Three prose versions of the Secreta Secretorum / edited with an introduction and notes by Robert Steele and a glossary by T. Henderson

Now gracious lorde, wylle I translate the scyence of Physnomye to you in a shortyr manere, for Sum bokys of arystotiles makynge haue that scyence shortyr than othyr: And so may ye chese wych ye beste Plesyth. Capitulum Lixm.

hit Is to witte that the seede wythyn the marice is defiet, like a messe within a potte to sethe, And thefor Pale coloure and saad is a tokyn that the decoccion Is not Parfite, and therfor yf thou fyndyst in a man suche coloure, and he be a lytill man, hit is a tokyn that the Perfeccion̄ of his kynde Is makyd lasse and amenuset. Suche a man thou shalt enchu, for he is disposyd to ille tecchis. And whan thou seyste a man that ofte-tymes rewardyth the, and whan thou rewardys hym̄ he dredyth and wixeth ruddy, and namely yf he syche, in his visage, and wepynge hym takyth atte the ey, that man lowyth the and dreddyth: and yf he haue condycions contrary, he Is envyous, and tellyth not by the; and like as he is to enchue, that hath defaute of kynde; of quyke coloure; So is he to enchue, and more, that fautyth any lyme atte his byrth, or hath in othyr manere the lymes dyfformyd̛ out of kynde: Suche bene to enchue as enemys, for to wickidnesse thay bene enclynet.

hE that complexcion in tempure hath, wych Is of meen [folio 75L] stature, he hath the eyen gray, the lockys browne, the

chyer laghynge; broune coloure or yelow mellit wyth reede, the body al holle and wel y-mesurid̛, ryght estature, the hede of mene quantyte, and lytill of speche but yf hit nede be, þe voice ne ouer grete ne ouer smale but meene, and wel harde, suche men sholdyst þou haue in thy company.

heere.

[folio 67b]

pLente of Lockys softe, tokenyth Bonerte and colde brayn̄e. Plente of Heere on euery ethre shuldris tokenyth foly and vncunynge. Plente of here in wombe and in breste, tokenyt oribilite and syngulerte of kynde and smalnys of vndyrstondynge and loue of body. Reede coloure tokenyth a man angri and vicious. Broune lockys and a-broune tokenyth loue of ryght and Iustice.

Eyen̄.

who-so hath ful grete eyen, he is enuyous and not shamefaste, slow and Inobedyente, and namely yf he haue Pale eyen: he that haue the eyen of meen gretnysse, blake or grey, he is of Parceuynge vndyrstondynge, courteyse and trewe; who-so hath longe eyen and straght, and the visage moch straght, Suche is malicious and felonous; who so hath eyen y-like an asse his eyen, he Is a sotte and of harde vndyrstondynge; who so hath eyen meuynge and fleynge and sharpe lokynge, he is a dysceioure, a thefe, and a giloure: he that hath rede sparkelynge eyen, his fierse and corageous: Eyen that bene whit y-freklet, or I-sprotid, or blake, or reede y-spratelid throgh the eyen, bene moste to blame amonge al otheris, and moste reprouabill; and suche a man is worst amonge al otheris.

Browes.

who-so hath the browes ful rogh, he fautyth eloquence: he that hath gret browes strechynge to the templis, Such is foule and lechurous: he that hath browes noȝt ouer thyke, of [folio 75bL] heere of meene Leynth, and grete y-now, he is of good vndyrstondynge and lyghtly Vndyrstondyth.

Noose.

hE that hath a sharpe noose and smale, he is wrethfull: And he that hath a longe noose and Sum-whate stowpynge and strachynge toward the mouthe, he is worthy and hardy: he

that hath a crokyd noose, he is hasty, malicious, and angry: who-so hath the noose-thurlis moche opyn, he is strongly angry: who-so hath a lei and Plate noose amyd, stoupynge to-warde the butte, he is a iogoloure and a lyer. And that noose is beste to Prayse that is meenly longe and menly brode, and the butte not ouer coppyt ne ouer Platte ne stowpynge, and the noose-thurlis menly grete.

Vysage.

who-so hath a playne visage and nothynge fleshy, he is a chydere, a barratoure, il-taght, wrongfull, and foule: who-so hath the face meen in chekys and templis, and Sumwhate fatte, he is sothefaste, louynge, vndyrstondynge, and wyse, compaygnable, honeste, and of good engyn̄e. Who so hath a grete mouth, he is chyualerous and hardy: And who-so hath grete lippes, swollen, he is a fole. And who-so hath the face ouer fleshy and ouer grete, he is vnvyse, enuyous, a lyer: who-so hath the face straght and wel y-mesurid, he is wyse and redy in his dedys, and of sutille vndyrstondynge. And who-so hath the visage litill and streyte, yelowe and discolourid, he is ful malicious, ful of vices, dysceyuoure, and dronklewe. Who-so hath the vysage longe and straght, he is angry. Who-so hath the temples swollen and the chekis also, he is ful angri. whoso hath the eeris full grete, he is a fole, saue in that wyche he hath lernyd. That wych he hath lernyt and vndyrstonde, he holdyth hit well, and wel hit remembrith. And whoso hath litill Eeris he is a sot, a thefe, and a lechurere.

[folio 76L] Voyce.

who-so hath the Voyce grete and Plesaunt and wel hardyn̄, he is chyualerous, Plesaunt, and eloquente. Who-so hath the voice meene betwen grete and smale, he is wise, Purueyaunt, veritable, and ryghtfull. Whoso hath the worde hasty, yf he haue a smale voyce, he is angri, fole, Enuyous, and a liere: And yf his voice be grete, he is angri and hasty. And whoso hath the voyce ful-swete, he is enuyous and suspicious. Ful grete swetnesse of voice tokenyth foly and vncvnnynge; Whoso in spekynge meveth [folio 68] oftymes His Handys, and makyth many contynauncys, He is enuyous. A Softe spekere is a dysceyuoure, And he that spekyth wythout meuynge of̘ handys, and wythout

chippes and contenaunces, He is of perfite vndyrstondynge, wel dysposid, and of̘ hole consaille.

Neeke.

who-so hath a smale neke, he sholde haue a swete voyce and wel y-harde, but he is vnvyse. Whoso hath the neke ful shorte he is voucheous, deceyuant, and trechure. And Whoso hath the neke ful grete, he is a fole and a gloton. And who-so hath the belly grette, he is a Sotte, wythout dyscrecion̄, Proute and lecherous. But a meen belly and a meene breste tokenyth heynesse of vndyrstondyng and of consaill. A broode breste hey vp-rerid and gret nynesse of shuldres and of the chynne, tokenyth Proesse, hardynesse, [164 in ink figures, in margin, about 1850?] wythholdynge of vndyrstondynge and of cunynge: the bake and the chynne whan thay bene ouer-smale tokenyth febilnesse and dyscordaunt kynde: Meenesse of breste and of ch[i]nne is a good tokyn̄, and is to Preyse.

Of the Shuldres.

whan the shuldres bene moche vprerid, thei tokenyth orribill kynde and vntrouthe; whan the armys bene longe and rechynge to the kneis whan thay ben straght, tokenyth hardynesse, Proesse, and fraunchise; and whan the armes bene ful shorte thay tokenyth lowe of dyscorde, and [folio 76bL] vncunynge. Longe Palmes and longe bake tokenyth good dispocicion̄ to many craftes, and namely to hand-werkys, and tokyn of good gouernaunce. A shorte grete bake tokenyth fooly and vncvnnynge.

Of the feete.

tHe fette gerte and fleshy, tokenyth fooly and lowe of wrongis; the feete litille and febill tokenyth febilnesse of kynde. Ful smale leggis tokenyth vnconyngnesse; grettnesse of leggis tokenyth streynth and hardynesse; grete brednysse of heelis and of leggis tokenyth febilnesse of naturall vertue, And tho that ham haue, bene neshe in maner of women. Whoso hath the Paas large and slow, he is wyse and wel spedynge in al his dedys, and who-so hath the Paas litill and Swyfte, he is suspeccious, of euyl will, on-myghty to werkys.

hE is wel dysposid aftyr kynde that hath tendyr flesh, the body nethyr ouer roghe ne ouer Playne, of meene estature,

of quyke coloure, wyth reede Sum-whate medelit, benure lokynge, Plente of lockys Playne Wythout moche cryspynge: The eyen sumwhate reede, opyn̄ and grete y-nogh, the heede rounde and of meene quantyte, the neke euyn̄ and wel dysposyd, the hede well y-mesurid̛, the shuldris sum-whate hangynge, the leggis and the knees synnowy and noght fleshy; the Voice clere and temperit betwen grete and smale, The Palmes longe and brode, the bake nethyr ouer grete ne smale, of lytill laghynge, fayre of semblaunt, sumwhat Ioyous. Many tokenys y haue tolde yow, but ye shall noght anoone yeue a Iugement ne a sentence for oone of the tokenysse, but ye shall gadyr wyttnesse of al the tokenys, and yf thay ben contrary, ye shall Iuge ther as moste of the tokenysse, and wych moste bene verray, ham accordyth.