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VEt sewynge to the same matter by good proues that the good prynce ought to loue them / we wyll speke of the greate goodnesse that cometh therof. and maye come to wyse men suche as ben solem∣pne Phylosophres in speculaty••e / I•• ys wryt••n
that Athymonydes the Phylosophre kepte the ••yte of Sy∣racuse / that yt sholde not be taken by the Romaynes. ¶ And by wysdome and subtylyte he made suche instrumentes that the strokes of ••ngynes myght not noye ne hurte the ••yte / •• yet at the laste the ••yte was wonne. And whanne the Pryn∣ce of the hoost was within the towne she commaunded that no man sholdeslee that Phylosophre / but as the men of a••mes wente aboute to pylle the towne. •• knyght happened for to co me vnto the house of this Athymonydes. And there he foun∣de hym wrytynge fygures vpon the erthe / ••yke as these Geo metryens and Astronomyens doone. ••hen thys knyght as∣ked hym what he was / and he gaue hym no worde to answe∣re of his demaunde / for bycause that he was soo sore sette vp on that thynge that he made / ••aue onely that he sayd. I praye the hartely that thou trouble me not / of this thynge that I ma ke / but he forthe withall ••lewe hym. ¶ And for to speke of this Athymonydes he was a greate Mathematyey••n / ••o moche that some saythe that it was he / that founde fyrste the square or the sercle / of whiche Arystotle speketh of in his boke of pre∣dycacyons. Thoughe soo be he saythe / that it is a thynge that maye be knowne and lerned / yet not withstondynge y•• was well lerned in hys tyme / Also some sayth that thys Phyloso∣phre sawe by hys Astrologye howe he sholde dye / and tolde it before or he dyed. ¶ But when men asked hym why he wolde not departe frome that place where he sholde dye in▪ He sayde that the mouynge of the heuen helde hym ••o faste that he my∣ght not styre nor departe frome that place where he was in.
¶ wherfore yt showed that he was in the same opynyon that the Influence of Heuen dryueth a man to that / that shall fall of hym. ¶ For the whiche cause a manne maye see / that there is noone soo good / nor soo greate a clerke in the worlde / but in some thynges he maye ••••re and be dysceyued. ¶ For thys
may not be true as to the operacyon of the soule whiche maye werke at his owne lyberte and myght / for not withstondynge ony maner of inclynacyon of heuenly influence / she may chose what parte that she wyll▪ As Arystotle proueth in his boke of Ethyques▪ And in that ye maye perceyue and vnderstande y• parfyte reason and knowlege of Arystotle▪ For Theologye de∣termyneth playnely vpon the feete of our faythe / that the wyl whiche is free / maye not be constrayned by no maner accyon▪ For and it were so synne and vyce myght be somewhat excu∣sable / for as moche as the inclynacyons of man myght be con strayned by force: But as to the body it maye be true that in some thynges man is subiecte by his byrthe in dyuers accyōs of the heuens aboue / as in the foure fyrste qualytees▪ That is to knowe / in heete / in colde / in drynes & in moysture▪ For it is not in power of man▪ but in the somer he must haue heete / and in lyke wyse of all other▪ But in that that the body is subiecte vnto the soule / That is to knowe of the lyberalyte of free wyll I saye y• heuenly influence hath no domynacyon nor lord shyp thought so be that it may be true y• the heuenly accyons gyue to man many inclynacyons▪ As a man may se▪ ••olyte / Acche ••y••or other naturall styrynges / yet notwithstandynge that a man maye caste vpon his heede a brydell of areste / in luche wy se that he shall withstonde the dedes of all suche inclynacyons And to proue that this maye be true saythe Tholome whiche was a grete astrologyen▪ the wyse man he sayth hathe domy∣nacyon ouer the power of the sterres ¶ And to proue that this sentence is true▪ it appereth by that y• is wryten of Arystotle▪ that by his nature sholde haue ben an euyl condycyoned man but by his grete vertue he became a passynge wyse man and a temperat•• and well manered▪ And in this wyse he surmoū ••••d nature.