A treatise on the astrolabe
First published 1870 · English · 119 pages
- Science and nature
A prose instruction manual on the astrolabe, a medieval instrument for measuring the positions of the stars and sun and for telling time. Chaucer wrote it for a young boy named Lewis, explaining in plain English how the device works and how to use it. It is an early example of a technical work in English and shows the practical, scientific side of the poet.