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1    Blake browys, thei sygnyfye gret dysposycion to lecchery;
2thei betokyn gret wyttys, hardenes allso off hert, and
3hardynes.
4    The eye lyddys sumtyme be fulle and in maner bolnyd off
5kend, and sumtyme thei be thynne; qwereffore this ys the
6sentens off myne autoure, - the ouerlyd off the eye, yff yt be
7bolnyd, yt sygnyfyyth a gret sleper; and yff yt be thynne,
8yt sygnyffyith the contrary.
9    The neder-lyd, yff yt be thyk and ful, yt sygnyfyith hastynes
10and sotelnes; yff yt be thinne, yt synyffyith the contrary.
11    Here determynyth myne autoure of tokynnys off the eyn
12most in specyal; for that thei be most euydent schewerrys
13off man and womannys dysposycion in generally.
14    In the begynnyng, ye schal conceyue that in euery hole
15eye be thre partys: that ys, the qwyte or the balle off the
16eye; the cerkyl or the roundel off the eye, the qwyche ys
17sum-tyme graye lyke the ey off a catte, sumtyme lyke the
18coloure off the fyrmament qwan the aer ys clere, sumtyme
19blak grey lyke the eyn off doggys, sumtyme odyr colourrys,
20as this chapetyr schal make mencion; the thyrd parte off
21the ey ys the syte, the qwyche ys yn the myddys, off one
22coloure alwey, the qwyche coloure ys blak; - and this ys
23the fyrst sentens of myne autour:
24    Eyn the qwyche be clene, as the drop off water schynyng,
25thei sygnyfye lyberalte and kendnes off hert, yff so be that
26odyr sygnys in the face acorde in godenes.
27    Qwan the ballys off the eyn be smale, thei sygnyffye
28dysceyuabylnes and sotelte off wytt, the qwyche be lykynnyd
29to appys and foxys.

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30    Qwan the one balle of a man or womannys eye be
31gretter than the odyr, yt betokynnyth malyce and
32wykkydnes.
33    Qwan the ballys off the eyn turne rownde in the hed as
34a qwele, yt muste be lokyd qwydyr thei meue bothe one wey,
35or ellys one one wey and a-nodyr a-nodyr wey; yff thei meue
36bothe one wey, thei sygnyfye a passyng vycyus persone, and
37fulle off crwell and euyl ymagynacionnys, and full off
38vengauns, doyng manslaught: and yff sqwyche maner eyn
39meue noght contynwally; but sumtyme thei meve inward,
40and sumtyme aboute, and sumtyme stonde stylle, yt sygnyfyith
41that her malycyus entent ys noght fulffyllyd; but that
42thei reuolue yt in her mend; that ys to sey, her malyce ys
43noght performyd in dede.
44    Eyn the qwyche be fast meuyng, yff the lyddys meue
45noght but qwan and qwan, thei betokyn sturdynes and boldnes
46off spyryte.
47    Qwan the ye lyddys meue faste in a manys or a womennys
48talkyng, and the eyi selff meue noght, yt sygnyffyith
49ferffulnes and faylyng off wyttys.
50    Thei that kepe her eyn stabyl, yff the coloure be pale off
51the eyn and slepi or dedly, yff that persone meue hys brouys
52in hys lokyng with a scharpe spyryte, yt sygnyfyith frowardnes,
53onwysdam, and gret passyonnys off wrath.
54    Thei that haue rede eyn, noght offtyn meuyng but stondyng
55stedfastely, thei sygnyfye dysposycion to lecchery and ontrwth
56and dysceyuabylnes.
57    Eyn stondyng alluey with moystur, smale in qwantyte,
58with a pleyn forhed, with meuyng eyelyddys, thei sygnyffye
59a gode wyt and a retentyff, and wele dysposyd to lernyng.
60    Eyn that meue faste and sodenly betokyn trobyl in that
61persone that hath hem, and that he ys syspicyus, and in tho
62thyngys the qwyche he purposyth to doo, longe or late to
63perform hem; and yff that parsonys eye-lyddes meue as
64faste as the ballys, yt sygnyffyith ferffulnes; and yff yt be

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65so that the eyn meue faster than the eye-lyddys, yt betokynnyth
66that in a nede that persone ys hardy and trwe.
67    Thei that haue slowe meuyng eyn in maner slepy, tho
68personys be off harde wyttys, slow in the begynnyng, and
69in the laste endyng hard.
70    Qwer-ffore myne autoure enclyneth rather to fayre bryght
71eyn, meuyng fast than meuyng slowly, as to the sygnyffying
72off wytty dysposycion.
73    Eyn the qwyche meue be no certeyn cours, but meue
74dyfferently, sum roundely, sumtyme endelyngys, yff the eyn
75be grete and dymme, thei sygnyffyie ontemperatnes off
76lecchery.
77    And this ys a generall reule, that euery eyi that ys continually
78moyste ys more commendabyl and more in vertuus
79sygnyffycacion, than that eye that apperyth drye.
80    Spottys lyke perlys in the balle off the eye, that ys to sey
81in the qwte off the eye, the qwych perlys or spottys be in
82the circuyte, rede, sangwyne, or yelw, or qwyte, thei sygnyffye
83enuyusnes, flatery, ontrwth, and dysceyuabylnes, and
84dysposycion to alle euyl, off alle vycys; fore off alle repreuabyl
85sygnys thise spottys, lyke to bleynnys, be the werst,
86qwat coloure sum-euer that thei be.
87    Now myne autour spekyth off the cerkyl the qwyche
88dyuydyth the qwyte off the eye in the be-holdyng fro the
89syte; - the syte, as I seyd in the begynnyng, ys the rounde
90blak spot in the myddys off yche seeyng eye.
91    Thys cerkyl off sundry colourys in ych eye doth appere;
92as blake, gray, and blw, lyke medely, the qwyche cerkyllys
93in sum thyngys varyi in euery creature in sum tokynne:
94qwer-ffore this tokyn muste nedys be wysely consedyrryd;
95for-as-myche as yt ys specyal in this syens.
96    Fyrst this ys the sygnyffycacion off browne cerkyllys,
97the qwyche be clepyd blake eyn in commun langage; but
98in this chapetur to swe myn autour, yt were noght proffytabyl

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99to the rederrys, noudyr to the hererrys. Qwerfore for
100a ground I begynne thus:
101    In euery man and womannys ey nest the qwyte, ther ys
102a cerkyl off sundry colourys, yff ye beholde yt wysely,
103the qwyche cerkyl hath a streys brede nere in sum eye, but
104yt ys chongabyl and varying in euery eye. And in this
105cerkyl, yff yt be wysely beholde, yt stondyth ful off spottys,
106alle maner off colourys representyng; but in specyal a fatyd
107blw, and a fatyd blak, that in specyal this cerkyl stondyth
108by; and be-syde thise ther be in that cerkyl pale spottys,
109or yewlu, or very red, or lyke to a rede that ys fatyd, or
110sangwyne, or dunne, or blwe; the qwyche colourys haue
111dyuerse sygnyffycacionnys, as I schal expres in this chapetur.
112    And ye schal conseyue that this hope in sundry eyn ys
113colouryd lyke the reynbow, noght with spottys, but one
114cerkyl with-in a-nodyr off sundry colourys. Moreouer, in
115euery eye wele dysposyd ther be tweyn lynys departyng this
116hope fro odyr partys off the eye; that ys to sey, fro the
117qwyte and fro the bal, the qwyche ys clepyd acyes; that ys
118to say, the scharp or the syte. This reule muste be vndyrstode,
119that ye may the more clerely vndyrstond odyr folwyng.
120    And alwey consyder this, that the most effecte, qwedyr
121yt be in gode or euyl, ys yff thise forseyd colourys be in
122her owne kend; that ys to sey, a rede, the qwyche ys namyd
123rede in this syens, to be very rede in hys kend, and so off
124alle colourys; for yff yt be so that myne autoure rehers,
125that he the qwyche hath rede lynys in the qwyte off hys
126eye, yff that rede be in hys kende, the betokynnyng ys the
127more effectual in euyl. Now affter myn autoure thus he
128be-gynnyth:
129    Blake eyn, the qwyche be in her kend, betokyn onmyghtynes
130off vertuus strengh, and euyl wyldnes, and
131dysposyd to gret getyng, and euer ther-vpon gredy, the

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132qwyche be namyd in Grwe thopotyoy . Be-syd thise blake
133eyn ther be odyr namyd blake yin, the qwyche qwan thei
134be sodenly beholdyn thei seme blake; for be that coloure
135thei stond most: but in thise yin ther be rede spottys,
136noght verry red in hys kend; but as a fatyd coloure.
137Thise betokyn a keend and a gentyl hert, dysposyd to
138honeste, and to rygtfulnes, and to haue a gret wytte, and
139to be hardy. And in sqwyche blake eyn, yff ther be spottys
140very reede and noght rounde, in maner rede as fyre, and
141with-in tho spottys ther be odyr off pale coloure, and odyr
142cerkyllys off yelw coloure with-in aboute the syte off the
143ye, qwydyr the balle off the ye be off blody coloure, or
144pale or with pyrlys; yff also sqwyche maner off yin meue
145fast, with-owte meuyng of the eye-lyddys, kepyng hem
146alwey opyn, - in that persone regnyth alle euyl dyspocycion
147off hastynes, and malyce, and crwelnes. And doctour
148Palemon, be exsampyl, concludyth vpon this tokyn in hys
149tragedy, the thyrd metyr, vp-on Herculys, qwere he
150begynnyth in aladis oculis . Cerkyllys blake in the qwyche
151ther appere sangwyne dropys or pale, conioynyd or medyld,
152euyl dysposycion and leccherusnes, thei betokyn; and the
153more pale that thei be, the more hardynes thei sygnyffye off
154sleyng off men, and vse off lecchery. But this ys the
155certytude off thise tokynnys: That the more apperyng and
156the bryter off colourrys that thise dropys be, the gretter
157euyl off crwelnes and malice and vycyus lyuyng thei betokyn
158in euery complexion.
159    A lytyl cerkyl off rede in a moyste eye with-owte
160scharpnes off coloure, yff no schappe off scharpenes
161appere ouer that cerkyl, yt sygnyffyith wysdam and ryghtffulnes
162and a gret wytt. And yff afftyr this blak cerkyl
163a pale cerkyl folw, yt sygnyffyith dysceyuabylnes and
164theuyschnes, nygardchyp, and leccherushed. And offtyn
165yt happyith that ther be as many colourrys in the cerkyl
166as apperrys in the reynbow; qwerffore yff sqwyche colourys

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167appere in the eye, the qwyche in the beholdyng ys drye thei
168sygnyffye madnes. And yff yt be so that this tokyn appere
169in a moyst eye, yt sygnyfyith gret hastynes, wysdam, and
170redynes to lecchery.
171    Qwan yt ys so that the eye in qwantyte be noght smalle,
172that ys to sey in opynnyng, in the grettnes off the
173balle, ner off the cerkyl, ner off the syght, yff the eye
174be noght fyx in consydyrracion, yt betokynnyth stabylnes
175off purpose. Eyn the qwyche meuyn vppward, as thow
176thei schuld beholde the fyrmament, thei sygnyfye maddenes
177and dysyrys off the flesch. And yff sqwyche maner eyn
178be offtyn twynkylyng, thei sygnyfye the more malice.
179Also sqwyche maner off eyn, yff thei be off pale coloure,
180thei sygnyffye so hasty dysposycion, that ther folowyth manslaught.
181And yff sqwyche maner off eyn be-ffore rehersyd
182be gret in qwantyte and red off coloure, thei sygnyffye
183gret bosturrys and gret dysposycion to lecchery and
184temperatnes off speche and grettenes off voyse; and the
185most dysposycion to alle vycys regnyth in tho personys the
186qwyche haue sqwyche maner off eyn. Eyn turnyng bakward
187in here meuyng, as folk do qwanne thei begynne to slepe,
188thei sygnyfye onmekenes, and that yt ys grete dyffyculte
189to plese sqwyche personys, thei be so froward. Eyn the
190qwyche ben clepyd gogyl-eyn, yff her meuyng be owteward
191to the ryght syde, and the stondyng off the syte be the
192same wey, thei sygnyffye foltyschnes; and yff thei meue to
193the lyffte syde, thei sygnyffye gret dysposycion to lecchery.
194    And yff sqwyche maner off eyn, that ys to sey gogyl-eyn,
195haue her meuyng to the nose-ward, yff thei be moyste
196and yff the browys mete nyghe to-gydyr, thei sygnyfye
197lecchery and lyberalnes and kendnes. And yff they be
198drye and myche staryng, thei sygnyffye onclennes and
199wykkydnes. And yff sqwyche maner off eyn be alwey
200twynkelyng, thei sygnyffye that he dar noght thynke no

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201wykkydnes ner frowardnes. Euery holle eye, be sympyl
202sygnyfycacion, betokynyth euyl; and qwan thei be grete
203and moyste, that tokyn reuokyth the vyce off the betokynnyng.
204Smale eyn, qwan thei be holle, thei sygnyffye
205enuyusnes. Eyn meuyng nere gret in qwantyte with rede
206lynys in the qwyght, thei sygnyffye ferffulnes and flatery.
207    Schynyng eyn and in maner styrtyng aboute, yff thei be
208pasyng grete, thei acord to the dysposycion off ryghtffulnes
209and wodenes. But qwan thei be of amenabyl gretnes, moyste
210and schynyng, thei sygnyffye gret nobylnes and gret ymagynacionnys
211off wysdam, dysposycion also to wrathe and to
212drynkyng off wyne, gret dysyre off wurchyp; also thei
213sygnyfye manffulnes and hardynes; - and sqwyche maner off
214eyn, myne mayster Offaryas seyth, Alysaundyr the conqweroure
215had. Eyn the qwyche be dymme, in maner to folkys
216beholdyng semyblynd, thei sygnyffye ontrwth; qwerfore in
217this syens euery bryght eye ys preysyd. Eyn the qwyche be
218scharp of loke, qwan thei be moyste, thei sygnyfye dysposycion
219to werre and to stryfe and off boldenes off hert;
220and sqwyche personys schuld be delyuyr in alle here werkys
221and wele auysyd, but yit thei schuld be schrewysch. And
222thei that loke scharply with smale eyn, holle and drye, thei
223be enuyus with-owte dyscrecion, qwan thei be meuyd, sotelwyttyd.
224This tokyn is more in the effecte qwan the
225forehed hangyth ferre ouer the eyn and the browys, gret
226bothe in qwantyte off flesch, and off herys gret multytude.
227Eyn the qwyche twynkyl and in maner lawgh with the
228chere, yff the eye off the self be drye, thei sygnyffye gret
229malyce. But this myne autour gretly doth note, that qwan
230the eyn smyle with the chere, yff the chekys, the browys,
231and the forhed meue and chonge in-to gladnes, this maner
232off laughyng ys repreuabyl; for sqwyche personys thei
233mene euyl and be ful off dysseyt; - extorcionerys, forsqwerrerys,
234and wayterrys to deprehend men off here speche,
235and in her talkyng to reporte euyl iff owte thei can gete

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236to iangyl off hem be-hynd hem to hyndyr hem; for the
237malyce off hem ys so grete, that yff thei myght slee a man
238with a word thei wold do yt. Myne autour seyth that in
239hys dayis he knwe many sqwyche personys that had this
240maner off laughyng, the qwyche personys yaue hem-selff
241for malyce to be vengyd, thral and bond, to the kynge
242off Egyppte, fro ther owne kyng; and he dampnyth this
243tokyn off alle tokynnys, seyng that thiis tokynis be trwe
244with-owte more addycacionnys. And I that translate
245this boke adde this off uery knowyng off personys lyuyng in
246my days: Among alle Englysch men I fynd many Northffolk
247men the qwyche haue this maner off laughyng; that I know
248be dysseyuabyl and fals off here behestys, passyng enuyus
249and fulle off malyce and euer onstedffaste, ontrw, and ful
250off lesyngys. Qwereffore as myne autourrys, - Arystotyl the
251gret phylysophyr, and Arystotyl the secunde, kyngys sone
252off Cryse, and Loxy, Phylemon, and Palemon dampne this
253tokyn, ryght so I dampne yt, counselyng them that schal
254rede this boke off alle sqwyche, for thei be noght to trost
255vpon, to be-ware.
256    More-ouer, thei that in maner loke mornyngly contynnually,
257and make a solen chere off dysposycion natural, and
258noght off pride, yff sqwyche a personys eyn be moyste, yt
259ys a tokyn off gret stody and gret laboure in many syens;
260and this tokyn ys moste trwe qwan the browys be pleyn,
261with a pleyn forhed. And yff yt be so that sqwyche a sad
262chere hath drye eyn, with a frounyng forhed, and a scharp
263loke, yt ys a tokyn off hastynes and off gret hardynes.
264Eyn the qwyche be contynually halff closyd and offtyn
265speryd with knyttyng off browys, thei sygnyffye euyl
266condycionnys off tecchys, theuysch. Eyn the qwyche be
267myche styrtyng a-boute, thei sygnyfye thoutys off inwarde
268troubyl or off vanyte; but the maner off thowghtys,

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269qwedyr thei be off gode or off euyl, be thise tokynnys ye
270schal knowe: for yff thei be moyst and schynyng, yff thei
271be gret in qwantyte, yff thei stond fere inward, yff thei
272be meke in the beholdyng, and soffte, thise tokynnys be
273off gode thowghtys; and yff thei be drye and dymme,
274smale, holle, harde, thei sygnyffye euyl thowghtys and
275ymagynacionnys.
276    Eyn the qwyche stare alwey, gret off qwantyte, thei
277betokyn vanyte and dulnes off wytt and frowardnes and
278leccherushed. Eyn the qwyche meue stylly, and offte stonde
279stylle demurely, and louely, sumqwat moyst in the beholdyn,
280tho personys be meke, stodyerrys in vertuusnes and louyng;
281and sqwyche maner off eyn be pale or rede, with drynes, thei
282sygnyffy gret hastynes and dysposycion to wodenes. Eyn the
283qwyche be purblynde naturally betokyn gredynes, intemperatnes,
284onwysdam and dysposycion to thefft. They that
285haue browys hangyn ouer the eyn, and in her speche meue
286bothe the eye-lyddys with the ballys, tho personys be ferfful.
287They that meue and lyfft vp the browys and the lyddys and
288sone letyth them falle, thei be dysyrerys off beute and fayrenes.
289    Sumtyme yt happyth that the ouyr eye-lyd ys rysyng in
290the myddys in the maner off a tryangyl, thus FIGURE OMITTED ; yt sygnyffyith
291men-sleerrys and ontrwe keperys off wedlok. The
292herys off the eye-lyddys, qwan thei be styff and blak, in an
293euyl-dysposyd face be physnomy, thei make bettyr the
294tokynnys, and thei adde to the sygnyfycacionys off prosperyte,
295sygnyfying strengh off hert and god dysposycion off the
296spyrytuwal membrys. Thus I leue off the tokynnys off the
297eyn, thow yt be so that here I determyne nowght fully; but
298be thise tokynnys yche wyse vndyrstonder off this boke schal
299perceyue myche more.