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THe Shepardes in a mornynge afore thee daye beynge in the fyeldes, be∣helde the fyrmament that was fyxed full of sterres, one among the other sayde to his felowe. I demaunde of thee howe many sterres be on the twelue
parties of the zodyake, that is vnder one sygne onely. The other Shepharde answered and sayde. Let be founde a piece of lande in a playne countrey, as v∣pon the playne of Salysbury, & that the sayde piece of lande be xl. myle longe and xxiiii. myle brode. After that let take great long nayles with great brode heades, as the nayles byn that be made for carte wheles, as many as shal suf••fyse for the sayde piece of lande. And let the sayde nayles be strycken vnto the heades in the sayde piece at lande, foure fyngers brode one from the other, tyll that the piece of lande be couered ouer from one syde to the other. I saye that there be as many sterres conteyned onder one sygne onely, as there shulde b•• nayles stycke in the forsayde piece of lande, and there is as many vnder ech•• of the other, & to the equypolent by the other places of the firmament. ¶Th•• fyrst Sheparde demaunded how wilt thou profe it. ¶The seconde aunswe••red and sayd that no man is bounden ne holden to proue thinges vnpossible•• & that it ought to suffice for Shepardes and touchinge this matter to beleu•• simply without to enquire ouer much, of that their predicessours Shepardes haue sayde afore.
¶Thus endeth the Astrol••••gy of Shepardes, with th•• knowlege that they haue o•• the sterres, planettes, and mouynges of the skies.
¶And here after foloweth the sayinge of the Shepa••••de to the plowman.