Walters Ms. W.199, Gossouin of Metz, Image du Monde

countries. Folio 69 Of the differences among some common things. [Folio] 71 To know where Hell is located and what it is. Folio 71 How water runs through the earth. Folio 74 How sweet water and salted water, which is hot and poisonous, spring [from the earth] Folio 75 Of the various fountains which find their source in the earth [Folio] 76 Why and how the earth crumbles and breaks [Folio] 78 How the water of the sea becomes salty [Folio] 79 Of the air and its nature Folio 79 How clouds, hail, thunder, tempests, [Folio] 80 lightning and thunderbolt commonly happen Of frosts and snow Folio 81 Of hail and tempests Folio 82 Of lightning or lights [in the sky] and thunder [Folio] 82 To know how winds arise [Folio] 83 Of fire and the stars which seem to fall [Folio] 84 Of the pure air and how the seven planets are placed. Folio 84 Of the turning of the firmament and its stars [Folio] 87 Here ends the second part of the rubrics of this pre-

sent book. Here begins the third part of the rubrics of this said book. And [it] states how the day and night come to be (see note). Folio.

Why one does not see the stars during the day. [Folio] 90 Why one does not see the sun at night. Fo[lio] 91 How the moon receives clarity and light differently [from the sun?]. Folio 91 How the eclipses of the moon happen. [Folio] 93 Of the eclipse of the sun. Folio 94 Of the eclipse that happened upon the death of Jesus Christ. [Folio] 95 Of the nature of the sky and the stars Folio 97 Why and how the world is measured. [Folio]101 Of King Ptolemy and other philosophers. Folio 102 How the [?] were saved after the Flood [Folio] 106 Of those who found them after the Flood. Fo[lio] 107 Here [it] speaks specifically of the marvels that [Virgil] made in [his] time by means of astronomy [Folio] 108

This explains why money was established. Folio 111 This speaks of the philosophers who used to wander the world in former times Folio 112 What is philosophy, and about Plato's response. Folio 115. How high the earth is and how thick it is in the middle. Folio 116 How the high the moon and the sun are, each of them. Folio 117 This speaks of the height of the stars and their sizes. Folio 118 This speaks of the number of the stars. Fol 119 Of the power of the firmament and the heaven which is above [Folio] 121 This speaks of the cristalline heaven and the empyreal heaven [Folio] 123 Of the celestial Paradise Folio 124 There follows a recapitulation of the things previously said. [Folio] 126 This concludes the table of rubrics of this present book. The prologue follows, declaring to whom this present volume belongs.

I

Considering that spoken words are and remain empty and writings are lasting, the deeds of the ancients have been put into beautiful and ornate volumes, with commentary, so that acquired knowledge and past things might be remembered in perpuity, so that noble hearts may delight in reading and studying the deeds of wise men of the past who practiced beneficial virtues. And so it happens that some people are led to spend time with books dealing with specific types of knowledge, and others to spend time with books describing feats of arms, love, or other topics. And this present volume is called the Image of the World. And it was translated from Latin into French at the command and order of the noble Duke John of Berry and Auvergne [in the] year 1245. It contains 55 chapters

and twenty-seven drawings without which it would not be easily understood. And to make more clear, it has been organized into three parts, of which the first part contains 14 chapters and eight figures; the second part contains 19 chapters and 9 figures; and the third part has 22 chapters and 9 figures. It was edited and completely organized as mentioned in the city of Bruges, in the year of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ 1[4 deleted]264. (Rubric: Here ends the short prologue to begin the subject. And here begins the prologue of the translator setting out the subject matter of this present volume.)

Whoever wishes to comprehend and understand the subject matter of this present volume, and especially to learn and know how he should live, conduct himself, and act in this mortal and transitory world, so that he might better value all the days of his life, let him read this above all at his leisure and in an orderly manner so that in reading it he does not let anything slip past that he does not understand very well. This way he will be able truly to know and understand the explanations in this volume.