The works of our ancient, learned, & excellent English poet, Jeffrey Chaucer as they have lately been compar'd with the best manuscripts, and several things added, never before in print : to which is adjoyn'd The story of the siege of Thebes, by John Lidgate ... : together with The life of Chaucer, shewing his countrey, parentage, education, marriage, children, revenues, service, reward, friends, books, death : also a table, wherein the old and obscure words in Chaucer are explained, and such words ... that either are, by nature or derivation, Arabick, Greek, Latine, Italian, French, Dutch, or Saxon, mark'd with particular notes for the better understanding of their original.

Speciall declaration of the Ascendent.

THe ascendent soothly is as well in all na∣tivities, as in questions, and as in e∣lections of times is a thing whyche y^t these Astrologians greatly observen, wherfore me seemeth convenient, sens I speake of the ascendent, to make of it a speciall declara∣tion. The ascendent soothly, to take it at the largest, is thilke degree that ascendeth at any of these foresaid times, on the East Ori∣zon: and therfore, if that any Planet ascend at thilke same time in y^e foresaid same, gree of his longitude, men say that thilke Planet is in Horoscopo, but soothly, the house of that as∣cendent, that is to say, the first house, or y^• East angle, is a thing more broad and large, for af∣ter the statutes of Astrologiens, what celestial body, that is five degrees aboue thilke degree that ascendeth on the Orizont, or within that number, that is to saine, nere the degree that ascendeth, yet reckon they thilke Planet in the ascendent, and what Planet that is un∣der thilke degree, that ascendeth the space of fifteen degrees, yet sain they, that Planet is like to him, that is the hour of the ascendent. But soothly, if he passe the bounds of the foresaid spaces, aboue or beneath, they sayne, y^• thilke Planet is falling fro the Ascendent, yet sayne these Astrologiens, that the Ascen∣dent, and eke the Lord of the Ascendent, may be shapen for to be fortunate, or infortunate, as thus: A fortunate Asecendent clepen they, when that no wicked Planet of Saturne or Mars, or els the taile of the Dragon, is in the house of the Ascendent, ne that no wick∣ed Plannet have no aspect of enmity vpon the Ascendent: But they woll cast, y^t they have fortunate Planet in her Ascendent, and yet in his felicity, and then say they that it is well. Furthermore, they sayne, that Fortune of an Ascendent, is the contrary of these foresaid thyngs. The Lord of the As∣cendent, sayne they, y^t he is fortunate, when he is in good place for the Ascendent, and eke the Lord of the Ascendent is in an an∣gle, or in a succedent, where he is in his dig∣nity, and comforted with friendly aspectes receyued, and eke that he may seene y^• Ascen∣dent not retrograde, ne combust, ne joyned with no shrewe in the same signe, ne that he be not in his discention, ne reigned with no Planet in his discentious, ne have vpon him none aspect infortunate, and then they sayne that he is well.

Nathelesse, these been observaunces of ju∣diciall matter, and rites of Painims, in which my spirit hath no fayth, ne knowinge of her Horoscopum, for they sayne, that every signe is departed in three even parts, by 10 degrees, and the ilke portion they cleapen a face. And although a Plannet have a latitude fro the Ecliptike, yet sain some folke, so that y^• Pla∣net arise in that same signe, with any degree of the foresaid face, in which his longitude is reckened. And yet is the Planet in Horosco∣po, be in nativities or in election