Astronomical Lore in Chaucer Part 14

[145] _Studies in Chaucer_, vol. ii. 498, ff.

[146] "The Scene of _The Franklin's Tale_ Visited," _Chaucer Society Publications_, (1914); "Astrology and Magic in Chaucer's _Franklin's Tale_;" _Kittredge Anniversary Papers_ (1913).

[147] _Chaucer and His Poetry_, p. 186, ff.

[148] The princ.i.p.al aspects were conjunction, s.e.xtile, quartile, trine, and opposition, corresponding respectively to the angular distances 0, 60, 90, 120 and 180.

[149] _Knightes Tale_, A. 1084-91.

[150] _Tale of the Man of Lawe_, B. 190-196.

[151] _Ibid._ 197-203.

[152] _Troilus and Criseyde_, IV. 743-746.

[153] IX. 2576-2599.

[154] Her father, Egistes, because he feared her husband, bade her kill him by cutting his throat, and threatened her with death if she refused.

[155] In astrology the signs of the zodiac were called 'houses' or 'mansions' and each was a.s.signed to a particular planet. When a planet was in its house or mansion, its power was very great. Each of the planets had also a sign called its 'exaltation' and in this sign its power was greatest of all. The sign opposite a planet's mansion was called its 'fall' and that opposite its exaltation was called its 'depression'; these were the positions of least influence. Mars' mansions were Aries and Scorpio; his exaltation, Capricornus; his fall, Libra and Taurus, and his depression, Cancer. At the time of Hypermnestra's birth, then, we may suppose that Mars was in Libra, Taurus or in Cancer. If he was in Libra or Taurus, his influence would be suppressed by Venus, as these signs were in her mansions.

[156] _Knightes Tale_, A. 2453-2469.

[157] _Ibid._ 1087-1088.

[158] _Ibid._ 1328.

[159] _Astrolabe_, ii. 4. 21-25. The term "hous" is here used in a different sense from that in the pa.s.sage explained above, p. 120. The whole heavens were divided into twelve portions by great circles pa.s.sing through the north and south points of the horizon. The one of these just rising was called the 'house of the ascendant.'

[160] _Wife of Bath's Prologue_, D. 609-616. The line

"Myn ascendent was Taur, and Mars ther-inne"

means that at the time of her birth Taurus was just rising in the east and Mars was in this sign, and as Taurus was the mansion of Venus, the influences of the two planets would be mingled.

[161] D. 697-706.

[162] A. 3513-3518.

[163] III. 549-552.

[164] III. 624-628.

[165] 1-7.

[166] 8-14.

[167] 15-19.

[168] _Troilus and Criseyde_, IV. 260-266; 274-280.

[169] I. 1014-15.

[170] II. 967-973.

[171] A planet was said to be _combust_ when its light was extinguished by proximity to the sun. When Venus and Mercury were 'combust' their influence was lost.

[172] III. 712-718. It is sometimes hard to determine whether the beings prayed to are pagan G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses or heavenly bodies. This pa.s.sage makes it clear that the planets were identified with the pagan divinities.

In the rest of this prayer Troilus addresses Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, etc., as G.o.ds, referring in each case to some love affair, from ancient myth, that may win the G.o.d's sympathy and help.

[173] III. 1254-1257. The "wel-w.i.l.l.y planete" means the propitious or favorable one.

[174] V. 638-644. Troilus needs the aid of Venus especially on the tenth night after Criseyde's departure, because she had promised to return on that night.

[175] F. 129-130.

[176] II. 71-76.

[177] _Knightes Tale_, A. 1079.

[178] _Ibid._ 1084-1091.

[179] A. 1163-69.

[180] A. 1303-8.

[181] A. 1663-1672. This is the mediaeval Christian idea of destiny or the fore-knowledge of G.o.d, and is appropriately uttered here by the Knight.

[182] A. 2209 ff; 2271 ff; 2367 ff.

[183] Diana was called _Luna_ (or the Moon) in heaven, on earth, _Diana_ or _Lucina_, and in h.e.l.l, _Proserpina_.

[184] A. 2438-2446.

[185] A. 2453-2455; 2470-2476.

[186] _Troilus and Criseyde_, I. 1-5.

[187] _Ibid._ I. 6-7.

[188] II. 15-18.

[189] II. 48-49.

[190] IV. 1-14.

[191] V. 1037-1050.

[192] V. 1093-1099.