Here begynneth the compost of Ptholomeus, prynce of astronomye: translated oute of Frenche in to Englysshe, for them that wolde haue knowlege of the compost.

¶ A dyuysyon & regyment of tyme / the whi∣che Ptholomeus vsed / after that the season and tyme requyred. Capitulo .viii.

AS for to remedy the sycke¦nesses / & infyrmytes that a man hathe / and to kepe hym from them that ben doubted to come / Ptholo∣meus sayth that the tyme / naturally chaungeth foure tymes in the yere: and so they deuyde the yere in foure quarters: that is Vere / Somer / Haruest / and wynter. And in eche of these quarters he dyd gouerne hym as the seasons requyred to his mynde / & the better it was for hym. And as the season chaungeth / so chaūged he his maner of lyuyn¦ge and doynge / and sayth that chaungynge

of tyme without takynge good hede often en¦gendreth infyrmytes / for that one tyme beho∣ueth nat / to vse some metes that ben good in another tyme / as that vsed in wynter is nat all good in Somer / & so of the other seasons. ¶ And for to knowe the chaūgynge of tyme after these sayd quarters or seasons / they con∣syder the course of the Sonne by the .xii. Sy∣gnes / & say that euery of the sayd foure quar∣ters and seasons dureth foure Monthes / and that the Sonne passeth by thre sygnes: that is to wete in Pryme tyme by Pisces / Aries / & Taurus / and these ben the monthes / Februa¦ry / Marche / and Apryll / that the erthe & trees reioyseth and chargeth with grene leues and flour{is} / that is a pleasur to beholde. In somer by Gemini / Cancer / and Leo: and the mone∣thes ben Maye Iune / and Iuly / that the fruy¦tes of the erthe groweth and rypeth. In har∣uest by Virgo / Libra / and Scorpio: and the monethes ben August / Septembre / & Octo∣bre / that the erth & trees dischargeth the fruyt{is} and leues / and that tyme euery body felleth & gaderyth the fruytes. In wynter by Sagit∣tarius / Capricornus / and Aquarius: and the monethes ben Nouembre / Decembre / & Ia∣nuary / that the erthe and trees ben as deed & vnclothed of leues / fruytes / & of all grenesse.

After the whiche .iiii. seasons / Ptholomeus deuysen the tyme that man maye lyue in .iiii. aeges / as youth / strength / and decrepyte / and lykened to the foure seasons of the yere. That is to wete / youth to Pryme tyme that is hote and moyste: and as the herbes and trees of the erthe groweth / so dothe man in youthe vnto .xxv. yere growe of body / in strēgth beaute & vygoure. Strength is lykened vnto Somer hote and drye / and the body of man is in force and vygoure / and enrypeth vnto .xlv. yere. Aege is compared vnto the tyme of Haruest colde and drye that man leueth of growynge and febleth / and thynketh howe to gather & spare for fere of defaute & nede that he cometh to stoupynge aege / and dureth to .lvi. yeres. Decrepyte is lykened to the season of wynter colde and moyste by abundaunce of colde hu∣mours & defaute of naturall hete / in the whi∣che tyme man spendeth that which he had ga¦theryd and kepte in tyme passed / and if he ha∣ue spared no thynge / he abydeth poore and na∣ked / as the erthe and trees / and dureth vnto lxxii. yere or more ¶ Prymetyme is hote and moyst / nature of ayre / and complection of the sanguyne. ¶ Somer is hote and drye / nature of fyre / & complection of the coloryke. ¶ Har∣uest is colde and drye / nature of erthe / & com∣plection

of melancoly. ¶ wynter is cold and moyste / nature of water / complection of the flumatyke. whan complection is wel propor¦cyoned / it feleth it selfe better disposed in the tyme semblable to it / than it doth in other ty∣mes. But for that euery man is nat wel com¦plectioned / they ought to do as Ptholomeus dyde / that is to take Regyment to kept them selfe after the seasons / and gouerne them by his rules and techynges / the whiche he vsed in euery quarter of the yere for to lyue the lon¦ger / wysely / and meryly.