yrants' and
reprobates' hands and prolongs their life in evil. I will keep
it for holy men alone; and I commend it to Christ's keeping
now and ever.]

[th]at may nou[gh]t fayle // O quantu{m} malu{m} foret, si hic 8
liber p{er}ueniret ad manus ho{m}i{nu}m mundano{rum}, ad noticia{m}
tiranno{rum}, {et} ad
s{er}uiciu{m} rep{ro}bo{rum}! q{ui}a, si{c}ut s{anct}i p{er}
hunc libru{m} pot{er}unt continuare op{er}a vite {christian}i diuci{us}
{et} vehemenci{us}, ita {et}
rep{ro}bi possent p{er}u{er}so vsi diuci{us} 12
p{er}seu{er}are in malo.
ego aute{m}, q{ua}ntu{m} in me est, p{ro}pt{er}
solos s{an}c{t}os
libru{m} hunc co{n}stituo, {et} ip{su}m custod[iae] ih{es}u
{Christ}i c{om}mendo nunc et in eternu{m} // = //

Explicit librum de maximis secretis e{ss}encie quinte &c. 16

[Page 26: THE SPHERES AND PLANETS]

[[_leaf_ 26]]

[P] Philosofirs puttyn 9 sper{is} vndirewritten; but Diuinis puttin [th]e
ten[th]e sper{e}, where is heuyn empir{e}, in [th]e whiche, angel{is} &
sowl{is}[1] of seynt{is} seruen god; i{n} [th]e whiche is crist, in [th]e
same forme that he walkid i{n} er[th]e, and also owr{e} lady, & seynt{is}
that arosen w{i}t{h} criste.

[Footnote 1: l{is} is the MS. l with a line at right angles to it.]

[P] [Th]e first spere of [th]e 9 is clepid 'p{ri}mu{m} mobile,' [th]e
first mevabil thyng.

[P] [Th]e .ij. spere of sterr{is}: Arie{s} .1. [th]e rame. [P] the
secund hows of Mars, [th]e bool, [P] [th]e secund hows of Venus, Gemini,
[P] [th]e secund hows of Mercuri, Canc{er}. [P] [th]e hows of [th]e mone,
leo. [th]e hows of [th]e sonne, Virgo. // [th]e first hows of M{er}cury,
Libra // [th]e first hows of Venus, Scorpio // [th]e first hows of Mars,
Sagittari{us} // [th]e first hows of Iubit{er}, Cap{ri}cornus // [th]e
first hows of Saturne, Aquari{us} // [th]e secund hows of Saturne, Piscis.
/ [th]e secunde hows of Iubit{er}
[[_no more_]].

[P] Saturn is a planete evel-willid and ful of sekenes. Wherfore he is
peyntid w{i}t{h} an hooke, for he repe[th] dow{n)} grene thyng{is} / he
fulfilli[th] his course in xxx [gh]eere.

[P] Iubit{er} is a planete wele willyng to alle thi{n}g{is} to be gendrid,
plent[i]ful & plesyng; therfor he is y-seid Iubit{er} as helpyn. i{n}
xij [[gh]]eere he filli[th] his course.

[P] Mars is an enemy to alle thyng{is} to be gendrid; wherfor he is clepid
god of batel