Act Iv. Sc. 4--

“Crowned with rank fumiter and furrow-weeds, With hor-docks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers, Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow In our sustaining corn”--

I cannot help being reminded of Fitzherbert’s list of weeds in sect. 20 (p. 29), in which he includes haudoddes, i.e. corn blue-bottles, as is obvious from his description; see also Britten and Holland’s English Plant-names. It is certainly remarkable that the haudod is precisely one of “the idle weeds that grow in corn,” and that its bright colour would be particularly attractive to the gatherer of a wild garland. We must not, however, overlook the form hardhake, which Mr. Wright has found in a MS. herbal as a name for the knapweed; see his note upon the passage. The two results do not, however, greatly differ, and it is conceivable that the same name could be applied at different times to both these flowers, the latter being Centaurea nigra, and the former Centaurea Cyanus. We also find the term hardewes, occurring as a name for the wild succory; see Hawdod in the Glossarial Index, p. 156. In any case, the proposal of Dr. Prior to explain hordock by the burdock (Arctium lappa), merely because he thinks the burs were sometimes entangled with flax, and so formed lumps in it called hards, is a wild guess that should be rejected. Hards are simply the coarse parts of flax, without any reference to burdocks whatever.

The wood-cut on the title-page is copied from the edition of 1598. The longer handle of the plough is on the left. See the description on p. 128.

FOOTNOTES:

“And [I give] to euery of my seruentes that be used to Ryde with me,” etc.; Sir A. Fitzherbert’s Will, quoted below at p. xviii.

“Of late by experience I contriued, compyled, and made a Treatyse, ... and callyd it the booke of husbandrye;” Prol. to Book of Surveying.

I.e. the Books on Husbandry and Surveying.

Read thus.

The date is 1539; the words here quoted appear also in Berthelet’s edition of 1546.

I am quoting from an article by Mr. A. Wallis entitled “Relics of Literature,” which appeared in the Derby Mercury, Nov. 1869. It contains some useful information about the editions of Fitzherbert’s works. It should be observed that 1538 was the very year of Sir Anthony Fitzherbert’s death, which took place on May 27.

In an edition printed by T. Petit in 1541, a copy of which is in the Cambridge University Library, the title is--“The Newe Booke of Justyces of Peas, made by Anthony Fitzherbard Judge, lately translated out of Frenche into Englyshe, The yere of our Lord God MDXLI.”

Canon Simmons kindly tells me--“I find from the Ordnance Map that Grimbald Bridge is the one over the Nidd below the town, i.e. a mile or a mile and a quarter from the town. There are two crossing to the town. The upper one is on the Harrogate Road, a second ‘Low Bridge,’ and then the third, ‘Grimbald bridge’.”

It is the family tradition (which should go for something), that the author of the Book of Husbandry was Sir Anthony Fitzherbert, and no other.

The date is, therefore, October 12, 1537.--W.W.S.

See p. 81.--W.W.S.

See p. 93.--W.W.S.

This early edition, clearly the second, and using Pynson’s woodcut, was kindly pointed out to me by Mr. Bradshaw. It is not noticed in the usual books upon early printing, but a copy of it exists in the Cambridge University Library. The woodcut on the title-page is (as I have just said) the same as that on the title-page of the first edition.

Probably printed in 1531, as it professes to be “amended, with dyuerse other thynges added thervnto;” for observe, that after this date, editions follow in quick succession.

Mr. Wallis (see p. xiii, note 2) mentions also an undated edition, printed by James Roberts for E. White.

The volume also contains a translation of Xenophon’s Treatise of Household (Λόγος οἰκονομικός), written by “Gentian Heruet.”

The colophon is the same. The Book on Surveying is dated 1539. The copy in the Cambridge Univ. Library contains the Husbandry (1534); Surveying (1539); and Xenophon (1537); all bound together.

Possibly James Roberts; see p. xxiv, note 1.

ERRATA.

In the first side-note on p. 18, for Beating read Beeting. See Beate in the Glossary, p. 150.

P. 120, sect. 169, l. 36. For a ut read aut.

P. 136. Headline. For Notes (=34.= 1-=43=) read Notes (=34.= 1-43).

P. 140, last line. For Hellebor read Hellybor.

THE BOKE OF HVSBANDRY.

==> The aucthors prologue.

Finis.

¶ The table.

PAGE

=1.= First wherby husbande-men do lyue. fo. i. 9

=2.= Of dyuers maner of plowes. fol. eod. 9

=3.= To knowe the names of all the partes of the ploughe. fol. ii. 10

=4.= The temprynge of plowes. fo. iii. 12

=5.= ¶ The necessary thynges that belonge to a plowe, carte, or wayne. fol. iiii. 14

=6.= ¶ Whether is better, a plowe of oxen or a plowe of horses. fol. v. 15

=7.= ¶ The dylygence and the attendaunce that a husbande shulde gyue to his warke, in maner of an other prologue, and a specyall grounde of all this treatyse. fol. vi. 16

=8.= ¶ Howe a manne shulde plowe all maner of landes all tymes of the yere. fo. vii. 17

=9.= To plowe for pees and beanes. fol. viii. 18

=10.= Howe to sowe bothe pees and beanes. fol. viii. 18

=11.= Sede of Discrecyon. fol. ix. 20

=12.= Howe all maner of corne shulde be sowen. folio eodem 21

=13.= To sowe barley. fol. x. 22

=14.= To sowe otes. fol. xi. 23

=15.= To harowe all maner of cornes. fol. xii. 24

=16.= To falowe. fol. xiii. 25

=17.= To carry out donge or mucke, and to sprede it. fol. xiiii. 27

=18.= To set out the shepe-folde. fol. xv. 28

=19.= To cary wode and other necessaries. fol. xvi. 29

=20.= To knowe dyuers maner of wedes. fol. eod. 29

=21.= To wede corne. fol. xvii. 31

=22.= The fyrste sturrynge: and (=23=) to mowe grasse. foli. xviii. 32

=24.= How forkes and rakes shuld be made. fo. xix. 33

=25.= To tedde and make hey. fol. eod. 33

=26.= Howe rye shulde be shorne. fol. xx. 35

=27.= Howe to shere whete. fol. xxi. 35

=28.= To mowe or shere barley and otes. fol. eod. 36

=29.= To repe or mowe pees and beanes. fol. xxii. 36

=30.= Howe all maner of corne shoulde be tythed. folio eodem 37

=31.= Howe all maner of corne shoulde be couered. fol. xxiii. 38

=32.= To lode corne and mowe it. fol. eod. 38

=33.= The seconde sturrynge. fo. xxiiii. 39

=34.= To sowe whete and rye. fol. eodem 39

=35.= To thresshe and wynowe corne. fol. xxv. 41

=36.= To seuer beanes, pees, and fetches. fol. eod. 41

=37.= Of shepe, and what tyme of the yere the rammes shulde be put to the ewes. fol. xxvi. 42

=38.= To make a ewe to loue her lambe. fol. xxvii. 43

=39.= What tyme lambes shulde be wayned. fo. eod. 44

=40.= To drawe shepe and seuer them in dyuerse partes. fol. xxviii. 44

=41.= To belte shepe. fol. xxix. 45

=42.= To grece shepe. fol. eod. 46

=43.= To medle terre. fol. eodem 46

=44.= To make brome salue. fol. eod. 46

=45.= If a shepe haue mathes. fol. xxx. 47

=46.= Blyndenes of shepe and other dyseases, and remedyes therfore. fo. eod. 47

=47.= The worme in a shepes fote, and helpe therfore. fol. xxxi. 48

=48.= The bloudde, and remedye if he comme betyme. fol. eodem 48

=49.= The pockes, and remedy therfore. fol. eod. 49

=50.= The wode euyl, and remedy therfore. fol. xxxii. 49

=51.= To washe shepe. fol. eod. 49

=52.= To shere shepe. fol. eod. 50

=53.= To drawe and seuer the bad shepe frome the good. fol. eod. 50

=54.= What thynge rotteth shepe. fol. xxxiii. 50

=55.= To knowe a rotten shepe dyuerse maner ways, wherof some of them wyll not fayle. fol. xxxiiii. 51

=56.= To by leane cattell. fol. eod. 52

=57.= To bye fatte cattell. fol. xxxv. 53

=58.= Dyuerse sickenesses of cattell, and remedies therfore, and fyrste of murren. fol. eod. 53

=59.= Long sought, and remedy therfore. fo. xxxvi. 54

=60.= Dewbolue, and the harde remedye therfore. fol. eod. 55

=61.= Ryson vppon, and the remedye therfore. fol. xxxvii. 55

=62.= The turne, and remedy therfore. fol. eod. 56

=63.= The warribred, & remedy therfore. fol. xxxviii. 56

=64.= The foule, and remedy therfore. fol. eod. 57

=65.= The goute without remedy. fol. eod. 57

=66.= To rere calues. fol. eod. 57

=67.= To gelde calues. fol. xxxix. 58

=68.= Horses and mares to drawe. fol. xl. 59

=69.= ¶ The losse of a lambe, a calfe, or a foole. fol. xli. 61

=70.= What cattell shulde go together in oone pasture. fol. xlii. 62

=71.= The properties of horses. fol. xliii. 63

=72.= The two propertyes that a horse hath of a man. fol. eod. 63

=73.= The ii. propertyes of a bauson. fol. eod. 64

=74.= The iiii. properties of a lyon. fol. eod. 64

=75.= The ix. properties of an oxe. fol. xliiii. 64

=76.= The ix. properties of an hare. fol. eod. 64

=77.= The ix. properties of a foxe. fol. eod. 64

=78.= The ix. properties of an asse. fol. eod. 65

=79.= The x. properties of a woman. fol. eod. 65

=80.= The diseases and soraunce of horses. fol. xlv. 65

=81.= The lampas. fol. eod. 65

=82.= The barbes. fo. eod. 66

=83.= Mournynge on the tonge. fol. eod. 66

=84.= Pursye. fo. eod. 66

=85.= Broken wynded. fol. eod. 66

=86.= Glaunders. fo. eod. 66

=87.= Mournynge on the chynne. fol. eod. 66

=88.= Stranguelyon. fol. eod. 67

=89.= The hawe. fol. eod. 67

=90.= Blyndnesse. fol. xlvi. 67

=91.= Uyues. fol. eod. 67

=92.= The cordes. fol. eod. 67

=93.= ¶ The farcyon. fol. eod. 67

=94.= ¶ A malander. fol. eod. 68

=95.= ¶ A salander. fol. eod. 68

=96.= ¶ A serewe. fol. eod. 68

=97.= ¶ A splent. fo. eod. 68

=98.= ¶ A ryngebone. fol. xlvii. 69

=99.= ¶ Wyndgall. fol. eod. 69

=100.= ¶ Morfounde. fol. eod. 69

=101.= ¶ The coltes euyll. fol. eod. 69

=102.= ¶ The bottes. fo. eod. 70

=103.= ¶ The wormes. fol. eod. 70

=104.= ¶ Affrayd. fo. eod. 70

=105.= ¶ Nauylgall. fo. eod. 70

=106.= ¶ A spauen. fol. eod. 70

=107.= ¶ A curbe. fol. eod. 71

=108.= ¶ The strynge-halte. fol. eod. 71

=109.= ¶ Enterfyre. fo. eod. 71

=110.= ¶ Myllettes. fol. eod. 71

=111.= ¶ The paynes. fol. eod. 71

=112.= ¶ Cratches. fol. eod. 72

=113.= ¶ Attaynt. fol. xlix. 72

=114.= ¶ Grauelynge. fol. eod. 72

=115.= ¶ Acloyd. fol. eod. 72

=116.= ¶ The scabbe. fol. eod. 72

=117.= ¶ Lowsy. fol. eod. 72

=118.= ¶ Wartes. fol. eod. 73

=119.= ¶ The sayenge of the frenche man. fo. eod. 73

=120.= ¶ The dyuersitie bytwene a horse mayster, a corser, and a horse leche. fol. l. 74

=121.= ¶ Of swyne. fo. eod. 74

=122.= ¶ Of bees. fol. li. 75

=123.= ¶ How to kepe beastes & other catel. fol. lii. 76

=124.= ¶ To get settes and set them. fol. liii. 78

=125.= ¶ To make a dyche. fol. liiii. 79

=126.= ¶ To make a hedge. fol. eod. 79

=127.= ¶ To plasshe and pleche a hedge. fol. eod. 80

=128.= ¶ To mende a hye waye. fo. lv. 81

=129.= ¶ To remoue and sette trees. fo. lvi. 82

=130.= ¶ Trees to be sette without rootes and growe. fol. lvii. 83

=131.= ¶ To fell woode for houssholde or to sell. fol. eodem. 83

=132.= ¶ To shrede, lop, or crop trees. fol. lviii. 84

=133.= Howe a man shoulde shrede loppe or croppe trees. fol. eod. 85

=134.= To sell woode or tymbre. fol. lix. 85

=135.= To kepe sprynge woode. fo. lx. 86

=136.= Necessary thynges belongynge to graffynge. fol. eod. 87

=137.= What fruyte shulde be first graffed. fol. lxi. 88

=138.= Howe to graffe. fol. eod. 88

=139.= To graffe bytwene the barke and the tree. fol. lxii. 89

=140.= To nourysshe all maner of stone fruyte and nuttes. fol. lxiii. 90

=141.= A shorte information for a yonge gentyllman that entendeth to thryue. fol. eod. 90

=142.= A lesson made in Englysshe verses, that a gentylmans seruaunte shall forget none of his gere in his inne behynde hym. fo. lxv. 93

=143.= A prologe for the wyues occupation. fo. eod. 93

=144.= A lesson for the wyfe. fol. eod. 94

=145.= What thynges the wyfe of ryghte is bounde to do. fol. lxvi. 94

=146.= What warkes the wyfe oughte to doo generally. fo. eod. 95

=147.= To kepe measure in spendynge. fo. lxvii. 98

=148.= To eate within thy tedure. fo. lxviii. 99

=149.= A shorte lesson vnto the husbande. fol. lxix. 101

=150.= Howe menne of hye degree do kepe measure. fol. eodem 101

=151.= Prodygalytie in outragyous and costelye araye. fol. lxx. 102

=152.= Of delycyous meates and drynkes. fol. eod. 103

=153.= Of outragious playe and game. fo. lxxi. 104

=154.= A prologue of the thyrde sayinge of the philosopher. fo. lxxii. 105

=155.= A dyuersytie bytwene predycation and doctryne. fol. eodem 105

=156.= What is rychesse. fo. lxxiii. 106

=157.= What is the propertie of a rych man. fo. lxxiiii. 108

=158.= What ioyes & pleasures are in heuen. fo. lxxv. 109

=159.= What thynge pleaseth god most. fol. lxxvi. 109

=160.= What be goddes commaundementes. fo. eod. 110

=161.= Howe a man shulde loue god and please hym. fol. eodem 110

=162.= Howe a man shoulde loue his neyghbour. fol. lxxvii. 111

=163.= Of prayer that pleaseth god verye moche. folio lxxviii. 112

=164.= What thynge letteth prayer. fol. eod. 112

=165.= Howe a man shulde praye. fo. lxxix. 113

=166.= A mean to put away ydle thoughtes in prayenge. fol. lxxx. 115

=167.= A meane to auoyde temptation. fol. lxxxi. 116

=168.= Almes-dedes pleaseth god moche. fo. lxxxii. 118

=169.= The fyrst maner of almes dede. fo. lxxxiii. 119

=170.= The ii. maner of almes dede. fo. lxxxiiii. 120

=171.= The iii. maner of almes dede. fol. lxxxv. 121

=172.= What is the greattest offence that a man maye doo and offende god in. fo. lxxxvi. 122

Thus endeth the table.

2. ¶ Dyuers maners of plowes.

4. ¶ The temprynge of plowes.

5. ¶ The necessary thynges that belonge to a ploughe, carte, and wayne.

6. ¶ Whether is better, a plough of horses or a plough of oxen.

And oxen wyl plowe in tough cley, and vpon hylly grounde, where-as horses wyll stande stll. And where-as [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 waxe olde, broysed, or blynde, than he is lyttell worthe. And if any sorance come to an oxe, [and he] waxe olde, broysed, or [Sidenote: [Fol. 6b.]] blinde, for ii.s. he maye be fedde, and thanne he is mannes 32 [Sidenote: 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.

8. ¶ Howe a man shulde plowe all maner of landes all tymes of the yere.

9. ¶ To plowe for pease and beanes.

10. ==> Howe to sowe bothe pease and beanes.

11. ¶ Sede of discretion.

12. ¶ Howe all maner corne shoulde be sowen.

13. ¶ To sowe barley.

¶ It is to be knowen that there be thre maner of barleys, that is to say, sprot-barleye, longe-eare, and beare-barley, [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: Bear-barley.] to otes. Bere-barleye or bygge wolde be sowen vppon [Sidenote: [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 [Sidenote: 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.

15. ¶ To harowe all maner of cornes.

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. [Sidenote: 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, [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [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 [Sidenote: 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, [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: (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 [Sidenote: (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 [Sidenote: (3) the weeds will take deep root.] the moneth of June. And the thyrde cause is, the wiedes shall take suche roote, er sterynge-tyme comme, that they wylle not be cleane tourned vndernethe, the whiche shal be great hurte to the corne, whan it shall be sowen, and 28 specially in the weding-tyme of the same; and for any other thynge, make a depe holowe forowe in the rydge of [Sidenote: Do not rest-baulk.] the lande, and loke wel, thou rest-balke it nat; for if thou do, there wyll be many thystels: and than thou 32 shalte not make a cleane rydge at the fyrste sterynge, and therfore it muste nedes be depe plowed, or elles thou shalt nat tourne the wiedes cleane.

And in the later ende of Apryll, and the begynnynge of [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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, [Sidenote: 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.

19. ¶ To cary wodde and other necessaryes.

20. ¶ To knowe dyuers maner of wedes.

21. ¶ Howe to wede corne.

22. ¶ The fyrst sturrynge.

23. ¶ To mowe grasse.

24. ¶ Howe forkes and rakes shulde be made.

25. ¶ To tedde and make hay.

26. ¶ Howe rye shulde be shorne.

27. ¶ Howe to shere wheate.

28. ==> To mowe or shere barley and otes.

29. ¶ To repe or mowe pees and beanes.

31. ¶ Howe all maner of corne shulde he couered.

32. ¶ To lode corne, and mowe it.

33. ¶ The second sturrynge.

34. ==> To sowe wheat and rye.

Howe-be-it there is moche good corne, and rye is [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [Fol. 25.]] blend-corne, that is both wheate and rye, the whyche is the surest corne of growyng, and good for the husbandes 20 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: Pollard wheat.] and is but small corne. Polerde wheate hath noo anis, thycke sette in the eare, and wyll soone fall out, and is [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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.

35. ¶ To thresshe and wynowe corne.

36. ¶ To seuer pees, beanes, and fytches.

37. ¶ Of shepe, and what tyme of the yere the rammes shulde be put to the ewes.

An housbande can not well thryue by his corne, without he haue other cattell, nor by his cattell, without corne. For els he shall be a byer, a borower, or [Sidenote: Sheep are the most profitable cattle.] a begger. And bycause that shepe in myne opynyon is 4 the mooste profytablest cattell that any man can haue, therfore I pourpose to speake fyrst of shepe. Than fyrst is to be knowen, what tyme thou shalt put thy [Sidenote: Rams and ewes.] rammes to thy ewes; and therin I make a distinction, for 8 euery man maye not put to theyr rammes all at one tyme; for if they doo, there wyll be greate hurte and losse; for that man, that hath the best shepe-pasture for wynter, and soone spryngynge in the begynnynge of the 12 yere, he maye suffre his rammes to goo with his ewes all tymes of the yere, to blyssomme or ryde whan they wyll: but for the comon pasture, it is tyme to put to his [Sidenote: Sept. 14.] rammes at the Exaltation of the holye crosse: for than 16 [Sidenote: [Fol. 27.]] the bucke goth to the rut, and so wolde the ramme. But for the common husbande, that hath noo pasture but the common fieldes, it is tyme ynoughe at the feste of [Sidenote: Sept. 29.] saynt Mychaell the archangel. And for the poore 20 housbande of the Peeke, or suche other, that dwell in hylly and hyghe groundes, that haue no pastures, nor common fieldes, but all-onely the comon hethe, Symon [Sidenote: Oct. 28.] and Jude daye is good tyme for theym, and this is the 24 reason why. An ewe goth with lambe .xx. wekes, and shall yeane her lambe in the .xxi. weke; & if she haue not conueniente newe grasse to eate, she maye not gyue her lambe mylke: and for wante of mylke, there be 28 manye lambes perysshed and loste: and also for pouertye, the dammes wyll lacke mylke, and forsake theyr lambes, and soo often tymes they dye bothe in suche harde countreys. 32

38. ¶ To make an ewe to loue her lambe.

If thy ewe haue mylke, and wyll not loue her lambe, put her in a narowe place made of bordes, or of smothe trouse, a yarde wyde, and put the lambe to her, and [Sidenote: If a ewe] socle it, and yf the ewe smyte the lambe with her 4 [Sidenote: [Fol. 27b.]] heed, bynd her heed with a heye-rope, or a corde, to [Sidenote: smite her lamb, tie up her head.] the syde of the penne: and if she wyl not stande syde longe all the lambe, than gyue her a lyttell hey, and tye a dogge by her, that she maye se hym: and 8 this wyll make her to loue her lambe shortely. And if thou haue a lambe deed, wherof the damme hath [Sidenote: Put a dead lamb’s skin on a live lamb, and so change its dam.] moche mylke, fley that lambe, and tye that skynne vpon an other lambes backe, that hath a sory damme, with 12 lyttell mylke, and put the good ewe and that lambe to-gether in the penne, and in one houre she wyll loue that lambe; & than mayst thou take thy sory weyke ewe awaye, and put her in an other place: and by this 16 meanes thou mayste fortune to saue her lyfe, and the lambes bothe.

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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [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. [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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; [Sidenote: [Fol. 28b.]] and adioynynge to the ende of the same, make an [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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.

42. ¶ To grease shepe.

43. ¶ To medle terre.

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 [Sidenote: [Fol. 30.]] knowe it, they wolde vse the same. Take a shete ful of [Sidenote: 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, [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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, [Sidenote: 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 grease that is to a shepe, to grease hym in the mouthe with good meate; the whiche is also a greate saueguarde [Sidenote: Good meat in the mouth] to the shepe for rottynge, excepte there come myldewes, 24 [Sidenote: [Fol. 30b.]] [Sidenote: 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.

46. ¶ Blyndenes of shepe, and other dyseases, and remedies therfore.

47. ¶ The worme in the shepes fote, and helpe therfore.

There be some shepe, that hath a worme in his foote, [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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.

There is a sicknes among shepe, and is called the [Sidenote: ‘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 [Sidenote: 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.

50. ¶ The wode euyll, and remedy therfore.

There is a sickenes among shepe, and is called the [Sidenote: ‘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, [Sidenote: 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.

52. ¶ To shere shepe.

53. ¶ To drawe and seuer the badde shepe from the good.

54. ==> What thynges rotteth shepe.

It is necessary that a shepeherde shoulde knowe what thynge rotteth shepe, that he myght kepe them the [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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, [Sidenote: [Fol. 33b.]] that the lande-floudde renneth ouer, is verye ylle for shepe, bycause of the sande and fylthe that stycketh 12 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: White snails.] talowe and fleshe, and a good skyn. Also white snailes be yll for shepe in pastures, and in falowes. There 32 [Sidenote: Pelt-rot.] is an other rotte, whiche is called pelte-rotte, and that [Sidenote: [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.

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, [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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.

58. ¶ Dyuers sycnesses of cattell, and remedies therfore, and fyrst of murren.

59. ¶ Longe sought, and remedy therefore.

There is an nother maner of sycknesse among bestes, [Sidenote: ‘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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [Fol. 36b.]] them a lyttel bloude. And there be many men, that can [Sidenote: 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, and the harde remedy therfore.

61. ¶ Rysen vpon, and the remedy therfore.

62. ==> The turne, and remedy therfor.

63. ==> The warrybrede, and the remedy therfore.

64. ¶ The foule, and the remedy therfore.

65. ¶ The goute, without remedy.

66. ¶ To rere calues.

67. ==> To gelde calues.

68. ¶ Horses and mares to drawe.

69. ==> The losse of a lambe, a calfe, or a foole.

It is lesse hurte to a man, to haue his cowe caste her calfe, thanne an ewe to caste her lambe. For the calfe [Sidenote: [Fol. 42.]] wyll soucke as moche mylke, er it be able to kyll, as it is worthe, and of the ewe commeth noo profytte of the 4 [Sidenote: Some men milk ewes, but it is a loss.] mylke, but the lambe. Howe be it they vse in some places to mylke theyr ewes, whan they haue wayned theyr lambes: but that is great hurte to the ewes, and wyll cause them, that they wyll not take the ramme at 8 the tyme of the yere for pouertye, but goo barreyne. [Sidenote: A lost foal is a great loss.] And if a mare caste her foole, that is thryse soo great a losse, for if that foole be commen of good brede, as it is necessary euery man to prouyde, for as moche 12 costes and charges hath a badde mare as a good, in shorte space the foole, with good kepynge, maye be solde for as moche money as wolde bye many calues and lambes. 15

70. ¶ What cattell shulde go to-gether in one pasture.

Beastes alone, nor horses alone, nor shepe alone, excepte it be shepe vppon a verye hyghe grounde, wyll not eate a pasture euen, but leaue many tuftes and hygh grasse in dyuers places, excepte it be ouer-layde with 4 [Sidenote: Put beasts and horses in a pasture together.] cattell. Wherfore knowe that horses and beastes wyll agree well in oone pasture, for there is some maner of [Sidenote: [Fol. 42b.]] grasse that a horse wyll eate, and the beast wyl not eate, as the fytches, flasshes, and lowe places, and 8 all the holowe bunnes and pypes that growe therin. But horses and shepe wyll not so well agree, excepte it be shepe to fede, for a shepe wyll go on a bare pasture, and wyll eate the sweteste grasse: and soo wyll a horse, but he 12 wolde haue it lenger. Howe be it he wyll eate as nyghe the erthe as a shepe, but he can not so sone fyll his [Sidenote: With 100 beasts put 20 horses.] belly. To an hundred beastes ye maye put .xx. horses, if it be lowe ground, and if there be grasse ynoughe, 16 put in an hundred shepe, and so after the rate, be the pasture more or lesse. And after this maner they may fede and eate the close euen and leue but fewe tuftes. And if it be an hyghe grounde, put in moo shepe, 20 and lesse bestes and horses. Melch kye, and draught oxen, wyll eate a close moche barer than as many fatte [Sidenote: Milch kine should not be too fat,] kye and oxen. And a melche cowe may haue to moch meate: for if she waxe fatte, she wyll the rather take 24 the bull, and gyue lesse mylke. For the fatnes stoppeth the poores and the vaines, that shuld brynge the mylke to the pappes. And therfore meane grasse is beste [Sidenote: but have a moderate diet.] to kepe her in a meane estate. And if a cowe be 28 fatte, whan she shall calue, than is there great ieoperdy in her, and the calfe shall be the lesse: but ye can not [Sidenote: [Fol. 43.]] gyue your draught-oxe to moche meate, excepte it be the aftermath of a late mowen medowe. For that wyll 32 cause hym to haue the gyrre, and than he maye not well [Sidenote: Too much grass is bad.] laboure. And there be to moche grasse in a close, the cattel shall fede the worse, for a good bytte to the erthe is suffycyente. For if it be longe, the beaste wyll byte 36 of the toppe and noo more, for that is swetest, and the other lyeth styll vppon the grounde and rotteth, and no beaste wyll eate it but horse in wynter; but these beastes, horses and shepe, maye not be fodered to-gether 40 [Sidenote: In winter, beasts will gore horses and sheep.] in wynter, for thanne they wolde be seuered: for els the beastes with theyr homes wyll put bothe horses and the shepe, and gore them in theyr bellyes. And it is necessarye to make standynge cratches, to caste theyr 44 fodder in, and the staues set nyghe ynough togyther, for pullynge theyr fodder to hastely out, for shedynge. And if it be layde vppon the erthe, the fourthe parte therof wyll be loste: and if ye laye it vpon the erthe, 48 laye it euerye tyme in a newe place, for the olde wyll marre the newe.

71. ¶ The properties of horses.

72. ¶ The two properties, that a horse hath of a man.

73. The .ii. propertyes of a bauson.

74. The .iiii. properties of a lyon.

75. The .ix. propertyes of an oxe.

76. The .ix. propertyes of an hare.

77. The .ix. propertyes of a foxe.

78. The .ix. propertyes of an asse.

79. The .x. properties of a woman.

81. The lampas.

82. The barbes.

83. Mournynge of the tonge.

84. Pursy.

85. Broken-wynded.

86. Glaunders.

87. Mournynge on the chyne.

88. Stranguellyon.

89. The hawe.

90. Blyndnes.

91. Viues.

92. The cordes.

93. The farcyon.

94. A malander.

95. A selander.

96. A serewe.

97. A splent.

98. A ryngbone.

99. Wynd-galles.

100. Morfounde.

101. The coltes euyll.

102. The bottes.

103. The wormes.

105. Nauylgall.

106. A spauen.

107. A courbe.

109. Enterfyre.

110. Myllettes.

111. The peynes.

112. Cratches.

113. Atteynt.

114. Grauelynge.

115. A-cloyed.

116. The scabbe.

117. Lowsy.

118. Wartes.

119. The sayinge of the frenche-man.

¶ These be soraunce, hurtes, dyseases, that be nowe [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [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 [Sidenote: 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.

121. ¶ Of swyne.

Nowe thou husbande, that haste bothe horses and mares, beastes and shepe: It were necessary also, that thou haue bothe swyne and bees; for it is an olde [Sidenote: Whoso hath sheep, swine and bees, shall surely thrive.] sayinge: he that hath bothe shepe, swyne, and bees, 4 slepe he, wake he, he maye thryue. And that sayenge is, bycause that they be those thinges that moste profyt riseth of in the shortest space, with least coste. Than se howe manye swyne thou art able to kepe; let them 8 [Sidenote: Have only boars and sows; no hogs.] be bores and sowes all, and no hogges. And if thou be able to rere vi pigges a yere, than let two of them be bores, and foure of them sowes, and so to contynue after the rate. For a bore will haue as lyttell kepynge 12 [Sidenote: A boar is better than a hog.] as a hogge, and is moche better than a hogge, and more meate on hym and is ready at all tymes to eate in the wynter season, and to be layde in souse. And a sowe, er she be able to kyl, shall bryng forth as many pyggs or 16 moo, as she is worth; and her bodye is neuer the worse, and wyll be as good baken as a hogge, and as lyttell [Sidenote: [Fol. 51.]] kepynge, but at suche tyme as she hath pygges. And if thy sowe haue moo pygges than thou wilt rere, sel them, 20 [Sidenote: Rear pigs in spring and early summer.] or eate them, & rere those pigges that come about lenten-time, specyally the begynnynge of somer, for they can-not be rered in winter, for cold, without great coste.

122. ==> Of bees.

Of bees is lyttell charge but good attendaunce; at the tyme that they shall cast the swarme, it is conuenient, that [Sidenote: Put the beehive in a garden or orchard.] the hyue be set in a garden, or an orchyarde, where as they maye be kepte from the northe wynde, and the 4 mouthe of the hyue towarde the sonne. And in June [Sidenote: They commonly swarm in June or July.] and July they do most commonlye caste, and they wolde haue some lowe trees nyghe vnto them before the hyue that the swarme maye lyght vpon; and whan 8 the swarme is knytte, take a hyue, and splente it within with thre or foure splentes, that the bees maye knytte theyr combes therto; and annoynte the splentes, and [Sidenote: How to take a swarm.] the sydes of the hyue, with a lyttell honye. And if thou 12 haue no honye, take swete creame, and than set a stole or a forme nyghe vnto the swarme, and laye a clene washen shete vppon the stole, and thanne holde the [Sidenote: [Fol. 51b.]] smalle ende of the hyue downewarde and shake the 16 bees in-to the hyue, and shortely sette it vppon the stole, and turne vppe the comers of the shete ouer the hyue, and to leue one place open, that the bees may come in [Sidenote: Never strive with bees.] and out: but thou mayst not fight nor stryue with theym 20 for noo cause; and to laye nettyls vppon the bowes, where as they were knytte, to dryue them from that place; and soo watche them all that daye, that they go not away; and at nyght, whan al be goone vp into the 24 hyue, take it away and set it where it shall stande, and take awaye thy shete, and haue claye tempered to laye aboute it vppon the borde or stone, where it shall stande, that noo wynde comme in, but the borde is better and 28 [Sidenote: Leave a hole for the bees to go in and out.] warmer. And to leaue an hole open on the south syde, of three inches brode, and an inche of heyghte, for the bees to come in and out. And than to make a couerynge of wheate-strawe or rye-strawe, to couer and house the 32 [Sidenote: Set the hive on stakes, at least two feet from ground.] hyue about, and set the hyue two fote or more from the erthe vpon stakes, soo that a mouse cannot come to it, and also neyther beastes nor swyne. And if a swarme be caste late in the yere, they wolde be fedde with honnye in 36 wynter, and layde vppon a thynne narowe borde, or a thynne sclatte or leade; put it into the hyue, and an other [Sidenote: [Fol. 52.]] thynne borde wolde be set before euery hyues mouthe, that no winde come in; and to haue foure or fyue 40 lyttell nyckes made on the nether syde, that a bee maye comme out or go in, and so fastened, that the wynde blowe it not downe, and to take it vp whan he wyll. [Sidenote: If a hive is fed on honey, stop the mouth of it.] And that hyue that is fedde, to stoppe the mouthe cleane, 44 that other bees come not in; for if they doo, they wyll fyghte, and kyll eche other. And beware, that noo waspes come in-to the hyue, for they wyll kyl the bees, and eate the honny. And also there is a bee called a 48 [Sidenote: Drones.] drone, and she is greatter than an other bee, and they wyll eate the honny, and gather nothynge: and therfore they [Sidenote: It is said, the drone hath lost her sting.] wolde be kylde, and it is a sayenge, that she hath loste her stynge, and than she wyl not labour as the other 52 do.

123. ¶ Howe to kepe beastes and other cattell.

124. ¶ To get settes and set them.

And if thou haue pastures, thou muste nedes haue quyckesettynge, dychynge and plasshynge. Whan it is [Sidenote: 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 thou gete bothe asshe, oke, and elme, for those wyll [Sidenote: Set young oaks and ashes.] encrease moche woode in shorte space. And set thy oke-settes 8 and the asshe .x. or .xii fote a-sonder, and cut them [Sidenote: [Fol. 53b.]] as thou dost thy other settes, and couer theym ouer with thornes a lyttell, that shepe and cattell eate them not. [Sidenote: 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. [Sidenote: 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, [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 and sette it there as thou wylte haue thy hedge, and to [Sidenote: Make a straight trench.] make a trenche after thy lyne, and to pare awaye the grasse there the quyckesettes shal be set, and caste it by, [Sidenote: [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 [Sidenote: 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.

126. ¶ To make a hedge.

127. ¶ To plasshe or pleche a hedge.

128. ¶ To mende a hye-waye.

129. ¶ To remoue and set trees.

130. ¶ Trees to be set without rotes and growe.

131. ¶ To fell wodde for housholde, or to sell.

132. ¶ To shrede, lop, or croppe trees.

133. ¶ Howe a man shoulde shrede, loppe, or croppe trees.

134. ¶ To sell woode or tymber.

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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [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 [Sidenote: 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.

137. ¶ What fruite shuld be fyrste graffed.

138. ¶ Howe to graffe.

There is an other maner of graffinge than this, and soner done, & soner to growe: but it is more ieoperdy for [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: Use a punch of hard wood.] other syde: than thou muste haue made redy a ponch of harde wood, with a stop and a tenaunte on the one syde, lyke to the tenaunte of the graffe. Than put the tenaunt of the ponche betwen the barke and the woode of the 12 stocke, and pull it out agayne, and put in the graffe, and se that it ioyne close, or els mende it. And this can-not fayle, for now the sappe cometh on euery syde, but it wyl spring soo faste, that if it stande on playne 16 [Sidenote: The graft requires protection from the wind.] grounde, the wynde is lykelye to blowe it besyde the heed, for it hath no fastnes in the wodde. And this is beste remedy for blowynge of, to cutte or clyppe awaye [Sidenote: [Fol. 57.]] somme of the nethermooste leaues as they growe. And 20 this is the beste waye to graffe, and specyally a greate tree: than claye it, and bynde it as dyddest the other, &c.

140. ¶ To nourishe all maner of stone fruite, and nuttes.

141. ¶ A shorte information for a yonge gentyl-man, that entendeth to thryue.

142. ¶ A lesson made in Englisshe verses, to teache a gentylmans seruaunt, to saye at euery tyme whan he taketh his horse, for his remembraunce, that he shall not forget his gere in his inne behynde hym.

Nowe thou husbande, that haste doone thy dylygence and labour, that longeth to an husbande, to get thy lyuynge, thy wyues, thy chyldrens, and thy seruauntes: [Sidenote: Seldom thrives the husband without his wife’s leave.] yet are there other thynges, that muste nedes be done, 4 or elles thou shalte not thryue. For there is an olde common sayenge, that seldom doth the housbande thryue, withoute the leue of his wyfe. By this sayenge it shoulde seme, that there be other occupations and labours, that 8 be moste conuenient for the wyues to do. And howe be [Sidenote: I will tell the wives part of their duties.] it that I haue not experyence of al theyr occupations and warkes, as I haue of husbandry, yet a lyttell wyl I speke what they ought to do, though I tel them nat howe they 12 shulde doo and exercyse theyr labours and occupations.

144. ¶ A lesson for the wyfe.

But yet er I begynne to shewe the wyfe, what warkes [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [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 [Sidenote: 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, [Sidenote: 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.

146. ¶ What warkes a wyfe shulde do in generall.

¶ It is conuenyente for a housbande to haue shepe of his owne, for many causes, and than maye his wife haue 76 [Sidenote: 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, [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [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.

148. ¶ To eate within the tedure.

Thou husbande and huswife, that intend to folowe the sayinge of the philosopher, that is to saye, kepe [Sidenote: Spare at the brink, not at the bottom.] measure, you muste spare at the brynke, and not at the [Sidenote: [Fol. 64b.]] bottom, that is to vnderstande, in the begynnynge of 4 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [Fol. 65.]] he stande in prison, without any meate, vnto the tyme thou hast payde his raunsome to the pynder, and also 28 [Sidenote: he will be impounded.] make amendes to thy neyghbours, for distroyenge of theyr corne. Ryght so, as long as thou eatest within [Sidenote: Wherefore, ‘eat within thy tether.’] thy tedure, that thou nedest not to begge nor borowe of 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 [Sidenote: 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.

150. ¶ How men of hye degree do kepe measure.

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? [Sidenote: [Fol. 68; no fol. 67.]] For I haue seen bokes of accompte of householde, 4 and brumentes vpon the same, & I doubte not, but [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: Begun in kindness, it ends in pride.] aboue measure. And begon of loue and charyte, and endeth in pryde and glotony, wherof saynte Ierome [Sidenote: Jerome.] saythe: Qui post carnem ambulant, in ventrem et libidinem, 24 proni sunt, quasi irrationabilia iumenta reputantur. That is [Sidenote: [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; [Sidenote: 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.

154. ¶ A prologue of the thyrde sayinge of the philosopher.

155. ¶ A diuersitie betwene predication and doctrine.

156. ¶ What is rychesse.

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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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, [Sidenote: [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 [Sidenote: 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 a lyttell payne in this worlde, than to suffer a moche greatter and a lenger payne in an other worlde. Nowe 40 sythe helle is derer than heuen, I aduyse the specyally [Sidenote: Wherefore buy heaven.] to bye heuen, wherin is euerlastynge ioye without ende.

158. ¶ What ioyes or pleasures are in heuen.

159. ¶ What thynges pleaseth god most.

160. ¶ What be goddes commaundementes.

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, [Sidenote: [Fol. 74.]] and please hym, he muste doo as it is sayde in Symbalo [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: Heb. xi. 6.] Paule: Sine fide impossibile est placere deo; Without faythe 8 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: Jerome.] god. For saynt Iherome saythe: Vnusquisque, cuius opera 20 facit, eius filius appellatur: whose warkes euery man dothe, [Sidenote: Bernard.] his son or seruaunt he is called. And sayncte Bernarde saythe, Efficatior est vox operis, quam vox sermonis: The [Sidenote: [Fol. 74b.]] dedes and the warkes of a man is more euydent profe, 24 [Sidenote: 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.

163. ¶ Of prayer that pleaseth god very moche.

There be two impedimentes, that lette and hynder prayer, that it maye not be herde. And of the fyrste impedimente [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [Fol. 81; sic.]] adhuc dolor in mente vel odium manet in pectore. Lyke as 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: Private prayer.] maner. Oratio priuata. The prayer pryuately done, [Sidenote: [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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: Isa. xxix. 13.] prophete, Hij labiis me honorant, cor autem eorum longe 24 est a me; They honour me with theyr mouthe, and [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [Fol. 82.]] be other that pray both with the mouth and hart, of [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: Isidore.] Isodorus saythe, Tunc veraciter oramus, quando aliunde non cogitamus. Than we praye truely, whan we thynke [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: Matt. vi. 6.] Mat. vi. Tu autem cum oraueris, intra 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 1 Sam. i. 13.] thy herte than with thy mouth. Regum primo. Anna 52 loquebatur in corda. Anna spake with the harte.

167. ¶ A meane to auoyde temptation.

It is ofte-tymes seen, that the holyer that a man is, the [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 vexare negligit, quos iure [Sidenote: Ambrose.] hæreditario se possidere sentit. The dyuell despyseth to 12 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 [Sidenote: [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.

¶ That is to say, The gostly enemy hurteth not, but whan [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: Every man is captain of his own soul.] [Sidenote: [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.

169. ¶ The fyrste maner of almes.

Egenti largire quicquid poteris. Gyue to the nedye what [Sidenote: 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 [Sidenote: [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 [Sidenote: Prov. xxviii. 27.] slake synne. Salomon saythe, Qui dat pauperi, non indigebit. He that giueth vnto a poore man, shal neuer [Sidenote: Prov. xxi. 13.] haue nede. And also he sayth, Qui obturat aurem suam 16 ad clamorem pauperis, et ipse clamabit, et non exaudietur. He that stoppeth his eare at the clamoure or crie of a pore man, he shall crye, and he shall not be gracyousely herde. There maye no manne excuse hym from gyuynge 20 of almes, thoughe he be poore. And let hym doo as [Sidenote: Mark, xii. 42;] [Sidenote: Luke, xxi. 2.] the poore wydowe dyd, that offered a farthynge, wherfore she hadde more thanke and rewarde of god, thanne the ryche men that offered golde. And if thou mayste not 24 gyue a farthynge, gyue lesse, or gyue fayre wordes, or good information, ensaumple, and token: and god shall rewarde the bothe for thy dede and for thy good wyll. And that thou dooste, do it with a good wyll. For saynte 28 [Sidenote: 2 Cor. ix. 7.] Paule saythe, Hilarem datorem diligit deus. God loueth [Sidenote: [Fol. 86b.]] a glad gyuer, and that if it be of true begotten goodes. For Salomon saythe, De tuis iustis laboribus ministra pauperibus. Of thy trewe labours mynystre and gyue to 32 [Sidenote: Isidore.] the poore folkes. For Isodorus saythe, Qui iniuste tollit, iuste nunquam tribuit. He that taketh wrongfully, cannot gyue trewelye. For it is wrytten Ecclesiastici xxxv. [Sidenote: Eccles. xxxiv. 24.] Qui de rapinis, aut vsuris, aut de furto immolat: et quasi 36 qui coram patre victimat filium. He that offereth of the goodes, that he getteth by extortyon, vsurye, or thefte, he is lyke as a man slewe the sonne in the presence of the father. Thou mayste ryghte well knowe, the father 40 wolde not be well contente. Noo more wolde god be pleased with the gyfte of suche begotten goodes.

170. ¶ The seconde maner of almes.

Dimittere eis, a quibus lesus fueris. To forgyue theym that haue trespaced to the, wherin thou shalte please god moche. For it is in the gospell of sayncte Marke [Sidenote: Mark, xi. 6.] .xii. Si non dimiseritis aliis, nec pater vester celestis dimittet 4 vobis peccata vestra. If you forgyue not, your father of [Sidenote: [Fol. 87.]] heuen wyll not forgyue you your synnes. Also if thou doo not forgyue other, thou shalte be founde a lyer, as ofte as thou sayeste thy Pater noster, where thou sayste: 8 [Sidenote: Matt. vi. 12.] Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. And forgyue to vs our dettes, as we forgyue to our detters. By these dettes maye be vnderstande the thynges that we oughte to do to god, and doo not them. 12 And also the trespaces and the synne that we haue offended to god, in that we aske mercye of. And if thou wylte not forgyue, thou mayst not aske mercy of [Sidenote: Matt. vii. 2.] ryght. Eadem mensura, qua mensi fueritis, remetietur vobis. 16 The same measure that ye meate other men by, shall be moten vnto you. Dimittere autem rancorem et maliciam omnino necessitatis est, dimittere vero actionem et emendam opus est consilii. To forgyue all rancour and malyce, that 20 a manne oweth to the in his harte, thou arte bounden of necessitie to forgyue all the hole trespace, or to leaue thyne actyon, or a reasonable mendes. Therfore it is but a dede of mercye if thou so do, and no synne though 24 thou sue the lawe with charytie. But and a manne haue done to the a trespace, and that thou arte gladde that [Sidenote: [Fol. 87b.]] he hathe soo done, that thou mayste haue a quarell, or a matter, or an accyon agaynste hym, and nowe of malyce 28 or yll wyll thou wylte sue hym, rather than for the trespace; nowe thou synnest dedely, bycause thou doest rather of malyce than for the trespace, and than haste [Sidenote: Prov. xxii. 9.] thou loste thy charitie, Prouerbiorum .xxxii. Qui pronus 32 est ad misericordiam, benedicetur. He that is redy to forgiue, shall be blessed.

171. ¶ The thyrde maner of almes.

172. ¶ What is the greattest offence that a manne may doo and offende god in.

In myne opynyon, it is to be in despayre of the mercye of god. And therefore what soo euer thou haue doone or offended god, in worde, warke, thought, or dede, be [Sidenote: Isidore.] neuer in despayre for it; for Isodorus saythe, Qui veniam 4 de peccato desperat, plus de desperatione peccat quam de culpa cadit. He that despayreth to haue forgyuenes of his synnes, he synneth more in despayrynge than he dyd in [Sidenote: Jerome.] the synne doynge. For saynte Iherome sayth, Magis 8 offendebat Iudas deum in hoc quod suspendebat, quam in hoc, quod eum tradidit: Judas offended god more in that that he hanged hym-selfe, than he dydde whanne he [Sidenote: Ezek. xxxiii. 11.] betrayed god. For god sayth in his gospell, Nolo mortem 12 peccatoris, sed magis vt conuertatur et viuat. I wyll not the [Sidenote: [Fol. 89.]] deathe of a synner, but rather that he maye be conuerted [Sidenote: Luke v. 32.] and lyue. And also he saythe, Non veni vocare iustos, sed peccatores ad penitentiam. I am not comen to call 16 ryghtwyse men, but to call synners to do penaunce. For thou canste not so soone crye god mercy with thy harte, but he is as redye to chaunge his sentence, and to graunte the mercy and forgyuenes of all thy synnes. For 20 [Sidenote: Augustine.] saynte Austyne saythe, Sicut scintilia ignis in medio maris, sic omnis impietas viri ad misericordiam dei. As a sparke of fyer is in comparison able to drye vppe all the water in the se, noo more is all the wyckednes of man 24 vnto the mecyfulnes of god. And therfore it is conuenyent that a manne shulde be penytent, contryte, and aske god mercye and forgyuenesse of his synnes and offences, [Sidenote: Chrysostom.] that he hath done; wherof speketh Chrysostme, Nemo 28 ad deum aliquando flens accessit quod non postulauerit accepit. No man hath gone any tyme wepynge to god, but he hath taken or had that thynge that he hath asked. And [Sidenote: Bernard.] sayncte Bernarde saythe, Plus cruciant lacrime peccatoris 32 diabolum quam omne genus tormentorum. The teares of a synner tourmenteth the deuyll more, than all other kyndes [Sidenote: Augustine.] of turmentes. And sayncte Austyne saythe, Acriores [Sidenote: [Fol. 89b.]] dolores demonibus non inferrimus, quam cum peccata nostra 36 penitendo et confitendo plangimus. We canne not doo more sharper sorowes to the dyuell, than whan we wayle or wepe in confessyon, and doynge of penaunce. And [Sidenote: Mary Magdalen.] that maye be well proued by Mary Magdaleyn, 40 whanne she kneled downe and cryed god mercye, and kyste his fete, and wasshed theym with the teares of her eyen, and wyped them with the heare of her heed, to whom our lorde sayde, as in his gospell, 44 [Sidenote: Luke vii. 48.] Dimittuntur tibi peccata tua. Thy synnes are forgyuen [Sidenote: Luke vii. 50.] to the; and also he sayde to her: Fides te saluam fecit, vade in pace. Thy faythe hath saued the, goo thou in peace. To the whiche mercy and peace I besech 48 almyghty Iesu brynge all chrysten soules. Amen.

* * * * *

¶ The Auctour.

Finis.

¶ 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.

¶ 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.

FOOTNOTES:

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.

Read Dewbolne.

Misprinted ‘blough-mal.’

Sic; ed. 1598 has ‘worme’.

‘slotes’?

Misprinted ‘flote.’

Misprinted fyrst.

Note that the symbol “C.” here does not mean 100, but the great hundred, i.e. 120.

Printed ewe, which gives no sense.

Misprinted Dewbolue, dewbolue.

Misprinted or horse; but the catchwords are a horse.

Misprinted shorte.

Printed abherebit.

Printed secle.

Misprinted suker.

Misprinted diabolis.

Printed dominus; but the right reading is Fæneratur domino.

NOTES.

These Notes are principally concerned with the numerous variations exhibited in the edition printed by I. R. in 1598. See the Preface.

The references are to the Sections and lines, as numbered.

* * * * *

=Prologue=; lines 2, 6. See Job, v. 7; 2 Thess. iii. 10.

15. The allusion is to Caxton’s Book of the Chess; see the description of it in Ames’ Typographical Antiquities, ed. Dibdin, i. 36, where woodcuts will be found representing the several pieces.

20. iudges. Caxton calls them rooks, as at present, but he describes them as being vicars and legates of the king, i.e. as occupying the position of judges.

yomenne, pawns. In Caxton, we find the division of pawns into eight classes (answering to the eight pawns on each side), in which the king’s rook’s pawn represents the husbandman. The next in order, the king’s knight’s pawn, is the smith; after which, in due order, we find the notary, merchant, physician, taverner, guard (or watchman), and the ribald or dice-player, whose character is not well spoken of. This eight-fold division seems to me to have suggested the well-known formula which divides men into the eight classes of ‘soldier, sailor, tinker, tailor, gentleman, apothecary, ploughboy, thief;’ which is sometimes otherwise varied. The German formula is. ‘Edelmann, Bettelman, Amtmann, Pastor, Kaufmann, Laufmann, Maler, Major;’ also, be it observed, eight-fold. Our soldier, tinker, tailor, apothecary, ploughboy, and thief, may be imagined to correspond, with sufficient exactitude, to Caxton’s guard, smith, merchant, physician, husbandman, and ribald.

27. Remytte, leave. A word is evidently omitted; we must supply to after as, or else substitute to for as. In the Book of Surveying, ch. ix, we find, “I remytte that to menne of lawe;” and again, in ch. xii, “I remytte all those poyntes to menne of lawe.” See also sect. 7, l. 14.

=1.= 1. For the manner in which I. R. rewrites this section, see the Preface.

=2.= 5. Chylturne. As to the sense, we find, in the Book of Surveying, c. 37, the following. “Chylturne grounde and flyntye grounde be light groundes and drye, and full of small stones, and chalke grounde is moche of the same nature, and they wyll weare and washe awaye with water.”

6. Meane erthe, earth of ordinary character. Mean is moderate, ordinary. I. R. alters it to ‘maine earth,’ which was probably not intended. After marle, he inserts--“some neither Sand nor Clay, but like a mixture of both, yet neither, which is called a Hassell ground.”

9. I. R. has--“In Sommerset-shiere, Dawset-shiere, and Gloster-shiere.”

Zelcester. The old character Ʒ, which had the force of y at the beginning of a word, was often printed as Z, by confusion. Bishop Percy used to print such ludicrous forms as zow, zour, instead of yow, your. I conclude that Zelcester = Yelcester, i.e. Ilchester. The form occurs again in sect. 27, l. 17.

16. many other places. J. R. says--“in some parte of Hartford-shiere, Sussex, and Cornwall.”

24. aslope] I. R. has a flote, gyue out, i.e. spread out, are too obtuse.

26. I. R. says--“In Cambridge-shiere, Huntington-shiere, Bedford-shiere, and for the most part of Northamton-shiere, theyr Ploughes haue but one hale. In Leister-shiere, Lankishiere, Yorkshiere, Lincolnshiere, and Notingham-shiere, they haue two; for all other Countries [counties] vnnamed, there is none of them but plow with some of these Ploughes before-mentioned.”

=3.= 1. The parts of a plough are enumerated in Gervase Markham’s Complete Husbandman (1614), which is quoted at length in Rogers’s Hist. of Agriculture and Prices, vol. i. p. 534. It is probable that the plough, as described by Fitzherbert, did not materially differ from that in use in 1614.

The principal parts, according to Markham, are as follows.

(1). ‘The ploughbeam, a large and long piece of timber, which forms an arch for the other parts of the plough.’ It is, says Fitzherbert, the long beam above, which is slightly bent. The plough-sheath, the coulter, and the plough-foot, are all mortised into it, pointing downwards.

(2). ‘The skeath (i.e. sheath), a piece of wood two and a half feet long, eight inches broad, and two inches thick, which is mortised into the beam, and sloping forwards below it.’ Fitzherbert says it is a thin piece of dry oak, fixed both in the plough-beam and the share-beam, and is the chief ‘band,’ i.e. strengthening piece or support, of the whole plough. By ‘thin,’ he must mean that it is thin (2 inches) in proportion to its breadth (8 inches); it is necessary that it should be very strong, as it holds the implement together.

(3). ‘The plough’s principal hale on the left hand, a long bent piece of wood, somewhat strong in the midst, and so slender at the upper end that a man may easily gripe it.’ This is Fitzherbert’s plough-tail (l. 16), which he says is mortised into the sharebeam behind, and pinned to the ploughbeam behind also. The ploughman holds it in his left hand. It is also called the ploughstart; where start means tail, as in red-start.

(4). ‘The plough-head, which is fixed with the skeath and the hale, all at one instant, into two several mortise-holes; a flat piece of timber, about three feet in length, seven inches in breadth, and two and a half in thickness, and having two nicks towards the head of the plough.’ This is the same as what Fitzherbert calls the sharebeam; see the explanation in sect. 2, l. 10.

(5). ‘The plough-spindles, two round pieces of wood which couple the hales [handles] together.’ These are what Fitzherbert calls the rough staves; see l. 35.

(6). ‘The right-hand hale, through which the other end of the spindles run, much more slender than the left-hand hale, because no force is put on it.’ This is Fitzherbert’s plough-stilt; see l. 21.

(7). The plough-rest, a small piece of wood, fixed at one end in the further nick of the plough-head, and on the other end to the right-hand hale.’ ‘In the Middle Ages,’ says Prof. Rogers, ‘it appears that this part was made of iron, and that it was occasionally double.’ We must remember that plough-head means the sharebeam.

(8). ‘The shelboard [i.e. shield-board], a board of more than an inch thick, covering the right side of the plough, and fastened with two strong wooden pins to the skeath and right-hand hale.’

(9). ‘The coulter, a long piece of iron made sharp at one end, passing on one side by a mortise-hole through the beam, and held in place by an iron ring which winds round the beam and strengthens it.’ Fitzherbert’s description is slightly different; see l. 48. The use of the coulter is to make the first incision into the earth; it precedes the share, which follows it and completes its work.

(10). ‘The share. If this be needed for a mixed earth, it is made without a wing, or with a small one only: if, however, it be needed for a deep or stiff clay, it should be made with a large wing or an outer point.’

(11). ‘The plough-foot. This is an iron implement, passed through a mortise-hole, and fastened at the farther end of the beam by a wedge or two, so that the husbandman may at his discretion set it higher or lower; the use being to give the plough earth or to put it from the earth, for the more it is driven downward the more it raises the beam from the ground and makes the irons forsake the earth, and the more it is driven upward, the more it lets down the beam and makes the irons bite the ground.’ Fitzherbert well describes it as ‘a stay to order of what deepness the plough shall go.’ The word ploughfote occurs in Piers Plowman, B. vi. 105; see my notes to that poem, vol. iv. p. 161. This part of the plough was also called a plough-shoe (in Latin, ferripedalis); see Rogers (as above), p. 538. In a modern plough, the plough-foot is generally replaced by small wheels. I may remark that it was placed in front, before the coulter.

If we compare the preceding account with that given by Fitzherbert, we shall see that the two nearly agree. Fitzherbert’s plough-beam, plough-sheath, and plough-tail are Nos. 1, 2, and 3 above; his stilt, rest, and shieldboard are Nos. 6, 7, and 8; his rough staves, plough-foot, share, and coulter, are Nos. 5, 11, 10, and 9. But he has three additional terms, viz. the sharebeam, which is the wooden frame for the share, and is called by Markham the plough-head (No. 4). Secondly, the fen-board, i.e. mud-board, covering the left side of the plough, and fastened to the left of the sheath and the left hale, much as the shield-board is fastened to the right of the sheath and the right hale. Lastly, the plough-ear, defined as ‘three pieces of iron, nailed fast to the right side of the plough-beam,’ for which poor men substituted ‘a crooked piece of wood pinned fast to the plough-beam.’ What was the use of this appendage we are not expressly told; but it seems to have been used for fastening the trace to, for draught; see =4.= 34.

Fitzherbert also notices the plough-mal, i.e. plough-mall or plough-mallet (l. 55), which seems to have consisted of a head of hard wood and a ‘pynne,’ or handle, and to have been loosely stuck into the plough-beam by passing the handle through ‘an augurs bore,’ i.e. through a hole bored in the beam by an augur for this especial purpose. This was no real part of the plough, but only a tool conveniently kept at hand. He does not, however, mention the plough-staff (or akerstaff), which was ‘a pole shod with a flat iron, the purpose of which was to clear the mould-board from any stiff earth which might cling to it while the plough was at work’; Rogers, as above, p. 539. This was originally held in the right hand (see my notes to P. Plowman); but I think it likely that, when a second handle, or stilt, came into use, the plough-staff was given up. Wright’s Prov. Glossary gives “mell, mellet, a square piece of wood fitted with a handle, a mallet.”

10. I. R. says of the sharbeame, that “in some Countries it is called the plough-head.” Fitzherbert has already said this, see =2.= 10.

12. Oke] Oake or Ashe; I.R.

15. I. R. says of the plough-tayle, that “in many Countries [it is] called the Plough-hale, of which they haue two, but the other is fastened to the rough staues and the shelboard.” The other hale is the plough-stilt.

25. sheldbrede] Shelboard; I. R.

27. fenbrede] Senbred; I. R. This is wrong.

32. to come past] compasse; I. R.

34. roughe] long; I. R.

49. bende, i.e. bent] broad; I. R. This is inappropriate, for it is somewhat narrow, viz. of the breadth of three inches; see line 52.

55. plough-mal] Plough Maule; I. R. As to the parts of a plough, cf. Tusser’s Husbandry, 17. 10, 11; and see above, note to =3.= 1.

=4.= 14. slot-wedges] flote wedges; I. R. I. R. does not seem to have understood it, as he alters slote to flatte in the two lines following.

19. After erthe, I. R. has--“so that it may, as the best experienced Plow-men say, kill a worme, or els it goeth not truly.” Worme is clearly right. He further inserts--“The poynt of your Culture, and the poynt of your Share, must runne both in one leuell, so that they may cutte both in one instant, chiefely if the ground be stiffe and tough; but if it be in a light land, then if the point of your Culture be a little longer it shall be so much the better, and in such light groundes, let your Culture be somwhat sickell-wise bowed, for the finer cutting, but in tough Clay ground it ought to be as straight as may be.”

26. payreth] hurteth; I. R. This is a gloss.

29. practyue] practise; I. R.

33. bende] band. But bende probably means ‘bent piece.’

35. he] you (throughout). This shews that this idiomatic use of he was obsolescent in 1598.

46. coke] Cocke.

58. I. R. adds--“In diuers Countries, as namely in Cambridgshiere, Huntington, Hartford, Bedford, and Northamton, the share is alwayes nayled with certaine nayles vnto the shelboard, to which I am not so well affected, because by that meanes the shelboard can neuer be turnd, or after he is once worne be [sic] for other purpose, whereas in the Northerne partes of this Land, the share being only fastned in his socket to the Plough-head, which may at ease be done with a crooked horne of a Ramme, which being put ouer the poynt of the share, may be knocked fast at ones pleasure, the shelboard being worne at the one end may be taken off, and the other end set forward, which will as sufficiently serue as euer it did before, yeelding to the Plough-man a double profit.”

=5.= 1. But or he] Before we.

2. geare] implements. A genteel improvement! So again in l. 45.

4. stylkynges, wrethyng-temes] stilting wrethen teames.

6. sleues] cleuisse. pykforke] Pitchforke.

9. fellyes] follies (!). 10. fettred] fettered or tyed.

17. soule] sole.

19. lyn-pinnes] limpins.

23. pikstaues] pickstaues, all which are best of Ashe.

24. hombers] humbers. holmes whyted, tresses] holmes, withed traces.

29. or kyddes, or suche other] faggots, or Kids.

=6.= 5. I. R. adds--“yet in all Virgils writing the Oxe-plough is most preferred.” There are other unimportant variations here.

17. teddered] teathered.

18. hades] hadds.

24. gere that they shal] harnes and tyer they.

27. hey] hay mingled, which Plough-men call bendfoder.

28. and they haue, &c.] and for shooes for the most part that cost in them is saued, except it be for some long iourney, or in stony wayes for feare of surbayting.

30. lyttell worthe] worth nothing, except for a kennell of noyse-begetting Hounds.

32. ii. s.] tenne shillings.

=7.= I. R. omits this section altogether.

=8.= I. R. greatly expands this section, after the following manner.