The Franklin's Tale
Folio 157v
2 of 11 folios
That night and day he spedeþ him þat he can
555
To wayte a tyme of his conclusiou~
This is to say to make Illusioun
By such an apparence of iogelrie
I can no termes of astrologie
That sche and euery wight schold wene and saye
560
That of Breteygñ þe rokkes were a waye
Or elles þey sonken were vnder þe grounde
So atte last he haþ a tyme I founde /
To make his iapes and his wrecchednesse /
Of such a supersticious cursednesse /
565
His tables tollitanes forþ he brougħt
Ful wel corrected ne þer lakked nougħt
Neiþer his collect ne his expans yeeres
Ne his rootes ne his oþer geeres /
As ben his centris & his argumentis
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And his proporcionels conuenientis
For her equacioūs in euery þing
And by his þre speeres in his worching
He knew ful wel how fer alluath was schoue
For þe heed of þilk fixe aries aboue /
575
That in þe fourþe speere considred is
Ful subtilly he calkild al þis
Whan he had founde his firste manciou~
He knew þe remenaūt by proporcioū
And knew þe arisyng of þis moone wel
580
And in whos face and terme and euery del
And knew ful wel þe moones manciou~
Acordaunt to his operacioun
And knew also his other obseruaunces
For suche illusioūs and suche meschaūces
585
As hethen folk vsed in þilke dayes
For which no lenger maked he delayes
But þurgh his magik for a wike or tweye
It semed þat þe rokkes were aweye
Aurilius which ȝet dispayred is
590
Wher he schal haue his loue or fare amys
Awayteþ night and day on þis miracle