[Fol. 1.]
1. ¶ Here begynneth the boke of husbandry, and fyrste where-by husbande-men do lyue. Husbandmen live by the plough and by cattle. The mooste generall lyuynge that husbandes can haue, is by plowynge and sowyng of theyr cornes, and rerynge or bredynge of theyr cattel, and not the one withoute the other. Than is the ploughe the moste necessaryest 4 instrumente that an husbande can occupy. Wherfore it is conuenyent to be knowen, howe a plough shulde be made.
2. ¶ Dyuers maners of plowes. Different kinds of ploughs. There be plowes of dyuers makynges in dyuers countreys, and in lyke wyse there be plowes of yren of dyuers facyons. And that is bycause there be many maner of groundes and soyles. Some whyte cley, some 4 redde cley, some grauell or chylturne, some sande, some meane erthe, some medled with marle, and in many places heeth-grounde, and one ploughe wyll not serue in all places. Wherfore it is necessarye, to haue dyuers 8 [Fol. 1b.]
Somersetshire. maners of plowes. In Sommersetshyre, about Zelcester, the sharbeame, that in many places is called the ploughe-hedde, is foure or fyue foote longe, and it is brode and thynne. And that is bycause the lande is verye toughe, 12 and wolde soke the ploughe into the erthe, yf the sharbeame Kent. were not long, brode, and thynne. In Kente they haue other maner of plowes, somme goo with wheles, as they doo in many other places, and some wyll 16 tourne the sheldbredth at euery landes ende, and plowe Buckinghamshire. all one waye. In Buckynghamshyre, are plowes made of an nother maner, and also other maner of ploughe-yrons, the whyche me semeth generally good, and lykely 20 to serue in many places, and specially if the ploughbeame and sharbeame be foure ynches longer, betwene the shethe and the ploughe-tayle, that the sheldbrede myght come more a-slope: for those plowes gyue out to sodeinly, 24 and therfore they be the worse to drawe, and for noo Leicestershire, &c. cause elles. In Leycestershyre, Lankesshyre, Yorkeshyre, Lyncoln, Norfolke, Cambrydge-shyre, and manye other countreyes, the plowes be of dyuers makinges, the whyche 28 were to longe processe to declare howe, &c. But how so euer they be made, yf they be well tempered, and goo well, they maye be the better suffred. [Fol. 2.]
3. ¶ To knowe the names of all the partes of the plowe. Parts of the plough. Men that be no husbandes maye fortune to rede this boke, that knowe not whiche is the ploughe-beame, the sharebeame, the ploughe-shethe, the ploughe-tayle, the stilte, the rest, the sheldbrede, the fenbrede, the roughe 4 staues, the ploughe-fote, the ploughe-eare or coke, the share, the culture, and ploughe-mal. Perauenture I gyue them these names here, as is vsed in my countre, and yet Plough-beam. in other countreyes they haue other names: wherfore ye 8 shall knowe, that the ploughe-beame is the longe tree Share-beam. aboue, the whiche is a lytel bente. The sharbeame is the
5. ¶ The necessary thynges that belonge to a ploughe, carte, and wayne. Bows, yokes, &c. Bvt or he begyn to plowe, he muste haue his ploughe and his ploughe-yren, his oxen or horses, and the geare that belongeth to them; that is to say, bowes, yokes, landes, stylkynges, wrethynge-temes. And or he shall 4 lode his corne, he muste haue a wayne, a copyoke, a payre of sleues, a wayne-rope, and a pykforke. This The wain. wayne is made of dyuers peces, that wyll haue a greate reparation, that is to saye, the wheles, and those be made 8 of nathes, spokes, fellyes, and dowles, and they muste be well fettred with wood or yren. And if they be yren bounden, they are moche the better, and thoughe they [Fol. 5.] be the derer at the fyrst, yet at lengthe they be better 12 Iron-bound wheels. cheape; for a payre of wheles yren bounde wyl weare vii. or viii. payre of other wheles, and they go rounde and lyght after oxen or horses to draw. Howbeit on marreis ground and soft ground the other wheles be better, 16 bycause they be broder on the soule, and will not go so Axle-tree, linch-pins, and axle-pins. depe. They must haue an axiltre, clout with .viii. waincloutes of yren, ii. lyn-pinnes of yren in the axiltre-endes, ii. axil-pynnes of yren or els of tough harde 20 wodde. The bodye of the wayne of oke, the staues, the nether rathes, the ouer rathes, the crosse somer, the keys and pikstaues. And if he go with a hors-ploughe, than muste he haue his horses or mares, or both his hombers or 24 collers, holmes whyted, tresses, swyngletrees, and togwith. The cart. Alsoo a carte made of asshe, bycause it is lyghte, and lyke stuffe to it as is to a wayne, and also a cart-sadel, bakbandes, and belybandes, and a carte-ladder behinde, 28 whan he shall carye eyther corne or kyddes, or suche Cart-ladders. other. And in many countreys theyr waynes haue carte-ladders bothe behynde and before. Also an husbande Axe, hatchet, &c. muste haue an axe, a hachet, a hedgyngebyll, a pyn-awgur, 32 a rest-awgur, a flayle, a spade, and a shouell. And howe-be-it that I gyue theym these names, as is most comonly [Fol. 5b.] vsed in my contrey, I knowe they haue other names in other contreyes. But hereby a manne maye perceyue 36 Expense of husbandry. many thynges that belonge to husbandry, to theyr greate costes and charges, for the mayntenance and vpholdyng of the same. And many moo thynges are belongynge to husbandes than these, as ye shall well perceyue, er I 40 haue made an ende of this treatyse. And if a yonge husbande shulde bye all these thynges, it wolde be It is better to make than buy. costely for hym: wherfore it is necessarye for hym to lerne to make his yokes, oxe-bowes, stooles, and all 44 maner of plough-geare.
6. ¶ Whether is better, a plough of horses or a plough of oxen. Ox-plough and horse-plough. It is to be knowen, whether is better, a plough of horses, or a plough of oxen, and therin me semeth oughte to be made a distinction. For in some places an oxe-ploughe is better than a horse-plough, and in somme 4 places a horse-ploughe is better: that is to say, in euery place where-as the husband hath seueral pastures to put his oxen in whan they come fro theyr warke, there the oxe-ploughe The ox. is better. For an oxe maye nat endure his 8 [Fol. 6.] warke, to labour all daye, and than to be put to the commons, or before the herdman, and to be set in a folde all nyghte without meate, and go to his labour in the mornynge. But and he be put in a good pasture all 12 nyghte, he wyll labour moche of all the daye dayely.
And oxen wyl plowe in tough cley, and vpon hylly grounde, where-as horses wyll stande st[i]ll. And where-as The horse. is noo seuerall pastures, there the horse-plowe is better, 16 for the horses may be teddered or tyed vpon leys, balkes, or hades, where as oxen maye not be kept: and it is not vsed to tedder them, but in fewe places.
And horses wyl goo faster than oxen on euen grounde 20 or lyght grounde, & be quicker for cariage: but they be ferre more costly to kepe in winter, for they must haue both hey and corne to eate, and strawe for lytter; they must be well shodde on all foure fete, and the gere that they 24 shal drawe with is more costely than for the oxen, and Oxen are cheap, shorter whyle it wyll last. And oxen wyll eate but straw, and a lyttell hey, the whiche is not halfe the coste that horsis must haue, and they haue no shoes, as horses haue. 28 And if any sorance come to the horse, or [he] waxe olde, broysed, or blynde, than he is lyttell worthe. And if any sorance come to an oxe, [and he] waxe olde, broysed, or [Fol. 6b.] blinde, for ii.s. he maye be fedde, and thanne he is mannes 32 and they can be eaten. meate, and as good or better than euer he was. And the horse, whan he dyethe, is but caryen. And therfore me semeth, all thynges consydered, the ploughe of oxen is moche more profytable than the ploughe of horses. 36
7. ¶ The dylygence and attendaunce that a husbande shulde gyue to his warke, in maner of an other prologue, and the speciall grounde of all this treatyse. Take pains, keep measure, and be rich. Thou husbande, that intendeste to gette thy lyuynge by husbandry, take hede to the sayenge of the wyse phylosopher, the which sayth, Adhibe curam, tene mensuram, et eris diues. That is to saye, Take hede to thy charge, 4 kepe measure, and thou shalt be ryche. And nowe to speke of the fyrste artycle of these .iii. s[cilicet] Adhibe curam. He that wyll take vpon hym to do any thinge, and be slouthefull, recheles, and not diligent to execute 8 and to performe that thynge that he taketh vpon hym, he shall neuer thryue by his occupation. And to the same entente saythe our lorde in his gospell, by a parable. [Fol. 7.]
Luke ix. 62. Nemo mittens manum suam ad aratrum respiciens retro, aptus 12 est regno dei. The spirytuall constructyon of this texte, I remytte to the doctours of dyuynitie, and to the greate clarkes; but to reduce and brynge the same texte to my No man, putting his hand to the plough, &c. purpose, I take it thus. There is noo man, puttynge his 16 hande to the plough, lokyng backewarde, is worthy to haue that thynge that he oughte to haue. For if he goo to the ploughe, and loke backewarde, he seeth not whether the plough go in rydge or rayne, make a balke, 20 or go ouerthwarte. And if it do so, there wyll be lyttell Be not idle. corne. And so if a man attende not his husbandrye, but goo to sporte or playe, tauerne or ale-house, or slepynge at home, and suche other ydle warkes, he is not than 24 Do what you came to do. worthy to haue any corne. And therfore, Fac quod venisti, Do that thou comest fore, and thou shalte fynde that thou sekest fore, &c.
8. ¶ Howe a man shulde plowe all maner of landes all tymes of the yere. Times of the year. Nowe these plowes be made and tempered, it is to be knowen howe a man shoulde plowe all tymes of the yere. In the begynnynge of the yere, after the feast of the Epiphany, it is tyme for a husbande to 4 [Fol. 7b.]
Plough leas early. go to the ploughe. And if thou haue any leys, to falowe or to sowe otes vpon, fyrste plowe them, that the grasse and the mosse may rotte, and plowe them a depe square forowe. And in all maner of plowynge, 8 se that thy eye, thy hande, and thy fote do agree, and be alwaye redy one to serue a-nother, and to turne Lay the mould flat. vp moche molde, and to lay it flat, that it rere not on edge. For if it rere on edge, the grasse and mosse 12 wyll not rotte. And if thou sowe it with winter-corne, as whete or ry, as moche corne as toucheth the mosse wyll be drowned, the mosse dothe kepe such wete in it self. And in some countreys, if a man plowe depe, 16 he shall passe the good grounde, and haue but lyttel corne: but that countrey is not for men to kepe husbandry vppon, but for to rere and brede catell or shepe, for Beeting land with mattocks. elles they muste go beate theyr landes with mattockes, 20 as they do in many places of Cornewayle, and in som places of Deuonshyre.
9. ¶ To plowe for pease and beanes. Peas and beans. Howe to plowe for pees and beanes, were necessarye to knowe. Fyrst thou muste remember, whiche is [Fol. 8.] mooste cley-grounde, and that plowe fyrste, and lette it lye a good space, er thou sowe it: bycause the 4 froste, the rayne, the wynde, and the sonne may cause it to breake smalle, to make moche molde, and to Plough a square furrow. rygge it. And to plow a square forowe, the bredthe and the depenes all one, and to laye it close to his 8 felow. For the more forowes, the more corne, for a generall rule of all maner of cornes. And that may be proued at the comynge vp of all maner of corne, to stande at the landes ende and loke toward the other 12 ende; And than may ye se, howe the corne groweth.
10. Howe to sowe bothe pease and beanes. Sowing of peas and beans. Thou shalt sowe thy peas vpon the cley-grounde, and thy beanes vpon the barley-grounde: for they wolde haue ranker grounde than pease. How-be-it some husbandes holde opynion, that bigge and styffe 4 grounde, as cley, wolde be sowen with bigge stuffe, as beanes; but me thynke the contrary. For if a dry sommer come, his beanes wil be shorte. And if the grounde be good, putte the more beanes to the pease, 8 and the better shall they yelde, whan they be thresshed. [Fol. 8b.] And if it be very ranke grounde, as is moche at euery towne-syde, where catel doth resort, plowe not that lande, tyll ye wyll sowe it; for if ye do, there wyll 12 In rank ground sow beans. come vppe kedlokes and other wedes. And than sowe it with beanes; for if ye sowe pees, the kedlokes wyll hurte them; and whan ye se seasonable time, sow both pees and beanes, so that they be sowen in the 16 begynnynge of Marche. Howe shall ye knowe seasonable If the land sing, it is too wet to sow. tyme? go vppon the lande, that is plowed, and if it synge or crye, or make any noyse vnder thy fete, than it is to wete to sowe: and if it make no noyse, and 20 wyll beare thy horses, thanne sowe in the name of god. How to sow peas. But howe to sowe? Put thy pees in-to thy hopper, and take a brode thonge, of ledder, or of garthe-webbe of an elle longe, and fasten it to bothe endes of the 24 hopper, and put it ouer thy heed, lyke a leysshe; and stande in the myddes of the lande, where the sacke lyethe, the whiche is mooste conueniente for the fyllynge of thy hopper, and set thy lefte foote before, and take 28 an handefull of pees: and whan thou takeste vp thy ryghte foote, than caste thy pees fro the all abrode; and whan thy lefte fote ryseth, take an other handeful, and whan the ryght fote ryseth, than cast them fro the. 32 [Fol. 9.] And so at euery ii. paces, thou shalte sowe an handful of pees: and so se that the fote and the hande Cast them wide. agree, and than ye shal sowe euen. And in your castynge, ye muste open as well your fyngers as your hande, 36 and the hyer and farther that ye caste your corne, the better shall it sprede, excepte it be a greatte wynde. And if the lande be verye good, and wyll breke small in the plowynge, it is better to sowe after the ploughe 40 thanne tarye any lenger.
11. ¶ Sede of discretion. Seed of Discretion. There is a sede, that is called Discretion, and if a husband haue of that sede, and myngle it amonge his other cornes, they wyll growe moche the better; for that sede wyll tell hym, how many castes of corne 4 euery lande ought to haue. And a yonge husbande, and may fortune some olde husbande, hath not sufficyente Borrow discretion, if you have it not. of that sede: and he that lackethe, let hym borowe of his neyghbours that haue. And his neyghbours 8 be vnkynde, if they wyll not lende this yonge housbande parte of this sede. For this sede of Discretion hath a wonders property: for the more that it is taken of or lente, the more it is. And therfore me semeth, 12 [Fol. 9b.] it shoulde be more spyrituall than temporall, wherin Temporal things, when divided, wane. is a greate dyuersitie. For a temporall thynge, the more it is deuyded, the lesse it is: and a spirytuall thynge, the more it is deuided, the more it is. Verbi 16 gratia. For ensaumple, I put case a wyfe brynge a lofe of breade to the churche, to make holy breade of; whan it is cut in many smal peces, and holy breade made therof, there may be so many men, women, 20 and children in the churche, that by that tyme the priest hath delte to euery one of them a lyttell pece, there shall neuer a crume be lefte in the hamper. And a Spiritual things, when divided, wax. spiritualle thynge as a Pater-noster, or a prayer, that any 24 man can say, let hym teache it to .xx., a .C., or to a .M., yet is the prayer neuer the lesse, but moche more. And so this sede of Discrecion is but wisdome and reason: and he that hath wysedome, reason, and discretion may teche 28 it, and enforme other men as he is bounde to do. Wherein he shall haue thanke of god: and he doth but as god hath Matt. x. 8. commaunded hym in his gospell, Quod gratis accepistis, gratis date: That thynge that ye toke frely, gyue it frely 32 again, and yet shall ye haue neuer the lesse.
12. ¶ Howe all maner corne shoulde be sowen. [Fol. 10.] Bvt yet me thynkethe it is necessarye to declare, howe all maner of corne shuld be sowen, and howe moch vpon an acre most comonly, and fyrste of pease and An acre of ground. beanes. An acre of grounde, by the statute, that is to say 4 xvi. fote and a half to the perche or pole, foure perches to an acre in bredth, and fortye perches to an acre in London bushels. lengthe, may be metelye well sowen with two London busshelles of pease, the whyche is but two strykes in 8 other places. And if there be the .iiii. parte beanes, than wylle it haue halfe a London bushelle more: and yf it be halfe beanes, it wyll haue thre London bushels: and if it be all beanes, it wyll haue foure London busshelles fullye, 12 and that is half a quarter; bycause the beanes be gret, and grow vp streight, & do not sprede and go abrode as Beans worth more than peas. pease do. An acre of good beanes is worth an acre & a half of good pees, bycause there wylle be more busshelles. 16 And the beste propertie that belongeth to a good husband is, to sowe all maner of corne thycke ynough, and specially beanes and barley. For commonly they be sowen vpon ranke ground, and good grounde wylle haue 20 the burthen of corne or of wede. And as moche plowynge and harowynge hath an acre of grounde, and [Fol. 10b.] sowe thervppon but oone busshelle, as yf he sowed .iiii. busshelles. And vndoutedly .i. busshell may not gyue so 24 moche corne agayne, as the .iiii. busshels, though the .iii. bushels, that he sowed more, be alowed and set aparte. White, green, and grey peas. And i. busshel and an halfe of white or grene pees, wyll sowe as moche grounde, as two busshels of gray pees: 28 and that is bycause they be so smal, and the husband nedeth not to take so great an handful. In some countreys they begyn to sowe pees soone after Christmasse: and in some places they sowe bothe pees and 32 beanes vnder forowe: and those of reson must be sowen Feb. 2. betyme. But moste generally, to begyn sone after Candelmasse is good season, so that they be sowen ere the begynnynge of Marche, or sone vpon. And specially let 36 them be sowen in the olde of the mone. For thopinion of olde husbandes is, that they shoulde the better codde, and the sooner be rype. But I speke not of hasty pees, for they be sowen before Christmasse, &c. 40
13. ¶ To sowe barley. Barley. Every good housbande hath his barleye-falowe well dounged, and lyenge rygged all the depe and colde of wynter; the whiche ryggynge maketh the lande to be [Fol. 11.] drye, and the dongynge maketh it to be melowe and 4 ranke. And if a drye season come before Candelmasse, or sone after, it wolde be caste downe and waterforowed bytwene the landes, that the wete rest not in the raine: and in the begynnynge of Marche, rydge it vppe agayne, 8 Sow five bushels to the acre. and to sowe in euery acre fyue London bushelles, or foure at the leaste. And some yeres it maye so fortune, that there cometh no seasonable wether before Marche, to plowe his barley-erthe. And as soone as he hath 12 sowen his pees and beanes, than let hym caste his barley-erthe, and shortly after rygge it agayne: soo that it be sowen before Apryll. And if the yere-tyme be paste, than sowe it vpon the castynge. 16
¶ It is to be knowen that there be thre maner of barleys, that is to say, sprot-barleye, longe-eare, and beare-barley, Sprot-barley. that some menne call bigge. Sprot-barley hath a flat eare most comonly, thre quarters of an inche brode, 20 and thre inches long, and the cornes be very great Long-ear. and white, and it is the best barley. Long-eare hath a flatte eare, halfe an inche brode, and foure inches and more of length: but the corne is not so greate 24 nor soo whyte, and sooner it wyll turne and growe Bear-barley. to otes. Bere-barleye or bygge wolde be sowen vppon [Fol. 11b.] lyghte and drye grounde, and hathe an eare thre ynches of lengthe or more, sette foure-square, lyke pecke-whete, 28 small cornes, and lyttel floure, and that is the worste barley, and foure London bushels are suffycient for an acre. And in some countreyes, they do not sowe theyr barley tyll Maye, and that is mooste commonly vpon 32 grauel or sandy grounde. But that barley generally is Sow in March. neuer soo good as that that is sowen in Marche. For if it be verye drie wether after it be sowen, that corne that lyeth aboue, lyeth drie, and hath noo moysture, and that 36 that lyeth vndernethe, commeth vp: and whan rayne cometh, than sprutteth that that lyeth aboue, and often-tymes it is grene whan the other is rype: and whan it is thresshen, there is moche lyghte corne, &c. 40
14. To sowe otes. Oats. And in Marche is tyme to sowe otes, and specially vpon lyght grounde & drie, howe-be-it they wylle grow on weter grounde than any corne els: for wete grounde is good for no maner of corne; and thre London bushels 4 wyl sowe an acre. [Fol. 12.]
And it is to be knowen, that there be .iii. maner of otes, Red oats. that is to saye, redde otes, blacke otes, and roughe otes. Red otes are the beste otes, and whan they be thresshed, 8 they be yelowe in the busshell, and verye good to make Black oats. otemele of. Blacke otes are as great as they be, but they haue not so moche floure in them, for they haue a thycker huske, and also they be not so good to make otemele. 12 Rough oats. The roughe otes be the worste, and it quiteth not the coste to sowe them: they be very lyghte, and haue longe tayles, wherby they wyll hange eche one to other. All these maner of otes weare the grounde very sore, and 16 Observe how thick to sow. maketh it to beare quyche. A yonge housbande ought to take hede, howe thycke he sowethe all maner of corne, two or three yeres: and to se, howe it cometh vp, and whether it be thycke ynoughe or not: and if it be thynne, 20 sowe thycker the nexte yere: and if it be well, holde his hande there other yeres: and if it be to thynne, let hym remember hym selfe, whether it be for the vnseasonablenes of the wether, or for thyn sowynge. And so 24 his wysedome and discretion muste discerne it.
15. ¶ To harowe all maner of cornes. [Fol. 12b.] Nowe these landes be plowed, and the corne sowen, it is conuenient, that they be well harowed; or els crowes, Harrowing. doues, and other byrdes wyll eate and beare awaye the cornes. It is vsed in many countreys, the husbandes to 4 The ox-harrow. haue an oxe-harowe, the whiche is made of sixe smal peces of timbre, called harowe-bulles, made eyther of Harrow-bulls. asshe or oke; they be two yardes longe, and as moche as the small of a mannes legge, and haue shotes[23] of wode 8 put through theym lyke lathes, and in euery bull are syxe sharpe peces of yren called harowe-tyndes, set some-what a-slope forwarde, and the formes[t] slote[24] must be bygger than the other, bycause the fote-teame shall be fastened 12 to the same with a shakyll, or a withe to drawe by. This The horse-harrow. harrowe is good to breake the greatte clottes, and to make moche molde, and than the horse-harowes to come after, to make the clottes smaller, and to laye the grounde euen. 16 It is a greate labour and payne to the oxen, to goo to ‘The ox is never woe, Till he to the harrow go.’ harowe: for they were better to goo to the plowe two dayes, thanne to harowe one daye. It is an olde saying, ‘The oxe is neuer wo, tyll he to the harowe goo.’ And 20 it is bycause it goeth by twytches, and not alwaye [Fol. 13.] after one draughte. The horse-harrowe is made of fyue bulles, and passe not an elne of lengthe, and not soo moche as the other, but they be lyke sloted and tinded. 24 And whan the corne is well couered, than it is harowed ynough. There be horse-harowes, that have tyndes of wodde: and those be vsed moche about Ryppon, and Boulder-stones. suche other places, where be many bulder-stones. For 28 these stones wold weare the yren to soone, and those Tines of the harrow made of ash. tyndes be mooste commonly made of the grounde ende of a yonge asshe, and they be more thanne a fote longe in the begynnynge, and stande as moche aboue the harowe 32 as benethe.
And as they weare, or breake, they dryue them downe lower; and they wolde be made longe before, ere they be occupied, that they maye be drye; for than they shall 36 endure and last moche better, and stycke the faster. Horses for harrows. The horses that shall drawe these harowes, muste be well kepte and shodde, or elles they wyll soone be tyred, and sore beate, that they may not drawe. They must haue 40 hombers or collers, holmes withed about theyr neckes, Swingle-tree. tresses to drawe by, and a swyngletre to holde the tresses abrode, and a togewith to be bytwene the swyngletre and the harowe. And if the barleye-grounde wyll not breake 44 with harrowes, but be clotty, it wolde be beaten with [Fol. 13b.] malles, and not streyght downe; for than they beate the corne in-to the erthe. And if they beate the clot on the syde, it wyll the better breake. And the clot wyll lye 48 lyghte, that the corne maye lyghtely come vp. And they Rolling the ground. vse to role theyr barley-grounde after a shoure of rayne, to make the grounde euen to mowe, &c.
16. ¶ To falowe. Nowe these housbandes haue sowen theyr pees, beanes, barley, and otes, and harowed them, it is the beste tyme, Fallow in April. to falowe, in the later ende of Marche and Apryll, for whete, rye, and barley. And lette the husbande do the 4 Plough broad and deep. beste he can, to plowe a brode forowe and a depe, soo that he turne it cleane, and lay it flat, that it rere not on the edge: the whiche shall destroy all the thistils and wedes. For the deper and the broder that he gothe, 8 the more newe molde, and the greatter clottes shall he haue, and the greatter clottes, the better wheate. For the clottes kepe the wheate warme all wynter, and at Marche they wyll melte and breake, and fal in manye 12 small peces, the whiche is a newe dongynge, and refresshynge [Fol. 14, misprinted 16.] of the corne. And also there shall but lyttell wedes growe vpon the falowes, that are so falowed. For the plough goth vndernethe the rootes of all maner of 16 Never fallow in winter; else wedes, and tourneth the roote vpwarde, that it maye not growe. And yf the lande be falowed in wynter tyme, it is farre the worse, for three principall causes. One is, all the (1) rain will wash the land; rayne that commeth, shal washe the lande, and dryue 20 awaye the dounge and the good moulde, that the lande (2) rain will beat it flat; shall be moche the worse. An other cause is, the rayne shall beate the lande so flat, and bake it so hard to-gyther, that if a drye Maye come, it wyll be to harde to stere in 24
[Fol. 14b.]
17. ¶ To cary out donge or mucke and to sprede it. And in the later ende of Apryll, and the begynnynge of Carry out dung. Maye, is tyme to cary out his dounge or mucke, and to lay it vppon his barley-grounde. And where he hath barley this yere, sowe it with whete or rye the next 4 tyme it is falowed, and so shal he mucke all his landes ouer at euerye seconde falowe. But that husbande that can fynd the meanes to cary oute his donge, and to laye Lay dung on the land after the first stirring, it vpon his lande after it be ones sturred: it is moche 8 better than to laye it vppon his falowe, for dyuer causes. One is, if it be layde vpon his fallowe, all that fallethe in the holowe rygge shall do lyttell good; for whan it is rygged agayne, it lyeth soo depe in the erthe, that 12 it wyll not be plowed vp agayne, excepte that whan he hath sprede it, he wyll with a shouell, or a spade, caste out all that is fallen in the rygge. And if it be layde and soon after stirring. vpon the sturrynge, at euery plowynge it shall medle 16 the donge and the erthe togyder, the whiche shall cause the corne moche better to growe and encreace. And in somme places, they lode not theyr donge, tyll harvest be done, & that is vsed in the farther 20 [Fol. 15.] syde of Darbyshyre, called Scaresdale, Halomshyre, and so northewarde towarde Yorke and Ryppon: and that I calle better thanne vppon the falowe, and specyally for barley: but vppon the fyrste sturrynge, is beste 24 for wheate and rye, and that his dunge be layde vpon Spread it evenly. smal hepes nygh together, and to sprede it euenly, and to leue no dounge there-as the mucke-hepe stode, for the moystnes of the dounge shall cause the grounde to 28 Mix it with earth. be ranke ynoughe. And if it be medled with erthe, as sholynges and suche other, it wyll laste the longer, and better for barley than for whete or rye, bycause of wedes. Horse-donge is the worste donge that is. The 32 donge of all maner catell, that chewe theyr cudde, Doves’ dung. is verye good. And the dounge of douues is best, but it must be layde vppon the grounde verye thynne.
18. ¶ To set out the shepe-folde. The sheep-fold. Also it is tyme to set out the shepefolde in May, and to sette it vppon the rye-grounde, if he haue any, and to flyte it euery mornynge or nyght: and in the mornynge, whan he cometh to his folde, let not his 4 [Fol. 15b.] shepe out anone, but reyse theym vp, and let them stande stylle good season, that they may donge and See if the sheep have maggots. pysse. And go amonge them to se whether any of them haue any mathes, or be scabbed: and se them 8 thre or foure tymes on the oone syde, and as ofte on the other syde. And whan the kelles begonne besyde the grounde, than lette theym out of the folde, and dryue theym to the soundest place of the felde. But 12 Folding sheep is not a good plan. he that hath a falowe felde, seueral to hym-selfe, let hym occupie no folde. For foldynge of shepe maketh them scabbed, and bredeth mathes; and whanne a storme of yll wether commeth in the night, they can 16 nat flee nor go awaye, and that appeyreth them sore of their flesshe. But lette that man that hath such a Drive stakes in the field. seueral falowe-felde, driue twentie, thyrty, or forty stakes, accordynge to the nombre of his shepe, vpon his falowe, 20 where he wolde sette his folde, and specially in the farthest parte of the fyelde frome thense as they comme in, for the goynge vppon dothe moche good. And lette the sheparde brynge his shepe to the stakes, and 24 The sheep will rub against them. the sheepe wylle rubbe them on the stakes. And lette the sheparde goo aboute them, tyll they be sette, and thus serue theym two or three nyghtes, and they wyll folowe those stakes, as he flytteth them, and syt by 28 [Fol. 16, misprinted 14.] them. And if any yll wether come, they will ryse vp, and go to the hedge. And this maner of foldynge shall brede noo mathes nor scabbe, nor appeyre theym of theyr flesshe, and shall be a greate sauegarde to the 32 shepe for rottynge: and in the mornynge put them out of theyr pasture, and thou shalte not nede to bye any Use no hurdles. hurdels nor shepe-flekes; but howe ye shall salue them or dresse them, ye shall vnderstande in the chaypter of 36 shepe after.
19. ¶ To cary wodde and other necessaryes. In May carry wood. And in May, whan thou hast falowed thy grounde, and set oute thy shepefolde, and caryed oute thy dounge or mucke, if thou haue any wodde, cole, or tymbre to cary, or suche other busynes, that muste nedes be doone, 4 with thy charte or wayne, than is it tyme to do it. For The days are then long. than the waye is lyke to be fayre and drye, and the days longe, and that tyme the husbande hath leeste to doo in husbandry. Perauenture I set one thynge to be done at 8 one tyme of the yere, and if the husbande shulde do it, it shulde be a greatter losse to hym in an other thynge. [Fol. 16b.] Wherefore it is moste conuenient to do that thynge fyrst, that is moste profytable to hym, and as soone as he 12 can, do the other labour.
20. ¶ To knowe dyuers maner of wedes. In June weed the corn. In the later ende of Maye, and the begynnynge of June, is tyme to wede thy corne. There be diuers maner of wedes, as thistyls, kedlokes, dockes, cocledrake, darnolde, gouldes, haudoddes, dogfenell, mathes, ter, 4 and dyuers other small wedes. But these be they that Thistles. greue mooste: The thistyll is an yll wede, roughe and sharpe to handell, and freteth away the cornes nygh it, and causeth the sherers or reapers not to shere cleane. 8 Charlock. Kedlokes hath a leafe lyke rapes, and beareth a yelowe floure, and is an yll wede, and groweth in al maner corne, and hath small coddes, and groweth lyke mustard sede. Docks. Dockes have a brode lefe, and diuers high spyres, and 12 Cockle. very small sede in the toppe. Cockole hath a longe small lefe, and wyl beare fyue or vi. floures of purple colour, as brode as a grote, and the sede is rounde and blacke, and maye well be suffred in a breade-corne, but not in sede, 16 ‘Drake.’ for therin is moche floure. Drake is lyke vnto rye, till it [Fol. 17.] begynne to sede, and it hath many sedes lyke fenell-sedes, and hangeth downewarde, and it maye wel be suffred in breade, for there is moche floure in the sede: and it is an 20 Darnel. opinion that it commeth of rye, &c. Dernolde groweth vp streyght lyke an hye grasse, and hath longe sedes on eyther syde the sterte, and there is moche floure in that sede, and growethe moche amonge barley: and it is 24 Golds. sayde, that it cometh of small barley. Golds hath a shorte iagged lefe, and groweth halfe a yarde hygh, and hath a yelowe floure, as brode as a grote, and is an yll wede, and Hawdod. groweth commonlye in barleye and pees. Hawdod hath 28 a blewe floure, and a fewe lyttell leues, and hath .v. or syxe braunches, floured in the toppe: and groweth comonly in Dog-fennel. rye vpon leane grounde, and dothe lyttel hurte. Dogge-fenell and mathes is bothe one, and in the commynge vp 32 is lyke fenell and beareth many white floures, with a yelowe sede: and is the worste wede that is, excepte terre, and it commeth moste commonly, whan great wete commeth Tares. shortly after the corne is sowen. Terre is the 36 worste wede, and it neuer dothe appere tyll the moneth of June, and specyallye whanne there is great wete in that mone, or a lyttell before, and groweth mooste in rye, and it groweth lyke fytches, but it is moche smaller, and 40 [Fol. 17b.] it wyll growe as hyghe as the corne, and with the weyght therof it pulleth the corne flatte to the erth, and freteth the eares away; wherfore I haue seene housbandes mowe downe the corne and it together: And also with sharp 44 hokes to repe it, as they doo pees, and made drye, and than it wyll be good fodder.
Dee-nettles. There be other wedes not spoken of, as dee-nettylles, Dodder. dodder, and suche other, that doo moche harme. 48
21. ¶ Howe to wede corne. How to weed. Nowe it wolde be knowen, howe these cornes shulde be weded. The chyefe instrument to wede with is a paire of tonges made of wode, and in the farther ende it is nycked, to holde the wed faster; and after a shoure of 4 raine it is beste wedynge, for than they maye be pulled vp by the rotes, and than it cometh neuer agayne. And Weeding-hook. if it be drye wether, than muste ye haue a wedynge-hoke with a socket set vpon a lyttel staffe of a yarde longe, and 8 this hoke wolde be well steeled, and grounde sharpe bothe Forked stick. behynde and before. And in his other hande he hath a forked stycke a yarde longe, and with his forked stycke [Fol. 18.] he putteth the wede from hym, and he putteth the hoke 12 beyond the rote of the wede, and pulleth it to hym, and cutteth the wede fast by the erthe, and with his hoke he taketh up the wede, and casteth it in the reane, and if the reane be full of corne, it is better it stande styll, 16 whan it is cut, and wyddre: but let hym beware, that he trede not to moche vppon the corne, and specyallye after Cut not the corn. it is shotte, and whan he cutteth the wede, that he cut not the corne: and therefore the hoke wolde not passe 20 an inche wyde. And whanne the wede is soo shorte, that he can not with his forked stycke put it from hym, and with the hoke pull it to hym, thanne muste he set his hoke vppon the wede, fast by the erthe, and put it 24 from hym, and so shall he cutte it cleane. And with Stoop not. these two instruments, he shall neuer stoupe to his warke. Dogfenell, goldes, mathes, and kedlokes are yll to wede after this maner, they growe vppon so many braunches, 28 Pull up darnel. harde by the erthe: and therfore they vse most to pul them vppe with theyr handes; but loke well, that they pull not vppe the corne with all; but as for terre, there wyll noo wedynge serue. 32
22. ¶ The fyrst sturrynge. [Fol. 18b.] Also in June is tyme to rygge vppe the falowe, the whiche is called the fyrst sturrynge, and to plowe it as depe as thou canste, for to tourne the rotes of the wedes vpwarde, that the sonne and the drye wether maye kyll 4 them. And an housbande can not conuenyentelye plowe How to plough and load out dung. his lande, and lode out his dounge bothe vppon a daye, with one draughte of beastes: but he maye well lode oute his dounge before none, and lode heye or corne at-after 8 none: or he maye plowe before none, and lode hey or corne at-after none, with the same draughte, and noo hurte to the cattell: bycause in lodynge of hey or corne, the cattel is alwaye eatynge or beytynge, and soo they 12 can not doo in lodynge of dounge and plowynge.
23. ¶ To mowe grasse. End of June. Also in the later ende of June is tyme to begyn to mowe, if thy medowe be well growen: but howe-so-euer July. they be growen, in July they muste nedes mowe, for diuers causes. One is, it is not conuenient to haue hey 4 Mow hay early. and corne bothe in occupation at one tyme. An other is, the yonger and the grener that the grasse is, the softer [Fol. 19.] and the sweter it wyll be, whan it is hey, but it wyll haue the more wyddrynge; and the elder the grasse is, the 8 harder and dryer it is, and the worse for al maner of cattell: for the sedes be fallen, the whiche is in maner of prouander, and it is the harder to eate and chowe. And an other cause is, if drye wether come, it wyll drye 12 and burne vpon the grounde, and waste away. Take How to mow. hede that thy mower mow clene and holde downe the hynder hand of his sith, that he do not endent the grasse, and to mowe his swathe cleane thorowe to that that 16 was laste mowen before, that he leaue not a mane bytwene, and specyallye in the common medowe: for in the seuerall medowe it maketh the lesse charge, and that Mole-hills. the moldywarpe-hilles be spredde, and the styckes cleane 20 pycked out of the medowe in Apryll, or in the beginnynge of Maye.
24. ¶ Howe forkes and rakes shulde be made. Forks and rakes. A Good husbande hath his forkes and rakes made redye in the wynter before, and they wolde be gotte bytwene Mighelmasse and Martylmasse, and beyked, and [Fol. 19b.] sette euen, to lye vpryght in thy hande: and than they 4 wyll be harde styffe and drye. And whan the housbande sytteth by the fyre, and hath nothynge to do, than maye he make theym redye, and tothe the rakes with drye wethy-wode, Bore holes for the teeth of the rakes. and bore the holes with his wymble, bothe aboue 8 and vnder, and driue the tethe vpwarde faste and harde, and than wedge them aboue with drye woode of oke, for that is hard, and wil driue and neuer come out. And if he get them in sappe-tyme, all the beykyng and drienge 12 that can be had shal not make them harde and styffe, Use hazel and withy. but they woll alwaye be plyenge: for they be moste comonly made of hasell and withee, and these be the trees that blome, and specially hasell: for it begynneth 16 Use no green wood. to blome as sone as the lefe is fallen. And if the rake be made of grene woode, the heed wyll not abyde vppon the stele, and the tethe wyll fall out, whan he hath mooste nede to them, and let his warke, and lose 20 Make all evenly. moche heye. And se that thy rake and forke lye vpryghte in thy hand, for and the one ende of thy rake, or the syde of thy forke, hang downe-warde, than they be not handsome nor easy to worke with. 24
25. ¶ To tedde and make hay. [Fol. 20.] Whan thy medowes be mowed, they wolde be well Tedding hay. tedded and layde euen vppon the grounde: and if the grasse be very thycke, it wolde be shaken with handes, Ted hay carefully. or with a shorte pykforke. For good teddynge is the 4 chiefe poynte to make good hey, and than shall it be wyddred all in lyke, or elles not: and whan it is wel wyddred on the ouer syde, and dry, than turne it cleane before noone, as soone as the dewe is gone: And yf thou 8 dare truste the wether, lette it lye so all nyghte: and on the nexte daye, tourne it agayne before none, and towarde nyght make it in wyndrowes, and than in smal Hay-cocks. hey-cockes, and so to stande one nyghte at the leaste, and 12 sweate: and on the nexte fayre day caste it abrode agayne, and tourne it ones or twyse, and than make it Larger hay-cocks. in greatter hey-cockes, and to stande so one nyght or more, that it maye vngiue and sweate. For and it sweate 16 not in the hey-cockes, it wyll sweate in the mowe; and than it wyll be dustye, and not holsome for hors, beastes, nor shepe. And whan it standeth in the cockes, it is better to lode, and the more hey maye be loded at a lode, 20 Quich-hay. and the faster it wyll lye. Quyche-hey commeth of a grasse called crofote, and groweth flatte, after the erthe, [Fol. 20b.] and bearethe a yelowe floure halfe a yarde hygh and more, and hath many knottes towarde the roote, and it 24 is the beste hey for horses and beastes, and the sweteste, if it be well got; but it wyll haue moch more wyddrynge than other hey, for els he wyll be-pysse hym-selfe and How to know when hay is dry. waxe hote, and after dustye. And for to knowe whanne 28 it is wyddred ynoughe, make a lyttell rope of the same, that ye thinke shulde be moste greneste, and twyne it as harde to-gether bytwen your handes as ye canne, and soo Twist a wisp, and then cut it. beynge harde twon, let one take a knyfe, and cut it faste 32 by your hande; and the knottes wyll be moyste, yf it be not drye ynough. Shorte hey, and leye-hey, is good for shepe, and all maner of catell, if it be well got. A man maye speke of makynge of hey, and gettynge of corne, 36 but god disposeth and ordreth all thynge.
26. ¶ Howe rye shulde be shorne. In July, shear rye. In the later ende of July, or in the begynnynge of Auguste, is tyme to shere Rye, the whiche wolde be shorne cleane, and faste bounden. And in somme places they mowe it, the whiche is not soo good to the 4 housbandes profytte, but it is the sooner done. For [Fol. 21.] whan it is mowen, it wyll not be so fast bounden: and he can not gather it soo cleane, but there wyll be moche losse, and taketh more rowme in the barne than shorne 8 corne dothe. And also it wyll not kepe nor saue it selfe from rayne or yll wether, whan it standeth in the couer, as the shorne corne wyll do.
27. ¶ Howe to shere wheate. Shear wheat clean. Wheate wolde be shorne cleane, and harde bounden in lyke maner; but for a generall rule, take good hede, that the sherers of all maner of whyte corne cast not vppe theyr handes hastely, for thanne all the lose corne, 4 and the strawes, that he holdeth not fast in his hande, flieth ouer his heed, and are loste: and also it wyll pull of the eares, and specyallye of the cornes that be verye Shear wheat clean. rype. In somme places they wyll shere theyr cornes 8 hyghe, to the entente to mowe theyr stubble, eyther to thacke or to bren: if they so do, they haue greate cause to take good hede of the sherers. For if the eares of corne croke downe to the erthe, and the sherer take 12 not good hede, and put up the eare er he cut the strawe: as many eares as be vnder his hoke or sicle Fol. 21b. fall to the erthe, and be loste; and whan they mowe the stubble, it is great hyndraunce to the profytte of 16 Near Ilchester and Martock they shear low. the grounde. And in Sommersetshire, about Zelcestre and Martok, they doo shere theyr wheate very lowe, and all the wheate-strawe that they pourpose to make thacke of, they do not thresshe it, but cutte of the 20 eares, and bynde it in sheues, and call it rede: and therwith they thacke theyr houses. And if it be a Best kind of thatching. newe house, they thacke it vnder theyr fote: the whiche is the beste and the surest thacking that can 24 be of strawe, for crowes and douues shall neuer hurte it.
28. To mowe or shere barley and otes. Mow barley and oats. Barley and otes be moste commonly mowen, and a man or woman folowythe the mower with a hande-rake halfe a yarde longe, with .vii. or .viii. tethe, in the lyfte hande, and a syckle in the ryghte hande, and 4 with the rake he gethereth as moche as wyll make a shefe. And thanne he taketh the barley or otes by the toppes, and pulleth out as moche as wil make a band, and casteth the band from him on the land, and with his 8 rake and his syckle taketh vp the barley or otes, & [Fol. 22.] layeth them vppon the bande, and so the barley lyeth vnbounden .iii. or .iiii. dayes, if it be fayre wether, and than to bynde it. And whan the barley is ledde 12 Rake afterwards. away, the landes muste be raked, or els there wyll be moche corne loste, and if the barley or otes lye, they muste nedes be shorne.
29. ¶ To repe or mowe pees and beanes. Reap or mow peas and beans. Pees and benes be moste commonly laste reped or mowen, of diuers maners, some with sickles, some with hokes, and some with staffe-hokes. And in some places they lay them on repes, and whan they be dry, 4 they laye them to-gether on heapes, lyke hey-cockes, and neuer bynde them. But the beste way is, whan Bind them together. the repes be dry, to bynde them, and to set theym on the rydge of the landes three sheues to-gether; and 8 loke that your sherers, repers, or mowers geld not Cut beans low. your beanes, that is to saye, to cutte the beanes so hye, that the nethermoste codde growe styll on the stalke; and whan they be bounden, they are the more redyer 12 to lode and vnlode, to make a reke, and to take fro the mowe to thresshe. And soo be not the repes. [Fol. 22b.]
30. ¶ Howe all maner of cornes shulde be tythed. How to tithe. Nowe that all these cornes before specyfyed be shorne, mowed, reped, bounden vp, and layde vppon the rydge of the lande, lette the housbande take hede of goddes commaundemente, and let hym goo 4 Count 9 sheaves, and cast out the tenth. to the ende of his lande, and begynne and tell .ix. sheues, and let hym caste out the .x. shefe in the name of god, and so to pervse from lande to lande, tyll he haue trewely tythed all his corne. And beware, 8 and take hede of the sayinge of our lorde by his Malachi iii. 8, 9. prophete Malachias, the whiche saythe, Quia michi non dedisti decimas et primitias, id circo in fame et penuria maledicti estis. That is to saye, Bycause ye haue not 12 gyuen to me your tythes, and your fyrste-fruytes, therefore ye be cursed, and punysshed with honger and Augustine. penury. And accordynge to that saynte Austyn saythe: Da decimas, alioqui incides in decimam partem angelorum 16 Give tithes truly. qui de celo corruerunt in infernum. That is to say, Gyue thy tythes truely, or els thou shalt fall amonge the tenthe parte of aungelles that felle from heuen in-to hell, the whiche is an harde worde to euery man, that oughte to 20 [Fol. 23.] gyue tythes, and doth not gyue them truely. But saynte Augustine. Austyne saythe a comfortable worde again, to them that gyue theyr tythes truely, that is to saye: DecimÆ sunt Tithes are tributes to the needy. tributa egentium animarum: Tythes are tributes or 24 rewardes to nedye soules. And ferther he saythe: Si decimam dederis, non solum abundantiam fructum recipies, sed etiam sanitatem corporis et animÆ consequeris, That is to saye, If thou haue gyuen thy tythes truely, thou 28 shalte not onely receyue the profite, and the abundaunce of goodes, but also helthe of bodye and soule shall folowe. Wolde to god, that euerye man knewe the harde worde of our lorde by his prophete Malachias, 32 and also the comfortable wordes of the holy saynte Austyn. For than wolde I truste verely, that tythes shulde be truely gyuen.
31. ¶ Howe all maner of corne shulde he couered. How to cover corn. Nowe these cornes be shorne and bounden, and the tithes cast out, it is tyme to couer theym, shoke theym, or halfe-throne them, but couerynge is the beste waye [Fol. 23b.] of all maner of whyte corne. And that is, to set foure 4 sheues on one syde, and .iiii. sheues on the other syde, Set ten sheaves together. and two sheues aboue, of the greatteste, bounden harde nyghe to the nether ende, the whiche must be set vpwarde, and the top downewarde spredde abrode to couer all the 8 other sheues. And they wyll stand beste in wynde, and saue theym-selfe beste in rayne, and they wolde be set on the rydge of the lande, and the sayde sheues to leane to-gether in the toppes, and wyde at the grounde, that 12 For peas and beans set three together. the winde may go through, to drye them. Pees and beanes wolde be set on the rydge of the lande, thre sheues together, the toppes vpwarde, and wrythen to-gether, and wyde benethe, that they maye the better 16 wyddre.
32. ¶ To lode corne, and mowe it. To load corn. Whanne all these cornes be drye and wyddred ynoughe, than lode theym in-to the barne, and laye euerye corne Make many mows, if it be wet. by it-selfe. And if be a wete haruest, make many mowes: and if thou haue not housynge ynoughe, thanne it is 4 better to laye thy pees and benes without vppon a reke, than other corne, and it is better vppon a scaffolde than vppon the grounde: for than it muste be well hedged [Fol. 24.] for swyne and catel, and the grounde wyll rotte the 8 bottom, and the scaffolde saueth both hedgynge and rottynge: but they must be well couered bothe. And the The scaffold. husband may set shepe or catel vnder the same scaffold and wyll serue hym in stede of an house, if it be well 12 and surely made, &c.
33. ¶ The second[25] sturrynge. August. In August, and in the begynnyng of September, is Second stirring. tyme to make his seconde sturrynge, and most commonly it is cast downe and plowed a meane forowe, not to depe nor to ebbe, so he turne it clene. And if it be caste, it 4 Water-furrow the land. wolde be water-forowed bytwene the landes, there-as the reane shulde be, and it wyll be the dryer, whan the lande shall be sowen. And if the landes lie high in the ridge, & highe at the reane, & lowe in the 8 myddes of the side, that the water may not ronne easely in-to the reane, as I se dayly in many places: than let the husband set his plough .iii. or .iiii. fote from the How to ridge it up. rydge, and cast all the rydge on bothe sydes, and whan 12 the rydge is cast, set his plough there-as he began, and rydge vp the remenant of the lande, and so is the land bothe cast and rydged, and all at one plowynge. And this [Fol. 24b.] shall cause the lande to lye rounde, whan it is sowen 16 at the nexte tyme, and than shall it not drowne the corne.
34. To sowe wheat and rye. Michaelmas. Aboute Myghelmasse it is tyme to sowe bothe wheate Sow wheat and rye. and rye. Wheate is mooste commonlye sowen vnder the forowe, that is to saye, caste it vppon the falowe, and than plowe it vnder. And in some places they sowe theyr 4 Pease stubble. wheate vppon theyr pees-stubble, the whiche is neuer soo good, as that that is sowen vppon the falowe: and that is vsed, where they make falowe in a fyelde euery In Essex a child sows. fourthe yere. And in Essex they vse to haue a chylde, 8 to go in the forowe before the horses or oxen, with a bagge or a hopper full of corne: and he taketh his hande full of corne, and by lyttel and lytel casteth it in the He ought to have much discretion. sayde forowe. Me semeth, that chylde oughte to haue 12 moche dyscretion.
Howe-be-it there is moche good corne, and rye is Sow 2 London bushels to an acre. mooste commonlye sowen aboue and harrowed, and two London busshelles of wheate and rye wyll sowe an acre. 16 Some grounde is good for wheate, some for rye, and some is good for bothe: and vppon that ground sowe [Fol. 25.] blend-corne, that is both wheate and rye, the whyche is the surest corne of growyng, and good for the husbandes 20 Wheat and rye mixed. houshold. And the wheate, that shall be medled with rye, muste be suche as wyll soone be rype, and that is flaxen wheate, polerd wheate, or whyte wheate. And ye shall vnderstande, that there be dyuers maners of wheates. 24 Flaxen wheat. Flaxen wheate hath a yelowe eare, and bare without anis, and is the bryghtest wheate in the busshell, and wyll make the whytest breed, and it wyll weare the grounde sore, and is small strawe, and wyll growe very thycke, 28 Pollard wheat. and is but small corne. Polerde wheate hath noo anis, thycke sette in the eare, and wyll soone fall out, and is White wheat. greatter corne, and wyll make whyte breed. Whyte wheate is lyke polerde wheate in the busshell, but it 32 hath anis, and the eare is foure-square, and wyll make white breed: and in Essex they call flaxen wheate Red wheat. whyte wheate. Red wheate hath a flat eare, an inche brode, full of anis, and is the greatteste corne, and 36 the brodeste blades, and the greatteste strawe, and wyl make whyte breed, and is the rudeste of colour in the busshell. English wheat.
Englysshe wheate hath a dunne eare, fewe anis or none, 40 and is the worste wheate, saue peeke-wheate. Peeke-wheete Peek-wheat. hath a red eare, ful of anis, thyn set, and ofte [Fol. 25b.] tymes it is flyntered, that is to saye, small corne wrynkeled and dryed, and wyll not make whyte breade, but it wyl 44 growe vpon colde grounde.
35. ¶ To thresshe and wynowe corne. Carefully clean seed-corn. This wheate and rye, that thou shalte sowe, ought to be very cleane of wede, and therfore, er thou thresshe thy corne, open thy sheues, and pyke oute all maner of wedes, and than thresshe it, and wynowe it cleane, 4 and so shalt thou haue good clene corne an other In Essex and Kent they fan the corn. yere. And in some countreys, aboute London specyallye, and in Essex and Kente, they do fan theyr corne, the whiche is a verye good gise, and a great saueguarde for 8 shedynge of the corne. And whan thou shalte sell it, if it be well wynowed or fande, it wyll be solde the derer, and the lyghte corne wyll seme the husbande in his house. 12
36. ¶ To seuer pees, beanes, and fytches. Sift your peas and beans. Whan thou haste thresshed thy pees, and beanes, after they be wynowed, and er thou shalte sowe or selle them, let theym be well reed with syues, and seuered in [Fol. 26.] thre partes, the great from the small, and thou shalte gette 4 in euerye quarter a London busshell, or there about. For Separate small from large. the small corne lyeth in the holowe and voyde places of the greate beanes, and yet shall the greate beanes be solde as dere, as if they were all together, or derer, as a man 8 may proue by a famylier ensample. Let a man bye 120 herrings, at 2 a penny, cost 5 shillings; .C. hearynges,[26] two hearynges for a penye, and an other .C. hearynges, thre for a peny, and let hym sell these .CC. hearinges agayne .v. heringes for .ii. d.; nowe hath 12 he loste .iiii. d. For C. hearinges, .ii. for i. d., cost v. s., 120 herrings, at 3 a penny, cost 3s. 4d.; or 8s. 4d. in all. and C. hearynges, .iii. for a peny, coste .iii s. and .iiii d., the whiche is .viii. s and .iiii. d.; and whan he selleth .v. herynges for .ii. d., xx. heringes cometh but 16 to .viii. d. and there is but .xii. score heringes, and that
39. ¶ What tyme lambes shulde be wayned. In some places they neuer seuer their lambes from theyr dammes, and that is for two causes: One is, in the beste pasture where the rammes goo alwaye with In the best pastures, lambs wean themselves. theyr ewes, there it nedeth not, for the dammes wil 4 waxe drye, and wayne theyr lambes theym-selfe. An other cause is, he that hath noo seuerall and sounde [Fol. 28.] pasture, to put his lambes vnto whan they shoulde be wayned, he muste eyther sell them, or let them sucke 8 as longe as the dammes wyll suffre theym; and it is a common sayinge, that the lambe shall not rotte, as longe as it souketh, excepte the damme wante meate. Lambs to be weaned at 16 weeks, or 18. But he that hath seueral and sounde pasture, it is tyme 12 to wayne theyr lambes, whanne they be .xvi. wekes old, or .xviii. at the farthest, and the better shall the ewe take the ramme agayne. And the poore man of the peeke countreye, and suche other places, where as 16 they vse to mylke theyr ewes, they vse to wayne theyr In the Peak, lambs are weaned at 12 weeks. lambes at xii. wekes olde, and to mylke theyr ewes fiue or syxe wekes, &c. But those lambes be neuer soo good as the other that sucke longe, and haue 20 meate ynoughe.
40. ¶ To drawe shepe, and seuer them in dyuers places. Than thou grasier, that hast many shepe in thy Have a large sheep-fold; pastures, it is conuenient for the to haue a shepefolde made with a good hedge or a pale, the whiche wyll receyue all thy shepe easyly that goo in one pasture, 4 sette betwene two of thy pastures, in a drye place; [Fol. 28b.] and adioynynge to the ende of the same, make an another to hold 90 sheep; other lyttell folde, that wyll receyue lxxxx. shepe or moo, and bothe those foldes muste haue eyther of 8 theym a gate in-to eyther pasture, and at the ende of that folde make an other lyttell folde, that wyll and another for 40 sheep. receyue .xl. shepe or mo, and betwene euery folde a gate. And whan the shepe are in the greate folde, 12 let .xl. of them, or there about, come into the myddle Let the shepherd examine them in the middle fold. folde, and steke the gate. And than let the shepeherde turne them, and loke them on euery syde, and if he se or fynde any shepe, that nedeth any helpynge or mending 16 for any cause, lette the shepeherde take that shepe with his hoke, and put hym in the lyttell folde. And whan he hath taken all that nedeth any mendyng, than put the other in-to whether pasture he wyll, and let in as 20 Put the sick ones in the little fold. many out of the greate folde, and take those that nede any handling, and put them into the lyttell folde. And thus peruse them all tyll he haue doone, and than let the shepeherde go belte, grese, and handel all those that he 24 hath drawen, and than shall not the great flocke be taryed nor kepte from theyr meate: and as he hath mended them, to put them into theyr pasture.
41. ¶ To belte shepe. [Fol. 29.] If any shepe raye or be fyled with dounge about the How to belt sheep. the tayle, take a payre of sheres and clyppe it awaye, and cast dry muldes thervpon: and if it be in the heate of the sommer, it wolde be rubbed euer with a lyttell terre, to 4 Have a board to lay a sheep upon. kepe awaye the flyes. It is necessarye that a shepeherde haue a borde, set fast to the syde of his lyttell folde, to laye his shepe vpon when he handeleth theym, and an hole bored in the borde with an augur, and therin a 8 grayned staffe of two fote longe, to be set fast, to hang A shepherd wants a dog, a hook, shears, and a tar-box. his terre-boxe vpon, and than it shall not fall. And a shepeherde shoulde not go without his dogge, his shepe-hoke, a payre of sheres, and his terre-boxe, eyther with 12 hym, or redye at his shepe-folde, and he muste teche his dogge to barke whan he wolde haue hym, to ronne whan he wold haue hym, and to leue ronning whan he wolde haue hym; or els he is not a cunninge shepeherd. The 16 dogge must lerne it, whan he is a whelpe, or els it wyl not be: for it is harde to make an olde dogge to stoupe.
42. ¶ To grease shepe. How to grease sheep. If any sheepe be scabbed, the shepeherde maye perceyue it by the bytynge, rubbyng, or scratchynge with [Fol. 29b.] his horne, and mooste commonly the woll wyll ryse, and be thyn or bare in that place: than take hym, and shede 4 the woll with thy fyngers, there as the scab is, and with thy fynger laye a lyttell terre thervpon, and stroke it a lengthe in the bottom of the woll, that it be not seen Part the wool and put tar on. aboue. And so shede the woll by and by, and laye a 8 lyttell terre thervppon, tyll thou passe the sore, and than it wyll go no farther.
43. ¶ To medle terre. How to mix tar. Let thy terre be medled with oyle, gose-grease, or capons grease, these three be the beste, for these wyll make the terre to ronne abrode: butter and swynes grease, whan they be molten, are good, soo they be not salte; for 4 terre of hym-selfe is to kene, and is a fretter, and no healer, without it be medled with some of these.
44. ¶ To make brome salue. ¶ A medicyne to salue poore mennes shepe, that thynke terre to costely: but I doubte not, but and ryche men [Fol. 30.] knowe it, they wolde vse the same. Take a shete ful of Chop broom small, and boil it; brome, croppes, leaues, blossomes, and all, and chop 4 them very smal, and than sethe them in a pan of .xx. gallons with rennynge water, tyll it begyn to waxe thycke like a gelly, than take two pounde of shepe suet molten, add suet and brine; and a pottell of olde pysse, and as moche bryne made 8 with salte, and put all in-to the sayde panne, and styrre it aboute, and than streyne it thorowe an olde clothe, and putte it in-to what vessell ye wyll, and yf your shepe be use it warm with a sponge. newe clypped, make it luke-warme, and than washe your 12 shepe there-with, with a sponge or a pece of an olde mantell, or of faldynge, or suche a softe cloth or woll, It can be used at any time. for spendynge to moche of your salue. And at all tymes of the yere after, ye may relent it, and nede require: and 16 make wyde sheydes in the woll of the shepe, and anoynt them with it, & it shal heale the scabbe, and kyll the shepe-lyce, and it shall not hurte the woll in the sale therof. And those that be washen wyll not take scabbe 20 after (if they haue sufficient meate); for that is the beste Good meat in the mouth grease that is to a shepe, to grease hym in the mouthe with good meate; the whiche is also a greate saueguarde to the shepe for rottynge, excepte there come myldewes, 24 [Fol. 30b.]
is the best grease for sheep. for he wyl chose the beste, if he haue plentye. And he that hath but a fewe shepe moderate this medicyne accordynge.
45. ¶ If a shepe haue mathes. Maggots in sheep. If a shepe haue mathes, ye shall perceyue it by her bytynge, or fyskynge, or shakyng of her tayle, and mooste commonlye it is moyst and wete: and if it be nyghe vnto the tayle, it is ofte tymes grene, and fyled with his 4 How cured. dounge: and than the shepeherde muste take a payre of sheres, and clyppe awaye the woll bare to the skynne, and take a handfull of drye moldes, and cast the moldes thervpon to drye vp the wete, and then wype the muldes 8 away, and lay terre there as the mathes were, and a lyttell farther. And thus loke theym euery daye, and mende theym, if they haue nede.
46. ¶ Blyndenes of shepe, and other dyseases, and remedies therfore. Blindness in sheep. There be some shepe that wyll be blynd a season, and yet mende agayn. And if thou put a lytel terre in his eye, he will mende the rather. There be dyuers waters, & [Fol. 31.] other medicyns, that wolde mende hym, but this is 4 [the] mooste common medicyne that shepeherdes vse.
47. ¶ The worme in the shepes fote, and helpe therfore. There be some shepe, that hath a worme in his foote, Worms in a sheep’s foot. that maketh hym halte. Take that shepe, and loke betwene his clese, and there is a lyttell hole, as moche as a greatte pynnes heed, and therin groweth fyue or syxe 4 blacke heares, lyke an inche long and more; take a sharpe poynted knyfe, and slytte the skynne a quarter of an inche long aboue the hole and as moche benethe, and put thy How cured. one hande in the holowe of the fote, vnder the hinder 8 clese, and set thy thombe aboue almooste at the slytte, and thruste thy fyngers vnderneth forward, and with thy other hand take the blacke heares by the ende, or with thy knyues poynte, and pull the heares a lyttell and a 12 lyttell, and thruste after thy other hande, with thy fynger and thy thombe, and there wyll come oute a worme lyke a pece of fleshe, nygh as moche as a lyttel fynger. And whan it is out, put a lyttel tarre into the hole, and it wyll 16 be shortely hole. [Fol. 31b.]
48. ¶ The blode, and remedy if one come betyme. There is a sicknes among shepe, and is called the ‘The blood’ in sheep. bloude; that shepe, that hath that, wil dye sodeinly, and er he dye, he wil stande stil, and hange downe the heed, & other-while quake. If the shepeherde can espye 4 hym, let him take and rubbe hym about the heed, & specyally about his eares, and vnder his eyen, & with Cut off the sheep’s ears. a knyfe cut of his eares in the middes, & also let hym blode in a veyne vnder his eien: and if he blede wel, 8 he is lyke to lyue; and if he blede not, than kil him, and saue his fleshe. For if he dye by hym-selfe, the flesshe is loste, and the skyn wyll be ferre ruddyer, lyke blode, more than an other skynne shall be. And it taketh 12 mooste commonly the fattest and best lykynge.
49. ¶ The pockes, and remedy therfore. Pocks in sheep. The pockes appere vppon the skyn, and are lyke reed pymples, as brode as a farthynge, and therof wyll dye many. And the remedy therfore is, to handle all thy shepe, and to loke on euery parte of theyr bodyes: and 4 [Fol. 32.] as many as ye fynde taken therwith, put them in fresshe newe grasse, and kepe them fro theyr felowes, and to loke thy flocke ofte, and drawe theym as they nede. And Wash them. if it be in sommer tyme, that there be no froste, than 8 washe them. Howe be it some shepeherdes haue other medycines.
50. ¶ The wode euyll, and remedy therfore. There is a sickenes among shepe, and is called the ‘Wood-evil’ in sheep. wode euyll, and that cometh in the sprynge of the yere, and takethe them moste commonly in the legges, or in the necke, and maketh them to halt, and to holde theyr 4 necke awry. And the mooste parte that haue that sicknes, wyl dye shortely in a day or two. The best remedy is, Wash them and change their pasture. to wasshe theym a lyttell, and to chaunge theyr grounde, and to bryng them to lowe grounde and freshe grasse. 8 And that sycknes is moste commonly on hylly grounde, ley grounde, and ferny grounde, And some men vse to let them bloudde vnder the eye in a vaine for the same cause.
51. ¶ To washe shepe. Wash and shear sheep in June. In June is tyme to shere shepe, and er they be shorne, they muste be very well wasshen, the whiche shall be to the owner great profyte in the sale of his woll, and also to [Fol. 32b.] the clothe-maker; but yet beware, that thou put not to many 4 shepe in a penne at one tyme, neyther at the washyng, nor at the sheryng, for feare of murtheryng or ouer-pressyng of their felowes, and that none go awaye, tyll he be cleane washen, and se that they that hold the shepe by 8 the heed in the water, holde his heed hye ynoughe for drownynge.
52. ¶ To shere shepe. How to shear sheep. Take hede of the sherers, for touchynge the shepe with the sheres, and specially for pryckyng with the poynte of the sheres, and that the shepeherde be alway redy with his tarboxe to salue them. And se that they be well 4 Mark them well. marked, bothe eare-marke, pitche-marke, and radel-marke, and let the wol be well folden or wounden with a woll-wynder, that can good skyll therof, the whiche shal do moche good in the sale of the same. 8
53. ¶ To drawe and seuer the badde shepe from the good. Separate the sheep into flocks. Whan thou haste all shorne thy shepe, it is than best tyme to drawe them, and soo seuer theym in dyuers sortes; [Fol. 33.] the shepe that thou wylte fede by them-selfe, the ewes by theym-selfe, the share-hogges and theyues by them-selfe, 4 the lambes by theym-selfe, wedders and the rammes by them-self, if thou haue soo many pastures for them: for the byggest wyll beate the weikeste with his heed. And of Put those of one kind together. euery sort of shepe, it may fortune there be some, that 8 like not and be weike; those wolde be put in freshe grasse by theym-selfe: and whan they be a lyttel mended, than sel them, and ofte chaunge of grasse shal mend all 12 maner of cattell.
54. What thynges rotteth shepe. It is necessary that a shepeherde shoulde knowe what thynge rotteth shepe, that he myght kepe them the Spear-wort. better. Ther is a grasse called sperewort, and hath a long narowe leafe, lyke a spere-heed, and it wyll growe 4 a fote hyghe, and beareth a yelowe floure, as brode as a peny, and it growethe alwaye in lowe places where the water is vsed to stande in wynter. An other grasse is Penny-grass. called peny-grasse, and groweth lowe by the erthe in a 8 marsshe grounde, and hath a leafe as brode as a peny of two pens, and neuer beareth floure. All maner of grasse, [Fol. 33b.] that the lande-floudde renneth ouer, is verye ylle for shepe, bycause of the sande and fylthe that stycketh 12 Marshy ground is bad. vppon it. All marreys grounde, and marsche grounde is yll for shepe; the grasse that groweth vppon falowes is not good for shepe; for there is moche of it wede, and ofte tymes it commeth vppe by the rote, and that bryngeth 16 Mildew. erthe with it, and they eate both, &c. Myldewe-grasse is not good for shepe, and that ye shall knowe two wayes. One is by the leaues on the trees in the mornynge, and specyally of okes; take the leaues, and putte 20 thy tonge to them, and thou shalt fele lyke hony vppon them. And also there wyll be many kelles vppon the grasse, and that causeth the myldewe. Wherfore they may not well be let out of the folde tyll the sonne haue 24 Hunger-rot. domynation to drye them awaye. Also hunger-rotte is the worst rotte that can be, for there is neither good flesshe nor good skynne, and that cometh for lacke of meate, and so for hunger they eate suche as they can 28 fynde: and so will not pasture-shepe, for they selden rot but with myldewes, and than wyll they haue moch White snails. talowe and fleshe, and a good skyn. Also white snailes be yll for shepe in pastures, and in falowes. There 32 Pelt-rot. is an other rotte, whiche is called pelte-rotte, and that [Fol. 34.] commeth of greatte wete, specyally in woode countreyes, where they can not drye.
55. ¶ To knowe a rotten shepe dyuers maner wayes, wherof some of them wyll not fayle. How to know rotten sheep. Take bothe your handes, and twyrle vpon his eye, and if he be ruddy, and haue reed stryndes in the white of the eye, than he is sounde; and if the eye be white, lyke talowe, and the stryndes darke-coloured, thanne he is 4 rotten. And also take the shepe, and open the wolle on the syde, and yf the skynne be of ruddy colour and drye, than is he sounde; and if it be pale-coloured, and watrye, thanne is he rotten. Also whanne ye haue 8 Rotten sheep have loose wool. opened the woll on the syde, take a lyttell of the woll bytwene thy fynger and thy thombe, and pull it a lyttell, and if it sticke faste, he is sounde, and if it comme lyghtely of, he is rotten. Also whan thou haste kylde a 12 shepe, his belly wyll be full of water, if he be sore rotten, and also the fatte of the fleshe wyll be yelowe, if he be rotten. And also if thou cut the lyuer, therin Rotten sheep have flukes in the liver. wyll be lyttell quikens lyke flokes, and also the lyuer 16 wyll be full of knottes and whyte blysters, yf he be [Fol. 34b.] rotten; and also sethe the lyuer, if he be rotten it wyll breke in peces, and if he be sounde, it wyll holde together. 20
56. ¶ To bye leane cattell. These housbandes, if they shall well thryue, they muste haue bothe kye, oxen, horses, mares, and yonge cattell, and to rere and brede euery yere some calues, How to buy oxen. and fools, or els shall he be a byer. And yf thou shalte 4 by oxen for the ploughe, se that they be yonge, and not gowty, nor broken of heare, neyther of tayle, nor of pysell. And yf thou bye kye to the payle, se that How to buy cows. they be yonge and good to mylke, and fede her calues 8 wel. And if thou bye kye or oxen to feede, the yonger they be, the rather they wyll fede; but loke well, that the heare stare not, and that he lycke hym-selfe, and be hoole-mouthed, and want no tethe. And thoughe he 12 haue the goute and be broken, bothe of tayle and pysell, yet wyll he fede. But the gouty oxe wyll not How to choose an ox. be dryuen ferre; and se that he haue a brode ryb, and a thycke hyde, and to be lose-skinned, that it stycke not 16 harde nor streyte to his rybbes, for than he wyll not fede.
[Fol. 35.]
57. ¶ To bye fatte cattell. How to buy fat cattle. If thou shalte bye fatte oxen or kye, handel them, and se that they be soft on the fore-croppe, behynde the shulder, and vpon the hindermost rybbe, and upon the hucbone, and the nache by the tayle. And se 4 the oxe haue a greate codde, and the cowe great nauyll, for than it shulde seme that they shuld be wel See where, and of whom, you buy. talowed. And take hede, where thou byeste any leane cattel or fat, and of whom, and where it was bred. For 8 if thou by out of a better ground than thou haste thy-selfe, that cattell wyll not lyke with the. And also loke, that there be no maner of sycknes amonge the cattell in that towneshyp or pasture that thou byest thy 12 catel oute of. For if there be any murren or longe sought, it is great ieoperdy: for a beast maye take sycknes ten or .xii. dayes or more, ere it appere on hym.
58. ¶ Dyuers sycnesses of cattell, and remedies therfore, and fyrst of murren. Murrain. And yf it fortune to fall murren amonge thy beastes, as god forbede, there be men ynough can helpe them. [Fol. 35b.] And it commeth of a ranknes of bloudde, and appereth moste commonly fyrste in the heed; for his heed wyll 4 swell, and his eyen waxe greate and ronne of water and frothe at the mouthe, and than he is paste remedy, and wyl dye shortely, and wyll neuer eate after he be Flay the dead beast, and bury it. sycke. Than flee him, and make a depe pytte faste by, 8 there as he dyeth, and caste hym in, and couer hym with erthe, that noo dogges may come to the caryen. For as many beastes as feleth the smelle of that caryen, are lykely to be enfecte; and take the skynne, and haue it 12 to the tanners to sell, and bryng it not home, for peryll that may fal. And it is commonly vsed, and cometh of Set the beast’s head, on a pole, in the hedge. a greate charytie, to take the bare heed of the same beaste and put vpon a longe pole, and set it in a hedge, faste 16 bounden to a stake, by the hyghe-waye syde, that euerye man, that rydethe or goeth that waye, maye se and knowe by that signe, that there is sycknes of cattell in the towneshyp. And the husbandes holde an opynyon, that it shall 20 the rather cease. And whanne the beaste is flaine, there as the murren dothe appere bytwene the flesshe and the skynne, it wyll ryse vppe lyke a ielly and frothe an inche Remedy for murrain. depe or more. And this is the remedy for the murren. 24 Take a smalle curteyne-corde, and bynde it harde aboute [Fol. 36.] the beastes necke, and that wyll cause the bloudde to come in-to the necke, and on eyther syde of the necke there is a vayne that a man may fele with his fynger; and 28 Bleed the sick cattle. than take a bloud-yren, and set it streight vppon the vayne, and smyte him bloudde on bothe sydes, and let hym blede the mountenaunce of a pynte or nyghe it, and than take awaye the corde, and it wyll staunche bleding. 32 And thus serue all thy cattell, that be in that close or pasture, and there shall no mo be sicke, by goddes leue.
59. ¶ Longe sought, and remedy therefore. There is an nother maner of sycknesse among bestes, ‘Long sought.’ and it is called longe soughte; and that sickenes wyl endure long, and ye shal perceyue it by his hoystynge; he wyl stande moche, and eate but a littel, and waxe very 4 The beast coughs 20 times an hour. holowe & thin. And he wil hoyst .xx. times in an houre, and but fewe of them do mende. The best remedy is to kepe thy cattell in sondrye places, and as many as were in companye with that beast that fyrst fell sycke, to let 8 [Fol. 36b.] them a lyttel bloude. And there be many men, that can Cut the dewlap. seuer them, and that is to cutte the dewlappe before, and there is a grasse that is called feitergrasse, take that grasse, and broyse it a lyttell in a morter, and thanne put 12 therof as moche as an hennes egge in-to the sayd dewlappe, and se it fall not oute. Thus I have seen vsed, and men haue thought it hath done good.
60. ¶ Dewbolne,[28] and the harde remedy therfore. ‘Dewbolne.’ An other dysease amonge beastes is called dewbolne,[28] and that commeth whan a hungry beaste is put in a good pasture full of ranke grasse, he wyll eate soo moche that his sydes wyll stande as hygh as his backe-bone, 4 and other-whyle the one syde more thanne the other, and but fewe of them wyll dye; but he maye The beast is swollen. not be dryuen hastely, nor laboured, being so swollen, and the substaunce of it is but wynde; and therfore 8 he wolde be softly dryuen, and not sytte downe. Howe Some men pierce a hole in the beast. be it I haue seen a manne take a knyfe, and thruste hym thorowe the skynne and the flesshe two inches depe, or more, vi. inches or more from the ridge-bone, that the 12 [Fol. 37.] wynde maye come out. For the wynde lyeth bytwene the fleshe and the grete paunche.
61. ¶ Rysen vpon, and the remedy therfore. ‘Risen upon.’ An other dysease is called rysen vppon, and no man can tell howe, nor wherof it cometh: but ye shall perceyue that by swellynge in the heed, and specyallye by The beast’s eyes run. the eyen, for they wyll ronne on water, and close his 4 syght; and wyll dye shortly within an houre or two, if he be not holpen. This is the cause of his dysease. There is a blyster rysen vnder the tounge, the whiche blyster must be slytte with a knyfe a-crosse. Whan ye 8 Find the blister under the tongue, and cut it. haue pulled out the tongue, rubbe the blyster well with salte, and take an hennes egge, and breake it in the beastes mouthe shell and all, and cast salte to it, and holde vp the bestes heed, that all maye be swalowed 12 downe into the body. But the breakynge of the blyster is the greate helpe, and dryue the beaste a lyttell aboute, and this shall saue hym, by the helpe of Jesu.
62. The turne, and remedy therfor. [Fol. 37b.]
‘The turn.’ There be beastes that wyll turne about, whan they eate theyr meate, and wyll not fede, and is great ieoperdy for fallynge in pyttes, dyches, or waters: and There is a bladder between the brain and brain-pan. it is bycause that there is a bladder in the foreheed 4 bytwene the brayne-panne and the braynes, the whiche must be taken out, or els he shal neuer mende, but dye at lengthe, and this is the remedy and the greatest cure that can be on a beaste. Take that beast, and cast him 8 downe, and bynde his foure fete together, and with thy thombe, thrust the beast in the foreheed, and where thou fyndest the softest place, there take a knyfe, and cut the skyn, three or foure inches on bothe sides 12 bytwene the hornes, and as moche benethe towarde the nose, and fley it, and turne it vp, and pyn it faste with a pyn, and with a knyfe cut the brayne-pan .ii. Cut the bone, but not the brain, and take out the bladder. inches brode, and thre inches longe, but se the knyfe 16 go no deper than the thycknes of the bone for perysshynge of the brayne, and take away the bone, and than shalt thou se a bladder full of water two inches longe and more, take that out, and hurte not the brayne, and 20 thanne let downe the skynne, and sowe it faste there as it was before, and bynde a clothe two or thre folde vpon his foreheed, to kepe it from colde and wete .x. or [Fol. 38.] .xii. dayes. And thus haue I seen many mended. But 24 if the beaste be fatte, and any reasonable meate vpon hym, it is best to kyll hym, for than there is but lyttell losse. And if the bladder be vnder the horne, it is past cure. A shepe wyll haue the turne as well as a 28 beast, but I haue seen none mended.
63. The warrybrede, and the remedy therfore. ‘Warrybrede.’ There be beastes that wyll haue warrybredes in dyuers partes of theyr body and legges, and this is the remedy. Cast hym downe, and bynde his foure fete together, and Take a hot iron, and sear it. take a culture, or a payre of tonges, or such an other 4 yren, and take it glowing hote: and if it be a longe warrybrede, sere it of harde by the body, and if it be in the beginninge, and be but flatte, than lay the hot yren vpon it, and sere it to the bare skyn, and it will be 8 hole for euer, be it horse or beast.
64. ¶ The foule, and the remedy therfore. ‘The foul.’ There be bestes, that wyll haue the foule, and that is betwene the cleese, sometyme before, and sometyme [Fol. 38b.] behynde, and it wyll swell, and cause hym to halt, and this is the remedy. Cast hym downe and bind his foure 4 Rub a rope between his claws till he bleeds. fete together, & take a rope of heare, or a hey-rope, harde wrythen together, and put it betwene his cleese, and drawe the rope to and fro a good season, tyll he blede well, and than laye to it softe made terre, and 8 binde a cloute aboute it, that noo myre nor grauell come betwene the clese: and put hym in a pasture, or let hym stande styll in the house, and he wyll be shortly hole. 12
65. ¶ The goute, without remedy. The gout. There be beastes, that wyll haue the goute, and moste commonly in the hynder fete, and it wyll cause them to halt, and go starkely. And I knewe neuer manne that No remedy. coulde helpe it, or fynde remedye therfore, but all-onely 4 to put hym in good grasse, and fede hym.
73. The .ii. propertyes of a bauson. two, of a badger: ¶ The fyrste is, to haue a whyte rase or a ball in the foreheed; the seconde, to haue a whyte fote.
74. The .iiii. properties of a lyon. four, of a lion: ¶ The fyrste is, to haue a brode breste; the seconde, to be styffe-docked; the thyrde, to be wylde in countenaunce; the fourthe, to haue foure good legges.
75. The .ix. propertyes of an oxe. [Fol. 44.]
nine, of an ox: ¶ The fyrste is, to be brode-rybbed; the .ii. to be lowe-brawned; the thyrde, to be shorte-pasturned; the .iiii. to haue greatte senewes; the fyfte, to be wyde betwene the challes; the syxte is, to haue great nosethrylles; 4 the .vii. to be bygge on the chyn; the .viii. to be fatte and well fedde; the .ix. to be vpryghte standynge.
76. The .ix. propertyes of an hare. nine, of a hare: ¶ The fyrste is styffe-eared; the seconde, to haue greate eyen; the thyrde, round eyen; the fourthe, to haue a leane heed; the .v. to haue leane knees; the syxte, to be wyght on foote; the .vii. to turne vpon a lyttell grounde; 4 the .viii. to haue shorte buttockes; the .ix. to haue two good fyllettes.
77. The .ix. propertyes of a foxe. nine, of a fox: ¶ The fyrste is, to be prycke-eared, the seconde, to be lyttell-eared; the thyrde, to be rounde-syded; the fourthe, to be syde-tayled; the fyfte, to be shorte-legged; the syxte, to be blacke-legged; the .vii. to be 4 shorte-trottynge; the .viii. to be well coloured; the .ix. to have a lyttell heed.
78. The .ix. propertyes of an asse. [Fol. 44b.]
nine, of an ass: ¶ The fyrste is to be small-mouthed; the seconde, to be longe-rayned: the .iii. to be thyn-cressed; the fourthe, to be streyght-backed; the fyfth, to haue small stones; the syxte, to be lathe-legged; the .vii. to be rounde-foted; 4 the eyght, to be holowe-foted; the .ix. to haue a toughe houe.
79. The .x. properties of a woman. ten, of a woman: ¶ The fyrst is, to be mery of chere; the seconde, to be well paced; the thyrde, to haue a brode foreheed; the fourth, to haue brode buttockes; the fyfthe, to be harde of warde; the syxte, to be easye to lepe vppon; the .vii. 4 to be good at a longe iourneye; the .viii. to be well sturrynge vnder a man; the .ix. to be alwaye besye with the mouthe; the tenth, euer to be chowynge on the brydell. ¶ It myght fortune I coude shewe as many 8 I could tell you faults of horses, but then I should break my promise. defautes of horses, as here be good propertyes, but than I shulde breake my promyse, that I made at Grombalde brydge, the first tyme I wente to Ryppon for to bye coltes. But it is to suppose, that if a horse want any of these 12 good propertyes, that he shulde haue a defaute in the same place. And this is suffycient for this time. [Fol. 45.]
80. ¶ The diseases and sorance of horses. Diseases of horses. Nowe it is to be knowen, the soraunce and dyseases of horses, & in what partes of theyr bodyes they be; that a man maye the rather perceyue them. And howe be it that it may be against my profyt, yet I wil shewe you 4 suche as cometh to my mynde.
81. The lampas. The lampas. ¶ In the mouthe is the lampas, & is a thycke skyn full of bloude, hangynge ouer his tethe aboue, that he may not eate.
82. The barbes. The barbs. ¶ The barbes be lyttell pappes in a horse mouth, and lette hym to byte: these two be sone holpen.
83. Mournynge of the tonge. Mourning of the tongue. ¶ Mournynge of the tonge is an yll dysease, and harde to be cured.
84. Pursy. Pursiness. ¶ Pursy is a dysease in an horses bodye, and maketh hym to blowe shorte, and appereth at his nosethrilles, and commeth of colde, and may be well mended.
85. Broken-wynded. Broken wind. ¶ Broken-wynded is an yll dysease, and cometh of [Fol. 45b.] rennynge or rydynge ouer moche, and specially shortely after he is watred, and appereth at his nosethryll, at his flanke, and also at his tuell, and wyll not be mended; 4 and wyll moche blowe and coughe, if he be sore chafed; and it wyl leaste appere, whan he is at grasse.
86. Glaunders. Glanders. ¶ Glaunders is a disease, that may be mended, and commeth of a heate, and a sodeyne colde, and appereth at his nosethrylles, and betwene his chall-bones.
87. Mournynge on the chyne. Mourning on the chine. ¶ Mournynge on the chyne is a dysease incurable, and it appereth at his nosethryll lyke oke-water. A glaunder whan it breaketh, is lyke matter. Broken-wynded, and pursynes, is but shorte blowynge. 4
88. Stranguellyon. Stranguelion. ¶ Stranguelyon is a lyght dysease to cure, and a horse wyl be very sore sycke therof, and cometh of a chafynge hote, that he swete, and after he wyll ryse and swell in dyuers places of his body, as moche as a mannes fyste; 4 and wyll breake by it selfe, if it be kepte warme, or els is there ieoperdy.
89. The hawe. The haw. ¶ The hawe is a sorance in a horse eye, and is lyke [Fol. 46, misprinted 49.] gristell, and maye well be cutte oute, or els it wyll haue out his eye; and that horse that one, hath commonly two. 4
90. Blyndnes. Blindness. ¶ A horse wyll waxe blynde with laboure, and that maye be cured betyme.
91. Viues. The vives. ¶ The viues is a sorance vnder a horse ere, bytwene the ouer ende of the chall-bones and the necke, and are rounde knottes bytwene the skyn and the fleshe lyke tennes-balles; and if they be not kilde, they wyl waxe 4 quicke, and eate the rotes of the horse eares, and kil hym.
92. The cordes. The cords. ¶ The cordes is a thynge that wyll make a horse to stumble, and ofte to fall, and appereth before the forther legges of the body of the horse, and may well be cured in .ii. places, and there be but fewe horses but they 4 haue parte therof.
93. The farcyon. The farcion. ¶ The farcyon is an yll soraunce, and maye well be cured in the begynnynge, and wyll appere in dyuers places of his bodye, and there wyll ryse pymples as moche as halfe a walnutshell, and they wyll folowe a veyne, and wyll 4 Other horses will catch it. breake by it selfe. And as manye horses as do playe with him that is sore, and gnappe of the matter that renneth [Fol. 46b.] out of the sore, shall haue the same sorance within a moneth after; and therfore kepe the sycke frome the 8 hole. And if that sorance be not cured betyme, he wyll dye of it.
94. A malander. The malander. ¶ A malander is an yl sorance, and may wel be cured for a tyme, but with yl keping it wyl comme agayne, and appereth on the forther legges, in the bendynge of the knee behynde, and is lyke a scabbe or a skal: and 4 some horses wyll haue two vpon a legge, within an inche together, and they wyl make a horse to stumble, and other whyle to fall.
95. A selander. The selander. ¶ A selander is in the bendynge of the legge behynde, lyke as the malander is in the bendynge of the legge before, and is lyke a malander, and may be well cured.
96. A serewe. The serewe. ¶ A serewe is an yll soraunce, and is lyke a splent, but it is a lyttell longer and more, and lyeth vppe to the knee on the inner syde. And some horses haue a throughe serewe on bothe sydes of the legge, and that horse must 4 nedes stumble and fall, and harde it is to be cured.
97. A splent. A splent. ¶ A splent is the leaste soraunce that is, that alwaye [Fol. 47.] contynueth, excepte lampas. And many men take vpon them to mende it, and do payre it.
98. A ryngbone. Ring-bone. ¶ A ryngbone is an yll soraunce, and appereth before on the foote, aboue the houe, as well before as behynde, and wyll be swollen three inches brode, and a quarter of an inche or more of heyghte, and the heare wyll stare 4 and waxe thyn, and wyll make hym to halte, and is yll to cure, if it growe longe.
99. Wynd-galles. Wind-galls. ¶ Wyndgalles is a lyghte sorance, and commeth of great labour, and appereth on eyther syde of the ioynte aboue the fetelockes, as wel before as behynde, and is a lyttell swollen with wynde. 4
100. Morfounde. Morfound. ¶ Morfounde is an yll sorance, and cometh of rydynge faste tyll he swete, and than sette vp sodeynely in a colde place, without lytter, and take cold on his fete, and specially before, and appereth vnder the houe in the hert 4 of the fote, for it wylle growe downe, and waxe whyte, It affects the feet. and cromely lyke a pomis. And also wyl appere by processe by the wryncles on the houe, and the houe before wyll be thycker, and more bryckle than and he 8 had not benne morfounde; nor he shall neuer trede so [Fol. 47b.] boldely vpon the harde stones as he dydde before; nor wyll not be able to beare a man a quarter of a yere or more; and with good paryng and shoynge, as he oughte 12 to be, he wyll do good seruyce.
101. The coltes euyll. The colt’s evil. ¶ Coltes euyll is an yll disease, and commeth of ranknes of nature and bloudde, and appereth in his scote, for there wyl he swel great, and wyll not be harde, and soone cured in the begynnynge. 4
102. The bottes. Bots in the maw. ¶ The bottes is an yll dysease, and they lye in a horse mawe, and they be an inche long, white-coloured, and a reed heed, and as moche as a fyngers ende, & they be quycke, and stycke faste in the mawe-syde; it apperethe 4 by stampynge of the horse, or tomblynge, and in the beginninge there is remedy ynoughe, and if they be not cured betyme, they wyll eate thorowe his mawe, and kyll hym. 8
103. The wormes. Worms in the belly. ¶ The wormes is a lyght dysease, and they lye in the greatte paunche, in the belye of the horse, and they are shynynge, of colour lyke a snake, syxe inches in lengthe, greate in the myddes, and sharpe at bothe 4 endes, and as moche as a spyndel, and wyll sone be kylde. [Fol. 48.]
104. Affreyd. ‘Affreyd.’ ¶ Affreyd is an yll disease, and commethe of great labour and rydynge faste with a contynuall sweate, and thanne sodeynly to take a great colde, his legges wyll be styffe, and his skyn wyll stycke fast to his sydes, and 4 may be well cured.
105. Nauylgall. Navel-gall. ¶ Nauylgall is a soraunce, hurte with a saddle, or with a buckle of a croper, or suche other, in the myddes of the backe, and maye be lyghtely cured.
106. A spauen. Spavin. ¶ A spauen is an yll sorance, whervppon he wyll halte, and specyally in the begynnynge, and appereth on the hynder legges within, and agaynste the ioynte, and it wyll be a lyttell swolen and harde. And some horses haue 4 throughe spauen, and appereth bothe within and without, and those be yll to be cured.
107. A courbe. A curb. ¶ A courbe is an yll sorance, and maketh a horse to halte sore, and appereth vppon the hynder legges streyght behynde, vnder the camborell place, and a lyttell benethe the spauen, and wyll be swollen, and yll to cure, if it growe 4 longe vpon hym. [Fol. 48b.]
108. The stringe-halte. String-halt. ¶ The stryng-halte is an yl disease, and maketh hym to twyche vp his legge sodeynly, and maketh hym to halte, and cometh ofte with a colde, and doth not appere outwarde. 4
109. Enterfyre. Enterfire. ¶ Enterfyre is a sorance, and cometh of yll shoynge, and appereth ofte both behynde and before, betwene the fete agaynst the fetelockes; there is no remedy but good showynge. 4
110. Myllettes. Millets. ¶ Myllettes is an yll sorance, and appereth in the fetelockes behynde, & causeth the heare to sheede thre or foure inches of length, and a quarter of an inche in brede, lyke as it were bare; and yll to cure but it maye be perceiued, 4 and specially in wynter tyme.
111. The peynes. ‘The peynes.’ ¶ The peynes is an yll soraunce and appereth in the fetelockes, and wyl swel in wynter tyme, and oyse of water, and the heare wyll stare and be thyn, and yl to cure, but it wyl be seen in winter. 4
112. Cratches. Cratches. ¶ Cratches is a soraunce that wyll cause a horse to halt, and commeth of yll kepynge, and appereth in the pasturnes, lyke as the skyn were cut ouerthwarte, that a [Fol. 49.] man maye laye a white strawe, and it is sone cured. 4
113. Atteynt. Attaint. ¶ Atteynt is a sorance, that commeth of an ouer-rechynge, yf it be before; and if it be behynde, it is of the tredynge of an other horse, the whiche maye be soone cured. 4
114. Grauelynge. Gravelling. ¶ Grauelynge is a hurte, that wyll make a horse to halte, and commethe of grauell and lyttel stones, that goth in betwene the shough and the herte of the fote, and is sone mended. 4
115. A-cloyed. A-cloyed. ¶ A-cloyde is an hurte, that commeth of yll shoynge, whan a smyth dryueth a nayle in-to the quycke; the which wyll make hym to halt, and is sone cured.
116. The scabbe. The scab. ¶ There is a disease amonge horses that is called the scabbe, and it is a skorfe in dyuers places of his body. And it commeth of a pouertie and yll kepynge; and is most commonly amonge olde horses, and wyll dye 4 thervpon, and maye be well cured.
117. Lowsy. Lousy horses. ¶ There be horses that wyll be lowsy, and it cometh of pouertie, colde, and yll kepynge; and it is moste commonly amonge yonge horses, and menne take lyttell [Fol. 49b.] hede vnto it; and yet they wyll dye thervppon, and it 4 maye be soone cured.
118. Wartes. Want of warts behind. ¶ There is a defaute in a horse, that is neyther sorance, hurte, nor disease, and that is, if a horse wante wartes behynde, benethe the spauen-place, for then he is noo chapmannes ware, if he be wylde; but if he be tame, 4 Caveat emptor. and haue ben rydden vpon, than Caueat emptor, beware the byer, for the byer hath bothe his eyen to se, and his handes to handell. It is a sayenge, that suche a horse shoulde dye sodeynely, whan he hath lyued as 8 many yeres as the mone was dayes olde, at suche tyme as he was foled.
119. The sayinge of the frenche-man. ¶ These be soraunce, hurtes, dyseases, that be nowe A French proverb. comme to my mynde; and the frenche-man saythe, Mort de langue et de eschine Sount maladyes saunce medicine. The mournynge of the tongue, and of the chyne, are 4 diseases without remedy or medicyne. And ferther he Another French proverb. saythe, Gardes bien, que il soyt cler de vieu, Que tout trauayle ne soit perdue: Be wel ware that he be clere of syghte, lest all thy trauayle or iourneye be lost or 8 nyght. And bycause I am a horse-master my-selfe, I [Fol. 50.] haue shewed you the soraunce and dyseases of horses, to the entent that men shulde beware, & take good hede what horses they bye of me or of any other. Howe 12 If ever you trust a horse-master, trust me. be it I saye to my customers, and those that bye any horses of me, and euer they wil trust any hors-master or corser whyle they lyue, truste me.
120. ¶ The diuersitie bytwene a horse-mayster, a corser, and a horse-leche. A horse-master buys wild colts and breeds them and breaks them in. A Horse-mayster is he, that bieth wylde horses, or coltes, and bredeth theym, and selleth theym agayne wylde, or breaketh parte of them, and maketh theym tame, and than selleth them. A corser is he, that byeth 4 A courser merely deals in them. all rydden horses, and selleth them agayne. The horse-leche is he, that takethe vppon hym to cure and mende A horse-leech cures their diseases. all maner of diseases and soraunce that horses haue. And whan these three be mette, if ye hadde a potycarye 8 to make the fourthe, ye myghte haue suche foure, that Add to these an apothecary, and you have 4 rogues. it were harde to truste the best of them. It were also conuenyent to shew medicynes and remedyes for al these diseases and sorances; but it wolde be to longe a processe 12 at this tyme, for it wolde be as moche as halfe this boke. And I haue not the perfyte connynge, nor the experyence, to shewe medycynes and remedyes for
124. ¶ To get settes and set them. And if thou haue pastures, thou muste nedes haue quyckesettynge, dychynge and plasshynge. Whan it is Quickset hedges. grene, and commeth to age, than gette thy quyckesettes in the woode-countreye, and let theym be of whyte-thorne 4 and crabtree, for they be beste; holye and hasell be good. And if thou dwelle in the playne-countrey, than mayste Set young oaks and ashes. thou gete bothe asshe, oke, and elme, for those wyll encrease moche woode in shorte space. And set thy oke-settes 8 and the asshe .x. or .xii fote a-sonder, and cut them [Fol. 53b.] as thou dost thy other settes, and couer theym ouer with thornes a lyttell, that shepe and cattell eate them not. Clear away the weeds. And also wede them clene in mydsomer mone or soone 12 after: for the wedes, if they ouer growe, wyl kyl the settes. Never have blackthorn. But get no blacke-thorne for nothynge, for that wyl grow outwarde into the pasture, and doth moch hurte in the grasse, and tearyng the woll of the shepe. It is good 16 tyme to set quickesettes, fro that tyme the leaues be fallen, When to set quicksets. vnto oure lady daye in lente; and thy sandye grounde or grauell set fyrste, than clay grounde, and than meane grounde, and the medowe or marreys grounde laste, for 20 the sande and grauell wyll drye anone, and than the quyckeset wyll take no rote, excepte it haue greate weate; for the muldes wyll lye lose, if it be dyched in February or How to set quicksets. marche, and lyke wise clay ground. And make thy settes 24 longe ynough, that they maye be set depe ynough in the erth: for than they wyll growe the better. And to stande halfe a foote and more aboue the erthe, that they maye sprynge oute in many braunches. And than to take a lyne, 28 Make a straight trench. and sette it there as thou wylte haue thy hedge, and to make a trenche after thy lyne, and to pare awaye the grasse there the quyckesettes shal be set, and caste it by, [Fol. 54.] where the erthe of the dyche shall lye, and dygge vp the 32 muldes a spade-graffe depe, and to put in thy settes, and dygge up more molde, and laye vppon that set, and so peruse, tyll thou haue set all thy settes, and let them lene Have the ditch a foot from the hedge. towarde the dyche. And a foote from that make thy 36 dyche. For if thou make it to nyghe thy settes, the water maye fortune to weare the grounde on that syde, and cause thy settes to fall downe.
125. ¶ To make a dyche. Of what size to make ditches. If thou make thy dyche foure foote brode, than wolde it be two foote and a halfe depe. And if it be .v. fote brode, than .iii. fote depe, and so accordynge; and if it be fyue fote brod, than it wolde be double sette, and the 4 rather it wolde fence it-selfe, and the lower hedge wyll serue.
126. ¶ To make a hedge. Stakes for a hedge. Thou muste gette the stakes of the harte of oke, for those be best; crabtre, blacke-thorne, and ellore be good. Reed wethy is beste in marsshe grounde; asshe, maple, hasel, and whyte-thorne wyl serue for a time. And set 4 [Fol. 54b.] thy stakes within .ii. foote and a halfe together, excepte thou haue very good edderynge, and longe, to bynde with. Ethers for a hedge. And if it be double eddered, it is moch the better, and gret strength to the hedge, and moche lenger it wil last. 8 And lay thy small trouse or thornes, that thou hedgeste withall, ouer thy quickesettes, that shepe do not eate the Drive the stakes firmly. sprynge nor buddes of thy settes. Let thy stakes be well dryuen, that the poynt take the hard erthe. And whan 12 thou haste made thy hedge, and eddered it well, than take Wind in the ethers. thy mall agayne, and dryue downe thy edderinges, and also thy stakes by and by. For with the wyndynge of the edderynges thou doost leuse thy stakes; and therfore 16 Then drive the stakes again. they muste nedes be dryuen newe, and hardened agayne, and the better the stake wil be dryuen, whan he is wel bounden.
127. ¶ To plasshe or pleche a hedge. How to pleach a hedge. If the hedge be of .x. or .xii. yeres growing sythe it was first set, thanne take a sharpe hachet, or a handbyll, and cutte the settes in a playne place, nyghe vnto the Cut the sets more than half through, erthe, the more halue a-sonder; and bende it downe 4 towarde the erthe, and wrappe and wynde theym to-gether, [Fol. 55.] but alwaye se that the toppe lye hyer than the and bend them down, but not too low. rote a good quantytie, for elles the sappe wyll not renne in-to the toppe kyndely, but in processe the toppe wyll 8 dye; and than set a lyttel hedge on the backe-syde, and it shall nede noo more mendynge manye yeres after. And if the hedge be of .xx. .xxiiii. or .xxx. yere of age, How to pleach an older hedge. sythe it was fyrst sette, than wynde in first al the 12 nether-moste bowes, and wynde them together, and than cutte the settes in a playne place a lyttel from the erth, the more halfe a-sonder, and to lette it slaue downewarde, and not vpwarde, for dyuerse causes: than wynde the 16 bowes and braunches therof in-to the hedge, and at euery two fote, or .iii. fote, to leaue one set growyng not plasshed; and the toppe to be cut of foure fote hygh, or there-aboute, to stande as a stake, if there be any 20 suche, or els to set an-other, and to wynd the other that be pleched about them. And if the bowes wyll not lye playne in the hedge, than cut it the more halfe How to pleach a very old hedge. a-sonder, and bynd it to the hedge, and than shal he not 24 nede for to mende the hedge, but in fewe places, .xx. yeres after or more. And if the hedge be olde, and be great stubbes or trees, and thyn in the bottome, that beastes may go vnder or betwene the trees: thanne 28 take a sharpe axe, and cutte the trees or stubbes, that [Fol. 55b.] growe a fote from the erthe, or there-about, in a plaine place, within an inche or two inches of the side, and let them slaue downward, as I sayd before, and let the 32 toppe of the tree lye ouer the rote of an other tree, and to pleche downe the bowes of the same tree, to stoppe the holowe places. And if all the holowe and voyde places wyl not be fylled and stopped, than scoure the 36 olde dyche, and cast it vp newe, and to fyll with erthe all the voyde places. And if soo be these trees wyll not reche in euerye place to make a sufficyent defence, than double quicke-set it, & diche it new in euery place that 40 is nedeful, and set a hedge thervpon, and to ouerlay the settes, for eatynge of shepe or other cattel.
128. ¶ To mende a hye-waye. How to mend a road. Me semeth, it is necessarye to shewe mine opinion, howe an hye-way shulde be amended. And fyrste and pryncypally, se that there be noo water standynge in the Let no water stand on it. hye-waye, but that it be alwaye currante and rennynge, 4 nor haue none abydynge more in one place thanne in another. And in somer, whan the water is dryed vp, than [Fol. 56.] to get grauell, and to fyll vp euery lowe place, and to make theym euen, somewhat dyscendynge or currante, 8 one waye or other; and if there be noo grauell nor Fill up the holes with gravel. stones to gette, yet fyll vp with erthe in the begynnyge of somer, that it maye be well hardened with caryage and treadynge vppon, and it shall be well 12 amended, if the water maye passe away from it; the whiche wolde be well consydered, and specially aboute About London they mend roads badly, putting in earth before the gravel. London, where as they make moche more coste than nedeth; for there they dyche theyr hye-wayes on bothe 16 sydes, and fyll vp the holowe and lowe places with erthe, and than they caste and laye grauell alofte. And whan a greatte rayne or water commeth, and synketh thorowe the grauell, and commeth to the erthe, than the erthe 20 swelleth and bolneth and waxeth softe, and with Then the gravel sinks, and the road is like a quicksand. treadynge, and specyally with caryage, the grauell synketh, and gothe downewarde as his nature and kynde requyreth, and than it is in maner of a quycke-sande, 24 that harde it is for any thynge to goo ouer. But yf they wolde make no dyche in sommertyme, whan the water is dryed vp, that a man may se all the holowe and lowe places, They should use gravel only. than to cary grauel, and fyl it vp as hygh as the other 28 knolles be; than wold it not bolne ne swell, nor be no quycke-sande, and euery man may go beside the hie-way [Fol. 56b.] with theyr cariage at theyr pleasure. And this me semeth is lesse coste, and lenger wyll last with a lyttell mendynge 32 This should be looked to. whan nede requyreth. Therfore me thynketh, yf this were well loked vpon, it shuld be bothe good and necessarye for that purpose: for soo haue I seen done in other places, where as I haue ben, &c. 36
129. ¶ To remoue and set trees. How to remove and set trees. If thou wylte remoue and sette trees, get as manye rotes with them as thou canste, and breake them not, nor bryse theym, by thy wyll. And if there be any rote broken and sore brused, cut it of harde by, there as it is 4 brused, with a sharpe hatchet, elles that roote wyll dye. And if it be asshe, elme, or oke, cut of all the bowes Cut off some of the boughs. cleane, and saue the toppe hole. For if thou make hym ryche of bowes, thou makeste hym poore of thryfte, for 8 two causes. The bowes causeth theym to shake with wynde, and to leuse the rotes. Also he can-not be soo cleane gete, but some of the rotes muste nedes be cut, and than there wyll not come soo moche sappe and 12 moystenes to the bowes, as there dyd before. And if the tree be very longe, cut of the top, two or thre [Fol. 51; So misnumbered all the way to the end. We may call it 51*.] yardes. And if it be an apple-tree, or peare-tree, or suche other as beareth fruyte, than cut away all the 16 water-bowes, and the small bowes, that the pryncipall bowes may haue the more sap. And if ye make a marke, which syde of the tree standeth towarde the sonne, that he may be set so agayne, it is soo moche 20 the better.
130. ¶ Trees to be set without rotes and growe. Some trees can be set without roots. There be trees wil be set without rotes, and growe well, and sprynge rotes of them-selfe. And those be dyuerse apple-trees, that haue knottes in the bowes, as casses, or wydes, and suche other, that wyll growe on 4 Poplar and withy. slauynges, and lykewyse popeler and wethy: and they must be cut cleane besyde the tree, that they growe on, and the toppe cut cleane of .viii. or .x. fote of lengthe, and all the bowes betwene, and to be set a fote depe or. 8 in the erthe, in good grounde. And ye shall vnderstande, Four withies, viz. white, black, red, and osier. that there be foure maner of wethyes, that is to say, white wethye, blacke wethy, reed wethy, and osyerde wethy. Whyte wethye wyll growe vppon drye 12 grounde, yf it be sette in the begynnyge of wynter, and [Fol. 51*b.] wyll not growe in marsshe grounde; blacke wethy wyll growe better on marshe grounde, and redde wethy in Osiers will grow in water. lyke maner: and osyerde wethy wyll growe beste in water 16 and moyste grounde. And they be trees that wyll soone be nourysshed, and they wyll beare moche woodde, and Crop them every seven years. they wolde be cropped euery .vii. or .viii. yere or els they wyll dye; but they maye not be cropped in sappe-tyme, 20 nor no tree els. And in many places, bothe the lordes, freeholders, and tenauntes at wyll, sette suche wethyes, and popelers, in marsshe grounde, to nourysshe wodde, &c.
131. ¶ To fell wodde for housholde, or to sell. Fell underwood in winter; let the cattle browze on it. If thou haue any woddes to felle, for thy householde to brenne, or to sell, than fell the vnder-wodde fyrste in wynter, that thy cattell or beastes maye eate and brouse the toppes, and to fell noo more on a daye but as moche 4 as the beastes wyll eate the same daye, or on the morowe Make it up into faggots. after. And as soone as it is well eaten or broused, thanne kydde it, and set them on the endes, and that wyll saue the bandes from rottynge, and they shall be 8 [Fol. 52*.] the lyghter to carye, and the better wyll they brenne, and lie in lesse rowme. And whan thou shalt bryng them How to stack faggots. home to make a stacke of them, set the nethermoste course vpon the endes, and the seconde course flat vppon 12 the syde, and the endes vpwarde, and the thyrde cou[r]se flatte on the syde ouerthwart the other. And so to peruse them, tyll thou haue layd all vp. And whan thou shalte brenne them, take the ouermoste fyrste. 16
132. ¶ To shrede, lop, or croppe trees. How to shred, lop, and crop trees. If thou haue any trees to shrede, loppe, or croppe for the fyre-wodde, croppe them in wynter, that thy beastes maye eate the brouse, and the mosse of the bowes, and also the yues. And whanne they be broused 4 and eaten, dresse the wodde, and bowe it clene, and cutte it at every byghte, and rere the greatte wodde to the tree, and kydde the smal bowes, and set them on ende. And if thou shalte not haue sufficyent wodde, 8 Do not head trees too low. excepte thou heed thy trees, and cut of the toppes, than heed theym thre or foure fote aboue any tymber: and if it be noo tymbre tree, but a shaken tree, or a hedge-rote full of knottes, than heed hym thyrty foote hyghe, 12 [Fol. 52*b.] or twenty at the leaste, for soo ferre he wyll beare plentye of woode and bowes, and moche more, thanne Trees grow only to a certain height; then they spread. if he were not heeded. For a tree hath a propertye to growe to a certayne heyght, and whan he commeth to 16 that heyghte, he standeth styll, and groweth noo hyer, but in brede; and in conclusion the toppe wyll dye and decrease, and the body thryue. And if a tree be heeded, and vsed to be lopped and cropped at euerye 20 .xii. or .xvi. yeres ende, or there-about, it wyll beare moche more woode, by processe of time, than if it were not cropped, and moche more profyte to the owner.
133. ¶ Howe a man shoulde shrede, loppe, or croppe trees. In shredding trees, some men begin at the top. It is the comon gyse, to begynne at the top of the tree, whan he shall be shred or cropped, bycause eche bough shulde lye vppon other whan they shall fal, so that the weight of the bowes shall cause theym to be 4 It is not the best way. the rather cut downe. But that is not beste, for that causeth the bowes to slaue downe the nether parte, and pulleth awaye the barke from the bodye of the tree, the whiche wyll cause the tree to be holowe in that place 8 in tyme commynge, and many tymes it shall hynder [Fol. 53*.] hym. And therfore lette hym begynne at the nether-moste boughe fyrste, and with a lyghte axe for an hande, to cut the boughe on bothe sydes, a fote or two foote 12 from the bodye of the tree. And specially cut it more on the nether syde, than on the ouer syde, soo that the boughe fall not streyght downe, but turne on the syde, and than shall it not slaue nor breke no barke. 16 And euery boughe wil haue a newe heed, and beare Never crop or head a tree with a north or east wind, moche more woode; and by thy wyll, without thou must nedes do it, crop not thy tree, nor specyallye heed hym, whan the wynde standeth in the northe, or in the eest. 20 And beware, that thou croppe hym not, nor heed hym nor in sap-time. (specially) in sappe-tyme, for than wyll he dye within fewe yeres after, if it be an oke.
134. ¶ To sell woode or tymber. Retail the wood yourself. If thou haue any woode to selle, I aduyse the, retayle it thy-selfe, if thou mayste attende vppon it: and if not, thanne to cause thy baylye, or somme other wyse or If small, sell in faggots. dyscrete man, to do it for the. And if it be small wode, 4 to kydde it, and sel it by the hundredes, or by the thousandes. And if there be asshes in it, to sell the smalle [Fol. 53*b.] asshes to cowpers for garches, and the gret asshes to whele-wryghtes, and the meane asshes to plowe-wrightes, 8 and the crabbe-trees to myllers, to make cogges and ronges. And if there be any okes, bothe gret and smal, Fell oaks and sell them. fel them, and pyl them, and sel the barke by it-selfe; and than sorte the trees, the polles by them-selfe, the myddel 12 sorte[30] by them-selfe, and the greattest by them-selfe, & than sel them by scores, or halfe scores, or .C. as thou maist, and to fel it hard by the erth, for i. fote next vnto the erth is worthe .ii fote in the top; and to cut 16 thy tymber longe ynoughe, that thou leue no timber in the toppe. And to sell the toppes as they lye a greatte, or elles dresse them & sel the great wodde by it-selfe, & the kyd-wodde by it-selfe, and to fal the vnder-wode 20 fyrst at any tyme between Martilmas and holyrode-day. Ash-trees. And al the asshes, bytwene Martylmasse and Candelmas, and all okes, as soon as they wyl pyl, vntyl May be done, and not after. Perauenture the greattest man hath not 24 Selling wood requires care. the beste prouisyon. And that is bycause the seruauntes wyll not enfourme hym these wayes, and also may fortune they wold bye suche woodes theym-selfe, or be partener of the same and to auyse his lorde to sel them. It is not 28 conuenient that the salesman, that selleth the wod, shuld be partener with the bier. [Fol. 54*.]
135. ¶ To kepe sprynge-wodde. In the wynter before that thou wilt fel thy wodde, make a good and a sure hedge, that no maner of cattel can get in. And as shortly as it is fallen, let it be caryed away, or Of plantations or ‘spring-wood.’ the sprynge come vp, for els the cattell, that doth cary 4 the wodde, wyll eate the sprynge: and whan the top is eaten, or broken, it is a great lette, hurte, and hynderaunce of the goodnes of the sprynge; for than where it is eaten, it burges oute of many braunches, and not soo fayre as 8 the fyrst wolde haue ben. A parke is best kept, where there is neyther man, dogge, nor foure-foted beast therin, except dere. And so is a spryng beste kepte, where If there is much grass there, put in only calves and colts. there is neyther manne nor foure-foted beastes within 12 the hedge. But if there be moche grasse, and thou were lothe to lose it, than put in calues, newly wained and taken from theyr dammes, and also waynynge coltes, or horses not paste a yere of age: and let thy calues be 16 taken away at Maye; the coltes may go lenger for eating of any wodde; but there is ieoperdy bothe for calues, foles, and coltes, for tyckes or for beinge lowsy, the whiche wyl kyl them, if they be not taken hede vnto. 20 And .vii. yeres is the lest that it wil saue it-selfe, but [Fol. 54*b.] .x. yeres is best. And than the vnder bowes wolde be cutte awaye, and made kyddes therof, and the other wyll growe moche the better and faster. And if the 24 Cut away the underwood. vnder bowes be not cutte awaye, they wyll dye, and than they be loste, and greatte hurte to the sprynge, for they take awaye the sappe, that shoulde cause the sprynge to growe better. 28
136. ¶ Necessary thynges belongynge to graffynge. Pears, apples, cherries, filberts, bullace, damsons, &c. It is necessarye, profytable, and also a pleasure, to a housbande, to haue peares, wardens, and apples of dyuerse sortes. And also cheryes, filberdes, bulleys, dampsons, plummes, walnuttes, and suche other. And 4 therfore it is conuenyent to lerne howe thou shalte graffe. Than it is to be knowen what thynges thou A grafting-saw. must haue to graffe withall. Thou muste haue a graffynge-sawe, the whiche wolde be very thynne, and 8 thycke-tothed; and bycause it is thynne, it wyll cut the narower kyrfe, and the cleaner, for brusynge of the barke. And therfore it is sette in a compasse pece of yren, Grafting-knife. syxe inches of, to make it styffe and bygge. Thou 12 muste haue also a graffynge-knyfe, an inche brode, with [Fol. 55*.] a thycke backe, to cleue the stocke with-all. And also a mallet, to dryue the knyfe and thy wedge in-to the Mallet, and sharp small knives. tree: and a sharpe knife, to pare the stockes heed, and 16 an other sharpe knyfe, to cutte the graffe cleane. And also thou muste haue two wedges of harde wood, or elles Two wedges. of yren, a longe small one for a small stocke, and broder for a bygger stocke, to open the stocke, whan it is clouen 20 Clay, moss, and bast. and pared: and also good tough claye and mosse, and also bastes or pyllynge of wethy or elme, to bynde them with, &c.
137. ¶ What fruite shuld be fyrste graffed. Graft pears before apples. Peares and wardens wolde be graffed before any maner of apples, bycause the sappe commeth sooner and rather in-to the peare-tree and warden-tree, thanne in-to the Graft from Feb. 14 to March 25. apple-tree. And after saynt Valentynes daye, it is tyme 4 to grade both peares and wardens, tyll Marche be comen, and thanne to graffe appels to our lady daye. And than graffe that that is gette of an olde apple-tree fyrste, for that wyll budde before the graffe get of a yonge apple-tree 8 late graffed. And a peare or a warden wolde be graded in a pyrre-stocke; and if thou canst get none, [Fol. 55*b.] than graffe it in a crabbe-tree stocke, and it wyll do well: and some men grade theym in a whyte-thorne, and than 12 A crab-stock is best for apples. it wyll be the more harder and stonye. And for all maner of appels, the crabtree stocke is beste.
138. ¶ Howe to graffe. Select the graft. Thou muste get thy graffes of the fayrest lanses, that thou canste fynde on the tree, and see that it haue a good Saw the crab-tree, knotte or ioynte, and an euen. Than take thy sawe, and sawe in-to thy c[r]abbetree, in a fayre playne place, pare it 4 cleave and open the stock; euen with thy knyfe, and thanne cleaue the stocke with thy greatte knyfe and thy mallet, and set in a wedge, and open the stocke, accordynge to the thyckenesse of thy graffe; thanne take thy smalle sharpe knyfe, and cutte 8 the graffe on bothe sydes in the ioynte, but passe not the myddes therof for nothynge, and let the inner syde, that shall be set in-to the stocke, be a lyttel thynner than the vtter syde, and the nether poynte of the graffe the 12 then put the graft into the stock. thynner: than proferre thy graffe in-to the stocke; and if it go not close, than cut the graffe or the stocke, tyll they close cleane, that thou canste not put the edge of [Fol. 56*.] thy knyfe on neyther syde betwene the stocke and the 16 graffe, and sette them so that the toppes of the graffe bende a lyttell outewarde, and see that the wodde of the graffe be set mete with the wodde of the stocke, and the sappe of the stocke maye renne streyght and euen with 20 The bark of the graft is thinner than that of the stock. the sappe of the graffe. For the barke of the graffe is neuer soo thicke as the barke of the stocke. And therfore thou mayste not sette the barkes mete on the vtter syde, but on the inner syde: than pulle awaye thy wedge, 24 and it wyl stande moche faster. Than take toughe cleye, lyke marley, and ley it vppon the stocke-heed, and with thy fynger laye it close vnto the graffe, and a lyttel vnder the heed, to kepe it moyst, and that no wynde come into 28 Cover with moss, and bind with bast. the stocke at the cleauynge. Than take mosse, and laye thervpon, for chynynge of the claye: than take a baste of whyte wethy or elme, or halfe a bryer, and bynd the mosse, the clay, and the graffe together, but be well ware, 32 that thou breake not thy graffe, neyther in the clayenge, nor in the byndynge; and thou muste set some-thinge by the graffe, that crowes, nor byrdes do not lyght vpon thy graffe, for if they do, they wil breake hym, &c. 36 [Fol. 56*b.]
139. ¶ To graffe bytwene the barke and the tree. There is an other maner of graffinge than this, and soner done, & soner to growe: but it is more ieoperdy for Another way of grafting. winde whan it begynneth to growe. Thou muste sawe thy stocke, and pare the heed therof, as thou diddest 4 before, but cleue it not: than take thy graffe, and cut it in the ioynt to the myddes, and make the tenaunte therof halfe an inche longe or a lyttell more, all on the one syde, and pare the barke awaye a lyttel at the poynt on the 8
144. ¶ A lesson for the wyfe. But yet er I begynne to shewe the wyfe, what warkes A lesson of Solomon. she shall do, I wyll firste teche her a lesson of Salomon, as I did to her husbande a lesson of the philosopher, and that is, that she shulde not be ydle at noo tyme: 4 for Salomon saythe, Ociosus non gaudebit cum electis in cÆlo: sed lugebit in Æternum cum reprobis in inferno: That [Fol. 60.] is to say, The ydle folke shall not ioye with the chosen folkes in heuen, but they shall sorowe with the reproued 8 A lesson of Jerome. and forsaken folkes in hell. And saynt Iherom saythe: Semper boni operis aliquid facito, vt te diabolus inueniat occupatum: Quia sicut in aqua stante generantur vermes: sic in homine ocioso generantur malÆ cogitationes: That is to say, 12 Alwaye be doinge of some good werkes, that the dyuell may fynde the euer occupied: for as in standynge water are engendred wormes, ryghte soo in an ydle body are engendred ydle thoughtes. Here mayste thou se, that 16 of ydelnes commeth damnation, and of good warkes and labour cometh saluation. Nowe arte thou at thy lyberty, Choose either idleness or labour. to chose whether waye thou wylt, wherin is a great diuersitie. And he is an vnhappy man or woman, that 20 god hath giuen bothe wyt and reason, and putteth hym in chose, and woll chose the worst parte. Nowe thou wyfe, I trust to shewe to the dyuers occupations, warkes, and laboures, that thou shalt not nede to be ydle no tyme 24 of the yere.
145. ¶ What thynges the wyfe is bounden of ryght to do. Let the wife love her husband. First and prynycypally the wyfe is bounde of ryghte to loue her housbande, aboue father and mother, and aboue [Fol. 60b.] all other men. For our lorde saythe in his gospell; Matt. xix. 5.
Mark x. 7. Relinquet patrem et matrem, et adherebit[31] vxori suÆ: A man 4 shulde leue father and mother, and drawe to his wyfe: and the same wyse a wyfe shulde do to her husbande. And are made by the vertue of the sacrament of holy One body, and two souls. scripture one fleshe, one bloude, one body, and two 8 soules. Wherfore theyr hartes, theyr myndes, theyr warkes, and occupations, shulde be all one, neuer to seuer nor chaunge durynge theyr natural lyues, by any mannes acte or dede, as it is sayde in the same gospel: 12 Matt. xix. 9.
Mark x. 9. Quod deus coniunxit, homo non separet: That thynge that god hath ioyned to-gether, noo man maye seuer nor departe. Wherfore it is conuenyente that they loue eche other as effectually as they wolde doo theyr owne 16 selfe, &c.
146. ¶ What warkes a wyfe shulde do in generall. First, at rising, bless thyself. First in a mornyng whan thou arte waked, and purposeste to ryse, lyfte vp thy hande, and blesse the, and make a sygne of the holy crosse, In nomine patris, et filii, et spiritus sancti. Amen. In the name of the father, the 4 [Fol. 61.] sonne, and the holy gooste. And if thou saye a Pater noster, an Aue, and a Crede, and remember thy maker, thou shalte spede moche the better. And whan thou arte Sweep the house, vp and redy, than first swepe thy house, dresse vp thy 8 dyssheborde, and sette all thynges in good order within milk the cows, dress the children. thy house: milke thy kye, socle[32] thy calues, sye vp thy mylke, take vppe thy chyldren and araye theym, and prouyde for thy husbandes brekefaste, dynner, souper, 12 and for thy chyldren and seruauntes, and take thy parte Send corn to the mill, and measure it before it goes. with theym. And to ordeyne corne and malte to the myll, to bake and brue withall whanne nede is. And meete it to the myll, and fro the myll, and se that thou 16 haue thy measure agayne besyde the tolle, or elles the myller dealeth not truely with the, or els thy corne is not Make butter and cheese. drye as it shoulde be. Thou must make butter, and chese whan thou maist, serue thy swyne bothe mornyng and 20 euenynge, and gyue thy poleyn meate in the mornynge; and whan tyme of the yere cometh, thou must take hede Gather the eggs. howe thy hennes, duckes, and geese do ley, and to gather vp theyr egges, and whan they waxe brodye, to sette 24 them there as noo beastes, swyne, nor other vermyn hurte them. And thou muste knowe, that all hole-footed fowles wyll sytte a moneth, and all clouen-footed fowles [Fol. 61b.] wyll sytte but three wekes, excepte a peyhenne, and greatte 28 fowles, as cranes, bustardes, and suche other. And whan they haue broughte forthe theyr byrdes, to see that they be well kepte from the gleyd, crowes, fullymartes, and Put in order the garden. other vermynne. And in the begynnynge of Marche, or 32 a lyttell afore, is tyme for a wyfe to make her garden, and to gette as many good sedes and herbes as she canne, and specially suche as be good for the potte, and to eate: and as ofte as nede shall requyre, it muste be weded, for 36 els the wedes wyl ouergrowe the herbes. And also in Marche is tyme to sowe flaxe and hempe, for I haue Better are March hards than April flax. harde olde houswyues saye, that better is Marche hurdes than Apryll flaxe, the reason appereth: but howe it 40 shulde be sowen, weded, pulled, repeyled, watred, wasshen, dryed, beaten, braked, tawed, hecheled, spon, wounden, wrapped, and wouen, it nedeth not for me to shewe, for they be wise ynough; and therof may they 44 Make sheets, towels, and shirts. make shetes, bordclothes, towels, shertes, smockes, and suche other necessaryes, and therfore let thy dystaffe be alwaye redye for a pastyme, that thou be not ydle. And vndouted a woman can-not gette her lyuynge 48 honestely with spynnynge on the distaffe, but it stoppeth [Fol. 62.] a gap, and muste nedes be had. The bolles of flaxe, whan they be ripeled of, must be rideled from the wedes, Dry the flax. and made drye with the son, to get out the sedes. Howe 52 be it one maner of linsede, called loken sede, wyll not open by the son: and therfore, whan they be drye, they muste be sore brused and broken, the wiues knowe howe, and than winowed and kepte drye, tyll yere-tyme come 56 agayn. Thy female hempe must be pulled from the churle hempe, for that beareth no sede, and thou must do by it, as thou dydest by the flax. The churle hempe beareth sede, and beware that byrdes eate it not, as it 60 groweth: the hemp therof is not soo good as the female Sometimes there is a great deal to do. hempe, but yet it wyll do good seruyce. May fortune somtime, that thou shalt haue so many thinges to do, that thou shalt not well knowe where is best to begyn. Than 64 take hede, which thing shulde be the greattest losse, if it were not done, and in what space it wold be done: than thinke what is the greatest losse, & there begyn. Leave that till last which will best wait. But in case that thynge, that is of greateste losse, wyll 68 be longe in doynge, and thou myghteste do thre or foure other thynges in the meane whyle, thanne loke well, if all these thynges were sette together, whiche of them were the greattest losse; and if all these thynges be of 72 [Fol. 62b.] greater losse, and may be all done in as shorte space, as the other, than doo thy many thynges fyrste.
¶ It is conuenyente for a housbande to haue shepe of his owne, for many causes, and than maye his wife haue 76 With some of the wool make clothes. part of the woll, to make her husbande and her-selfe some clothes. And at the leaste waye, she may haue the lockes of the shepe, eyther to make clothes or blankettes & couerlettes, or bothe. And if she haue no woll of her 80 owne, she maye take wol to spynne of clothe-makers, and by that meanes she maye haue a conuenyent lyuynge, and many tymes to do other warkes. It is a wyues occupation, Winnow corn, brew, wash, make hay, etc. to wynowe all maner of cornes, to make malte, to wasshe 84 and wrynge, to make heye, shere corne, and in tyme of nede to helpe her husbande to fyll the mucke-wayne or dounge-carte, dryue the ploughe, to loode hey, corne, and Sell the butter, cheese, hens, geese, and corn. suche other. And to go or ride to the market, to sel butter, 88 chese, mylke, egges, chekyns, capons, hennes, pygges, gese, and all maner of cornes. And also to bye all maner Keep accounts. of necessarye thynges belongynge to houssholde, and to make a trewe rekenynge and a-compte to her housbande, 92 what she hath payed. And yf the housbande go to the market, to bye or sell, as they ofte do, he than to shewe [Fol. 63.] his wife in lyke maner. For if one of them shoulde vse to deceyue the other, he deceyueth hym-selfe, and he is 96 not lyke to thryue. And therfore they muste be trewe I will not explain all points of deceit. eyther to other. I coulde peraduenture shewe the housbandes dyuerse poyntes that the wyues deceyue them in: and in lyke maner, howe husbandes deceyue theyr 100 wyues: but if I shulde do so, I shulde shewe mo subtyll poyntes of deceypt, than eyther of them knewe of before. And therfore me semeth beste to holde my peace, least Else I should act like the Knight de la Tour, I shoulde do as the knyght of the toure dyd, the whiche 104 had many fayre doughters, and of fatherly loue that he oughte to them, he made a boke, to a good entente, that they myghte eschewe and flee from vyces, and folowe vertues. In the whiche boke he shewed, that if they 108 were wowed, moued, or styred by any man, after suche a maner as he there shewed, that they shulde withstande who wrote a book against vice, it. In the whiche boke he shewed so many wayes, howe a man shoulde atteyne to his purpose, to brynge a woman 112 to vice, the whiche wayes were so naturall, and the wayes to come to theyr purpose were soo subtylly contryued, and craftely shewed, that harde it wold be for any woman but really taught vice. to resyste or deny theyr desyre. And by the sayd boke 116 hath made bothe the men and the women to knowe more [Fol. 63b.] vyces, subtyltye, and crafte, than euer they shulde haue knowen, if the boke had not ben made: in the whiche boke he named hym-selfe the knight of the towre. And 120 thus I leue the wyues, to vse theyr occupations at theyr owne discreation.
147. ¶ To kepe measure in spendynge. Take care. Nowe thou husbande and huswyfe, that haue done your diligence and cure, accordynge to the fyrste artycle of the philosopher, that is to saye: Adhibe curam. And also haue well remembred the sayeng of wyse Salomon: 4 Quod ociosus non gaudebit cum electis in cÆlo: sed lugebit in Æternum cum reprobis in inferno: Thanne ye must remembre, obserue, and kepe in mind, the seconde article of Keep measure. the sayinge of the philosopher, that is to saye, Tene 8 mensuram: That is to saye in englysshe, holde and kepe measure. And accordynge to that sayenge, I lerned two Spendthrifts come to poverty. verses at grammer-schole, and they be these, Qui plus expendit, quam rerum copia rendit: Non admiretur, si paupertate 12 grauetur: he that dothe more expende, thanne his goodes wyll extende, meruayle it shall not be, thoughe [Fol. 64.] he be greued with pouertee. And also accordynge to that sayenge speketh sayncte Paul and saythe, Iuxta 16 facultates faciendi sunt sumptus, ne longi temporis victum, breuis hora consumat: That is to saye, A[f]ter thy faculty Spend according to your income; or thy honoure, make thyne expences, leste thou spende in shorte space that thynge, that thou shouldest lyue 20 by longe. This texte toucheth euery manne, from the hyest degree to the loweste; wherfore it is necessary to euerye manne and womanne to remembre and take good hede there-vnto, for to obserue, kepe, and folowe the 24 same; but bycause this texte of sayncte Paule is in latyn, or, in plain English, and husbandes commonely can but lyttell laten, I fere leaste they can-not vnderstande it. And thoughe it were declared ones or twyse to theym, that they wolde 28 forgette it: Wherfore I shall shewe to theym a texte eat within your tether. in englysshe, and that they maye well vnderstande, and that is this, Eate within thy tedure.
148. ¶ To eate within the tedure. Thou husbande and huswife, that intend to folowe Spare at the brink, not at the bottom. the sayinge of the philosopher, that is to saye, kepe measure, you muste spare at the brynke, and not at the bottom, that is to vnderstande, in the begynnynge of 4 [Fol. 64b.] the yere, sellynge of thy cornes, or spendynge in thy house, vnto the tyme that thou haue sowen agayne thy wynter-corne, and thy lente-corne, and than se what remayneth to serue thy house, and of the ouerplus thou 8 mayste sell and bye suche other necessaryes, as thou must Do not spend much at the beginning of the year. nedes occupie. And if thou spende it in the begynnynge of the yere, and shall want in the hynder ende, than thou doste not eate within thy tedure, and at the laste 12 thou shalte be punyshed, as I shal proue the by ensample. Take thy horse, and go tedure him vpon thyne owne lees, flytte hym as ofte as thou wylte, no manne wyll saye ‘wronge thou doste’; but make thy horse to longe 16 Give not your horse too long a tether. a tedure, than whan thou haste tyed hym vppon thyne owne lees, his tedure is so longe, that it recheth to the middes of an-other mans lees or corne: Nowe haste thou gyuen hym to moche lybertye, and that man, whose 20 corne or grasse thy horse hath eaten, wyll be greued at the, and wyll cause the to be amerced in the court, or elles to make hym amendes, or bothe. And if thy If the horse break his tether, horse breake his tedure, and go at large in euery mans 24 corne and grasse, than commeth the pynder, and taketh hym, and putteth hym in the pynfolde, and there shall [Fol. 65.] he stande in prison, without any meate, vnto the tyme thou hast payde his raunsome to the pynder, and also 28 he will be impounded. make amendes to thy neyghbours, for distroyenge of theyr corne. Ryght so, as long as thou eatest within thy tedure, that thou nedest not to begge nor borowe of Wherefore, ‘eat within thy tether.’ noo man, soo longe shalte thou encrease and growe in 32 rychesse, and euery man wyll be content with the. And if thou make thy tedure to longe, that thyne owne porcyon wyll not serue the, but that thou shalte begge, borowe, or bye of other: that wyll not longe endure, 36 but thou shalte fall in-to pouertye. And if thou breake Do not break your tether. thy tedure, and ren ryot at large, and knowe not other mennes goodes frome thyne owne, than shall the pynder, that is to saye, the sheryffe and the bayly, areste the, 40 and putte the in the pynfolde, that is to say, in prison, there to abyde tyll the truth be knowen: and it is meruayle, if thou scape with thy lyfe, and therfore eate within thy tedure. 44
149. ¶ A shorte lesson for the husbande. Do not waste candle-light. One thinge I wyl aduise the to remembre, and specially in wynter-tyme, whan thou sytteste by the fyre, and hast supped, to consyder in thy mynde, whether the warkes, [Fol. 65b.] that thou, thy wyfe, & thy seruauntes shall do, be more 4 auauntage to the than the fyre, and candell-lyghte, meate and drynke that they shall spende, and if it be more Rather go to bed, and rise early. auantage, than syt styll: and if it be not, than go to thy bedde and slepe, and be vppe betyme, and breake thy 8 faste before day, that thou mayste be all the shorte wynters day about thy busynes. At grammer-scole I Early rising makes a man healthy, holy, and rich. lerned a verse, that is this, Sanat, sanctificat, et ditat surgere mane. That is to say, Erly rysyng maketh a man 12 hole in body, holer in soule, and rycher in goodes. And this me semeth shuld be sufficient instruction for the husbande to kepe measure.
150. ¶ How men of hye degree do kepe measure. Men of high degree are too prodigal and wasteful. To me it is doubtefull, but yet me semeth, they be rather to lyberall in expences, than to scarce, and specyally in three thynges. The fyrste is prodigalytie in outragious and costely aray, fer aboue measure; the 4 seconde thynge is costely charge of delycyous meates and drynkes; the thyrde is outragious playe and game, ferre aboue measure. And nowe to the fyrste poynte.
[Fol. 66.]
151. ¶ Prodigalite in outragious and costely aray. I have seen noblemen’s inventories of apparel very moderate as compared with what is worn now. I haue seen bokes of accompte of the yomen of the wardropes of noble men, and also inuentorys made after theyr decease of their apparell, and I doubte not but at this daye, it is .xx. tymes more in value, than it was to 4 suche a man of degree as he was an .C. yere a-go: and many tymes it is gyuen away, er it be halfe worne, to a symple man, the whiche causeth hym to weare the same; and an other symple man, or a lyttell better, seynge him 8 Other men try to dress like them. to weare suche rayment, thynketh in his mynde, that he maye were as good rayment as he, and so causeth hym to bye suche other, to his great coste and charge, aboue measure, and an yll ensample to all other: and also to see 12 Even servants dress too much. mens seruantes so abused in theyr aray, theyr cotes be so syde, that they be fayne to tucke them vp whan they ryde, as women do theyr kyrtels whan they go to the market or other places, the whiche is an vnconuenient syght. And 16 ferthermore, they haue suche pleytes vpon theyr brestes, and ruffes vppon theyr sleues, aboue theyr elbowes, that yf theyr mayster, or theym-selfe hadde neuer so greatte nede, they coude not shoote one shote, to hurte 20 [Fol. 66b.] theyr ennemyes, tyll they hadde caste of theyr cotes, or cut of theyr sleues. This is fer aboue measure, or common weale of the realme. This began fyrste with honour, worship, and honesty, and it endeth in pryde, presumption, 24 and pouertye. Wherof speketh saint Austin, Quemcunque superbum esse videris, diaboli filium esse ne dubites: That is The proud man is a child of the devil. to say, who-so-euer thou seest that is proude, dout the not, but he is the diuels chylde. Wherfore agaynst pryde he 28 byddeth the remembre: Quid fuisti, quid es, et qualis post mortem eris: That is to say, what thou were, what thou art, and what thou shalte be after thy death. And S. Bernarde saythe, Homo nihil aliud est, quam sperma 32 fetidum, saccus stercorum, et esca vermium: That is to saye, Man is but worm’s meat. A man is nothynge but stynkynge fylthe, a sacke of dounge, and wormes meate. The whiche sayinges wolde be remembred, and than me semeth this is sufficient at this 36 time for the first point of the thre.
152. ¶ Of delycyouse meates and drynkes. Howe costely are the charges of delycious meates & drynkes, that be nowe most commonly vsed, ouer that it hath ben in tymes paste, and howe fer aboue measure? [Fol. 68; no fol. 67.] For I haue seen bokes of accompte of householde, 4 and brumentes vpon the same, & I doubte not, but Men now spend four times as much upon feasts as they used to. in delycyous meates, drinkes, and spyces, there is at this daye foure tymes so moche spent, as was at these dayes, to a lyke man in degree; and yet at that tyme 8 there was as moche befe and mutton spent as is nowe, and as many good housholdes kept, and as many yomenne wayters therin as be nowe. This began with loue and charytye whan a lorde, gentylman, or yoman 12 desyred or prayed an other to come to dyner or soupper, and bycause of his commynge he wolde haue a dysshe or two mo than he wolde haue had, if he had ben This has come about gradually. away. Than of very loue he, remembrynge howe louyngely 16 he was bydden to dynner, and howe well he fared, he thynketh of very kyndnes he muste nedes byd hym to dyner agayne, and soo ordeyneth for hym as manye maner of suche dysshes and meates, as the other man dyd, and 20 two or .iii. mo, & thus by lyttel and litell it is commen fer Begun in kindness, it ends in pride. aboue measure. And begon of loue and charyte, and endeth in pryde and glotony, wherof saynte Ierome Jerome. saythe: Qui post carnem ambulant, in ventrem et libidinem, 24 proni sunt, quasi irrationabilia iumenta reputantur. That is [Fol. 68b.] to say, They that walke, and be redy to fulfill the lust of the fleshe and the bely, are taken as vnreasonable beastes; Gregory. and sayncte Gregory sayth, Dominante vicio gulÆ, omnes 28 virtutes per luxuriam et vanam gloriam obruuntur: That is to saye, where the vice of glotony hath domination, all vertues by luxury and vayne glory are cast vnder: the whiche sayinges wold in lykewise be remembred; and 32 this me semeth sufficient for the .ii. poynte of the thre.
153. ¶ Of outragious playe and game. Have some recreation. It is conueniente for euery man, of what degree that he be of, to haue playe & game accordynge to his degree. Dionysius Cato, Distich. iii. 7. For Cato sayth, Interpone tuis interdum gaudia curis: Amonge thy charges and busynes thou muste haue sometyme ioye 4 and myrthe; but nowe a-dayes it is doone ferre aboue Poor men now play too high. measure. For nowe a poore man in regarde wyll playe as great game, at all maner games, as gentylman were wont to do, or greater, and gentilmen as lordes, and 8 lordes as prynces, & ofte tymes the great estates wyll call gentylmen or yomen to play with them at as great game as they do, and they call it a disport, the whiche [Fol. 69.] me semeth a very trewe name to it, for it displeaseth 12 some of them er they departe, and specyall god, for myspendynge of his goodes and tyme. But if they If men played for less, it might then be called play. played smalle games, that the poore man that playeth myght beare it thoughe he loste, and bate not his 16 countenaunce, than myght it be called a good game, a good playe, a good sporte, and a pastyme. But whan one shall lose vpon a day, or vpon a nyght, as moche money as wold fynde hym and all his house meate and 20 drynke a moneth or a quarter of a yere or more, that maye be well called a disporte, or a displeasure, and ofte But now men lose their lands and become thieves. tymes, by the meanes therof, it causeth theym to sell theyr landes, dysheryte the heyres, and may fortune to fall to 24 thefte, robbery, or suche other, to the great hurte of them-selfe, & of theyr chyldren, and to the displeasure of god: and they so doinge, lyttel do they pondre or regarde the saying of saynt Paule; Iuxta facultates faciendi sunt 28 sumptus, ne longi temporis victum breuis hora consumat: Play, begun in love, ends in wrath. This play begun with loue and charity, and oft times it endeth with couetous wrath and enuy. And this me thynketh shoulde be a sufficient instruction for kepynge 32 of measure.
154. ¶ A prologue of the thyrde sayinge of the philosopher.
157. ¶ What is the propertie of a riche man. In myne opynyon the propertye of a ryche manne is, to be a purchaser; and if he wyll purchase, I councell hym Augustine. to purchase heuen. For sayncte Austyne saythe, Regnum cÆlorum nulli clauditur, nisi illi, qui se excluserit: The 4 kyngedome of heuen is to noo man closed, but to hym that wyll putte oute hym-selfe. Wherfore this texte maye gyue the a courage to prefixe thy mynde, to make there thy purchase. And Salomon saythe: Quod mali 8 carius emunt infernum, quam boni cÆlum: Ill men bye hell derer, thanne the good men bie heuen. And that me [Fol. 72.] semeth maye well be proued by a common ensample: As if I had a .M. shepe to sell, and dyuers men come to me, 12 Suppose I sell 1000 sheep, 100 to each of 10 men. and bye euery manne a .C. of the shepe, all of one price, to paye me at dyuers dayes. I am agreed, and graunt them these dayes; some of the menne be good, and kepe theyr promesse, and paye me at theyr dayes, and some of 16 theym doo not paye me. Wherfore I sue theym at the Those who do not pay I imprison for debt. lawe, and by course of the common lawe, I doo recouer my duetie of them, and haue theyr bodyes in prisone for execution, tylle they haue made me payment. Nowe these 20 men, that haue broken me promesse, and payed not theyr These men buy their sheep dearer than the others. dewetye, bye theyr shepe derer thanne the good menne bought theyrs. For they haue imprysonment of theyr bodyes, and yet must they pay theyr duetyes neuer the 24 lesse, or elles lye and dye there in pryson: the whiche sheepe be derer to them, then to the good men that So it is with men who buy heaven. kepte theyr promes. Righte so euery man chepeth heuen, and god hath sette on it a pryce, and graunted 28 it to euery man, and giuen to them dayes of payment: the pryce is all one, and that is to kepe his commaundementes, duryng theyr lyues: the good men kepe his commaundementes, and fulfyll theyr promesse, and haue 32 heuen at theyr decease. The yll men breake promesse, [Fol. 72b.] & kepe not his commaundementes, wherfore at theyr decease they be put in pryson, that is to say in hell, there to abyde his ryghtuousenes. And soo the yll men 36 Ill men buy hell dearer than good men buy heaven. bye hell derer, than the good menne bye heuen. And therfore it is better, to forgoo a lyttel pleasure, or suffer[33] a lyttell payne in this worlde, than to suffer a moche greatter and a lenger payne in an other worlde. Nowe 40 Wherefore buy heaven. sythe helle is derer than heuen, I aduyse the specyally to bye heuen, wherin is euerlastynge ioye without ende.
158. ¶ What ioyes or pleasures are in heuen. Augustine. Saynt Austyn saythe, Ibi erunt quÆcunque ab hominibus desiderantur, vita et salus, copia glorie, honor, pax, et omnia bona: That is to saye, There shall be euery thynge that any man desyreth, there is lyfe, helth, plenty of ioye, 4 honour, peace, and all maner of goodnes. What wolde a 1 Cor. ii. 9.
Isa. lxiv. 4. man haue more? And saynt Paule sayth, Occulus non vidit, nec auris audiuit, nec in cor hominis ascendit, quÆ preparuit deus diligentibus se: That is to say, The eye hath not seen, nor 8 the eares hath herde, nor the herte of a man hath thought [Fol. 73.] of so goodly thynges, that god hath ordeyned for theym that loue hym. O what a noble acte that were for an husbande or houswyfe, to purchase suche a royall place in 12 heuen, to whiche is no comparyson. Than it is to be knowen, what thynge pleaseth god most, that we myght do it.
159. ¶ What thynges pleaseth god most. 1 Cor. ii. 9. By the texte of sayncte Paule, before sayd, loue pleaseth god aboue al thinge, and that maye be well proued by the Prov. xxxiii. 26. sayinge of our lorde hym-selfe, where he saythe: Da mihi cor tuum, et sufficit mihi; Gyue me thy harte, and that is 4 sufficiente for me; for he that hath a mannes harte, hath all his other goodes. What is this mans harte? it is nothyng elles, but very trewe loue. For there can be no true loue, but it commeth meryly and immediately from 8 the harte: and if thou loue god entyerlye with thy harte, than wylte thou do his commaundementes. Than it wolde be vnderstande and knowen whiche be his commandementes, that a man may obserue and kepe them. 12
160. ¶ What be goddes commaundementes. [Fol. 73b.] There be in all .x. commaundementes, the which were to long to declare, but they be all concluded and comprehended Deut. vi. 5.
Lev. xix. 18. in two, that is to say: Diliges dominum deum tuum super omnia: Et proximum tuum sicut te ipsum: Loue thy 4 lorde god aboue al thing, and thy neyghboure as thy-selfe. These be lyghte commaundementes, and nature byndeth a man to fulfyll, obserue, and kepe them, or els he is not a naturall man, remembryng what god hath doone for the. 8 Fyrste he hath made the to the symylytude and lykenes of his owne ymage, and hathe gyuen to the in this worlde dyuerse possessions, but specyally he hath redemed thy soule vpon the crosse, and suffered great payne and 12 passion and bodelye deathe for thy sake. What loue, what kyndenes was in hym, to doo this for the? What God asks love for love. couldest thou desyre hym to do more for the? And he desyreth nothynge of the agayne, but loue for loue. What 16 can he desyre lesse?
161. ¶ Howe a man shulde loue god and please hym. Surelye a man maye loue god and please hym very many wayes: but fyrste and principally, he that wyll loue god, [Fol. 74.] and please hym, he muste doo as it is sayde in Symbalo Athanasian Creed. Athanasii: Quicunque vult saluus esse, ante omnia opus est 4 vt teneat catholicam fidem, Who so euer wyll be saued, aboue all thynge he must nedes be stedfast in the faythe of holy churche. And accordynge to that, saythe sayncte Heb. xi. 6. Paule: Sine fide impossibile est placere deo; Without faythe 8 Seneca. it is impossible to please god. And Seneca sayth: Nichil retinet, qui fidem perdidit: There abydeth no goodnes in hym, that hath loste his faythe. And soo thou mayste well perceyue, that thou canst not loue nor please god, 12 without perfyte fayth. And ferther-more thou mayste not presume to study, nor to argue thy faithe by reason. For Gregory; xl.
Homil. in Evang. ii. 26. saynte Gregory saythe: Fides non habet meritum, vbi humana ratio prebet experimentum: Faythe hath no meryte, where 16 as mannes reasone proueth the same. This faythe is a pryncypall sygne, that thou loueste god. Also thy good dedes, and thy warkes, is a good sygne, that thou loueste Jerome. god. For saynt Iherome saythe: Vnusquisque, cuius opera 20 facit, eius filius appellatur: whose warkes euery man dothe, Bernard. his son or seruaunt he is called. And sayncte Bernarde saythe, Efficatior est vox operis, quam vox sermonis: The [Fol. 74b.] dedes and the warkes of a man is more euydent profe, 24 Seven works of mercy. than his wordes. The fulfyllynge of the .vii. workes of mercye is an other specyall sygne, that thou louest god: and many mo there be, whiche were to longe to reherse them all. 28
162. ¶ Howe a man shulde loue his neyghbour. Love of our neighbour. Thou must loue thy neyghboure as thy-selfe, wherin thou shalt please god specially: for if thou loue thy neyghbour as thy-selfe, it foloweth by reason, that thou shalte do nothyng to hym, but suche as thou 4 woldest shulde be done to the. And that is to presume, that thou woldest not haue any hurte of thy body, nor of thy goodes, done vnto the, and lykewyse thou shuldest none do vnto hym. And also if thou 8 woldest haue any goodnes done vnto the, eyther in thy bodye, or in thy mouable goodes, lykewyse shuldest thou do vnto thy neyghbour, if it lye in thye power, accordynge Gregory. to the sayinge of saynte Gregorye, Nec deus sine proximo, 12 nec proximus vere diligitur sine deo: Thou canste not loue god, with-out thou loue thy neyghbour, nor thou canst not loue thy neighbour, without thou loue god. Wherfore [Fol. 75.] thou muste fyrste loue god pryncypallye, and thy neyghbour 16 secondaryly.
163. ¶ Of prayer that pleaseth god very moche. Prayer pleaseth God much. Prayer is honour and laude to god, and a specyall thynge that pleaseth hym moche, and is a greate sygne, that thou louest god, and that thou arte perfyte and stedfaste in the faythe of holy churche: and that it is so, 4 it maye be well consydered by our forefathers, that haue for the loue and honour of god made churches. And a man muste dayly at some conuenyente tymes exercyse and vse prayer hym-selfe, as he oughte to doo. For saynt 8 Ambrose. Ambrose sayth, Relicto hoc, ad quod teneris, ingratum est spiritui sancto quicquid aliud operaris: If thou leaue that thynge vndone, that thou arte bounde to doo, it is not acceptable to god, what-so-euer thou dooste elles. Than 12 it is necessarye, that thou do praye, and a poore manne doynge his labour trewely in the daye, and thinketh well, prayeth well: but on the holye daye, he is bounde to come to the church, and here his diuyne seruyce. 16 [Fol. 75b.]
164. ¶ What thynge letteth prayer. There be two impedimentes, that lette and hynder prayer, that it maye not be herde. And of the fyrste impedimente Isa. i. 15. speketh Ysaye the prophete: Quia manus vestrÆ plenÆ sunt sanguine .i. peccato, ideo non exaudiet vos dominus: 4 Bycause your handes be full of bloude, that is to saye, full of synne, therfore our lorde dothe not graciousely Prov. xv. 29. here you. And also prouerbiorum tertio, Longe est dominus ab impiis, et orationes iustorum exaudiet. Our lorde is ferre 8 fro wycked men, and the prayers of ryghtewyse men he Bernard. gracyously hereth. And sayncte Bernarde saythe, Qui a prÆceceptis dei auertitur, quod in oratione postulat non meretur: He that dothe not goddes commaundementes, he 12 deserueth not to haue his prayer harde. The seconde Anastasius. impediment, saythe Anastasius, is, Si non dimittis iniuriam, que tibi facta est, non orationem pro te facis, sed maledictionem super te inducis: If thou forgyue not the wronge done 16 vnto the, thou doste not praye for thy-selfe, but thou Isidore. enducest goddes curse to fall vppon the. And Isodorus saythe, Sicut nullum in vulnere proficit medicamentum, si adhuc ferrum in eo sit: ita nihil proficiat oratio illius, cuius 20 adhuc dolor in mente vel odium manet in pectore. Lyke as [Fol. 81; sic.] the playster or medycyne can-not heale a wounde, if there be any yren styckinge in the same, ryghte soo the prayer of a man profyteth hym not, as longe as there is sorowe 24 in his mynde, or hate abydynge in his breste. For Augustine. sayncte Austyne saythe, Si desit charitas, frustra habentur cetera. If charitie wante, all other thynges be voyde. Wherfore thou muste se that thou stande in the state of 28 grace, and not infecte with deedly synne, and than praye if thou wylt be harde.
165. ¶ Howe a man shulde praye. It is to be vnderstande that there be dyuers maner Public prayer. of prayinges, Quedam publica, et quedam priuata; That is to saye, some openlye, and some priuately. Prayer openly muste nedes be done in the churche by the 4 mynystratours of the same people. For it is done for all the comynaltye, and therfore the people in that oughte to conferme theym-selfe to the sayde mynystratours, and there to be presente to praye vnto god after a dewe 8 Private prayer. maner. Oratio priuata. The prayer pryuately done, [Fol. 81b.] oughte to be doone in secrete places, for two causes. For prayer eleuateth and lyfteth vp a mannes mynde to god. And the mynde of man is sooner and better 12 lyfte vppe whan he is in a pryuye place, and separate frome multytude of people. An other cause is to auoyde vaynglory that myghte lyghtely ensue or ryse thervppon, whan it is doone openly; and therof speketh our 16 Matt. vi. 5. sauyour, where he sayth, Cum oratis, non eritis sicut hypocritÆ, qui amant in sinagogis et in angulis platearum stantes orare. That is to saye, whan ye praye, be not you as the hypocrytes, the whiche loue to stande in 20 theyr synagoges and corners of hyghe-wayes to praye. Also some folkes pray with the lyppes or mouthe, and not with the herte, of whome spekethe our lorde by his Isa. xxix. 13. prophete, Hij labiis me honorant, cor autem eorum longe 24 est a me; They honour me with theyr mouthe, and Gregory. theyr hertes be ferre from me. And sayncte Gregory saythe, Quid prodest strepitus labiorum vbi mutum est cor? What profyteth the labour of the mouthe, where the 28 Isidore. herte is dombe? And Isodore saythe, Longe quippe a deo est animus, qui in oratione cogitationibus sÆculi fuerit occupatus. His soule is far from god, that in his prayer his mynde is occupied in warkes of the worlde. There 32 [Fol. 82.] be other that pray both with the mouth and hart, of John iv. 24. whom speketh sayncte Iohan .x. Veri adoratores, adorabunt patrem in spiritu et veritate. The true prayers wylle worshyp the father of heauen in spirite and with trouthe. 36 Isidore. Isodorus saythe, Tunc veraciter oramus, quando aliunde non cogitamus. Than we praye truely, whan we thynke Richard of Hampole. on nothynge elles. Richardus de Hampole. Ille deuote orat, qui non habet cor vacabundum in terrenis occupationibus, 40 sed sublatum ad deum in cÆlestibus. He prayeth deuoutly, that hath not his harte wauerynge in worldelye occupations, but alwaye subleuate and lyfte vppe to god in heuen. There be other that praye with the harte. vnde 44 Matt. vi. 6. Mat. vi. Tu autem cum oraueris, intra [in] cubiculum tuum .i. in loco secreto, et clauso hostio, ora patrem tuum. Whan thou shalte praye, entre into thy chambre or oratory, and steke the doore, and praye to the father of heuen. 48 Isidore. Isodorus, Ardens oratio est non labiorum sed cordium, potius enim orandum est corde quam ore. The hoter prayer is with the harte than with the lyppes, rather pray with 1 Sam. i. 13. thy herte than with thy mouth. Regum primo. Anna 52 loquebatur in corda. Anna spake with the harte. [Fol. 82b.]
166. A meane to put away ydle thoughtes in prayinge. Against idle thoughts. And to auoyde wauerynge myndes, in worldlye occupations whanne thou shalte praye, I shall shewe vnto you the beste experience that euer I coulde fynde for the same, the whiche haue benne moche troubled therwith, and that 4 If you understand Latin, keep your eye on the book, and remember the English of it. is this. He that can rede and vnderstande latyne, let hym take his booke in his hande, and looke stedfastely vppon the same thynge that he readeth and seeth, that 8 is no trouble to hym, and remembre the englysshe of 8 the same, wherin he shall fynde greatte swetenes, and shall cause his mynde to folowe the same, and to leaue other worldly thoughtes. And he that canne-not reade nor If not, think of Christ’s passion, vnderstande his pater noster, Aue, nor Crede, he must 12 remembre the passyon of Christe, what peyne he suffered for hym, and all mankynde, for redemynge of theyr soules. And also the miracles and wonders that god hath doone, and fyrste what wonders were doone the nyghte of his 16 and of His miracles; natiuitie and byrthe. And howe he turned water in-to wyne, and made the blynde to se, the dombe to speake, the deafe to here, the lame to go, the sycke to be hole. [Fol. 83.] And howe he fed fyue thousande with two fysshes, and 20 fyue barley loues, wherof was lefte .xii. coffyns or skyppes of fragmentes. And howe he reised Lazare from deathe to lyfe, with manye moo myracles that be innumerable to be rehersed. And also to remembre the specyall poyntes 24 how He was betrayed, of his passion, howe he was solde & betrayed of Judas, and taken by the iewes, and broughte before Pylate, than to kynge Herode, and to bysshope Cayphas, and than to Pylate agayne, that iudged hym to death, and howe he 28 scourged, was bounde to a piller, and how they scurged, bobbed, mocked hym, spytte in his face, crowned hym with thornes, and caused hym to beare the crosse to the mounte of and crucified; Caluary, whervppon he was nayled both handes and 32 fete, and wounded to the harte with a sharpe spere, and went down to hell; and rose again. soo suffered deathe. And howe he fette out the soules of our forefathers forthe of hell. Howe he rose frome deathe to lyfe, and howe ofte he appered to his discyples and 36 other moo. And what myracles he wroughte afterwarde, and specyally what power he gaue to his dyscyples, that were noo clerkes, to teache and preche his faythe, and worke many myracles, and specyally whan they preached 40 before menne of dyuers nations and languages, and euerye [Fol. 83b.] man vnderstode in theyr own language, the whiche is a sygne that god wolde haue euery manne saued, and to knowe his lawes, the whiche was a myracle able to 44 conuerte all the infydeles, heretykes, and lollers in the worlde.
167. ¶ A meane to auoyde temptation. It is ofte-tymes seen, that the holyer that a man is, the The holier a man is, the more he is tempted. more he is tempted, and he that soo is, maye thanke god therof. For god of his goodnes and grace hath not gyuen to the dyuell auctoritie nor power to attempte any man 4 ferther and aboue that, that he that is so tempted, maye withstande. For sayncte Gregory sayth, Non est timendum Gregory. (sic) hostis, qui non potest vincere nisi volentem. An enemye is not to be dradde, the whiche maye not ouercome, but if a 8 manne be wyllynge. And it is to presume, that he that is soo tempted, standeth in the state of grace. For sayncte Ambrose saythe, Illos diabolus[34] vexare negligit, quos iure hÆreditario se possidere sentit. The dyuell despyseth to 12 Ambrose. vexe or trouble those, the whiche he felethe him-selfe to haue in possessyon by ryght inheritaunce. And if thou be so tempted, vexed, or troubled, I shall shewe vnto the [Fol. 84.] two verses, that if thou do therafter, thou shalte be eased 16 of thy temptacyon, and haue greatte thanke and laude of god and rewarde therfore; these be the verses. Two useful verses. Hostis non ledit, nisi cum temptatus obedit. Est leo si sedit, si stat quasi musca recedit. 20 ¶ That is to say, The gostly enemy hurteth not, but whan The tempter is a lion, if we sit still; he that is tempted obeyeth to his temptation. Than his ghostly enemy plaieth the lyon, if that he that is so tempted syt styll and obey to hym. And if he that is 24 but if we resist, he is but a fly. tempted, stande styfly agaynste hym, the ghostlye ennemye flyeth awaye lyke a flye. This me semeth maye be wel proued by a famylier ensaumple. As if a lorde had a A fainthearted captain loses his castle, castell, and deliuered it to a capitayne to kepe, if there 28 come ennemies to the castell, and call to the capytayn, and byd hym delyuer them this castell. The capytayne cometh and openeth them the gates, and delyuereth the keyes. Nowe is this castell soone wonne, and this 32 and is a traitor. But if he resist, the enemy will not tarry. capytayne is a false traytour to the lorde. But lette the capitaine arme hym-selfe, and steke the gates, and stande styfly vpon the walle, and commaunde them to auoyde at theyr peryll, and they wyll not tary to make 36 Every man is captain of his own soul.
[Fol. 84b.] any assaut. Ryght so euery man is capitayne of his owne soule, and if thy gostely ennemy come and tempte the, and thou, that art capytayne of thyne owne soule, wyll open the gates, and delyuer hym the keyes and let hym 40 in, thy sowle is soone taken prysoner, and thou a false traytour to thy soule, and worthye to be punysshed in pryson for euer. And if thou arme thy-selfe and stande styfly agaynste hym, and wyll not consente to hym, he 44 wyll auoyde and fle away, and thou shalt haue a greate reward for withstandynge of the sayde temptation.
168. ¶ Almes-dedes pleaseth god moche. Almsdeeds. Almes-dedes pleseth god very moche, and it is great sygne that thou loueste bothe god and thy neyghboure. And he of whome almes is asked, oughte to consyder thre thynges, that is to saye, who asketh almes, what he 4 God asketh. asketh, and wherevnto he asketh. Nowe to the fyrste, who asketh almes, Deus petit. God asketh. For saynte Jerome. Jerome sayth, Quia deus adeo diligit pauperes, quod quicquid fit eis propter amorem suum, reputat sibi factum. That is 8 to saye, bycause that god loueth poore men so moche, [Fol. 85.] what-someuer thynge is gyuen vnto them for the loue of hym, he taketh it as it were done to hym-selfe; as it is Matt. xxv. 15. sayde in his gospell, Quod vni ex minimis meis fecistis, 12 michi fecistis. That thynge that ye gyue or do to the least of those that be myne, ye do it to me. Thanne to He asks not ours, but his. the seconde, what asketh god? Non nostrum, sed suum. He asketh not that thynge that is ours, but that thynge that is 16 his owne. As saythe the prophete Dauid, Tua sunt domine omnia: Et quÆ de manu tua accepimus, tibi dedimus. Good lorde, all thynges be thyne, and those thynges that we haue taken of the, of those haue we gyuen the. Thanne 20 He asks only to borrow, and to repay a hundredfold. to the thyrde, Where-vnto dothe god aske? He asketh not to gyue hym, but all-onely to borowe, Non tamen ad triplas, s[c]ilicet, immo ad centuplas. Not all-onely to haue thryse soo moche, but forsothe to haue an hundred tymes 24 Augustine. soo moche. As saynt Austyn saythe, Miser homo, quid veneraris homini; venerare deo, et centuplum accipies, et vitam Æternam possidebis? Thou wretched manne, why doste thou worshyp or dreade manne: worshyp thou god and dreade 28 hym, and thou shalte receyue an hundred tymes so moche, and haue in possessyon euerlastynge lyfe, the whiche many-folde [Fol. 85b.] passeth all other rewardes? Prouerbiorum xiiii. Veneratur domino,[35] qui miseretur pauperibus: He worshyppeth 32 Prov. xix. 7. our lorde, that hath mercye and pytye on poore folkes. And the glose therof sayth, Centuplum accepturus. And thou shalte receyue an .C. tymes so moche. And it Three kinds of alms-deeds. is to be vnderstande, that there be thre maner of almes-dedes, 36 that is to saye: Egenti largire quicquid poteris: dimittere eis a quibus lesus fueris: Errantem corrigere, et in viam veritatis reducere. That is to saye, to gyue to the nedy what thou well mayste, to forgyue theym that haue 40 trespaced to the, and to correcte them that do amysse, and to brynge them into the way of ryghte.
169. ¶ The fyrste maner of almes. Egenti largire quicquid poteris. Gyue to the nedye what Luke xi. 41 vi. 38. thou well maye. For our lorde saythe in his gospell: Date elemosinam, et omnia munda sunt vobis. Et alibi. Date, et dabitur vobis: Gyue almes, and all worldly rychesse is 4 yours; gyue, and it shall be gyuen to you. Almes-dede is a holy thynge, it encreaseth a mans welthe, it maketh lesse a mannes synnes, it lengtheth a mans lyfe, it maketh [Fol. 86.] a man of good mynde, it delayeth yll tymes, and closeth 8 all thynges, hit delyuereth a manne from deathe, it ioyneth a manne with aungelles, and seuereth hym from the dyuell, and is lyke a wall vnable to be foughten agaynst. And saynt James saythe: Sicut aqua extinguit ignem, ita elemosina 12 peccatum. As water slecketh fyer, soo dothe almes-dede ¶ Go, lyttell quere, and recommende me To all that this treatyse shall se, here, or rede; Prayenge them therwith content to be And to amende it in places, where as is nede:4 Of eloquence, they may perceyue I want the sede, And rethoryke, in me doth not abounde, Wherfore I have sowen, such sedes as I found. Finis.
[Fol. 90b.]
This book was compiled by Master Fitzherbert. ¶ Thus endeth this ryghte profytable boke
of husbandry, compyled sometyme by mayster
Fitz-herbarde, of charytie and good zele
that he bare to the weale of this mooste
noble realme, whiche he dydde not
in his youthe, but after he had
exercysed husbandry, with
greate experyence,
xl. yeres. decorative icon ¶ Imprinted at London in fletestrete,
in the house of Thomas Ber-
-thelet, nere to the condite
at the sygne of Lu-
-crece. Cum pri-
-uilegio. decorative icon [19] The references are to the folios of the original edition. That the reader may find his place more readily, I have numbered each section. The numbers in thick type are, accordingly, not in the original.
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