Page 233

C.viii.

ctorite qui apprindrent et estudierent tout leur temps
sur la science des sept ars. Dont il en y eult aucuns
lesquelz en leur temps firent merveilles par astro
nomie. Mais sur tous ceulx qui plus sentrenvoent
et traveillerent sur la science dastronomie che fu
virgilles qui en compila maintes merveilleuses
besongues. Et pur che vous en racompterons
ung petit en ensieuant du contenu precedent. Chi
parle en substanches des merveilles que par astronomie
VIrgille le virgille fist en son temps
saige philosophe natif de rome fust de
vant ladvenement de jhesucrist. Il ne
tient pas les septs ars liberaulx a petit de chose. Car
il y traveilla et estudia la plus part de son temps
tant que par astronomie fist maintes grans merveil
les. Car en rome il fist une mousche darain telle que
quant len la mettoit en une place elle enchassoit
toutes aultres mousches. si que il nen demouroit en
la place nulles. ne nosoient approchier pres delle de
deux trais darc a la reonde. Et se elles passoient la
bonne que virgille leur avoit compassee il convenoit

108

authority in this world, who spent all their time learning and studying
the science of the seven arts. Of these, there were
several who in their time were marvels in astronomy.
But above all others who undertook and
worked on the science of astronomy, it was Virgil
who compiled many marvelous works. And so we will
tell you a little bit about him, following on from the previous content.
[rubric:] This speaks in substance of the marvels that Virgil did
during his lifetime through astronomy. [/rubric]
Virgil the wise philosopher, was a native of Rome
before the coming of Jesus Christ. He did not consider
the seven liberal arts to be inconsequential things. For
he spent most of his time working on them and studying them,
and through astronomy he did many very marvellous things. For in Rome
he made a fly out of copper such that when
he put it in a place it chased out all the other flies,
so that none remained in that place, nor dared approach
it for the space of two shots of the bow around it. And if they [the copper flies]
should pass the boundary within Virgil had set them, they would

C.viii.

ctorite qui apprindrent et estudierent tout leur temps
sur la science des sept ars. Dont il en y eult aucuns
lesquelz en leur temps firent merveilles par astro
nomie. Mais sur tous ceulx qui plus sentrenvoent
et traveillerent sur la science dastronomie che fu
virgilles qui en compila maintes merveilleuses
besongues. Et pur che vous en racompterons
ung petit en ensieuant du contenu precedent. Chi
parle en substanches des merveilles que par astronomie
VIrgille le virgille fist en son temps
saige philosophe natif de rome fust de
vant ladvenement de jhesucrist. Il ne
tient pas les septs ars liberaulx a petit de chose. Car
il y traveilla et estudia la plus part de son temps
tant que par astronomie fist maintes grans merveil
les. Car en rome il fist une mousche darain telle que
quant len la mettoit en une place elle enchassoit
toutes aultres mousches. si que il nen demouroit en
la place nulles. ne nosoient approchier pres delle de
deux trais darc a la reonde. Et se elles passoient la
bonne que virgille leur avoit compassee il convenoit

108

authority in this world, who learned and studied during all their time
the science of the seven arts. Of these, there were
several who in their time were marvels in astronomy.
But above all those who undertook and
worked on the science of astronomy, it was Virgil
who compiled many marvelous works. And so we will
tell you a little bit about him, following on from the previous content.
[rubric:] This speaks in substance of the marvels that Virgil did
in astronomy during his time. [/rubric]
Virgil the wise philosopher, was a native of Rome
before the coming of Jesus Christ. He did not take
the seven liberal arts to bit inconsequential things. For
he worked on them and studied them most of his time,
and in astronomy he did some marvels. For in Rome
he made a fly out of copper such that when
he put it in a place it chased out all the other flies,
so that none remained in that place, nor dared approach
it for the space of two shots of the bow around it. And if they [the copper flies]
should pass the boundary within Virgil had set them, they would