-
"Levati sut disse'l Maestro, in piede:
La via e lunga, e'l cammino e malvagio:
E gia il Sole a mezza terza riede." (Inf. xxxiv,)
Half-prime we have in Chaucer: -
"Say forth thy tale and tary not the time
Lo Depeford, and it is half way prime."
- (Reeve's Prologue.)
Definitions of these terms as given by Sir H. Nicolas and Mr. Thomas
Wright (Chron. of Hist. p. 195, and Marco Polo, p. 392) do not agree
with those of Italian authorities; perhaps in the north they were applied
with variation. Dante dwells on the matter in two passages of his
Convito (Tratt. III. cap. 6, and Tratt. IV. cap. 23); and the following
diagram elucidates the terms in accordance with his words, and with other
Italian authority, oral and literary: -
"Te lucis ante terminum."
X 12 6
.
Compieta. .
.
* 11 5
.
Mezza-Vespro. .
.
* 10 4
.
.
.
Vespro. X 9 3
.
. E
. c
* 8 c 2 P.M.
. l
Mezza-Nona. . e C
. s i
* 7 i 1 v
. a i
Nona. . s l
. t
# 6 i 12
. c H
Sesta. . a o
. l u
* 5 11 r
. H s
. o
. u A.M.
* 4 r 10
. s
Terza. .
.
X 3 9
.
.
.
* 2 8
.
Mezza-Terza. .
.
* 1 7
.
Prima. .
.
X 12 6
"Jam Lucis orto Sidere."
NOTE 4. - Valentyn mentions among what the Coromandel Hindus reckon unlucky
rencounters which will induce a man to turn back on the road:
