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

Of the eclipse that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 atte deth of our lord god ca∣pitulo ¶vij^o

THus as the mone taketh away fro vs the light of the sonne / So it happeth oftyme that therthe taketh away the lyght of the mone as to fore is declared / But the Eclipse of the mone may not be in no wise but whan she apperith most full / ne theclypse of the sonne may not be but whan the mone is all waned and faylled and that we calle the coniuncion / but yf god whiche may all thin∣ge chaunge and deffete at is playsir make it to come or happene otherwise / lyke as it happed at suche tyme as our sauyour Ihesu cryste was on the crosse / at whiche tyme the lyght & bryghtnesse of the day faylled fro mydday vnto y^e ix hour of the day / & thēne was the mone vnder therthe at the fulle as moche as she myght be / whiche thenne in no wyse myght empesshe the lyght of the sonne / & the day at that tyme was as derke and obscure as it had ben propre nyght / whiche by nature at that tyme shold haue be bryght & pure / ffor whiche cause seynt dionyse whiche at this tyme is shryned in fraūce / & thēne beyng an estudyaūt in grece a paynem like a grete clerke as he was / ffor he knewe mo∣che of astronomye / whan he apperceyued this grete obscur∣te & derknes / he had right grete meruaylle / & fonde by astro∣nomye that this myght not be by nature ne by reson / that the eclipse of the sonne shold happe & falle in suche season / thēne saide he a derke worde in this maner / or the god of na∣ture suffreth grete tormēt by wronge / or all y^e world discor∣deth & shal desolue & faylle / as it that muste take an ende / & thought in hym self that he was a grete god that so suffred & that he had power & myght aboue all other goddes / as he that byleuid on many goddes after his lawe / thenne this

holy dionyse made an aulter in his oratorye alle aboue the other aulters & also a parte where as no persone repayred but he hym self only / by cause he wold not be reputed in mysbyleue / & whan it was made & he had seen it / he called it the aulter of the god vnknowen & worshipped & adoured hym / and helde hym for a right dere and grete god / It was not longe after this / that the holy doctour Seynt poul cam to this place where seynt dionys was / as he that knewe hym for a right grete clerke / And by commynyca∣cion and prechyng of seynt poul / he was sone conuerted by the helpe of our lord whiche wrought so therin / that thenne he had very knowleche how our lord had suffred his passion / ffor they were both̄e good clerkes as is more playnly conteyned in their legendes / And thus was the noble clerke saynt dionys bycomen a good and very crys∣ten man whiche all his lyf to fore had be a paynem / and he so employed his science & his tyme / fro that day forthon that it auaylled hym gretly to the helthe of his sowle / This eclipse deceyuid hym not ne this that he knewe as∣tronomye / but he bycam after a man of so good and holy lyf / that he gate for his reward the blysse of heuen / ye haue herd the fayt of eclipses yf ye wyl vnderstande them well / And ye shal not fare the werse ne the lasse auaylle you / ffor to knowe it may moche prouffyte to euery persone / ffor suche demonstraūces ben signefycacōns of grete werkes & thynges that ofte after happen & falle / This fynde wel astronomyers by Astronomye / as som∣tym scarcete and deffaulte of goodes / or of a grete derthe or warre / or deth of kynges or prynces / that falleth in the

world / as they may enquyre and serche by their science & reson / This Eclipse that was so grete signefyed the deth of Ihesu Cryst / And it ought wel to come otherwyse for hym / than for another / ffor he was and is by right lord and kynge of alle the world / and may deffete and desolue it / and ordeyne at his good playsyr / the other eclipses co∣men by nature whiche reteyne on therthe their vertues of thinges that ben to come / ffor it byhoueth alle to fynysshe and come to nought / alle that is on therthe & that shortly God made not the firmament ne the sterres for nought / whiche as sayd is goth tornyng ouer & aboue vs / And gyueth to the sterres names and vertues in heuen and in erthe / eche after his myght on alle thynges that hath growyng / ffor ther is nothyng but it hath somme power for as moche as it hath growyng / suche as it ought to haue by nature and by reson / we shal now for this present leue for to speke ony more of the eclipses / And shal re∣compte and declare of the vertue of the firmament and of the sterres / ffor who so wel knewe the vertue of them / he shold knowe the trouthe of alle suche thynge that is bynethe here on therthe by reson of nature / whether the thynge were obscure and derke or not /