THe most generall lyuynge that husbandes can haue / is by plow­ynge & sowynge of theyr cornes / & rerynge or bredynge of theyre ca­tell / and not the one withoute the other. Than is the ploughe y ^e most necessaryest instrument y ^e an hus­bande can occupye / wherfore it is cōuenyent to be knowen how a plow shold be made.

THere be plowes of dyuers makynges in dy­uers contrees / and lykewyse there be plowes of yren of dyuers facyons. And that is because there be many maner of groundes and soyle. Some whyte clay / some reed clay / som grauell / som chylturne / som sande / some meane erthe / some meddled with marle / and in many places hethe grounde / and one ploughe wyll not serue in al places. wherfore it is necessary to haue dyuers maner of plowes. In Sommerset shyre aboute zelcestre / the sharbeame that in many places is called the ploughe hed / is foure or fyue fote longe / and it is brode & thyn. And that is bycause the lande is very toughe / & wolde soke the plough into the erthe yf the sharbeame were not longe / brode / and thynne. In Kente they haue other maner plowes / some god with wheles / as they do in many other places / and [Page] som wyll turne the sheldbrede at euery landes ende / and plowe all one waye. In Buckyngham shyre are plowes made of another maner / & also other maner of ploughe yrens / the whiche me semeth generally good and lykely to serue in many places / & specyally yf the plough beame & sharbeame were foure ynches lenger betwene the shethe & the plough tayle / that the sheld­brede myght com more a slope / for those plowes gyue out to sodeynly / & therfore they be the worse to draw & for no cause els. In Leceytre shyre / Lankesshyre / yorkeshyre / Lyncoln / Norfolke / Cambrige shyre / & many other countreys / the plowes be of dyuers ma­kynges / the which were to longe a processe to declare how &c. But how so euer they be made / yf they be well tempered & go well / they may be the better suffred.

MEn that be no husbandes may fortune to rede this boke / that knoweth not which is y ^e plow beame / the share beame / the ploughe shethe / the plow tayle / the stylte / the reste / the shelde breede / the fen­brede / the roughe staues / the plough fote / the plough eare or coke / the share / the culture / & the plough mall / Perauenture I do gyue them these names here / as is vsed in my contrey / & yet in other contreys they haue other names / wherforey [...] shal know that the plough beame is the longe tree aboue / the whiche is a lytell bent / the share beame is the tree vnderneth / whervpō the share is set / the plough sheth is a thyn pece of drye [Page ii] wode made of oke / that is set fast in a mortays in the ploughe beame / & also into the sharbeme / the whyche is the key and the chefe bande of all the ploughe. The plough tayle is that y ^• husbande holdeth in his hande and the hynder ende of the ploughe beame is put in a longe slyt made in the same tayle & nat set fast / but it maye ryse vp & go downe / & is pynned behynde / & the same plough tayl is set fast in a morteis in the hynder ende of the sharbeame. The plough stylt is on y ^• ryght syde of the ploughe / where vpon the rest is set / the rest is a lyttel pece of wodpynned fast vpon y ^e nether ende of the stylte / and to the sharbeame in the ferther ende. The sheldebred is a brode pece of wode fast pynned to the ryght syde of the shethe in the farther ende and to the vtter syde of the stylte in the hynder ende. The fen brede is a thyn borde / pynned or nayled most comyn­ly to the lyft syde of the shethe in the farther ende / and to the ploughe ende in the hynder ende. And the sayde sheldebrede wolde com ouer the sayd shethe & fenbrede an ynche / and to come paste the myddes of the share / made with a sharpe edge / to receyue & turne the erthe whan the culture hathe cut it / There be two roughe staues in euery plough in the hynder ende / set a slope bytwene the plough tayle and the stylte / to holde out and kepe the ploughe abrode in the hynder ende / and the one lenger than the other. The ploughe fote is a lytell pece of wode with a croked ende set before in a morteys in the ploughe beame / set faste with wedges to dryue vp and downe / and it is as a staye to order of what depenes the ploughe shall goo. The ploughe care is made of thre pyeces of yron / nayled [...]aste v [...] [Page] to the ryght syde of the ploughe beame. And pore men haue a croked pece of wode pynned fast to the plough beame. The share is a pece of yron sharpe before and brode behynde / a fote longe / made with a socket to be set on the ferther ende of the share beame / the culture is a bende pece of yren set in a morteys in the myddes of the plough beame / fastened with wedges on euery syde / and the backe therof is halfe an ynche thycke & more / and thre ynches brode / & made [...]ene before to cut the erthe clene / and it must be well steeled / & that shall cause the easyer draughte / and the yrens to last moche longer. The ploughe mall is a pece of harde wode / with a pynne put thrughe sette in the ploughe beame / in an augurs bore.

NOw the plowes be made of dyuerse maners / it is necessary for an husbande to knowe howe these plowes sholde be tempered▪ to plowe and turne clene / & to make no rest balkes. A rest balke is where the plough byteth at the poynt of the culture & share / and cutteth nat the grounde clene to the forowe that was plowed last before / but leueth a lytel rydge stan dynge bytwene / the which dothe brede thystyls and other wedes. All these maner of plowes sholde haue all lyke one maner of temperynge in the yrens. How be it a man may temper for one thynge in two or thre places as for depnes. The fote is one / the settynge of the culture of a depnes is an other / & the thyrde is at y ^• ploughe tayle / where be two wedges y ^• be called slot [...] [Page iii] wedges / the one is the slote aboue the beame / an other in the sayde slote vnder the ploughe beame / and other whyle he wyll set bothe aboue or bothe vndernethe / but alway let hym take good hede & kepe one generall rule of the hynder ende of the sharebeame do alwaye touch the erth / that it may kyll a worde / or els it goth not truly. The temperynge to go brode & narow is in the settynge of the culture & with the dryuynge of his syde wedges / fore wedge / & hele wedge / which wolde be made of drye wode / & also y ^• settyng on of his share helpeth well / & is a connynge poynt of husbandrye / & mendeth and payreth moche plowyng / but it is so narow a poynt to know that it is harde to make a man to vnderstande it by wrytynge without he were at y ^• operacyon therof to teche mē the practyue / for it must leane moche into the forowe / and the poynt may not stande to moche vp nor downe / nor to moche in to the lande nor into the forow. How beit the settyng of the culture helpeth moche. Some plowes haue a bende of yren tryanglewyse set there as the plough eare shold be that hathe thre nyckes on y ^• farther syde. And yf he wyll haue his ploughe to goo a narowe forowe / as a sede forow sholde be / than be setteth his fote teame in the nycke next to the plough beame / and yf he wyll go a mean brede / he settyth it in the mydle nycke that is best for sturrynge / and yf he wold go a brode forow / he sertyth it in the vttermoste nycke / that is best for falowynge. The which is a good way to kepe the brede and sone tempered / but it serueth not the depnes. And som men haue in stede of y ^• ploughe fote a pece of yron set vp ryght in the farther ende of the plough beame / ▪ [Page] and they call it a coke / made with two or thre nyckes and that serueth for depnes. The ploughes that goo with wheles haue a streyght beame / & may be tempe­red in the yron as the other be for the brede / but theyr moost specyall temper is at the bolster / where as the ploughe beame lyeth / & that serueth both for depenes and for brede. And they be good on euen ground that lyeth lyghte / but me semeth they be ferre more costlye than the other plowes. And thoughe these plowes be well tempred for one maner of grounde / that temper wyll not serue in an other maner of grounde / but it must rest in the dyscressyon of the husbande to knowe whan it gothe well.

BUt or he begynne to plowe he muste haue his plough & his ploughe yren / his oxen or horses / and the gete that belongeth to theym / that is to saye / bowes / yokes / landes / stilkynges / wrethyng temes. And or he shall lode his corne he must haue a wayne / a copyoke / a payre of sleues / a wayne rope / & a pytch­forke. This wayne is made of dyuers peces that wyll haue great reparacion / that is to say / the wheles / and those be made of nathes / spokes / felyes / and doubles / and they muste be well [...]ettered with wode or yren / & yf they be yren bounde they are moche the better / and thoughe they be the derer at fyrste / yet at lengthe they be better chepe / for a payre of wheles yren boūd wyll were. vii. or. viii. payre of other wheles / and they goo [Page iiii] rounde and lyght after oxen or horses to draw. How be it on mareys groūde & softe ground the other whe­les be better / bycause they be broder on y ^• soule / & wyll not go so depe, They must haue an axyltre clout with viii. wayncloutes of yren .ii. lynpynes of yren in the axyltre endes .ii. axyll pynnes of yren / or els of tough hard wode. The body of the wayne of oke / the staues / the nether rathes / the ouer rathes / the crosse somer / y ^• keys & pykstaues. And yf he go with a horse plow / thā must he haue his horses / or mares / or both his hōbers or collers / holmes whyted / tresses / swyngleters and togewith. Also a cart made of asshe / because it is light and lyke stuffe to it as is to a wayne / and also a cart sadell / bacbandes & bely bandes / and a cart ladder be hynde / whan he shall cary eyther corne or kyddes / or such other. And in many contreys theyr waynes haue carte ladders both behynde & before. Also an husband must haue an axe / a hachet / a hedgyngbyll / a pyn au­gur / a rest augur / a flayle / a spade / and a shouell.

And howe be it that I gyue theym these names as is most comonly vsed in my contrey / I know they haue other names in other contreys / but herby a man may parceyue many thynges belongynge to husbandry to theyr greate costes & charges / for the mayntenaunce & vpholdynge of the same. And many mo thynges are belongynge to husbandes than these as ye shall well perceyue or I make an ende of this treatyse. And yf a yonge husbande sholde bye all these thynges / it wold be to costly to hym / wherfore it is necessary for hym / to lerne to make his yokes / oxe bowes / stoles / and all maner of ploughe gere.

IT is to be knowen whether is better a plough of horses or a ploughe of oxen / and therin me semeth ought to be made a distincyon. For in some pla­ces an oxe plough is better than a horse ploughe / and in some places a horse plough is better / that is to say in euery place where as the husbande hathe seuerall pastures to put his oxen in whan they come fro theyr warke / there is the oxe ploughe the better. For an ore may not endure his warke to laboure all day / & than to be put to the comyns or before the herdman / & than to be set in a folde al nyght without meate / and go to his labour in the mornyng. But & he be put in a good pasture all nyght / he wyll labour moche of all y ^• daye dayly. And oxen wyll plowe in tough clay and vpon hylly grounde / where horses wyll stande styll: And where as is no seuerall pastures / there y ^• horse plowe is better / for the horses may be teddered or tyed vpon [...]ys / balkes or hades / where as oxen may not be kept and it is not vsyd to tedder them / but in fewe places. And horses wyll go faster than oxen on euen ground or lyght grounde / and quycker in caryages / but they be ferre more costly to kepe in wynter / for they must haue be the heye and corne to eat / and strawe for lyt­ter / they must be well shodde on all four fete / and the gere that they shall drawe with is more costely than for the oxen / and shorter whyle it wyll last. And the oxen wyll cate but strawe and a lytell hey / the which is not halfe the coste that horses must haue / and they [Page v] haue no shoes as horses haue. And yf ony sorāce come to the horses / waxe olde / brysed or blynde / than he is lytell worth. And yf ony sorāce come to an oxe / waxe olde / brysed or blynde / for two shyllynges he may be fedde / & than he is mannes meet / and as good or bet­ter than euer he was. And the horse whan he dyeth is but carien. And therfore me semeth all thynges cōsydred the plough of oxen is moche more profytable than the plough of horses.

THou husbande y ^• entēdest to gete thy lyuynge by husbandry / take hede to the sayenge of the wyse Phylosopher / the wiche saith. Adhibe curam / tene mensurā / et eris diues. That is to say / take hede to thy charge / kepe measure / and thou shalt be ryche And now to speke of the fyrste artycle of these .iij. s. Adhibe curam. He that wyll take vpon hym to do ony thynge and be slouthfull / recheles / and not diligēt to execute nor performe that thynge that he taketh vpon hym / he shall neuer thryue by his occupacyon. And to the same entent sayth our lorde in his gospell by a pa­rable. Nemo mittens manum suam ad aratrum respi­ciens retro / aptus est regnum dei. The spyrytuall cō ­struccyon of this texte. I remyt it to the doctours of diuynite / and to the greate clerkes / but to reduce and brynge the same texte to my purpose. I take it thus. There is no man puttyng his hande to the plough lo▪ [Page] kynge bakward / is worthy to haue that thynge that he ought to haue. For yf he go to the ploughe and loke bakward / he seeth not whether the plough go in ryge or rayne / make a balke or go ouerthwart. And yf it so do / there wyll be lytel corne. And so yf a man attende not his husbandry / but go to sporte or play / tauerne or alehouse / or slepynge at home / and suche other ydle warkes / he is not than worthy to haue any corne / & therfore. Fac ꝙ venisti. Do that thou comest for / and thou shalt fynde that thou sekest for.

NOw these plowes be made and tempered / it is to be knowen how a man sholde plowe all ty­mes of the yere. In the begynnynge of the yere after the feste of the Epyphany it is tyme for a husbande to go to the plowe. And yf thou haue any leys to falowe or to sowe otes vpon / fyrst plow them that the grasse and the mosse may rote / and plow them a depe square forowe. And in all maner of plowynges se that thy eye / thy hande / & thy fote may agre / & be alway redy one to serue an other / & to turne vp moche molde and to lay it flat that it rere nat on edge. For yf it rere on edge the grasse and mosse wyll not rote. And yf thou sow it with wynter corne / as whete or rye / as moche corne as toucheth y ^e mosse wyll be drowned / the mosse dothe kepe suche wete in it selfe. And in som contreys yf a man plowe depe / he shall passe the good grounde and haue but lytell corne / but that contrey is nat for [Page vi] men to kepe husbandrye vpon / but for to rere & brede catell or shepe / for els they must go beat theyr landes with mattockes / as they do in many places of Corne wayle / and in some places of Deuenshyre.

HOw to plowe for pese & beanes were necessary to knowe: Fyrst thou muste remembre whychs is moste cleye grounde / and that plowe fyrst / and let it lye a good space or thou sowe it / bycause the frost / y ^• rayne / the wynde / & the sonne maye cause it to breke small / to make moche molde / and to rygge it. And to plowe a square forowe / the brede / and the depnes all one / and to laye it close to his felowe. For the more forowes the more corne / for a generall rule of all maner of cornes. And that may be proued at the comyng vp of all maner of corne to stande at the landes ende and loke towarde the other ende. And than may ye se how the corne groweth.

THou shalt sowe thy pese vpon the cley groūde and thy beanes vpon the barley grounde / for they wolde haue ranker grounde than pese. Howe be it some husbandes holde opynyon / that bygge and styffe grounde / as cleye / wolde be sowen with bygge ware / as beanes / but me thynke the contrary / for & a drye somer come / his beanes wyll be shorte. And yf [Page] the grounde be good / put the more beanes to the pees and y ^• better shall they yelde / whan they be thresshed. And yf it be very ranke grounde as is moche at euery towne syde / where catell doth resorte / plowe not that lande tyll ye wyll sowe it / for & ye do there wyll come vp kedlokes and other wedes. And than sowe it with beanes / for and ye sowe pees the kedlokes wyll hurte them / & whan ye se seasonable tyme sowe bothe pees and benes / so that they be sowen in the begynnynge of Marche. How shall ye know seasonable tyme / go vpon the lande that is plowed / and yf it synge or crye or make ony noyse vnder thy fete / than it is to wete to sowe / and yf it make no noyse and wyll beare thy hor­ses / than sowe in the name of god / but how to sowe▪ Put thy pees in to thy hopper and cast a brode thonge o [...] ledder or of garthe webbe of an elne longe / fastē it to [...]othe endes of the hopper / and put it ouer thy heed lyke a leysshe. And stande in the myddes of the lande where the sacke lyeth / the whiche is moost conuenyēt for fyllynge of thy hopper / and set thy lyfte fote before and take an handfull of pees. And whan thou takest vp thy ryght fote / than cast thy pees fro the all abrode / and whan thy lyfte fote ryseth take an other handfull / and whan thy ryght fote ryseth than cast them fro the. And so at euery two paces thou shalte [...]owe an handfull of pees / and so se that the fote & the hande agree / & than ye shall sowe euyn. And in your castynge ye must open as well your fyngers as your han [...]e [...] and the hyer and the farther that ye cast your corne / the better shall it sprede / excepte it be a greate wynde. And yf the lande be very good and wyll breke [Page vii] small in the plowynge / it is better to sowe after the ploughe than tary ony lenger.

THere is a sede that is called dyscressyon / & yf a husbande haue of that sede and myngle it a­monge his other cornes / they wyll growe moche the better / for that sede wyll tell hym howe many castes of corne euery lande ought to haue. And a yonge hus­bande / and may fortune som olde husbande haue nat suffycyent of that sede / and he that lacketh let hym borowe of his neygheboures that haue. And his neygh­boures be vnkynde yf they wyll nat lende this yonge husbande part of this sede. For this sede of dyscrecyon hath a wonders property / for the more that it is takē of or lent of / the more it is. And therfore me semeth it sholde be more spyrytuall than temporall / wherin is a great dyuersyte / for a temporall thynge the more it is deuyded the lesse it is / and a spyrytuall thynge the more it is deuyded the more it is. Uerbi gratia. For ensample. I put case a wyfe brynge a lofe of breed to y ^• chyrche to make holy brede / whan it is cut in many small peces and holy brede made therof / there may be so many men / women / & chyldren in the chyrch / that by that tyme that the preste hathe delt to euery one of them a lytell pece / there shall neuer a crum be lefte in the hamper. And a spūall thyng as a P [...] n [...] or prayer that any man can say / let hym teche it to. xx. a. C. or to a. M. yet is the prayer neuer the lesse but moche more. And so / this sede of dyscressyon is but wysdome and [Page] [...]eason / and he that hathe wysdome / reason / and dys­cressyon may teche it and enforme other men as he is bounde to do / wherin he shall haue thanke of god / & he dothe but as god hath cōmaunded hym by his gos­pell (Quod grat [...] accepistis) gratis date▪ That thyng that ye toke frely / gyue it frely agayne / and yet shall ye haue neuer the lesse.

BUt yet me thynketh it is necessarye to declare how all maner of corne shold be sowen / & how moche vpon an acre moost comonly / and fyrst of pese and benes. An acre of grounde by the statute / that is to saye. xvi. fote and a halfe to the perche or pole / four perches to an acre in brede / and. xl. perches to an acre in length / may be metely well sowen with two London bussshels of pees / the which is but two strykes in other places. And yf there be the fourthe parte beanes than wyl it haue half a London busshell more / & yf it [...]ehalfe benes it wyll haue thre London busshels / & yf it be all benes / it wyll haue foure London busshels fully / and that is halfe a quarter. Bycause the benes be greate and growe vp streyght / and do not sprede and go abrode as pese do. An acre of good beanes is worth an acre and a halfe of good pees / bycause there wyll be more busshels. And the best property that be­longeth to a good husbande / is to sowe all maner of corne thycke ynoughe / and specyally benes and bar­ley for comynly they be sowen vpon ranke grounde / [Page viii] and good grounde wyll haue the burthen of corne or of wede. And as moche plowynge and harowynge hath an acre of grounde and sowe therevpon but one busshell / as and he sowed foure busshels. And vndou­ted one busshell may not gyue so moche corne agayne as the foure busshels / though the thre busshelles that he sowed more be alowed and set apart. And one bus­shell and an halfe of whyte pees or grene pease / wyll sow as moche grounde as two busshels of gray pese / & that is bycause they be so small the husband nedeth not to take so great an handefull. In some contreys they begynne to sowe pese sone after Christmas / & in some places they sowe bothe pese & beanes vnder fo­row / and those of reason must be sowen betyme. But for the moste generalyte to begyn sone after Candel­masse is good season / so that they be sowen or the be­gynnynge of Marche or sone vpon. And specyally let them be sowen in the old of the mone. For thopynyon of olde husbandes is / that they shold the better codde and the soner be rype. But I speke not of hasty pese [...] for they be sowen before Chrystmas.

EUery good husbande hathe his barley falowe well donged and lyenge rygged all the depe & [...]olde of wynter / y ^• whyche ryggynge maketh y ^• lande to be drye / and the dongynge maketh it to be melowe and ranke, And yf a drye season com before Candel­masse or sone after / it wold be cast downe and water forowed betwene the lādes / that the wete rest not in [Page] the rayne / and in the begynnynge of Marche rygge it vp agayne / and to sowe in euery acre syue London busshelles / or foure at the leest / & some yeres it may so fortune that there cometh no seasonable wether be­fore Marche to plowe his barleye erthe. And as sone as he hathe sowen his pees and beanes / than let hym cast his barly erthe / & shortly after to rygge it agayne so that it be sowen before Apryll. And yf the yere tyme be past / than sowe it vpon the castynge. ¶ It is to be noted that there be thre maner of barleys / that is to say / sprot barley / longe eare / & bere barley / that some men call bygge. Sprot barley hathe a flat eare moste comōly / thre quarters of an inche brode / & thre ynches longe / and the cornes be very great and whyte / and it is the best barley / Longe eare hath a flat eare halfe an ynche brode / & foure ynches & more of lenght. But the corne is not so great nor so whyte / & soner it wyll turne & grow to the otes. Bere barley or bygge wolde be sowen vpon lyght & drye grounde / & hathe an eare thre ynches of lengthe or more / set foure square lyke pecke whete / small cornes & lytell floure / and that is the worst barley / and foure London busshels are suf­fycyent for an acre. And in some contreys they do nat sowe theyr barley tyll Maye / & that is most comynly vpon grauell or sandy groūde. But that barley generally is neuer so good as that y ^• is sowen in Marche. For yf it be very drye wether after it be sowen / that corne that lyeth aboue lyeth drye & hath no moysture and that that lyeth vnderneth cometh vp / and whan rayne cometh than sprytteth that that lyeth aboue / & often tymes it is grene whan the other is rype / and [Page ix] whan it is thresshed there is moche lyght corne.

ANd in Marche it is tyme to sowe otes & spe­cyally vpon lyght grounde & drye / howe be it they wyll grow on weter groūde than any corne els for wete grounde is good for no maner of corne / and thre London busshels wyll sow an acre. And it is to be knowē that there be thre maner of otes / that is to saye / rede otes / blacke otes / & roughe otes. Rede otes are the best otes / and whan they be thresshed they be yelow in y ^• busshell / & very good to make otemele of. Black otes are as great as they be / but they haue nat so moche floure in them / for they haue a thycker huske and also they be nat so good to make otemele of.

The rough otes be the worst otes / and it quyteth nat the cost to sowe them / they be very lyght & haue longe tayles / wherby they wyll hange eche one to other. All these maner otes weare the grounde very sore / and maketh it to be quyche. ¶ A yonge husbande ought to take hede howe thycke he soweth all maner of corne two or thre yeres / & to se how it cometh vp, & whether it be thycke ynoughe or nat / and yf it be thyn / sowe thycker the nexte yere / & yf it be well / holde his hande there other yeres / and yf it be to thyn / let hym remember hym selfe whether it be for the vnsesonablenes of the wether / or fere of thyn sowynge. And so his wys­dome and dyscressyon must dyscerne it.

[Page]NOw these landes be plowed & the cornes sowē it is conuenient that they be well harowed / or els crowes / douues / and other byrdes wyll eate and beare away the cornes. It is vsed in many contreys husbandes to haue an oxe harowe / the which is made of syxe small pyeces of tymbre called harowe bulles made eyther of asshe or oke / they be two yardes longe and as moche as the small of a mannes legge / & haue shotes of woode put thrughe them lyke lathes / and in euery bull are syxe sharpe peces of yren / called harow tyndes / set som what a slope forwarde / & the formoste slote muste be bygger than the other / bycause the fote teame shalbe fastened to the same with a shakell or a with to drawe by. This harowe is good to breake the greate clottes / and to make moche molde / and than the horse harowes to come after to make the clottes smaller / and to lay the grounde euen. ¶ It is a great labour and payne to the oxen to go to harow / for they were better to go to the plowe two dayes than to ha­rowe one daye. It is an olde saynge / the oxe is neuer wo / tyll he to the harow go. And it is bycause it gothe by wytches / and nat alway after one draught. The horse harow is made of fyne bulles / and passe not an elle of length / and not so moche as the other / but they be lyke sloted & tynded. And whan the corne is well couered / than it is harowed ynoughe. There be horse harowes that haue tyndes of wode / and those be vsed moche aboute Ryppon & suche other places where be many bulder stones / for these stones wolde weare the yren to sone / & those tyndes be mooste comonly made of the groūde ende of a yonge asshe / and they be more [Page x] than a fote longe in y ^• begynnyng / & stande as moche aboue the harowe as benethe. And as they weare or breke they dryue them downe lower / & they wolde be made longe before or they be occupyed that they may be drye / for than they shall endure & last moche better & stycke the faster. The horses that shall drawe these harowes must be well kepte & shodde or els they wyll sone be tyred / and sore bete / that they may not draw. They must haue hombers or collers / holmes withed about theyr neckes / tresses to draw by / and a swyng­letre to holde the tresses abrode / and a togewith to be betwene y ^• swyngleter & the harow. And yf the barley grounde wyll nat breke with harowes but be clotty it wolde be beaten with malles / & not streyght down for than they bete the corne into the erthe. And yf they bete the clot on the syde it wyll the better breke. And y ^• clot wyll lye lyghte y ^• the corne may lyghtly come vp. And they vse to role theyr barley groūd after a shoure of rayne / to make the grounde euen to mowe.

NOw these husbandes haue sowen theyr pease beanes / barley & otes / and harowed thē / it is the best tyme to falow in the latter ende of Marche & Apryll / for whete / rye / & barley. And let the husband do the best he can to plowe a brode forow and a depe / so that he turne it clene and lay it flat / that it rere nat on the edge / the whiche shall destroye all the thystyls and wedes. For the deper & the broder that he gothe / the more newe molde / and the greater clottes shall [Page] he haue / and the greater clottes the better whete / for the clottes kepe the whete warme all wynter / and at Marche they wyll melte and breke and fall in many small pyeces / the which is a newe dongynge and re­fresshynge of the corne. And also there shall but lytell wedes growe vpon the falowes that are so falowed / for the ploughe goth vndernethe the rotes of all ma­ner of wedes / & turneth the rote vpwarde that it may not growe / & yf the lande be falowed in wynter tyme it is farre the worse for thre pryncypall causes / One is / all the rayne that cometh shall wasshe the lande & dryue awaye the dounge and the good moldē that the land shalbe moche the worse. An other cause the rayn shall bete the lande so flatte / bake it so harde to gyder that yf a drye Maye come / it wyll be to harde to stere in the moneth of June. And the thyrde cause is / The wedes shal take such rote or sterynge tyme com / that they wyll not be clene turned vndernethe / the which shalbe great hurte to the corne whan it shalbe sowen and specyally in the tyme of wedynge of the same / & for any other thynge make a depe holow forow in the rydge of the lande / & loke well thou rest balke it nat / for and thou do / there wyll be many thystyls / & than thou shalt not make a clene rydge at the fyrst steryng and therfore it must nedes be dep [...]plowed / or els that shall not turne the wedes clene

ANd in the later ende of Apryll and the begyn nynge of Maye is tyme to cary oute his donge [Page xi] or muke / and to lay it vpon his barley grounde. And where he hath barley thys yere / sowe it with whete or rye the nexte tyme it is falowed / & so shall he mucke all his landes ouer at euery seconde falowe. But that husbande that can fynde the meanes to cary out his donge / & to lay it vpon his lande after it be ones stur­red / it is moche better than to laye it vpon his falowe for dyuers causes. One is / yf it be layde vpon his fa­lowe all that falleth in the holowe rygge shal do lytel good / for whan it is rygged agayne / it lyeth so depe in the erth it wyll not be plowed vp agayne / excepte that whan he hath spred it / that he wyll with a sho­uell or a spade cast out all that is fallen in the rygge. And yf it be layde vpon the sturynge / at euery plo­wynge it shall meddle the donge and the erthe togy­der / the whiche shall cause the corne moche better to grow and encreace. And in some places they lode not theyr donge tyll haruest be done / & that is vsed in the farther syde of Darbysshyre / called Scaresdale / Ha­lomshyre / and so northwarde towarde [...]orke & Ryp­pon / and that I call better than vpō the falowe / and specyally for barley / but vpon the fyrste sturrynge is best for whete and rye / and that his donge be layde vpon small hepes nyghtogyder / & to sprede it euenly and to leue no dong there as the mucke hepe stode / for the moystnes of the donge shall cause the groūde to be ranke ynough. And yf it be medled witherth / as sh [...] ­lynges and such other / it wyll last the lenger / & better for barley than for whete or rye / bycause of wedes. Horse donge is the worst donge that is. The dong of all maner cattell that chewe theyr cudde is very good [Page] And the donge of douues is best / but it must be layde on the grounde very thynne.

ALso it is tyme to set out the shepefolde in May & to sette it vpon the rye grounde / yf thou haue any / and to flyt it euery mornynge or nyghte / and in the mornyng whan he cometh to his folde / let not his shepe out anone / but reyse them vp & let them stande styll a good season / that they may donge & pysse. And go amonge them to se whether any of them haue any mathes / or be scabbed / & se them thre or foure tymes on the one syde / & as ofte on the other syde. And whan the kelles be gone besyde the grounde / than let them out of the folde / & dryue them to the soundest place of the felde, But he that hathe a falowe feelde seuerall to hym self / let hym occupy no folde / for foldyng of shepe maketh them scabbed / & bredethmathes / and whan a storme of yll wether cometh in the nyght they can not flye nor go away / & that appeyreth them sore of theyr flesshe. But let that man that hath such a seuerall fa­lowe felde / let hym dryue .rx. or .xxx. or .xl. stakes accordyng to the nōbre of his shepe vpon his falow where he wolde set his felde / & specyally in the farthest part of the felde from thens as they com in / for the goynge vpon doth moche good. And let the shepard bryng his shepe to the stakes / & the shepe wyll rubbe thē on the stakes. And let the sheparde go aboute them tyll they be set / & thus serue them two or thre nyghtes / & they wyll folowe those stakes as he flytteth them & syt by [Page xii] them. And yf any yll wether come / they wyll ryse vp and go to the hedge. And this maner of foldyng shall brede no mathes nor scabbes / nor apeyre thē of theyr flesshe / and shal be a great saue garde to the shepe for rottynge / and in the mornynge put them out of theyr pasture / & thou shalt nat nede to bye any hurdels nor shepeflekes / but how ye shal salue them or dresse them ye shall vnderstande it in the chapyter of shepe after.

ANd in May whā thou hast falowed thy groūd and set oute thy shepefolde and caryed oute thy dong or muke / yf thou haue any wode / cole or tymbre to cary / or such other besynes that must nedes be don with thy carte or wayne / than is it tyme to do it. For than the waye is lyke to be fayre and drye / and the dayes longe / and that tyme the husbande hathe leeste to do in husbandry. Perauenture I set one thynge to be done at one tyme of the yere / and yf the husbande sholde do it / it sholde be a greater losse to hym in an other thynge / wherfore it is mooste conuenyent to do that thynge fyrste that is moste profytable to hym / & as sone as he can / to do the other labour.

IN the later ende of Maye & the begynnynge of June / is tyme to wede thy corne. There be dy­uers maner of wedes / as thystyls / kedlokes / dockes / cocledrake / darnolde / gouldes / haudodes / dog [...]enell / [Page] mathes / terre / & dyuers other small wedes. But these be they that greue moost. The thystyll is an yll wede rough & sharpe to handell / & freteth awaye the cornes nygh it / & causeth the sterers not to shere clene. Kedlo kes hath a lefe lyke rapes / & beareth a yelowe floure / & is an yll wede / & groweth in almaner corne / & hath small coddes / & groweth lyke mustarde sede. Dockes haue a brode lefe / & dyuers hygh spyres / & very small sede in the toppe. Cockole hath a longe small lefe / and wyll beare. v. or. vi. floures purple colour as brode as a grote / & the sede is rounde & blacke / and may well be suffred in brèèd corne / but not in sede / for therin is moche floure. Drake is lyke vnto rye tyll it begyn to [...]ede / & it hath many sedes lyke fenell sedes & hangeth downwarde / and it may well be suffred in breed / for there is moche floure in the sede / and it is an opinyon that it cometh of rye. & ce. Dernolde groweth vp streyght lyke an hye grasse / and hath longe sedes on eyther syde the sterte / & there is moche floure in that sede / and groweth moche amonge barley / and it is sayde that it cometh of small barley. Goldes hath a shorte iagged lefe / and groweth halfe a yarde hygh / and hath a yelowe floure as brode as a grote / and is an yll wede / and groweth comynly in barley & pees. Hawdod hath a blewe floure and a fewe lytell leues / and hath fyue or syxe braunches floured in the toppe / and groweth comynly in rye vpon leane grounde / & dothe lytell hurte. Dogsenell & mathes is bothe one / and in the comynge vp is lyke fenell / & beareth many whyte floures with a yelowe sede / and it is the worst wede that is / excepte terre / and it cometh moost co­mynly [Page xiii] whan greate wete cometh shortly after y ^• corne be sowen. Terre is the worst wede / and it neuer doth appere tyll the moneth of June / and specyally whan there is great wete in that mone or a lytell before / & groweth moost in rye / & it groweth lyke fytches / but it is moche smaller / and it wyll growe as hye as the corne / & with the weyght therof it pulleth the corne flat to the erth and freteth the eares away. wherfore I haue sene husbādes mowe downe the corne and it togyder. And also with sharpe hokes to repe it as they do pees and made it drye / & than it wyll be good fod­der. There be other wedes not spoken of / as dee / net­tyls / dodder / and suche other do moche harme.

NOw it wold be knowē how these cornes shold be weded. The chefe instrument to wede with is a payre of tonges made of wode / and in y ^• farther ende it is nycked to holde the wede faster / and after a shoure of rayne it is best wedynge / for than they may be pulled vp by y ^• rotes / & than it cometh neuer agayn And yf it be drye wether / thā must ye haue a wedyng hoke w ^t a socket set vpō a lytell staffe of a yarde lōge / & this hoke wolde be well steeled & groūde sharpe bothe behynde & before. And in his other hand he hath a for­ked stycke a yarde longe / & w ^t his forked stycke he putteth the wede frō hym & he putteth y ^• hoke beyonde the rote of the wede & pulleth it to hym & cutteth y ^• wede fast by y ^• erth / & with his hoke he taketh vp the wede and casteth it in the reyne / & yf y ^• reyne be full of corne [Page] it is better to stande styll whan it is cut & wydre / but let hym beware y ^• he trede not to moche vpō the corne and specyally after it be shotte / & whan he cutteth the wede y ^• he cut not the corne / & therfore the hoke wolde not passe an inche wyde. And whan y ^• wede is so short that he can not with his forked pyke put it fro hym / & with y ^• hoke pull it to hym / than must he set his hoke vpon the wede fast by the erthe & put it fro hym / & so shall he cut it clene. And with these two instrumētes he shal neuer stoupe at his wacke. Dogfenell / goldes mathes & kedlokes are yll to wede after this maner / they grow vpon so many braunches hard by the erth and therfore they vse most to pull them vp with theyr handes / but loke well y ^• they pull nat vp y ^• corne with all / but as for terre there wyll no wedynge serue.

ALso in June is tyme to rygge vp thy falowe / the which is called the fyrst sturrynge / and to [...]lowe it as depe as he can for to turne the rotes of the wedes vpwarde / that the sonne & y ^• drye wether may kyll them. And an husband can not cōuenyētly plow his lande and lode oute his donge bothe vpon a daye with one draught of bestes / but a husbande may well lode out his donge before none / & to lode hey or corne at after none / or he may plow before none / and lode hey or corne after none with the same draught / & no hurt to the cattell / bycause in lodynge of hey or corne the cattell is alway eatynge or beytynge / and so they can not do in lodynge of donge and plowynge.

ALso in y ^• later ende of June is tyme to begyn to mow / yf thy medowe be well growen / but how so euer they be growen in July they must nedes mow for dyuers causes. One is / it is not conuenyent to haue hey & corne bothe in occupacyon at one tyme An other is the yonger and the grener that the grasse is / the softer and the sweter it wyll be whan it is hey / but it wyll haue the more wyddrynge / and the elder the grasse is / the harder and dryer it is / and the worse for all maner of catell / for the sedes be fallen whiche is in maner of prouandre / and it is the harder to eate and chowe. And an other cause / yf drye wether come it wyll drye and burne vpon the grounde and wast it awaye. Take hede thy mower mowe clene and holde downe the hynder hande of his sythe / that he do not endente the grasse / and to mow his swathe clene tho­rowe to that that was last mowē before / that he leue nat a mane betwene / and specyally in the comon me­dowe / but in the seuerall medowe it maketh the lesse charge / and that the moldywarpe hylles be spredde / & the styckes clene pyked out of thy medow in Apryll or in the begynnynge of Maye.

A Good husbande hath his forkes & rakes made redy in the wynter before / and they wolde be gote bytwene Myghelmasse and Martylmasse / and beyked / and set euen to lye vpryght in thy hand / and [Page] than they wyll be harde / styffe & drye. And whan the husbande sytteth by the fyre and hath nothynge to do than may he make them redy / & tothe the rakes with drye wethy wode / & bore the holes wyth his wymble bothe aboue & vnder / & dryue the tethe vpwarde fast & harde / & than wedge them aboue w ^t drye wode of oke for that is harde / & wyll dryue & neuer come out. And yf he gete them in sappe tyme al y ^e beykyng & dryenge that can be had shall not make them hard & styffe / but they wyll alway be plyeng / for they be most comynly made of hasel & withe / & these be the trees that blome and specyally hasell / for it begineth to blome as soone as the lefe is fallen / and yf the rake be made of grene wode / the heed wyll not abyde vpon y ^e stele / & the teth wyll fall out whan he hath moost nede to them / & let his warke & lose moche hey. And se that thy rake and forke lye vpryght in thy hand / for and the one ende of thy rake or the syde of thy forke hange downe warde than they be not handsome nor easy to worke with.

wHan thy medowes be mowed they wolde be well tedded & layde euen vpon the grounde / & yf the grasse be very thycke it wolde be shaken with handes / or with a shorte pykforke / for good ted­dyng is y ^e chefe poynt to make good hey / for than shall it be wyddred all in lyke / or els not / & whan it is well wyddred on the ouersyde and drye / thā turne it clene before noone as soone as the dew is gone. And if thou dare trust the wether / than let it lye so all nyght / and [Page xv] on the next day turne it agayn before none / & toward nyght make it in wyndrowes & than in smal heycoc­kes / & so to stande one nyght at the leste & swete / & on the next fayr day cast it abrode agayn / & turne it ones or twyse / and than make it in greater heycockes / & to stand so one nyght or more / that it may vngyue and swete / for & it swet not in y ^e heycokes it wyll swete in y ^e mowe / & thā it wyll be dusty & not holsom for hors / bestes / nor shepe. And whan it standeth in the cockes it is better to lode / and the more hey may be loded at a lode / and the faster it wyll lye. Quyche hey cometh of a grasse called crofote / & groweth flat after the erth / & beareth a yelowe floure halfe a yarde hygh & more / & hath many knottes towarde the rote / & it is y ^e best hey for horses & bestes / and the swetest yf it be well gote / but it wyll haue moche more wyddrynge than other hey / for els he wyll bepysse hym selfe and waxe hote / and after dusty. And for to know whan it is wydred ynough / make a lytell rope of the same that ye thynke sholde be most grenest / & twyne it as hard togyder by twene your handes as ye can / & so beynge hard twon let one take a knyfe & cut it fast by your hande / & the knottes wyll be moyst yf it be nat dry ynough / shorte hey & ley hey is good for shepe & all maner of cattell yf it be well get, A man may speke of makynge of hey & gettynge of corne / but god dysposeth and ordreth all thynges.

ANd in the later ende of July or y ^e begynnyng of August is tyme to shere rye / y ^e which wolde [Page] be shorne clene and fast bounde. And in some places they mowe it / y ^e whiche is not so good to the husbādes ꝓfyte / but it is y ^• soner done. For whan it is mowen it wyll nat be so fast boūd / & he can not gader it so clene but there wyll be moche loste / and taketh more rome in y ^• barne than shorne corne dothe. And also it wyll not kepe nor saue it selfe fro rayne or yll weder whā it standeth in the couer / as shorne corne wyll do.

wHete wolde be shorne clene & harde bounde in lyke maner / but for a general rule / take good hede that the sherers of all maner of whyte corne cast not vp theyr handes hastely / for thā all the lose corne & the strawes that he holdeth not fast ī his hande flyeth ouer his hede & are lost / and also it wyll pull of the eares / & specyally of the cornes that be ve­ry rype. In some places they wyll shere theyr cornes hyghe to the entente to mowe theyr stubble / eyther to thacke or to bren / yf they so do they haue greate cause to take good hede of the sherers / for yf the eares of the corne croke downe to the erthe / yf the sherer take nat good hede / & put vp the eare or he cut the strawe / as many eres as be vnder his hoke or sycle fall to y ^• erth and be lost / & whan they mowe the stubble it is great hyndraūce to the profyte of the groūde. And in Som­merset shyre about zelcester & Martocke / they do shere theyr whete very lowe / and all the whete straw that they purpose to make thacke of / they do not threshe it but cut of the eares and bynde it in sheues / and call it [Page xvi] rede / and therwith thacke theyr houses. And yf it be a new house / they thack it vnder theyr fote / the which is the best & the surest thackynge that can be of straw for crowes and douues shall neuer hurte it.

BArley and otesbe moost comonly mowen / and a man or woman folowyng the mower with a hande rake halfe a yard longe / with. vii. or. viii. tethe in his lyfte hande / and a syckle in his ryghte hande / & with the rake he gadereth as moche as wyll make a shefe / & than he taketh the barleye or otes by y ^e toppes and pulleth out as moche as wyll make a bande / and casteth the bande from hym on the lande / & with his rake and his syckle taketh vp the barley or otes / and layth thē vpon the bande / & so y ^e barley lyeth vnboūd thre or foure dayes yf it be fayre weder / and than to bynd it. And whan the barley is led away the landes must be raked / or els there wyll be moch corne lost / & yf the barley or otes lye / they must nedes be shorne.

PEse and beanes be most comynly last reped or mowen of dyuers maners / som with syckles / some with hokes / and some with staffe hokes. And in some places they laye them on repes / & whan they be drye they laye them to gydre on hepes lyke hey cockes and neuer bynde theym. But the beste waye is whan the repes be drye to bynde them / & to set them on the [Page] rydge of the lāde thre shreues to gydre / and loke that your sheres / repers / nor mowers gelde not your bea­nes / that is to saye / to cut thy beanes so hye that the nethermost codde grow styll on the stalke / and whan they be bounde they are the more redyer to lode and vnlode / to make a reke / and to take fro the mowe to thresshe. And so be nat the repes.

NOw all these cornes before specifyed be shorne mowed / reped bounde vp / and layd vppon the iydge of the lande. Than let the husbande take hede of goddes cōmaundement [...] & let hym go to the ende of his lande and begyn and tell .ix. sheues / & let hym cast out the .x. shefe in the name of god / & so to peruse from lande to lande / tyll he haue truly tythed all his corne. And beware & take hede of the sayenge of our lorde by his prophete Malachias / the whiche sayeth▪ Quia michi nō dedis [...] decimas et premitias id circo in fame [...]t penuria maledicti estis. That is to saye / bycause ye haue nat gyuen to me your tythes & your fyrst frutes therfore ye be cursyd & ponysshed with hongre & penury. And accordynge to that saynt Austyn sayeth. Da decimas alioquin incides in decimā partem angelorū qui de celo corruersit in infern [...]. That is to say / gyue thy tythes truly / or els thou shalt fall among y ^• tenth parte of aungels that felle frome heuen in to hell the whiche is an harde worde to euery man that oughte to gyue tythes / and dothe not gyue them truly. But saynt Austyn sayth a confortable word agayn to thē [Page xvii] that gyue theyr tythes truly / that is to saye. Decime sunt tributa egētiū a [...]arū. Tythes are trybutes or re­wardes to nedy soules / & ferther he sayth. Si decimā dederis non solū habūdātiā fruetuū recipies / sedetiā sanitatē corporis et aīe cōsequeris. That is to say / yf thou haue gyuen thy tythes truly / thou shalte not all onely receyue the profyte & the haboūdaūce of goodes but also helth of body and soule shall folowe. wolde to god that euery man knewe y ^• harde worde of our lord by his prophete Malachias / and also the confortable wordes of the holy saynt Austyn. For than wolde I trust veryly / that tythes sholde be truly gyuen.

NOw these cornes be shorne and boūden & thē tythes cast out / it is tyme to couer them / shoke them or halfe throue them / but couerynge is the best waye of all maner of whyte corne. And that is to set foure sheues on one syde and foure sheues on thother syde / & two sheues aboue of the greatest boūden hard nygh to y ^• nether ende / y ^• whiche must be set vpwarde and the top downwarde sprede abrode to couer all y ^• other sheues. And they wyll stande best in wynde / & saue them selfe best in rayne / & they wolde be set on y ^• rydge of the lande & the syde sheues to lene togyder in the toppes and wyde at the grounde / that the wynde may go through to drye them. Pees & beanes wolde be set on the rydge of the lande thre sheues togyder the toppes vpwarde and wrythen togyder / & wyde benethe / that they may the better wyddre.

WHan all these cornes be drye & wydred ynough than lode thē into the barne / & laye euery corne by it selfe. And yf it be a wete Haruest / make many mowes / & yf y ^• haue not housyng ynough / thā it is better to laye thy pese & benes without vpon a reke than other corne / & it is better vpon a scaffolde than vpon the groūde / for thā it must be well hedged for swyne & catell / & the groūde wyll rotte the botom / & the scaf­folde saueth both hedgynge & rotynge / but they must be well couered bothe. And the husband may set shepe or catell vnder the same scaffolde / & wyll serue hym in stede of an house / yf it be well & surely made. &c.

IN August and the begynnynge of Septēber is tyme to make his seconde sturrynge / & most comynly it is cast downe and plowed a mayn forowe not to depe nor to ebbe / so he turne it clene. And yf it be cast / it wold be water forowed betwene the lādes there as the rayne shold be / and it wyll be the dryer whan the land shold be sowen. And yf the landes lye hygh in the rydge / and hye at the rayne / and low in the myddes of the syde that the water may nat ronne easely in to the rayne / as Ise dayly in many places. Than let the husbande set his plowe .iii. or foure fote fro the rydge / & cast all the rydge on bothe sydes / and whā the rydge is cast / set his plow there as he began & rydge vp the remenaūt of the lande / & so is the land [Page xviii] bothe cast & rydged / & all at one plowynye. And this shall cause the lande to lye rounde whan it is sowen at the next tyme / & thā shal it nat drowne the corne.

ABoute Myghelmasse it is tyme to sowe bothe whete & rye / whete is mooste comynly sowen vnder the forowe / that is to say / cast it vpon y ^• falow & than plowe it vnder. And in some places they sowe theyr whete vpon theyre pease stuble / the whiche is neuer so good as that that is sowē vpon the falow / & that is vled where they make falowe in a feelde euery fourthe yere. And in Essex they vse to haue a chylde to go in the forow before y ^• oxen or horses / with a bagge or a hopper full of corne / & he taketh his hande full of corne / by lytell and lytle casteth it in the sayd forow / Me semeth y ^• chylde had nede haue moche dyscrecyon How be it there is moche good corne / and rye is most comōly sowen aboue and harowed / and two Londō busshels of whete and rye wyll sowe an acre. Some grounde is good for whete / some for rye / and some is good for bothe / & vpon that groūde sowe blend corne that is bothe whete & rye / whiche is the surest corne of growynge / & good for the husbandes householdde.

And this whete that shall be meddeled with rye must be suche whete as wyll sone be rype / and that is flaxē whete / polerde whete / or whyte whete. And ye shall vnderstande that there be dyuers maner of whetes Flaxen whete hathe a yelowe eare and bare without anys / and is the bryghtest whete in the busshell▪and [Page] wyll make the whytest breed / and it wyll weare the grounde sore / & is small strawe and wyll growe very thycke / and is but smal corne. Polerde whete hath no anis thycke set in the eare / and wyll soone fal out & is greater corne & wyl make whyte breed / whyte whete is lyke polerde whete in the busshell / but it hath anys & the eare is foure square & wyll make whyte breed / & in Essex they call flaxen whete whyte whete. Reed whete hath a flat eare / an inche brode ful of anis / & is the gretest corne / & the brodest blades / & the gretest strawe / and wyll make whyte breed / & is the ruddest of colour in y ^e busshell. Englysshe whete hath a dunne eare / fewe anis or none / and is the worst whete / saue peeke whete. Peeke whete hath a reed eare / full of a­nis thyn set / and ofte tymes it is flyntered / that is to says / small corne wryngeled & dryed / & wyll not ma­ke whyte breed / but it wyll growe vpō colde groūde.

THis whete & rye that thou shalte sowe ought to be very clene of wede / and therfore or thou thresshe thy corne open thy sheues & pyke out all ma­ner of wedes / and than thresshe it & wynowe it clene end so shalt thou haue good clene corne an other yere. And in some coūtrees aboute London specyall [...] / & in Essex & Kent they do fan theyr corne / the whiche is a very good gyse and a grete sauegarde for shedyng of the corne. And whā thou shalt sell it / yf it be well wy­nowed or fande / it wyll be solde the derer / & the lyght corne wyll serue the husbande in his hous.

wHan thou hast thresshed thy pese & benes / after they be wynowed / & or thou shalt sow them or sell them let them be well reede with syues / & seuered in thre partes the great fro the smal / & thou shalt get in euery quarter a Lōdon busshel or there about. For the small corne lyeth in the holow & voyde places of y ^• great beanes / & yet shall the greate benes be solde as dere as and they were all to gyder or derer / as a man may proue by a famylier ensample▪ Let a man bye. C. herynges. ii. herynges. a peny / & another. C. herynges thre for a peny / & let hym selle these. CE. herynges a­gayne. v. herynges for. i [...]. d. nowe hathe he loste. iiij. d. For. C. herynges two for. j. d. cost. v. s. and. C. heryng [...] iij. for a penye cost. iij. s. and. iiij. d. the whiche is. viij. s. and. iiij. d. and whan he selleth. v. herynges for. ij. d. xx. herynges cometh but to. viii. d. and there is but. xii. score herynges / & that is but. xij. grotes. and. xij. gro­tes. and that cometh but to. viij. s. and so he hathe loste iiii. d. & it is bycause there be nat so many bargeynes / for in the byenge of these. CC. herynges there be fyue score bargeyns / and in the sellynge of the same there be but. xlviij. bargaynes / and so is there is loste ten herynges / the which wolde haue ben two bargaynes mo / and than it had ben euen and mete. And therfore he that byeth grosse sale / and retayleth must nedes be a wynner / and so shalt thou be a loser yf thou sell thy pease / beanes / & fytches to gyder / for than thou sellest grosse sale. And yf thou seuer them in thre partes than thou dost retayle / wherby thou shalt wynne.

AN husbande can not well thryue by his corne without he haue other catell / nor by his cattell without corn / for els he shal be a byer / a borower / or a begger. And bycause y ^• shepe in myne opynion is the most profitablest catell that any man can haue / ther­fore I purpose to speke fyrst of shepe. Than fyrst it is to be knowen what tyme thou shalt put thy rāmes to thy ewes / & therin I make a distyncion / for euery mā may not put to theyr rāmes al at one tyme / for & they do / there wyll be great hurt & losse / for that man that hath the best shepe pasture for wynter and sone spryngynge in the begynnynge of the yere / he maye suffre his rāmes to go with his ewes al tymes of the yere / to [...]yssome or ryde whan they wyll / but for the comon pasture it is tyme to put to his rāmes at the Exaltacy on of the holy crosse / for than the bucke gothe to the rotte / & so wold the rāme. But for the comon husbāde that hathe no pasture but the comon feldes it is tyme ynough at the fest of saynt Mychael the arcchangell. And for the pore husbande of the peeke or suche other that dwell in hylly and hyghe groundes that haue no pastures nor comon feeldes / but all onely the comon hethe. Symon and Jude day is good tyme for them / and this is the reasone why. An ewe goethe with lambe twentye wekes / and shall eyane her lambe in the. xxi. weke / and yf she haue not conuenyent newe grasse to eat / she may not gyue her lambe mylke / and for want of mylke there be many lambes perys [...]hed [Page xx] and lost / and also for pouertye the dāmes wyll lacke mylke and forsake theyr lambes / and so often tymes they dye bothe in suche harde contreys.

IF thy ewe haue mylke & wyll not loue her lāme put her in a narowe place made of bordes or of smothe trouse a yarde wyde / and put the lambe to her and socle it / and yf the ewe smyte the lambe with her hede / bynd her hede with a hey rope or a corde to the syde of the penne / & yf she wyll not stande syde longe all the ewe and gyue her a lytell hey / and tye a dogge by her that she may se hym / and this wyll make her to loue her lambe shortlye. And yf thou haue lambe dede wherof the dāme hathe moche mylke / fley that lambe and tye that skynne vpon an other lambes backe that hath a sory dāme with lytell mylke / and put the good ewe and that lambe to gydre in the penne / & in one houre she wyll loue that lambe / and than mayst thou take thy sory weke ewe awaye / & put her in an other place / and by this meanes thou may fortune to saue her lyfe and thy lambes bothe.

IN some places they neuer seuer theyr lambes frome theyr damines / and that is for to causes / One is / in the best pasture where y ^• rāmes go alway with theyr ewes there it nedeth not / for y ^• dāmes wyl waxe drye & wayne theyr lambes them selfe. An other [Page] cause is / he that hathe no seuerall and sounde pasture to put his lambes vnto whan they sholde be wayned he must eyther sell them or let them souke as longe as the dāmes wyll suffre theym / & it is a comon saynge that the lambe shall nat rotte as longe as it souketh [...] except the dāme wante meate. But he that hath seue­rall and sounde pastures it is tyme to wayne theyr lambes whan they be. xvi. wekes olde / or. xviii. at the farthest / and the better shall the ewe take the ramme agayne. And the pore man of the peeke contreye and suche other places where as they vse to mylke theyre ewes / they vse to wayne theyre lambes at. xii. wekes olde / and tomylke theyr ewes fyue or syxe wekes. &c. But those lambes be neuer so good as the other that souke longe and haue meat ynough.

THan thou grasyer that hast many shepe in thy pastures / it is cōuenyent for y ^e to haue a shepe folde made with a good hedge or a pale / the whyche wyll receyue all thy shepe esely that go in one pasture set bytwene two of thy pastures in a drye place / & ad ioynynge to the ende of the same / make an other lytle folde that wyll receyue. lxxxx. shepe or mo / and bothe those foldes must haue eyther of them a gate in to ey­ther pasture / & at the ende of that folde make an other lytell folde that wyll receyue. xl. shepe or mo / and by­twene euery folde a gate. And whan the shepe are in the great folde let. xl. of them or there aboute come in [Page xxi] to the myddle folde & steke the gate. And than let the shepharde turne them & loke them on euery syde / and yf he se or fynde ony shepe that nedeth ony helpynge or mendynge for any cause / let the sheparde take that shepe with his hoke & put hym in the lytell folde. And whan he hath taken all that nedyth ony mendynge / than put the other in to whether pasture he wyll / and let in as many out of the greate folde / & take all those that nede any handlynge and put them in to the ly­tell folde. And thus peruse them all tyll he haue done / & than let the shepeharde go belte / grese / & handell all those that he hath drawen / & than shall not the great flocke be taryed nor kepte fro theyr meate / and as he hath mended them so put them in to theyr pasture▪

IF any shepe raye or be fyled with donge aboute the tayle / take a payre of sheres and clyppe it away / & cast drye mouldes thervpon / & yf it be in the hete of the somer / it wold be rubbed euer with a lytell terre to kepe awaye the flyes. It is necessarye that a shepharde haue a borde set fast to the syde of his lytell folde to lay his shepe vppon whan he handeleth them and an hole bored in the borde with an augur / & ther­in a grayned stake of two fote longe to be set fast / to hange his terre boxe vpon / and than it stall not fall. And a shepeharde sholde not go withoute his dogge / his shepe hoke / a payre of sheres / and his terre boxe / eyther with hym or redy at his shepe folde / & he must teche his dogge to barke whan he wolde haue hym to [Page] ronne whan he wolde haue hym / & to leue ronnynge whan he wolde haue hym / or els he is not a connyng shepeherde. The dogge must lerne it whā he is a whelpe or els it wyll not be / for it is harde to make an olde dogge to stoupe.

IF any shepe be scabbed / the shepeherde may ꝑ­ceyue it by the bytyng / rubyng / or scratchyng with his horne / & moost comynly the woll wyll ryse & be thyn or bare in that place / than take hym & shede y ^• woll with thy fyngers there as the scabbe is / & with thy fynger laye a lytell terre there vpon / and stroke it a length in the bottome of the woll that it be not seen aboue. And so shede the woll by and by and laye a ly­tell terre thervpon tyll thou passe the sore / and than it wyll go no farther.

LEt thy terre be medled with oyle / gose grease or capons grease / these thre be y ^• best / for these wyll make the terre to rōne abrode / butter & swynes grease whan they be molten are good / so they be not salt / for terre of hym selfe is to kene / & is a fretter and no healer / without it be medled with some of these.

¶ A medicyne to salue poore mens shepe that thynke terre to costly / but I doute not but & ryche men knew it they wolde vse the same.

[Page xxii]TAke a shete ful of brome croppes / leaues / blossomes & all / and choppe them very small / and than sethe them in a panne of. xx. gallons with ren­nynge water / tyll it begynne to waxe thycke a gelly than take two poūde of shepe suet molten / and a potel of olde pysse / & as moche bryne made with salte / & put all in to the sayd panne and styrre it aboute / and thā streyne it thorow an olde cloth / and put it in to what vessell ye wyll / & yf your shepe be newe clypped / than make it luke warme / & than wasshe your shepe there with a sponge or a pece of an olde mantell / or of fal­dynge / or suche a softe cloth or wolle / for spendyng to moche of your salue. And at all tymes of the yere after ye may relent it & nede requyre / and make wyde s [...]ey­des in the woll of the shepe / and anoynte theym with it / and it shall heale the scabbe and kyll the shepe lyce / and it shall not hurte the woll in the sale therof. And those that be wasshen wyll not take scabbe after (yf they haue suffycyent meet) for that is the best grease that is to a shepe to grease hym in the mouth with good meet / the whiche is also a greate sauegarde to y ^• shepe for rottyng / except there come myldewes / for he wyll chose y ^e best yf he haue plenty. And he that hath but a fewe shepe moderate this medicyne accordyng.

IF a shepe haue mathes ye shall perceyue it by her bytyng or fyskyng or shakyng of her tayle and moost comynly it is moyst and wete / and yf it be nygh vnto the tayle it is ofte tymes grene and fyled [Page] with his donge / and than the shepeherde must take a payre of sheres and clyppe awaye the woll bare to the s [...]ynne / and take a hande full of drye mouldes & cast the mouldes thervpon to drye vp the wete / and than wype awaye the mouldes / and laye terre there as the mathes were and a lytel farther. And thus loke them euery daye / and mende them yf they haue nede.

THere be som shepe that wyll be blynd a season and yet mende agayn. And yf thou put a lytell terre in hys eye / he wyll mende y ^e rather. There be dy­uers waters & other medecyns wold mende hym / but this is the most comon medecyn that shepardes vse.

THere be some shepe that haue a worme in his fote that maketh theym to halte. Take y ^e shepe and loke betwene his clese / and there is a lytell hole as moche as a greate pynnes hede / & therin groweth fyue or syxe blacke heares lyke an ynche longe & more take a sharpe poynted knyfe and slytte the skynne a quarter of an ynche longe aboue the hole / & as moche benethe / and put his one hande in the holowe of the fote vnder the hynder clese / & set his thombe aboue al­most at the slytte & thrust his fyngers vndernethe for­warde / & with your other hande take y ^• blacke heares [Page xxiii] by the ende / or with the knyues poynte / and pull the heares a lytell and a lytell / and thrust after his other hande with his fynger and his thombe / & there wyll com out a worme lyke a pece of flesshe nygh as moche as a lytel fynger. And whā it is out / put a lytell tarre into the hole / and it wyll be shortly hole.

THere is a sycknes amonge shepe is called the bloode / that shepe that hath that wyll dye so­daynly / and or he dye he wyll stande styll and hange downe the hede and otherwhyse quake. If the shep­harde can espye hym / take hym and rubbe hym about the hede / and specyally about his eres / and vnder his eyen / & with a knyfe cut of his eres in the myddes / & also let hym blode in a vayne vnder his eyen / and yf he blede well / he is lyke to lyue / and yf he blede nat than kyll hym & saue his flesshe / for yf he dye [...]y hym selfe / the flesshe is lost / & the skynne wyll be ferre ru [...] dyer lyke blode more than an other skynne shall be. And it taketh most comōly of y ^• fattest & best lykynge.

THe pockes appere vppon y ^• skyn / and are lyke rede pymples as brode as a fardynge & there wyl dye many. And the remedy therfore is to handyll all thy shepe / and to loke on euery parte of theyr bo­dyes / and as many as ye fynde taken therwi [...]h / put them in fresshe newe grasse / and kepe theym fro theyr [Page] felowes / and to loke his flocke ofte / and drawe them as they nede. And yf it be in sommer tyme that there be no frost / than wasshe them. How be it some shepe­hardes haue other medecyns.

THere is a sekenes amonge shepe / is called the wode euyll / and that cometh in the sprynge of the yere / and taketh them most comonly in the legges or in the necke / & maketh them to halt / & to hold theyr neckes awry. And the most parte that haue that seke­nes wyll dye shortly in a day or two. The best remedy is to wasshe them a lytell / & to chaunge theyr groūde and to brynge them to lowe grounde & fresshe grasse. And that sekenes is moste comonly on hylly groūde / [...]y grounde / & ferny ground. And som men vse to let them blode vnder the eye in a vayne for y ^t same cause.

IN June is tyme to shere shepe / and or they be shorne / they muste be very well wasshen / the whiche shalbe to the owner greate profyte in the sale of his woll / & also to the cloth maker / but yet beware that thou put not to many shepe in a pēne at one tyme nether at the wasshynge nor at the sherynge / for fere of murtherynge or ouer pressynge of theyr felowes / & that none go awaye tyll he be clene washen / & se that they that hold the shepe by the hede in the water / hold his hede hye ynough for drownynge.

TAke hede of y ^e sherers for touchynge the shepe with the sheres / & specyally for pryckynge w ^t the poynt of the sheres / & that y ^e shepeharde be alwaye redy with his tarboxe to salue them. And se that they be well marked / bothe ere marke / pytche marke / and radell marke / & let the woll be well folden or woūdē with a woll wynder that can good skyll thereof / the whiche shall do moche good in the sale of the same.

WHan thou hast all shorne thy shepe / it is than best tyme to drawe them / and so seuer them in dyuers sortes. The shepe that thou wylt fede by them selfe / the ewes by theym selfe / the share hogges / and theyues by them selfe / the lambes by them selfe / wed­ders and the rāmes by them selfe / yf thou haue so ma­ny pastures for them / for the byggest wyll beate the weykest with his hede. And of euery sorte of shepe / it may fortune there be som that lyke nat and be weke / those wolde be put in fresshe grasse by them selfe / and whan they be a lyttell mended? than sell them / & ofte chaunge of grasse shall mende all maner of cattell.

IT is necessary that a shepeharde sholde knowe what thynge rotteth shepe / that he myght kepe them the better. There is gras called sperewort / and [Page] hathe a longe narowe lefe lyke a spere hede / & it wyll grow a fote hyghe / & beareth a yelow floure as brode as a peny / & it groweth alway in lowe places where the water is vsed to stand in wynter. An other grasse is called peny grasse / & groweth lowe by the erth in a marsshe grounde / & hathe a lefe as brode as a peny of two pens / & neuer beareth floure. All maner of grasse that the lande flode ronneth ouer is very yll for shepe bycause of the sande & fylthe that stycketh vpon it. All marreys groūde & marasshe grounde is yll for shepe / the gras that groweth vpon falowes is not good for shepe / for there is moche of it wede / and oftentymes it cometh vp by the rote / & that bryngeth erthe with it / and they eate bothe. &c. Myldewe grasse is nat good for shepe / and that shall ye know to ways. One is by the leues on the trees in a mornyng / and specyally of okes / take the leues and put thy tonge to them / and thou shalte fele lyke hony vppon them / and also there wyll be many kelles vppon the grasse / & that causeth the myldew. wherfore they may not well be let out of the folde tyll the sonne haue domynacyō to drye them awaye. Also hunger rotte is the worst rotte that can be / for there is nether good flesshe nor good skynne / & that cometh for lacke of meat / and so for hunger they eat suche as they can fynde / and so wyll nat pasture shepe / for they selden rote but with myldewes / and than they wyll haue moche talowe and flesshe / and a good skynne. Also whyte sneles be yll for shepe in pastures & in falowes. There is an other rotte is called pelte rotte / and that cometh of greate wete / specyally in wode contreys where they can nat drye.

TAke bothe your handes & twyrle vpon his eye and yf he be ruddy & haue rede stryndes in the whyte of the eye / than he is sounde / and yf the eye be whyte lyke talowe and the stryndes darke coloured / than he is rotten. And also take the shepe & open the woll on the syde / and yf the skynne be of ruddy colour and drye / than is he soūde / and yf it be pale coloured and watrye / than is he roten. Also whan ye haue opened the woll on the syde / take a lytell of the woll by­twene thy fynger and thy thombe and pull it a lytle / and yf it stycke fast he is sounde / and yf it come lygh­tly of: he is rotten. Also whan thou hast kylde a shepe his bely wyll be full of water yf he be sore rotē / & also the fatte of the flesshe wyll be yelowe yf he be rotten. And also and thou cut the lyuer / therin wyll be lytell quikens lyke flokes / and also the lyuer wyll be full of knottes & whyte blysters yf he be roten / & also sethe the lyuer / yf he be rotten it wyll breke in peces / & yf he be sounde / it wyll holde to gyder.

THese husbandes & they shal well thryue / they must haue both kye / oxen / horses / mares / and yonge catell / and to rere and brede euery yere some calues & fooles / or els shall he be a byet. And yf thou shalte bye oxen for the ploughe / se that they be yonge and not gowty / nor broken of here / neyther of tayle / [Page] nor of pysell. And yf thou by kyen to the payle / se that they be yonge & good to mylke / & fede her calues well. And yf y ^• bye kye or oxen to fede / the yonger they be? y ^e rather they wyll fede / but loke wel that the here stare not / & that he lycke hym selfe / and be hole mouthed / & want no tethe. And though he haue the goute and be broken bothe of tayle & pysell / yet wyll he fede. But y ^e gouty oxe wyll not be dryuen ferre / & se that he haue a brode rybbe & a thycke hyde / & to be lose skynned y ^• it stycke not harde nor streyt to his rybbes / for than he wyll nat fede.

ANd yf thou shalte bye fatte oxen or kye / hādell them / & se that they be softe on the fore croppe / behynd the sholder / and vpon the hyndermost rybbe / and vpon the hucklebone / and the nache by the tayle And se the oxe haue a greate codde / & the cowe greate nauyll / for than it sholde seme that they shold be well talowed. And take hede where thou byest ony leane cattell or fatte / & of whom / & where it was bred. For yf thou bye out of a better ground than thou hast thy selfe / that catell wyl not lyke with the. And also loke that there be no maner of sekenes amonge the cattell in that towneshyp or pasture that thou byest thy cat­tell out of. For yf there be any murren or lōge sought it is great Jeopardy / for a best may take sekenes ten or twelue dayes or more or it appere on hyn.

[Page xxvi]ANd yf it fortune to fall murreyn amonge thy beestes / as god forbyd / there ben ynoughe can helpe them. And it cometh of a ranknes of blode / and apereth moste comynly fyrst in the hede / for his hede wyll swell / & his eyen waxe great / and ronne of wa­ter and frothe at the mouth / and than he is past reme dy / and wyll dye shortlye / and wyil neuer eate after he be sycke. Than fley hym and make a depe pyt faste by there as he dyeth and caste hym in / and couer hym with erthe that no dogges may come to the caryen. For as many bestes as feleth the smell of that caryen are lykely to be enfect / and take the skynne / and haue it to the tanners to sell / and bryng it not home for pe­ryll that may fall. And it is comonly vsed & cometh of a great charyte / to take the bare hed of the same beste and put it vpon a longe pole and sette in a hedge fast bounde to a stake by y ^• hye way syde / that euery man that rydeth or goeth that way / may se and knowe by that sygne that there is syknes of cattell in the town­shyppe. And the husbandes holde on opynyon / that it shall the rather cease. And whan the beeste is flayne there as the murren dothe appere bytwene the flesshe and the skynne / it wyll ryse vp lyke a ielly / and froth an ynche depe or more. And this is the remedy for the murren, Take a small curteyn corde & bynde it harde about the bestes necke / and that wyll cause the blode to com into the necke / and on eyther syde of the necke there is a vayn that a man may fele with his fynger / and than take a blode yren / & set it streyght vpon the vayne / and smyte hym blode on bothe sydes / and let hym blede the mountenaūce of a pynte or nyghe it / & [Page] than take away the corde & it wyll staūche bledynge. And thus serue all thy cattell that be in that close or pasture / & there shall no mo be seke by goddes leue.

THere is an other maner of sykenes amonge beestes is called longe sought / & that syckenes wyll endure longe / and ye shall perceyue it by his hoystynge / he wyll stande moche and eat but a lytell and waxe very holowe and thyn. And he wyll hoyste twenty tymes 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 best that fyrst fell seke / to let them a lytell blode. And there be many men that can seuer theym / & that is to cutte the dewlappe before / and there is a grasse that is called fetter grasse / and take that grasse and bryse it a lytell in a morter / and put therof as moche as an hennes egge in to the sayde dewlappe / and se it fall nat oute. Thus I haue sene vsed / and men hathe thought it hathe done good.

ANother dysease amonge bestes is called dew­bolue / and that cometh whan a hungry beeste is put in a good pasture full of ranke grasse / he wyll ete so moche that his sydes wyll stande as hye as his backe bone / & otherwhyle the one syde more than the other / & but fewe of them wyll dye / but he may not be [Page xxvii] dryuen hastly nor laboured beynge so swollen / & the substaunce of it is but wynde / and therfore he wolde be softely dryuen & nat syt downe. How be it I haue sene a man take a knyfe and thrust hym thrughe the skynne and the flesshe two ynches depe or more / syxe ynches or more from the rydge bone / that the wynde may come out. For the wynde lyeth betwene y ^• flesshe and the great paunche.

ANother dysease is called rysen vpon / & no mā can tell how nor wherof it cometh / but ye shal perceyue that by swellynge in the hede / & specyally by the eyen / for they wyll ron on water & close his syght & wyll dye shortly within an hour or two / if he be not holpē / this is y ^• cause of his dysease. There is a blyster rysen vnder the tonge / y ^• which blyster must be slytte with a knyfe a crosse. whā ye haue pulled out y ^e tonge rubbe the blyster well with salte / and take an hēnes egge / & breke it in the bestes mouthe shell & all / & cast salte to it / & holde vp the bestes hede / that all may be swalowed downe into the body. But the brekynge of the blyster is the great helpe / & dryue the beest a lytle aboute / & this shall saue hym by the helpe of Jesu.

THere be beestes that wyll turne about whan they at theyr mete / and wyll not feede / and is great ieopardy for fallynge in pyttes / dyches / or wa­ters / [Page] and it is bycause that there is a bladder in the forhede / bytwene the brayn panne and the braynes the whiche must be taken out / or elles he shall neuer mende / but dye as length / and this is the remedy and the gretest cure that can be on a beest. Take that best and cast hym downe and bynde his foure fete to gy­der / & with thy thombe thrust the beste in the forhed / and where thou fyndest the softest place / there take a knyfe and cut the skyn thre or foure ynches on bothe sydes betwene y ^• hornes / & as moche beneth towarde the nose / and fley it and turne it vp / and pyn it fast with a pynne / & with a knyfe cut the brayne panne two inches brode & thre inches longe / but se the knyfe go no deper than the thycknes of the bone for perys­shynge of the brayne / and take away the bone / and than thou shalt se a bladder full of water two ynches longe and more / take that out & hurte nat the brayn and than let downe the skyn / & sowe it faste there as it was before / & bynde a cloth two or thre folde vpon his forehede to kepe it from colde and wete. ten or. xii. dayes. And thus haue I sene many mended. But yf the beste be falte and any reasonable mete vpon hym it is best to kyll hym / for than there is but lytle losse / and yf the bladder be vnder the horne / it is past cure. A shepe wyll haue the turne as well as a beste / but I haue sene none mended. &c.

THere be beestes that wyll haue warry bredes in dyuers partyes of theyr bodye and legges / [Page xxviii] and this is the remedye. Cast hym downe and bynde his foure fete to gydre / and take a culture or a payre of tonges or suche an other yren / & make it glowyng hote / and yf it be a longe warrybrede: sere it harde of by the bodye / and yf it be in the begynnynge / and be but flatte / than lay the hote yron vpon it and sere it to the bare skynne / and it wyll be hole for euer / be it horse or beste.

THere be bestes that wyll haue the foule / and that is bytwene the cleese / sometyme before / and sometyme behynde / and it wyll swell and cause hym to halte / and this is the remedy. Cast hym down and bynde his foure fete to gyder / and take a rope of heare / or a hey rope / harde wrythen to gyder / and put it betwene his clese / and drawe the roope to and fro a good season / tyll he blede well / and than lay to it softe made terre / and bynde a clothe aboute it / that no myre nor grauell come betwene the clese / and put hym in a pasture / or to stande styll in the house / & he wyll be shortly hole.

THere be beestes that wyll haue the gout / and most comynly in the hynder fete / & wyll cause hym to halte & go starkely. And I neuer knewe man that coulde helpe it or fynde remedy therfore / but all onely to put hym in good grasse and fede hym.

IT is conuenyent for a husbande to rere calues▪ and specyally they that come bytwene Candel­masse and Maye / for that season he may spare mylke best / and by that tyme the calfe shall be wayned there wyll be grasse ynough to put hym vnto. And at wyn­ter he wyll be bygge ynough to saue hym selfe amōge other beestes / with a lytell fauoure. And the dāme of the calfe shall bull agayn and brynge an other by the same tyme of the yere / and yf thou shalt tary tyll after May / the calfe wold be weyke in wynter / & the dāme wolde nat bull agayn but ofte tyme go bareyne. And yf thou shalte rere a calfe that cometh after Myghel­mas / it wyll be costly to kepe the calfe all the wynter season at hey / & the dāme at harde mete in the house / as they vse in the playne champyon contreys. And a cowe shall gyue more mylke with a lytell grasse and strawe lyenge without in a close / than she shall do w ^t hey and strawe lyenge in a house / for the harde meat dryeth vp the mylke. But he y ^t hathe no pasture must do as he may / but yet is it better to the husband to sell those calues than to rere them bycause of the cost / and also for the profyte of the mylke to his house / & the ra­ther the cowe wyll take the bull. If the husband goo with an oxe plough / it is conuenyent that he rere two oxe calues / & two cow calues at the lest to vphold his stocke / and yf he may do mo? it wyll be more profyte. And it is better to wayne thy calues at gras than at harde mete / yf they wente to grasse before. And that man that may haue a pasture for his kyen & an other [Page xxix] for his calues / & water in theym bothe / than may he rere & brede good bestes with lyght cost. And yf thou wayne thy calues with hey / it wyll make them haue great belyes / & the rather they wyll rotte whan they come to grasse / and in wynter they wolde be put in a hous by them selfe & gyuen hey on the nyghtes / & put in a good pasture on the day / and they shall be moche better to handell whan they shall be kye or oxen.

IT is tyme to gelde his oxe calues in the olde of the mone / whan they be ten dayes or. xx. dayes olde▪for than it is leste ieopardy / and the oxe shall be the more hyer and the longer of body / and the lenger horned / and that may be well proued to take two oxe calues bothe of one kynde / one makyng / and bothe of one age / gelde one of them / and let the other go forth & be a bull. And put them both in one pasture tyll they be foure or fyue yere olde / and than shall ye se the oxe caife farre greater euery waye than the bull / there is no cause but the geldynge / and yf thou geld them not tyll they be a yere olde / there is more ieopardy / he shal be lesse of body / and shorter horned.

A Husband may not be without horses and ma­res or both / and specyally yf he go with a hors plough / he must haue bothe his horses to drawe / and his mares to brynge coltes to vpholde his stocke / and [Page] yet at many tymes they may drawe well / yf they be well handled. But they may not beare sackes / nor be rydden vpon no iourneys whan they be with foole / & specyally whā they haue gone with foole. xx. or. xxiii. wekes / for than is the greatest ieopardy. For and she be rydden vpon and set vp hote / or turned out & take colde / she wyll cast her foole / the whiche wolde be a greate losse to the husbande. For she wyll labour and beare whan she hath fooled / and drawe whan she is with foole as wel as the hors. It is cōuenient for the husbande to knowe whan his mare wolde be horsed. It is the comyn sayenge / that she wyll take the hors within ix. or x. dayes nexte after that she hath fooled but that sayenge I holde not with for & she so do / she wyll not holde therto / for the hors doth dryue her to it But. xx. dayes after is tymely ynough to brynge her to a hors / for she wyl not hold to it / except she be kene of horsyng & that shall ye knowe by her shap / for that wyl twyrl [...]o [...]en and close agayne many tymes in an houre / and than bryng her to a hors & let her be with hym a daye or a nyght / and that is suffycyent. For it is better to kepe the hors from the mares / than to go with theym for dyuers causes / & specyally he shall be more lusty / & the moo hors coltes shall he gete. But he that hath very many mares may not alwaye attende them / but let them go togyder & take as god sendes it Some men holde an opynyon / y ^• put a hors to a mare in the begynnynge of the mone after it be pryme / & he shall gete a hors foole. And some men saye the cōtrary that and he be put to the mare in the olde of the mone he sholde gere hors fooles. And I saye it maketh no [Page xxx] mater whether / for this cause I haue proued. I haue my selfe lx. mares and more / able to beare the hors / & from Maye daye vnto saynt Barthy [...]mewes daye / I haue. v. or. vi. horses goynge with theym bothe daye & nyght / & at the folynge tyme I haue vpon one daye a hors fole / & on the nexte day or seconde a mare fole / & on the thyrde or fourth day nexte after a hors fole a­gayn / and so euery weke of bothe sortes / and by theyr opynyon or reason I sholde haue .xiiii. dayes togyder hors foles / and other .xiiii. dayes togyder mare foles. And me semeth that those men that holde y ^• opynyon speke sophistically / that yf so be they layd any wagers ther vpon / that they shold bothe wynne in theyr own conceyte by this reason. ¶ whether it were get in the new of the mone or in the old of the mone / it is a hors fole bycause a hors gate it / though it be a fely fole & it is a mares fole bycause a mare foled it / though it be a hors colte, And so (diuersis respectibꝰ) theyr opynyōs may be true. But of one thynge I am certayne▪ that some one hors wyll get more hors fooles than some other horse wyll do / and lykewyse a mare wyll bere mo mare foles / than som other mare wyll do / though they be horsed bothe with one horse. Me semeth there is no reason why / but y ^• lustynes of y ^• nature of bothe partyes whether of them shall haue the dominacyon. But and ye haue mares of dyuers colours▪ thā do as I do / seuer them in dyuers parcels / and put to your whyte mares a gray hors / or a whyte hors that hath no whyte rathe in y ^• forhede / & to your graye mares a whyte hors / so that he be nat al white skynned about the mouth. And to your mares of colour that haue no [Page] whyte vpon theym a coloured horse that hath moche whyte on hym / and to your coloured mares of mayne whyte a horse of coloure of mayne whyte. And thus shall ye haue well coloured coltes / it maketh no ma­ter of what coloure the horse be of / soo he be neyther whyte nor grey. For and ye put a whyte horse to a co­loured mare / she shall haue moost comynly a sandy colte lyke an yren grey / neyther lyke syre nor dame. How be it I haue seen and knowen many mares that wyll haue theyr colte lyke the horse that gate it / the whiche is agaynst kynde of mares / for a man may ra­ther gete one good horse than many good mares.

IT is lesse hurte to a manne to haue his cowe to caste her calfe / than an ewe to caste her lambe For the calfe wyll souke as moche mylke or it be able to kyll as it is worthe / and of the ewe cometh no pro­fyte of the 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 greate hurte to the ewes / and wyll cause theym that they wyll not take the ramme at the tyme of the yere for pouertye / but go ba [...]yn. And yf a mare cast her foole / that is thryse [...]o greate a losse / for yf that foole becomen of good brede as it is necessary euery man to prouyde / for as moche costes and charges hathe a badde mare as a good. In shorte space the foole with good kepynge may be solde for as moche money as wolde bye many calues and lambes.

BEest [...] alone / nor horses alone / nor shepe alone excepte it be shepe vpon a very hygh grounde / wyll not eate a pasture euen / but leue many tuftes & hygh grasse in dyuers places / excepte it be ouer layde with cattell. wherfore knowe that horses and beestes wyll agree well in one pasture / for there is some ma­ner of grasse that a horse wyll eate / & a beest wyll not eate / as the fitches / flasshes & lowe places / and all the holowe bunnes & pypes that growe therin. But hor­ses and shepe wyll not so well agre / except it be shepe to fede / for a shepe wyll go on a bare pasture and wyl eate the swetest grasse / & so wyll a horse / but he wolde haue it lenger. How be it he wyll eate as nygh y ^• erth as a shepe / but he can not so soone fyll his bely. To an hondred beestes ye maye put. xx horses / yf it be lowe grounde / and yf there be grasse ynough put in a hon­dred shepe / and so after the rate be y ^• pasture more or lesse. And after this maner they may fede and eate the close euen & leue but fewe tuftes. And yf it be an hygh groūde / put in moo shepe and lesse beestes and horses Mel che kye and draught oxen wyl eate a close moche barer thā as many fatte kye and oxen. And a melche cowe may haue to moche meet / for and she waxe fatte she wyll the rather take the bull / & gyue lesse mylke / for the fatnes stoppeth the pores and the vaynes that sholde brynge the mylke to the pappes. And therfore meane grasse is best to kepe her in a meane estate And yf a cowe be fatte whan she shall calue / than is there greate ieopardy in her / and the calfe shall be the lesse / [Page] but ye can not gyue your draught oxe to moche mete / excepte it be the aftermath of a late mowen medowe / for that wyll cause hym to haue the gyrre / and than he may not well labour / And there be to moche gras in a close▪ the cattell shall feede the worse / for a good bytte to the erth is suffycyent / for and it be longe / the beeste wyll byte of the toppe and no more / for that is swetest / and the other lyeth styll vpon the groūd and rotteth / and no beaste wyll eate it but horse in wyn­ter / but these bestes / horses / and shepe may not be fo­dered to gyder in wynter / for than they wold be seuered / for elles the bestes with theyr hornes wyll put both the horses and the shepe / and gore them in theyr bellyes. And it is necessarye to make standynge crat­ches to cast theyr fodder in / and the staues set nyghe ynough to gyder for pullynge theyr fodder to hastely [...]t for shedynge. And yf it be layd vpon the e [...]th / the fourthe part therof wyll be lost. And yf ye lay it vpon the erthe / laye it euery tyme in a newe place / for the olde wyll marre the newe.

THou grasyer that may fortune to be of myne opynyon or cōdycyon / to loue horses & yonge coltes or foles to go amonge thy catell / take hede that thou be nat begyled as I haue ben an hondred tymes or more. And fyrst thou shalte know that a good hors hathe .liiij. propertyes / that is to say .ii. of a man .ii. of a bauson or a badger .iiij. of a lyon .ix. of an oxe .ix. of a hare .ix. of a foxe .ix. of an asse / and .x. of a woman.

NOw it is to be knowen / the sorance and dysea [...]es of horses / and in what partes of theyr bo­dyes they be / that a man may the rather perceyue thē [Page xxxiii] And how be it that it may be agaynst my profyte / yet I wyll shew you suche as cometh to my mynde.

[Page xxxvii]A Horse mayster is he that byeth wylde horses / or coltes / or bredeth them and selleth theym a­gayne wylde / or breaketh parte of them and maketh them tame / & than selleth them. A corser is he y ^t byeth all rydden horses and selleth them agayne. The horse leche is he that taketh vpon hym to cure & mende all maner of dyseases and sorance that horses haue. And whā these thre be mette / yf ye had a poticary to make the fourth / ye myght haue suche foure / that it were harde to trust y ^• be [...]t of them. It were also cōuenyent to shewe medicynes & re [...]iedyes for all these diseases & sorances / but it wolde be to longe a processe at this tyme / for it wolde be as moche as halfe this booke. And I haue not the perfyte conyng nor y ^e experyence to shewe medicynes & remedyes for them all. And al­so the horse leche wolde not be content therwith / for it myght fortune to hur [...]e or hynder theyr occupacyō.

NOw thou husbāde that hast bothe horses and mares / beestes / and shepe. It were necessary also that thou haue bothe swyne and bees / for it is an olde sayenge / he that hath bothe shepe / swyne & bees / slepe he wake he / he may thryue. And that sayenge is bycause that they be those thynges that moost profyte ryseth in shortest space with y ^• leest cost. Than se how many swyne thou arte able to kepe / let them be bores and sowes all / and no hogges. And yf thou be able to rere vi. pygges a yere / than let two of them be bores / and foure of them sowes / & so to cōtynue after y ^• rate. For a bore wyll haue as lytell kepynge as a hogge / & [Page] is moche better than a hogge / and more meet on hym and is redy at all tymes to eate in the wynter season / & to be layd in sowse. And a sowe or she be able to kyll shall brynge forth as many pygges or moo as she is worth / and her body is neuer the worse / & wyll be as good baken as a hogge and as lytell kepynge / but at suche tyme as she hath pygges. And yf thy sowe haue moo pygges than thou wylte rere / sell them or eate them / and rere those pygges that come aboute lenten tyme / specyally the begynnyng of somer / for they can not be rered in wynter for colde without greate cost.

OF bees is lytell charge / but good attendaūce at the tyme that they shall cast the swarme. It is [...]enyent that the hyue be set in a gardē or an orch­yarde / where as they may be kepte from the northe wynde / and the mouth of the hyue towarde the sonne And in June and July they do moost comynly cast / & they wolde haue some lowe trees nygh vnto them be­fore the hyue / that the swarme may lyght vpon / and whā the swarme is knytte / take a hyue and splent it within with thre or four splentes / that the bees may knytte theyr combes vnto / and anoynt the splentes & the sydes of the hyue with a lytell honny. And yf thou haue no honny take swete creame / & thā set a stole or a forme nygh vnto the swarme / & lay a clene wasshen she [...]e vpon the stole / and than holde the small ende of the hyue downwarde / & shake the bees in to the hyue and wort [...]y set it vpon the stole and turne vp the cor­ers [Page xxxviii] of the shete ouer the hyue / and to leue one place open that the bees may come in & out / but thou mayst not fyght nor stryue with them for no cause / & to laye nyttyls vpon the bowes where as they were knytte / to dryue them fro that place / and so watche theym all that daye that they go not away / and at nyght whan all be gone vp in to the hyue / take it awaye and set it where it shal frande / & take away thy shete / and haue clay redy tempered to laye it aboute vpon the borde or stone where it shall stande / that no wynde come in / but the borde is better and warmer. And to [...]aue an hole open on the south syde of thre inches brode / and an inche of heyght for the bees to come in and out And than to make a couerynge of whete straw or [...]ye strawe to couer and house the hyue aboute / and set the hyue two fote or more from the erth vpon stakes / so that a mouscanne not come to it / and also neyther beestes nor swyne. And yf a swarme be cast late in y ^• yere / they wolde be fedde with honny in wynter / and layde vpon a thynne narow borde / or a thynne s [...]la [...]e or leed and put it in to the houe / and another thynne borde wolde be set before euery hyues mouth that no wyndecome in / and to haue four or fyue lytel nyckes made on the neyther syde / that a bee may come out or go in / & so fastened that y ^t wynde blowe it not downe and to take it vp whan he wyll. And that hyue that is fedde / to stoppe the mouth cleane that other bees come not in / for and they do / they wyll fyght and kyll eche other. And beware that no waspes come in to the hyue / for they wyll kyll the bees / & eate the hon­ny. And also there is a bee is called a drone / and she [Page] is greater than an other bee / and they wyll eate the honny and gader nothynge / and therfore they wolde be kylde / & it is a sayenge that she hath lost her stynge and than she wyll not laboure as the other do.

IF a hushande shall kepe cattell well to his pro­fyte / he must haue seuerall closes and pastures to put his cattell in / the whiche wolde be well quycke setted / dyched / and hedged that he may seuer his byg­gest cattell from the weykest at his pleasure / and spe­cyally in wynter tyme whan they shall be fodered. And though a man be but a farmer / & shall haue hys farme. xx. yeres / it is lesse cost for hym / & more profyte to quyckset dyche & hedge / than to haue his cattell go before the herdman. For let / y ^e husbande spende in thre yeres as moche money as the kepynge of his beestes swyne and shepe dothe cost hym in thre yeres. Than alwaye after he shall haue all maner of cattell with the tenth parte of the cost / and the beestes shall lyke moche better. And by this reason the herdman wyll haue for euery beest. ii. d. a quarter / or there aboute. And y ^e swyneherde wyll haue for euery swyne a peny at the leest. Than he must haue a shepeherde of hys owne / or els he shall neuer thryue. Thā reken meet / drynke & wages for his shepeherde / the herdmannes hyre and the swyneherdes hyre / these charges wyll double his rent or nygh it / excepte his farme be aboue xl. s. by yere. Now se what his charges be in. iii. yeres let hym ware as moche money in quycksettynge / dy [...] [Page xxxix] thynge & hedgynge / & in thre yeres he shalbe dyschar­ged for euer more / & moche of this labour he & his ser­uauntes may do with theyre owne handes / and saue moche money. And than hathe he euery felde in seue­ralty / and by the assentes of the lordes & the tenaūtes euery neyghbour may exchange landes with other. And than shall his farme be twyse so good in profyte to the tenaūt as it was before / & as moche land kept intyllage / and than shall not the ryche man ouer eat the poore man with his cattell / & the fourthe parte of hey & strawe shall serue his cattell better in a pasture than foure tymes so moche wyll do in a house & lesse attendaunce / & better the catell shall lyke / & the chefe sauegarde for corne bothe day & nyght that can be.

ANd yf thou haue pastures? y ^• must nedes haue quyk settynge / dychynge / & plasshynge / whan it is grene & cometh of age. Than get thy quycksettes in the wode contrey / and let them be of whyte thorne and crabtre / for they be best / holy and hasell be good. And yf thou dwell in the playne contrey / than mayst thou get both asshe / oke & elme / for they wyll encreas moche wode in shorte space And set thy oke settes & thy a [...]she. x. or. xii. fote asonder / and cut them as thou dost thy other settes / & couer them ouer with thornes a lytell that shepe and cattell eate them not. And also wede them clene in mydsomer mone / or soone after / for the wedes yf they ouer grow wyll kyll the settes. But get no black thorne for nothynge / for that wyll [Page] grow outwarde into the pasture & dothe moche hurte in the gras and tearynge the wolle of the shepe. It is good tyme to set quycksettes fro that tyme the leaues be fallen: vnto our Lady day in lente / and thy sandy groūde or grauel? set fyrst / than clay groūde / & than mene grounde / and the medow or marreys grounde last / for the sande & grauell wyll drye anone / & than the quyckset wyll take no rote / excepte it haue greate wete / for the mouldes wyll lye lose / yf it be dyched in February or Marche / and lyke wyse clay grounde. And make thy settes longe ynough that they may be set depe ynough in the erth / for than they wyll grow the better. And to stande halfe a fote and more aboue the erth / that they may spryng out of many braūches And than to take a lyne and set it there as thou wylt haue thy hedge / and to make a trenche after thy lyne & to pare away the grasse where the quycksettes shall be set / and cast it by where the erth of the dyche shall lye / & dygge vp the mouldes a spade graffe depe / & to put in thy settes / & dygge vp more molde & laye vpon that set / & so peruse tyll thou haue set all thy settes / and let them lene towarde the dyche. And a fote from that make thy dyche / for and thou make it to nere thy settes / the water may fortune to were the grounde on that syde / and cause thy settes to fall.

¶ If thou make thy dyche. iiij. fote brode / than wolde it be two fote & a halfe depe. And yf it be. v. fote brode than thre fote depe / and so accordyng / And yf it be v. [Page xl] fote brode / han it wolde be double set / and the rather it wolde fence it selfe / & the lower hedge wyll serue.

THou must get the stakes of the hert of oke / for those be best / crabtre / black thorne / & eldre be good. Rede wethy is best in marsshe grounde / as [...]he / maple / hasell / & whyte thorne wyll serue for a tyme? And set thy stake within two fote & a halfe to gydre / excepte thou haue very good edderynge and longe to bynde with. And yf it be double eddered? it is moche the better / and greate strengthe to the hedge / & moche lēger it wyll last. And say thy small trouse or thornes that thou hedges with all ouer thy quycksettes / that shepe do not eate thy spryng nor buddes of thy settes. Let thy stakes be wel dryuen that the poynt take the harde erth. And whan thou hast made thy hedge and eddered it well / than take thy mall agayn and dryue downe thy edderynges and also thy stakes by and by. For with the wyndynge of the edderynges: thou dost lose thy stakes / & therfore they must nedes be dryuen newe and hardened agayne / and the better the stake wyll be dryuen whan he is well bounde.

IF the hedge be of. x. or. xii. yeres growynge sythe it was fyrst set / than take a sharpe hatchet or a handbyll & cut the settes in a playne place nygh vnto the erth the more halfe a sonder / and bende it downe [Page] towarde the erthe and wrappe and wynde them togyder / but alway se that the toppe lye hyer than the rote a good quātyte / for els the sappe wyll nat renne into the toppe kyndely▪ but by proces the toppe wyll dye / and than set a lytell hedge on the backe syde / & it shal nede no more mendyng many yeres after / And yf the hedge be of. xx. xxiiij. or. xxx. yeres of age sythe it was fyrst set / than wynde in fyrst all y ^• nethermost bowes and wynde them to gydre / and than cut the settes in a playne place a lytell from the erthe the more halfe a sonder / and to let it slaue downwarde & nat vpward for dyuers causes / than wynde the bowes and braun ches thereof into the hedge / and at euery two fote or thre fote to leaue one growynge nat plached / and the toppe to be cut of foure fote hyghe or there aboute to stande as a stake yf there be any suche / or els to set another / & to wynde the other that be pleched aboute theym. And yf the bowes wyll not lye playne in the hedge / than cut it the more halfe asonder & bynde it in to the hedge / & than shall ye nat nede for to mende that hedge but in fewe places twenty yeres after or more. And yf the hedge be olde and be greate stubbes or trees / and thyn in the bottom that beestes may go vnder or bytwene the trees / than take a sharpe axe and cut the trees or stubbes that grow a fote from the erthe or there about in a playn place within an ynch or two ynches of the syde / and let them slaue down­warde as I sayd before / and let the toppe of one tree lye ouer the rote of an other tree / and to pleche down the bowes of the same tre / to stoppe the holow places. And yf all the holowe and voyde places wyll not be [Page xli] fylled and stopped / than scoure the old dyche and cast it vp newe / and to fyll with erthe all the voyd places. And yf so be these trees wyll nat reche in euery place to make a suffycyente defence / than double quykset it and dyche it newe in euery place that is nedefull and set a hedge thervpon / and to ouerlay the settes for ea­tynge of shepe or other cattell.

ME semeth it is necessary to shewe myn opynyon how an hye way sholde be amended. And fyrste & pryncypally se that there be no water standynge in the hye waye / but that it be alwaye currant and ren­nynge / nor haue non abydyng more in one place thā in an other. And in somer whā the water is dryed vp than to get grauell and do fyll vp euery lowe place / & to make them euen / somwat dyscendynge or currant one waye or other / & yf there be no grauel nor stones to get / yet fyll it vp with erthe in the begynnynge of somer / that it may be well hardened with caryage & treadyng vpon / & it shall be well amended yf the water may passe away from it / the whiche wold be well consydered / & specyally abou [...] Lōdon / where as they make moch more cost thā nedeth / for there they dyche theyr hye wayes on bothe sydes / & fyll vp the holowe and lowe places with erth / & than they cast & lay grauell aloft. And whan a great rayne or water cometh and synketh thorow the grauel & cometh to the erthe? than the erthe swelleth & bolneth and waxeth softe / and with treadynge / and specyally with caryage the [Page] grauell synketh and goth downwarde as his nature & kynde requyreth / & than it is in maner of a quycke sande / that harde it is for any thynge to go ouer. But and they wold make no dyche in somertyme whā the water is dryed vp that a man may se all the holowe & lowe places / than to cary grauell & fyll it vp as hygh as y ^• other knolles be / than wold it not bolne ne swel nor be no quycke sande / & euery man may go besyde y ^• hye waye with theyr caryage at theyr pleasure. And this me semeth is lesse cost / & lēger wyll last w ^t a lytel mendynge whan nede requyreth. Therfore me thyn­keth yf this were well loked vpon / it sholde be bothe good & necessary for that purpose / for so haue I sene done in other places where as I haue ben. &c.

IF thou wylte remoue & set trees / gete as many rotes with them as thou can / & breke them not nor bryse them by thy wyll. And yf there be any rote broken & sore brused / cut it of harde by there as it is brused with a sharpe hatchet / els that rote wyll dye. And yf it be ashe / elme or oke / cut of al y ^• bowes clene and saue the toppe hole. For yf thou make hym ryche of bowes / thou makest hym▪ poore of thryfte for two causes. The bowes causeth them to shake w ^t wynd & to lose the rotes. Also he can not be so clene gete / but some of the rotes must nedes be cut / & than there wyll not come so moche sappe and moystnes to the bowes as there dyd before / & yf yf y ^• tree be very longe / cut of the toppe two or thre yerdes. And yf it be an aple tree [Page xlii] or peere tree or suche other as bereth fruyte / than cut away all y ^• water bowes & y ^• small bowes that y ^• princypall bowes may haue y ^• more [...]ap. And yf ye make a marke whiche syde of y ^e tree standes towarde y ^• sonne that he may be [...]et so agayne / it is so moche the better.

THere be trees wyll be set without rootes and growe well & sprynge rotes of them selfe. And those be dyuers apple trees that haue [...]n [...]tres in the bowes / as casses or wydes / and such other that wyll growe on slauynges / & lykewyse pepeler & wethy / & they must be cut clene besyde the tree that they growe on / and the toppe cut clene of. viii. or. x. fote of lengthe and all the bowes betwene / & to be set a fote depe or more in the erthe in good ground. And ye shal vnder­stāde that there be four maner of wethyes / that is to saye / whyte wethy / blacke whethy / reede wethy / and osyerde wethy. whyte wethy wyll growe vpon drye groūde / yf it be set in the beginyng of wynter / & wyl not grow in marsshe groūd / black wethy wyll grow better on marsshe groūde than on drye groūd / & rede wethy in lyke maner / and osyerde wethy wyll grow best in water & moyst groūde. And they be trees that wyll sone be nourys [...]hed / and they wyll beare moche wode / & they wold be cropped euery. vii. or. viii. yeres or els they wyll dye / but they may not be cropped in sap tyme / nor no tre els. And in many places bothe y ^• lordes freholders & tenaūtes at wyl set such wethyes and pepelers in marshe grounde to nourys [...]he wode.

IF thou haue any wodes to fell for thy houshold to bren or to sell / than fell the vnder wode first in wynter / that thy catell or bestes may eat & brouse the toppes / and to fell no more on a day but as moche as the bestes wyll eat the same day / or on the morow after. And as sone as it is well eaten or broused / thā kydde it and set them on the endes / & that wyll saue the bandes from rottynge / & they shall be the lyghter to cary / and the better wyll they brenne & lye in lesse rowme. And whan thou shalte brynge them home to make a stake of them / set the nether moste cours vpon the endes / and the seconde course flatte vpon the lyde and the endes vpwarde / and the thyrde course flatte on the syde ouerthwart the other. And so to peruse thē tyll thou haue layd all vp. And whan thou shalt brēne them? take the ouermost fyrst.

IF thou haue any wode to sell / I aduyse the re­tayle it thy selfe / yf thou mayst attend vpon it / and yf not / than to cause thy bayly or som other wyse or dyscret man to do it for the. And yf it be smal wod to kydde it and sell it by the hondredes or by the thousandes / and yf there be asshes in it / to sell the small asshes to cowpers for garches / and the greate asshes to whele wryghtes / and the meane asshes to plough wryghtes / and the crabbe trees to myllers to make cogges and ronges. And yf there be any okes bothe great and small / fell them and pyll them / and sell the barke by it selfe / and than sort the trees / the polles by them selfe / y ^e myddell sort by them selfe / & the greatest by thē selfe / & than sell them by scores or halfe scores or hondredes / as thou mayst / and to fell it harde by y ^e erth / for one fote nexte to the erthe is worth two fote in the toppe / and to cutte thy tymber longe ynoughe that thou leue no tymber in the toppe. And to sell the toppes as they lye a great / or els dresse them and sell the great woode by it selfe / and the kydde woode by it [Page xliiii] selfe / and to fall the vnder wode fyrst at any tyme by twene Martylmasse and holy rode daye. And all the asshes betwene Martylmasse & Candelmasse / and all okes as sone as they wyll pyll vntyll may be done / & nat after. Perauenture the gretest man hath nat the best prouysyn. And that is bycause y ^• seruantes wyll nat enforme hym these wayes / and also may fortune they wolde bye such wodes them selfe / or be partener of the same / and to aduyse his lorde to sell them. It is not cōuenyent that the salesman that selleth the wod to be partener with the byer.

IN the wynter before that thou wylte fell thy wod: 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 the sprynge come vp / for els the catell that doth cary y ^e wode wyll eat y ^e sprynge / and whan the toppe is eaten or broken it is a greate lette / hurte / and hynderaunce / of the goodnes of the sprynge / for than where it is eaten / it burges out of many braunches / and not so fayre as the fyrst wolde haue ben. A parke is best kept whan there is neyther man / dogge / nor four foted beste therin / except dere. And so is a sprynge best kepte where there is neyther man nor four foted bestes within the hedge / but and there be moche gras & thou were lothe to lose it / than put in calues newly wayned & take frō theyr dāmes and also waynyng coltes or horses not past a yere of age. And let thy calues be taken awaye at Maye / the [Page] coltes maye go longer for catynge of any wode / but there is ieopardy both for calues / foles and coltes / for tyckes / or for beynge lousye / y ^• whiche wyll kyll them yf they be nat taken hede vnto. And seuen yere is the lest that it wyll saue it selfe / but ten yere is best. And than the vnder bowes wolde be cut away / and made kyddes thereof / and the other wyll growe moche the better and faster. And yf the vnder bowes be nat cut awaye / they wyll dye / and than they be lost / & greate hurte to the sprynge / for they take awaye the sappe that sholde cause the sprynge to grow better.

IT is necessary / prosytable / and also a pleasure to a husbande to haue peeres / wardeynes / and apples of dyuers sortes. And also cheryes / fylberdes / [...]ulleys / dampsons / plummes / walnuttes / and suche other. And therfore it is cōuenyent to lerne how thou shalt graffe. Than it is to be knowen what thynges thou must haue to graffe withall. Thou must haue a graffynge sawe / the whiche wolde be very thyn and thycke t [...]thed / and bycause it is thyn / it wyll cut the narower kyrfe and the clener for brysynge the bark. And therfore it is set in a compasse pyece of yren / syxe ynches fro? to make it styffe & bygge / thou must haue also a graffynge knyfe an ynche brode with a chycke back to cleue the stocke withall. And also a mallet to dryue thy knyfe and thy wedge in to the tree / and a sharpe knyfe to pare the stocke hed / & an other sharpe knyfe to cutte the graffe clene. ¶ And also thou must [Page xlv] haue two wedges of hard wode or els of yren / a long small one for a small stocke / & a broder for a bygger stocke to open the stocke / whan it is clouen & pared / and also good toughe clay & mosse / and also bastes or pyllynge of wythy or elme to bynde them with.

PEtres and wardeyns wolde be graffed before any maner of aples / bycause the sappe cometh loner and rather into the pere tree and wardeyn tree than in to the apple tree. And after saynt Ualentyns day? it is tyme to graffe bothe peres and wardeynes tyll Marche be comen / & than to graffe apples to our lady day. And than graffe that that is gotē of an olde apple tree fyrst / for that wyll budde before the graffe gote of a yonge apple tree late graffed. And a pere or a wardeyn wold be graffed in a pyrre stock / & yf thou can get none / than graffe it in a crabtre stocke / and it wyll do well / and som men graffe them in a whyte thorne / & thā it wyll be the more harder & stony. And for all maner of apples? the crabtre stocke is best.

THou must get thy graffes of the fayrest lanses that thou canste fynde on the tree / & se that it haue a good knot or ioynte and an euen. Than take thy sawe & sawe in two thy crabtree in a fayr playn place pare it euen with thy knyfe / and than cleue the stocke with thy great knyfe & thy mallet / and sette in [Page] a wedge / and open the stocke accordyng to the thyck­nes of thy graffe / than take thy small sharpe knyfe & cut the graffe on bothe sydes in y ^• ioynt / but passe not the myddes therof for no thynge. And let the inner syde that shall be set in to the stocke be a lytell thyn­ner than the vtter syde / & the nerer the nether poynte of the graffe the thynner / than proferre thy graffe in to the stocke / and yf it go not close / than cut the graffe or y ^• stocke tyll they close clene / that thou can not put the edge of thy knyfe on neyther syde bytwene y ^• stock and the graffe / and set them so that the toppes of the graffe bende a lytell outwarde / and se that the wode of the graffe be set mete with the wode of the stocke that the sappe of the stocke may renne streyght and euen with the sappe of the graffe / for the barke of the graffe is neuer so thycke as the barke of the stocke.

And therfore thou mayst not set the barkes mete on the vtter syde / but on the ynner syde / than pull away thy wedge / and it wyll stande moche faster. Thanne take tough clay lyke marley & laye it vpon the stocke [...]eed and with thy fynger lay it close vnto the graffe / and a lytell vnder the heed to kepe it moyst / and that no wynde come in to the stocke at the cleuyng. Than take mosse and lay ther vpon for chynynge of the clay than take a baste of whyte wethy or elme / or halfe a brere / and bynde the mosse / the clay / and the graffe togyder / but be well ware that thou breake not thy graffe neyther in the clayenge nor in the byndynge / and thou must set some thynge by thy graffe that cro­wes nor byrdes do not lyght vpon thy graffe / for and they do / they wyll breake them.

THere is an other maner of graffynge thā this and sooner done and sooner to grow / but it is more ieopardy for wynde whan it begineth to growe Thou must sawe thy stocke and pare the heed therof / as thou dydest before / but cleue it not / than take thy graffe & cut it in the ioynt to the myddes / & make the tenaunt therof half an inche longe or a lytell moreal on the one syde / & pare the barke awaye a lytell at the poynt on the other syde / thā thou must haue made redy a ponche of harde wode with a stoppe and a tenaunt on the one syde lyke to the tenaūt of the graffe. Than put the tenaūt of the ponche bytwene the barke & the wode of the stocke / and pull it out agayne & put in the graffe / & se that it ioyne close or els mende it. And this can not fayle / for n [...]w the sappe cometh on euery syde but it wyll sprynge so fast / that yfit stande on playne grounde / the wynde is lykely to blowe it besyde the heed / for it hath no fastnes in the wode. And this is y ^• best remedy for blowynge of / to cut or clyppe awaye some of y ^• nethermest leaues as they growe. And this is the best waye to graffe / and specyally a grete tree. than clay it and bynde it as thou dydest the other.

AS for cheryes / dampsons / bulleys / plummes / and suche other may be set on the stones / and also of the scyences growynge aboute the tree of the [Page] same / for they wyll sonest beare. Fylberdes and wal nuttes may be set on the nuttes in a gardeyn / & after remoued and set where he wyll. But whan they be▪re remoued / they wolde be set vpon as good as a groūd or a better / or els they wyll not lyke.

IAduyse hym to get a copy of this present booke and to rede it frome the begynnynge to the en­dynge / wherby he may perceyue the chapytres & con­tentes in the same / & by reason of ofte redynge he may waxe perfyte what sholde be done at all seasons. For I lerned two verses at grāmer scole / & those be these. Gntta cauat lapidē non vi / sed sepe cadendo: sic homo fit sapiens non vi / sed sepe legendo. A droppe of wa­ter perseth a stone / not all onely by his strenghe / but by his often fallynge. Ryghte so a man shall be made wyse / not al only by hym selfe / but by his oft redyng. And so may this yonge gentylman accordynge to the season of the yere / rede to his seruauntes what cha­pytre he wyll. And also for any other maner of ꝓfyte conteyned in the same / the whiche is necessary for a yonge husbande that hath not the experyence of hus­bandry / nor other thynges conteyned in this present booke / to take a good remembraunce & credence ther­vnto / for there is an olde saynge / but of what aucto­ryte I cā nat tell. Quod melior est practica rustico (rum) / quam scientia philosopho (rum). It is better the practyue or knowledge of an husbande man well proued / than [Page xlvii] the scyence or connynge of a philosopher not proued / for there is nothynge touchynge husbandry & other profytes conteyned in this present booke / but I haue had the experyence therof / and proued the same. And ouer and besyde all this booke / I wyll aduyse hym to ryse betyme in the mornynge / accordynge to the verse before of. s. Sanat sanctificat et dicat surgere mane. And to go abbute his closes / pastures / feeldes / & spe­cyally by the hedges / and to haue in his purse a payre of tables / and whan he seeth ony thynge that wolde be amended / to wryte it in his tables / as and he finde ony horses / mares / beestes / shepe / swyne / or geese in his pastures that be not his owne. And perauenture though they be his owne / he wolde not haue them to go there / or to fynde a gap or a sherde in his hedge / or ony water standynge in his pastures vpon his grasse wherby he may take double hurte / bothe losse of his grasse and rottynge of his shepe and calues. And also of standynge water in his corne feeldes at the landes endes or sydes / and howe he wolde haue his landes plowed / dōged / sturred / or sowen. And his corne we­ded or shorne / or his cattel shyfted out of one pasture ī to an other / & to loke what dychynge / quycksettynge or plasshyng is necessary to be had / and to ouer se his shepeherde / how he handleth & ordreth his shepe / & his seruauntes how they plowe & do theyr warkes / or yf ony gate be broken downe or want ony staues / & go not lyghtly to opē and tyne / & that it do not trayle / & that the wyndes blowe it not open / with many moo necessary thynges y ^• are to be loked vpon. For a man alway wandrng or goynge about somwhat fyndeth [Page] or seeth that is amysse and wold be amended. And as sone as he seeth any suche defautes / thā let hym take out his tables and wryte the defautes. And whan he cometh home to dyner / souper / or at nyghte / than let hym call his bayly or his hede seruante / and to shewe hym the defautes / that they may be shortly amended And whan it is amended than let hym put it oute of his tables. For this vsed I to do. x. or. xii. yeres / and more / and thus let hym vse dayly / and in shorte space he shall set moche thynge in good ordre / but dayly it wyll haue mendynge. And yf he can not wryte? lette hym nycke the defautes vpon a stycke and to shewe his bayly as I sayd before: Also take hede bothe erly and late: at all tymes what maner people resort and come to thy house / and the cause of theyr comynge / & specyally yf they brynge with them pytchers / cannes tanckardes / bottels / bagges / wallettes / or busshell pokes / for yf thy seruauntes be nat true / they may do the great hurte / & them selfe lytell auauntage / wher­fore they wolde be well loked vpon And he that hath two trew seruantes / a man seruaunt: and an other a woman seruant / he hath a great treasure / for a trew seruaunt wyll do iustly hym selfe / and yf he se his fe­lowes do amysse / he wyll bydde them do no more so / for and they do / he wyll shew his mayster therof / and yf he do not this / he is not a true seruaunt. &c.

[Page xlviii]PUrse / dagger / cloke / nyght cap / kerchef / sho­yng horne / boget / & shoes. Spere / male / hode / halter / saddle clothe / sporres / hat / horse combe / bow / arowes / sworde / buckler / horne / leysshe / gloues / thy stryng / & thy bracer. Penne / paper / ynke / parchmēt / redwaxe / pōmes / bokes / thou remembre. Penknyfe / combe / thymble / nedle / threde / point / lest y ^• thy gurth breke. Bodkyn / knyfe / lyngell / gyue thy horse mete / se he be shoed well. Make mery / synge and thou can / take hede to thy gere that thou lose none.

NOw thou husband / y ^• hast done thy dylygencē and labour that longeth to an husbande to get thy lyuyng / thy wyues / thy chyldren & thy seruantes yet is there other thynges to be done that nedes must be done / or els y ^• shalt nat thryue. For there is an olde comon sayenge / that seldom doth the husbāde thryue without y ^• leue of his wyfe. By this sayenge it sholde seme y ^• there be other occupacyons & labours y ^• be most cōuenyent for y ^• wyues to do. And how be it y ^• I haue not the experyence of all theyr occupacyons & warkes as I haue of husbādry. Yet a lytel wyll I speke what they oughte to do / thoughe I tell them not how they sholde do and exceryse theyr labours & occupacyons.

BUt yet or I begyn to shew y ^• wyfe what wor­kes she shal do: I wyll fyrste teche her a lessō of Salamon / as I dyd to her husbande a lesson of y ^• phi­losopher / & that is y ^• she shold nat be ydle at no tyme / for Salamon sayeth. Oc [...]osus gaudedit cum electis [Page] in celo: sed lugebit ineternū cum reprobis in inferno. That is to saye / that ydle folke shall not toye with y ^• chosen folkes in heuen / but they shall sorowe with the reproued & forsakē folkes in hell. And saynt [...]herom sayth. Semꝑ boni operis aliquid facito vt te diabolus inueniat occupatū: quia sicut in aqua stante generāt̄ vermes: sic in homine ocioso generantur male cogita­tiones. That is to say / alway be doynge of some good warkes / that y ^• deuyll may fynde the alway occupyed for as in a standynge water are engendred wormes / ryght so in an ydle body are engēdred ydle thoughtes. Here mayst thou se that of ydelnes cometh dampna­ryon / and of good warkes & labour cometh saluacion Now art thou at thy lybertye to chose whether waye thou wylt / wherin is a grete dyuersyte. And he is an vnhappy man or woman that god hath gyuen bothe wytte & reason & putteth hym in chose / & he to chose y ^• worste parte. Now thou wyfe / I trust to shewe to the dyuers occupacyons / warkes and labours that thou shalte not nede to be ydle no tyme of the yere. &c.

HIrst and pricypally the wyfe is boūde of ryght to loue her husbande aboue father and mother and all other men. For our lorde sayth in his gospell. Relinquet patrem et matrem et adherebit vxori sue. A man shold leue father and mother and drawe to his wyfe / and the same wyse a wyfe do to her husbande. And are made by the vertue of the sacrament of holy xeriture one flesshe / one blode / one body / & two soules [Page xlix] wherfore theyr hartes / theyr myndes / theyr warkes and occupacyons sholde be al one / neuer to seuer nor chaūge durynge theyr naturall lyues by ony mānes acte or dede / as it is sayde in the same gospell. Quod deus coniunxit / homo non separet. That thynge that god hath ioyned togydre? no man may seruer nor de­parte. Wherfore it is conuenyent that they loue eche other as effectually as they wold do theyr own selfe.

HYrst in a mornynge whan thou arte waken & purpose to ryse / lyfte vp thy haude & blesse the / and make a sygne of the holy crosse. In no [...]e patris et fi [...]i [...] et spūssaneti. A mē. In the name of the father / the sone▪ & the holy ghost. And yf thou say a Pater noster an A ue and a Crede and remembre thy maker / thou shalt spede moche the better. And whan thou arte vp & redy / than fyrst swepe thy hous / dresse vp thy dyssh­borde / & set al thynges in good ordre within thy hous myike thy kye / secle thy calues / lye vp thy mylk / take vp thy chyldren / & aray them / and prouyde for thy hus bandes brekefast / dyner / souper / & for thy chyldren & seruaūtes / & take thy part with them. And to ordeyn corne & malt to the myll / to bake & brue withal whan nede is. And mete it to the myll & fro the myll / & se y ^• thou haue thy measure agayne besyde the toll▪or eis the myller deleth nat truely with the / or els thy corn is nat drye as it sholde be. Thou must make butter & these whan thou mayst / serue thy swyne bothe mor­nynge & euenyng / & gyue thy poleyn mete in the mor [Page] nynge / and whan tyme of the yere cometh? thou must take hede how thy hennes / duckes / & gees do ley / and to gather vp theyr egges / & whan they waxe browdy to let them there as no bestes / swyne / nor other ver­myn hurte them. And thou must knowe that all hole foted foules wyll syt a moneth / & all clouen foted fou­les wyll syt but thre wekes / excepte a peyhen & suche other great foules / as cranes / bustardes / and suche other. And whā they haue brought forth their byrdes to se that they be well kepte from the gleyd / crowes / fully martes / & other vermin. And in the begynnyng of March or a lytle afore / is tyme for a wyfe to make her garden / & to get as many good sedes & herbes as she can / & specyally suche as be good for the pot & to eate / & as oft as nede shall requyre it must be weded / or els the wede wyll ouergrowe the herbes. And also in Marche is tyme to sowe flaxe & hempe / for I haue herde olde huswyues say: y ^• better is Marche hurdes than Apryll flaxe / y ^• reason apereth / but how it shold be sowē / weded / pulled / repeyled / watred / wasshen / dryed / beten / braked / tawed / hekled / spon / woūden / wrapped / & wouen / it nedeth nat for me to shew / for they be wyse ynough / & therof may they make shetes / boordclothes / towels / shertes / smockes / & suche other necessaryes / & therfore let thy dystaffe be alway redy for a pastyme / that thou be nat ydle. And surely a woman can nat get her lyuynge honestly w ^t spynnynge on the dystaffe / but it stoppeth a gappe / & must nedes be had. The bolles of flaxe whan they be rypeled of must be redyled frō the wedes & made drye with the sonne to get out y ^• sedes. How be it one maner of lyn­sede [Page l] called loken sede wyll nat open by y ^• sōne / & therfore whan they be drye they must be sore brused & broken / the wyues know how / & than wynowed & kepte drye tyll yere tyme come agayne. Thy female hempe must be pulled from the churle hempe / for that bereth no sede / & thou must do by it as thou dydest by y ^• flaxe. The churle hempe doth bere sede / & thou must beware that byrdes eat it not as it groweth / y ^• hempe therof / is nat so good as the female hempe / but yet it wyll do▪ good seruice. It may fortune somtyme that thou shalt haue so many thynges to do? that thou shalt not well knowe where best is to begyn. Thā take hede whiche thyng shold be y ^• gretest losse yf it were nat done / & in what space it wold be don / & than thynke what is the gretest losse there begyn. But I put case that y ^• thyng that is of the greatest losse wyll be longe in doynge / y ^• thou myght do thre or foure other thynges in y ^• mean whyle / than loke yf all these thynges were set to gy­ger whiche of them were the gretest losse / & yfall these thinges be of greter losse / & may be all don in as short space as y ^• other / than do thy many thynges fyrst. It is cōuenyent for a husbande to haue shepe of his own for many causes / & than may his wyfe haue parte of the woll to make her husband & her selfe som clothes. And at the leste way she may haue y ^• lockes of y ^• shepe eyther to make clothes or blankettes & couerlettes / or bothe / & yf she haue no woll of her own / she may take woll to spynne of clothe makers / & by that menes she may haue acōuenyent lyuynge / & many tymes to do other warkes. It is a wyues occupacyon to wynowe al maner cornes / to make malt / to wasshe & wrynge [Page] to make hey / to shere corne / & in tyme of nede to helpe her husbande to fyll the mucke wayne or donge cart / dryue the ploughe / to lode hey / corne / and suche other Also to go or ryde to the merket to sell butter / chese / mylke / egges / chekyns / capons / hēnes / pigges / gese / and all maner of cornes. And also to bye al maner of necessary thynges belongyng to houshold / & to make a true rekenynge & accompt to her husband what she hath receyued & what she hath payde. And yf the hus­band go to the merket to bye or sell (as they oft do) he than to shewe his wyfe in lyke maner. For yf one of them sholde vse to deceyue y ^e other? he deceyueth hym self / & he is nat lyke to thryue / & therfore they must be true eyther to other. I coulde parauenture shewe the husbande of dyuers poyntes that the wyues deceyue theyr husbandes in / & in lyke maner how husbandes deceyue theyr wyues / but and I shold do so? I shold shewe more subtyll poyntes of deceyte than eyther of them knewe of before / and therfore me semeth best to holde my peace / leste I sholde do as the knyght of the toure dyd / the which had many fayre doughters / & of fatherly loue y ^t he ought to them? he made a boke to a good entent / that they myght eschewe & flee from vy­ces & folowe vertues. In the whiche booke he shewed that yf they were wowed / moued or styred by any mā after suche a maner as he there shewed y ^t they sholde w ^t stande it / in y ^e which boke he shewed so many ways how a man sholde attayne to his purpose to brynge a woman to vyce / the which wayes were so naturall & the wayes to come to theyr purpose was so subtylly contryued & craftly shewed / that hard it wolde be for [Page li] any woman to resist or deny theyr desyre. And by the sayd boke hathe made bothe the men & the women to knowe more vyces / subteltye & crafte / than euer they sholde haue knowen yf the booke had nat ben made / the whiche booke he named hym selfe the knyghte of the toure. And thus I leue the wyues to vse theyr oc­cupacyons at theyr owne dyscressyon.

NOw thou husbande & huswyfe that haue done your dylygence and cure accordynge to y ^e fyrst artycle of the philosopher / that is to say. Adhibe curā. And also hath well remēbred the sayng of wyse Sa­lomon. Quod ociosus nō gaudebit cū electis in celo: fed lugebit in eternū cum reprobis in inferno. Than ye must remembre / obserue / and kepe in mynde the seconde artycle of the sayeng of y ^e sayd philosopher / that is to saye. Tene mensurā. That is to saye in englyshe holde & kepe measure. And accordynge to that sayeng I lerned two verses at grāmer scole / & those be these. Qui plus expendit: quam rerum copia tendit: non ad­miretur: si pauꝑtate grauet. He y ^t dothe more expēde: than his goodes wyl extēde? meruayle it shall not be: though he be greued w ^t pouerty. And also accordynge to that sayenge speketh saynt Paule & sayth. Juxta facultates faciendi sūt sūptus ne longi tēporis victū breu [...] horas cōsumat. That is to say / after thy faculty or thy hauour make thyn expēces / leste thou spende in short space that thynge y ^t thou sholdest lyue by longe. This texte toucheth euery man from y ^e hyest degre to [Page] the lowest / wherfore it is necessary to euery man and woman to remembre & take good hede thervnto / for to obserue / kepe / & folowe the same / but bycause this texte of saynt Paule is in latyn / & husbandes comonly can but lytell latyn? I fere lest they can nat vnder stādit. And though it were declared ones or twyse to them y ^t they wolde forget it. wherfore I shall shewe to them a texte in Englysshe / and that they may well vnderstande / & that is this. Eat within thy tedure.

THou husband and huswyfe that entendeth to folowe the sayenge of the philosopher / that is to say / kepe measure. Thou must spare at the brynke and not at the bottom / that is to be vnderstand in the begynnynge of the yere sellyng of thy cornes / or spendynge in thy hous vnto y ^e tyme that thou haue sowen agayne thy wynter corne & thy lent corne / & than se what remayneth to serue thy hous / & of the ouerplus thou maysie sell & bye suche other necessaryes as thou must nedes occupy. And yf thou spende it in y ^e begyn­nynge of the yere & shal want in y ^• hynder ende / than thou dost not eat within thy tedure / & at the last thou shalt be punysshed / as I shall proue the by ensample. Take thy horse & go tedure hym vpon thyn own lees flytte hym as oft as thou wylt / no man wyll say thou doste wronge / but make thy hors to longe a tedure that whan thou hast tyed hym vpon thyn owne lees his tedure is so longe that it recheth to the myddes of an other mānes lees or corne. Now hast y ^• gyuē hym to moche lybertye / and that man that thy horse hath [Page lii] eten his corne or grasse / wyll be greued at the / & wyll cause y ^e to be amerced to be in y ^e courte / or els to make hym amēdes or bothe. And yf thy horse breake his te­dure & go at large in euery maus corne & grasse? thā cometh the pynder & taketh hym & putteth hym in the pynfolde / & there shall he stande in pryson w ^tout any mete vnto the tyme thou hast payd his rauniom to the pynder / & also make amendes to thy neyghbours for destroynge of theyr corne. Ryght so as longe as thou etest within thy tedure / that thou nedest not to begge nor borowe of no man / so longe shalte thou encrese & growe in rychesse / & euery man wyll be content with the. And yf thou make thy tedure to long / that thyne owne porcyon wyll not serue the / but that thou shalt begge / borow / or bye of other / that wyll not long endure / but thou shalt fall in to pouerty. And yf y ^• breke thy tedure & ron ryot at large / & know not other men­nes goodes from thyn owne / than shall the pynder y ^• is to say / the sheryff & the bayly arest the / & put the in to the pynfolde / y ^t is to saye / in pryson / there to abyde tyll the treuthe be knowen / and it is meruayle & thou scape with thy lyfe / & therfore eate within thy tedure.

ONe thynge I wyl auyse the remēbre / & speryal ly in wynter / whan thou syttest by y ^e fyre & hast souped / to cōsydre in thy mynde whether y ^• warkes y ^t thou / thy wyfe / & thy seruātes shall do / be more auaū tage to the than y ^• fyre & candell lyght / meat & drynk y ^t they shal spende / & yf it be more auaūtage / than syt styll / & yf it be nat / than go to thy bed & slepe / & be vp [Page] betyme & breake thy fast before day / that thou mayst be all the short wynters daye aboute thy busynes. At grāmer scole I lerned a verse / & that is this. Sanat sanctificat et dicat surgere mane. That is to say / erly rysynge maketh a man hole in body / holer in soule / & rycher in goodes. And this me semeth sholde be a suffy cyent instruccyon for the husbande to kepe measure.

TO me it is doubtful / but as me semeth they be rather to lyberal in expences than to scarce / & specyally in thre thynges. The fyrst is prodigalyte in outragyous & costly araye fa [...]re aboue measure the seconde thynge is costly charge of delycyous meates & drynkes / the thyrde is outragyous playe and game farre a [...]oue all measure. And now to the fyrst poynt.

I Haue sene bokes of accompt of the yemen of the wardrobes of noble mē / & also inuētoties made after theyr decease of theyr appareyll / & I double not but at this day it is. xx. times more in value thā it was to suche a man in degre as he was an. C. yere a go / & many tymes it is gyuē away or it be half worne to a symple man / y ^• whiche causeth hym to were the same / & an other symple man or a lytle better / seyng hym to were such rayment: thynketh in his mynde y ^• he maye were as good rayment as he: causeth hym to by suche other to his great cost & charge & aboue me sure / & an yll example to all other / & also to se mēnes seruantes [Page liii] so abused ī theyr aray / theyr cotes be so syde that they be fayne to tucke them vp whan they ryde / as women do theyr kyrtels whan they go to the market or other places / the which is an vncōuenyent syght. And for­thermore they haue suche pleytes vpon theyr brestes & ruffes vpon theyr sleues aboue theyr elbowes / that & theyr mayster or them selfe had neuer so great nede they coulde not shote one shote to hurte theyr enmyes tyll he haue cast of his cote, or cut of his sleues / this is farre aboue mesure. This began fyrst with honour / worshyp & honesty / & it endeth in pryde / presumpcy­on and pouerty. wherof speketh saynt Austyn. Quē ­cun (que) superbum esse videris / diaboli filium esse ne du­bites. That is to saye / who so euer thou seest that is proude? doute the nat, but he is the sone of the deuyil. wherfore agaynst pryde he byddeth the remēber, Qd fuisti, q ^• es, et qualis post mortem eris. That is to say / what y ^u were, what y ^u art? & what thou shalte be after thy dethe. And saynt Bernard saith. Homo ni [...]hil ali­es quā sperma fetidū, saccus stercorū, et esca vermiū. That is to say / a mā is nothyng but stynkyng fylth / a sacke of donge / & wormes mete / the which saynges wolde be remembred / & than me semeth this is suffy­cyent at this tyme, for the fyrst poynt of the thre.

THe costly charges of delycyous metes & dryn­kes y ^• be now most comonly vsed ouer y ^• it hath ben in tymes past & farre aboue measure. For I haue sene bokes of accompte of houssholde & brumētes vpō the same / & I doute not but ī delicyous metes / drīkes [Page] and spyces / there is at this day foure tyme so moch [...] spent as was at these dayes to a lyke man in degree & yet at y ^e tyme there was as moche befe & mutton spent as is now / & as many good housholdes kepte & as many yemen wayters therin as benow. This began w ^t loue & charyte / whan a lorde / gentylman or yemā de­syredor praied an other to come to dyner or souꝑ / & by cause of his comīge he wold haue a dysshe or to two mo than he wolde haue had yf he had ben away. Than of very loue he remēbring how louyngly he was bydden to dyner / & how wel he fared / he thiketh of very kyndnes he must nedes byd him to dyner agayn / & so ordey neth for hym as many maner of suche dysshe meates as y ^e other man dyd &. ii. or. iii. moo / and thus by lytell & lytell it is comē ferre aboue measure. And begon of loue & charite / and endeth in pryde & glotony / wherof saynt Jerome sayth. Qui post carnē ambulāt in ven­trē et libidinē ꝓni sunt quasi irrationabilia iumēte reputātur. That is to saye / they that walke & be redy to fulfyll y ^e lust of y ^e flesshe & the bely / are takē as vnrea­sonable feestes / & saynt Gregory sayth. Dn̄ante vicio gule oēs virtutes ꝓ luxuriā et vanā gloriā obruūtur. That is to say / where y ^e vyce of glotony hath dn̄acyon all vertues by luxury & vaynglory as cast vnder / the whiche sayenges wolde in lykewyse be remēbred / & this me semeth snfficient for y ^e seconde poynt of y ^• thre.

IT is cōueniēt for euery man of what degre that he be of to haue playe & game accordynge to his [Page liiii] degre. For Cathon sayth. Interpone tuis iterdū gaudia curis. Amonge thy charges or busynes thou must haue somtyme ioye and myrthe / but now a dayes it is done ferre aboue measure. For now a pore man in re­garde wyll playe as great game at all maner games as gētylmen were wont to do / or greter / & gentylmē as lordes / & lordes as prynces / & oft tymes the great estates wyl call gentylmen or yemen to play w ^t them at as great game as they do / & they call it a dysporte / the which me semeth a very true name to it / for it dyspleaseth som of them or they departe / & specyally god for myspendynge o [...] his goodes & tyme. But and they played small game y ^t the pore man that playth myght bere it though he lost & bate nat his coūtenaūce / than myght it be called a good game / a good play / a good sport and a pastyme. But whan one shall lose vpon a day or vpon a nyght as moche money as wold fynde hym & al his house mete & drynke a moneth or a quarter of a yere or more / y ^t may be well called a dysporte or a dyspleasure / & oft tymes by y ^• menes therof it causeth them to sell theyr lādes / disheryt y ^• heyres / & may fortune to fall to theft / robery / or such other / to y ^• gret hurt of thē selfe & of theyr chyldrē / & to y ^• dysplesure of god / & they so doyng / lytel do they pondre or regard y ^• saynge of saynt Paule. Juxta facultates faciendi sūt sūptꝰ ne lōgi tꝑis victū breuis horas cōsumat. This play began w ^t loue & charite / & oft tymes it endeth w ^t couetous / wrath / & enuy. And this me thynketh shold be a suffycyēt instruccyon for kepynge of measure.

[Page]NOw thou husbande & huswyfe that haue done your diligence & cure about your husbandry & huswyfry accordynge to y ^e fyrst saynge of the phyloso­pher. A dhibe curā. And also hath well remēbred & ful fylled the second sayng of the sayd phylosopher. Tene mensurā. Now I doubt not ye be ryche accordyng to the thyrde sayenge of the phylosopher. Eteris diues. Now I haue shewed the the sayng of the phylosopher wherby thou hast gotē moche wordly possessyō / me se meth it were necessary to shewe you how ye may get heuēly possessyons / accordyng to y ^e saynge of our lord in his gospell. Quid ꝓdest homini si vniuersū mūdū lucretur / at̄e verro sue detrimētū paciat / what profy tethit a mā though he wyn al y ^e world to y ^• hyndraūce & lesynge of his soule. How beit / it shold seme vncōue nyent for a tēporal man to take vpon hym to shew or teche any such spyrytuall maters. How beit there is a great dyuersyte betwene predicacyon & doctryne.

HS saynt Jerom sayth there is great dyfferēce or diuersite betwene prechynge and doctryne. A preachyng or a sermon is where a conuocacyō or a gatherynge of people on holy dayes or other dayes in chirches or other places / & tymes set & ordeyned for y ^e same. And it belongeth to them y ^t be ordeyned thervn to & haue iurys [...]iccyon & auctoryte & to non other. But euery man may enforme & teche his brother or any o­ther at euery tyme & place behouable / yf it seme expedient to hym? for y ^t is an almes dede / to the which euery [Page lv] man is holden & boūde to do accordyng to the sayeng of saynt Peter. Unusquis (que) sicut accipit gratiā in al­terutru illam administrare debet. That is to say / as euery man hath taken or receyued grace he ought to mynystre & shew it forth to other. For as Crysostome sayth great meryte is to hym / and a greate rewarde he shall haue in tyme to come / the whiche wryteth or cauieth to be wrytē holy doctryne for that entēt that he may se in it how he may lyue holyly and that other may haue it. That they may be edyfyed or sanctyfyed by the same / for he sayth surely / know thou that how many soules be saued by the / so many rewardes thou shalt haue for eyther. For saynt Gregory sayth. Nul­lum sacrificium ita placet deo ficut zelus animarum. There is no sacrefyce that pleaseth god so moche as y ^• loue of soules. And also he sayth. Ille apud deum ma­ior est in amore: qui ad eius amorē plurimos trahit. He is gretest in fauour with god? that draweth most men to the loue of god. wherfore me semeth it is conuenyent to enforme and shewe them how they may get heuenly possessyons: as well as I haue shewed them to get worldly possessyons. Than to my purpose & to the poynt where I lefte / now thou arte ryche.

IT is to be vnderstande what is ryches / and as me semeth ryches is that thynge that is of good­nes / and can nat be taken away fro the owner / ney­ther in his temporal lyfe: nor in the lyfe euerlastynge. Than these wordly possessyons that I haue spoken

[...] god hath set it on a pryce and graūted it to euery mā and gyuen to them dayes of payment / the pryce is all one / and that is kepe his cōmaundementes durynge theyr lyues / the good men kepe his cōmaūdemētes / & fulfyll theyr ꝓmyse / & haue heuen for y ^• same at theyr decese. The yll men breke promesse / and kepe not his cōmaudemētes / wherfore at theyr decease they be put in pryson / y ^t is to say / in purgatory / there to abyde the mercy of god / or in hell / there to abyde his ryghtwys­nes. And so the yll men bye hell derer than y ^• good mē bye heuē / & therfore it is better to forgo a lytle plesure or suffre a lytell payn in this worlde: than to suffre a moch greter & a lenger payn in another world. Now syth hell is derer than heuen / I auyse the specyally to bye heuen / wherin is euerlastyng ioye without ende.

SAynt Austyn sayth. Ibi erūt quecū (que) ab homi nibꝰ des [...]derāt / vita et salus copia glie / honor / pax / et oia bona. That is to saye / there shall be euery thynge y ^t any man desyreth / there is lyfe / helth / plēty of ioye / honour / peace / & all maner of goodnes. what wold a mā haue more. And saynt Paule sayth. Ocu­lus nō vidit / nec auris audiuit / nec in cor hois ascēdit que p̄perauit deꝰ diligētibꝰ se. That is to say / the eye hath nat sene / nor the eates hath herde / nor the herte of a man hath thought of so goodly thynges / that god hath ordeyned for thē that loue hym. O what a noble act y ^t were for an husbād or huswyfe to purchase such a royall place in heuen / to y ^e whiche is no cōparyson. [Page lvii] Than it is to be knowen what thynge pleaseth god moost / that we myght do it.

BY y ^e text of saynt Paule before sayd / loue plea­seth god aboue all thynge / & that may be well proued by y ^• sayenge of our lorde hymselfe / where he sayth. Da mihi cor tuum & sufficit mihi. Gyue me thy herte and that is suffycyent for me / for he that hath a mannes hert hath all his other goodes / what is thys mannes herte / it is nothynge els but very true loue. For there can be no true loue but it cometh meryly & immedyatly from y ^e herte / & yf thou loue god entyerly with thy herte / than wylte y ^• do his cōmaūdementes Than it wold be vnderstāde & knowen by his cōmaū dementes that a man may obserue and kepe them.

¶ There be in all. x. cōmaūdemētes the whiche were to longe to declare / but they be all cōcluded & compre­hended in two / that is to saye. Diliges dn̄m deū tuū suꝑ oīa: et proximū tuū sicut re ipsum. Loue thy lorde god aboue all thynge / and thy neyghbours as thy self These be lyght cōmaundementes / & nature byndeth a man to fulfyll / obserue & kepe them / or els he is not a naturall man / remembrynge what god hath done for the. Fyrst he hath made the to the symylytude and lykenes of his owne ymage / and hath gyuen to the in thys worlde dyuers possessyons / but specyally he [Page] hath redemed thy soule vpon the crosse / and suffred greate payne and passyon & bodyly deth for thy sake. what loue / what kyndnes was this in hym to do for the / what coude thou desyre more of hym to do for the And he desyreth nothynge of the agayne but loue for loue▪ what can he desyre lesse.

SUrely a man may loue god & please hym very many wayes / but fyrst & pryncypally he that wyll loue god & please hym / he must do as it is sayd in Sym [...]alo Athanas [...]. Quicū (que) vult saluus esse / ante o [...]aopus est vt teneat catholicā fidē / who so euer wyll be saued / aboue all thynge he must nedes be stedfast ī the fayth of holy chyrche. And accordyng to that sayth [...]nt Paule. Sine fide ipossibile est placere deo. with­out fayth it is impossyble to please god. And Seneca sayth. Nihil retinet qui fidē perdidit. There abydeth no goodnes in hym y ^• hath lost his fayth. And so thou mayst well perceyue that thou can not loue nor please god w ^tout perfyte fayth. And ferthermore thou mayst not presume to study nor to argue thy fayth by reasō For saynt Gregory sayth. Fides nō habet meritū / vbi humana ratio prebet experimentum. Fayth hath no meryte / where as mannes reason proueth the same. This fayth is a pryncypall sygne that thou louest god Also thy good dedes and thy warkes is a good sygne that thou louest god. For saynt Jerome sayth. Unus­quis (que) [...]ius o (que)a facit / eius filius appellatur. whose wa [...] euery man doth / his sone or seruaūt he is cal­led. [Page lviii] And saynt Bernard sayth. Efficacior est vox oꝑis (quam) vox sermonis. The dedes and the warkes of man is more euydent profe than his wordes. The fulfyllyng of the. vii. warkes of mercy is an other specyall sygne that thou louest god / and many moo there be / whiche were to longe to reherse them all.

THou must loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe / wherin thou shalt plese god specyally / for and thou loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe / it foloweth by reason y ^• thou shalte do nothynge to hym but suche as thou woldest shold be don to the. And y ^• is to presume y ^t thou woldest nat haue ony hurt of thy body nor of thy goodes done vnto y ^• / & lykewyse thou sholdest do vnto hym. And also yf thou wolde haue any goodnes done vnto y ^•: other in thy body or in thy mouable goo­des / lykewyse sholdest thou do vnto thy neybour▪ yf it lye in thy power / accordyng to y ^• saynge of saynt Gregory. Nec deꝰ sine ꝓimo / nec ꝓximꝰ vere diligitur si­ne deo. Thou can not loue god without thou loue thy neybour / nor thou can nat loue thy neybour without thou loue god▪ wherfore thou must fyrst loue god prin cypally / and thy neyghbour secondarely.

PRayer is honour and laude to god / & a specyal thynge that pleaseth hym moche / & is a greate sygne that thou louest god / and that thou art perfyte [Page] and stedfast in the fayth of holy chyrch / & that it is so / it may be well consydered by our forefaders that hath for the loue & honoure of god made chyrches / abbeys / frere houses / & dayly ordeyn & make chauntryes and hospytalles / & in them haue ordeyned & put parsons / vycars / men & women of dyuers re [...]ygyons & prestes to synge and pray for them & all chrysten soules. And thoughe a man haue ordeyned & made suche houses of relygyon or chauntryes / yet it is nat ynough for hym but he must dayly at som cōuenyent tymes exercyse & vse prayer hym selfe / as he is bounde to do. For saynt Ambrose saith. Relicto hoc ad quod teneris ingratum est spiritui sancto nūquid aliud oꝑaris. If thou leaue y ^• thynge vndone that thou art bounde to do / it is nat acceptable to god / what so euer thou doste els. Than it is necessary that thou do praye / and a pore man do­ynge his labour truly in the day and thynketh well / than he prayth well / but on the holy day he is boūide to com to the chyrche and here his dyuyne seruyce.

THere be two impedymētes that letteth & hyn­der prayer that it may nat be hard. And of the fyrst impedymēt speketh Y say the prophet. Quia ma­nus ve [...]r [...] plene s [...]t sanguine. i. ptcō ideo nō exaudiet vos dn̄s. Bycause your handes be ful of blode / that is to say / full of synne / therfore our lorde doth nat gra­cyously here you. And also prouerb. iii. Longe est dn̄s ab [...]iis et or̄ones iustorū exaudiet. Our lord is fer [...] fro wycked men / & the prayers of ryghtwyse men he gracyously hereth. And saynt Bernarde sayth. Quia [Page lix] preceptis dei auertitur qd in or̄one postulat nō mere­tur. He y ^• doth nat godd▪ cōmaūdemētes he deserueth nat to haue his prayer. The seconde impedimēt sayth Anastasius. Si non dimittis iniuriā que tibi facta est nō o [...]onē pro te facis / sed maledictionē suꝑ te [...]ducis. If thou forgyue not the wronge done vnto the / thou doste n [...]t pray for thy selfe / but thou endures goddes curse to fall vpō y ^•. And [...]sodorus sayth. Sicut nullū in vulnere ꝓficit medicamētū si ad hur ferrū in eo sit ita nichil ꝓficiat o [...]o illius cuius ad huc dolor in mēte vel odiū manet in p [...]tōre. Lyke as a plaster or me dy­cyne can nat hele a wounde yf there be any yren stye kyng in y ^• same / ryght so y ^• prayer of a man profyteth hym not as longe as there is sorow in his mynde or hate abydynge in his breste. For saynt Austyn sayth. Si desit charitas frustra habentur cetera. If cha [...] want? all other thynges be voyd. wherfore y ^• must [...] that thou stande in the state of grace & not enfecte w ^t dedly synne / and than pray yf thou wylte be harde.

IT is to be vnderstande that there be dyuers maner of prayenges. Quedam publica / et quedam priuata. That is to say / some openly / & some pry [...]at­ly. Prayer openly must nedes be done in the chyrche by the mynystratours of the same before the people. For it is done for all the comynaltye / and therfore the people in that ought to conferme thē selfe to the sayd mynystratours / and there to be present to pray vnto god after a due maner. Oratio priuata. The prayer pryuatly done / ought to be done in secrete places for [Page] two causes. ¶ For prayer eleuateth and lyfteth vp a mānes mynde to god / and the mynde of man is soner and better lyfte vp whan he is in a preuy place and seperate frome multytude of people. An other cause is to auoyd vaynglory that myght lyghtly ensue or ryse thervpon whan it is done openly / and therof speketh our sauyour where he sayeth. Cum oratis non eritis sicut ipocrite qui amant in synagogis / et in angulis platearum stantes orare. That is to saye / whan ye praye: be nat you as the ypocrytes? the whiche loue to stande in theyr synagoges and corners of hye wayes to pray. ¶ Also some folkes pray with the lyppes or mouth / and not with the herte / of whom speketh our lorde by his prophete. Hi [...] labi [...]s me honorāt / cor autē eorum longe est a me. They do honour me with theyr mouth? and theyr hertes be ferre from me. And saynt Gregory sāyth. Quid prodest strepitus labiorum / vbi mutū est cor. what ꝓfyteth the laboure of thy mouthe where the hert is dombe. And Isodore sayth. Longe quippe a deo est animus / q in oratione cogitacionibꝰ seculi fuerit occupatus. His soule is farre frome god that in his prayer his mynde is occupyed in warkes of the worlde. There be other that praye bothe with the mouthe & herte / of whom speketh saynt Johan. x. Ueri adoratores / adorabūt patrē in sp̄u et veritate The trew prayers wyll worshyp the father of heuen in spyryt and with trouth. Isodorus sayth. Tunc ve­raciter oramus / quādo aliunde non cogitamꝰ. Than we praye truly / whan we thynke on nothynge elles. Richardus de Hampole. Ille deuote orat qui non ha­bet cor vacabundum in terrenis occupationibus / sed [Page lx] sublatū ad deum in celestibus. He prayth deuoutely that hath nat his hart wauerynge in wordly occupa­cyons / but alway subleuate & lyfte vp to god in heuē. There be other that pray with the hert. vn̄. Math. vi. Tu autem cū oraueris intra cubiculū tuum. i. in loco secreto et clauso hostio / ora patrem tuum. whan thou shalt pray / entre into thy chambre or oratory & steke the dore and praye to the father of heuen. Isodorus. Ardius oratio est nō labiorū sed cordiū / potius enim orandū ē cordequam ore. The hoter prayer is with the herte than with the lyppes / rather pray with thy hart than with thy mouthe. Regum primo. Anna lo­quebatur in corde. Anne spake with the hart.

ANd to auoyde wauerynge myndes / in wordly occupacyons whan thou shalte praye / I shall shew vnto you the best experyence that euer I coulde fynde for y ^e same / the which haue ben moche troubled therwith / and that is this. He that can rede & vnder­stande latyn / let hym take his boke in his hande and loke stedfastly vpon the same thynge that he redeth & seeth / that is no trouble to hym / & remembre the En­glysshe of the same / wherin he shall fynde great swet­nes / & shall cause his mynde to folow y ^• same / and to leue other wordly thoughtes. And he that can nat rede nor vnderstād his Pater noster / Aue / nor crede: he must remember the passyon of Chryst / what payne he suffred for hym and all mankynde / for redemynge of theyr soules. And also the myracles and wonders [Page] that god hath done / & fyrst what wonders were done the nyght of his natiuite & byrth. And how he turned water in to wyne / & made the blynde to se / the dombe to speke / the defe to heere / the same to go / the sycke to be hole. And how he fedde. v. M. with two fysshes and fyue barley loues / wherof was lefte. xii. maundes or baskettes of fragmentes. And how he reysyd Lazare from dethe to lyfe / with many more myracles that be innumerable to be rehersed. And also to remēbre the specyall poyntes of his passyon how he was solde and betrayed of Judas / & taken by the iewes & broughte before Pylate / than to kynge Herode / and to byshop Cayphas / & than to Pylate agayne that iuged hym to dethe / and how he was bounde to a pyller & scour­ged hym and bobbed hym / mocked hym / spytte in his face / crowned hym with thornes / and caused hym to beare the crosse to the mounte of Caluary / whervpon he was nayled bothe handes and fete / and wounded to the harte with a sharpe spere / and so suffred dethe. And how he set out the soules of our forefaders forth of hell. How he rose from deth to lyfe / and how ofte he apered to his dyscyples & other moo. And what myra­cles he wrought afterwarde / and specyally what po­wer he gaue to his dyscyples that were no clerkes to teche & preche his fayth & worke many myracles / and specially whan they preched before men of dyuers nacyons & languages / & euery man vnderstode them in theyr owne language / the whiche is a sygne that god wolde haue euery man saued / & to knowe his lawes the which was a myracle able to cōuerte all the infy­deles / heretykes / and lollers in the worlde.

IT is oft tymes seen / that the holyer that a man is / the more he is tempted / & he that so is / may thanke good therof / for god of his goodnes and grace hath not gyuen to the deuyll auctoryte nor power / to attempte any man ferther & aboue that / that he that is so tempted may withstande. For saynt Gregorye sayth. Non est timendum hostis / qui non potest vin­cere nisi volentem. An enemy is not to be dradde / the whiche may not be ouercome / but yf a man by wyl­lynge. And it is to presume / that he that is so tempted standeth in y ^• state of grace. For saynt Ambrose sayth Illos diabolus vexare necligit quos iure hereditario se possidere sentit. ¶ The deuyll despyseth to vexe or trouble those the whiche he feleth hymselfe to haue in possessyon by ryght herytaunce. And yf thou be so tēp­ted / vexed / or troubled I shall shewe vnto y ^• two ver­ses / that and thou do therafter / thou shalt be eased of thy temtacyon / and haue greate thanke and laude of god and rewarde therfore / these be the verses. Hostis non ledit / nisi cum tēptatus obedit. Est leo si sedit / si stat quasi musca recedit. That is to saye / the ghoost­ly enemy hurteth not / but whan he that is tempted obeyeth to his temptacyon / than this ghoostly enemy playeth the lyon / yf that he that is tempted syt styll & obey to hym. And yf he that is tempted / stande styfly agaynst hym / the ghoostly enemy flyeth away lyke a flye. This me semeth may be well proued by a famy­lyer ensample. As a lorde had a castell / and delyuered it to a capytayn to kepe / yf there come enemyes to the [Page] castell / and call to the capytayn and byd hym delyuer them this castell. The capytayne cometh and openeth theym the gates / & delyuereth the keyes. Now is this castell soone wonne / & this capytayne is a false tray­tour to the lorde. But let the capytayn arme hym selfe and shyt the gates / & stand styfly vpon the walles / & to cōmaūde them to auoyde at theyr peryll / they wyll nat tary to make any assaute. Ryght so euery man is capytayne of his owne soule / & yf thy ghostely enemy come & tempte the / & thou that arte capytayn of thyne owne soule wyll open the gates & delyuer hym y ^• keys & let hym in / thy soule is sone taken prysoner / & thou a false traitour to thy soule / & worthy to be punysshed in pryson for euer. And yf thou arme thy selfe & stand styfly agaynst hym / and wyll nat consent to hym / he wyll auoyde & flye away / & thou shalte haue a greate rewarde for withstandynge of the sayd temptacyon.

ALmes dedes pleaseth god very moche / and it is a greate sygne that thou louest bothe god & thy neyghboure. And he of whome almes is asked ought to consydre thre thynges / that is to saye / who asketh almes / what he asketh / & wher vnto he asketh Now to the fyrst / who asketh almes. Deꝰ petit. God asketh. For saynt Jerom sayth. Quia deꝰ adeo diligit pauperes (quam) quicquid fit eis propter amorem suum [...] reputat sibi factum. That is to saye: bycause that god loueth pore men so moche / what some euer thynge is gyuen vnto them for the loue of hym? he taketh it as [Page lxii] it were done to hym selfe / as it is sayd in his gospell. Quod vni ex minimis meis fecistis / michi feecistis.

That thynge that ye gyue or do to y ^e leste of those that be myne / ye do it to me. Than to the second / what as­keth god. Non nostrum / sed suum. He asketh not that thynge that is ours / but that thynge that is his own As sayth the ꝓphete Dauid. Tua sunt dn̄e oia / et que de manu tua accepimus tibi dedimus. Good lorde / all thynges be thyne / and those thynges that we haue taken of the? of those haue we gyuen the. Than to the thyrde. where vnto god dothe aske. He asketh nat to gyue hym? but al onely to borow. Non tamen ad tri­plos / sꝪ imo ad centuplas. Nat all only to haue thryse so moche / but for sothe to haue an hondred tymes so moche. As saynt Austyn sayeth. Miser homo quid ve­neraris / homini venerare deo et centuplū accipies / et vitam eternā possidebis. Thou wretched man / why doest thou worshyp or drede man / worshyp thou god & drede hym / & thou shalte receyue an hondred tymes so moche / and haue in possessyon euerlastyng lyfe / the whiche many tolde passeth all other rewardes. Pro­uerbiorum. xiiii. Ueneratur dn̄s qui miseretur paupe ribus. He worshyppeth our lorde that hathe mercy & pyte on pore folkes. And the glose therof sayth. Cen­tuplum accepturus. And thou shalte receyue an hon­dred tymes so moche. ¶ And it is to be vnderstande that there be thre maner of almes dedes / that is to saye. Egenti largire quicquid poteris / dimittere eis a quibus Jesus fueris. Errantem corrigere / et in viam veritatis reducere. That is to saye / to gyue to the ne­dy what thou well mayst / to forgyue them that haue [Page] trespaced to the / and to correcte them that do amysse / and to brynge them into the way of ryght.

OGenti largire quidqd poteris Gyue to the nedy what thou well may / for our lorde sayth in his gospell. Date elemosinam et oia munda sunt vobis: et alibi date et dabitur vobis. Gyue almes & all worldly ryches is yours / gyue? and it shal be gyuen to you. Almes dede is a holy thynge / it encreaseth a mannes welthe / it maketh lesse a mānes synnes / it lengthyns a mannes lyfe / it maketh a man of good mynde / it de layeth yll tymes / & closeth all thynges / it delyuereth a man fro dethe / it ioyneth a man with aungels / and seuereth hym fro the deuyl / & is lyke a wall vnable to [...] foughten agaynst. And saynt James sayth. Sicut aqua ertinguit ignem / ita elemonisa extinguit pecca tum. As water slaketh fyre? so doth almes dede slake synne. Salamon sayth. Qui dat pauperi▪ non indige bit. He that gyueth vnto a pore man shal neuer haue nede / and also he sayth. Qui obturat aurem suam ad clamorem pauperis / et ipse clamabit et non exaudie­tur. He that stoppeth his eare at the clamour or crye of a pore man (he shall crye) and he shall not be gra­cyously herde. There may no man excuse hym frome gyuynge of almes / thoughe he be but pore. And lette hym do as the poore wydowe dyd that offered a fer­thynge / wherfore she had more thanke and rewarde of god? than the ryche men that offered golde. And yf thou may nat gyue a ferthynge? gyue lesse / or gyue [Page lxiii] fayre wordes or good iformacyō / ensample / & tok [...] and god shall rewarde the bothe for thy dede and for thy good wyll. And that thou doest? do it with a good wyll. For saynt Paule sayth. Hilarem datorem dili­git deus. God dothe loue a glad gyuer / & that it be of true begoten goodes. For Salomon sayeth. De tuis iustus laboribus ministra pauperibus. Of thy trewe laboures mynystre and gyue to the poore folkes. For Isodorus saith. Qui iniuste tollit▪ iuste nun (quam) tribuit He that taketh wrongfully? can nat gyue truly. For it is wryten. Ecclesiastict. xxxv. Qui de rapinis / aut vsu [...]is / aut de fu [...]to unmo lat: est quasi qui coram pa­tre victimat filium. He that offereth of the godes that he getteth by extorcyon / vsury / or thefte / he is lyke as a man slew the sone in the presence of the father / thou mayst ryght well know: the father wolde nat be well cōtent. No more wolde god be pleased with the gyfte of suche begoten goodes.

DImittere eis a quibꝰ Iesus fueris. To forgyue theym that haue trespaced to the / wherin thou shalt please god moche. For it is in the gospel of saynt Marke. xi. Si non dimiseritis aliis / nec pater ves [...] erceles [...] is di [...]et vobis p [...]tā vestra. If you forgyue nat: the father of Heuen wyll nat forgyue the thy synnes. ¶ Also & yf thou do not forgyue other? thou shalte be founde a lyer / as ofte as thou sayst thy Pater noster. where thou sayst. Et dimitte nobis debita nostra: si­cut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. And for­gyue [Page] to vs our dettes / as we forgyue to our detters. By these dettes may be vnderstāde the thynges that we ought to do to god / and do nat them. And also the trespaces and the synne that we haue offend god in? that we aske mercy of. And yf thou wylt nat forgyue thou mayst nat aske mercy of ryght. Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis remisietur vobis. The same mea­sure that ye do meate other men by? the same shall be moten to you. Dimittere autem rancorē et maliciam om̄ino necessitatis est / dimitere vero actionē et emen dam opus est consilij. To forgyue al rancour and malyce that a man oweth to the in his harte / thou arte bounde of necessyte to forgyue? but to forgyue all the hole trespace: or to leue thyne accyon or a reasonable mendes. Therfore it is but a dede of mercy yf thou so do / and no synne though thou sue the lawe with cha­ryte. But and a man haue done to the a trespace / and that thou arte gladde that he hathe so done / that thou mayst haue a quarell / a matter / or an accyon agaynst hym / and now of malyce and yll wyll? thou wylt sue hym / rather than for the trespace / now thou synnest dedly / bycause thou doest it rather of malyce than for the trespace / and than hast thou lost thy charyte. Prouerbio (rum). xxxij. Qui pronus est ad misericordiam bene dicetur. He that is redy to forgyue / shall be blessed.

ERrantem corrigere / et in viam veritatis redu­cere. To correct a mysdoer / and to brynge hym into the waye of ryght. It is to be vnderstande that [Page lxiiii] there be thre maner of correccyons. The fyrst correccyon is of an enmy / the second is of a frende / and the thyrde correccyon is of a iustyce. The fyrst sayth Cri­sostome. Corripe nō vt hostis expetens vindictā / sed vt medicus instituens medicinam. Correct nat as an enemy doynge vengeauns / but as a physycyon or surgyon: mynystrynge or gyuynge a medycyne. To the seconde sayth Salomon. Plus proficit amica correc­tio (quam) correctio turbulenta. A frendely correccyon profyteth more than a troublous correccyon / for & yf thou speke curteysly to a man that hath offended / and with swete wordes of compassyon / he shall rather be conuerted by them / than with hye wordes of greate punysshement. And Isodorus sayeth. Qui per verba blanda castigatus non corrigetur / acrius necesse est vt arguatur. He that wyll nat be chastysed by fayre wordes? it is necessary that he be more hardlyer and straitlyer reproued or punysshed. To the thyrde sayth saynt Jerome. Equū iudiciū est vbi nō ꝑsona sed oꝑa cōsiderātur. There is an euyll iudgement / where the persone is nat regarded / but the warkes are cōsydred And also it is writen. Reddet vnicu [...] (que) iuxta oꝑa sua. He shal yelde vnto euery man after his warkes. And saynt Austyn sayth. Sicut meliores sunt quos corri­git amor / ita plures sūt quos corrigit timor. As those be better that be chastysed by loue? there be many mo that be chastysed by feare. For and they feared nat the punysshement of the lawe? there wolde be but a fewe chastysed by loue. And saynt Gregory sayth. Faciētis procul dubio culpā habet qui qd potest corrigere negligit emendare / et illicita nō prohibere consensus err [...] [Page] ris est. He that may correcte and dothe nat / he taketh the offence to hym selfe of the dede / and he that dothe nat forbyd vnlaufull thynges? cōsenteth to the same.

IN myne opynyon / it is to be in despayre of the mercy of god. ¶ And therfore what so euer thou hast done or offēded god / in worde / warke / thought / or dede / be neuer i despayre for it, for Isodorus sayth Qui veniā de p [...]tō desꝑat / plus de desperatiōe peccat (quam) de culpa cadit. He y ^• despayreth to haue forgyuenes of his synnes? he synneth more in despayring than he dyd in y ^e synne doynge. For saynt Jerom sayth. Ma­gis offendebat Judas deū in hoc qd se suspendit? (quam) in hoc (quam) eum tradidit. Judas offended god more in that [...] he hanged hym selfe? than he dyd whan he betrayed god. For god sayth in his gospell. Nolo mortē p [...]tōris sed magis vt cōuertatur et viuat. I wyll nat y ^e deth of of a synner? but rather that he may be cōuerted & lyue. And also saith. Nō veni b [...]care iustos / sed p [...]tōres ad penitentiam. I am nat come to call ryghtwyse men: but to cal synners to do penaūce. For thou can nat so sone crye god mercy w ^t thy herte / but he is as redy to chaūge his sentence & to graunte y ^e mercy & forgyue­nes of all thy synnes. For saynt Austyn sayth. Sicut scintilla ignis in medio maris? sic om̄is impietas viri ad misericordiā dei. As a sparke of fyre is in cōparysō able to drye vp all the water in the see? no more is all the wyckednes of man vnto the mercyfulnes of god. [Page lxv] And therfore it is cōuenyent that a man sholde be pe­nytente / contryte / & aske god mercy & forgyuenes of his synnes & offences that he hathe done / wherof spe­keth Crysostome. Nemo ad deum aliquando flens ac­cessit quod nō postulauerit accepit. No mā hath gone any tyme wepynge to god / but he hathe taken or had that thynge that he hath asked. And saynt Bernarde sayth. Plus cruciāt lacrime p [...]tōris diabolū (quam) omne genus tormento (rum). The teres of a synner turmenteth the deuyll more / than all other kyndes of turmentes. And saynt Austyn sayth. Acriores dolores demonibꝰ non inferrimus (quam) cum p [...]tā nostra penitendo et confitendo plangimꝰ. we cā nat do more sharper sorowes to the deuyll / than whan we wayle or wepe in cōfes­syon / & doynge of penaūce. And that may be well proued by Mary Magdaleyn whan she kneled downe & cryed god mercy / & kyst his fete / & wasshed them with the teares of her eyen / & wyped them with the heare of her hede / to whō our lord sayd / as is in his gospell. Dimuttuntur tibi p [...]tā tua. Thy synnes are forgyuē to the / and also sayd to her. Fides te saluū fecit / vade in pace. Thy sayth hath saued the / go thou in peace. To the whiche mercy and peace I beseche almyghty Jesu brynge all chrysten soules.

Amen.

BE it knowen to all men both spyrytuall & temporall / that I make protestacyon before god & man that I entende nat to wryte any thynge that is or may be contrary to the faythe of Ehryste & all holy chyrche. But I am redy to reuoke my saynge / yf any [Page] thynge haue passed my mouthe for wante of lernyng and to submyt my selfe to correccyon / and my boke to reformacyon. And as touchynge the poyntes of hus­bandry / and of other artycles conteyned in this pre­sent boke / I wyll nat say that it is the best way and wyll serue best in all places / but I saye it is the best waye that euer I coulde proue by experyence / the whiche haue ben an housholder this. xl. yeres & more And haue assayd many and dyuers wayes / and done my dylygence to proue by experyence whiche sholde be the best way.