[Thus endeth the secrete of secretes of Arystotle]

& ¶Of the dyfference of astronomy.

ALexander fayre sone / I praye the / that yf thou may••t do it / that thou ry••e 〈◊〉〈◊〉 nor eate / nor drynke / nor do ony other thȳ¦ge / but by the councell of some that kno∣weth and hath the scy••̄ce in knowlegy ••∣ge the sterres and astronomye. And thou shalte wy∣te my dere sone that almyghty god hath made no∣thynge without cause / but hath done euery thynge reasonably. And by certayne scyences and wayes / the wyse phylozopher Platon sought and felte the operacyons of all thynges composed of the foure ele∣mentes / and the humoures contraryes. And hadde also the knowlege of the thynges created and formed And also my dere sone Alexander I praye the beleue not such fooles which say y^• y^• scyēce of y^• pla••••••••••s is so harde to be knowē / & that none maye come therto. Surely they be fooles and wo••e not what they say.

It is a noble thyng to knowe thynges whiche be to come. yf thou knowest the thynges whiche be to co∣me / thou and other {per}sones may put remedy by good prayers. And requyre the creatoure that hath ordey∣ned them to retourne theyr malyce / & ordeyne them otherwyse. Thynke not dere sone that god hath or∣deyned & predestynate such thynges / but that by his power he may chaunge them otherwyse whan he pleaseth. Wyte thou dere sone y^• y^• good people pray to our creatoure w^t orysons & deuout petycyons / by fa∣stynge & sacrefyces / by almesse & other maner / axyng of pardon of theyr synnes / & doynge penaunce / y^• our lorde may retorne & remēbre suche predestynacyons whiche other do feare so moche. ¶Retorne we dere sone to our fyrst purpose / wyte thou y^• astronomye is deuy••ed in .iiii. {per}tes. That is to wyte in ordynaunce ofsterres. In y^• dysposycyon of sygnes / & of theyr elon¦gacyons. Of the moeuynge of the son̄e. And this par¦tye is called scyence of astronomy: The other parte is of y^• knowlege of the moeuynge of the skyes & of the mone. And this partye is called astronomy. And is y^• worthyest / of sterres / planettes / & sygnes. And there is .M.xxviii. planettes sygned / and formed / of y^• whi¦che we shall speke more playnly.