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et che qui fait ouvrir la terre che fait les nues espartir si
comme len voit quant il tonne. Car tonnoirres et espars
ne sont que deboutemens de vents qui sentrecontrent au
dessus des nues tant asprement/ que en leur venue naist
souvent aulains feuz en lair/ Et cest fouldre qui chief
en moult de lieux que les vents constraindent si terrible
ment que les nues en fendent et derompent et font tonner
et eschistrer et chief en bas de tel randon pour le vent qui le
destraint tant asprement que il confont tout che quil at
taint/ si que riens na duree contre lui. Et est de si pesante
nature que aulcuneffoiz perche la terre jusques au milieu
et aulcuneffoiz estaint ainchois selon che quil ne pose pas
tant ne pas nest de si forte nature. Car quant la nuee est
fort obscure et espesse. et quil ya grant plente deaue le feu
ne la pas si tost passee ainchois estaint en la nuee pour
la grant quantite deaue qui est dedens ains quil la puist
tresperchier si ne poent approchier la terre. Mais a les
traindre quil fait lors en la nuee naist ung son si fort
que cest merveilles a ouyr. Je vous declaire que cest le ton
noir ce qui moult fait a doubter/ Tout ainsi comme dun
fer chauld et ardant que len bouteroit en plaine cuve

and which causes the earth to open, this causes the clouds to flash,
as one sees when there is thunder. For thunder and lightning
are nothing but the confrontation among winds that meet with
each other above the clouds, so fiercely that their arrival often
causes fire to flare in the air. And lightning falls
in many places, constrained by the wind, so terribly that
the clouds crack and fall apart and cause thundering
and flashing, falling downward with such force that
it confounds anything it encounters, so that nothing can
hold against it. And it is so heavy by nature that sometimes
it pierces the earth unto the core, but sometimes it extinguishes
itself before it hits the ground, when it is not
as strong. For when the cloud is very dark and thick and
there is a great deal of water in it, then as soon as the
fire passes through the cloud it is extinguished due to
the great quantity of water therein, so that even if it can
pierce the cloud it cannot reach the earth. But at the moment
it extinguishes, there arises in the cloud a sound so loud
that it is marvelous to hear. This, I tell you, is the thunder
that is much to be feared, just as when a hot and
burning iron, placed in a tub full of water

et che qui fait ouvrir la terre che fait les nues espartir si
comme l'en voit quant il tonne. Car tonnoirres et espars
ne sont que deboutemens de vents qui s'entrecontrent au
dessus des nues tant asprement/ que en leur venue naist
souvent aulains feuz en l'air/ Et c'est fouldre qui chief
en moult de lieux que les vents constraindent si terrible-
ment que les nues en fendent et derompent et font tonner
et eschistrer et chief en bas de tel randon pour le vent qui le
destraint tant asprement que il confont tout che qu'il at-
taint/ si que riens n'a duree contre lui. Et est de si pesante
nature que aulcuneffoiz perche la terre jusques au milieu
et aulcuneffoiz estaint ainchois selon che qu'il ne pose pas
tant ne pas n'est de si forte nature. Car quant la nuee est
fort obscure et espesse. et qu'il y'a grant plente d'eaue le feu
ne la pas si tost passee ainchois estaint en la nuee pour
la grant quantite d'eaue qui est dedens ains qu'il la puist
tresperchier si ne poent approchier la terre. Mais a l'es-
traindre qu'il fait lors en la nuee naist ung son si fort
que c'est merveilles a ouyr. Je vous declaire que c'est le ton-
noir ce qui moult fait a doubter/ Tout ainsi comme d'un
fer chauld et ardant que l'en bouteroit en plaine cuve

and which causes the earth to open, this causes the clouds to flash,
as one sees when there is thunder. For thunder and lightning
are nothing but the confrontation among winds that meet with
each other above the clouds, so fiercely that their arrival often
causes fire to flare in the air. And lightning falls
in many places, constrained by the wind, so terribly that
the clouds crack and fall apart and cause thundering
and flashing, falling downward with such force that
it confounds anything it encounters, so that nothing can
hold against it. And it is so heavy by nature that sometimes
it pierces the earth unto the core, but sometimes it extinguishes
itself before it hits the ground, when it is not
as strong. For when the cloud is very dark and thick and
there is a great deal of water in it, then as soon as the
fire passes through the cloud it is extinguished due to
the great quantity of water therein, so that even if it can
pierce the cloud it cannot reach the earth. But at the moment
it extinguishes, there arises in the cloud a sound so loud
that it is marvelous to hear. This, I tell you, is the thunder
that is much to be feared, just as when a hot and
burning iron, placed in a tub full of water