Man, some vessels
of gold full of gravel or sand, some vessels of gold full of coals
burning, some vessels of gold full of water and of wine and of oil,
and some horologes of gold, made full nobly and richly wrought, and
many other manner of instruments after their sciences.
And at certain hours, when them thinketh time, they say to certain
officers that stand before them, ordained for the time to fulfil
their commandments; Make peace!
And then say the officers; Now peace! listen!
And after that, saith another of the philosophers; Every man do
reverence and incline to the emperor, that is God's Son and
sovereign lord of all the world! For now is time! And then every
man boweth his head toward the earth.
And then commandeth the same philosopher again; Stand up! And they
do so.
And at another hour, saith another philosopher; Put your little
finger in your ears! And anon they do so.
And at another hour, saith another philosopher; Put your hand
before your mouth! And anon they do so.
And at another hour, saith another philosopher; Put your hand upon
your head! And after that he biddeth them to do their hand away.
And they do so.
And so, from hour to hour, they command certain things; and they
say, that those things have diverse significations. And I asked
them privily what those things betokened. And one of the masters
told me, that the bowing of the head at that hour betokened this;
that all those that bowed their heads should evermore after be
obeissant and true to the emperor, and never, for gifts ne for
promise in no kind, to be false ne traitor unto him for good nor
evil. And the putting of the little finger in the ear betokeneth,
as they say, that none of them ne shall not hear speak no
contrarious thing to the emperor but that he shall tell it anon to
his council or discover it to some men that will make relation to
the emperor, though he were his father or brother or son. And so
forth, of all other things that is done by the philosophers, they
told me the causes of many diverse things. And trust right well in
certain, that no man doth nothing to the emperor that belongeth
unto him, neither clothing ne bread ne wine ne bath ne none other
thing that longeth to him, but at certain hours that his
philosophers will devise. And if there fall war in any side to the
emperor, anon the philosophers come and say their advice after
their calculations, and counsel the emperor of their advice by
their sciences; so that the emperor doth nothing without their
counsel.
