Hier begynneth the book callid the myrrour of the worlde ...

Wherfor god made the world al round. ca. ¶xix^o

God fourmed the world al roūd / ffor of alle the four∣mes that be / of what dyuse maners they be / may no∣ne be so plenere ne resseyue somoche by nature / as may the figure rounde / ffor that is the most ample of alle figures that ye may take example by / ffor ther is none so wise ne so subtyl in alle thinges ne somoche can vnderstande that may for ony thynge make a vessel / be it of woode or of stone / or of metall that may be so ample / ne that may hol∣de within it so moche in right quātite as shal do the roūde Ne fygure that ony may make may so sone meue ne so lyghtly make his torne to goo aboute / that ony man can vnderstande / but that it muste take other place than this to fore / sauf only the Rounde / whiche may meue round without takyng other place / ffor she may haue non other than the firste / ne passe one only ligne or Ray fro the place where she holdeth her in / wherof ye may see the natu∣re by a fygure squared sette within a rounde / o•• another

whiche is not

[illustration]

round / And make them bo∣the to torne / the corners of them that ben not roūde shal take dyuerce places / that the rounde se∣cheth not / and that may ye see by thise iij figures in one whiche ben here / of whiche that one is rounde alle aboute And the other tweyne / ye may see squared /

YEt is ther another thynge that ther is nothyng vnder heuen enclosed of what dyuerse facion it be / that may so lightly meue by nature as may the rounde / And therfore god made the world roūd / to this ende that it myght best be filled on alle partyes / ffor he wil leue no∣thyng voyde / and wille that it torne day and nyght / ffor it behoueth to haue meuyng on the heuen / whiche maketh all to meue / ffor alle meuynges come fro heuen / therfore it behoueth lightly and swyftly to meue / And without it ther is nothyng may meue▪