Manuscripts from the Walters Art Museum

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made something for no purpose or reason, but He does not act that way. For He falls short in nothing. He made and created the stars and gave each one its inherent quality. Therefore, whoever does not want to believe in Him has neither sense nor reasons. For we see clearly that the moon takes light when we see it to be full. For man has then neither limb nor vein which is not fuller of humors and such things than the moon when it is waning (see note). And it is similar with all beasts. For their heads and other members are more stuffed with marrow and humors. Even the sea rises and falls with its [the moon's] passage, so much so that when it comes or in the month afterwards, those who are near the sea, when they find out that the moon will be full, pull back from the shore of the sea and move their households (see note), and leave their houses and go to the high places until the sea has receded. And they do this every month. But all this is caused by the moon, which is one of the seven planets. Similarly, one sees

of the sun that when it approaches [us] here and begins to climb, it causes fruit to be brought to the earth, and leaves to appear, and all green to come again. And then the birds begin their song again, in the sweetness of the new season. And when it sinks again, it causes winter to begin for us, and makes the flowers and leaves to fail, until it comes back again as above. Just as these two stars have such inherent qualities, and do such things, the other [stars] that are formed in heaven were not made to serve no purpose. Rather, to each was ordained its inherent quality and its right way according to its nature. By this they make the diversity of things that are are on earth and the movement of time, according to which one [thing] comes early and another late. For some fruit matures sooner in the year than another does, and is safer from storms and other damage. They [the stars] make many other changes. For one summer is sweet and moist, while another is dry and windy. In winter it often happens that the weather is very changeable;

one is cold and rainy, and much more unpleasant than another one, and a different one will be more joyful and less damaging. Also one sees that in the one, provisions are dear [because of scarcity], and in the other they are plentiful. And then one sees that when there is more in one year then in another year there is a great lack. And those things that abound in one season, are less the next time, or are lacking altogether. All these differences are made by the stars which are in heaven. But it is by the will of Our Lord that each is put in its proper place, where it takes its course naturally, and each does so differently. For no other thing has its proper action in time except the sun, without anything more. In this way the sun goes regularly through the firmament every year, climbing as high in one summer as it does in another, and descending the same amount every winter, and traveling the same distance every day, so that it comes back to its starting point and rejoins afterward the place where it was before. The astronomers know that it makes one circle around the sky every year, and where it is here today it will be again in the same place on the same day next year. By this one knows that

if there were no other stars, its [the sun's] powers would manifest differently. For all the years would resemble each other, and each one would be the same as the one before it. And the months would resemble each other, just as each one arrives: January like every other January, and February like every other February, and the other ten months in the same way. For the sun travels the same way in this month as it will in the same month next year, when it is near it, and this day would resemble the same day a year from now in every respect, which is to say in heat, cold, fine weather, and rain. And each of the others would be the same every year, for the whole year long. So it would be correct by nature that in all the summers and all the winters that there might ever be, there never could nor would be any difference. And equally, the harvests of weather would always be the same, for they would always be dear or cheap. Everything would be like those things that are always led, warmed, and government by the sun. For it always travels its course equally and perfectly every year and holds its right path in a state like

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something that never goes off course. For it is the rightful watchman and patron of all the other stars, since it is the finest of all of them due to the great brightness that is in it. And all things are engendered from it, and it has more power over things than any of the other stars does, as one can investigate through nature, reason, and right. But sometimes they (the stars) restrain its heat or expand it, depending on whether they are far or near, if they at times need to, as one sees done by a king who is a great lord and the greatest in a place, being of a highness that no one else of his people has, yet still his people often hold office for him as those who should help and serve. For the more he is accompanied by his men, the stronger and more powerful he is. And the further he is from his men, the less he is able to fulfil his duty. It is the same, I tell you, with the sun, which as you have been able to hear is the greatest, the most powerful, and the most virtuous, having more power on earth than any other star could have. But the others all have their own power, each in its own degree. But since we

have told you of the virtue of the firmament, as briefly as we could, we will now describe below, briefly enough, how the world was measured, in height and depth, in length and width, by those who knew the seven arts, geometry being one of them. [Geometry] is the one by which the sun, the moon, the earth, and the firmament are measured, internally and externally, to determine their size. [It also calculates] how far it is from the earth to the firmament and the size of the stars. For this is proven by careful examination. And those who have discovered this art perceived that they could never properly know astronomy nor the nature of the stars without knowing anything about their measurements, and for that reason they wanted to measure them and prove their size. [rubric:] Why and how one measures the world. [/rubric] First of all, the ancient philosophers wanted to measure the size of the world all around the earth, before any other task, by which they could prove the height of the stars and the size of the firmament all around. They did not find anything larger to measure. And then

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when they had measured the earth, [determining] how long it was around and how much thickness it had, they investigated the moon, since it is the least high above the earth and the closest. Then they wanted to investigate the sun: how far it was from the earth and how large its body and its orbit were. They found it to be much larger than the whole earth. And when they had measured these three things, the sun, the moon, and the earth, they were easily able to investigate the other stars: how near or far each is, and how large it is. For they did not find any that did not have bodies larger than the whole earth except for three planets, no more. These are Mercury, Venus and the moon, which is the third. Each of these three is smaller than the earth. Anyone can investigate this if he knows the art of astronomy, and with it the art of geometry. For it is fitting for him to know these things first, and then he can investigate and know the truth. But because not everyone is a good scholar or master

of astronomy, and therefore able to prove this, we want to explain below how long the earth is and how thick it is. And also how far above the earth the moon is, and the sun - which is above the moon - and how large each of these is, as King Ptolemy proved. We will tell you again of the stars and of the firmament, of their size and their nobility and the height of the firmament. I want to tell you about all of this. But first I want to tell you a little bit about the actions of Ptolemy, who knew so much about the manifestation of appearances, and who loved astronomy so much that he wanted to search out all these things. We will tell you some things that are not at all to your detriment: if you want to understand and hear, then you will be able to learn something good. Afterwards we will measure the world as best we can. Now, hear about King Ptolomy and of the works of certain other philosophers, for your own benefit. [rubric:] Of King Ptolemy and certain other philosophers.[/rubric] Ptolemy was a king very learned in astronomy. This Ptolemy was king

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of Egypt, where he held the land for a long time. There were formerly several kings who were called Ptolemy. But among them there was one who know the most about astronomy and who investigated the stars more than any of the others. He wrote many very beautiful books about them [the stars], and made many instruments by which one can clearly ascertain the full size of the earth and the height of the heavens, and how the stars make their course constantly, by day and by night. By him were invented the clocks of churches which mark the beginning of the day and night hours. The days get shorter, so it is very necessary for the churches to have good clocks so they can always do Our Lord's service at the due and proper time, both day and night. For God loves that one should adore Him and serve Him completely and in an ordered way every day. The prayers that are said and recited every day by the churches please Our Lord more than those that are said in many other places. And for this reason clocks are necessary in each church, and people would even

be in better accord with God and would live longer if they regulated themselves to pray at a certain hour, and similarly to eat and do other things, each at its proper hour. It would be an easy thing to do if people wanted to arrange their affairs this way, as they do with things that overwhelm and kill them. That is, they do not stop thinking of how to prolong their life, night and day, but by amassing great treasure they are chasing their death. For by having many possessions they lose their sense, understanding, and memory, so that they cannot correctly turn their thoughts to the matters that concern their salvation, as they should and by which they would be able to live more comfortably and survive longer in the will of Our Lord and would be healthier in body and spirit. But they love accumulating the possessions of the world so much, rather than those things which would help them. I don't know why they desire to have those [worldly possessions]. For [by having them] they lose even