"In mene Libra, that is, In the middle of Libra."
Now, to Urry's reading, it may be objected that it makes the thing ascending to be Libra, and does not of necessity imply the moon's appearance above the horizon. But since the rising of the moon is a visible phenomenon, while that of Libra is theoretical, it must have been to the former Chaucer was alluding, as to something witnessed by the whole party as they
"Were entrying at a towne's end;"
or otherwise this latter observation would have no meaning.
The objection to Tyrwhitt's reading is of a more technical nature—the moon, if in the middle of Libra, could not be above the horizon, in the neighbourhood of Canterbury, at four o'clock P. M., in the month of April. Tyrwhitt, it is true, would probably smooth away the difficulty by charging it as another inconsistency against his author; but I—and I hope by this time such readers of as are interested in the subject—have seen too many proofs of Chaucer's competency in matters of science, and of his commentator's incompetency, to feel disposed to concede to the latter such a convenient method of interpretation.
But there is a third objection common to both readings—that they do not satisfactorily account for the word "alway;" for although Tyrwhitt endeavours to explain it by continually, "was continually ascending," such a phrase is by no means intelligible when applied to a single observation.
For myself, I can say that this word "alway" was, from the first, the great difficulty with me—and the more I became convinced of the studied meaning with which Chaucer chose his other expressions, the less satisfied I was with this; and the more convinced I felt that the whole line had been corrupted.
In advocating the restoration of the reading which I have already suggested as the original meaning of Chaucer, I shall begin by establishing the probability of his having intended to mark the moon's place by associating her rising with that of a known fixed star—a method of noting phenomena frequently resorted to in ancient astronomy. For that purpose I shall point out another instance wherein Chaucer evidently intended an application of the same method for the purpose of indicating a particular position of the heavens; but first it must noted, that in alluding to the Zodiac, he always refers to the signs, never to the constellations—in fact, he does not appear to recognise the latter at all! Thus, in that palpable allusion to the precession of the equinoxes, in the Frankeleine's Tale—
"He knew ful wel how fer Alnath was shove
From the hed of thilke fixe Aries above:"