers were changed into .vij. months. In the which .vij. months the space of .xl. dayes he had great infirmity& disease Other .xl. dayes within the said .vij. months he returned to his mind/ and prayed with great weeping so largely that his iyen were turned in to rednes/& like unto raw flesh. Many one went to haue a sight of him/ after that .vii. months were fully complete and fulfyld, he was revoked and called again unto his first estate/ but he reigned not immediately/ for there were ordained .vij. Iudges, and so he continued in abstinence& penance unto the end of .vij. yeres never eat bread nor flesh/ nor drank wine in al that long season.   

¶ Of a star called Transmontana/ and other stars. The thyrde Dialogue.  
A star which is called Transmontana standeth ever fix in the nauyll of the heaven/ and goth never to decline, nor laboureth not by compass circuler as other stars doth. It is as a map●● or a path of the see/ to the which shipmen give great attendance. All other stars gathered them together and came to this star and said. Thou syttest alway still and hast ease and rest/ and we go about and labour without rest,& be thy servants, arise thou a while and let another be sovereign& occupy thy rome. To whom this star Transmontana answered and said/ ye know not what ye wolde haue for your desire is not leafull nor to you expedient/ for I haue great labour and great fatigacion to rule you. And yf I did not wisely conserve you in your places and mocyons/ ye should greatly err for lack of a good guider wherefore I counseyl you to be content and in peace. But the other stars wolde not be pleased/ but rather more wylfuller to haue their petycion,& said al at ones. We pray the to suffer us to choose another guider. Transmontana then beholding their frowarde wylfulnes departed from them/ and went& complained to his lord& maker. The stars that seeing made great exaltation and gladness/& applied them to make election of a new guider/ but therein they could not agree/ but fell at variance and began to fight each with other& as sheep lacking a shepherd they erred and fell out of good rule. At last when they considered the felycytie that they were in sometime by the policy and good guiding of their sovereign/ and the great misery that was fallen to them for lack of him. They fell in repentance and came to their first guider/ and prayed him to take them to grace/ and to rule them as he had done before, and confirmed him in his worship/ and said all at ones with one voice.  
The guider that guideth, with virtue& grace  
should never be changed, lest that a worse haue his place.  
EVen so it is convenient for us to do when we haue a good ruler the which rightfully ruleth and guideth us, we be bound to love him, and to do him honour and worship/& not lightly to change him, but cherish him after our power for the great labour that he hath to guide us for our wele. The degree of governance is called great worship, but it is great charge as barnard saith/ what is worship or power, but a great burdayne& misery. Or what is sublymyte or dignity of the world, but a perilous and doubtful tempest. Who may be in worship or prelacye without pain or generation. Or who is in dignity without vanity, as Valery telleth. liber .vij. Of a king that was of so great wit, and so great counsel/ that when the crown was delivered to him he held it long between his hands or he set it vpon his head, and considering it well and said. O noble and fortunable garland / howe full of business and peril art thou, innumerable to be told. For as Augustyn saith. There is nothing more laborious, more hard, nor more perilous, than is to haue great domynacion or sygnyorye, and therfore Valerius doth show unto us in libro .vij. of Corneli scipion/ that when spain was fallen unto him/ he answered and said he wolde not go thither/& shewed the cause why. For he could not do equity& ryghtwysnes, for he thought himself not cunning ne sufficient to so great a worship/ and so great a peril together.   

¶ Of the even star and the morrow star. The .iiij. Dialogue.  
VEsperus is called the night star/ and lucifer the day star/ which appeareth in the morenynge. These two stars gathered together all other stars / and went with one assent to the creator and maker of all stars/ and made unto him their supplication and said. gracious lord thou art a good maker/ and we therfore thank thee, for thou hast ordained and bestowed us in the best wise. But for this cause we be troubled that our beawte& brightness is not alway shewed. Therfore lord we meekly beseech the to take the light from the son/ and make him dark that our brightness in the day time may appear& be shewed. To whom the lord and maker answered and said/ your petition is not lawful, for the son is the garnyssher of the day, the distrybutour of hours, the original of all things growing,& without him nothing may increase. Therfore I will not condescende to your petition, for it is not exaudible nor worthy to be allowed wherefore the stars seeing they could not haue their desire went again together, and formed a new petition, and offered it to their maker and said. O blessed lord and maker of all creatures, we beseech thee at least to dry up and put away the clouds out of the air, the which let our bright light to be shewed. For oftentimes for their letting we may not appear/ nor be known as we be. And therfore lowly we pray the, that where as our first asking was denied us, of thy goodness grant us this second petycion& desire. The lord and maker considering their simples, gave them this answer with a sad countenance& said. hold your peace and desire not vnleaful thing{is}, for I will not grant them, for it is written in the book of Caton. ask that is rightful,& that that seemeth honest, the clouds be necessary though ye think contrary. For they with their rain moisten the earth. Yf no rain should fall the earth cold not be fruitful and with this answer he put the stars from their desire,& said in this wise.  
¶ That petycion may justly be denied  
which at no time, to reason is applied.  
BY this example it appeareth that he that will be hard in his prayers or in his supplycacion/ must ask the things that be rightful, honest and reasonable to be granted. wherefore saint austin saith/ when ye ask the thing{is} which god laudeth and promiseth/ then is your asking sure, for that petition is soon granted of god. Therfore Isodore saith true. Many men praying be not hard in their asking. For god granteth them better& more for their wealth then they desire. Senec saith in the .ij. book of benefits. That a certain person on a time asked. i. d of Alexander, and he gave him an hole town. And when the peticioner thanked Alexander/ and said he was not worthy nor able to receive so great a gift. alexander answered and said to him/ I retain not in my mind what becometh the to ask, but what becometh me to give. So almighty god doth, for oftentimes he granteth not our asking, because he will advance our petition with a better, and more profitable reward. And therfore saith Isodore. sometimes God heareth not many folkes to their pleasure, for he will graciously here them to their more profit and health.   

¶ Of the rainbow/ and of a sign called Cancer. The v. Dialogue.  
our lords bow after the first flood appeared in the clouds having two colours that was waterye& fiery, signyfying the iudgement coming, which bow appeared by the space of xl. yeres after the building of the ark, as it is said history scholastical. Cancer is one of the signs of heaven,& this word Cancer is Equiuocum,& hath many significations, but natwithstanding here it betokeneth the sign of heaven And so this sign Cancer went unto the rainbow in a great anger and said. Thou art to bold, for all heaven is little enough for the, in so much that thou besyest the to let me of my course,& other stars that should occupy there. wherefore I advise the to be removed lightly, or else thou shalt be surely coryed of me& my company. The bow answered& said. Brother thou speakest not well, for I am not about to let thee of thy way, for I show myself but in the day time, and thou in the night ronnest where pleaseth the. wherefore me thinketh yf thou intend to fight with me, thou arte evil advised for this cause. For thou mayst gather great company of stars to hold with the. And I haue friends enough, both clouds and also great thonders to fight against the for all thy strength,& so there may grow great mischief. But I will council thee for the best, that we do go before a ryghtwise judge that he may termyne the question by a dyffynytyfe sentence, and let the fault be punished there as it is, whereto Cancer agreed. And when they both were before the presence of the judge, and had shewed there unto him their matter. The judge spake than and said thus. Thou wicked Cancer, it is against the lawe or reason, yf the prehemynence that thou askest and desirest of the bow. Yf thou haue thy will& walking in the night time, and the bow but onely in the day time, howe may it be credyble that he letteth thy way. Therfore this is my sentence against the.¶ I will& charge thee that thou never appear in the day time. And I condempethe in all expenses& costs of the court, Cancer hearing this sentence, was greatly a shamed and said.  
¶ A busy man/ that is full of question  
Causeth to himself, oft great confusion.  
OF dyvers Philosophers the saying is/ that the earth is the mydel parte of the world. the conserver of fruits, the covering of hell, the noryssher of all quick things. The mother of all growing things. The conseruatryce of life/& the swalower of all things.¶ Vpon a time heaven sent down to the earth here many great tempests/ of rain, of thunder, and of lyghtnyng, whereby he grieved the earth very sore, when she was angry and greatly displeased she called the air to her& said. Brother air I pray the medyll not between heaven and me, for mine intent is utterly fixed to overthrow him, for he hath done great wrong& injury unto me, that I hope to be avenged vpon him with such ways as I can finde. To whom the air answered and said. Do not so sister, but let thy wrath pass. For though it be so that heaven haue grieved the now, another time ye shall be friends& make merry together. The earth being blind and overcome with anger wolde not cease, but ran& caught harneys,& began to fight with heaven. That seeing the air raised up great darkness,& brought forth great clouds,& caused so great thickness, that the earth could not discern where heaven was. And that contynewed so long, until the wrath and wodnes was clene gone. Than after that the air sent out winds and purged the country, and drove away the mists& darknesses, and made all clear and said.  
¶ Of ire and malice/ to do out the flamme  
we be all bound/& not to nurysshe the same.  
EVery man ought so to do when he seth his friends and neighbours wrath together. For after the saying of Caton. ire& wrath letteth the mind that it may not discern truth. For a man that is angry is past his mind, and therfore he is to be temperately guided and refrained by his friends, till he be removed from that wodnes/ and till wrath in him be ended. For as Seneca saith The beginning of wisdom is to moderate ire and wrath/ for he that overcometh wrath/ doth overcome his greatest enemy, as Valery telleth when Archita Tarentius was grieved with his servant, he said unto him. O thou unhappy creature now wolde I correct the/ yf I were not at this time wrath with the. whereby it appeareth that ire and malice is to be voided out of mind. For it is said in the book of proverbs .xxvij. ire hath no mercy. Therfore a judge ought never to give sentence while he is angry. wherefore it is read in thystoryes of romans that Theodosius the emperour was often times prompt and disposed to do cruel execution. But there was a wise man that gave him counceyl that when he felt himself grieved and angry/ or ever he gave any sentence he should say and rehearse softly with in himself .xxiij. letters of the. A.b.c. That his mind might be refreshed/ and so to muse what was best to be done/ and that he might the more rypely se and know what iudgement ought ryghtwysly to be given with good discretion and delyberacyon.   

¶ Of the air and the wind. The .vij. Dialogue,  
AS the philosophers saith the air is the spiracle of all thyng{is} living with out whom al things is soon choked/ and dieth that is living. The wind also is the drier of the earth/ the mover of waters, and troubler of the air. And because he is troubler of the air/ the air caused him to be cited before the high judge and maker of all things& said. O almighty lord and maker of all thing/ look vpon me I beseech the/ and haue mercy vpon me. Thou hast ordained me sufficiently/ and endued me with great pryuylege, wherefore I give laud and thank unto the. For thou hast made me to be life of all things. But for this cause I am greatly troubled& vexed with the wind/ for he ever maketh me cold/ and causeth me to be untemperate. Therfore I say unto him/ yf ever from henceforth he presume for to blow vpon me/ I will choke him and put him from his life. To whom the maker answered& said air thou speakest not well/ though the wind make the cold and beat the with his blast/ nevertheless he yieldeth the purged and temperate. yf it so were that the wind blewe not on the/ thou shouldest be sick and corrupt both tedious and hateful to every man/ wherefore thou oughtest to love him that conserveth the in good estate/ and so the air was well pleased and said.  
¶ correctors that correct us for our own good  
we ought to love& to suffer with glad mood.  
SO every creature ought to love them that correct them and sheweth them their faults/ and intend to reduce them to goodness and to the way of truth. For truly the sick man that denieth to drink the bitter drink that his leech giveth him will not suffere himself to be cured, and so he shall never be delivered from his feebleness. And he that hateth his corrector shal not be well directed. Valery saith That a man loveth not his leech/ when he will not suffer him that rebuketh him for his good. But true it is that Crysostom saith. He shall haue hatred that repreueth the sinful. And Seneca saith. He seeketh a blame to himself, that rebuketh the wicked man. such be not wisemen, but rather they be foles, as saith Ecclesiastes. A wise man loveth to be rebuked/ but a fool is wrath yf he be correct. Therfore correct a wise man/& he shall love the. proverb .ix It is written in the life of saint Ambrose, that when Theodosius the emperour had punished dyvers& dwellers of that country without delyberacyon and iudgement. Ambrose the archbishop of Mylayne expulsed him out of the church/ although he was a christian Emperour. And when the Emperour knew it/ he said unto Ambrose. david committed both adultery& manslaughter. And Ambrose answered. Yf thou hast followed him in his error/ follow also the penance of him. The Emperour that hearing, was very contrite inwardly and did great penance and said. I haue found a man of trouth Ambrose the bishop. And so the Emperour ordained that no man should be judged to death without .xl. dayes of resoyte/ that ire might be swaged and the mind might be the more clear/ that ryghtwysnes might be sene in giving of Iudgement.   
¶ Finis.  

¶ imprinted by me Robert wire, dwelling in saint Martyne parish. Ad imprimendum solum.