607 harde—hard
608 folowyng—Flowyng
woxe—wexen
610 esier—esyere
PHILOSOPHY QUESTIONS BOETHIUS.
[CUM PHEBI RADIIS GRAUE CANCRI SIDUS ENESTUAT.]
Whan þat þe He who sows his seed when the sun is in the Sign of Cancer, must look for no produce. heuy sterre of þe cancre eschaufeþ by
þe beme of phebus. þat is to seyne whan þat phebus [612]
þe sonne is in þe signe of þe Cancre. Who so ȝeueþ
þan largely hys sedes to þe feldes þat refuse to receiuen
hem. lete hym gon bygyled of trust þat he
hadde to hys corn. to acorns or okes. Think not to ingather violets in the wintry and stormy season. yif þou wilt [616]
gadre violettȝ. ne go þou not to þe purper wode whan
þe felde chirkynge agriseþ of colde by þe felnesse of
þe wynde þat hyȝt aquilon If you wish for wine in autumn let the tendrils of the vine be free in the spring. ¶ Yif þou desirest or
wolt vsen grapes ne seke þou nat wiþ a glotonus hande [620]
to streine and presse þe stalkes of þe vine in þe first
somer sesoun. for bachus þe god of wyne haþ raþer
ȝeuen his ȝiftes to autumpne þe latter ende of somer.
[* fol. 8.] To every work God assigns a proper time, nor suffers anything to pass its bounds. ¶ God tokeniþ and assigneþ *þe tymes. ablyng hem [624]
to her propre offices. ¶ Ne he ne suffreþ not stoundes
whiche þat hym self haþ deuided and constreined to
be medeled to gidre Success does not await him who departs from the appointed order of things. ¶ And forþi he þat forleteþ
certeyne ordinaunce of doynge by ouerþrowyng wey. [628]
he ne haþ no glade issue or ende of hys werkes.
612 beme—beemes
seyne—seyn
614 hys—hise
refuse—refusen
615 after hem C. adds [s. corn]
lete hym gon (MS. gone)—lat hym gon
616 or—of
wilt gadre—wolt gadery