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Title: The Book of Husbandry

Author: Anthony Fitzherbert

Editor: Walter W. Skeat

Release date: July 7, 2018 [eBook #57457]

Language: English

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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOOK OF
HUSBANDRY ***

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
There were many quite different printings of this Book of Husbandry. As the editor of this printing,
Rev. Walter Skeat, notes in his Introduction: “The present volume contains a careful reprint of
Berthelet’s edition of 1534” collated throughout “with the curious edition of 1598” that was
authored by “I. R.”—his actual name is unknown.
This “careful reprint” retains all the spelling variations and inconsistencies of those original
editions, and so does this etext. The Notes and Sidenotes produced by Skeat are of course in
modern (1882) English. He has inserted some corrections to the reprinted text; these are shown in
[brackets]. Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors in his Notes and Sidenotes have
been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of
external sources.
Some minor changes are listed at the end of the book.
Footnote anchors are denoted by [number], and the footnotes have been placed at the end of each
major section of the book.
The line numbering on each section of the reprinted 1534 text has been retained and is shown as a
number (4, 8, 12 etc) on the left side of the etext. Original line-breaks in the 1534 text have not
been retained.

FITZHERBERT’S

B O O K O F H U S B A N D R Y.
1534.

The

Book of H u s b a n d ry ,
BY

M AS T E R F I T Z HE RBE RT.

Reprinted from the Edition of 1 5 34 ,

AND EDITED

WITH AN INTRODUCTION, NOTES, AND GLOSSARIAL INDEX,

BY

THE REV. WALTER W. SKEAT, M.A.,
ELRINGTON AND BOSWORTH PROFESSOR OF ANGLO-SAXON IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE.

LONDON:
PUBLISHED FOR THE ENGLISH DIALECT SOCIETY
BY TRÜBNER & CO., LUDGATE HILL.
1882.

HERTFORD:
PRINTED BY STEPHEN AUSTIN AND SONS.

CONTENTS.
PAGE
Introduction vii
The Author’s Prologue 1
The Table (which see) 3
The Book of Husbandry 9
Notes 127
Glossarial Index 149

INTRODUCTION.
One question of chief interest respecting the volume here printed is—who
was the author? We know that his name was “Mayster Fitzherbarde” (see p.
125), and the question that has to be settled is simply this—may we identify
him with Sir Anthony Fitzherbert, judge of the Common Pleas, the author
of the Grand Abridgment of the Common Law, the New Natura Brevium,
and other legal works?
The question has been frequently discussed, and, as far as I have been
able to discover, the more usual verdict of the critics is in favour of the
supposed identity; and certainly all the evidence tends very strongly in that
direction, as will, I think, presently appear.
Indeed, when we come to investigate the grounds on which the
objections to the usually received theory rest, they appear to be exceedingly
trivial; nor have I been very successful in discovering the opposed
arguments. Bohn’s edition of Lowndes’ Bibliographer’s Manual merely tells
us that “the treatises on Husbandry and Surveying are by some attributed to
the famous lawyer Sir Anthony Fitzherbert, by others to his brother John
Fitzherbert.”
In the Catalogue of the Huth Library, we find this note: “The Rev. Joseph
Hunter was the first person to point out that the author of this work
[Fitzherbert’s Husbandry] and the book on Surveying was a different person
from the judge of the same name.” It will be at once observed that this note
is practically worthless, from the absence of the reference. After
considerable search, I have been unable to discover where Hunter’s
statement is to be found, so that the nature of his objections can only be
guessed at.
In Walter Harte’s Essays on Husbandry (ii. 77) we read—“How
Fitzherbert could be a practitioner of the art of agriculture for 40 years, as

he himself says in 1534, is pretty extraordinary. I suppose it was his country
amusement in the periodical recesses between the terms.” We are here
presented with a definite objection, grounded, as is alleged, upon the
author’s own words; and it is most probable that Harte is here stating the
objection which has weighed most strongly with those who (like Hunter)
have objected to the current opinion. The answer to the objection is, I think,
not a little remarkable, viz. that the alleged statement is not the author’s at
all. By turning to p. 125, it will be seen that it was Thomas Berthelet the
printer who said that the author “had exercysed husbandry, with greate
experyence, xl. years.” But the author’s own statement, on p. 124, is
differently worded; and the difference is material. He says: “and, as
touchynge the poyntes of husbandry, and of other artycles conteyned in this
present boke, I wyll not saye that it is the beste waye and wyll serue beste in
all places, but I saye it is the best way that euer I coude proue by
experyence, the whiche haue ben an housholder this xl. yeres and more, and
haue assaied many and dyuers wayes, and done my dyligence to proue by
experyence which shuld be the beste waye.” The more we weigh these
words, the more we see a divergence between them and the construction
which might readily be put upon the words of Berthelet; a construction
which, in all probability, Berthelet did not specially intend. Any reader who
hastily glances at Berthelet’s statement would probably deduce from it that
the author was a farmer merely, who had had forty years’ experience in
farming. But this is not what we should deduce from the more careful
statement of the author. We should rather notice these points.
1. The author does not speak of husbandry only, but of other points. The
other points are the breeding of horses (not a necessary part of a farmer’s
business), the selling of wood and timber, grafting of trees, a long discourse
upon prodigality, remarks upon gaming, a discussion of “what is riches,”
and a treatise upon practical religion, illustrated by Latin quotations from
the fathers, and occupying no small portion of the work. This is not the
work of a practical farmer, in the narrow acceptation of the term, meaning
thereby one who farms to live; but it is clearly the work of a country
gentleman, rich in horses and in timber, acquainted with the extravagant
mode of life often adopted by the wealthy, and at the same time given to
scholarly pursuits and to learned and devout reading. Indeed, the
prominence given to religious teaching can hardly fail to surprise a reader
who expects to find in the volume nothing more than hints upon practical

agriculture. One chapter has a very suggestive heading, viz. “A lesson made
in Englysshe verses, that a gentylmans seruaunte shall forget none of his
gere in his inne behynde hym” (p. 7). This is obviously the composition of a
gentleman himself, and of one accustomed to take long journeys upon
horseback, and to stay at various inns on the way.[1]
2. Again he says, “it is the best way that euer I coude proue by
experyence, the whiche ... haue assaied many and dyuers wayes, and done
my dyligence to proue by experyence which shuld be the beste waye.”
Certainly this is not the language of one who farmed for profit, but of the
experimental farmer, the man who could afford to lose if things went
wrong, one to whom farming was an amusement and a recreation, and who
delighted in trying various modes that he might benefit those who, unlike
himself, could not afford to try any way but that which had long been
known.
3. We must note the language in which he describes himself. He does not
say that he had “exercised husbandry” for forty years, but that he had “been
a householder” during that period. The two things are widely different. His
knowledge of agriculture was, so to speak, accidental; his real employment
had been to manage a household, or, as we should rather now say, to “keep
house.” This, again, naturally assigns to him the status of a country
gentleman, who chose to superintend everything for himself, and to gain a
practical acquaintance with everything upon his estate, viz. his lands, his
cattle, his horses, his bees, his trees, his felled timber, and the rest; not
forgetting his duties as a man of rank in setting a good example,
discouraging waste, giving attention to prayer and almsgiving, and to his
necessary studies. “He that can rede and vnderstande latyne, let hym take
his booke in his hande, and looke stedfastely vppon the same thynge that he
readeth and seeth, that is no trouble to hym,” etc. (p. 115). Are we to
suppose that it could be said generally, of farmers in the time of Henry
VIII., that Latin was “no trouble to them”? If so, things must have greatly
changed.
I have spoken of the above matter at some length, because I much
suspect that the words used by Berthelet are the very words which have
biassed, entirely in the wrong direction, the minds of such critics as have
found a difficulty where little exists. It ought to be particularly borne in
mind that Berthelet’s expression, though likely to mislead now, was not

calculated to do so at the time, when the authorship of the book was
doubtless well known. And we shall see presently that Berthelet himself
entirely believed Sir Anthony to have been the author of this Book on
Husbandry.
Another objection that has been raised is founded upon the apparent
strangeness of the title “Mayster Fitz-herbarde” as applied to a judge. The
answer is most direct and explicit, viz. that the printer who uses this title did
so wittingly, for he is the very man who helps us to identify our author with
the great lawyer. It is therefore simply impossible that he could have seen
any incongruity in it, and any objection founded upon it must be wholly
futile. The title of master was used in those days very differently to what it
is now. Foxe, in his Actes and Monuments, ed. 1583, p. 1770, tells us how
“maister Latymer” encouraged “maister Ridley,” when both were at the
stake; and, chancing to open Holinshed’s History (ed. 1808, iii. 754), I find
a discourse between Wolsey and Sir William Kingston, Constable of the
Tower, in which the latter is called “master Kingston” throughout.
I cannot find that there is any reason for assigning the composition of the
Book of Husbandry to John Fitzherbert, Sir Anthony’s brother. It is a mere
guess, founded only upon the knowledge that Sir Anthony had such a
brother. It looks as though the critics who wish to deprive Sir Anthony of
the honour of the authorship think they must concede somewhat, and
therefore suggest his brother’s name by way of compensation.
We have no proof that John Fitzherbert ever wrote anything, whilst Sir
Anthony was a well-known author. All experience shows that a man who
writes one book is likely to write another.
When we leave these vague surmises and come to consider the direct
evidence, nearly all difficulties cease. And first, as to external evidence.
The author of the Book of Husbandry was also author of the Book of
Surveying, as has always been seen and acknowledged.[2] The first piece of
distinct evidence on the subject is the statement of Thomas Berthelet. He
prefixed some verses to Pynson’s edition of the Book of Surveying (1523),
addressing the reader as follows:

“ This worthy man / nobly hath done his payne
I meane hym / that these sayde bokes[3] dyd deuyse.
He sheweth to husbandes / in right fruteful wyse
The manyfolde good thynges / in brefe sentence
Whiche he hath well proued / by long experyence.
¶ And this[4] I leaue hym / in his good wyll and mynde
That he beareth / vnto the publyke weale.
Wolde god noblemen / coude in their hertes fynde
After such forme / for the cōmons helth to deale;
It is a true token / of hyghe loue and zeale
Whan he so delyteth / and taketh pleasure
By his busy labour / mens welth to procure.”

This cannot well be mistaken. It is obvious that Berthelet believed the
author to be a nobleman, one who “shewed things to husbands” which he
had gained by his own “long experience;” one who wrote out of the “good
will and mind that he bare unto the public weal,” thereby proving his “high
love and zeal,” in that he delighted “to procure men’s wealth,” i.e. the
welfare of others, not his own riches, by means of his “busy labour.” We
hence conclude that Berthelet knew perfectly well who the author was; and
indeed it would have been strange if he did not, since he was writing in
1523 (while the author was still alive), and subsequently printed both the
books of which he is here speaking. He plainly tells us that the author was a
nobleman, and merely wrote to benefit others out of pure love and zeal.
But this is not Berthelet’s only allusion to these books. In an edition of
the Book of Surveying, printed by Berthelet,[5] there are some remarks by
him at the back of the title-page to the following effect. “To the reder. Whan
I had printed the boke longyng to a Justice of the peace, togither with other
small bokes very necessary, I bethought me vpon this boke of Surueyenge,
compyled sometyme by master Fitzherbarde, how good and howe profitable
it is for all states, that be lordes and possessioners of landes, ... or tenauntes
of the same, ... also how well it agreeth with the argument of the other small
bokes, as court-baron, court-hundred, and chartuary, I went in hande and
printed it in the same volume that the other be, to binde them al-togither.
And haue amended it in many places.”
The mention of “the boke longyng to a Justice of the peace” is
interesting, as bringing us back again to Sir Anthony Fitzherbert. “In 1538,”
says Mr. Wallis,[6] Robert Redman printed “The newe Boke of Justices of

the Peas, by A. F. K. [Anthony Fitzherbert, Knight], lately translated out of
French into English, In the yere of our Lord God, M.D.xxxviii. The 29 day
of December, Cum priuilegio.”[7] Mr. Hobson’s list (Hist. Ashborne, p. 234)
mentions this as “the first work on the subject ever printed,” but this is not
the case. Wynkyn de Worde and Copland both printed, as early as 1515,
“The Boke of Justices of the Peas, the charge, with al the proces of the
Cessyons, Warrants, Superseders, wyth al that longyth to ony justice, &c.”
It is not pretended that this was our author’s work; but he improved upon it,
as he did also upon the Natura Brevium. In his preface to La Novel Natura
Brevium (Berthelet, 1534), he says that the original book was written by a
learned man, whom he does not name: and that it was esteemed as a
fundamental book for understanding the law. In the course of its
translations, and of the alteration of the laws, many things had been retained
which were unnecessary, and much desirable matter was omitted. This was
what induced him to compose the new one.
Upon this I have to remark, that it is incredible that Berthelet should
mention a work which he knew to be by Sir Anthony Fitzherbert in one line,
and in the next should proceed to speak of “Master Fitzherbarde” without a
word of warning that he was speaking of a different person. The obvious
inference is that the author of the Book on Surveying was, in his belief, the
same person as the “A. F. K.” who wrote “the boke longyng to a Justice of
the peace.” As it is, he takes no trouble about the matter; for he could hardly
foresee that any difficulty would thence arise. It is remarkable how
frequently writers just stop short of being explicit, because they think that,
at the moment of writing, a fact is too notorious to be worth mentioning.
Here the direct external evidence ceases. We now come to consider the
internal evidence, which is interesting enough.
In the first place, the author of the Book of Husbandry was also the
author of the Book of Surveying, as he tells us explicitly in his prologue to
the latter book. But whoever wrote the Book of Surveying must have been a
considerable lawyer. It is of a far more learned and technical character than
the Book on Husbandry, and abounds with quotations from Latin statutes,
which the author translates and explains. In Chap. 1 he says of a certain
statute, that, in his opinion, it was made soon after the Battle of Evesham, in
the time of Henry III.; and he frequently interprets statutes with the air of
one whose opinion was worth having. In Chap, xi., he enlarges upon the

mistakes made by lords, knights, squires, and gentlemen who know but
little of the law. “They come to the court or sende their clerkes, that can
[know] as litle law as their maister or lasse, but that he vnderstandeth a
lytell latyn.” At the end of the same chapter, he is deep in law-terms, court-
roll, fee simple, fee tayle, franke tenement, and all the rest of it. He then
gives numerous forms, all in Latin, to be used by owners who wish to lease,
grant, or surrender lands; but only a good lawyer would venture to
recommend forms suitable for such important purposes.
Some other points of internal evidence have already been incidentally
noticed, such as the author’s familiarity with the mode of life of the rich; his
lesson made for “a gentylmans seruaunte”; his readiness to try many ways
of farming as an experimentalist who could afford to lose money; and his
statement that Latin was no trouble to him. I proceed to notice a few more.
Something further can be inferred from the author’s mention of places.
He speaks of so many counties, as Cornwall, Devon, Essex, Kent,
Somerset, Buckinghamshire, Yorkshire, and Lancashire, that we can at first
obtain no definite result. But there is an express allusion to “the peeke
countreye” at p. 44; whilst at p. 81 he alludes to the parts about London by
using the adverb “there,” as if it were not his home. Yet that he was
perfectly familiar with London is obvious from his allusions to it in chap.
xix. of the Book on Surveying. But there are two more explicit references
which are worth notice. At p. 27, he speaks of “the farther syde of
Darbyshyre, called Scaresdale, Halomshyre, and so northewarde towarde
Yorke and Ryppon.” Now Scarsdale is one of the six “hundreds” of
Derbyshire, and includes the country about Dronfield and Chesterfield;
whilst Hallamshire is a name given to a part of Yorkshire lying round and
including Sheffield. We hence fairly deduce the inference that the author
lived on the western side of Derbyshire, in the neighbourhood of Ashborne,
so that he looked upon Chesterfield as lying on the farther side of the
country, and at the same time northward, which is precisely the fact. We are
thus led to locate the author in the very neighbourhood of Sir Anthony
Fitzherbert’s home.
Again, at p. 65, he says that if he were to say too much about the faults of
horses, he would break the promise that he made “at Grombalde brydge,”
the first time that he went to Ripon to buy colts. After some search as to the
place here intended, I found, in Allen’s History of Yorkshire, that one of the

bridges over the Nidd near Knaresborough is called “Grimbald bridge;”[8]
and, seeing that Knaresborough is exactly due south of Ripon, it follows
that the author came from the south of Knaresborough. We seem, in fact, to
trace the general direction of his first ride to Ripon, viz. from his home to
the farther side of Derbyshire, through the northwest corner of Scarsdale to
Sheffield, and “so northward” through Leeds and Knaresborough. Nothing
can be more satisfactory.
A very interesting point is the author’s love of farming and of horses. As
to horses, he tells us how he first went to Ripon to buy colts (p. 65); how
many secrets of horse-dealing he could tell; how, in buying horses, he had
been beguiled a hundred times and more (p. 63); how he used to say to his
customers that, if ever they ventured to trust any horse-dealer, they had
better trust himself (p. 73); and how he had in his possession at one time as
many as sixty mares, and five or six horses (p. 60). In this connection, it
becomes interesting to inquire if Sir Anthony Fitzherbert was fond of horses
likewise.
It so happens that this question can certainly be answered in the
affirmative; and I have here to acknowledge, with pleasure and gratitude,
the assistance which I have received from one of the family,[9] the Rev.
Reginald Fitzherbert, of Somersal Herbert, Derbyshire. He has been at the
trouble of transcribing Sir Anthony’s will, a complete copy of which he
contributed to “The Reliquary,” No. 84, vol. xxi. April, 1881, p. 234. I here
insert, by his kind permission, his remarks upon the subject, together with
such extracts from the will as seem most material for our present purpose.
“The following will of Sir Anthony Fitzherbert, of Norbury, is
transcribed from the Office Copy at Somerset House (Dingley, fol. 20), and
is now printed, as I believe, for the first time. The contractions have been
written out in extenso.
“Sir Anthony married, secondly, the co-heir of Richard Cotton, and with
her he acquired the estate of Hampstall Ridware, which he probably kept in
his own hands, and farmed himself. He succeeded his brother John at
Norbury in 1531, and died there in 1538, aged 68.
“Fuller, in his Worthies, says that Sir Anthony Fitzherbert’s books are
‘monuments which will longer continue his Memory than the flat blew
marble stone in Norbury Church under which he lieth interred.’ Camden

(Gibson’s ed. 1753, vol. i. p. 271) calls him Chief Justice of the Common
Pleas; but Thoroton (Notts., ed. 1677, p. 344) says, ‘I do not find that
Anthony Fitzherbert was ever Chief Justice;’ and it does not appear that he
was more than, as he describes himself, ‘oon of the kings Justices.’”
Extracts from
Testamentum Anthonii Fitzherbert.
“In nomine patris et filii et spiritus sancti Amen.”
“I Anthony ffitzherbert oon of the kings Justices being hole in body and of parfite
remembraunce thankes to almighty god make my last will and testament the xii day of
October in the xxix th yere of the Reign of king Henry the eight [10] in fourme folowing ffirst I
bequeth my soule to almighty god my saviour criste my Redemer and to our blissed Lady his
mother and to Mighel my patron and to all the holy company of hevyn....

And I bequethe XLs to amende the high wayes [11] bitwixt Abbottes Bromley [and]
Vttaxather. And to sir Thomas ffitzwilliam Lord Admyrall fyve markes and the best horsse or
gelding that I haue. And to Humfrey Cotton V markes to ffraunces Cotton fyve markes and a
gelding or a horsse of XLs price. And to euery of my housholde seruentes a quarter wagis
besides their wagis due. And to euery of my seruentes that be used to Ryde with me [12] oon
heyffer of two yere olde and vpward or ellse oon felde Colt of that age.
And to sir Henry Sacheuerell and to sir William Basset to euery of them oon horsse Colt of
twoo yeres olde and aboue....
And tenne kyne and a bull and VIII oxen and a wayn and the ploez and other thinges
longing to a wayne, to remayn at Rydwar for heire Lomes. And XII mares, and a stallande,
and VI. fetherbeddes and VI mattresses and Couerynges blankettes shetes and Counterpoyntes
thereunto to logge honest gentilmen, and to remain at Rydwar for heire lomes to the heires
males of ffitzherbert....
And I will that Kateryn my doughter haue foure bullockes and four heiffers and twoo
ffetherbeddes and twoo bolsters and twoo mattresse and bolsters for them and shetes
blankettes and other stuffe to make hir twoo good beddis yf I geve hir non by my life....
And where I caused Thomas ffitzherbert to surrendre the Indenture of the fferme of the
parsonage of Castelton in the Peeke to the Abbot of Vayll Royal to the intent, to thentent (sic)
that I and he shulde haue fourty yeres terme therin more then was in the olde Indenture, And
to take a newe leesse for terme of threscore and tenne yeres which olde leesse the same
Thomas had by the mariage of the doughter and heire of sir Arthur Eyre whiche sir Arthur
Eyre willed that his bastard sonne shulde haue fyve markes yerely of the profites of the same
fferme as apperith by his wille wherfor I will that the same bastard sonne haue the same fyve
markes according to the same will And the Residue of the profites of the same fferme I will
and require the same Thomas my sonne that John ffitzherbert his brother may haue the
profites therof during his lyfe And after his decesse Richard ffitzherbert his brother And I will
that my fferme at Caldon And the fferme that I haue of the King And the howe Grange Remain
to my heires males of Norbury And I will that the lande that I purchased at Whittington
besides Lichefelde goo foreuer to kepe the obite at North wynfelde for my brother doctour

soule according to his will and to be made sure—therfor as moche as may reasonably be
devised therfor to stande with the lawe yf I do not assigne other landes therfor hereafter....
And I will that my Cosyn Richard Coton haue one good amblyng Colt or oon good horsse of
myn to Ryde on by the discrecion of my wife and my son Thomas to be deliuered And to my
Cosyn Alice his wyfe oon of my best habites with the Cloke and Hood and the Lynyng and the
furr of the same. Written the day and yere abouesaid.”

The will was proved at Lichfield, August 26, 1538.
I may add that the will mentions his wife dame Maude, his son Thomas,
his three younger sons John, Richard, and William, and his daughter
Kateryn; also his cousin Richard Coton and his wife Alice. Thomas
Fitzherbert married the daughter of Sir Arthur Eyre.
It hence appears that Sir Anthony had no less than three farms, one at
Castleton in the Peak, one at Caldon in Staffordshire, near Dove Dale, and a
farm which he held of the King; besides the How Grange and some land at
Whittington near Lichfield, as also some purchased lands and tenements in
the counties of Stafford, Northampton, and Warwick, mentioned in a part of
the will which I have not quoted. There was also the estate of Hampstall
Ridware in Staffordshire, to which he attached considerable importance,
directing his heir-looms to be kept there. He also makes mention, in all, of
six horses (including a stallion and two geldings), twelve mares, three colts,
one bull, four bullocks, five heifers, eight oxen, and ten cows, though it is
obvious that these by no means include all his stock, but merely a selection
from it. All this precisely agrees with the statements in the Book of
Husbandry.
I do not think it necessary to pursue the subject further, but a word must
be added as to the chronology. Not having seen the first edition of the Book
of Husbandry printed by Pynson in 1523, I cannot certainly say whether the
statement that the author had “been a householder for 40 years” occurs
there. It occurs, however, in an undated edition by Peter Treuerys,[13] which
is certainly the second edition, and printed between 1521 and 1531, as
Treuerys is only known to have printed books during that period. Now this
edition professes to have corrections and additions, the title being—“Here
bygynneth a newe tracte or treatis moost profytable for all husbande men /
and very [frutefu]ll for all other persones to rede / newly cor[rected] &
amended by the auctour with to dyuerse other thynges added thervnto;” and
it agrees very closely with the copy here printed. The date assigned for Sir

Anthony Fitzherbert’s birth is 1470. If we suppose him to have begun
housekeeping at 21, a period of 40 years will bring us to 1531, which is not
inconsistent with his statement, if such be the date of the copy above
mentioned. If, however, it should appear that the statement exists even in
the first edition printed in 1523, then the “forty years” would lead us to
suppose that, if the assigned date of his birth be correct, Sir Anthony began
to be a householder, in his own estimation, at the early age of twelve or
thirteen. This is of course a difficulty, but not an insuperable one, for the
phrase “have been a householder” is somewhat vague, and the phrase “forty
years or more” has rather the air of a rhetorical flourish.
It may here be noticed that Berthelet’s first edition (here reprinted) has
nothing on the title-page but the words “The Boke of Hvsbandry,” with the
date 1534 below. Later reprints which follow Berthelet have accordingly no
statement as to the book being “newly corrected and amended by the
auctour,” etc.; whilst those which follow Treuerys naturally copy it. This
accounts for the fact that the later editions are, to the best of my belief, all
very much the same, and that the claim to possess “corrections and
amendments” means practically nothing, except with reference to the first
edition only.
Of Sir Anthony Fitzherbert, one of the best accounts seems to be that
given in the Biographia Britannica, 1750, vol. iii. p. 1935, where Camden’s
statement as to his being “Chief Justice” is refuted. Briefly recapitulated,
this account tells us that he was born in 1470, and was the younger son of
Ralph Fitzherbert, Esq., of Norbury in Derbyshire; that he went to Oxford,
and thence to the Inns of Court; was made a serjeant-at-law, Nov. 18, 1511;
was knighted in 1516; was made one of his majesty’s serjeants-at-law, and
finally one of the Justices of the Court of Common Pleas in 1523. He died
May 27, 1538, and was buried at Norbury. “Two things are mentioned in
reference to his conduct; first, that, without fear of his power, he openly
opposed Cardinal Wolsey in the heighth of his favour; the other, that, when
he came to lie upon his death-bed, foreseeing the changes that were like to
happen in the Church as well as State, he pressed his children in very strong
terms to promise him solemnly, neither to accept grants, nor to make
purchases of abbey-lands; which it is said they did, and adhered constantly
to that promise, though much to their own loss.” The authorities referred to
are Pits, De Illustribus Angliæ Scriptoribus, p. 707; Wood, Athenæ

Oxonienses, i. col. 50; Fuller, Worthies, Derbyshire, p. 233; Tanner,
Bibliotheca Britannico-Hibernica, p. 283; Chronica Juridicialia, pp. 153,
155., etc.
The number of editions of the Book of Husbandry is so large, and many
of these are nevertheless so scarce, that I do not suppose the list here
subjoined is exhaustive; nor have I much information about some of them. I
merely mention what I have found, with some authorities.
1. A newe tracte or treatyse moost profytable for all Husbandemen, and
very frutefull for all other persons to rede. London: by Rycharde Pynson.
4to. (1523). See Typographical Antiquities, by Ames and Herbert, ed.
Dibdin, ii. 503. This is the first edition, and very rare. It was described by
Dibdin from Heber’s copy, supposed to be unique. See Heber’s Catalogue,
part ix. p. 61. The note in Hazlitt that a copy of this edition is in the
Bodleian Library is a mistake, as I have ascertained. It is not dated, but the
Book on Surveying, printed just afterwards, is dated 1523; and there is no
doubt as to the date. It is remarkable for an engraving upon the title-page,
representing two oxen drawing a plough, with drivers.
2. “Here begynneth a newe tracte,” etc. (See p. xx.) London, Southwark;
by P. Treuerys, 4to. (No date; but between 1521 and 1531). In the Camb.
Univ. Library. This is the only other edition which (as far as I know) has the
picture of ploughing upon the title-page.[14]
3. By Thomas Berthelet, in 1532 (Lowndes). It is “12mo in size, but in
eights by signatures,” and therefore 8vo. (A. Wallis; Derby Mercury, Nov.
1869).
4. By Thomas Berthelet; 8vo.; the edition here reprinted from the copy in
the Cambridge University Library. There are also two copies of it in the
Bodleian Library at Oxford. The title-page has merely the words: “The |
Boke of | Hvs- | bandry;” printed within a border bearing the date 1534.
The reverse of the title-page is blank. On the second leaf, marked A ij,
begins “The aucthors prologue.” The rest of sheet A (which contains in all
only six leaves) is occupied with the Prologue and “the Table;” and is not
foliated. Then follow sheets B to M, all of eight leaves, and sheet N, of two
leaves only. Sheets B to H have the folios numbered from 1 to 56; sheets I,
K, L have the folios numbered from 51 to 75; and sheets M and N, from 81
to 90. Thus the six numbers 51–56 occur twice over, and the five numbers

76–80 do not occur at all. It is not quite certain that the apparent date is also
the real one; for at the end of Berthelet’s print of Xenophon’s treatise of
Housholde, which has 1534 within the same border upon the title-page,
there is a colophon giving the date as 1537. This border was evidently in
use for at least three years. See Dibdin, iii. 287.
5. By Berthelet; 1546. This edition also contains the Treatise on
Surveying. (Lowndes; compare Dibdin, iii. 348.)
6. By Berthelet; 1548. (Lowndes; Dibdin, iii. 334, where it is described
as 12mo.) A copy of this is noticed in the Catalogue of the Huth Library.
7. By Thomas Marshe; (1560). This edition is said to be “newly corrected
and amended by the author, Fitzherbarde;” but is, of course, a mere reprint.
See remarks upon this above. (Lowndes; Dibdin, iv. 534.) In Arber’s
Transcript of the Stationers’ Registers, i. 128, we find—“Recevyd of
Thomas Marshe for his lycense for pryntinge of a boke Called the boke of
husbondry, graunted the xx of June [1560] ... iiij. d.” Hence the date, which
is not given, may be inferred.
8. By John Awdeley; 16mo. 1562; “wyth diuers addicions put ther-vnto.”
(Dibdin, iv. 566.)
9. By John Awdeley; 8vo. 1576; “with diuers additions put therunto.”
(Dibdin, iv. 568.)
10. Fitzharbert’s | Booke of | Husbandrie. | Devided Into foure seuerall
Bookes, very ne | cessary and profitable for all sorts | of people. And now
newlie corrected, amended, and reduced into a more pleasing forme of
English then before. Ecclesiast. 10. ver. 28. Better is he that laboureth, and
hath plentiousnesse of all thinges, then hee that is gorgious | and wanteth
bread. At London, | Printed by J. R. for Edward White, and are | to be sold
at his shoppe, at the little North doore of Paules Church, at the signe of the
Gunne. | Anno Dom. 1598. Dedicated “To the Worshipfull Maister Henrie
Iackman Esquire” ... by “Your Worships in affection I. R.” Of this book I
shall say more below. I have used the copy in the Douce Collection in the
Bodleian Library.[15]
11. etc. There are numerous other editions. Hazlitt mentions one by R.
Kele (no date), “newlye corrected and amended by the auctor Fitzherbarde,
with dyuers additions put therunto.” Lowndes says: “London, by Richard

Kele, 16mo. There are two editions, one containing H, the other I, in
eights.” Dibdin (iii. 533) mentions one by John Wayland, 8vo. (no date),
Lowndes mentions an edition printed at London “in the Hovs of Tho.
Berthelet,” 16mo.; eighty leaves; also—another edition, slightly differing in
orthography, and having at the end “Cum privilegio;” also another “in the
House of Thomas Berthelet,” 16mo. A, 6 leaves, B—M, in eights, N, 2
leaves, with the date of 1534 on the title-page; but this can be nothing else
than the very book here reprinted, and it is not clear why he mentions it
again. Lowndes also notices undated editions by John Walley, Robert Toye,
Jugge, and Myddylton.
It hence appears that the book was frequently reprinted between 1523 and
1598, but the last of these editions was such as to destroy its popularity, and
I am not aware that it was ever again reprinted except in 1767, when the
Books on Husbandry and Surveying were reprinted together[16] in a form
strongly resembling the edition of 1534.[17] The title of this book is
—“Certain Ancient Tracts concerning the management of Landed Property
reprinted. London, printed for C. Bathurst and J. Newbery; 1767.” This is a
fairly good reprint, with the old spelling carefully preserved; but has neither
note nor comment of any kind. A copy of it kindly lent me by Mr. Furnivall
has proved very useful.
The editions of the Book on Surveying are almost as numerous as those
of the Book on Husbandry, though this was hardly to be expected,
considering its more learned and technical character. It is not necessary to
speak here particularly of Sir Anthony Fitzherbert’s acknowledged works.
The most important are the Grand Abridgment of the Common Law (1514,
folio), Office of Justices of the Peace (1538), Diversity of Courts (1539),
and the New Natura Brevium, of which the ninth edition, with a
commentary by Lord Hale, appeared in 1794. The first edition of the Grand
Abridgment was printed by Pynson, who was also the printer of the first
edition of the Book of Husbandry. The New Natura Brevium was printed in
1534 by Berthelet, who reprinted the Book of Husbandry in the same year.
In a bookseller’s catalogue, March, 1880, I chanced to see the following.
“Early English Printing; Black Letter; Law Books in Latin and Norman-
French (1543–51). Natura Brevium; newely and most trewely corrected
with diverse additions of statutes bokes cases plees in abatements, etc.;
London, Wyllyam Powel, 1551.—Articuli ad Narrationes novas; London,

W. Powel, 1547.—Diuersite de courtz et lour jurisdiccions, et alia
necessaria et utilia, London, W. Myddylton, 1543. The three works in 1
vol., sm. 8vo., old calf neat, quite perfect and very rare, 21s.”
The present volume contains a careful reprint of Berthelet’s edition of
1534, which is a fairly good one. I have collated it throughout with the
curious edition of 1598, which abounds with “corrections,” some of them
no improvements, and with additional articles. It is a very curious book, and
I have given all the more interesting variations in the notes, with a
description of the additions. The author, who only gives his initials “I. R.”
(by which initials I have been often obliged to quote him[18]) has the
effrontery to tell us that he has reduced Fitzherbert’s work “into a more
pleasing forme of English then before;” and says that he has “labored to
purge the same from the barbarisme of the former times.” Again he
addresses the reader, saying—“Gentle Reader, being vrged by the
consideration of the necessitie of this worke, and finding it almost cast into
perpetuall obliuion, I haue purged it from the first forme of missounding
termes to our daintie eares.” This means, of course, that he has altered terms
which he did not understand, and occasionally turns sense into nonsense;
yet he seems to have taken considerable pains with his author, and his
additions are frequently to the point. Whether his discourses upon the
keeping of poultry (p. 145, note to sect. 144) were really due to his “owne
experience in byrds and foules,” or whether he copied much of it from some
of his predecessors, I have not been curious to discover. His references to
Virgil, to the fable of Cynthia and Endymion, the Cinyphian goats, and the
rest, are in the worst possible taste, and he was evidently far too staunch a
Protestant to be able to accept all Fitzherbert’s religious views, though
modestly and unobtrusively introduced. After carefully reading his
production, I infinitely prefer Fitzherbert’s “barbarisme” to I. R.’s pedantic
mannerism, and I find the patronising tone of his occasionally stupid
amendments to be almost insufferable; but he may be forgiven for his zeal.
The art of sinking in poetry has rarely been so well exemplified as in the
verses which are printed at pp. 145 and 148.
The reader can best understand what I. R. conceives to be elegance of
style by comparing the following extract with section 1 at p. 9.
“Chapter 2. ¶ By what a Husbandman cheefely liueth.

The most generall and commonest experienst liuing that the toyle-
imbracing Husbandman liueth by, is either by plowing and sowing of his
Corne, or by rearing and breeding of Cattell, and not the one without the
other, because they be adjuncts, and may not be disceuered. Then sithens
that the Plough is the first good instrument, by which the Husband-men rips
from the Earths wombe a well-pleasing liuing, I thinke it is most conuenient
first to speake of the forme, fashion, and making therof.”
The words italicised (except in the title) are all his own.
The Glossarial Index, a very full one, was almost entirely prepared, in the
first instance, by my eldest daughter, though I have since added a few
explanations in some cases, and have revised the whole, at the same time
verifying the references. As to the meaning of a few terms, I am still
uncertain.
Fitzherbert’s general style is plain, simple, and direct, and he evidently
has the welfare of his reader at heart, to whom he offers kindly advice in a
manner least calculated to give offence. He is in general grave and practical,
but there are a few touches of quiet humour in his remarks upon horse-
dealing. “Howe be it I saye to my customers, and those that bye any horses
of me, and [if] euer they wil trust any hors-master or corser whyle they
lyue, truste me.” I would have trusted him implicitly.
The difficulties of his language arise almost entirely from the presence of
numerous technical terms; and it is, indeed, this fact that renders his book
one of considerable philological interest, and adapts it for publication by the
English Dialect Society. By way of a small contribution to English
etymology, I beg leave to take a single instance, and to consider what he has
to tell us about the word peruse.
The whole difficulty as to the etymology of this word arises from the
change of sense; it is now used in such a way that the derivation from per-
and use is not obvious; nor does it commend itself to such as are
unacquainted with historical method. For this reason, some etymologists,
including Webster, have imagined that it arose from peruise = pervise to see
thoroughly, the i being dropped, and the u (really v) being mistaken for the
vowel. This is one of those wholly unscrupulous fictions to which but too
many incline, as if the cause of truth could ever be helped forward by
means of deliberate invention. But there is no such word as peruise, nor any

French perviser. Fitzherbert is one of the earliest authorities for peruse,
though it also occurs in Skelton, Philip Sparrow, l. 814. Investigation will
show that, at the commencement of the sixteenth century, there was a
fashion of using words compounded with per-, a number of which I have
given in my Dictionary, s. v. peruse. The old sense was ‘to use up, to go
through thoroughly, to attend to one by one;’ and the word was sometimes
spelt with a v, because vse (use) was generally so spelt. Examples are:—
“Let hym [i.e. the husbandman who wants to reckon the tithe of his corn]
goo to the ende of his lande, and begynne and tell [i.e. count] .ix. sheues,
and let hym caste out the .x. shefe in the name of god, and so to pervse from
lande to lande, tyll he have trewely tythed all his corne;” sect. 30, l. 4.
“And thus [let the shepherd] peruse them all tyll he haue doone;” sect.
40, l. 23.
“Than [let the surveyor who is surveying property go] to the second
howse on the same east side in lyke maner, and so to peruse from house to
house tyll he come to St. Magnus churche;” Book of Surveying (1767),
chap. xix.
“Begyn to plowe a forowe in the middes of the side of the land, and cast
it downe as yf thou shulde falowe it, and so peruse both sydes tyl the rygge
be cast down,” etc.; Book of Surveying (1767); chap. xxiv.
The special application to a book may be seen in Baret’s Alvearie: “To
ouerlooke and peruse a booke againe, Retractare librum.” And accordingly
it need not surprise us that Levins, in 1570, translated to peruse by peruti.
There is just one more suggestion which I venture to make, though I fear,
like most conjectures which are made with respect to Shakespeare, it is
probably valueless. When King Lear appears, in Act iv. sc. 4—
“Crowned with rank fumiter and furrow-weeds,
With hor-docks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers,
Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow
In our sustaining corn”—

I cannot help being reminded of Fitzherbert’s list of weeds in sect. 20 (p.
29), in which he includes haudoddes, i.e. corn blue-bottles, as is obvious
from his description; see also Britten and Holland’s English Plant-names. It
is certainly remarkable that the haudod is precisely one of “the idle weeds

that grow in corn,” and that its bright colour would be particularly attractive
to the gatherer of a wild garland. We must not, however, overlook the form
hardhake, which Mr. Wright has found in a MS. herbal as a name for the
knapweed; see his note upon the passage. The two results do not, however,
greatly differ, and it is conceivable that the same name could be applied at
different times to both these flowers, the latter being Centaurea nigra, and
the former Centaurea Cyanus. We also find the term hardewes, occurring as
a name for the wild succory; see Hawdod in the Glossarial Index, p. 156. In
any case, the proposal of Dr. Prior to explain hordock by the burdock
(Arctium lappa), merely because he thinks the burs were sometimes
entangled with flax, and so formed lumps in it called hards, is a wild guess
that should be rejected. Hards are simply the coarse parts of flax, without
any reference to burdocks whatever.
The wood-cut on the title-page is copied from the edition of 1598. The
longer handle of the plough is on the left. See the description on p. 128.

FOOTNOTES:
[1] “And [I give] to euery of my seruentes that be used to Ryde with me,” etc.;
Sir A. Fitzherbert’s Will, quoted below at p. xviii.
[2] “Of late by experience I contriued, compyled, and made a Treatyse, ... and
callyd it the booke of husbandrye;” Prol. to Book of Surveying.
[3] I.e. the Books on Husbandry and Surveying.
[4] Read thus.
[5] The date is 1539; the words here quoted appear also in Berthelet’s edition of
1546.
[6] I am quoting from an article by Mr. A. Wallis entitled “Relics of Literature,”
which appeared in the Derby Mercury, Nov. 1869. It contains some useful
information about the editions of Fitzherbert’s works. It should be observed that
1538 was the very year of Sir Anthony Fitzherbert’s death, which took place on
May 27.
[7] In an edition printed by T. Petit in 1541, a copy of which is in the Cambridge
University Library, the title is—“The Newe Booke of Justyces of Peas, made by
Anthony Fitzherbard Judge, lately translated out of Frenche into Englyshe, The
yere of our Lord God MDXLI.”
[8] Canon Simmons kindly tells me—“I find from the Ordnance Map that
Grimbald Bridge is the one over the Nidd below the town, i.e. a mile or a mile
and a quarter from the town. There are two crossing to the town. The upper one
is on the Harrogate Road, a second ‘Low Bridge,’ and then the third, ‘Grimbald
bridge’.”
[9] It is the family tradition (which should go for something), that the author of
the Book of Husbandry was Sir Anthony Fitzherbert, and no other.
[10] The date is, therefore, October 12, 1537.—W.W.S.
[11] See p. 81.—W.W.S.
[12] See p. 93.—W.W.S.
[13] This early edition, clearly the second, and using Pynson’s woodcut, was
kindly pointed out to me by Mr. Bradshaw. It is not noticed in the usual books
upon early printing, but a copy of it exists in the Cambridge University Library.
The woodcut on the title-page is (as I have just said) the same as that on the title-
page of the first edition.
[14] Probably printed in 1531, as it professes to be “amended, with dyuerse other
thynges added thervnto;” for observe, that after this date, editions follow in
quick succession.
[15] Mr. Wallis (see p. xiii, note 2) mentions also an undated edition, printed by
James Roberts for E. White.

[16] The volume also contains a translation of Xenophon’s Treatise of
Household (Λόγος οἰκονομικός), written by “Gentian Heruet.”
[17] The colophon is the same. The Book on Surveying is dated 1539. The copy
in the Cambridge Univ. Library contains the Husbandry (1534); Surveying
(1539); and Xenophon (1537); all bound together.
[18] Possibly James Roberts; see p. xxiv, note 1.

E R R ATA .
In the first side-note on p. 18, for Beating read Beeting. See Beate in the Glossary, p. 150.
P. 120, sect. 169, l. 36. For a ut read aut.
P. 136. Headline. For Notes (34. 1–43) read Notes (34. 1–43).
P. 140, last line. For Hellebor read Hellybor.

THE BOKE OF HVSBANDRY.

The aucthors prologue.
Man is born to labour.

Sit ista questio. This is the questyon, whervnto is euerye manne
ordeyned? And as Job saythe, Homo nascitur ad laborem, sicut auis
ad volandum: That is to saye, a man is ordeyned and borne to do
labour, as 4 a bird is ordeyned to flye. And the Apostle saythe, Qui
non laborat, non manducet: Debet enim in obsequio dei laborare,
qui de bonis eius vult manducare: That is to saye,
He that laboureth not should not eat.

he that laboureth not, shulde not eate, and he ought to 8 labour and
doo goddes warke, that wyll eate of his goodes or gyftes. The
whiche is an harde texte after the lyterall sence. For by the letter, the
kynge, the quene, nor all other lordes spirituall and temporal shuld
not eate, without 12 they shuld labour, the whiche were vncomely,
and not conuenyente for suche estates to labour. But who
The Book of the Chess

that redeth in the boke of the moralytes of the chesse, shal therby
perceyue, that euerye man, from the hyest 16
is divided into six degrees,

degree to the lowest, is set and ordeyned to haue labour and
occupation; and that boke is deuyded in vi. degrees, that is to saye,
the kynge, the quene, the byshops, the
viz. king, queen, bishops, knights, judges, and yeomen,

knightes, the iudges, and the yomenne. In the which 20 boke is
shewed theyr degrees, theyr auctorytyes, theyr warkes, and theyr
occupations, and what they ought to do. And they so doynge, and
executynge theyr auctorytyes, warkes, and occupatyons, haue a
wonders great 24
concerning which it is too long to write.

study and labour, of the whiche auctorytyes, occupations, and
warkes, were at this tyme to longe to wryte. Wherfore I remytte that
boke as myn auctour therof: The whiche boke were necessary to be
knowen of euery 28 degree, that they myghte doo and ordre them
selfe accordynge
As the yeomen defend the rest, I shall speak of husbandry.

to the same. And in so moche the yomen in the sayde moralytyes
and game of the chesse be set before to labour, defende, and
maynteyne all the other 32 hyer estates, the whiche yomen represent
the common people, as husbandes and labourers, therfore I purpose
to speake fyrste of husbandrye.

Finis.

¶ The table.
PAGE

1. First wherby husbande-men do lyue. fo. i.[19] 9

2. Of dyuers maner of plowes. fol. eod. 9
3. To knowe the names of all the partes of the ploughe. fol. ii. 10

4. The temprynge of plowes. fo. iii. 12
5. ¶ The necessary thynges that belonge to a plowe, carte, or wayne. fol.
iiii. 14

6. ¶ Whether is better, a plowe of oxen or a plowe of horses. fol. v. 15
7. ¶ The dylygence and the attendaunce that a husbande shulde gyue to
his warke, in maner of an other prologue, and a specyall grounde of
all this treatyse. fol. vi. 16
8. ¶ Howe a manne shulde plowe all maner of landes all tymes of the
yere. fo. vii. 17
9. To plowe for pees and beanes. fol. viii. 18
10. Howe to sowe bothe pees and beanes. fol. viii. 18
11. Sede of Discrecyon. fol. ix. 20
12. Howe all maner of corne shulde be sowen. folio eodem 21
13. To sowe barley. fol. x. 22

14. To sowe otes. fol. xi. 23
15. To harowe all maner of cornes. fol. xii. 24

16. To falowe. fol. xiii. 25
17. To carry out donge or mucke, and to sprede it. fol. xiiii. 27

18. To set out the shepe-folde. fol. xv. 28
19. To cary wode and other necessaries. fol. xvi. 29

20. To knowe dyuers maner of wedes. fol. eod. 29
21. To wede corne. fol. xvii. 31
22. The fyrste sturrynge: and (23) to mowe grasse. foli. xviii. 32
24. How forkes and rakes shuld be made. fo. xix. 33

25. To tedde and make hey. fol. eod. 33
26. Howe rye shulde be shorne. fol. xx. 35

27. Howe to shere whete. fol. xxi. 35
28. To mowe or shere barley and otes. fol. eod. 36

29. To repe or mowe pees and beanes. fol. xxii. 36
30. Howe all maner of corne shoulde be tythed. folio eodem 37

31. Howe all maner of corne shoulde be couered. fol. xxiii. 38
32. To lode corne and mowe it. fol. eod. 38

33. The seconde sturrynge. fo. xxiiii. 39
34. To sowe whete and rye. fol. eodem 39

35. To thresshe and wynowe corne. fol. xxv. 41
36. To seuer beanes, pees, and fetches. fol. eod. 41
37. Of shepe, and what tyme of the yere the rammes shulde be put to the
ewes. fol. xxvi. 42
38. To make a ewe to loue her lambe. fol. xxvii. 43

39. What tyme lambes shulde be wayned. fo. eod. 44
40. To drawe shepe and seuer them in dyuerse partes. fol. xxviii. 44

41. To belte shepe. fol. xxix. 45
42. To grece shepe. fol. eod. 46

43. To medle terre. fol. eodem 46
44. To make brome salue. fol. eod. 46

45. If a shepe haue mathes. fol. xxx. 47
46. Blyndenes of shepe and other dyseases, and remedyes therfore. fo. eod. 47

47. The worme in a shepes fote, and helpe therfore. fol. xxxi. 48
48. The bloudde, and remedye if he comme betyme. fol. eodem 48

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

51. To washe shepe. fol. eod. 49
52. To shere shepe. fol. eod. 50

53. To drawe and seuer the bad shepe frome the good. fol. eod. 50
54. What thynge rotteth shepe. fol. xxxiii. 50
55. To knowe a rotten shepe dyuerse maner ways, wherof some of them
wyll not fayle. fol. xxxiiii. 51
56. To by leane cattell. fol. eod. 52

57. To bye fatte cattell. fol. xxxv. 53
58. Dyuerse sickenesses of cattell, and remedies therfore, and fyrste of
murren. fol. eod. 53

59. Long sought, and remedy therfore. fo. xxxvi. 54
60. Dewbolue,[20] and the harde remedye therfore. fol. eod. 55

61. Ryson vppon, and the remedye therfore. fol. xxxvii. 55
62. The turne, and remedy therfore. fol. eod. 56
63. The warribred, & remedy therfore. fol. xxxviii. 56
64. The foule, and remedy therfore. fol. eod. 57
65. The goute without remedy. fol. eod. 57
66. To rere calues. fol. eod. 57
67. To gelde calues. fol. xxxix. 58
68. Horses and mares to drawe. fol. xl. 59

69. ¶ The losse of a lambe, a calfe, or a foole. fol. xli. 61
70. What cattell shulde go together in oone pasture. fol. xlii. 62

71. The properties of horses. fol. xliii. 63
72. The two propertyes that a horse hath of a man. fol. eod. 63

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

74. The iiii. properties of a lyon. fol. eod. 64
75. The ix. properties of an oxe. fol. xliiii. 64

76. The ix. properties of an hare. fol. eod. 64
77. The ix. properties of a foxe. fol. eod. 64

78. The ix. properties of an asse. fol. eod. 65
79. The x. properties of a woman. fol. eod. 65

80. The diseases and soraunce of horses. fol. xlv. 65
81. The lampas. fol. eod. 65

82. The barbes. fo. eod. 66
83. Mournynge on the tonge. fol. eod. 66

84. Pursye. fo. eod. 66
85. Broken wynded. fol. eod. 66

86. Glaunders. fo. eod. 66
87. Mournynge on the chynne. fol. eod. 66

88. Stranguelyon. fol. eod. 67
89. The hawe. fol. eod. 67
90. Blyndnesse. fol. xlvi. 67
91. Uyues. fol. eod. 67
92. The cordes. fol. eod. 67
93. ¶ The farcyon. fol. eod. 67
94. ¶ A malander. fol. eod. 68
95. ¶ A salander. fol. eod. 68

96. ¶ A serewe. fol. eod. 68
97. ¶ A splent. fo. eod. 68

98. ¶ A ryngebone. fol. xlvii. 69
99. ¶ Wyndgall. fol. eod. 69

100. ¶ Morfounde. fol. eod. 69
101. ¶ The coltes euyll. fol. eod. 69

102. ¶ The bottes. fo. eod. 70

103. ¶ The wormes. fol. eod. 70
104. ¶ Affrayd. fo. eod. 70

105. ¶ Nauylgall. fo. eod. 70
106. ¶ A spauen. fol. eod. 70

107. ¶ A curbe. fol. eod. 71
108. ¶ The strynge-halte. fol. eod. 71
109. ¶ Enterfyre. fo. eod. 71
110. ¶ Myllettes. fol. eod. 71
111. ¶ The paynes. fol. eod. 71
112. ¶ Cratches. fol. eod. 72

113. ¶ Attaynt. fol. xlix. 72
114. ¶ Grauelynge. fol. eod. 72

115. ¶ Acloyd. fol. eod. 72
116. ¶ The scabbe. fol. eod. 72

117. ¶ Lowsy. fol. eod. 72
118. ¶ Wartes. fol. eod. 73
119. ¶ The sayenge of the frenche man. fo. eod. 73
120. ¶ The dyuersitie bytwene a horse mayster, a corser, and a horse leche.
fol. l. 74

121. ¶ Of swyne. fo. eod. 74
122. ¶ Of bees. fol. li. 75

123. ¶ How to kepe beastes & other catel. fol. lii. 76
124. ¶ To get settes and set them. fol. liii. 78

125. ¶ To make a dyche. fol. liiii. 79
126. ¶ To make a hedge. fol. eod. 79

127. ¶ To plasshe and pleche a hedge. fol. eod. 80
128. ¶ To mende a hye waye. fo. lv. 81

129. ¶ To remoue and sette trees. fo. lvi. 82
130. ¶ Trees to be sette without rootes and growe. fol. lvii. 83

131. ¶ To fell woode for houssholde or to sell. fol. eodem. 83
132. ¶ To shrede, lop, or crop trees. fol. lviii. 84

133. Howe a man shoulde shrede loppe or croppe trees. fol. eod. 85
134. To sell woode or tymbre. fol. lix. 85

135. To kepe sprynge woode. fo. lx. 86
136. Necessary thynges belongynge to graffynge. fol. eod. 87
137. What fruyte shulde be first graffed. fol. lxi. 88
138. Howe to graffe. fol. eod. 88

139. To graffe bytwene the barke and the tree. fol. lxii. 89
140. To nourysshe all maner of stone fruyte and nuttes. fol. lxiii. 90

141. A shorte information for a yonge gentyllman that entendeth to thryue.
fol. eod. 90
142. A lesson made in Englysshe verses, that a gentylmans seruaunte shall
forget none of his gere in his inne behynde hym. fo. lxv. 93
143. A prologe for the wyues occupation. fo. eod. 93
144. A lesson for the wyfe. fol. eod. 94

145. What thynges the wyfe of ryghte is bounde to do. fol. lxvi. 94
146. What warkes the wyfe oughte to doo generally. fo. eod. 95
147. To kepe measure in spendynge. fo. lxvii. 98
148. To eate within thy tedure. fo. lxviii. 99

149. A shorte lesson vnto the husbande. fol. lxix. 101
150. Howe menne of hye degree do kepe measure. fol. eodem 101

151. Prodygalytie in outragyous and costelye araye. fol. lxx. 102
152. Of delycyous meates and drynkes. fol. eod. 103

153. Of outragious playe and game. fo. lxxi. 104
154. A prologue of the thyrde sayinge of the philosopher. fo. lxxii. 105

155. A dyuersytie bytwene predycation and doctryne. fol. eodem 105
156. What is rychesse. fo. lxxiii. 106

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

158. What ioyes & pleasures are in heuen. fo. lxxv. 109
159. What thynge pleaseth god most. fol. lxxvi. 109

160. What be goddes commaundementes. fo. eod. 110
161. Howe a man shulde loue god and please hym. fol. eodem 110

162. Howe a man shoulde loue his neyghbour. fol. lxxvii. 111
163. Of prayer that pleaseth god verye moche. folio lxxviii. 112

164. What thynge letteth prayer. fol. eod. 112
165. Howe a man shulde praye. fo. lxxix. 113

166. A mean to put away ydle thoughtes in prayenge. fol. lxxx. 115
167. A meane to auoyde temptation. fol. lxxxi. 116

168. Almes-dedes pleaseth god moche. fo. lxxxii. 118
169. The fyrst maner of almes dede. fo. lxxxiii. 119

170. The ii. maner of almes dede. fo. lxxxiiii. 120
171. The iii. maner of almes dede. fol. lxxxv. 121
172. What is the greattest offence that a man maye doo and offende god in.
fo. lxxxvi. 122

Thus endeth the table.

[Fol. 1.]

1. ¶ Here begynneth the boke of husbandry, and fyrste
where-by husbande-men do lyue.
Husbandmen live by the plough and by cattle.

The mooste generall lyuynge that husbandes can haue, is by
plowynge and sowyng of theyr cornes, and rerynge or bredynge of
theyr cattel, and not the one withoute the other. Than is the ploughe
the moste necessaryest 4 instrumente that an husbande can occupy.
Wherfore it is conuenyent to be knowen, howe a plough shulde be
made.

2. ¶ Dyuers maners of plowes.
Different kinds of ploughs.

There be plowes of dyuers makynges in dyuers countreys, and in
lyke wyse there be plowes of yren of dyuers facyons. And that is
bycause there be many maner of groundes and soyles. Some whyte
cley, some 4 redde cley, some grauell or chylturne, some sande,
some meane erthe, some medled with marle, and in many places
heeth-grounde, and one ploughe wyll not serue in all places.
Wherfore it is necessarye, to haue dyuers 8
[Fol. 1b.]
Somersetshire.

maners of plowes. In Sommersetshyre, about Zelcester, the
sharbeame, that in many places is called the ploughe-hedde, is foure
or fyue foote longe, and it is brode and thynne. And that is bycause

the lande is verye toughe, 12 and wolde soke the ploughe into the
erthe, yf the sharbeame
Kent.

were not long, brode, and thynne. In Kente they haue other maner of
plowes, somme goo with wheles, as they doo in many other places,
and some wyll 16 tourne the sheldbredth at euery landes ende, and
plowe
Buckinghamshire.

all one waye. In Buckynghamshyre, are plowes made of an nother
maner, and also other maner of ploughe-yrons, the whyche me
semeth generally good, and lykely 20 to serue in many places, and
specially if the ploughbeame and sharbeame be foure ynches longer,
betwene the shethe and the ploughe-tayle, that the sheldbrede myght
come more a-slope: for those plowes gyue out to sodeinly, 24 and
therfore they be the worse to drawe, and for noo
Leicestershire, &c.

cause elles. In Leycestershyre, Lankesshyre, Yorkeshyre, Lyncoln,
Norfolke, Cambrydge-shyre, and manye other countreyes, the
plowes be of dyuers makinges, the whyche 28 were to longe
processe to declare howe, &c. But how so euer they be made, yf
they be well tempered, and goo well, they maye be the better
suffred.
[Fol. 2.]

3. ¶ To knowe the names of all the partes of the plowe.
Parts of the plough.

Men that be no husbandes maye fortune to rede this boke, that
knowe not whiche is the ploughe-beame, the sharebeame, the
ploughe-shethe, the ploughe-tayle, the stilte, the rest, the sheldbrede,
the fenbrede, the roughe 4 staues, the ploughe-fote, the ploughe-eare

or coke, the share, the culture, and ploughe-mal. Perauenture I gyue
them these names here, as is vsed in my countre, and yet
Plough-beam.

in other countreyes they haue other names: wherfore ye 8 shall
knowe, that the ploughe-beame is the longe tree
Share-beam.

aboue, the whiche is a lytel bente. The sharbeame is the
Plough-sheath.

tre vnderneth, where-vpon the share is set; the ploughe-sheth 1is a
thyn pece of drye woode, made of oke, that is 12 set fast in a
morteys in the plough-beame, and also in to the share-beame, the
whiche is the keye and the chiefe
Plough-tail.

bande of all the plough. The plough-tayle is that the husbande
holdeth in his hande, and the hynder ende of 16 the ploughebeame is
put in a longe slyt, made in the same tayle, and not set faste, but it
maye ryse vp and go dow[n]e, and is pynned behynde, and the same
ploughe-tayle is set faste in a morteys, in the hynder ende of the 20
[Fol. 2b.]
Plough-stilt.

sharebeame. The plough-stylte is on the ryghte syde of the ploughe,
whervpon the rest is set; the rest is a lyttell
Rest.

pece of woode, pynned fast vpon the nether ende of the stylt, and to
the sharebeame in the ferther ende. The 24
Shield-board.

sheldbrede is a brode pece of wodde, fast pinned to the ryghte side
of the shethe in the ferther ende, and to the
Fen-board.

vtter syde of the stylte in the hynder ende. The fenbrede is a thyn
borde, pynned or nayled moste commonly 28 to the lyft syde of the
shethe in the ferther ende, and to the ploughe-tayle in the hynder

ende. And the sayde sheldbrede wolde come ouer the sayde shethe
and fenbrede an inche, and to come past the myddes of the 32 share,
made with a sharpe edge, to receyue and turne the
Rough staves.

erthe whan the culture hath cut it. There be two roughe staues in
euery ploughe in the hynder ende, set a-slope betwene the ploughe-
tayle and the stilt, to holde out 36 and kepe the plough abrode in the
hynder ende, and the
Plough-foot.

one lenger than the other. The plough-fote is a lyttell pece of wodde,
with a croked ende set before in a morteys in the ploughe-beame,
sette fast with wedges, to 40 dryue vppe and downe, and it is a staye
to order of
Plough-ear.

what depenes the ploughe shall go. The ploughe-eare is made of thre
peces of yren, nayled faste vnto the ryght
[Fol. 3.]

syde of the plough-beame. And poore men haue a 44 croked pece of
wode pynned faste to the ploughbeame.
Share.

The share is a pece of yren, sharpe before and brode behynde, a fote
longe, made with a socket to be set on
Coulter.

the ferther ende of the share-beame. The culture is a 48 bende pece
of yren sette in a morteys in the myddes of the plough-beame,
fastened with wedges on euery syde, and the backe therof is halfe an
inche thycke and more, and three inches brode, and made kene
before to cutte 52 the erthe clene, and it must be wel steeled, and that
shall cause the easyer draughte, and the yrens to laste
Plough-mall.

moche lenger. The plough-mal[21] is a pece of harde woode, with a
pynne put throughe, set in the plough-beame, 56 in an augurs bore.

4. ¶ The temprynge of plowes.
Tempering of ploughs.

Nowe the plowes be made of dyuers maners; it is necessarye for
an housbande, to knowe howe these plowes shulde be tempered, to
plowe and turne clene, and to
Rest-baulk.

make no reste-balkes. A reste-balke is where the plough 4 byteth at
the poynte of the culture and share, and cutteth not the ground
cleane to the forowe, that was plowed laste
[Fol. 3b.]

before, but leaueth a lyttell rydge standynge betwene, the whiche
dothe brede thistyls, and other wedes. All 8 these maner of plowes
shulde haue all lyke one maner of temperyng in the yrens. Howe-be-
it a man maye temper for one thynge in two or thre places, as for
depnes. The fote is one: the setting of the culture of 12 a depnes, is a-
nother: and the thyrde is at the ploughe-tayle,
Slot wedges.

where be two wedges, that be called slote-wedges: the one is in the
slote above the beame, the other in the saide slote, vnder the plough-
beame; and other whyle 16 he wyll set bothe aboue, or bothe
vndernethe, but alway let hym take good hede, and kepe one
generall rule, that the hynder ende of the sharebeme alway touche
the erthe, that it may kyll a worde,[22] or elles it goth not truly. The
20
Narrow and broad tempering.

temperynge to go brode and narowe is in the settyng of the culture:
and with the dryuinge of his syde-wedges, forewedge, and

helewedge, whiche wolde be made of
Setting on of the share.

drye woode, and also the settynge on of his share helpeth 24 well,
and is a connynge poynte of husbandry, and mendeth and payreth
moch plowyng: but it is so narowe a point to know, that it is harde
to make a man to vnderstande it by wrytynge, without he were at the
operation 28
[Fol. 4.]

therof, to teache the practyue: for it muste leane moche in-to the
forowe, and the poynt may not stande to moch vp nor downe, nor to
moche in-to the lande, nor in-to
Setting of the coulter.

the forowe. Howe-be-it, the settynge of the culture 32 helpeth
moche. Somme plowes haue a bende of yron tryanglewise, sette
there as the plough-eare shulde be, that hath thre nyckes on the
farther syde. And yf he
Seed-furrow.

wyll haue his plough to go a narowe forowe, as a sede-forowe 36
shulde be, than he setteth his fote-teame in the
Mean furrow.

nycke nexte to the ploughe-beame; and yf he wyll go a meane
bredth, he setteth it in the myddell nycke,
Broad furrow.

that is beste for sturrynge; and if he wolde go a brode 40 forowe, he
setteth it in the vttermoste nycke, that is beste for falowynge: The
whyche is a good waye to kepe the bredthe, and soone tempered,
but it serueth not the depenesse. And some men haue in stede of the
plough-fote, 44 a piece of yron set vpryghte in the farther ende
‘A coke.’

of the ploughe-beame, and they calle it a coke, made with ii. or thre
nyckes, and that serueth for depenes.
Wheel-ploughs.

The plowes that goo with wheles, haue a streyghte 48 beame, and
maye be tempred in the yron, as the other be, for the bredth; but
their most speciall temper is at the bolster, where-as the plough-
beame lyeth, and that serueth both for depnes and for bredth. And
they be 52
[Fol. 4b.]

good on euen grounde that lyeth lyghte, but me semeth they be farre
more costly than the other plowes. And thoughe these plowes be
well tempred for one maner grounde, that tempre wyll not serue in
an other maner 56 of grounde; but it muste reste in the dyscretion of
the housbande, to knowe whanne it gothe well.

5. ¶ The necessary thynges that belonge to a ploughe, carte,
and wayne.
Bows, yokes, &c.

Bvt or he begyn to plowe, he muste haue his ploughe and his
ploughe-yren, his oxen or horses, and the geare that belongeth to
them; that is to say, bowes, yokes, landes, stylkynges, wrethynge-
temes. And or he shall 4 lode his corne, he muste haue a wayne, a
copyoke, a payre of sleues, a wayne-rope, and a pykforke. This
The wain.

wayne is made of dyuers peces, that wyll haue a greate reparation,
that is to saye, the wheles, and those be made 8 of nathes, spokes,
fellyes, and dowles, and they muste be well fettred with wood or
yren. And if they be yren bounden, they are moche the better, and
thoughe they
[Fol. 5.]

be the derer at the fyrst, yet at lengthe they be better 12
Iron-bound wheels.

cheape; for a payre of wheles yren bounde wyl weare vii. or viii.
payre of other wheles, and they go rounde and lyght after oxen or
horses to draw. Howbeit on marreis ground and soft ground the
other wheles be better, 16 bycause they be broder on the soule, and
will not go so
Axle-tree, linch-pins, and axle-pins.

depe. They must haue an axiltre, clout with .viii. waincloutes of
yren, ii. lyn-pinnes of yren in the axiltre-endes, ii. axil-pynnes of
yren or els of tough harde 20 wodde. The bodye of the wayne of oke,
the staues, the nether rathes, the ouer rathes, the crosse somer, the
keys and pikstaues. And if he go with a hors-ploughe, than muste he
haue his horses or mares, or both his hombers or 24 collers, holmes
whyted, tresses, swyngletrees, and togwith.
The cart.

Alsoo a carte made of asshe, bycause it is lyghte, and lyke stuffe to
it as is to a wayne, and also a cart-sadel, bakbandes, and belybandes,
and a carte-ladder behinde, 28 whan he shall carye eyther corne or
kyddes, or suche
Cart-ladders.

other. And in many countreys theyr waynes haue carte-ladders bothe
behynde and before. Also an husbande
Axe, hatchet, &c.

muste haue an axe, a hachet, a hedgyngebyll, a pyn-awgur, 32 a rest-
awgur, a flayle, a spade, and a shouell. And howe-be-it that I gyue
theym these names, as is most comonly
[Fol. 5b.]

vsed in my contrey, I knowe they haue other names in other
contreyes. But hereby a manne maye perceyue 36
Expense of husbandry.

many thynges that belonge to husbandry, to theyr greate costes and
charges, for the mayntenance and vpholdyng of the same. And many

moo thynges are belongynge to husbandes than these, as ye shall
well perceyue, er I 40 haue made an ende of this treatyse. And if a
yonge husbande shulde bye all these thynges, it wolde be
It is better to make than buy.

costely for hym: wherfore it is necessarye for hym to lerne to make
his yokes, oxe-bowes, stooles, and all 44 maner of plough-geare.

6. ¶ Whether is better, a plough of horses or a plough of
oxen.
Ox-plough and horse-plough.

It is to be knowen, whether is better, a plough of horses, or a
plough of oxen, and therin me semeth oughte to be made a
distinction. For in some places an oxe-ploughe is better than a
horse-plough, and in somme 4 places a horse-ploughe is better: that
is to say, in euery place where-as the husband hath seueral pastures
to put his oxen in whan they come fro theyr warke, there the oxe-
ploughe
The ox.

is better. For an oxe maye nat endure his 8
[Fol. 6.]

warke, to labour all daye, and than to be put to the commons, or
before the herdman, and to be set in a folde all nyghte without
meate, and go to his labour in the mornynge. But and he be put in a
good pasture all 12 nyghte, he wyll labour moche of all the daye
dayely.
And oxen wyl plowe in tough cley, and vpon hylly grounde,
where-as horses wyll stande st[i]ll. And where-as
The horse.

is noo seuerall pastures, there the horse-plowe is better, 16 for the
horses may be teddered or tyed vpon leys, balkes, or hades, where

as oxen maye not be kept: and it is not vsed to tedder them, but in
fewe places.
And horses wyl goo faster than oxen on euen grounde 20 or lyght
grounde, & be quicker for cariage: but they be ferre more costly to
kepe in winter, for they must haue both hey and corne to eate, and
strawe for lytter; they must be well shodde on all foure fete, and the
gere that they 24 shal drawe with is more costely than for the oxen,
and
Oxen are cheap,

shorter whyle it wyll last. And oxen wyll eate but straw, and a lyttell
hey, the whiche is not halfe the coste that horsis must haue, and they
haue no shoes, as horses haue. 28 And if any sorance come to the
horse, or [he] waxe olde, broysed, or blynde, than he is lyttell
worthe. And if any sorance come to an oxe, [and he] waxe olde,
broysed, or
[Fol. 6b.]

blinde, for ii.s. he maye be fedde, and thanne he is mannes 32
and they can be eaten.

meate, and as good or better than euer he was. And the horse, whan
he dyethe, is but caryen. And therfore me semeth, all thynges
consydered, the ploughe of oxen is moche more profytable than the
ploughe of horses. 36

7. ¶ The dylygence and attendaunce that a husbande shulde
gyue to his warke, in maner of an other prologue, and the
speciall grounde of all this treatyse.
Take pains, keep measure, and be rich.

Thou husbande, that intendeste to gette thy lyuynge by husbandry,
take hede to the sayenge of the wyse phylosopher, the which sayth,
Adhibe curam, tene mensuram, et eris diues. That is to saye, Take

hede to thy charge, 4 kepe measure, and thou shalt be ryche. And
nowe to speke of the fyrste artycle of these .iii. s[cilicet] Adhibe
curam. He that wyll take vpon hym to do any thinge, and be
slouthefull, recheles, and not diligent to execute 8 and to performe
that thynge that he taketh vpon hym, he shall neuer thryue by his
occupation. And to the same entente saythe our lorde in his gospell,
by a parable.
[Fol. 7.]
Luke ix. 62.

Nemo mittens manum suam ad aratrum respiciens retro, aptus 12 est
regno dei. The spirytuall constructyon of this texte, I remytte to the
doctours of dyuynitie, and to the greate clarkes; but to reduce and
brynge the same texte to my
No man, putting his hand to the plough, &c.

purpose, I take it thus. There is noo man, puttynge his 16 hande to
the plough, lokyng backewarde, is worthy to haue that thynge that
he oughte to haue. For if he goo to the ploughe, and loke
backewarde, he seeth not whether the plough go in rydge or rayne,
make a balke, 20 or go ouerthwarte. And if it do so, there wyll be
lyttell
Be not idle.

corne. And so if a man attende not his husbandrye, but goo to sporte
or playe, tauerne or ale-house, or slepynge at home, and suche other
ydle warkes, he is not than 24
Do what you came to do.

worthy to haue any corne. And therfore, Fac quod venisti, Do that
thou comest fore, and thou shalte fynde that thou sekest fore, &c.

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

Nowe these plowes be made and tempered, it is to be knowen
howe a man shoulde plowe all tymes of the yere. In the begynnynge
of the yere, after the feast of the Epiphany, it is tyme for a husbande
to 4
[Fol. 7b.]
Plough leas early.

go to the ploughe. And if thou haue any leys, to falowe or to sowe
otes vpon, fyrste plowe them, that the grasse and the mosse may
rotte, and plowe them a depe square forowe. And in all maner of
plowynge, 8 se that thy eye, thy hande, and thy fote do agree, and be
alwaye redy one to serue a-nother, and to turne
Lay the mould flat.

vp moche molde, and to lay it flat, that it rere not on edge. For if it
rere on edge, the grasse and mosse 12 wyll not rotte. And if thou
sowe it with winter-corne, as whete or ry, as moche corne as
toucheth the mosse wyll be drowned, the mosse dothe kepe such
wete in it self. And in some countreys, if a man plowe depe, 16 he
shall passe the good grounde, and haue but lyttel corne: but that
countrey is not for men to kepe husbandry vppon, but for to rere and
brede catell or shepe, for
Beeting land with mattocks.

elles they muste go beate theyr landes with mattockes, 20 as they do
in many places of Cornewayle, and in som places of Deuonshyre.

9. ¶ To plowe for pease and beanes.
Peas and beans.

Howe to plowe for pees and beanes, were necessarye to knowe.
Fyrst thou muste remember, whiche is
[Fol. 8.]

mooste cley-grounde, and that plowe fyrste, and lette it lye a good
space, er thou sowe it: bycause the 4 froste, the rayne, the wynde,

and the sonne may cause it to breake smalle, to make moche molde,
and to
Plough a square furrow.

rygge it. And to plow a square forowe, the bredthe and the depenes
all one, and to laye it close to his 8 felow. For the more forowes, the
more corne, for a generall rule of all maner of cornes. And that may
be proued at the comynge vp of all maner of corne, to stande at the
landes ende and loke toward the other 12 ende; And than may ye se,
howe the corne groweth.

10. Howe to sowe bothe pease and beanes.
Sowing of peas and beans.

Thou shalt sowe thy peas vpon the cley-grounde, and thy beanes
vpon the barley-grounde: for they wolde haue ranker grounde than
pease. How-be-it some husbandes holde opynion, that bigge and
styffe 4 grounde, as cley, wolde be sowen with bigge stuffe, as
beanes; but me thynke the contrary. For if a dry sommer come, his
beanes wil be shorte. And if the grounde be good, putte the more
beanes to the pease, 8 and the better shall they yelde, whan they be
thresshed.
[Fol. 8b.]

And if it be very ranke grounde, as is moche at euery towne-syde,
where catel doth resort, plowe not that lande, tyll ye wyll sowe it;
for if ye do, there wyll 12
In rank ground sow beans.

come vppe kedlokes and other wedes. And than sowe it with beanes;
for if ye sowe pees, the kedlokes wyll hurte them; and whan ye se
seasonable time, sow both pees and beanes, so that they be sowen in
the 16 begynnynge of Marche. Howe shall ye knowe seasonable
If the land sing, it is too wet to sow.

tyme? go vppon the lande, that is plowed, and if it synge or crye, or
make any noyse vnder thy fete, than it is to wete to sowe: and if it
make no noyse, and 20 wyll beare thy horses, thanne sowe in the
name of god.
How to sow peas.

But howe to sowe? Put thy pees in-to thy hopper, and take a brode
thonge, of ledder, or of garthe-webbe of an elle longe, and fasten it
to bothe endes of the 24 hopper, and put it ouer thy heed, lyke a
leysshe; and stande in the myddes of the lande, where the sacke
lyethe, the whiche is mooste conueniente for the fyllynge of thy
hopper, and set thy lefte foote before, and take 28 an handefull of
pees: and whan thou takeste vp thy ryghte foote, than caste thy pees
fro the all abrode; and whan thy lefte fote ryseth, take an other
handeful, and whan the ryght fote ryseth, than cast them fro the. 32
[Fol. 9.]

And so at euery ii. paces, thou shalte sowe an handful of pees: and
so se that the fote and the hande
Cast them wide.

agree, and than ye shal sowe euen. And in your castynge, ye muste
open as well your fyngers as your hande, 36 and the hyer and farther
that ye caste your corne, the better shall it sprede, excepte it be a
greatte wynde. And if the lande be verye good, and wyll breke small
in the plowynge, it is better to sowe after the ploughe 40 thanne tarye
any lenger.

11. ¶ Sede of discretion.
Seed of Discretion.

There is a sede, that is called Discretion, and if a husband haue of
that sede, and myngle it amonge his other cornes, they wyll growe
moche the better; for that sede wyll tell hym, how many castes of

corne 4 euery lande ought to haue. And a yonge husbande, and may
fortune some olde husbande, hath not sufficyente
Borrow discretion, if you have it not.

of that sede: and he that lackethe, let hym borowe of his neyghbours
that haue. And his neyghbours 8 be vnkynde, if they wyll not lende
this yonge housbande parte of this sede. For this sede of Discretion
hath a wonders property: for the more that it is taken of or lente, the
more it is. And therfore me semeth, 12
[Fol. 9b.]

it shoulde be more spyrituall than temporall, wherin
Temporal things, when divided, wane.

is a greate dyuersitie. For a temporall thynge, the more it is
deuyded, the lesse it is: and a spirytuall thynge, the more it is
deuided, the more it is. Verbi 16 gratia. For ensaumple, I put case a
wyfe brynge a lofe of breade to the churche, to make holy breade of;
whan it is cut in many smal peces, and holy breade made therof,
there may be so many men, women, 20 and children in the churche,
that by that tyme the priest hath delte to euery one of them a lyttell
pece, there shall neuer a crume be lefte in the hamper. And a
Spiritual things, when divided, wax.

spiritualle thynge as a Pater-noster, or a prayer, that any 24 man can
say, let hym teache it to .xx., a .C., or to a .M., yet is the prayer neuer
the lesse, but moche more. And so this sede of Discrecion is but
wisdome and reason: and he that hath wysedome, reason, and
discretion may teche 28 it, and enforme other men as he is bounde to
do. Wherein he shall haue thanke of god: and he doth but as god
hath
Matt. x. 8.

commaunded hym in his gospell, Quod gratis accepistis, gratis
date: That thynge that ye toke frely, gyue it frely 32 again, and yet
shall ye haue neuer the lesse.

12. ¶ Howe all maner corne shoulde be sowen.
[Fol. 10.]

Bvt yet me thynkethe it is necessarye to declare, howe all maner
of corne shuld be sowen, and howe moch vpon an acre most
comonly, and fyrste of pease and
An acre of ground.

beanes. An acre of grounde, by the statute, that is to say 4 xvi. fote
and a half to the perche or pole, foure perches to an acre in bredth,
and fortye perches to an acre in
London bushels.

lengthe, may be metelye well sowen with two London busshelles of
pease, the whyche is but two strykes in 8 other places. And if there
be the .iiii. parte beanes, than wylle it haue halfe a London bushelle
more: and yf it be halfe beanes, it wyll haue thre London bushels:
and if it be all beanes, it wyll haue foure London busshelles fullye,
12 and that is half a quarter; bycause the beanes be gret, and grow vp

streight, & do not sprede and go abrode as
Beans worth more than peas.

pease do. An acre of good beanes is worth an acre & a half of good
pees, bycause there wylle be more busshelles. 16 And the beste
propertie that belongeth to a good husband is, to sowe all maner of
corne thycke ynough, and specially beanes and barley. For
commonly they be sowen vpon ranke ground, and good grounde
wylle haue 20 the burthen of corne or of wede. And as moche
plowynge and harowynge hath an acre of grounde, and
[Fol. 10b.]

sowe thervppon but oone busshelle, as yf he sowed .iiii. busshelles.
And vndoutedly .i. busshell may not gyue so 24 moche corne
agayne, as the .iiii. busshels, though the .iii. bushels, that he sowed
more, be alowed and set aparte.
White, green, and grey peas.

And i. busshel and an halfe of white or grene pees, wyll sowe as
moche grounde, as two busshels of gray pees: 28 and that is bycause
they be so smal, and the husband nedeth not to take so great an
handful. In some countreys they begyn to sowe pees soone after
Christmasse: and in some places they sowe bothe pees and 32 beanes
vnder forowe: and those of reson must be sowen
Feb. 2.

betyme. But moste generally, to begyn sone after Candelmasse is
good season, so that they be sowen ere the begynnynge of Marche,
or sone vpon. And specially let 36 them be sowen in the olde of the
mone. For thopinion of olde husbandes is, that they shoulde the
better codde, and the sooner be rype. But I speke not of hasty pees,
for they be sowen before Christmasse, &c. 40

13. ¶ To sowe barley.
Barley.

Every good housbande hath his barleye-falowe well dounged, and
lyenge rygged all the depe and colde of wynter; the whiche
ryggynge maketh the lande to be
[Fol. 11.]

drye, and the dongynge maketh it to be melowe and 4 ranke. And if
a drye season come before Candelmasse, or sone after, it wolde be
caste downe and waterforowed bytwene the landes, that the wete
rest not in the raine: and in the begynnynge of Marche, rydge it
vppe agayne, 8
Sow five bushels to the acre.

and to sowe in euery acre fyue London bushelles, or foure at the
leaste. And some yeres it maye so fortune, that there cometh no
seasonable wether before Marche, to plowe his barley-erthe. And as
soone as he hath 12 sowen his pees and beanes, than let hym caste

his barley-erthe, and shortly after rygge it agayne: soo that it be
sowen before Apryll. And if the yere-tyme be paste, than sowe it
vpon the castynge. 16
¶ It is to be knowen that there be thre maner of barleys, that is to
say, sprot-barleye, longe-eare, and beare-barley,
Sprot-barley.

that some menne call bigge. Sprot-barley hath a flat eare most
comonly, thre quarters of an inche brode, 20 and thre inches long,
and the cornes be very great
Long-ear.

and white, and it is the best barley. Long-eare hath a flatte eare,
halfe an inche brode, and foure inches and more of length: but the
corne is not so greate 24 nor soo whyte, and sooner it wyll turne and
growe
Bear-barley.

to otes. Bere-barleye or bygge wolde be sowen vppon
[Fol. 11b.]

lyghte and drye grounde, and hathe an eare thre ynches of lengthe or
more, sette foure-square, lyke pecke-whete, 28 small cornes, and
lyttel floure, and that is the worste barley, and foure London bushels
are suffycient for an acre. And in some countreyes, they do not sowe
theyr barley tyll Maye, and that is mooste commonly vpon 32 grauel
or sandy grounde. But that barley generally is
Sow in March.

neuer soo good as that that is sowen in Marche. For if it be verye
drie wether after it be sowen, that corne that lyeth aboue, lyeth drie,
and hath noo moysture, and that 36 that lyeth vndernethe, commeth
vp: and whan rayne cometh, than sprutteth that that lyeth aboue, and
often-tymes it is grene whan the other is rype: and whan it is
thresshen, there is moche lyghte corne, &c. 40

14. To sowe otes.
Oats.

And in Marche is tyme to sowe otes, and specially vpon lyght
grounde & drie, howe-be-it they wylle grow on weter grounde than
any corne els: for wete grounde is good for no maner of corne; and
thre London bushels 4 wyl sowe an acre.
[Fol. 12.]

And it is to be knowen, that there be .iii. maner of otes,
Red oats.

that is to saye, redde otes, blacke otes, and roughe otes. Red otes are
the beste otes, and whan they be thresshed, 8 they be yelowe in the
busshell, and verye good to make
Black oats.

otemele of. Blacke otes are as great as they be, but they haue not so
moche floure in them, for they haue a thycker huske, and also they
be not so good to make otemele. 12
Rough oats.

The roughe otes be the worste, and it quiteth not the coste to sowe
them: they be very lyghte, and haue longe tayles, wherby they wyll
hange eche one to other. All these maner of otes weare the grounde
very sore, and 16
Observe how thick to sow.

maketh it to beare quyche. A yonge housbande ought to take hede,
howe thycke he sowethe all maner of corne, two or three yeres: and
to se, howe it cometh vp, and whether it be thycke ynoughe or not:
and if it be thynne, 20 sowe thycker the nexte yere: and if it be well,
holde his hande there other yeres: and if it be to thynne, let hym
remember hym selfe, whether it be for the vnseasonablenes of the
wether, or for thyn sowynge. And so 24 his wysedome and discretion
muste discerne it.

15. ¶ To harowe all maner of cornes.
[Fol. 12b.]

Nowe these landes be plowed, and the corne sowen, it is
conuenient, that they be well harowed; or els crowes,
Harrowing.

doues, and other byrdes wyll eate and beare awaye the cornes. It is
vsed in many countreys, the husbandes to 4
The ox-harrow.

haue an oxe-harowe, the whiche is made of sixe smal peces of
timbre, called harowe-bulles, made eyther of
Harrow-bulls.

asshe or oke; they be two yardes longe, and as moche as the small of
a mannes legge, and haue shotes[23] of wode 8 put through theym
lyke lathes, and in euery bull are syxe sharpe peces of yren called
harowe-tyndes, set some-what a-slope forwarde, and the formes[t]
slote[24] must be bygger than the other, bycause the fote-teame shall
be fastened 12 to the same with a shakyll, or a withe to drawe by.
This
The horse-harrow.

harrowe is good to breake the greatte clottes, and to make moche
molde, and than the horse-harowes to come after, to make the clottes
smaller, and to laye the grounde euen. 16 It is a greate labour and
payne to the oxen, to goo to
‘The ox is never woe, Till he to the harrow go.’

harowe: for they were better to goo to the plowe two dayes, thanne
to harowe one daye. It is an olde saying, ‘The oxe is neuer wo, tyll
he to the harowe goo.’ And 20 it is bycause it goeth by twytches, and
not alwaye
[Fol. 13.]

after one draughte. The horse-harrowe is made of fyue bulles, and
passe not an elne of lengthe, and not soo moche as the other, but

they be lyke sloted and tinded. 24 And whan the corne is well
couered, than it is harowed ynough. There be horse-harowes, that
have tyndes of wodde: and those be vsed moche about Ryppon, and
Boulder-stones.

suche other places, where be many bulder-stones. For 28 these
stones wold weare the yren to soone, and those
Tines of the harrow made of ash.

tyndes be mooste commonly made of the grounde ende of a yonge
asshe, and they be more thanne a fote longe in the begynnynge, and
stande as moche aboue the harowe 32 as benethe.
And as they weare, or breake, they dryue them downe lower; and
they wolde be made longe before, ere they be occupied, that they
maye be drye; for than they shall 36 endure and last moche better,
and stycke the faster.
Horses for harrows.

The horses that shall drawe these harowes, muste be well kepte and
shodde, or elles they wyll soone be tyred, and sore beate, that they
may not drawe. They must haue 40 hombers or collers, holmes
withed about theyr neckes,
Swingle-tree.

tresses to drawe by, and a swyngletre to holde the tresses abrode,
and a togewith to be bytwene the swyngletre and the harowe. And if
the barleye-grounde wyll not breake 44 with harrowes, but be clotty,
it wolde be beaten with
[Fol. 13b.]

malles, and not streyght downe; for than they beate the corne in-to
the erthe. And if they beate the clot on the syde, it wyll the better
breake. And the clot wyll lye 48 lyghte, that the corne maye lyghtely
come vp. And they
Rolling the ground.

vse to role theyr barley-grounde after a shoure of rayne, to make the
grounde euen to mowe, &c.

16. ¶ To falowe.

Nowe these housbandes haue sowen theyr pees, beanes, barley,
and otes, and harowed them, it is the beste tyme,
Fallow in April.

to falowe, in the later ende of Marche and Apryll, for whete, rye,
and barley. And lette the husbande do the 4
Plough broad and deep.

beste he can, to plowe a brode forowe and a depe, soo that he turne
it cleane, and lay it flat, that it rere not on the edge: the whiche shall
destroy all the thistils and wedes. For the deper and the broder that
he gothe, 8 the more newe molde, and the greatter clottes shall he
haue, and the greatter clottes, the better wheate. For the clottes kepe
the wheate warme all wynter, and at Marche they wyll melte and
breake, and fal in manye 12 small peces, the whiche is a newe
dongynge, and refresshynge
[Fol. 14, misprinted 16.]

of the corne. And also there shall but lyttell wedes growe vpon the
falowes, that are so falowed. For the plough goth vndernethe the
rootes of all maner of 16
Never fallow in winter; else

wedes, and tourneth the roote vpwarde, that it maye not growe. And
yf the lande be falowed in wynter tyme, it is farre the worse, for
three principall causes. One is, all the
(1) rain will wash the land;

rayne that commeth, shal washe the lande, and dryue 20 awaye the
dounge and the good moulde, that the lande
(2) rain will beat it flat;

shall be moche the worse. An other cause is, the rayne shall beate
the lande so flat, and bake it so hard to-gyther, that if a drye Maye
come, it wyll be to harde to stere in 24
(3) the weeds will take deep root.

the moneth of June. And the thyrde cause is, the wiedes shall take
suche roote, er sterynge-tyme comme, that they wylle not be cleane
tourned vndernethe, the whiche shal be great hurte to the corne,
whan it shall be sowen, and 28 specially in the weding-tyme of the
same; and for any other thynge, make a depe holowe forowe in the
rydge of
Do not rest-baulk.

the lande, and loke wel, thou rest-balke it nat; for if thou do, there
wyll be many thystels: and than thou 32 shalte not make a cleane
rydge at the fyrste sterynge, and therfore it muste nedes be depe
plowed, or elles thou shalt nat tourne the wiedes cleane.
[Fol. 14b.]

17. ¶ To cary out donge or mucke and to sprede it.

And in the later ende of Apryll, and the begynnynge of
Carry out dung.

Maye, is tyme to cary out his dounge or mucke, and to lay it vppon
his barley-grounde. And where he hath barley this yere, sowe it with
whete or rye the next 4 tyme it is falowed, and so shal he mucke all
his landes ouer at euerye seconde falowe. But that husbande that can
fynd the meanes to cary oute his donge, and to laye
Lay dung on the land after the first stirring,

it vpon his lande after it be ones sturred: it is moche 8 better than to
laye it vppon his falowe, for dyuer causes. One is, if it be layde
vpon his fallowe, all that fallethe in the holowe rygge shall do lyttell
good; for whan it is rygged agayne, it lyeth soo depe in the erthe,

that 12 it wyll not be plowed vp agayne, excepte that whan he hath
sprede it, he wyll with a shouell, or a spade, caste out all that is
fallen in the rygge. And if it be layde
and soon after stirring.

vpon the sturrynge, at euery plowynge it shall medle 16 the donge
and the erthe togyder, the whiche shall cause the corne moche better
to growe and encreace. And in somme places, they lode not theyr
donge, tyll harvest be done, & that is vsed in the farther 20
[Fol. 15.]

syde of Darbyshyre, called Scaresdale, Halomshyre, and so
northewarde towarde Yorke and Ryppon: and that I calle better
thanne vppon the falowe, and specyally for barley: but vppon the
fyrste sturrynge, is beste 24 for wheate and rye, and that his dunge
be layde vpon
Spread it evenly.

smal hepes nygh together, and to sprede it euenly, and to leue no
dounge there-as the mucke-hepe stode, for the moystnes of the
dounge shall cause the grounde to 28
Mix it with earth.

be ranke ynoughe. And if it be medled with erthe, as sholynges and
suche other, it wyll laste the longer, and better for barley than for
whete or rye, bycause of wedes. Horse-donge is the worste donge
that is. The 32 donge of all maner catell, that chewe theyr cudde,
Doves’ dung.

is verye good. And the dounge of douues is best, but it must be
layde vppon the grounde verye thynne.

18. ¶ To set out the shepe-folde.
The sheep-fold.

Also it is tyme to set out the shepefolde in May, and to sette it
vppon the rye-grounde, if he haue any, and to flyte it euery
mornynge or nyght: and in the mornynge, whan he cometh to his
folde, let not his 4
[Fol. 15b.]

shepe out anone, but reyse theym vp, and let them stande stylle
good season, that they may donge and
See if the sheep have maggots.

pysse. And go amonge them to se whether any of them haue any
mathes, or be scabbed: and se them 8 thre or foure tymes on the
oone syde, and as ofte on the other syde. And whan the kelles
begonne besyde the grounde, than lette theym out of the folde, and
dryue theym to the soundest place of the felde. But 12
Folding sheep is not a good plan.

he that hath a falowe felde, seueral to hym-selfe, let hym occupie no
folde. For foldynge of shepe maketh them scabbed, and bredeth
mathes; and whanne a storme of yll wether commeth in the night,
they can 16 nat flee nor go awaye, and that appeyreth them sore of
their flesshe. But lette that man that hath such a
Drive stakes in the field.

seueral falowe-felde, driue twentie, thyrty, or forty stakes,
accordynge to the nombre of his shepe, vpon his falowe, 20 where he
wolde sette his folde, and specially in the farthest parte of the fyelde
frome thense as they comme in, for the goynge vppon dothe moche
good. And lette the sheparde brynge his shepe to the stakes, and 24
The sheep will rub against them.

the sheepe wylle rubbe them on the stakes. And lette the sheparde
goo aboute them, tyll they be sette, and thus serue theym two or
three nyghtes, and they wyll folowe those stakes, as he flytteth
them, and syt by 28
[Fol. 16, misprinted 14.]

them. And if any yll wether come, they will ryse vp, and go to the
hedge. And this maner of foldynge shall brede noo mathes nor
scabbe, nor appeyre theym of theyr flesshe, and shall be a greate
sauegarde to the 32 shepe for rottynge: and in the mornynge put
them out of theyr pasture, and thou shalte not nede to bye any
Use no hurdles.

hurdels nor shepe-flekes; but howe ye shall salue them or dresse
them, ye shall vnderstande in the chaypter of 36 shepe after.

19. ¶ To cary wodde and other necessaryes.
In May carry wood.

And in May, whan thou hast falowed thy grounde, and set oute thy
shepefolde, and caryed oute thy dounge or mucke, if thou haue any
wodde, cole, or tymbre to cary, or suche other busynes, that muste
nedes be doone, 4 with thy charte or wayne, than is it tyme to do it.
For
The days are then long.

than the waye is lyke to be fayre and drye, and the days longe, and
that tyme the husbande hath leeste to doo in husbandry. Perauenture
I set one thynge to be done at 8 one tyme of the yere, and if the
husbande shulde do it, it shulde be a greatter losse to hym in an
other thynge.
[Fol. 16b.]

Wherefore it is moste conuenient to do that thynge fyrst, that is
moste profytable to hym, and as soone as he 12 can, do the other
labour.

20. ¶ To knowe dyuers maner of wedes.
In June weed the corn.

In the later ende of Maye, and the begynnynge of June, is tyme to
wede thy corne. There be diuers maner of wedes, as thistyls,
kedlokes, dockes, cocledrake, darnolde, gouldes, haudoddes,
dogfenell, mathes, ter, 4 and dyuers other small wedes. But these be
they that
Thistles.

greue mooste: The thistyll is an yll wede, roughe and sharpe to
handell, and freteth away the cornes nygh it, and causeth the sherers
or reapers not to shere cleane. 8
Charlock.

Kedlokes hath a leafe lyke rapes, and beareth a yelowe floure, and is
an yll wede, and groweth in al maner corne, and hath small coddes,
and groweth lyke mustard sede.
Docks.

Dockes have a brode lefe, and diuers high spyres, and 12
Cockle.

very small sede in the toppe. Cockole hath a longe small lefe, and
wyl beare fyue or vi. floures of purple colour, as brode as a grote,
and the sede is rounde and blacke, and maye well be suffred in a
breade-corne, but not in sede, 16
‘Drake.’

for therin is moche floure. Drake is lyke vnto rye, till it
[Fol. 17.]

begynne to sede, and it hath many sedes lyke fenell-sedes, and
hangeth downewarde, and it maye wel be suffred in breade, for
there is moche floure in the sede: and it is an 20
Darnel.

opinion that it commeth of rye, &c. Dernolde groweth vp streyght
lyke an hye grasse, and hath longe sedes on eyther syde the sterte,
and there is moche floure in that sede, and growethe moche amonge
barley: and it is 24
Golds.

sayde, that it cometh of small barley. Golds hath a shorte iagged
lefe, and groweth halfe a yarde hygh, and hath a yelowe floure, as
brode as a grote, and is an yll wede, and
Hawdod.

groweth commonlye in barleye and pees. Hawdod hath 28 a blewe
floure, and a fewe lyttell leues, and hath .v. or syxe braunches,
floured in the toppe: and groweth comonly in
Dog-fennel.

rye vpon leane grounde, and dothe lyttel hurte. Dogge-fenell and
mathes is bothe one, and in the commynge vp 32 is lyke fenell and
beareth many white floures, with a yelowe sede: and is the worste
wede that is, excepte terre, and it commeth moste commonly, whan
great wete commeth
Tares.

shortly after the corne is sowen. Terre is the 36 worste wede, and it
neuer dothe appere tyll the moneth of June, and specyallye whanne
there is great wete in that mone, or a lyttell before, and groweth
mooste in rye, and it groweth lyke fytches, but it is moche smaller,
and 40
[Fol. 17b.]

it wyll growe as hyghe as the corne, and with the weyght therof it
pulleth the corne flatte to the erth, and freteth the eares away;
wherfore I haue seene housbandes mowe downe the corne and it
together: And also with sharp 44 hokes to repe it, as they doo pees,
and made drye, and than it wyll be good fodder.
Dee-nettles.

There be other wedes not spoken of, as dee-nettylles,
Dodder.

dodder, and suche other, that doo moche harme. 48

21. ¶ Howe to wede corne.

How to weed.

Nowe it wolde be knowen, howe these cornes shulde be weded.
The chyefe instrument to wede with is a paire of tonges made of
wode, and in the farther ende it is nycked, to holde the wed faster;
and after a shoure of 4 raine it is beste wedynge, for than they maye
be pulled vp by the rotes, and than it cometh neuer agayne. And
Weeding-hook.

if it be drye wether, than muste ye haue a wedynge-hoke with a
socket set vpon a lyttel staffe of a yarde longe, and 8 this hoke
wolde be well steeled, and grounde sharpe bothe
Forked stick.

behynde and before. And in his other hande he hath a forked stycke
a yarde longe, and with his forked stycke
[Fol. 18.]

he putteth the wede from hym, and he putteth the hoke 12 beyond
the rote of the wede, and pulleth it to hym, and cutteth the wede fast
by the erthe, and with his hoke he taketh up the wede, and casteth it
in the reane, and if the reane be full of corne, it is better it stande
styll, 16 whan it is cut, and wyddre: but let hym beware, that he trede
not to moche vppon the corne, and specyallye after
Cut not the corn.

it is shotte, and whan he cutteth the wede, that he cut not the corne:
and therefore the hoke wolde not passe 20 an inche wyde. And
whanne the wede is soo shorte, that he can not with his forked
stycke put it from hym, and with the hoke pull it to hym, thanne
muste he set his hoke vppon the wede, fast by the erthe, and put it 24
from hym, and so shall he cutte it cleane. And with
Stoop not.

these two instruments, he shall neuer stoupe to his warke.
Dogfenell, goldes, mathes, and kedlokes are yll to wede after this
maner, they growe vppon so many braunches, 28
Pull up darnel.

harde by the erthe: and therfore they vse most to pul them vppe with
theyr handes; but loke well, that they pull not vppe the corne with
all; but as for terre, there wyll noo wedynge serue. 32

22. ¶ The fyrst sturrynge.
[Fol. 18b.]

Also in June is tyme to rygge vppe the falowe, the whiche is called
the fyrst sturrynge, and to plowe it as depe as thou canste, for to
tourne the rotes of the wedes vpwarde, that the sonne and the drye
wether maye kyll 4 them. And an housbande can not conuenyentelye
plowe
How to plough and load out dung.

his lande, and lode out his dounge bothe vppon a daye, with one
draughte of beastes: but he maye well lode oute his dounge before
none, and lode heye or corne at-after 8 none: or he maye plowe
before none, and lode hey or corne at-after none, with the same
draughte, and noo hurte to the cattell: bycause in lodynge of hey or
corne, the cattel is alwaye eatynge or beytynge, and soo they 12 can
not doo in lodynge of dounge and plowynge.

23. ¶ To mowe grasse.
End of June.

Also in the later ende of June is tyme to begyn to mowe, if thy
medowe be well growen: but howe-so-euer
July.

they be growen, in July they muste nedes mowe, for diuers causes.
One is, it is not conuenient to haue hey 4
Mow hay early.

and corne bothe in occupation at one tyme. An other is, the yonger
and the grener that the grasse is, the softer
[Fol. 19.]

and the sweter it wyll be, whan it is hey, but it wyll haue the more
wyddrynge; and the elder the grasse is, the 8 harder and dryer it is,
and the worse for al maner of cattell: for the sedes be fallen, the
whiche is in maner of prouander, and it is the harder to eate and
chowe. And an other cause is, if drye wether come, it wyll drye 12
and burne vpon the grounde, and waste away. Take
How to mow.

hede that thy mower mow clene and holde downe the hynder hand
of his sith, that he do not endent the grasse, and to mowe his swathe
cleane thorowe to that that 16 was laste mowen before, that he leaue
not a mane bytwene, and specyallye in the common medowe: for in
the seuerall medowe it maketh the lesse charge, and that
Mole-hills.

the moldywarpe-hilles be spredde, and the styckes cleane 20 pycked
out of the medowe in Apryll, or in the beginnynge of Maye.

24. ¶ Howe forkes and rakes shulde be made.
Forks and rakes.

A Good husbande hath his forkes and rakes made redye in the
wynter before, and they wolde be gotte bytwene Mighelmasse and
Martylmasse, and beyked, and
[Fol. 19b.]

sette euen, to lye vpryght in thy hande: and than they 4 wyll be
harde styffe and drye. And whan the housbande sytteth by the fyre,
and hath nothynge to do, than maye he make theym redye, and tothe
the rakes with drye wethy-wode,
Bore holes for the teeth of the rakes.

and bore the holes with his wymble, bothe aboue 8 and vnder, and
driue the tethe vpwarde faste and harde, and than wedge them aboue
with drye woode of oke, for that is hard, and wil driue and neuer
come out. And if he get them in sappe-tyme, all the beykyng and
drienge 12 that can be had shal not make them harde and styffe,
Use hazel and withy.

but they woll alwaye be plyenge: for they be moste comonly made
of hasell and withee, and these be the trees that blome, and specially
hasell: for it begynneth 16
Use no green wood.

to blome as sone as the lefe is fallen. And if the rake be made of
grene woode, the heed wyll not abyde vppon the stele, and the tethe
wyll fall out, whan he hath mooste nede to them, and let his warke,
and lose 20
Make all evenly.

moche heye. And se that thy rake and forke lye vpryghte in thy
hand, for and the one ende of thy rake, or the syde of thy forke,
hang downe-warde, than they be not handsome nor easy to worke
with. 24

25. ¶ To tedde and make hay.
[Fol. 20.]

Whan thy medowes be mowed, they wolde be well
Tedding hay.

tedded and layde euen vppon the grounde: and if the grasse be very
thycke, it wolde be shaken with handes,
Ted hay carefully.

or with a shorte pykforke. For good teddynge is the 4 chiefe poynte
to make good hey, and than shall it be wyddred all in lyke, or elles
not: and whan it is wel wyddred on the ouer syde, and dry, than

turne it cleane before noone, as soone as the dewe is gone: And yf
thou 8 dare truste the wether, lette it lye so all nyghte: and on the
nexte daye, tourne it agayne before none, and towarde nyght make it
in wyndrowes, and than in smal
Hay-cocks.

hey-cockes, and so to stande one nyghte at the leaste, and 12 sweate:
and on the nexte fayre day caste it abrode agayne, and tourne it ones
or twyse, and than make it
Larger hay-cocks.

in greatter hey-cockes, and to stande so one nyght or more, that it
maye vngiue and sweate. For and it sweate 16 not in the hey-cockes,
it wyll sweate in the mowe; and than it wyll be dustye, and not
holsome for hors, beastes, nor shepe. And whan it standeth in the
cockes, it is better to lode, and the more hey maye be loded at a
lode, 20
Quich-hay.

and the faster it wyll lye. Quyche-hey commeth of a grasse called
crofote, and groweth flatte, after the erthe,
[Fol. 20b.]

and bearethe a yelowe floure halfe a yarde hygh and more, and hath
many knottes towarde the roote, and it 24 is the beste hey for horses
and beastes, and the sweteste, if it be well got; but it wyll haue
moch more wyddrynge than other hey, for els he wyll be-pysse
hym-selfe and
How to know when hay is dry.

waxe hote, and after dustye. And for to knowe whanne 28 it is
wyddred ynoughe, make a lyttell rope of the same, that ye thinke
shulde be moste greneste, and twyne it as harde to-gether bytwen
your handes as ye canne, and soo
Twist a wisp, and then cut it.

beynge harde twon, let one take a knyfe, and cut it faste 32 by your
hande; and the knottes wyll be moyste, yf it be not drye ynough.
Shorte hey, and leye-hey, is good for shepe, and all maner of catell,
if it be well got. A man maye speke of makynge of hey, and
gettynge of corne, 36 but god disposeth and ordreth all thynge.

26. ¶ Howe rye shulde be shorne.
In July, shear rye.

In the later ende of July, or in the begynnynge of Auguste, is tyme
to shere Rye, the whiche wolde be shorne cleane, and faste bounden.
And in somme places they mowe it, the whiche is not soo good to
the 4 housbandes profytte, but it is the sooner done. For
[Fol. 21.]

whan it is mowen, it wyll not be so fast bounden: and he can not
gather it soo cleane, but there wyll be moche losse, and taketh more
rowme in the barne than shorne 8 corne dothe. And also it wyll not
kepe nor saue it selfe from rayne or yll wether, whan it standeth in
the couer, as the shorne corne wyll do.

27. ¶ Howe to shere wheate.
Shear wheat clean.

Wheate wolde be shorne cleane, and harde bounden in lyke
maner; but for a generall rule, take good hede, that the sherers of all
maner of whyte corne cast not vppe theyr handes hastely, for thanne
all the lose corne, 4 and the strawes, that he holdeth not fast in his
hande, flieth ouer his heed, and are loste: and also it wyll pull of the
eares, and specyallye of the cornes that be verye
Shear wheat clean.

rype. In somme places they wyll shere theyr cornes 8 hyghe, to the
entente to mowe theyr stubble, eyther to thacke or to bren: if they so
do, they haue greate cause to take good hede of the sherers. For if
the eares of corne croke downe to the erthe, and the sherer take 12
not good hede, and put up the eare er he cut the strawe: as many
eares as be vnder his hoke or sicle
Fol. 21b.

fall to the erthe, and be loste; and whan they mowe the stubble, it is
great hyndraunce to the profytte of 16
Near Ilchester and Martock they shear low.

the grounde. And in Sommersetshire, about Zelcestre and Martok,
they doo shere theyr wheate very lowe, and all the wheate-strawe
that they pourpose to make thacke of, they do not thresshe it, but
cutte of the 20 eares, and bynde it in sheues, and call it rede: and
therwith they thacke theyr houses. And if it be a
Best kind of thatching.

newe house, they thacke it vnder theyr fote: the whiche is the beste
and the surest thacking that can 24 be of strawe, for crowes and
douues shall neuer hurte it.

28. To mowe or shere barley and otes.
Mow barley and oats.

Barley and otes be moste commonly mowen, and a man or woman
folowythe the mower with a hande-rake halfe a yarde longe, with
.vii. or .viii. tethe, in the lyfte hande, and a syckle in the ryghte
hande, and 4 with the rake he gethereth as moche as wyll make a
shefe. And thanne he taketh the barley or otes by the toppes, and
pulleth out as moche as wil make a band, and casteth the band from
him on the land, and with his 8 rake and his syckle taketh vp the
barley or otes, &

[Fol. 22.]

layeth them vppon the bande, and so the barley lyeth vnbounden .iii.
or .iiii. dayes, if it be fayre wether, and than to bynde it. And whan
the barley is ledde 12
Rake afterwards.

away, the landes muste be raked, or els there wyll be moche corne
loste, and if the barley or otes lye, they muste nedes be shorne.

29. ¶ To repe or mowe pees and beanes.
Reap or mow peas and beans.

Pees and benes be moste commonly laste reped or mowen, of
diuers maners, some with sickles, some with hokes, and some with
staffe-hokes. And in some places they lay them on repes, and whan
they be dry, 4 they laye them to-gether on heapes, lyke hey-cockes,
and neuer bynde them. But the beste way is, whan
Bind them together.

the repes be dry, to bynde them, and to set theym on the rydge of the
landes three sheues to-gether; and 8 loke that your sherers, repers, or
mowers geld not
Cut beans low.

your beanes, that is to saye, to cutte the beanes so hye, that the
nethermoste codde growe styll on the stalke; and whan they be
bounden, they are the more redyer 12 to lode and vnlode, to make a
reke, and to take fro the mowe to thresshe. And soo be not the repes.
[Fol. 22b.]

30. ¶ Howe all maner of cornes shulde be tythed.
How to tithe.

Nowe that all these cornes before specyfyed be shorne, mowed,
reped, bounden vp, and layde vppon the rydge of the lande, lette the

housbande take hede of goddes commaundemente, and let hym goo
4
Count 9 sheaves, and cast out the tenth.

to the ende of his lande, and begynne and tell .ix. sheues, and let
hym caste out the .x. shefe in the name of god, and so to pervse
from lande to lande, tyll he haue trewely tythed all his corne. And
beware, 8 and take hede of the sayinge of our lorde by his
Malachi iii. 8, 9.

prophete Malachias, the whiche saythe, Quia michi non dedisti
decimas et primitias, id circo in fame et penuria maledicti estis.
That is to saye, Bycause ye haue not 12 gyuen to me your tythes, and
your fyrste-fruytes, therefore ye be cursed, and punysshed with
honger and
Augustine.

penury. And accordynge to that saynte Austyn saythe: Da decimas,
alioqui incides in decimam partem angelorum 16
Give tithes truly.

qui de celo corruerunt in infernum. That is to say, Gyue thy tythes
truely, or els thou shalt fall amonge the tenthe parte of aungelles that
felle from heuen in-to hell, the whiche is an harde worde to euery
man, that oughte to 20
[Fol. 23.]

gyue tythes, and doth not gyue them truely. But saynte
Augustine.

Austyne saythe a comfortable worde again, to them that gyue theyr
tythes truely, that is to saye: Decimæ sunt
Tithes are tributes to the needy.

tributa egentium animarum: Tythes are tributes or 24 rewardes to
nedye soules. And ferther he saythe: Si decimam dederis, non solum
abundantiam fructum recipies, sed etiam sanitatem corporis et
animæ consequeris, That is to saye, If thou haue gyuen thy tythes

truely, thou 28 shalte not onely receyue the profite, and the
abundaunce of goodes, but also helthe of bodye and soule shall
folowe. Wolde to god, that euerye man knewe the harde worde of
our lorde by his prophete Malachias, 32 and also the comfortable
wordes of the holy saynte Austyn. For than wolde I truste verely,
that tythes shulde be truely gyuen.

31. ¶ Howe all maner of corne shulde he couered.
How to cover corn.

Nowe these cornes be shorne and bounden, and the tithes cast out,
it is tyme to couer theym, shoke theym, or halfe-throne them, but
couerynge is the beste waye
[Fol. 23b.]

of all maner of whyte corne. And that is, to set foure 4 sheues on one
syde, and .iiii. sheues on the other syde,
Set ten sheaves together.

and two sheues aboue, of the greatteste, bounden harde nyghe to the
nether ende, the whiche must be set vpwarde, and the top
downewarde spredde abrode to couer all the 8 other sheues. And
they wyll stand beste in wynde, and saue theym-selfe beste in rayne,
and they wolde be set on the rydge of the lande, and the sayde
sheues to leane to-gether in the toppes, and wyde at the grounde,
that 12
For peas and beans set three together.

the winde may go through, to drye them. Pees and beanes wolde be
set on the rydge of the lande, thre sheues together, the toppes
vpwarde, and wrythen to-gether, and wyde benethe, that they maye
the better 16 wyddre.

32. ¶ To lode corne, and mowe it.

To load corn.

Whanne all these cornes be drye and wyddred ynoughe, than lode
theym in-to the barne, and laye euerye corne
Make many mows, if it be wet.

by it-selfe. And if be a wete haruest, make many mowes: and if thou
haue not housynge ynoughe, thanne it is 4 better to laye thy pees and
benes without vppon a reke, than other corne, and it is better vppon
a scaffolde than vppon the grounde: for than it muste be well hedged
[Fol. 24.]

for swyne and catel, and the grounde wyll rotte the 8 bottom, and the
scaffolde saueth both hedgynge and rottynge: but they must be well
couered bothe. And the
The scaffold.

husband may set shepe or catel vnder the same scaffold and wyll
serue hym in stede of an house, if it be well 12 and surely made, &c.

33. ¶ The second[25] sturrynge.
August.

In August, and in the begynnyng of September, is
Second stirring.

tyme to make his seconde sturrynge, and most commonly it is cast
downe and plowed a meane forowe, not to depe nor to ebbe, so he
turne it clene. And if it be caste, it 4
Water-furrow the land.

wolde be water-forowed bytwene the landes, there-as the reane
shulde be, and it wyll be the dryer, whan the lande shall be sowen.
And if the landes lie high in the ridge, & highe at the reane, & lowe
in the 8 myddes of the side, that the water may not ronne easely in-
to the reane, as I se dayly in many places: than let the husband set
his plough .iii. or .iiii. fote from the
How to ridge it up.

rydge, and cast all the rydge on bothe sydes, and whan 12 the rydge
is cast, set his plough there-as he began, and rydge vp the remenant
of the lande, and so is the land bothe cast and rydged, and all at one
plowynge. And this
[Fol. 24b.]

shall cause the lande to lye rounde, whan it is sowen 16 at the nexte
tyme, and than shall it not drowne the corne.

34. To sowe wheat and rye.
Michaelmas.

Aboute Myghelmasse it is tyme to sowe bothe wheate
Sow wheat and rye.

and rye. Wheate is mooste commonlye sowen vnder the forowe, that
is to saye, caste it vppon the falowe, and than plowe it vnder. And in
some places they sowe theyr 4
Pease stubble.

wheate vppon theyr pees-stubble, the whiche is neuer soo good, as
that that is sowen vppon the falowe: and that is vsed, where they
make falowe in a fyelde euery
In Essex a child sows.

fourthe yere. And in Essex they vse to haue a chylde, 8 to go in the
forowe before the horses or oxen, with a bagge or a hopper full of
corne: and he taketh his hande full of corne, and by lyttel and lytel
casteth it in the
He ought to have much discretion.

sayde forowe. Me semeth, that chylde oughte to haue 12 moche
dyscretion.
Howe-be-it there is moche good corne, and rye is
Sow 2 London bushels to an acre.

mooste commonlye sowen aboue and harrowed, and two London
busshelles of wheate and rye wyll sowe an acre. 16 Some grounde is

good for wheate, some for rye, and some is good for bothe: and
vppon that ground sowe
[Fol. 25.]

blend-corne, that is both wheate and rye, the whyche is the surest
corne of growyng, and good for the husbandes 20
Wheat and rye mixed.

houshold. And the wheate, that shall be medled with rye, muste be
suche as wyll soone be rype, and that is flaxen wheate, polerd
wheate, or whyte wheate. And ye shall vnderstande, that there be
dyuers maners of wheates. 24
Flaxen wheat.

Flaxen wheate hath a yelowe eare, and bare without anis, and is the
bryghtest wheate in the busshell, and wyll make the whytest breed,
and it wyll weare the grounde sore, and is small strawe, and wyll
growe very thycke, 28
Pollard wheat.

and is but small corne. Polerde wheate hath noo anis, thycke sette in
the eare, and wyll soone fall out, and is
White wheat.

greatter corne, and wyll make whyte breed. Whyte wheate is lyke
polerde wheate in the busshell, but it 32 hath anis, and the eare is
foure-square, and wyll make white breed: and in Essex they call
flaxen wheate
Red wheat.

whyte wheate. Red wheate hath a flat eare, an inche brode, full of
anis, and is the greatteste corne, and 36 the brodeste blades, and the
greatteste strawe, and wyl make whyte breed, and is the rudeste of
colour in the busshell.
English wheat.

Englysshe wheate hath a dunne eare, fewe anis or none, 40 and is

the worste wheate, saue peeke-wheate. Peeke-wheete
Peek-wheat.

hath a red eare, ful of anis, thyn set, and ofte
[Fol. 25b.]

tymes it is flyntered, that is to saye, small corne wrynkeled and
dryed, and wyll not make whyte breade, but it wyl 44 growe vpon
colde grounde.

35. ¶ To thresshe and wynowe corne.
Carefully clean seed-corn.

This wheate and rye, that thou shalte sowe, ought to be very
cleane of wede, and therfore, er thou thresshe thy corne, open thy
sheues, and pyke oute all maner of wedes, and than thresshe it, and
wynowe it cleane, 4 and so shalt thou haue good clene corne an
other
In Essex and Kent they fan the corn.

yere. And in some countreys, aboute London specyallye, and in
Essex and Kente, they do fan theyr corne, the whiche is a verye
good gise, and a great saueguarde for 8 shedynge of the corne. And
whan thou shalte sell it, if it be well wynowed or fande, it wyll be
solde the derer, and the lyghte corne wyll seme the husbande in his
house. 12

36. ¶ To seuer pees, beanes, and fytches.
Sift your peas and beans.

Whan thou haste thresshed thy pees, and beanes, after they be
wynowed, and er thou shalte sowe or selle them, let theym be well
reed with syues, and seuered in
[Fol. 26.]

thre partes, the great from the small, and thou shalte gette 4 in
euerye quarter a London busshell, or there about. For
Separate small from large.

the small corne lyeth in the holowe and voyde places of the greate
beanes, and yet shall the greate beanes be solde as dere, as if they
were all together, or derer, as a man 8 may proue by a famylier
ensample. Let a man bye
120 herrings, at 2 a penny, cost 5 shillings;

.C. hearynges,[26] two hearynges for a penye, and an other .C.
hearynges, thre for a peny, and let hym sell these .CC. hearinges
agayne .v. heringes for .ii. d.; nowe hath 12 he loste .iiii. d. For C.
hearinges, .ii. for i. d., cost v. s.,
120 herrings, at 3 a penny, cost 3s. 4d.; or 8s. 4d. in all.

and C. hearynges, .iii. for a peny, coste .iii s. and .iiii d., the whiche
is .viii. s and .iiii. d.; and whan he selleth .v. herynges for .ii. d., xx.
heringes cometh but 16 to .viii. d. and there is but .xii. score
heringes, and that

20 herrings, at 5 for 2d., cost 8d.; 12 times as much are 24 groats, or 8s.

is but .xii. grotes, and xii. grotes, and that cometh but to .viii. s. and
so he hath lost .iiii. d. and it is bicause there be not so many
bargeins, for in the bienge of these .CC. 20 heringes there be .v.
score bargeins, and in the sellinge of the same there be but .xlviii.
bargeyns, and so is there lost .x. hearinges, the whiche wolde haue
ben .ii.
Always buy by gross sale, and sell by retail.

bargeyns moo, and than it had ben euen and mete. And 24 therfore
he that byeth grosse sale, and retayleth, muste nedes be a wynner.
And so shalt thou be a loser, if thou sell thy pees, beanes, and
fytches together: for than
[Fol. 26b.]

thou sellest grosse sale. And if thou seuer them in thre 28 partes,
than thou doest retayle, wherby thou shalte wynne.

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

An housbande can not well thryue by his corne, without he haue
other cattell, nor by his cattell, without corne. For els he shall be a
byer, a borower, or
Sheep are the most profitable cattle.

a begger. And bycause that shepe in myne opynyon is 4 the mooste
profytablest cattell that any man can haue, therfore I pourpose to
speake fyrst of shepe. Than fyrst is to be knowen, what tyme thou
shalt put thy
Rams and ewes.

rammes to thy ewes; and therin I make a distinction, for 8 euery man
maye not put to theyr rammes all at one tyme; for if they doo, there
wyll be greate hurte and losse; for that man, that hath the best

shepe-pasture for wynter, and soone spryngynge in the begynnynge
of the 12 yere, he maye suffre his rammes to goo with his ewes all
tymes of the yere, to blyssomme or ryde whan they wyll: but for the
comon pasture, it is tyme to put to his
Sept. 14.

rammes at the Exaltation of the holye crosse: for than 16
[Fol. 27.]

the bucke goth to the rut, and so wolde the ramme. But for the
common husbande, that hath noo pasture but the common fieldes, it
is tyme ynoughe at the feste of
Sept. 29.

saynt Mychaell the archangel. And for the poore 20 housbande of the
Peeke, or suche other, that dwell in hylly and hyghe groundes, that
haue no pastures, nor common fieldes, but all-onely the comon
hethe, Symon
Oct. 28.

and Jude daye is good tyme for theym, and this is the 24 reason why.
An ewe goth with lambe .xx. wekes, and shall yeane her lambe in
the .xxi. weke; & if she haue not conueniente newe grasse to eate,
she maye not gyue her lambe mylke: and for wante of mylke, there
be 28 manye lambes perysshed and loste: and also for pouertye, the
dammes wyll lacke mylke, and forsake theyr lambes, and soo often
tymes they dye bothe in suche harde countreys. 32

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

If thy ewe haue mylke, and wyll not loue her lambe, put her in a
narowe place made of bordes, or of smothe trouse, a yarde wyde,
and put the lambe to her, and
If a ewe

socle it, and yf the ewe smyte the lambe with her 4 heed, bynd her
heed with a heye-rope, or a corde, to
[Fol. 27b.]
smite her lamb, tie up her head.

the syde of the penne: and if she wyl not stande syde longe all the
lambe,[27] than gyue her a lyttell hey, and tye a dogge by her, that
she maye se hym: and 8 this wyll make her to loue her lambe
shortely. And if thou haue a lambe deed, wherof the damme hath
Put a dead lamb’s skin on a live lamb, and so change its dam.

moche mylke, fley that lambe, and tye that skynne vpon an other
lambes backe, that hath a sory damme, with 12 lyttell mylke, and put
the good ewe and that lambe to-gether in the penne, and in one
houre she wyll loue that lambe; & than mayst thou take thy sory
weyke ewe awaye, and put her in an other place: and by this 16
meanes thou mayste fortune to saue her lyfe, and the lambes bothe.

39. ¶ What tyme lambes shulde be wayned.

In some places they neuer seuer their lambes from theyr dammes,
and that is for two causes: One is, in the beste pasture where the
rammes goo alwaye with
In the best pastures, lambs wean themselves.

theyr ewes, there it nedeth not, for the dammes wil 4 waxe drye, and
wayne theyr lambes theym-selfe. An other cause is, he that hath noo
seuerall and sounde
[Fol. 28.]

pasture, to put his lambes vnto whan they shoulde be wayned, he
muste eyther sell them, or let them sucke 8 as longe as the dammes
wyll suffre theym; and it is a common sayinge, that the lambe shall
not rotte, as longe as it souketh, excepte the damme wante meate.
Lambs to be weaned at 16 weeks, or 18.

But he that hath seueral and sounde pasture, it is tyme 12 to wayne
theyr lambes, whanne they be .xvi. wekes old, or .xviii. at the
farthest, and the better shall the ewe take the ramme agayne. And
the poore man of the peeke countreye, and suche other places,
where as 16 they vse to mylke theyr ewes, they vse to wayne theyr
In the Peak, lambs are weaned at 12 weeks.

lambes at xii. wekes olde, and to mylke theyr ewes fiue or syxe
wekes, &c. But those lambes be neuer soo good as the other that
sucke longe, and haue 20 meate ynoughe.

40. ¶ To drawe shepe, and seuer them in dyuers places.

Than thou grasier, that hast many shepe in thy
Have a large sheep-fold;

pastures, it is conuenient for the to haue a shepefolde made with a
good hedge or a pale, the whiche wyll receyue all thy shepe easyly
that goo in one pasture, 4 sette betwene two of thy pastures, in a
drye place;
[Fol. 28b.]

and adioynynge to the ende of the same, make an
another to hold 90 sheep;

other lyttell folde, that wyll receyue lxxxx. shepe or moo, and bothe
those foldes muste haue eyther of 8 theym a gate in-to eyther
pasture, and at the ende of that folde make an other lyttell folde, that
wyll
and another for 40 sheep.

receyue .xl. shepe or mo, and betwene euery folde a gate. And whan
the shepe are in the greate folde, 12 let .xl. of them, or there about,
come into the myddle
Let the shepherd examine them in the middle fold.

folde, and steke the gate. And than let the shepeherde turne them,
and loke them on euery syde, and if he se or fynde any shepe, that
nedeth any helpynge or mending 16 for any cause, lette the
shepeherde take that shepe with his hoke, and put hym in the lyttell
folde. And whan he hath taken all that nedeth any mendyng, than
put the other in-to whether pasture he wyll, and let in as 20
Put the sick ones in the little fold.

many out of the greate folde, and take those that nede any handling,
and put them into the lyttell folde. And thus peruse them all tyll he
haue doone, and than let the shepeherde go belte, grese, and handel
all those that he 24 hath drawen, and than shall not the great flocke
be taryed nor kepte from theyr meate: and as he hath mended them,
to put them into theyr pasture.

41. ¶ To belte shepe.
[Fol. 29.]

If any shepe raye or be fyled with dounge about the
How to belt sheep.

the tayle, take a payre of sheres and clyppe it awaye, and cast dry
muldes thervpon: and if it be in the heate of the sommer, it wolde be
rubbed euer with a lyttell terre, to 4
Have a board to lay a sheep upon.

kepe awaye the flyes. It is necessarye that a shepeherde haue a
borde, set fast to the syde of his lyttell folde, to laye his shepe vpon
when he handeleth theym, and an hole bored in the borde with an
augur, and therin a 8 grayned staffe of two fote longe, to be set fast,
to hang
A shepherd wants a dog, a hook, shears, and a tar-box.

his terre-boxe vpon, and than it shall not fall. And a shepeherde
shoulde not go without his dogge, his shepe-hoke, a payre of sheres,

and his terre-boxe, eyther with 12 hym, or redye at his shepe-folde,
and he muste teche his dogge to barke whan he wolde haue hym, to
ronne whan he wold haue hym, and to leue ronning whan he wolde
haue hym; or els he is not a cunninge shepeherd. The 16 dogge must
lerne it, whan he is a whelpe, or els it wyl not be: for it is harde to
make an olde dogge to stoupe.

42. ¶ To grease shepe.
How to grease sheep.

If any sheepe be scabbed, the shepeherde maye perceyue it by the
bytynge, rubbyng, or scratchynge with
[Fol. 29b.]

his horne, and mooste commonly the woll wyll ryse, and be thyn or
bare in that place: than take hym, and shede 4 the woll with thy
fyngers, there as the scab is, and with thy fynger laye a lyttell terre
thervpon, and stroke it a lengthe in the bottom of the woll, that it be
not seen
Part the wool and put tar on.

aboue. And so shede the woll by and by, and laye a 8 lyttell terre
thervppon, tyll thou passe the sore, and than it wyll go no farther.

43. ¶ To medle terre.
How to mix tar.

Let thy terre be medled with oyle, gose-grease, or capons grease,
these three be the beste, for these wyll make the terre to ronne
abrode: butter and swynes grease, whan they be molten, are good,
soo they be not salte; for 4 terre of hym-selfe is to kene, and is a
fretter, and no healer, without it be medled with some of these.

44. ¶ To make brome salue.

¶ A medicyne to salue poore mennes shepe, that thynke terre to
costely: but I doubte not, but and ryche men
[Fol. 30.]

knowe it, they wolde vse the same. Take a shete ful of
Chop broom small, and boil it;

brome, croppes, leaues, blossomes, and all, and chop 4 them very
smal, and than sethe them in a pan of .xx. gallons with rennynge
water, tyll it begyn to waxe thycke like a gelly, than take two
pounde of shepe suet molten,
add suet and brine;

and a pottell of olde pysse, and as moche bryne made 8 with salte,
and put all in-to the sayde panne, and styrre it aboute, and than
streyne it thorowe an olde clothe, and putte it in-to what vessell ye
wyll, and yf your shepe be
use it warm with a sponge.

newe clypped, make it luke-warme, and than washe your 12 shepe
there-with, with a sponge or a pece of an olde mantell, or of
faldynge, or suche a softe cloth or woll,
It can be used at any time.

for spendynge to moche of your salue. And at all tymes of the yere
after, ye may relent it, and nede require: and 16 make wyde sheydes
in the woll of the shepe, and anoynt them with it, & it shal heale the
scabbe, and kyll the shepe-lyce, and it shall not hurte the woll in the
sale therof. And those that be washen wyll not take scabbe 20 after
(if they haue sufficient meate); for that is the beste
Good meat in the mouth

grease that is to a shepe, to grease hym in the mouthe with good
meate; the whiche is also a greate saueguarde to the shepe for
rottynge, excepte there come myldewes, 24

[Fol. 30b.]
is the best grease for sheep.

for he wyl chose the beste, if he haue plentye. And he that hath but a
fewe shepe moderate this medicyne accordynge.

45. ¶ If a shepe haue mathes.
Maggots in sheep.

If a shepe haue mathes, ye shall perceyue it by her bytynge, or
fyskynge, or shakyng of her tayle, and mooste commonlye it is
moyst and wete: and if it be nyghe vnto the tayle, it is ofte tymes
grene, and fyled with his 4
How cured.

dounge: and than the shepeherde muste take a payre of sheres, and
clyppe awaye the woll bare to the skynne, and take a handfull of
drye moldes, and cast the moldes thervpon to drye vp the wete, and
then wype the muldes 8 away, and lay terre there as the mathes
were, and a lyttell farther. And thus loke theym euery daye, and
mende theym, if they haue nede.

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

There be some shepe that wyll be blynd a season, and yet mende
agayn. And if thou put a lytel terre in his eye, he will mende the
rather. There be dyuers waters, &
[Fol. 31.]

other medicyns, that wolde mende hym, but this is 4 [the] mooste
common medicyne that shepeherdes vse.

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

There be some shepe, that hath a worme in his foote,
Worms in a sheep’s foot.

that maketh hym halte. Take that shepe, and loke betwene his clese,
and there is a lyttell hole, as moche as a greatte pynnes heed, and
therin groweth fyue or syxe 4 blacke heares, lyke an inche long and
more; take a sharpe poynted knyfe, and slytte the skynne a quarter
of an inche long aboue the hole and as moche benethe, and put thy
How cured.

one hande in the holowe of the fote, vnder the hinder 8 clese, and set
thy thombe aboue almooste at the slytte, and thruste thy fyngers
vnderneth forward, and with thy other hand take the blacke heares
by the ende, or with thy knyues poynte, and pull the heares a lyttell
and a 12 lyttell, and thruste after thy other hande, with thy fynger
and thy thombe, and there wyll come oute a worme lyke a pece of
fleshe, nygh as moche as a lyttel fynger. And whan it is out, put a
lyttel tarre into the hole, and it wyll 16 be shortely hole.
[Fol. 31b.]

48. ¶ The blode, and remedy if one come betyme.

There is a sicknes among shepe, and is called the
‘The blood’ in sheep.

bloude; that shepe, that hath that, wil dye sodeinly, and er he dye, he
wil stande stil, and hange downe the heed, & other-while quake. If
the shepeherde can espye 4 hym, let him take and rubbe hym about
the heed, & specyally about his eares, and vnder his eyen, & with
Cut off the sheep’s ears.

a knyfe cut of his eares in the middes, & also let hym blode in a
veyne vnder his eien: and if he blede wel, 8 he is lyke to lyue; and if
he blede not, than kil him, and saue his fleshe. For if he dye by
hym-selfe, the flesshe is loste, and the skyn wyll be ferre ruddyer,

lyke blode, more than an other skynne shall be. And it taketh 12
mooste commonly the fattest and best lykynge.

49. ¶ The pockes, and remedy therfore.
Pocks in sheep.

The pockes appere vppon the skyn, and are lyke reed pymples, as
brode as a farthynge, and therof wyll dye many. And the remedy
therfore is, to handle all thy shepe, and to loke on euery parte of
theyr bodyes: and 4
[Fol. 32.]

as many as ye fynde taken therwith, put them in fresshe newe
grasse, and kepe them fro theyr felowes, and to loke thy flocke ofte,
and drawe theym as they nede. And
Wash them.

if it be in sommer tyme, that there be no froste, than 8 washe them.
Howe be it some shepeherdes haue other medycines.

50. ¶ The wode euyll, and remedy therfore.

There is a sickenes among shepe, and is called the
‘Wood-evil’ in sheep.

wode euyll, and that cometh in the sprynge of the yere, and takethe
them moste commonly in the legges, or in the necke, and maketh
them to halt, and to holde theyr 4 necke awry. And the mooste parte
that haue that sicknes, wyl dye shortely in a day or two. The best
remedy is,
Wash them and change their pasture.

to wasshe theym a lyttell, and to chaunge theyr grounde, and to
bryng them to lowe grounde and freshe grasse. 8 And that sycknes is
moste commonly on hylly grounde, ley grounde, and ferny grounde,

And some men vse to let them bloudde vnder the eye in a vaine for
the same cause.

51. ¶ To washe shepe.
Wash and shear sheep in June.

In June is tyme to shere shepe, and er they be shorne, they muste
be very well wasshen, the whiche shall be to the owner great profyte
in the sale of his woll, and also to
[Fol. 32b.]

the clothe-maker; but yet beware, that thou put not to many 4 shepe
in a penne at one tyme, neyther at the washyng, nor at the sheryng,
for feare of murtheryng or ouer-pressyng of their felowes, and that
none go awaye, tyll he be cleane washen, and se that they that hold
the shepe by 8 the heed in the water, holde his heed hye ynoughe for
drownynge.

52. ¶ To shere shepe.
How to shear sheep.

Take hede of the sherers, for touchynge the shepe with the sheres,
and specially for pryckyng with the poynte of the sheres, and that
the shepeherde be alway redy with his tarboxe to salue them. And se
that they be well 4
Mark them well.

marked, bothe eare-marke, pitche-marke, and radel-marke, and let
the wol be well folden or wounden with a woll-wynder, that can
good skyll therof, the whiche shal do moche good in the sale of the
same. 8

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

Separate the sheep into flocks.

Whan thou haste all shorne thy shepe, it is than best tyme to drawe
them, and soo seuer theym in dyuers sortes;
[Fol. 33.]

the shepe that thou wylte fede by them-selfe, the ewes by theym-
selfe, the share-hogges and theyues by them-selfe, 4 the lambes by
theym-selfe, wedders and the rammes by them-self, if thou haue soo
many pastures for them: for the byggest wyll beate the weikeste
with his heed. And of
Put those of one kind together.

euery sort of shepe, it may fortune there be some, that 8 like not and
be weike; those wolde be put in freshe grasse by theym-selfe: and
whan they be a lyttel mended, than sel them, and ofte chaunge of
grasse shal mend all 12 maner of cattell.

54. What thynges rotteth shepe.

It is necessary that a shepeherde shoulde knowe what thynge
rotteth shepe, that he myght kepe them the
Spear-wort.

better. Ther is a grasse called sperewort, and hath a long narowe
leafe, lyke a spere-heed, and it wyll growe 4 a fote hyghe, and
beareth a yelowe floure, as brode as a peny, and it growethe alwaye
in lowe places where the water is vsed to stande in wynter. An other
grasse is
Penny-grass.

called peny-grasse, and groweth lowe by the erthe in a 8 marsshe
grounde, and hath a leafe as brode as a peny of two pens, and neuer
beareth floure. All maner of grasse,
[Fol. 33b.]

that the lande-floudde renneth ouer, is verye ylle for shepe, bycause
of the sande and fylthe that stycketh 12
Marshy ground is bad.

vppon it. All marreys grounde, and marsche grounde is yll for
shepe; the grasse that groweth vppon falowes is not good for shepe;
for there is moche of it wede, and ofte tymes it commeth vppe by
the rote, and that bryngeth 16
Mildew.

erthe with it, and they eate both, &c. Myldewe-grasse is not good
for shepe, and that ye shall knowe two wayes. One is by the leaues
on the trees in the mornynge, and specyally of okes; take the leaues,
and putte 20 thy tonge to them, and thou shalt fele lyke hony vppon
them. And also there wyll be many kelles vppon the grasse, and that
causeth the myldewe. Wherfore they may not well be let out of the
folde tyll the sonne haue 24
Hunger-rot.

domynation to drye them awaye. Also hunger-rotte is the worst rotte
that can be, for there is neither good flesshe nor good skynne, and
that cometh for lacke of meate, and so for hunger they eate suche as
they can 28 fynde: and so will not pasture-shepe, for they selden rot
but with myldewes, and than wyll they haue moch
White snails.

talowe and fleshe, and a good skyn. Also white snailes be yll for
shepe in pastures, and in falowes. There 32
Pelt-rot.

is an other rotte, whiche is called pelte-rotte, and that
[Fol. 34.]

commeth of greatte wete, specyally in woode countreyes, where
they can not drye.

55. ¶ To knowe a rotten shepe dyuers maner wayes, wherof
some of them wyll not fayle.
How to know rotten sheep.

Take bothe your handes, and twyrle vpon his eye, and if he be
ruddy, and haue reed stryndes in the white of the eye, than he is
sounde; and if the eye be white, lyke talowe, and the stryndes darke-
coloured, thanne he is 4 rotten. And also take the shepe, and open
the wolle on the syde, and yf the skynne be of ruddy colour and
drye, than is he sounde; and if it be pale-coloured, and watrye,
thanne is he rotten. Also whanne ye haue 8
Rotten sheep have loose wool.

opened the woll on the syde, take a lyttell of the woll bytwene thy
fynger and thy thombe, and pull it a lyttell, and if it sticke faste, he
is sounde, and if it comme lyghtely of, he is rotten. Also whan thou
haste kylde a 12 shepe, his belly wyll be full of water, if he be sore
rotten, and also the fatte of the fleshe wyll be yelowe, if he be
rotten. And also if thou cut the lyuer, therin
Rotten sheep have flukes in the liver.

wyll be lyttell quikens lyke flokes, and also the lyuer 16 wyll be full
of knottes and whyte blysters, yf he be
[Fol. 34b.]

rotten; and also sethe the lyuer, if he be rotten it wyll breke in peces,
and if he be sounde, it wyll holde together. 20

56. ¶ To bye leane cattell.

These housbandes, if they shall well thryue, they muste haue
bothe kye, oxen, horses, mares, and yonge cattell, and to rere and
brede euery yere some calues,
How to buy oxen.

and fools, or els shall he be a byer. And yf thou shalte 4 by oxen for
the ploughe, se that they be yonge, and not gowty, nor broken of
heare, neyther of tayle, nor of pysell. And yf thou bye kye to the
payle, se that
How to buy cows.

they be yonge and good to mylke, and fede her calues 8 wel. And if
thou bye kye or oxen to feede, the yonger they be, the rather they
wyll fede; but loke well, that the heare stare not, and that he lycke
hym-selfe, and be hoole-mouthed, and want no tethe. And thoughe
he 12 haue the goute and be broken, bothe of tayle and pysell, yet
wyll he fede. But the gouty oxe wyll not
How to choose an ox.

be dryuen ferre; and se that he haue a brode ryb, and a thycke hyde,
and to be lose-skinned, that it stycke not 16 harde nor streyte to his
rybbes, for than he wyll not fede.
[Fol. 35.]

57. ¶ To bye fatte cattell.
How to buy fat cattle.

If thou shalte bye fatte oxen or kye, handel them, and se that they
be soft on the fore-croppe, behynde the shulder, and vpon the
hindermost rybbe, and upon the hucbone, and the nache by the
tayle. And se 4 the oxe haue a greate codde, and the cowe great
nauyll, for than it shulde seme that they shuld be wel
See where, and of whom, you buy.

talowed. And take hede, where thou byeste any leane cattel or fat,
and of whom, and where it was bred. For 8 if thou by out of a better
ground than thou haste thy-selfe, that cattell wyll not lyke with the.
And also loke, that there be no maner of sycknes amonge the cattell
in that towneshyp or pasture that thou byest thy 12 catel oute of. For

if there be any murren or longe sought, it is great ieoperdy: for a
beast maye take sycknes ten or .xii. dayes or more, ere it appere on
hym.

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

And yf it fortune to fall murren amonge thy beastes, as god
forbede, there be men ynough can helpe them.
[Fol. 35b.]

And it commeth of a ranknes of bloudde, and appereth moste
commonly fyrste in the heed; for his heed wyll 4 swell, and his eyen
waxe greate and ronne of water and frothe at the mouthe, and than
he is paste remedy, and wyl dye shortely, and wyll neuer eate after
he be
Flay the dead beast, and bury it.

sycke. Than flee him, and make a depe pytte faste by, 8 there as he
dyeth, and caste hym in, and couer hym with erthe, that noo dogges
may come to the caryen. For as many beastes as feleth the smelle of
that caryen, are lykely to be enfecte; and take the skynne, and haue
it 12 to the tanners to sell, and bryng it not home, for peryll that may
fal. And it is commonly vsed, and cometh of
Set the beast’s head, on a pole, in the hedge.

a greate charytie, to take the bare heed of the same beaste and put
vpon a longe pole, and set it in a hedge, faste 16 bounden to a stake,
by the hyghe-waye syde, that euerye man, that rydethe or goeth that
waye, maye se and knowe by that signe, that there is sycknes of
cattell in the towneshyp. And the husbandes holde an opynyon, that
it shall 20 the rather cease. And whanne the beaste is flaine, there as

the murren dothe appere bytwene the flesshe and the skynne, it wyll
ryse vppe lyke a ielly and frothe an inche
Remedy for murrain.

depe or more. And this is the remedy for the murren. 24 Take a
smalle curteyne-corde, and bynde it harde aboute
[Fol. 36.]

the beastes necke, and that wyll cause the bloudde to come in-to the
necke, and on eyther syde of the necke there is a vayne that a man
may fele with his fynger; and 28
Bleed the sick cattle.

than take a bloud-yren, and set it streight vppon the vayne, and
smyte him bloudde on bothe sydes, and let hym blede the
mountenaunce of a pynte or nyghe it, and than take awaye the
corde, and it wyll staunche bleding. 32 And thus serue all thy cattell,
that be in that close or pasture, and there shall no mo be sicke, by
goddes leue.

59. ¶ Longe sought, and remedy therefore.

There is an nother maner of sycknesse among bestes,
‘Long sought.’

and it is called longe soughte; and that sickenes wyl endure long,
and ye shal perceyue it by his hoystynge; he wyl stande moche, and
eate but a littel, and waxe very 4
The beast coughs 20 times an hour.

holowe & thin. And he wil hoyst .xx. times in an houre, and but
fewe of them do mende. The best remedy is to kepe thy cattell in
sondrye places, and as many as were in companye with that beast
that fyrst fell sycke, to let 8
[Fol. 36b.]

them a lyttel bloude. And there be many men, that can

Cut the dewlap.

seuer them, and that is to cutte the dewlappe before, and there is a
grasse that is called feitergrasse, take that grasse, and broyse it a
lyttell in a morter, and thanne put 12 therof as moche as an hennes
egge in-to the sayd dewlappe, and se it fall not oute. Thus I have
seen vsed, and men haue thought it hath done good.

60. ¶ Dewbolne,[28] and the harde remedy therfore.
‘Dewbolne.’

An other dysease amonge beastes is called dewbolne,[28] and that
commeth whan a hungry beaste is put in a good pasture full of ranke
grasse, he wyll eate soo moche that his sydes wyll stande as hygh as
his backe-bone, 4 and other-whyle the one syde more thanne the
other, and but fewe of them wyll dye; but he maye
The beast is swollen.

not be dryuen hastely, nor laboured, being so swollen, and the
substaunce of it is but wynde; and therfore 8 he wolde be softly
dryuen, and not sytte downe. Howe
Some men pierce a hole in the beast.

be it I haue seen a manne take a knyfe, and thruste hym thorowe the
skynne and the flesshe two inches depe, or more, vi. inches or more
from the ridge-bone, that the 12
[Fol. 37.]

wynde maye come out. For the wynde lyeth bytwene the fleshe and
the grete paunche.

61. ¶ Rysen vpon, and the remedy therfore.
‘Risen upon.’

An other dysease is called rysen vppon, and no man can tell howe,
nor wherof it cometh: but ye shall perceyue that by swellynge in the

heed, and specyallye by
The beast’s eyes run.

the eyen, for they wyll ronne on water, and close his 4 syght; and
wyll dye shortly within an houre or two, if he be not holpen. This is
the cause of his dysease. There is a blyster rysen vnder the tounge,
the whiche blyster must be slytte with a knyfe a-crosse. Whan ye 8
Find the blister under the tongue, and cut it.

haue pulled out the tongue, rubbe the blyster well with salte, and
take an hennes egge, and breake it in the beastes mouthe shell and
all, and cast salte to it, and holde vp the bestes heed, that all maye
be swalowed 12 downe into the body. But the breakynge of the
blyster is the greate helpe, and dryue the beaste a lyttell aboute, and
this shall saue hym, by the helpe of Jesu.

62. The turne, and remedy therfor.
[Fol. 37b.]
‘The turn.’

There be beastes that wyll turne about, whan they eate theyr
meate, and wyll not fede, and is great ieoperdy for fallynge in
pyttes, dyches, or waters: and
There is a bladder between the brain and brain-pan.

it is bycause that there is a bladder in the foreheed 4 bytwene the
brayne-panne and the braynes, the whiche must be taken out, or els
he shal neuer mende, but dye at lengthe, and this is the remedy and
the greatest cure that can be on a beaste. Take that beast, and cast
him 8 downe, and bynde his foure fete together, and with thy
thombe, thrust the beast in the foreheed, and where thou fyndest the
softest place, there take a knyfe, and cut the skyn, three or foure
inches on bothe sides 12 bytwene the hornes, and as moche benethe

towarde the nose, and fley it, and turne it vp, and pyn it faste with a
pyn, and with a knyfe cut the brayne-pan .ii.
Cut the bone, but not the brain, and take out the bladder.

inches brode, and thre inches longe, but se the knyfe 16 go no deper
than the thycknes of the bone for perysshynge of the brayne, and
take away the bone, and than shalt thou se a bladder full of water
two inches longe and more, take that out, and hurte not the brayne,
and 20 thanne let downe the skynne, and sowe it faste there as it was
before, and bynde a clothe two or thre folde vpon his foreheed, to
kepe it from colde and wete .x. or
[Fol. 38.]

.xii. dayes. And thus haue I seen many mended. But 24 if the beaste
be fatte, and any reasonable meate vpon hym, it is best to kyll hym,
for than there is but lyttell losse. And if the bladder be vnder the
horne, it is past cure. A shepe wyll haue the turne as well as a 28
beast, but I haue seen none mended.

63. The warrybrede, and the remedy therfore.
‘Warrybrede.’

There be beastes that wyll haue warrybredes in dyuers partes of
theyr body and legges, and this is the remedy. Cast hym downe, and
bynde his foure fete together, and
Take a hot iron, and sear it.

take a culture, or a payre of tonges, or such an other 4 yren, and take
it glowing hote: and if it be a longe warrybrede, sere it of harde by
the body, and if it be in the beginninge, and be but flatte, than lay
the hot yren vpon it, and sere it to the bare skyn, and it will be 8 hole
for euer, be it horse or beast.

64. ¶ The foule, and the remedy therfore.

‘The foul.’

There be bestes, that wyll haue the foule, and that is betwene the
cleese, sometyme before, and sometyme
[Fol. 38b.]

behynde, and it wyll swell, and cause hym to halt, and this is the
remedy. Cast hym downe and bind his foure 4
Rub a rope between his claws till he bleeds.

fete together, & take a rope of heare, or a hey-rope, harde wrythen
together, and put it betwene his cleese, and drawe the rope to and fro
a good season, tyll he blede well, and than laye to it softe made
terre, and 8 binde a cloute aboute it, that noo myre nor grauell come
betwene the clese: and put hym in a pasture, or let hym stande styll
in the house, and he wyll be shortly hole. 12

65. ¶ The goute, without remedy.
The gout.

There be beastes, that wyll haue the goute, and moste commonly
in the hynder fete, and it wyll cause them to halt, and go starkely.
And I knewe neuer manne that
No remedy.

coulde helpe it, or fynde remedye therfore, but all-onely 4 to put
hym in good grasse, and fede hym.

66. ¶ To rere calues.
To rear calves.

It is conueniente for a housbande to rere calues, and specyally
those that come bytwene Candelmasse and Maye, for that season he
may spare mylke beste; and by
[Fol. 39.]

that tyme the calfe shall be wayned, there wyll be grasse 4 ynoughe
to put hym vnto. And at winter he wyll be bygge ynoughe to saue
hym-selfe amonge other beastes, with a lyttell fauoure. And the
damme of the calfe shall bull agayne, and brynge an other by the
same time of 8 the yere: and if thou shalt tary tyll after May, the
calfe wolde be weyke in wynter, and the damme wolde not bull
agayne: but ofte tyme go bareyn. And if thou shalte rere a calfe that
commeth after Myghelmasse, it 12 wyll be costly to kepe the calfe
all the wynter-season at hey, and the damme at harde meate in the
house, as they vse in the playne champyon countrey. And a cowe
shall
A cow gives more milk on grass than on hay.

gyue more mylke with a lyttell grasse and strawe, lyenge 16 without
in a close, thanne she shall doo with hey and strawe, lyenge in an
house; for the harde meate dryeth vp the mylke. But he that hath no
pasture, muste do as he may; but yet is it better to the housbande to
sell those 20 calues than to rere them, bycause of the cost, and also
for the profytte of the mylke to his house, and the rather the cowe
wyll take the bull. If the husbande go with an oxe-plough, it is
conuenient that he rere two oxe-calues 24 and two cowe-calues at
the least, to vpholde his flocke, and if he maye do moo, it wyll be
more profyte.
[Fol. 39b.]

And it is better, to wayne thy calues at grasse before. And that man,
that maye haue a pasture for his kye, and 28 an other for his calues,
and water in them both, maye rere and brede good beastes with
lyghte coste. And if
Do not wean calves on hay.

thou waine thy calues with hey, it wyl make them haue great belyes,
and the rather they wyll rotte whan they 32 come to grasse, and in

wynter they wolde be put in a house by them-selfe, and gyuen hey
on the nyghtes, and put in a good pasture on the day, and they shal
be moche better to handell, whan they shal be kye or oxen. 36

67. To gelde calues.
To geld ox-calves.

It is tyme to gelde his oxen calues in the olde of the mone, whan
they be .x. or .xx. dayes olde, for than it is leaste ieoperdye, and the
oxe shall be the more hyer, and the lenger of body, and the lenger
horned: and that maye 4 be well prouyd, to take two oxe-calues,
both of one kynde, of one makynge, and both of one age; gelde one
of them, and let the other goo forthe and be a bull, and
A gelt calf grows bigger than a bull.

put theym bothe in one pasture, tyll they be foure or 8 fyue yere
olde: and than shall ye se the oxe-calfe ferre greatter euery waye
than the bull; there is noo cause but
[Fol. 40.]

the geldynge; and yf thou gelde them not tyll they be a yere olde,
there is more ieopardye, he shall be lesse of 12 bodye, and shorte-
horned.

68. ¶ Horses and mares to drawe.
Horses and mares.

A husbande maye not be withoute horses and mares, or bothe; and
specially, if he go with a horse-ploughe, he muste haue both his
horses to drawe, and his mares to brynge coltes, to vpholde his
flocke, and yet at manye 4 tymes they maye drawe well, if they be
well handled. But they maye not beare sackes, nor be rydden vppon

noo iourneys whan they be with foole, and specyally whanne they
haue gone with foole .xx. or .xxiiii. wekes, 8
Take care of the mares.

for than is the greateste ieopardy. For yf she be rydden vppon, and
sette vp hotte, or tourned out and take cold, she wil caste her foole,
the whiche woll be a greatte losse to the housbande. For she wyll
labour and beare whan 12 she hath fooled, and drawe whan she is
with foole, as well as the horse. It is conuenient for the husbande to
knowe, whanne his mare wolde be horsed. It is the
[Fol. 40b.]

common sayenge, that she wyll take the hors within .ix. or 16 .x.
dayes, nexte after that she hath fooled: but that saying I holde not
with, for and she do so, she wyll not holde therto, for the hors dothe
dryue her to it. But .xx. days after, is tymely ynoughe to brynge her
to a hors. 20 For she wyl not holde to it, excepte she be kene of
horsyng, and that shal ye knowe by her shap, for that wyll twyrle
open, and close agayne, many tymes in an houre: and than brynge
her to a hors, and let her be with hym a day or a 24 nyght, and that is
suffycyent. For it is better, to kepe
Keep the horse from the mares.

the horse frome the mares, than to go with them, for dyuers causes,
and specyally he shall be more lusty, and the moo horse-coltes shall
he gete. But he that hath 28 very many mares, may not alway attende
them, but let them go to-gether, and take as god sendes it. Some
men holde an opinion, that if the horse be put to the
Men have various opinions about foals.

mare in the begynnynge of the moone, after it be prime, 32 he shall
gete a horse-foole. And some men saye the contrary: that if he be
putte to the mare in the olde of the mone, he shoulde gete horse-
fooles. And I saye, it maketh noo matter, whether: for this cause I
haue 36

I have 60 horses myself.

proued. I haue my selfe .lx. mares and more, able to
[Fol. 41.]

beare the horse, and from Maye daye vnto saynte Barthylmewes
daye, I have .v. or .vi. horses goynge with theym bothe daye and
nyghte, and at the foolynge-tyme 40 I haue vpon one daye a horse-
fole, and on the nexte daye, or seconde, a mare-fole, and on the
thirde or fourth day next after, a horse-fole agayne, and soo euery
weke of bothe sortes, and by theyr opynyon or reason, 44 I shulde
haue .xiiii. dayes together horse-fooles, and
With men who speak sophistically,

other .xiiii. dayes together mare-foles. And me semethe, that those
men that holde that opinyon, speke sophystycallye; that if soo be
they layde any wagers thervppon, 48 that they shoulde bothe wynne
in theyr owne conceyte by this reason. Whether it were gette in the
newe of
a filly may be called a horse-foal; and a colt may be called a mare-foal.

the mone or in the olde of the mone, it is a horse-foole, bycause a
horse gate it, though it be a felly-fole; and it 52 is a mare-fole,
bycause a mare fooled it, thoughe it be a horse-colte. And so
(Diuersis respectibus) theyr opynions maye be trewe. But of one
thynge I am certayne, that some one horse wyll gette more horse-
fooles than 56 other horse wyll doo, and lyke wyse a mare wyll
beare moo mare-fooles than some other mare wyll do, thoughe they
be horsed bothe with one horse. Me semeth there is no reason why,
but the lustynes of the nature of bothe 60
[Fol. 41b.]

partes, whether of them shall haue the domination. But and ye haue
mares of dyuers colours, than do as I do, seuer them in diuers
parcels, and put to your
With white mares put a gray horse.

white mares a grey horse, or a whyte horse that hath 64 noo whyte
rathe in the foreheed; and to your grey mares a white horse, so that
he be not al white-skynned aboute the mouthe. And to your mares of
colour, that haue no white vpon them, a coloured horse that hath 68
moch white on hym, and to your coloured mares of mayne whyte, a
horse of colour of mayn whyte. And thus shal ye haue well coloured
coltes. It maketh noo mater of what colour the horse be, soo he be
neyther 72
Put not a white horse with a coloured mare.

whyte nor grey. For if ye put a whyte horse to a coloured mare, she
shall haue moste comonly a sandy colte, lyke an yren-gray, neyther
lyke syre nor damme. Howe be it I haue seen and knowen many
mares, that 76 wyll haue theyr colte lyke the horse that gate it, the
whiche is agaynste kynde of mares, for a manne maye rather gette
one good horse than many good mares.

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

It is lesse hurte to a man, to haue his cowe caste her calfe, thanne
an ewe to caste her lambe. For the calfe
[Fol. 42.]

wyll soucke as moche mylke, er it be able to kyll, as it is worthe,
and of the ewe commeth noo profytte of the 4
Some men milk ewes, but it is a loss.

mylke, but the lambe. Howe be it they vse in some places to mylke
theyr ewes, whan they haue wayned theyr lambes: but that is great
hurte to the ewes, and wyll cause them, that they wyll not take the
ramme at 8 the tyme of the yere for pouertye, but goo barreyne.
A lost foal is a great loss.

And if a mare caste her foole, that is thryse soo great a losse, for if
that foole be commen of good brede, as it is necessary euery man to

prouyde, for as moche 12 costes and charges hath a badde mare as a
good, in shorte space the foole, with good kepynge, maye be solde
for as moche money as wolde bye many calues and lambes. 15

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

Beastes alone, nor horses alone, nor shepe alone, excepte it be
shepe vppon a verye hyghe grounde, wyll not eate a pasture euen,
but leaue many tuftes and hygh grasse in dyuers places, excepte it
be ouer-layde with 4
Put beasts and horses in a pasture together.

cattell. Wherfore knowe that horses and beastes wyll agree well in
oone pasture, for there is some maner of
[Fol. 42b.]

grasse that a horse[29] wyll eate, and the beast wyl not eate, as the
fytches, flasshes, and lowe places, and 8 all the holowe bunnes and
pypes that growe therin. But horses and shepe wyll not so well
agree, excepte it be shepe to fede, for a shepe wyll go on a bare
pasture, and wyll eate the sweteste grasse: and soo wyll a horse, but
he 12 wolde haue it lenger. Howe be it he wyll eate as nyghe the
erthe as a shepe, but he can not so sone fyll his
With 100 beasts put 20 horses.

belly. To an hundred beastes ye maye put .xx. horses, if it be lowe
ground, and if there be grasse ynoughe, 16 put in an hundred shepe,
and so after the rate, be the pasture more or lesse. And after this
maner they may fede and eate the close euen and leue but fewe
tuftes. And if it be an hyghe grounde, put in moo shepe, 20 and lesse
bestes and horses. Melch kye, and draught oxen, wyll eate a close
moche barer than as many fatte
Milch kine should not be too fat,

kye and oxen. And a melche cowe may haue to moch meate: for if
she waxe fatte, she wyll the rather take 24 the bull, and gyue lesse
mylke. For the fatnes stoppeth the poores and the vaines, that shuld
brynge the mylke to the pappes. And therfore meane grasse is beste
but have a moderate diet.

to kepe her in a meane estate. And if a cowe be 28 fatte, whan she
shall calue, than is there great ieoperdy in her, and the calfe shall be
the lesse: but ye can not
[Fol. 43.]

gyue your draught-oxe to moche meate, excepte it be the aftermath
of a late mowen medowe. For that wyll 32 cause hym to haue the
gyrre, and than he maye not well
Too much grass is bad.

laboure. And there be to moche grasse in a close, the cattel shall
fede the worse, for a good bytte to the erthe is suffycyente. For if it
be longe, the beaste wyll byte 36 of the toppe and noo more, for that
is swetest, and the other lyeth styll vppon the grounde and rotteth,
and no beaste wyll eate it but horse in wynter; but these beastes,
horses and shepe, maye not be fodered to-gether 40
In winter, beasts will gore horses and sheep.

in wynter, for thanne they wolde be seuered: for els the beastes with
theyr homes wyll put bothe horses and the shepe, and gore them in
theyr bellyes. And it is necessarye to make standynge cratches, to
caste theyr 44 fodder in, and the staues set nyghe ynough togyther,
for pullynge theyr fodder to hastely out, for shedynge. And if it be
layde vppon the erthe, the fourthe parte therof wyll be loste: and if
ye laye it vpon the erthe, 48 laye it euerye tyme in a newe place, for
the olde wyll marre the newe.

71. ¶ The properties of horses.

[Fol. 43b.]
Grazier, be not beguiled!

Thou grasyer, that mayst fortune to be of myne opynyon or
condityon, to loue horses and yonge coltes
I have been so 100 times.

or foles to go amonge thy cattel, take hede that thou be not begyled,
as I haue ben an hundred tymes and 4 more. And first thou shalt
knowe, that a good horse
A good horse has 54 properties;

hath .liiii. propertyes, that is to say .ii. of a man, .ii. of a bauson or a
badger, .iiii. of a lyon, .ix. of an oxe, .ix. of an hare, .ix. of a foxe,
.ix. of an asse, and .x. of a 8 woman.

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

The fyrste is, to haue a proude harte; and the seconde is, to be
bolde and hardy.

73. The .ii. propertyes of a bauson.
two, of a badger:

¶ The fyrste is, to haue a whyte rase or a ball in the foreheed; the
seconde, to haue a whyte fote.

74. The .iiii. properties of a lyon.
four, of a lion:

¶ The fyrste is, to haue a brode breste; the seconde, to be styffe-
docked; the thyrde, to be wylde in countenaunce; the fourthe, to
haue foure good legges.

75. The .ix. propertyes of an oxe.

[Fol. 44.]
nine, of an ox:

¶ The fyrste is, to be brode-rybbed; the .ii. to be lowe-brawned;
the thyrde, to be shorte-pasturned; the .iiii. to haue greatte senewes;
the fyfte, to be wyde betwene the challes; the syxte is, to haue great
nosethrylles; 4 the .vii. to be bygge on the chyn; the .viii. to be fatte
and well fedde; the .ix. to be vpryghte standynge.

76. The .ix. propertyes of an hare.
nine, of a hare:

¶ The fyrste is styffe-eared; the seconde, to haue greate eyen; the
thyrde, round eyen; the fourthe, to haue a leane heed; the .v. to haue
leane knees; the syxte, to be wyght on foote; the .vii. to turne vpon a
lyttell grounde; 4 the .viii. to haue shorte buttockes; the .ix. to haue
two good fyllettes.

77. The .ix. propertyes of a foxe.
nine, of a fox:

¶ The fyrste is, to be prycke-eared, the seconde, to be lyttell-eared;
the thyrde, to be rounde-syded; the fourthe, to be syde-tayled; the
fyfte, to be shorte-legged; the syxte, to be blacke-legged; the .vii. to
be 4 shorte-trottynge; the .viii. to be well coloured; the .ix. to have a
lyttell heed.

78. The .ix. propertyes of an asse.
[Fol. 44b.]
nine, of an ass:

¶ The fyrste is to be small-mouthed; the seconde, to be longe-
rayned: the .iii. to be thyn-cressed; the fourthe, to be streyght-
backed; the fyfth, to haue small stones; the syxte, to be lathe-legged;

the .vii. to be rounde-foted; 4 the eyght, to be holowe-foted; the .ix.
to haue a toughe houe.

79. The .x. properties of a woman.
ten, of a woman:

¶ The fyrst is, to be mery of chere; the seconde, to be well paced;
the thyrde, to haue a brode foreheed; the fourth, to haue brode
buttockes; the fyfthe, to be harde of warde; the syxte, to be easye to
lepe vppon; the .vii. 4 to be good at a longe iourneye; the .viii. to be
well sturrynge vnder a man; the .ix. to be alwaye besye with the
mouthe; the tenth, euer to be chowynge on the brydell. ¶ It myght
fortune I coude shewe as many 8
I could tell you faults of horses, but then I should break my promise.

defautes of horses, as here be good propertyes, but than I shulde
breake my promyse, that I made at Grombalde brydge, the first tyme
I wente to Ryppon for to bye coltes. But it is to suppose, that if a
horse want any of these 12 good propertyes, that he shulde haue a
defaute in the same place. And this is suffycient for this time.
[Fol. 45.]

80. ¶ The diseases and sorance of horses.
Diseases of horses.

Nowe it is to be knowen, the soraunce and dyseases of horses, &
in what partes of theyr bodyes they be; that a man maye the rather
perceyue them. And howe be it that it may be against my profyt, yet
I wil shewe you 4 suche as cometh to my mynde.

81. The lampas.
The lampas.

¶ In the mouthe is the lampas, & is a thycke skyn full of bloude,
hangynge ouer his tethe aboue, that he may not eate.

82. The barbes.
The barbs.

¶ The barbes be lyttell pappes in a horse mouth, and lette hym to
byte: these two be sone holpen.

83. Mournynge of the tonge.
Mourning of the tongue.

¶ Mournynge of the tonge is an yll dysease, and harde to be cured.

84. Pursy.
Pursiness.

¶ Pursy is a dysease in an horses bodye, and maketh hym to blowe
shorte, and appereth at his nosethrilles, and commeth of colde, and
may be well mended.

85. Broken-wynded.
Broken wind.

¶ Broken-wynded is an yll dysease, and cometh of
[Fol. 45b.]

rennynge or rydynge ouer moche, and specially shortely after he is
watred, and appereth at his nosethryll, at his flanke, and also at his
tuell, and wyll not be mended; 4 and wyll moche blowe and coughe,
if he be sore chafed; and it wyl leaste appere, whan he is at grasse.

86. Glaunders.

Glanders.

¶ Glaunders is a disease, that may be mended, and commeth of a
heate, and a sodeyne colde, and appereth at his nosethrylles, and
betwene his chall-bones.

87. Mournynge on the chyne.
Mourning on the chine.

¶ Mournynge on the chyne is a dysease incurable, and it appereth
at his nosethryll lyke oke-water. A glaunder whan it breaketh, is lyke
matter. Broken-wynded, and pursynes, is but shorte blowynge. 4

88. Stranguellyon.
Stranguelion.

¶ Stranguelyon is a lyght dysease to cure, and a horse wyl be very
sore sycke therof, and cometh of a chafynge hote, that he swete, and
after he wyll ryse and swell in dyuers places of his body, as moche
as a mannes fyste; 4 and wyll breake by it selfe, if it be kepte
warme, or els is there ieoperdy.

89. The hawe.
The haw.

¶ The hawe is a sorance in a horse eye, and is lyke
[Fol. 46, misprinted 49.]

gristell, and maye well be cutte oute, or els it wyll haue out his eye;
and that horse that one, hath commonly two. 4

90. Blyndnes.
Blindness.

¶ A horse wyll waxe blynde with laboure, and that maye be cured
betyme.

91. Viues.
The vives.

¶ The viues is a sorance vnder a horse ere, bytwene the ouer ende
of the chall-bones and the necke, and are rounde knottes bytwene
the skyn and the fleshe lyke tennes-balles; and if they be not kilde,
they wyl waxe 4 quicke, and eate the rotes of the horse eares, and kil
hym.

92. The cordes.
The cords.

¶ The cordes is a thynge that wyll make a horse to stumble, and
ofte to fall, and appereth before the forther legges of the body of the
horse, and may well be cured in .ii. places, and there be but fewe
horses but they 4 haue parte therof.

93. The farcyon.
The farcion.

¶ The farcyon is an yll soraunce, and maye well be cured in the
begynnynge, and wyll appere in dyuers places of his bodye, and
there wyll ryse pymples as moche as halfe a walnutshell, and they
wyll folowe a veyne, and wyll 4
Other horses will catch it.

breake by it selfe. And as manye horses as do playe with him that is
sore, and gnappe of the matter that renneth
[Fol. 46b.]

out of the sore, shall haue the same sorance within a moneth after;
and therfore kepe the sycke frome the 8 hole. And if that sorance be
not cured betyme, he wyll dye of it.

94. A malander.
The malander.

¶ A malander is an yl sorance, and may wel be cured for a tyme,
but with yl keping it wyl comme agayne, and appereth on the forther
legges, in the bendynge of the knee behynde, and is lyke a scabbe or
a skal: and 4 some horses wyll haue two vpon a legge, within an
inche together, and they wyl make a horse to stumble, and other
whyle to fall.

95. A selander.
The selander.

¶ A selander is in the bendynge of the legge behynde, lyke as the
malander is in the bendynge of the legge before, and is lyke a
malander, and may be well cured.

96. A serewe.
The serewe.

¶ A serewe is an yll soraunce, and is lyke a splent, but it is a lyttell
longer and more, and lyeth vppe to the knee on the inner syde. And
some horses haue a throughe serewe on bothe sydes of the legge,
and that horse must 4 nedes stumble and fall, and harde it is to be
cured.

97. A splent.

A splent.

¶ A splent is the leaste soraunce that is, that alwaye
[Fol. 47.]

contynueth, excepte lampas. And many men take vpon them to
mende it, and do payre it.

98. A ryngbone.
Ring-bone.

¶ A ryngbone is an yll soraunce, and appereth before on the foote,
aboue the houe, as well before as behynde, and wyll be swollen
three inches brode, and a quarter of an inche or more of heyghte,
and the heare wyll stare 4 and waxe thyn, and wyll make hym to
halte, and is yll to cure, if it growe longe.

99. Wynd-galles.
Wind-galls.

¶ Wyndgalles is a lyghte sorance, and commeth of great labour,
and appereth on eyther syde of the ioynte aboue the fetelockes, as
wel before as behynde, and is a lyttell swollen with wynde. 4

100. Morfounde.
Morfound.

¶ Morfounde is an yll sorance, and cometh of rydynge faste tyll he
swete, and than sette vp sodeynely in a colde place, without lytter,
and take cold on his fete, and specially before, and appereth vnder
the houe in the hert 4 of the fote, for it wylle growe downe, and
waxe whyte,
It affects the feet.

and cromely lyke a pomis. And also wyl appere by processe by the
wryncles on the houe, and the houe before wyll be thycker, and
more bryckle than and he 8 had not benne morfounde; nor he shall
neuer trede so
[Fol. 47b.]

boldely vpon the harde stones as he dydde before; nor wyll not be
able to beare a man a quarter of a yere or more; and with good
paryng and shoynge, as he oughte 12 to be, he wyll do good seruyce.

101. The coltes euyll.
The colt’s evil.

¶ Coltes euyll is an yll disease, and commeth of ranknes of nature
and bloudde, and appereth in his scote, for there wyl he swel great,
and wyll not be harde, and soone cured in the begynnynge. 4

102. The bottes.
Bots in the maw.

¶ The bottes is an yll dysease, and they lye in a horse mawe, and
they be an inche long, white-coloured, and a reed heed, and as
moche as a fyngers ende, & they be quycke, and stycke faste in the
mawe-syde; it apperethe 4 by stampynge of the horse, or tomblynge,
and in the beginninge there is remedy ynoughe, and if they be not
cured betyme, they wyll eate thorowe his mawe, and kyll hym. 8

103. The wormes.
Worms in the belly.

¶ The wormes is a lyght dysease, and they lye in the greatte
paunche, in the belye of the horse, and they are shynynge, of colour

lyke a snake, syxe inches in lengthe, greate in the myddes, and
sharpe at bothe 4 endes, and as moche as a spyndel, and wyll sone
be kylde.
[Fol. 48.]

104. Affreyd.
‘Affreyd.’

¶ Affreyd is an yll disease, and commethe of great labour and
rydynge faste with a contynuall sweate, and thanne sodeynly to take
a great colde, his legges wyll be styffe, and his skyn wyll stycke fast
to his sydes, and 4 may be well cured.

105. Nauylgall.
Navel-gall.

¶ Nauylgall is a soraunce, hurte with a saddle, or with a buckle of
a croper, or suche other, in the myddes of the backe, and maye be
lyghtely cured.

106. A spauen.
Spavin.

¶ A spauen is an yll sorance, whervppon he wyll halte, and
specyally in the begynnynge, and appereth on the hynder legges
within, and agaynste the ioynte, and it wyll be a lyttell swolen and
harde. And some horses haue 4 throughe spauen, and appereth bothe
within and without, and those be yll to be cured.

107. A courbe.
A curb.

¶ A courbe is an yll sorance, and maketh a horse to halte sore, and
appereth vppon the hynder legges streyght behynde, vnder the
camborell place, and a lyttell benethe the spauen, and wyll be
swollen, and yll to cure, if it growe 4 longe vpon hym.
[Fol. 48b.]

108. The stringe-halte.
String-halt.

¶ The stryng-halte is an yl disease, and maketh hym to twyche vp
his legge sodeynly, and maketh hym to halte, and cometh ofte with a
colde, and doth not appere outwarde. 4

109. Enterfyre.
Enterfire.

¶ Enterfyre is a sorance, and cometh of yll shoynge, and appereth
ofte both behynde and before, betwene the fete agaynst the
fetelockes; there is no remedy but good showynge. 4

110. Myllettes.
Millets.

¶ Myllettes is an yll sorance, and appereth in the fetelockes
behynde, & causeth the heare to sheede thre or foure inches of
length, and a quarter of an inche in brede, lyke as it were bare; and
yll to cure but it maye be perceiued, 4 and specially in wynter tyme.

111. The peynes.
‘The peynes.’

¶ The peynes is an yll soraunce and appereth in the fetelockes, and
wyl swel in wynter tyme, and oyse of water, and the heare wyll stare
and be thyn, and yl to cure, but it wyl be seen in winter. 4

112. Cratches.
Cratches.

¶ Cratches is a soraunce that wyll cause a horse to halt, and
commeth of yll kepynge, and appereth in the pasturnes, lyke as the
skyn were cut ouerthwarte, that a
[Fol. 49.]

man maye laye a white strawe, and it is sone cured. 4

113. Atteynt.
Attaint.

¶ Atteynt is a sorance, that commeth of an ouer-rechynge, yf it be
before; and if it be behynde, it is of the tredynge of an other horse,
the whiche maye be soone cured. 4

114. Grauelynge.
Gravelling.

¶ Grauelynge is a hurte, that wyll make a horse to halte, and
commethe of grauell and lyttel stones, that goth in betwene the
shough and the herte of the fote, and is sone mended. 4

115. A-cloyed.
A-cloyed.

¶ A-cloyde is an hurte, that commeth of yll shoynge, whan a
smyth dryueth a nayle in-to the quycke; the which wyll make hym

to halt, and is sone cured.

116. The scabbe.
The scab.

¶ There is a disease amonge horses that is called the scabbe, and it
is a skorfe in dyuers places of his body. And it commeth of a
pouertie and yll kepynge; and is most commonly amonge olde
horses, and wyll dye 4 thervpon, and maye be well cured.

117. Lowsy.
Lousy horses.

¶ There be horses that wyll be lowsy, and it cometh of pouertie,
colde, and yll kepynge; and it is moste commonly amonge yonge
horses, and menne take lyttell
[Fol. 49b.]

hede vnto it; and yet they wyll dye thervppon, and it 4 maye be
soone cured.

118. Wartes.
Want of warts behind.

¶ There is a defaute in a horse, that is neyther sorance, hurte, nor
disease, and that is, if a horse wante wartes behynde, benethe the
spauen-place, for then he is noo chapmannes ware, if he be wylde;
but if he be tame, 4
Caveat emptor.

and haue ben rydden vpon, than Caueat emptor, beware the byer,
for the byer hath bothe his eyen to se, and his handes to handell. It is
a sayenge, that suche a horse shoulde dye sodeynely, whan he hath

lyued as 8 many yeres as the mone was dayes olde, at suche tyme as
he was foled.

119. The sayinge of the frenche-man.

¶ These be soraunce, hurtes, dyseases, that be nowe
A French proverb.

comme to my mynde; and the frenche-man saythe, Mort de langue
et de eschine Sount maladyes saunce medicine. The mournynge of
the tongue, and of the chyne, are 4 diseases without remedy or
medicyne. And ferther he
Another French proverb.

saythe, Gardes bien, que il soyt cler de vieu, Que tout trauayle ne
soit perdue: Be wel ware that he be clere of syghte, lest all thy
trauayle or iourneye be lost or 8 nyght. And bycause I am a horse-
master my-selfe, I
[Fol. 50.]

haue shewed you the soraunce and dyseases of horses, to the entent
that men shulde beware, & take good hede what horses they bye of
me or of any other. Howe 12
If ever you trust a horse-master, trust me.

be it I saye to my customers, and those that bye any horses of me,
and euer they wil trust any hors-master or corser whyle they lyue,
truste me.

120. ¶ The diuersitie bytwene a horse-mayster, a corser, and
a horse-leche.
A horse-master buys wild colts and breeds them and breaks them in.

A Horse-mayster is he, that bieth wylde horses, or coltes, and
bredeth theym, and selleth theym agayne wylde, or breaketh parte of

them, and maketh theym tame, and than selleth them. A corser is he,
that byeth 4
A courser merely deals in them.

all rydden horses, and selleth them agayne. The horse-leche is he,
that takethe vppon hym to cure and mende
A horse-leech cures their diseases.

all maner of diseases and soraunce that horses haue. And whan these
three be mette, if ye hadde a potycarye 8 to make the fourthe, ye
myghte haue suche foure, that
Add to these an apothecary, and you have 4 rogues.

it were harde to truste the best of them. It were also conuenyent to
shew medicynes and remedyes for al these diseases and sorances;
but it wolde be to longe a processe 12 at this tyme, for it wolde be as
moche as halfe this boke. And I haue not the perfyte connynge, nor
the experyence, to shewe medycynes and remedyes for
[Fol. 50b.]

theym all. And also the horse-leches wolde not be 16 content
therwith, for it myghte fortune to hurte or hynder theyr occupation.

121. ¶ Of swyne.

Nowe thou husbande, that haste bothe horses and mares, beastes
and shepe: It were necessary also, that thou haue bothe swyne and
bees; for it is an olde
Whoso hath sheep, swine and bees, shall surely thrive.

sayinge: he that hath bothe shepe, swyne, and bees, 4 slepe he, wake
he, he maye thryue. And that sayenge is, bycause that they be those
thinges that moste profyt riseth of in the shortest space, with least
coste. Than se howe manye swyne thou art able to kepe; let them 8
Have only boars and sows; no hogs.

be bores and sowes all, and no hogges. And if thou be able to rere vi
pigges a yere, than let two of them be bores, and foure of them
sowes, and so to contynue after the rate. For a bore will haue as
lyttell kepynge 12
A boar is better than a hog.

as a hogge, and is moche better than a hogge, and more meate on
hym and is ready at all tymes to eate in the wynter season, and to be
layde in souse. And a sowe, er she be able to kyl, shall bryng forth
as many pyggs or 16 moo, as she is worth; and her bodye is neuer
the worse, and wyll be as good baken as a hogge, and as lyttell
[Fol. 51.]

kepynge, but at suche tyme as she hath pygges. And if thy sowe
haue moo pygges than thou wilt rere, sel them, 20
Rear pigs in spring and early summer.

or eate them, & rere those pigges that come about lenten-time,
specyally the begynnynge of somer, for they can-not be rered in
winter, for cold, without great coste.

122. Of bees.

Of bees is lyttell charge but good attendaunce; at the tyme that
they shall cast the swarme, it is conuenient, that
Put the beehive in a garden or orchard.

the hyue be set in a garden, or an orchyarde, where as they maye be
kepte from the northe wynde, and the 4 mouthe of the hyue towarde
the sonne. And in June
They commonly swarm in June or July.

and July they do most commonlye caste, and they wolde haue some
lowe trees nyghe vnto them before the hyue that the swarme maye
lyght vpon; and whan 8 the swarme is knytte, take a hyue, and

splente it within with thre or foure splentes, that the bees maye
knytte theyr combes therto; and annoynte the splentes, and
How to take a swarm.

the sydes of the hyue, with a lyttell honye. And if thou 12 haue no
honye, take swete creame, and than set a stole or a forme nyghe
vnto the swarme, and laye a clene washen shete vppon the stole, and
thanne holde the
[Fol. 51b.]

smalle ende of the hyue downewarde and shake the 16 bees in-to the
hyue, and shortely sette it vppon the stole, and turne vppe the
comers of the shete ouer the hyue, and to leue one place open, that
the bees may come in
Never strive with bees.

and out: but thou mayst not fight nor stryue with theym 20 for noo
cause; and to laye nettyls vppon the bowes, where as they were
knytte, to dryue them from that place; and soo watche them all that
daye, that they go not away; and at nyght, whan al be goone vp into
the 24 hyue, take it away and set it where it shall stande, and take
awaye thy shete, and haue claye tempered to laye aboute it vppon
the borde or stone, where it shall stande, that noo wynde comme in,
but the borde is better and 28
Leave a hole for the bees to go in and out.

warmer. And to leaue an hole open on the south syde, of three
inches brode, and an inche of heyghte, for the bees to come in and
out. And than to make a couerynge of wheate-strawe or rye-strawe,
to couer and house the 32
Set the hive on stakes, at least two feet from ground.

hyue about, and set the hyue two fote or more from the erthe vpon
stakes, soo that a mouse cannot come to it, and also neyther beastes
nor swyne. And if a swarme be caste late in the yere, they wolde be

fedde with honnye in 36 wynter, and layde vppon a thynne narowe
borde, or a thynne sclatte or leade; put it into the hyue, and an other
[Fol. 52.]

thynne borde wolde be set before euery hyues mouthe, that no
winde come in; and to haue foure or fyue 40 lyttell nyckes made on
the nether syde, that a bee maye comme out or go in, and so
fastened, that the wynde blowe it not downe, and to take it vp whan
he wyll.
If a hive is fed on honey, stop the mouth of it.

And that hyue that is fedde, to stoppe the mouthe cleane, 44 that
other bees come not in; for if they doo, they wyll fyghte, and kyll
eche other. And beware, that noo waspes come in-to the hyue, for
they wyll kyl the bees, and eate the honny. And also there is a bee
called a 48
Drones.

drone, and she is greatter than an other bee, and they wyll eate the
honny, and gather nothynge: and therfore they
It is said, the drone hath lost her sting.

wolde be kylde, and it is a sayenge, that she hath loste her stynge,
and than she wyl not labour as the other 52 do.

123. ¶ Howe to kepe beastes and other cattell.
How to keep beasts.

If a housbande shall kepe cattell well to his profytte, he must haue
seuerall closes and pastures to put his cattel in, the which wolde be
wel quickesetted, diched, & hedged, that he maye seuer the
byggeste cattell frome 4
[Fol. 52b.]

the weykeste at his pleasure, and specyallye in wynter-tyme, whan
they shall be fodered. And thoughe a man be but a farmer, and shall

haue his farme xx yeres, it
It is best to quickset, ditch, and hedge cattle in.

is lesse coste for hym, and more profyte, to quyckeset, 8 dyche, and
hedge, than to haue his cattell goo before the herdeman. For let the
housbande spende in thre yeres as moche money as the kepynge of
his beastes, swyne, and shepe doth cost him in iii yeres, than alwaye
after, 12 he shal haue all maner of cattell with the tenthe parte of the
coste, and the beastes shal lyke moche better. And
A herdman expects 2d. per beast; and a swineherd 1d.

by this reason. The herdeman wyll haue for euery beast .ii.d. a
quarter, or there aboute: And the swyneherde 16 wyll haue for euery
swyne .i.d. at the leaste. Than he must haue a shepeherde of his
owne, or elles he shal neuer thryue. Than reken meate, drinke, and
wages for his shepeherde, the herdmans hyre, and the swyneherdes
20 hyre, these charges wyll double his rent or nyghe it, excepte his

farme be aboue .xl. s. by yere. Nowe see
It is better to spend the money on hedges.

what his charges be in .iii. yeres, lette hym ware as moche money in
quickesettynge, dychynge, and hedgynge, and 24 in thre yeres he
shall be discharged for euermore, and moche of this labour he and
his seruauntes maye do with theyr owne handes, and saue moche
money. And than
[Fol. 53.]

hath he euery fyelde in seueraltye. And by the assente 28 of the
lordes and tenauntes, euery neyghbour may exchaunge landes with
other. And than shall his farme be twyse so good in profytte to the
tenaunte as it was before, and as moche lande kepte in tyllage; and
than shall not 32 the ryche man ouer-eate the poore man with his
cattell,
You will save in hay and straw.

and the fourth parte of heye and strawe shall serue his cattell better
in a pasture, than iiii. tymes soo moche wyll do in a house, and lesse
attendaunce, and better the 36 cattel shall lyke, and the chiefe
sauegarde for corne bothe daye and nyghte that can be.

124. ¶ To get settes and set them.

And if thou haue pastures, thou muste nedes haue quyckesettynge,
dychynge and plasshynge. Whan it is
Quickset hedges.

grene, and commeth to age, than gette thy quyckesettes in the
woode-countreye, and let theym be of whyte-thorne 4 and crabtree,
for they be beste; holye and hasell be good. And if thou dwelle in
the playne-countrey, than mayste
Set young oaks and ashes.

thou gete bothe asshe, oke, and elme, for those wyll encrease moche
woode in shorte space. And set thy oke-settes 8 and the asshe .x. or
.xii fote a-sonder, and cut them
[Fol. 53b.]

as thou dost thy other settes, and couer theym ouer with thornes a
lyttell, that shepe and cattell eate them not.
Clear away the weeds.

And also wede them clene in mydsomer mone or soone 12 after: for
the wedes, if they ouer growe, wyl kyl the settes.
Never have blackthorn.

But get no blacke-thorne for nothynge, for that wyl grow outwarde
into the pasture, and doth moch hurte in the grasse, and tearyng the
woll of the shepe. It is good 16 tyme to set quickesettes, fro that
tyme the leaues be fallen,
When to set quicksets.

vnto oure lady daye in lente; and thy sandye grounde or grauell set
fyrste, than clay grounde, and than meane grounde, and the medowe
or marreys grounde laste, for 20 the sande and grauell wyll drye
anone, and than the quyckeset wyll take no rote, excepte it haue
greate weate; for the muldes wyll lye lose, if it be dyched in
February or
How to set quicksets.

marche, and lyke wise clay ground. And make thy settes 24 longe
ynough, that they maye be set depe ynough in the erth: for than they
wyll growe the better. And to stande halfe a foote and more aboue
the erthe, that they maye sprynge oute in many braunches. And than
to take a lyne, 28
Make a straight trench.

and sette it there as thou wylte haue thy hedge, and to make a
trenche after thy lyne, and to pare awaye the grasse there the
quyckesettes shal be set, and caste it by,
[Fol. 54.]

where the erthe of the dyche shall lye, and dygge vp the 32 muldes a
spade-graffe depe, and to put in thy settes, and dygge up more
molde, and laye vppon that set, and so peruse, tyll thou haue set all
thy settes, and let them lene
Have the ditch a foot from the hedge.

towarde the dyche. And a foote from that make thy 36 dyche. For if
thou make it to nyghe thy settes, the water maye fortune to weare
the grounde on that syde, and cause thy settes to fall downe.

125. ¶ To make a dyche.
Of what size to make ditches.

If thou make thy dyche foure foote brode, than wolde it be two
foote and a halfe depe. And if it be .v. fote brode, than .iii. fote depe,

and so accordynge; and if it be fyue fote brod, than it wolde be
double sette, and the 4 rather it wolde fence it-selfe, and the lower
hedge wyll serue.

126. ¶ To make a hedge.
Stakes for a hedge.

Thou muste gette the stakes of the harte of oke, for those be best;
crabtre, blacke-thorne, and ellore be good. Reed wethy is beste in
marsshe grounde; asshe, maple, hasel, and whyte-thorne wyl serue
for a time. And set 4
[Fol. 54b.]

thy stakes within .ii. foote and a halfe together, excepte thou haue
very good edderynge, and longe, to bynde with.
Ethers for a hedge.

And if it be double eddered, it is moch the better, and gret strength
to the hedge, and moche lenger it wil last. 8 And lay thy small trouse
or thornes, that thou hedgeste withall, ouer thy quickesettes, that
shepe do not eate the
Drive the stakes firmly.

sprynge nor buddes of thy settes. Let thy stakes be well dryuen, that
the poynt take the hard erthe. And whan 12 thou haste made thy
hedge, and eddered it well, than take
Wind in the ethers.

thy mall agayne, and dryue downe thy edderinges, and also thy
stakes by and by. For with the wyndynge of the edderynges thou
doost leuse thy stakes; and therfore 16
Then drive the stakes again.

they muste nedes be dryuen newe, and hardened agayne, and the
better the stake wil be dryuen, whan he is wel bounden.

127. ¶ To plasshe or pleche a hedge.
How to pleach a hedge.

If the hedge be of .x. or .xii. yeres growing sythe it was first set,
thanne take a sharpe hachet, or a handbyll, and cutte the settes in a
playne place, nyghe vnto the
Cut the sets more than half through,

erthe, the more halue a-sonder; and bende it downe 4 towarde the
erthe, and wrappe and wynde theym to-gether,
[Fol. 55.]

but alwaye se that the toppe lye hyer than the
and bend them down, but not too low.

rote a good quantytie, for elles the sappe wyll not renne in-to the
toppe kyndely, but in processe the toppe wyll 8 dye; and than set a
lyttel hedge on the backe-syde, and it shall nede noo more
mendynge manye yeres after. And if the hedge be of .xx. .xxiiii. or
.xxx. yere of age,
How to pleach an older hedge.

sythe it was fyrst sette, than wynde in first al the 12 nether-moste
bowes, and wynde them together, and than cutte the settes in a
playne place a lyttel from the erth, the more halfe a-sonder, and to
lette it slaue downewarde, and not vpwarde, for dyuerse causes:
than wynde the 16 bowes and braunches therof in-to the hedge, and
at euery two fote, or .iii. fote, to leaue one set growyng not plasshed;
and the toppe to be cut of foure fote hygh, or there-aboute, to stande
as a stake, if there be any 20 suche, or els to set an-other, and to
wynd the other that be pleched about them. And if the bowes wyll
not lye playne in the hedge, than cut it the more halfe
How to pleach a very old hedge.

a-sonder, and bynd it to the hedge, and than shal he not 24 nede for
to mende the hedge, but in fewe places, .xx. yeres after or more.
And if the hedge be olde, and be great stubbes or trees, and thyn in

the bottome, that beastes may go vnder or betwene the trees: thanne
28 take a sharpe axe, and cutte the trees or stubbes, that
[Fol. 55b.]

growe a fote from the erthe, or there-about, in a plaine place, within
an inche or two inches of the side, and let them slaue downward, as
I sayd before, and let the 32 toppe of the tree lye ouer the rote of an
other tree, and to pleche downe the bowes of the same tree, to
stoppe the holowe places. And if all the holowe and voyde places
wyl not be fylled and stopped, than scoure the 36 olde dyche, and
cast it vp newe, and to fyll with erthe all the voyde places. And if
soo be these trees wyll not reche in euerye place to make a
sufficyent defence, than double quicke-set it, & diche it new in
euery place that 40 is nedeful, and set a hedge thervpon, and to
ouerlay the settes, for eatynge of shepe or other cattel.

128. ¶ To mende a hye-waye.
How to mend a road.

Me semeth, it is necessarye to shewe mine opinion, howe an hye-
way shulde be amended. And fyrste and pryncypally, se that there be
noo water standynge in the
Let no water stand on it.

hye-waye, but that it be alwaye currante and rennynge, 4 nor haue
none abydynge more in one place thanne in another. And in somer,
whan the water is dryed vp, than
[Fol. 56.]

to get grauell, and to fyll vp euery lowe place, and to make theym
euen, somewhat dyscendynge or currante, 8 one waye or other; and
if there be noo grauell nor
Fill up the holes with gravel.

stones to gette, yet fyll vp with erthe in the begynnyge of somer, that
it maye be well hardened with caryage and treadynge vppon, and it
shall be well 12 amended, if the water maye passe away from it; the
whiche wolde be well consydered, and specially aboute
About London they mend roads badly, putting in earth before the gravel.

London, where as they make moche more coste than nedeth; for
there they dyche theyr hye-wayes on bothe 16 sydes, and fyll vp the
holowe and lowe places with erthe, and than they caste and laye
grauell alofte. And whan a greatte rayne or water commeth, and
synketh thorowe the grauell, and commeth to the erthe, than the
erthe 20 swelleth and bolneth and waxeth softe, and with
Then the gravel sinks, and the road is like a quicksand.

treadynge, and specyally with caryage, the grauell synketh, and
gothe downewarde as his nature and kynde requyreth, and than it is
in maner of a quycke-sande, 24 that harde it is for any thynge to goo
ouer. But yf they wolde make no dyche in sommertyme, whan the
water is dryed vp, that a man may se all the holowe and lowe places,
They should use gravel only.

than to cary grauel, and fyl it vp as hygh as the other 28 knolles be;
than wold it not bolne ne swell, nor be no quycke-sande, and euery
man may go beside the hie-way
[Fol. 56b.]

with theyr cariage at theyr pleasure. And this me semeth is lesse
coste, and lenger wyll last with a lyttell mendynge 32
This should be looked to.

whan nede requyreth. Therfore me thynketh, yf this were well loked
vpon, it shuld be bothe good and necessarye for that purpose: for
soo haue I seen done in other places, where as I haue ben, &c. 36

129. ¶ To remoue and set trees.

How to remove and set trees.

If thou wylte remoue and sette trees, get as manye rotes with them
as thou canste, and breake them not, nor bryse theym, by thy wyll.
And if there be any rote broken and sore brused, cut it of harde by,
there as it is 4 brused, with a sharpe hatchet, elles that roote wyll
dye. And if it be asshe, elme, or oke, cut of all the bowes
Cut off some of the boughs.

cleane, and saue the toppe hole. For if thou make hym ryche of
bowes, thou makeste hym poore of thryfte, for 8 two causes. The
bowes causeth theym to shake with wynde, and to leuse the rotes.
Also he can-not be soo cleane gete, but some of the rotes muste
nedes be cut, and than there wyll not come soo moche sappe and 12
moystenes to the bowes, as there dyd before. And if the tree be very
longe, cut of the top, two or thre
[Fol. 51; So misnumbered all the way to the end. We may call it 51*.]

yardes. And if it be an apple-tree, or peare-tree, or suche other as
beareth fruyte, than cut away all the 16 water-bowes, and the small
bowes, that the pryncipall bowes may haue the more sap. And if ye
make a marke, which syde of the tree standeth towarde the sonne,
that he may be set so agayne, it is soo moche 20 the better.

130. ¶ Trees to be set without rotes and growe.
Some trees can be set without roots.

There be trees wil be set without rotes, and growe well, and
sprynge rotes of them-selfe. And those be dyuerse apple-trees, that
haue knottes in the bowes, as casses, or wydes, and suche other, that
wyll growe on 4
Poplar and withy.

slauynges, and lykewyse popeler and wethy: and they must be cut
cleane besyde the tree, that they growe on, and the toppe cut cleane

of .viii. or .x. fote of lengthe, and all the bowes betwene, and to be
set a fote depe or. 8 in the erthe, in good grounde. And ye shall
vnderstande,
Four withies, viz. white, black, red, and osier.

that there be foure maner of wethyes, that is to say, white wethye,
blacke wethy, reed wethy, and osyerde wethy. Whyte wethye wyll
growe vppon drye 12 grounde, yf it be sette in the begynnyge of
wynter, and
[Fol. 51*b.]

wyll not growe in marsshe grounde; blacke wethy wyll growe better
on marshe grounde, and redde wethy in
Osiers will grow in water.

lyke maner: and osyerde wethy wyll growe beste in water 16 and
moyste grounde. And they be trees that wyll soone be nourysshed,
and they wyll beare moche woodde, and
Crop them every seven years.

they wolde be cropped euery .vii. or .viii. yere or els they wyll dye;
but they maye not be cropped in sappe-tyme, 20 nor no tree els. And
in many places, bothe the lordes, freeholders, and tenauntes at wyll,
sette suche wethyes, and popelers, in marsshe grounde, to nourysshe
wodde, &c.

131. ¶ To fell wodde for housholde, or to sell.
Fell underwood in winter; let the cattle browze on it.

If thou haue any woddes to felle, for thy householde to brenne, or
to sell, than fell the vnder-wodde fyrste in wynter, that thy cattell or
beastes maye eate and brouse the toppes, and to fell noo more on a
daye but as moche 4 as the beastes wyll eate the same daye, or on
the morowe
Make it up into faggots.

after. And as soone as it is well eaten or broused, thanne kydde it,
and set them on the endes, and that wyll saue the bandes from
rottynge, and they shall be 8
[Fol. 52*.]

the lyghter to carye, and the better wyll they brenne, and lie in lesse
rowme. And whan thou shalt bryng them
How to stack faggots.

home to make a stacke of them, set the nethermoste course vpon the
endes, and the seconde course flat vppon 12 the syde, and the endes
vpwarde, and the thyrde cou[r]se flatte on the syde ouerthwart the
other. And so to peruse them, tyll thou haue layd all vp. And whan
thou shalte brenne them, take the ouermoste fyrste. 16

132. ¶ To shrede, lop, or croppe trees.
How to shred, lop, and crop trees.

If thou haue any trees to shrede, loppe, or croppe for the fyre-
wodde, croppe them in wynter, that thy beastes maye eate the
brouse, and the mosse of the bowes, and also the yues. And whanne
they be broused 4 and eaten, dresse the wodde, and bowe it clene,
and cutte it at every byghte, and rere the greatte wodde to the tree,
and kydde the smal bowes, and set them on ende. And if thou shalte
not haue sufficyent wodde, 8
Do not head trees too low.

excepte thou heed thy trees, and cut of the toppes, than heed theym
thre or foure fote aboue any tymber: and if it be noo tymbre tree, but
a shaken tree, or a hedge-rote full of knottes, than heed hym thyrty
foote hyghe, 12
[Fol. 52*b.]

or twenty at the leaste, for soo ferre he wyll beare plentye of woode
and bowes, and moche more, thanne

Trees grow only to a certain height; then they spread.

if he were not heeded. For a tree hath a propertye to growe to a
certayne heyght, and whan he commeth to 16 that heyghte, he
standeth styll, and groweth noo hyer, but in brede; and in conclusion
the toppe wyll dye and decrease, and the body thryue. And if a tree
be heeded, and vsed to be lopped and cropped at euerye 20 .xii. or
.xvi. yeres ende, or there-about, it wyll beare moche more woode,
by processe of time, than if it were not cropped, and moche more
profyte to the owner.

133. ¶ Howe a man shoulde shrede, loppe, or croppe trees.
In shredding trees, some men begin at the top.

It is the comon gyse, to begynne at the top of the tree, whan he
shall be shred or cropped, bycause eche bough shulde lye vppon
other whan they shall fal, so that the weight of the bowes shall cause
theym to be 4
It is not the best way.

the rather cut downe. But that is not beste, for that causeth the
bowes to slaue downe the nether parte, and pulleth awaye the barke
from the bodye of the tree, the whiche wyll cause the tree to be
holowe in that place 8 in tyme commynge, and many tymes it shall
hynder
[Fol. 53*.]

hym. And therfore lette hym begynne at the nether-moste boughe
fyrste, and with a lyghte axe for an hande, to cut the boughe on
bothe sydes, a fote or two foote 12 from the bodye of the tree. And
specially cut it more on the nether syde, than on the ouer syde, soo
that the boughe fall not streyght downe, but turne on the syde, and
than shall it not slaue nor breke no barke. 16 And euery boughe wil
haue a newe heed, and beare

Never crop or head a tree with a north or east wind,

moche more woode; and by thy wyll, without thou must nedes do it,
crop not thy tree, nor specyallye heed hym, whan the wynde
standeth in the northe, or in the eest. 20 And beware, that thou
croppe hym not, nor heed hym
nor in sap-time.

(specially) in sappe-tyme, for than wyll he dye within fewe yeres
after, if it be an oke.

134. ¶ To sell woode or tymber.
Retail the wood yourself.

If thou haue any woode to selle, I aduyse the, retayle it thy-selfe,
if thou mayste attende vppon it: and if not, thanne to cause thy
baylye, or somme other wyse or
If small, sell in faggots.

dyscrete man, to do it for the. And if it be small wode, 4 to kydde it,
and sel it by the hundredes, or by the thousandes. And if there be
asshes in it, to sell the smalle
[Fol. 53*b.]

asshes to cowpers for garches, and the gret asshes to whele-
wryghtes, and the meane asshes to plowe-wrightes, 8 and the
crabbe-trees to myllers, to make cogges and ronges. And if there be
any okes, bothe gret and smal,
Fell oaks and sell them.

fel them, and pyl them, and sel the barke by it-selfe; and than sorte
the trees, the polles by them-selfe, the myddel 12 sorte[30] by them-
selfe, and the greattest by them-selfe, & than sel them by scores, or
halfe scores, or .C. as thou maist, and to fel it hard by the erth, for i.
fote next vnto the erth is worthe .ii fote in the top; and to cut 16 thy
tymber longe ynoughe, that thou leue no timber in the toppe. And to

sell the toppes as they lye a greatte, or elles dresse them & sel the
great wodde by it-selfe, & the kyd-wodde by it-selfe, and to fal the
vnder-wode 20 fyrst at any tyme between Martilmas and holyrode-
day.
Ash-trees.

And al the asshes, bytwene Martylmasse and Candelmas, and all
okes, as soon as they wyl pyl, vntyl May be done, and not after.
Perauenture the greattest man hath not 24
Selling wood requires care.

the beste prouisyon. And that is bycause the seruauntes wyll not
enfourme hym these wayes, and also may fortune they wold bye
suche woodes theym-selfe, or be partener of the same and to auyse
his lorde to sel them. It is not 28 conuenient that the salesman, that
selleth the wod, shuld be partener with the bier.
[Fol. 54*.]

135. ¶ To kepe sprynge-wodde.

In the wynter before that thou wilt fel thy wodde, make a good
and a sure hedge, that no maner of cattel can get in. And as shortly
as it is fallen, let it be caryed away, or
Of plantations or ‘spring-wood.’

the sprynge come vp, for els the cattell, that doth cary 4 the wodde,
wyll eate the sprynge: and whan the top is eaten, or broken, it is a
great lette, hurte, and hynderaunce of the goodnes of the sprynge;
for than where it is eaten, it burges oute of many braunches, and not
soo fayre as 8 the fyrst wolde haue ben. A parke is best kept, where
there is neyther man, dogge, nor foure-foted beast therin, except
dere. And so is a spryng beste kepte, where
If there is much grass there, put in only calves and colts.

there is neyther manne nor foure-foted beastes within 12 the hedge.
But if there be moche grasse, and thou were lothe to lose it, than put
in calues, newly wained and taken from theyr dammes, and also
waynynge coltes, or horses not paste a yere of age: and let thy
calues be 16 taken away at Maye; the coltes may go lenger for eating
of any wodde; but there is ieoperdy bothe for calues, foles, and
coltes, for tyckes or for beinge lowsy, the whiche wyl kyl them, if
they be not taken hede vnto. 20 And .vii. yeres is the lest that it wil
saue it-selfe, but
[Fol. 54*b.]

.x. yeres is best. And than the vnder bowes wolde be cutte awaye,
and made kyddes therof, and the other wyll growe moche the better
and faster. And if the 24
Cut away the underwood.

vnder bowes be not cutte awaye, they wyll dye, and than they be
loste, and greatte hurte to the sprynge, for they take awaye the
sappe, that shoulde cause the sprynge to growe better. 28

136. ¶ Necessary thynges belongynge to graffynge.
Pears, apples, cherries, filberts, bullace, damsons, &c.

It is necessarye, profytable, and also a pleasure, to a housbande, to
haue peares, wardens, and apples of dyuerse sortes. And also
cheryes, filberdes, bulleys, dampsons, plummes, walnuttes, and
suche other. And 4 therfore it is conuenyent to lerne howe thou
shalte graffe. Than it is to be knowen what thynges thou
A grafting-saw.

must haue to graffe withall. Thou muste haue a graffynge-sawe, the
whiche wolde be very thynne, and 8 thycke-tothed; and bycause it is
thynne, it wyll cut the narower kyrfe, and the cleaner, for brusynge
of the barke. And therfore it is sette in a compasse pece of yren,

Grafting-knife.

syxe inches of, to make it styffe and bygge. Thou 12 muste haue also
a graffynge-knyfe, an inche brode, with
[Fol. 55*.]

a thycke backe, to cleue the stocke with-all. And also a mallet, to
dryue the knyfe and thy wedge in-to the
Mallet, and sharp small knives.

tree: and a sharpe knife, to pare the stockes heed, and 16 an other
sharpe knyfe, to cutte the graffe cleane. And also thou muste haue
two wedges of harde wood, or elles
Two wedges.

of yren, a longe small one for a small stocke, and broder for a
bygger stocke, to open the stocke, whan it is clouen 20
Clay, moss, and bast.

and pared: and also good tough claye and mosse, and also bastes or
pyllynge of wethy or elme, to bynde them with, &c.

137. ¶ What fruite shuld be fyrste graffed.
Graft pears before apples.

Peares and wardens wolde be graffed before any maner of apples,
bycause the sappe commeth sooner and rather in-to the peare-tree
and warden-tree, thanne in-to the
Graft from Feb. 14 to March 25.

apple-tree. And after saynt Valentynes daye, it is tyme 4 to grade
both peares and wardens, tyll Marche be comen, and thanne to
graffe appels to our lady daye. And than graffe that that is gette of
an olde apple-tree fyrste, for that wyll budde before the graffe get of
a yonge apple-tree 8 late graffed. And a peare or a warden wolde be
graded in a pyrre-stocke; and if thou canst get none,
[Fol. 55*b.]

than graffe it in a crabbe-tree stocke, and it wyll do well: and some
men grade theym in a whyte-thorne, and than 12
A crab-stock is best for apples.

it wyll be the more harder and stonye. And for all maner of appels,
the crabtree stocke is beste.

138. ¶ Howe to graffe.
Select the graft.

Thou muste get thy graffes of the fayrest lanses, that thou canste
fynde on the tree, and see that it haue a good
Saw the crab-tree,

knotte or ioynte, and an euen. Than take thy sawe, and sawe in-to
thy c[r]abbetree, in a fayre playne place, pare it 4
cleave and open the stock;

euen with thy knyfe, and thanne cleaue the stocke with thy greatte
knyfe and thy mallet, and set in a wedge, and open the stocke,
accordynge to the thyckenesse of thy graffe; thanne take thy smalle
sharpe knyfe, and cutte 8 the graffe on bothe sydes in the ioynte, but
passe not the myddes therof for nothynge, and let the inner syde,
that shall be set in-to the stocke, be a lyttel thynner than the vtter
syde, and the nether poynte of the graffe the 12
then put the graft into the stock.

thynner: than proferre thy graffe in-to the stocke; and if it go not
close, than cut the graffe or the stocke, tyll they close cleane, that
thou canste not put the edge of
[Fol. 56*.]

thy knyfe on neyther syde betwene the stocke and the 16 graffe, and
sette them so that the toppes of the graffe bende a lyttell outewarde,
and see that the wodde of the graffe be set mete with the wodde of

the stocke, and the sappe of the stocke maye renne streyght and
euen with 20
The bark of the graft is thinner than that of the stock.

the sappe of the graffe. For the barke of the graffe is neuer soo
thicke as the barke of the stocke. And therfore thou mayste not sette
the barkes mete on the vtter syde, but on the inner syde: than pulle
awaye thy wedge, 24 and it wyl stande moche faster. Than take
toughe cleye, lyke marley, and ley it vppon the stocke-heed, and
with thy fynger laye it close vnto the graffe, and a lyttel vnder the
heed, to kepe it moyst, and that no wynde come into 28
Cover with moss, and bind with bast.

the stocke at the cleauynge. Than take mosse, and laye thervpon, for
chynynge of the claye: than take a baste of whyte wethy or elme, or
halfe a bryer, and bynd the mosse, the clay, and the graffe together,
but be well ware, 32 that thou breake not thy graffe, neyther in the
clayenge, nor in the byndynge; and thou muste set some-thinge by
the graffe, that crowes, nor byrdes do not lyght vpon thy graffe, for
if they do, they wil breake hym, &c. 36

[Fol. 56*b.]

139. ¶ To graffe bytwene the barke and the tree.

There is an other maner of graffinge than this, and soner done, &
soner to growe: but it is more ieoperdy for
Another way of grafting.

winde whan it begynneth to growe. Thou muste sawe thy stocke,
and pare the heed therof, as thou diddest 4 before, but cleue it not:
than take thy graffe, and cut it in the ioynt to the myddes, and make
the tenaunte therof halfe an inche longe or a lyttell more, all on the
one syde, and pare the barke awaye a lyttel at the poynt on the 8
Use a punch of hard wood.

other syde: than thou muste haue made redy a ponch of harde wood,
with a stop and a tenaunte on the one syde, lyke to the tenaunte of
the graffe. Than put the tenaunt of the ponche betwen the barke and
the woode of the 12 stocke, and pull it out agayne, and put in the
graffe, and se that it ioyne close, or els mende it. And this can-not
fayle, for now the sappe cometh on euery syde, but it wyl spring soo
faste, that if it stande on playne 16
The graft requires protection from the wind.

grounde, the wynde is lykelye to blowe it besyde the heed, for it
hath no fastnes in the wodde. And this is beste remedy for blowynge
of, to cutte or clyppe awaye
[Fol. 57.]

somme of the nethermooste leaues as they growe. And 20 this is the
beste waye to graffe, and specyally a greate tree: than claye it, and
bynde it as dyddest the other, &c.

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

Stone-fruits.

As for cheryes, dampsons, bulleys, plummes, and suche other,
maye be sette of stones, and also of the scyences, growynge aboute
the tree, of the same, for they wyll
Filberts and walnuts.

sooneste beare. Fylberdes and walnuttes maye be set of 4 the nuttes
in a gardeyne, and after remoued and sette where he wyll. But whan
they be remoued, they wolde be set vpon as good a grounde, or a
better, or els they wyll not lyke. 8

141. ¶ A shorte information for a yonge gentyl-man, that
entendeth to thryue.
Get a copy of this book, and read it from beginning to end.

I auyse hym to gette a copy of this presente boke, and to rede it
frome the begynnynge to the endynge, wherby he maye perceyue
the chapyters and contentes of the same, and by reason of ofte
redyng, he maye 4 waxe perfyte, what shulde be doone at all
seasons. For
[Fol. 57b.]

I lerned two verses at grammar-scole, and they be these:
Cf. Ovid, ex Ponto Epist. IV. x. 5.

Gutta cauat lapidem non vi, sed sæpe cadendo: Sic homo fit sapiens
non vi, sed sæpe legendo: A droppe of water perseth 8 a stoone, not
al-onely by his owne strengthe, but by his often fallynge. Ryghte so
a man shall be made wyse, not all-onely by hym-selfe, but by his
ofte redynge. And soo maye this yonge gentyllman, accordynge to
the 12
Read a chapter to your servants now and then.

season of the yere, rede to his seruauntes what chapyter he wyll.
And also for any other maner of profyte conteyned in the same, the
whiche is necessary for a yonge husbande, that hath not the

experyence of housbandrye, 16 nor other thynges conteyned in this
presente boke, to take a good remembraunce and credence thervnto,
for there is an olde sayinge, but of what auctorytie I cannot
Practice is better than theory.

tell: Quod melior est practica rusticorum, quam scientia 20
philosophorum. It is better the practiue or knowlege of an husband-
man well proued, than the science or connynge of a philosopher not
proued, for there is nothynge touchyng husbandry, and other
profytes conteyned in 24 this presente booke, but I haue hadde the
experyence therof, and proued the same. And ouer and beside al this
boke, I wil aduise him to ryse betime in the morning,
[Fol. 58.]

according to the verse before spoke of, Sanat, sanctificat, 28 et ditat
surgere mane: And go about his closes, pastures, fieldes, and
specially by the hedges, & to haue in his
Keep a pair of tables, and make notes of all that seems amiss.

purse a payre of tables, and whan he seeth any-thing, that wolde be
amended, to wryte it in his tables: as if he 32 fynde any horses,
mares, beastes, shepe, swyne, or geese in his pastures, that be not
his owne: And perauenture thoughe they be his owne, he wolde not
haue them to goo there, or to fynde a gap, or a sherde in his hedge,
36 or any water standynge in his pastures vppon his grasse, wherby

he maye take double hurte, bothe losse of his grasse, and rotting of
his shepe and calues. And also of standynge-water in his corne-
fieldes at the landes 40 endes, or sydes, and howe he wolde haue his
landes
Look to the corn, cattle, ditches, etc.

plowed, donged, sturred, or sowen. And his corne weded or shorne
or his cattell shifted out of one pasture into an other, and to loke
what dychyng, quicsettyng, or plashing, 44 is necessary to be had,

and to ouer-se his shepeherd, how he handleth and ordreth his
shepe, and his seruantes
Look to the gates.

howe they plowe and do theyr warkes, or if any gate be broken
down, or want any staues, and go not lyghtly 48 to open and tyne,
and that it do not traile, and that the windes blowe it not open, with
many mo necessary
[Fol. 58b.]

thynges that are to be loked vpon. For a man alwaye wanderynge or
goinge aboute somewhat, fyndeth or seeth 52 that is a-mysse, and
wolde be amended. And as soone as he seeth any suche defautes,
than let hym take oute his tables, and wryte the defautes. And whan
he commeth home to diner, supper, or at nyght, than let hym call his
56
Tell your bailiff of all that needs to be done.

bayly, or his heed-seruaunte, and soo shewe hym the defautes, that
they may be shortly amended. And whan it is amended, than let him
put it out of his tables. For this vsed I to doo .x. or .xii. yeres and
more. And thus 60 let hym vse dayely, and in shorte space he shall
sette moche thynges in good order, but dayely it wyll haue
If you cannot write, make nicks on a stick.

mendynge. And yf he canne not wryte, let hym nycke the defautes
vppon a stycke, and to shewe his bayely, as 64 I sayde before. Also
take hede bothe erly and late, at all tymes, what maner of people
resorte and comme to thy house, and the cause of theyr commynge,
and specially if they brynge with them pytchers, cannes, tancardes,
68
Keep an eye on the servants, and on all who come to your house.

bottelles, bagges, wallettes, or busshell-pokes. For if thy seruauntes
be not true, they maye doo the great hurte, and them-selfe lyttel
auauntage. Wherfore they wolde be well loked vppon. And he that

hath .ii. true seruauntes, 72 a man-seruaunte, and an-other a woman-
seruaunt, he hath
[Fol. 59.]

a great treasure, for a trewe seruaunte wyl do iustly hym-selfe, and
if he se his felowes do amysse, he wyl byd them do no more so, for
if they do, he wyll shewe his master 76 therof: and if he do not this,
he is not a trewe seruaunt.

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

Pvrse, dagger, cloke, nyght-cap, kerchef, shoyng-horne, boget, and
shoes.
Hexameter verses, to help the memory.

Spere, male, hode, halter, sadelclothe, spores, hatte, with thy horse-
combe.
Bowe, arrowes, sworde, bukler, horne, leisshe, gloues, stringe, and
thy bracer.
Penne, paper, inke, parchmente, reedwaxe, pommes, bokes, thou
remember. 4
Penknyfe, combe, thimble, nedle, threde, poynte, leste that thy
gurthe breake.
Bodkyn, knyfe, lyngel, gyue thy horse meate, se he be showed well.
Make mery, synge and thou can; take hede to thy gere, that thou lose
none.
[Fol. 59b.]

143. ¶ A prologue for the wyues occupation.

Nowe thou husbande, that haste doone thy dylygence and labour,
that longeth to an husbande, to get thy lyuynge, thy wyues, thy
chyldrens, and thy seruauntes:
Seldom thrives the husband without his wife’s leave.

yet are there other thynges, that muste nedes be done, 4 or elles thou
shalte not thryue. For there is an olde common sayenge, that seldom
doth the housbande thryue, withoute the leue of his wyfe. By this
sayenge it shoulde seme, that there be other occupations and
labours, that 8 be moste conuenient for the wyues to do. And howe
be
I will tell the wives part of their duties.

it that I haue not experyence of al theyr occupations and warkes, as I
haue of husbandry, yet a lyttell wyl I speke what they ought to do,
though I tel them nat howe they 12 shulde doo and exercyse theyr
labours and occupations.

144. ¶ A lesson for the wyfe.

But yet er I begynne to shewe the wyfe, what warkes
A lesson of Solomon.

she shall do, I wyll firste teche her a lesson of Salomon, as I did to
her husbande a lesson of the philosopher, and that is, that she shulde
not be ydle at noo tyme: 4 for Salomon saythe, Ociosus non
gaudebit cum electis in cælo: sed lugebit in æternum cum reprobis
in inferno: That
[Fol. 60.]

is to say, The ydle folke shall not ioye with the chosen folkes in
heuen, but they shall sorowe with the reproued 8
A lesson of Jerome.

and forsaken folkes in hell. And saynt Iherom saythe: Semper boni
operis aliquid facito, vt te diabolus inueniat occupatum: Quia sicut

in aqua stante generantur vermes: sic in homine ocioso generantur
malæ cogitationes: That is to say, 12 Alwaye be doinge of some
good werkes, that the dyuell may fynde the euer occupied: for as in
standynge water are engendred wormes, ryghte soo in an ydle body
are engendred ydle thoughtes. Here mayste thou se, that 16 of
ydelnes commeth damnation, and of good warkes and labour
cometh saluation. Nowe arte thou at thy lyberty,
Choose either idleness or labour.

to chose whether waye thou wylt, wherin is a great diuersitie. And
he is an vnhappy man or woman, that 20 god hath giuen bothe wyt
and reason, and putteth hym in chose, and woll chose the worst
parte. Nowe thou wyfe, I trust to shewe to the dyuers occupations,
warkes, and laboures, that thou shalt not nede to be ydle no tyme 24
of the yere.

145. ¶ What thynges the wyfe is bounden of ryght to do.
Let the wife love her husband.

First and prynycypally the wyfe is bounde of ryghte to loue her
housbande, aboue father and mother, and aboue
[Fol. 60b.]

all other men. For our lorde saythe in his gospell;
Matt. xix. 5.
Mark x. 7.

Relinquet patrem et matrem, et adherebit[31] vxori suæ: A man 4
shulde leue father and mother, and drawe to his wyfe: and the same
wyse a wyfe shulde do to her husbande. And are made by the vertue
of the sacrament of holy
One body, and two souls.

scripture one fleshe, one bloude, one body, and two 8 soules.
Wherfore theyr hartes, theyr myndes, theyr warkes, and

occupations, shulde be all one, neuer to seuer nor chaunge durynge
theyr natural lyues, by any mannes acte or dede, as it is sayde in the
same gospel: 12
Matt. xix. 9.
Mark x. 9.

Quod deus coniunxit, homo non separet: That thynge that god hath
ioyned to-gether, noo man maye seuer nor departe. Wherfore it is
conuenyente that they loue eche other as effectually as they wolde
doo theyr owne 16 selfe, &c.

146. ¶ What warkes a wyfe shulde do in generall.
First, at rising, bless thyself.

First in a mornyng whan thou arte waked, and purposeste to ryse,
lyfte vp thy hande, and blesse the, and make a sygne of the holy
crosse, In nomine patris, et filii, et spiritus sancti. Amen. In the
name of the father, the 4
[Fol. 61.]

sonne, and the holy gooste. And if thou saye a Pater noster, an Aue,
and a Crede, and remember thy maker, thou shalte spede moche the
better. And whan thou arte
Sweep the house,

vp and redy, than first swepe thy house, dresse vp thy 8

dyssheborde, and sette all thynges in good order within
milk the cows, dress the children.

thy house: milke thy kye, socle[32] thy calues, sye vp thy mylke,
take vppe thy chyldren and araye theym, and prouyde for thy
husbandes brekefaste, dynner, souper, 12 and for thy chyldren and
seruauntes, and take thy parte
Send corn to the mill, and measure it before it goes.

with theym. And to ordeyne corne and malte to the myll, to bake
and brue withall whanne nede is. And meete it to the myll, and fro

the myll, and se that thou 16 haue thy measure agayne besyde the
tolle, or elles the myller dealeth not truely with the, or els thy corne
is not
Make butter and cheese.

drye as it shoulde be. Thou must make butter, and chese whan thou
maist, serue thy swyne bothe mornyng and 20 euenynge, and gyue
thy poleyn meate in the mornynge; and whan tyme of the yere
cometh, thou must take hede
Gather the eggs.

howe thy hennes, duckes, and geese do ley, and to gather vp theyr
egges, and whan they waxe brodye, to sette 24 them there as noo
beastes, swyne, nor other vermyn hurte them. And thou muste
knowe, that all hole-footed fowles wyll sytte a moneth, and all
clouen-footed fowles
[Fol. 61b.]

wyll sytte but three wekes, excepte a peyhenne, and greatte 28
fowles, as cranes, bustardes, and suche other. And whan they haue
broughte forthe theyr byrdes, to see that they be well kepte from the
gleyd, crowes, fullymartes, and
Put in order the garden.

other vermynne. And in the begynnynge of Marche, or 32 a lyttell
afore, is tyme for a wyfe to make her garden, and to gette as many
good sedes and herbes as she canne, and specially suche as be good
for the potte, and to eate: and as ofte as nede shall requyre, it muste
be weded, for 36 els the wedes wyl ouergrowe the herbes. And also
in Marche is tyme to sowe flaxe and hempe, for I haue
Better are March hards than April flax.

harde olde houswyues saye, that better is Marche hurdes than Apryll
flaxe, the reason appereth: but howe it 40 shulde be sowen, weded,
pulled, repeyled, watred, wasshen, dryed, beaten, braked, tawed,

hecheled, spon, wounden, wrapped, and wouen, it nedeth not for me
to shewe, for they be wise ynough; and therof may they 44
Make sheets, towels, and shirts.

make shetes, bordclothes, towels, shertes, smockes, and suche other
necessaryes, and therfore let thy dystaffe be alwaye redye for a
pastyme, that thou be not ydle. And vndouted a woman can-not
gette her lyuynge 48 honestely with spynnynge on the distaffe, but it
stoppeth
[Fol. 62.]

a gap, and muste nedes be had. The bolles of flaxe, whan they be
ripeled of, must be rideled from the wedes,
Dry the flax.

and made drye with the son, to get out the sedes. Howe 52 be it one
maner of linsede, called loken sede, wyll not open by the son: and
therfore, whan they be drye, they muste be sore brused and broken,
the wiues knowe howe, and than winowed and kepte drye, tyll yere-
tyme come 56 agayn. Thy female hempe must be pulled from the
churle hempe, for that beareth no sede, and thou must do by it, as
thou dydest by the flax. The churle hempe beareth sede, and beware
that byrdes eate it not, as it 60 groweth: the hemp therof is not soo
good as the female
Sometimes there is a great deal to do.

hempe, but yet it wyll do good seruyce. May fortune somtime, that
thou shalt haue so many thinges to do, that thou shalt not well
knowe where is best to begyn. Than 64 take hede, which thing
shulde be the greattest losse, if it were not done, and in what space it
wold be done: than thinke what is the greatest losse, & there begyn.
Leave that till last which will best wait.

But in case that thynge, that is of greateste losse, wyll 68 be longe in
doynge, and thou myghteste do thre or foure other thynges in the
meane whyle, thanne loke well, if all these thynges were sette

together, whiche of them were the greattest losse; and if all these
thynges be of 72
[Fol. 62b.]

greater losse, and may be all done in as shorte space, as the other,
than doo thy many thynges fyrste.
¶ It is conuenyente for a housbande to haue shepe of his owne, for
many causes, and than maye his wife haue 76
With some of the wool make clothes.

part of the woll, to make her husbande and her-selfe some clothes.
And at the leaste waye, she may haue the lockes of the shepe, eyther
to make clothes or blankettes & couerlettes, or bothe. And if she
haue no woll of her 80 owne, she maye take wol to spynne of clothe-
makers, and by that meanes she maye haue a conuenyent lyuynge,
and many tymes to do other warkes. It is a wyues occupation,
Winnow corn, brew, wash, make hay, etc.

to wynowe all maner of cornes, to make malte, to wasshe 84 and
wrynge, to make heye, shere corne, and in tyme of nede to helpe her
husbande to fyll the mucke-wayne or dounge-carte, dryue the
ploughe, to loode hey, corne, and
Sell the butter, cheese, hens, geese, and corn.

suche other. And to go or ride to the market, to sel butter, 88 chese,
mylke, egges, chekyns, capons, hennes, pygges, gese, and all maner
of cornes. And also to bye all maner
Keep accounts.

of necessarye thynges belongynge to houssholde, and to make a
trewe rekenynge and a-compte to her housbande, 92 what she hath
payed. And yf the housbande go to the market, to bye or sell, as they
ofte do, he than to shewe
[Fol. 63.]

his wife in lyke maner. For if one of them shoulde vse to deceyue
the other, he deceyueth hym-selfe, and he is 96 not lyke to thryue.

And therfore they muste be trewe
I will not explain all points of deceit.

eyther to other. I coulde peraduenture shewe the housbandes
dyuerse poyntes that the wyues deceyue them in: and in lyke maner,
howe husbandes deceyue theyr 100 wyues: but if I shulde do so, I
shulde shewe mo subtyll poyntes of deceypt, than eyther of them
knewe of before. And therfore me semeth beste to holde my peace,
least
Else I should act like the Knight de la Tour,

I shoulde do as the knyght of the toure dyd, the whiche 104 had
many fayre doughters, and of fatherly loue that he oughte to them,
he made a boke, to a good entente, that they myghte eschewe and
flee from vyces, and folowe vertues. In the whiche boke he shewed,
that if they 108 were wowed, moued, or styred by any man, after
suche a maner as he there shewed, that they shulde withstande
who wrote a book against vice,

it. In the whiche boke he shewed so many wayes, howe a man
shoulde atteyne to his purpose, to brynge a woman 112 to vice, the
whiche wayes were so naturall, and the wayes to come to theyr
purpose were soo subtylly contryued, and craftely shewed, that
harde it wold be for any woman
but really taught vice.

to resyste or deny theyr desyre. And by the sayd boke 116 hath made
bothe the men and the women to knowe more
[Fol. 63b.]

vyces, subtyltye, and crafte, than euer they shulde haue knowen, if
the boke had not ben made: in the whiche boke he named hym-selfe
the knight of the towre. And 120 thus I leue the wyues, to vse theyr
occupations at theyr owne discreation.

147. ¶ To kepe measure in spendynge.

Take care.

Nowe thou husbande and huswyfe, that haue done your diligence
and cure, accordynge to the fyrste artycle of the philosopher, that is
to saye: Adhibe curam. And also haue well remembred the sayeng
of wyse Salomon: 4 Quod ociosus non gaudebit cum electis in cælo:
sed lugebit in æternum cum reprobis in inferno: Thanne ye must
remembre, obserue, and kepe in mind, the seconde article of
Keep measure.

the sayinge of the philosopher, that is to saye, Tene 8 mensuram:
That is to saye in englysshe, holde and kepe measure. And
accordynge to that sayenge, I lerned two
Spendthrifts come to poverty.

verses at grammer-schole, and they be these, Qui plus expendit,
quam rerum copia rendit: Non admiretur, si paupertate 12 grauetur:
he that dothe more expende, thanne his goodes wyll extende,
meruayle it shall not be, thoughe
[Fol. 64.]

he be greued with pouertee. And also accordynge to that sayenge
speketh sayncte Paul and saythe, Iuxta 16 facultates faciendi sunt
sumptus, ne longi temporis victum, breuis hora consumat: That is to
saye, A[f]ter thy faculty
Spend according to your income;

or thy honoure, make thyne expences, leste thou spende in shorte
space that thynge, that thou shouldest lyue 20 by longe. This texte
toucheth euery manne, from the hyest degree to the loweste;
wherfore it is necessary to euerye manne and womanne to
remembre and take good hede there-vnto, for to obserue, kepe, and
folowe the 24 same; but bycause this texte of sayncte Paule is in
latyn,
or, in plain English,

and husbandes commonely can but lyttell laten, I fere leaste they
can-not vnderstande it. And thoughe it were declared ones or twyse
to theym, that they wolde 28 forgette it: Wherfore I shall shewe to
theym a texte
eat within your tether.

in englysshe, and that they maye well vnderstande, and that is this,
Eate within thy tedure.

148. ¶ To eate within the tedure.

Thou husbande and huswife, that intend to folowe
Spare at the brink, not at the bottom.

the sayinge of the philosopher, that is to saye, kepe measure, you
muste spare at the brynke, and not at the bottom, that is to
vnderstande, in the begynnynge of 4
[Fol. 64b.]

the yere, sellynge of thy cornes, or spendynge in thy house, vnto the
tyme that thou haue sowen agayne thy wynter-corne, and thy lente-
corne, and than se what remayneth to serue thy house, and of the
ouerplus thou 8 mayste sell and bye suche other necessaryes, as thou
must
Do not spend much at the beginning of the year.

nedes occupie. And if thou spende it in the begynnynge of the yere,
and shall want in the hynder ende, than thou doste not eate within
thy tedure, and at the laste 12 thou shalte be punyshed, as I shal
proue the by ensample. Take thy horse, and go tedure him vpon
thyne owne lees, flytte hym as ofte as thou wylte, no manne wyll
saye ‘wronge thou doste’; but make thy horse to longe 16
Give not your horse too long a tether.

a tedure, than whan thou haste tyed hym vppon thyne owne lees, his
tedure is so longe, that it recheth to the middes of an-other mans

lees or corne: Nowe haste thou gyuen hym to moche lybertye, and
that man, whose 20 corne or grasse thy horse hath eaten, wyll be
greued at the, and wyll cause the to be amerced in the court, or elles
to make hym amendes, or bothe. And if thy
If the horse break his tether,

horse breake his tedure, and go at large in euery mans 24 corne and
grasse, than commeth the pynder, and taketh hym, and putteth hym
in the pynfolde, and there shall
[Fol. 65.]

he stande in prison, without any meate, vnto the tyme thou hast
payde his raunsome to the pynder, and also 28
he will be impounded.

make amendes to thy neyghbours, for distroyenge of theyr corne.
Ryght so, as long as thou eatest within thy tedure, that thou nedest
not to begge nor borowe of
Wherefore, ‘eat within thy tether.’

noo man, soo longe shalte thou encrease and growe in 32 rychesse,
and euery man wyll be content with the. And if thou make thy
tedure to longe, that thyne owne porcyon wyll not serue the, but that
thou shalte begge, borowe, or bye of other: that wyll not longe
endure, 36 but thou shalte fall in-to pouertye. And if thou breake
Do not break your tether.

thy tedure, and ren ryot at large, and knowe not other mennes
goodes frome thyne owne, than shall the pynder, that is to saye, the
sheryffe and the bayly, areste the, 40 and putte the in the pynfolde,
that is to say, in prison, there to abyde tyll the truth be knowen: and
it is meruayle, if thou scape with thy lyfe, and therfore eate within
thy tedure. 44

149. ¶ A shorte lesson for the husbande.

Do not waste candle-light.

One thinge I wyl aduise the to remembre, and specially in wynter-
tyme, whan thou sytteste by the fyre, and hast supped, to consyder
in thy mynde, whether the warkes,
[Fol. 65b.]

that thou, thy wyfe, & thy seruauntes shall do, be more 4 auauntage
to the than the fyre, and candell-lyghte, meate and drynke that they
shall spende, and if it be more
Rather go to bed, and rise early.

auantage, than syt styll: and if it be not, than go to thy bedde and
slepe, and be vppe betyme, and breake thy 8 faste before day, that
thou mayste be all the shorte wynters day about thy busynes. At
grammer-scole I
Early rising makes a man healthy, holy, and rich.

lerned a verse, that is this, Sanat, sanctificat, et ditat surgere mane.
That is to say, Erly rysyng maketh a man 12 hole in body, holer in
soule, and rycher in goodes. And this me semeth shuld be sufficient
instruction for the husbande to kepe measure.

150. ¶ How men of hye degree do kepe measure.
Men of high degree are too prodigal and wasteful.

To me it is doubtefull, but yet me semeth, they be rather to lyberall
in expences, than to scarce, and specyally in three thynges. The
fyrste is prodigalytie in outragious and costely aray, fer aboue
measure; the 4 seconde thynge is costely charge of delycyous meates
and drynkes; the thyrde is outragious playe and game, ferre aboue
measure. And nowe to the fyrste poynte.
[Fol. 66.]

151. ¶ Prodigalite in outragious and costely aray.

I have seen noblemen’s inventories of apparel very moderate as compared with what is worn now.

I haue seen bokes of accompte of the yomen of the wardropes of
noble men, and also inuentorys made after theyr decease of their
apparell, and I doubte not but at this daye, it is .xx. tymes more in
value, than it was to 4 suche a man of degree as he was an .C. yere
a-go: and many tymes it is gyuen away, er it be halfe worne, to a
symple man, the whiche causeth hym to weare the same; and an
other symple man, or a lyttell better, seynge him 8
Other men try to dress like them.

to weare suche rayment, thynketh in his mynde, that he maye were
as good rayment as he, and so causeth hym to bye suche other, to his
great coste and charge, aboue measure, and an yll ensample to all
other: and also to see 12
Even servants dress too much.

mens seruantes so abused in theyr aray, theyr cotes be so syde, that
they be fayne to tucke them vp whan they ryde, as women do theyr
kyrtels whan they go to the market or other places, the whiche is an
vnconuenient syght. And 16 ferthermore, they haue suche pleytes
vpon theyr brestes, and ruffes vppon theyr sleues, aboue theyr
elbowes, that yf theyr mayster, or theym-selfe hadde neuer so
greatte nede, they coude not shoote one shote, to hurte 20
[Fol. 66b.]

theyr ennemyes, tyll they hadde caste of theyr cotes, or cut of theyr
sleues. This is fer aboue measure, or common weale of the realme.
This began fyrste with honour, worship, and honesty, and it endeth
in pryde, presumption, 24 and pouertye. Wherof speketh saint
Austin, Quemcunque superbum esse videris, diaboli filium esse ne
dubites: That is
The proud man is a child of the devil.

to say, who-so-euer thou seest that is proude, dout the not, but he is
the diuels chylde. Wherfore agaynst pryde he 28 byddeth the

remembre: Quid fuisti, quid es, et qualis post mortem eris: That is to
say, what thou were, what thou art, and what thou shalte be after thy
death. And S. Bernarde saythe, Homo nihil aliud est, quam sperma
32 fetidum, saccus stercorum, et esca vermium: That is to saye,
Man is but worm’s meat.

A man is nothynge but stynkynge fylthe, a sacke of dounge, and
wormes meate. The whiche sayinges wolde be remembred, and than
me semeth this is sufficient at this 36 time for the first point of the
thre.

152. ¶ Of delycyouse meates and drynkes.

Howe costely are the charges of delycious meates & drynkes, that
be nowe most commonly vsed, ouer that it hath ben in tymes paste,
and howe fer aboue measure?
[Fol. 68; no fol. 67.]

For I haue seen bokes of accompte of householde, 4 and brumentes
vpon the same, & I doubte not, but
Men now spend four times as much upon feasts as they used to.

in delycyous meates, drinkes, and spyces, there is at this daye foure
tymes so moche spent, as was at these dayes, to a lyke man in
degree; and yet at that tyme 8 there was as moche befe and mutton
spent as is nowe, and as many good housholdes kept, and as many
yomenne wayters therin as be nowe. This began with loue and
charytye whan a lorde, gentylman, or yoman 12 desyred or prayed
an other to come to dyner or soupper, and bycause of his commynge
he wolde haue a dysshe or two mo than he wolde haue had, if he
had ben
This has come about gradually.

away. Than of very loue he, remembrynge howe louyngely 16 he
was bydden to dynner, and howe well he fared, he thynketh of very

kyndnes he muste nedes byd hym to dyner agayne, and soo
ordeyneth for hym as manye maner of suche dysshes and meates, as
the other man dyd, and 20 two or .iii. mo, & thus by lyttel and litell it
is commen fer
Begun in kindness, it ends in pride.

aboue measure. And begon of loue and charyte, and endeth in pryde
and glotony, wherof saynte Ierome
Jerome.

saythe: Qui post carnem ambulant, in ventrem et libidinem, 24 proni
sunt, quasi irrationabilia iumenta reputantur. That is
[Fol. 68b.]

to say, They that walke, and be redy to fulfill the lust of the fleshe
and the bely, are taken as vnreasonable beastes;
Gregory.

and sayncte Gregory sayth, Dominante vicio gulæ, omnes 28 virtutes
per luxuriam et vanam gloriam obruuntur: That is to saye, where
the vice of glotony hath domination, all vertues by luxury and vayne
glory are cast vnder: the whiche sayinges wold in lykewise be
remembred; and 32 this me semeth sufficient for the .ii. poynte of
the thre.

153. ¶ Of outragious playe and game.
Have some recreation.

It is conueniente for euery man, of what degree that he be of, to
haue playe & game accordynge to his degree.
Dionysius Cato, Distich. iii. 7.

For Cato sayth, Interpone tuis interdum gaudia curis: Amonge thy
charges and busynes thou muste haue sometyme ioye 4 and myrthe;
but nowe a-dayes it is doone ferre aboue
Poor men now play too high.

measure. For nowe a poore man in regarde wyll playe as great
game, at all maner games, as gentylman were wont to do, or greater,
and gentilmen as lordes, and 8 lordes as prynces, & ofte tymes the
great estates wyll call gentylmen or yomen to play with them at as
great game as they do, and they call it a disport, the whiche
[Fol. 69.]

me semeth a very trewe name to it, for it displeaseth 12 some of
them er they departe, and specyall god, for myspendynge of his
goodes and tyme. But if they
If men played for less, it might then be called play.

played smalle games, that the poore man that playeth myght beare it
thoughe he loste, and bate not his 16 countenaunce, than myght it be
called a good game, a good playe, a good sporte, and a pastyme. But
whan one shall lose vpon a day, or vpon a nyght, as moche money
as wold fynde hym and all his house meate and 20 drynke a moneth
or a quarter of a yere or more, that maye be well called a disporte, or
a displeasure, and ofte
But now men lose their lands and become thieves.

tymes, by the meanes therof, it causeth theym to sell theyr landes,
dysheryte the heyres, and may fortune to fall to 24 thefte, robbery, or
suche other, to the great hurte of them-selfe, & of theyr chyldren,
and to the displeasure of god: and they so doinge, lyttel do they
pondre or regarde the saying of saynt Paule; Iuxta facultates
faciendi sunt 28 sumptus, ne longi temporis victum breuis hora
consumat:
Play, begun in love, ends in wrath.

This play begun with loue and charity, and oft times it endeth with
couetous wrath and enuy. And this me thynketh shoulde be a
sufficient instruction for kepynge 32 of measure.

154. ¶ A prologue of the thyrde sayinge of the philosopher.
[Fol. 69b.]

Nowe thou housbande and housewife, that haue done your
diligence and cure about your husbandrye and huswyfry,
accordynge to the fyrste sayenge of the philosopher,
Pay attention;

Adhibe curam: And also haue well remembred and 4 fulfylled the
seconde sayinge of the sayde philosopher,
Be frugal; and thou shalt be rich.

Tene mensuram: I doubte not but ye be ryche accordyng to the
thyrde sayinge of the sayde philosopher, Et eris diues. Nowe I haue
shewed you the sayinge of the 8 philosopher, wherby you haue
goten moche worldely possession, me semeth it were necessary, to
shewe you howe ye maye gette heuenly possessions, accordynge to
Matt. xvi. 26.

the sayenge of our lorde in his gospel, Quid prodest 12 homini, si
vniuersum mundum lucretur, animæ vero suæ detrimentum paciatur:
What profyteth it to a man, thoughe he wyn all the worlde, to the
hyndraunce and losyng of his soule? Howe be it, it shoulde seme
vnconuenient 16 for a temporall man to take vpon hym to shewe or
teache any suche spirytuall matters; and yet there is a great
diuersytie betwene predication and doctrine.

155. ¶ A diuersitie betwene predication and doctrine.
[Fol. 70.]

As sayncte Iherome saythe, there is greate difference or
Difference between preaching and doctrine.

diuersitie betwene preachinge and doctrine. A preachyng or a
sermon is, where [is] a conuocation or a gatherynge of people on
holye dayes, or other dayes in churches or 4 other places, and times

sette and ordeyned for the same. And it belongeth to theym that be
ordeyned
Every man may teach.

there-vnto, and haue iurisdiction and auctorytie, and to none other.
But euery man may lawefully enforme and 8 teache his brother, or
any other, at euery tyme and place behouable, if it seme expedient to
hym, for that is an almes-dede, to the whiche euery man is holden &
bounde to do, accordyng to the sayenge of saynt 12
1 Pet. iv. 10.

Peter, Vnusquisque, sicut accepit gratiam, in alterutrum illam
administrare debet. That is to saye, as euery man hath taken or
receyued grace, he oughte to mynyster
Chrysostom.

and shewe it forthe to other. For as Chrisostome saythe, 16 great
merite is to hym, and a great reward he shall haue in tyme to come,
the which writeth or causeth to be writen, holy doctrine, for that
entent, that he may se in it, howe he may lyue holylye, and that
other may haue 20 it, that they maye be edyfyed or sanctyfyed by the
same; for he saythe surely, knowe thou, that howe many soules
[Fol. 70b.]

be saued by the, soo many rewardes thou shalte haue for
Gregory.

eyther. For saynt Gregory saythe, Nullum sacrificium ita 24 placet
deo, sicut zelus animarum: There is no sacrifyce that pleaseth god
so moche, as the loue of soules. And
Gregory.

also he saythe, Ille apud deum maior est in amore, qui ad eius
amorem plurimos trahit: He is greateste in fauour 28 with god, that
draweth moste men to the loue of god. Wherfore me semeth, it is
conuenient to enforme and shewe them, how they maye gette
heuenly possessions, as well as I haue shewed them to get worldly

possessions. 32 Than to my purpose, and to the poynt where I lefte,
‘nowe thou art ryche.’

156. ¶ What is rychesse.
What is riches.

It is to be vnderstande what is rychesse; and as me semeth,
rychesse is that thynge, that is of goodnes, and can-not be taken
awaye from the owner, neyther in his temporall lyfe, nor in the lyfe
euerlastynge. Than these 4 worldly possessions, that I haue spoken
of, is no richesse, for why they be but floures of the worlde. And
that may be wel consydered by Iob, the whiche was the rychest man
of worldely possessions, that was lyuynge in those 8
[Fol. 71.]

daies, and sodeynely he was the poorest man agayne that coulde be
lyuynge, and all the whyle he toke pacyence, and
Job i. 21.

was content, as appereth by his sayenge, Dominus dedit, dominus
abstulit: sicut domino placuit, ita factum est, sit 12 nomen domini
benedictum: Our lorde hath gyuen it, our lorde hath taken it awaye,
and as it pleaseth our lorde, so be it, blessed be the name of our
lorde. The whiche Iob may be an ensample to euery true chrysten
man, of 16 his pacyence and good liuing in tribulation, as appereth in
his storye, who that lyste to rede therin. And saynte
Augustine.

Austyne saythe: Qui terrenis inhiat, et æterna non cogitat, utrisque
in futuro carebit: he that gathereth in worldly 20 thynges, and
thynketh not vppon euerlastynge thynges, shall wante bothe in tyme
to come. For sayncte
Ambrose.

Ambrose saythe, Non sunt bona hominis, quæ secum ferre non
potest: They are not the goodes of man, the whiche 24
Bernard.

he can-not beare with him. And saynte Bernarde saythe: Si vestra
sint, tollite vobiscum: Yf they be yours, take them with you. Than it
is to be vnderstande, what goodes a man shall take with hym. And
these be the good dedes 28 and warkes that thou doste here in this
temporall lyfe,
Chrysostom.

wherof speketh Crysostome: Fac bene, et operare iustitiam, vt spem
habeas apud deum, et non desperabis in terra: Doo
[Fol. 71b.]

well, and worke ryghtwysly, that thou mayste haue truste 32 in god,
and that thou be not in despayre in this worlde.
Ps. xxxvii. 25.
(Ps. xxxvi. 25, Vulgate.)

Accordynge to that saythe the prophete Dauyd, Iunior fui, etenim
senui, et non vidi iustum derelictum, nec semen eius querens panem:
I haue ben yonge, and I haue waxen 36 olde, and I haue not seen a
ryghtwyse man forsaken, nor his chyldren sekynge theyr breade.

157. ¶ What is the propertie of a riche man.

In myne opynyon the propertye of a ryche manne is, to be a
purchaser; and if he wyll purchase, I councell hym
Augustine.

to purchase heuen. For sayncte Austyne saythe, Regnum cælorum
nulli clauditur, nisi illi, qui se excluserit: The 4 kyngedome of heuen
is to noo man closed, but to hym that wyll putte oute hym-selfe.
Wherfore this texte maye gyue the a courage to prefixe thy mynde,
to make there thy purchase. And Salomon saythe: Quod mali 8

carius emunt infernum, quam boni cælum: Ill men bye hell derer,
thanne the good men bie heuen. And that me
[Fol. 72.]

semeth maye well be proued by a common ensample: As if I had a
.M. shepe to sell, and dyuers men come to me, 12
Suppose I sell 1000 sheep, 100 to each of 10 men.

and bye euery manne a .C. of the shepe, all of one price, to paye me
at dyuers dayes. I am agreed, and graunt them these dayes; some of
the menne be good, and kepe theyr promesse, and paye me at theyr
dayes, and some of 16 theym doo not paye me. Wherfore I sue
theym at the
Those who do not pay I imprison for debt.

lawe, and by course of the common lawe, I doo recouer my duetie
of them, and haue theyr bodyes in prisone for execution, tylle they
haue made me payment. Nowe these 20 men, that haue broken me
promesse, and payed not theyr
These men buy their sheep dearer than the others.

dewetye, bye theyr shepe derer thanne the good menne bought
theyrs. For they haue imprysonment of theyr bodyes, and yet must
they pay theyr duetyes neuer the 24 lesse, or elles lye and dye there
in pryson: the whiche sheepe be derer to them, then to the good men
that
So it is with men who buy heaven.

kepte theyr promes. Righte so euery man chepeth heuen, and god
hath sette on it a pryce, and graunted 28 it to euery man, and giuen to
them dayes of payment: the pryce is all one, and that is to kepe his
commaundementes, duryng theyr lyues: the good men kepe his
commaundementes, and fulfyll theyr promesse, and haue 32 heuen at
theyr decease. The yll men breake promesse,
[Fol. 72b.]

& kepe not his commaundementes, wherfore at theyr decease they
be put in pryson, that is to say in hell, there to abyde his
ryghtuousenes. And soo the yll men 36
Ill men buy hell dearer than good men buy heaven.

bye hell derer, than the good menne bye heuen. And therfore it is
better, to forgoo a lyttel pleasure, or suffer[33] a lyttell payne in this
worlde, than to suffer a moche greatter and a lenger payne in an
other worlde. Nowe 40
Wherefore buy heaven.

sythe helle is derer than heuen, I aduyse the specyally to bye heuen,
wherin is euerlastynge ioye without ende.

158. ¶ What ioyes or pleasures are in heuen.
Augustine.

Saynt Austyn saythe, Ibi erunt quæcunque ab hominibus
desiderantur, vita et salus, copia glorie, honor, pax, et omnia bona:
That is to saye, There shall be euery thynge that any man desyreth,
there is lyfe, helth, plenty of ioye, 4 honour, peace, and all maner of
goodnes. What wolde a
1 Cor. ii. 9.
Isa. lxiv. 4.

man haue more? And saynt Paule sayth, Occulus non vidit, nec auris
audiuit, nec in cor hominis ascendit, quæ preparuit deus
diligentibus se: That is to say, The eye hath not seen, nor 8 the eares
hath herde, nor the herte of a man hath thought
[Fol. 73.]

of so goodly thynges, that god hath ordeyned for theym that loue
hym. O what a noble acte that were for an husbande or houswyfe, to
purchase suche a royall place in 12 heuen, to whiche is no
comparyson. Than it is to be knowen, what thynge pleaseth god
most, that we myght do it.

159. ¶ What thynges pleaseth god most.
1 Cor. ii. 9.

By the texte of sayncte Paule, before sayd, loue pleaseth god
aboue al thinge, and that maye be well proued by the
Prov. xxxiii. 26.

sayinge of our lorde hym-selfe, where he saythe: Da mihi cor tuum,
et sufficit mihi; Gyue me thy harte, and that is 4 sufficiente for me;
for he that hath a mannes harte, hath all his other goodes. What is
this mans harte? it is nothyng elles, but very trewe loue. For there
can be no true loue, but it commeth meryly and immediately from 8
the harte: and if thou loue god entyerlye with thy harte, than wylte
thou do his commaundementes. Than it wolde be vnderstande and
knowen whiche be his commandementes, that a man may obserue
and kepe them. 12

160. ¶ What be goddes commaundementes.
[Fol. 73b.]

There be in all .x. commaundementes, the which were to long to
declare, but they be all concluded and comprehended
Deut. vi. 5.
Lev. xix. 18.

in two, that is to say: Diliges dominum deum tuum super omnia: Et
proximum tuum sicut te ipsum: Loue thy 4 lorde god aboue al thing,
and thy neyghboure as thy-selfe. These be lyghte
commaundementes, and nature byndeth a man to fulfyll, obserue,
and kepe them, or els he is not a naturall man, remembryng what
god hath doone for the. 8 Fyrste he hath made the to the symylytude
and lykenes of his owne ymage, and hathe gyuen to the in this
worlde dyuerse possessions, but specyally he hath redemed thy
soule vpon the crosse, and suffered great payne and 12 passion and

bodelye deathe for thy sake. What loue, what kyndenes was in hym,
to doo this for the? What
God asks love for love.

couldest thou desyre hym to do more for the? And he desyreth
nothynge of the agayne, but loue for loue. What 16 can he desyre
lesse?

161. ¶ Howe a man shulde loue god and please hym.

Surelye a man maye loue god and please hym very many wayes:
but fyrste and principally, he that wyll loue god,
[Fol. 74.]

and please hym, he muste doo as it is sayde in Symbalo
Athanasian Creed.

Athanasii: Quicunque vult saluus esse, ante omnia opus est 4 vt
teneat catholicam fidem, Who so euer wyll be saued, aboue all
thynge he must nedes be stedfast in the faythe of holy churche. And
accordynge to that, saythe sayncte
Heb. xi. 6.

Paule: Sine fide impossibile est placere deo; Without faythe 8
Seneca.

it is impossible to please god. And Seneca sayth: Nichil retinet, qui
fidem perdidit: There abydeth no goodnes in hym, that hath loste his
faythe. And soo thou mayste well perceyue, that thou canst not loue
nor please god, 12 without perfyte fayth. And ferther-more thou
mayste not presume to study, nor to argue thy faithe by reason. For
Gregory; xl.
Homil. in Evang. ii. 26.

saynte Gregory saythe: Fides non habet meritum, vbi humana ratio
prebet experimentum: Faythe hath no meryte, where 16 as mannes
reasone proueth the same. This faythe is a pryncypall sygne, that

thou loueste god. Also thy good dedes, and thy warkes, is a good
sygne, that thou loueste
Jerome.

god. For saynt Iherome saythe: Vnusquisque, cuius opera 20 facit,
eius filius appellatur: whose warkes euery man dothe,
Bernard.

his son or seruaunt he is called. And sayncte Bernarde saythe,
Efficatior est vox operis, quam vox sermonis: The
[Fol. 74b.]

dedes and the warkes of a man is more euydent profe, 24
Seven works of mercy.

than his wordes. The fulfyllynge of the .vii. workes of mercye is an
other specyall sygne, that thou louest god: and many mo there be,
whiche were to longe to reherse them all. 28

162. ¶ Howe a man shulde loue his neyghbour.
Love of our neighbour.

Thou must loue thy neyghboure as thy-selfe, wherin thou shalt
please god specially: for if thou loue thy neyghbour as thy-selfe, it
foloweth by reason, that thou shalte do nothyng to hym, but suche
as thou 4 woldest shulde be done to the. And that is to presume, that
thou woldest not haue any hurte of thy body, nor of thy goodes,
done vnto the, and lykewyse thou shuldest none do vnto hym. And
also if thou 8 woldest haue any goodnes done vnto the, eyther in thy
bodye, or in thy mouable goodes, lykewyse shuldest thou do vnto
thy neyghbour, if it lye in thye power, accordynge
Gregory.

to the sayinge of saynte Gregorye, Nec deus sine proximo, 12 nec
proximus vere diligitur sine deo: Thou canste not loue god, with-out

thou loue thy neyghbour, nor thou canst not loue thy neighbour,
without thou loue god. Wherfore
[Fol. 75.]

thou muste fyrste loue god pryncypallye, and thy neyghbour 16
secondaryly.

163. ¶ Of prayer that pleaseth god very moche.
Prayer pleaseth God much.

Prayer is honour and laude to god, and a specyall thynge that
pleaseth hym moche, and is a greate sygne, that thou louest god, and
that thou arte perfyte and stedfaste in the faythe of holy churche:
and that it is so, 4 it maye be well consydered by our forefathers,
that haue for the loue and honour of god made churches. And a man
muste dayly at some conuenyente tymes exercyse and vse prayer
hym-selfe, as he oughte to doo. For saynt 8
Ambrose.

Ambrose sayth, Relicto hoc, ad quod teneris, ingratum est spiritui
sancto quicquid aliud operaris: If thou leaue that thynge vndone,
that thou arte bounde to doo, it is not acceptable to god, what-so-
euer thou dooste elles. Than 12 it is necessarye, that thou do praye,
and a poore manne doynge his labour trewely in the daye, and
thinketh well, prayeth well: but on the holye daye, he is bounde to
come to the church, and here his diuyne seruyce. 16
[Fol. 75b.]

164. ¶ What thynge letteth prayer.

There be two impedimentes, that lette and hynder prayer, that it
maye not be herde. And of the fyrste impedimente
Isa. i. 15.

speketh Ysaye the prophete: Quia manus vestræ plenæ sunt
sanguine .i. peccato, ideo non exaudiet vos dominus: 4 Bycause your
handes be full of bloude, that is to saye, full of synne, therfore our
lorde dothe not graciousely
Prov. xv. 29.

here you. And also prouerbiorum tertio, Longe est dominus ab
impiis, et orationes iustorum exaudiet. Our lorde is ferre 8 fro
wycked men, and the prayers of ryghtewyse men he
Bernard.

gracyously hereth. And sayncte Bernarde saythe, Qui a præceceptis
dei auertitur, quod in oratione postulat non meretur: He that dothe
not goddes commaundementes, he 12 deserueth not to haue his
prayer harde. The seconde
Anastasius.

impediment, saythe Anastasius, is, Si non dimittis iniuriam, que tibi
facta est, non orationem pro te facis, sed maledictionem super te
inducis: If thou forgyue not the wronge done 16 vnto the, thou doste
not praye for thy-selfe, but thou
Isidore.

enducest goddes curse to fall vppon the. And Isodorus saythe, Sicut
nullum in vulnere proficit medicamentum, si adhuc ferrum in eo sit:
ita nihil proficiat oratio illius, cuius 20 adhuc dolor in mente vel
odium manet in pectore. Lyke as
[Fol. 81; sic.]

the playster or medycyne can-not heale a wounde, if there be any
yren styckinge in the same, ryghte soo the prayer of a man profyteth
hym not, as longe as there is sorowe 24 in his mynde, or hate
abydynge in his breste. For
Augustine.

sayncte Austyne saythe, Si desit charitas, frustra habentur cetera. If
charitie wante, all other thynges be voyde. Wherfore thou muste se

that thou stande in the state of 28 grace, and not infecte with deedly
synne, and than praye if thou wylt be harde.

165. ¶ Howe a man shulde praye.

It is to be vnderstande that there be dyuers maner
Public prayer.

of prayinges, Quedam publica, et quedam priuata; That is to saye,
some openlye, and some priuately. Prayer openly muste nedes be
done in the churche by the 4 mynystratours of the same people. For
it is done for all the comynaltye, and therfore the people in that
oughte to conferme theym-selfe to the sayde mynystratours, and
there to be presente to praye vnto god after a dewe 8
Private prayer.

maner. Oratio priuata. The prayer pryuately done,
[Fol. 81b.]

oughte to be doone in secrete places, for two causes. For prayer
eleuateth and lyfteth vp a mannes mynde to god. And the mynde of
man is sooner and better 12 lyfte vppe whan he is in a pryuye place,
and separate frome multytude of people. An other cause is to auoyde
vaynglory that myghte lyghtely ensue or ryse thervppon, whan it is
doone openly; and therof speketh our 16
Matt. vi. 5.

sauyour, where he sayth, Cum oratis, non eritis sicut hypocritæ, qui
amant in sinagogis et in angulis platearum stantes orare. That is to
saye, whan ye praye, be not you as the hypocrytes, the whiche loue
to stande in 20 theyr synagoges and corners of hyghe-wayes to
praye. Also some folkes pray with the lyppes or mouthe, and not
with the herte, of whome spekethe our lorde by his
Isa. xxix. 13.

prophete, Hij labiis me honorant, cor autem eorum longe 24 est a
me; They honour me with theyr mouthe, and
Gregory.

theyr hertes be ferre from me. And sayncte Gregory saythe, Quid
prodest strepitus labiorum vbi mutum est cor? What profyteth the
labour of the mouthe, where the 28
Isidore.

herte is dombe? And Isodore saythe, Longe quippe a deo est animus,
qui in oratione cogitationibus sæculi fuerit occupatus. His soule is
far from god, that in his prayer his mynde is occupied in warkes of
the worlde. There 32
[Fol. 82.]

be other that pray both with the mouth and hart, of
John iv. 24.

whom speketh sayncte Iohan .x. Veri adoratores, adorabunt patrem
in spiritu et veritate. The true prayers wylle worshyp the father of
heauen in spirite and with trouthe. 36
Isidore.

Isodorus saythe, Tunc veraciter oramus, quando aliunde non
cogitamus. Than we praye truely, whan we thynke
Richard of Hampole.

on nothynge elles. Richardus de Hampole. Ille deuote orat, qui non
habet cor vacabundum in terrenis occupationibus, 40 sed sublatum
ad deum in cælestibus. He prayeth deuoutly, that hath not his harte
wauerynge in worldelye occupations, but alwaye subleuate and lyfte
vppe to god in heuen. There be other that praye with the harte. vnde
44
Matt. vi. 6.

Mat. vi. Tu autem cum oraueris, intra [in] cubiculum tuum .i. in
loco secreto, et clauso hostio, ora patrem tuum. Whan thou shalte

praye, entre into thy chambre or oratory, and steke the doore, and
praye to the father of heuen. 48
Isidore.

Isodorus, Ardens oratio est non labiorum sed cordium, potius enim
orandum est corde quam ore. The hoter prayer is with the harte than
with the lyppes, rather pray with
1 Sam. i. 13.

thy herte than with thy mouth. Regum primo. Anna 52 loquebatur in
corda. Anna spake with the harte.
[Fol. 82b.]

166. A meane to put away ydle thoughtes in prayinge.
Against idle thoughts.

And to auoyde wauerynge myndes, in worldlye occupations
whanne thou shalte praye, I shall shewe vnto you the beste
experience that euer I coulde fynde for the same, the whiche haue
benne moche troubled therwith, and that 4
If you understand Latin, keep your eye on the book, and remember the English of it.

is this. He that can rede and vnderstande latyne, let hym take his
booke in his hande, and looke stedfastely vppon the same thynge
that he readeth and seeth, that 8 is no trouble to hym, and remembre
the englysshe of 8 the same, wherin he shall fynde greatte swetenes,
and shall cause his mynde to folowe the same, and to leaue other
worldly thoughtes. And he that canne-not reade nor
If not, think of Christ’s passion,

vnderstande his pater noster, Aue, nor Crede, he must 12 remembre
the passyon of Christe, what peyne he suffered for hym, and all
mankynde, for redemynge of theyr soules. And also the miracles
and wonders that god hath doone, and fyrste what wonders were
doone the nyghte of his 16
and of His miracles;

natiuitie and byrthe. And howe he turned water in-to wyne, and
made the blynde to se, the dombe to speake, the deafe to here, the
lame to go, the sycke to be hole.
[Fol. 83.]

And howe he fed fyue thousande with two fysshes, and 20 fyue
barley loues, wherof was lefte .xii. coffyns or skyppes of
fragmentes. And howe he reised Lazare from deathe to lyfe, with
manye moo myracles that be innumerable to be rehersed. And also
to remembre the specyall poyntes 24
how He was betrayed,

of his passion, howe he was solde & betrayed of Judas, and taken by
the iewes, and broughte before Pylate, than to kynge Herode, and to
bysshope Cayphas, and than to Pylate agayne, that iudged hym to
death, and howe he 28
scourged,

was bounde to a piller, and how they scurged, bobbed, mocked hym,
spytte in his face, crowned hym with thornes, and caused hym to
beare the crosse to the mounte of
and crucified;

Caluary, whervppon he was nayled both handes and 32 fete, and
wounded to the harte with a sharpe spere, and
went down to hell; and rose again.

soo suffered deathe. And howe he fette out the soules of our
forefathers forthe of hell. Howe he rose frome deathe to lyfe, and
howe ofte he appered to his discyples and 36 other moo. And what
myracles he wroughte afterwarde, and specyally what power he
gaue to his dyscyples, that were noo clerkes, to teache and preche
his faythe, and worke many myracles, and specyally whan they
preached 40 before menne of dyuers nations and languages, and
euerye
[Fol. 83b.]

man vnderstode in theyr own language, the whiche is a sygne that
god wolde haue euery manne saued, and to knowe his lawes, the
whiche was a myracle able to 44 conuerte all the infydeles,
heretykes, and lollers in the worlde.

167. ¶ A meane to auoyde temptation.

It is ofte-tymes seen, that the holyer that a man is, the
The holier a man is, the more he is tempted.

more he is tempted, and he that soo is, maye thanke god therof. For
god of his goodnes and grace hath not gyuen to the dyuell auctoritie
nor power to attempte any man 4 ferther and aboue that, that he that
is so tempted, maye withstande. For sayncte Gregory sayth, Non est
timendum
Gregory.

(sic) hostis, qui non potest vincere nisi volentem. An enemye is not
to be dradde, the whiche maye not ouercome, but if a 8 manne be
wyllynge. And it is to presume, that he that is soo tempted, standeth
in the state of grace. For sayncte Ambrose saythe, Illos diabolus[34]
vexare negligit, quos iure hæreditario se possidere sentit. The dyuell
despyseth to 12
Ambrose.

vexe or trouble those, the whiche he felethe him-selfe to haue in
possessyon by ryght inheritaunce. And if thou be so tempted, vexed,
or troubled, I shall shewe vnto the
[Fol. 84.]

two verses, that if thou do therafter, thou shalte be eased 16 of thy
temptacyon, and haue greatte thanke and laude of god and rewarde
therfore; these be the verses.
Two useful verses.

Hostis non ledit, nisi cum temptatus obedit.
Est leo si sedit, si stat quasi musca recedit. 20

¶ That is to say, The gostly enemy hurteth not, but whan
The tempter is a lion, if we sit still;

he that is tempted obeyeth to his temptation. Than his ghostly
enemy plaieth the lyon, if that he that is so tempted syt styll and
obey to hym. And if he that is 24
but if we resist, he is but a fly.

tempted, stande styfly agaynste hym, the ghostlye ennemye flyeth
awaye lyke a flye. This me semeth maye be wel proued by a
famylier ensaumple. As if a lorde had a
A fainthearted captain loses his castle,

castell, and deliuered it to a capitayne to kepe, if there 28 come
ennemies to the castell, and call to the capytayn, and byd hym
delyuer them this castell. The capytayne cometh and openeth them
the gates, and delyuereth the keyes. Nowe is this castell soone
wonne, and this 32
and is a traitor. But if he resist, the enemy will not tarry.

capytayne is a false traytour to the lorde. But lette the capitaine
arme hym-selfe, and steke the gates, and stande styfly vpon the
walle, and commaunde them to auoyde at theyr peryll, and they wyll
not tary to make 36
Every man is captain of his own soul.
[Fol. 84b.]

any assaut. Ryght so euery man is capitayne of his owne soule, and
if thy gostely ennemy come and tempte the, and thou, that art
capytayne of thyne owne soule, wyll open the gates, and delyuer
hym the keyes and let hym 40 in, thy sowle is soone taken prysoner,
and thou a false traytour to thy soule, and worthye to be punysshed
in pryson for euer. And if thou arme thy-selfe and stande styfly
agaynste hym, and wyll not consente to hym, he 44 wyll auoyde and

fle away, and thou shalt haue a greate reward for withstandynge of
the sayde temptation.

168. ¶ Almes-dedes pleaseth god moche.
Almsdeeds.

Almes-dedes pleseth god very moche, and it is great sygne that
thou loueste bothe god and thy neyghboure. And he of whome
almes is asked, oughte to consyder thre thynges, that is to saye, who
asketh almes, what he 4
God asketh.

asketh, and wherevnto he asketh. Nowe to the fyrste, who asketh
almes, Deus petit. God asketh. For saynte
Jerome.

Jerome sayth, Quia deus adeo diligit pauperes, quod quicquid fit eis
propter amorem suum, reputat sibi factum. That is 8 to saye, bycause
that god loueth poore men so moche,
[Fol. 85.]

what-someuer thynge is gyuen vnto them for the loue of hym, he
taketh it as it were done to hym-selfe; as it is
Matt. xxv. 15.

sayde in his gospell, Quod vni ex minimis meis fecistis, 12 michi
fecistis. That thynge that ye gyue or do to the least of those that be
myne, ye do it to me. Thanne to
He asks not ours, but his.

the seconde, what asketh god? Non nostrum, sed suum. He asketh
not that thynge that is ours, but that thynge that is 16 his owne. As
saythe the prophete Dauid, Tua sunt domine omnia: Et quæ de manu
tua accepimus, tibi dedimus. Good lorde, all thynges be thyne, and
those thynges that we haue taken of the, of those haue we gyuen the.
Thanne 20
He asks only to borrow, and to repay a hundredfold.

to the thyrde, Where-vnto dothe god aske? He asketh not to gyue
hym, but all-onely to borowe, Non tamen ad triplas, s[c]ilicet, immo
ad centuplas. Not all-onely to haue thryse soo moche, but forsothe
to haue an hundred tymes 24
Augustine.

soo moche. As saynt Austyn saythe, Miser homo, quid veneraris
homini; venerare deo, et centuplum accipies, et vitam æternam
possidebis? Thou wretched manne, why doste thou worshyp or
dreade manne: worshyp thou god and dreade 28 hym, and thou
shalte receyue an hundred tymes so moche, and haue in possessyon
euerlastynge lyfe, the whiche many-folde
[Fol. 85b.]

passeth all other rewardes? Prouerbiorum xiiii. Veneratur domino,
[35]
qui miseretur pauperibus: He worshyppeth 32
Prov. xix. 7.

our lorde, that hath mercye and pytye on poore folkes. And the glose
therof sayth, Centuplum accepturus. And thou shalte receyue an .C.
tymes so moche. And it
Three kinds of alms-deeds.

is to be vnderstande, that there be thre maner of almes-dedes, 36 that
is to saye: Egenti largire quicquid poteris: dimittere eis a quibus
lesus fueris: Errantem corrigere, et in viam veritatis reducere. That
is to saye, to gyue to the nedy what thou well mayste, to forgyue
theym that haue 40 trespaced to the, and to correcte them that do
amysse, and to brynge them into the way of ryghte.

169. ¶ The fyrste maner of almes.

Egenti largire quicquid poteris. Gyue to the nedye what
Luke xi. 41 vi. 38.

thou well maye. For our lorde saythe in his gospell: Date
elemosinam, et omnia munda sunt vobis. Et alibi. Date, et dabitur
vobis: Gyue almes, and all worldly rychesse is 4 yours; gyue, and it
shall be gyuen to you. Almes-dede is a holy thynge, it encreaseth a
mans welthe, it maketh lesse a mannes synnes, it lengtheth a mans
lyfe, it maketh
[Fol. 86.]

a man of good mynde, it delayeth yll tymes, and closeth 8 all
thynges, hit delyuereth a manne from deathe, it ioyneth a manne
with aungelles, and seuereth hym from the dyuell, and is lyke a wall
vnable to be foughten agaynst. And saynt James saythe: Sicut aqua
extinguit ignem, ita elemosina 12 peccatum. As water slecketh fyer,
soo dothe almes-dede
Prov. xxviii. 27.

slake synne. Salomon saythe, Qui dat pauperi, non indigebit. He
that giueth vnto a poore man, shal neuer
Prov. xxi. 13.

haue nede. And also he sayth, Qui obturat aurem suam 16 ad
clamorem pauperis, et ipse clamabit, et non exaudietur. He that
stoppeth his eare at the clamoure or crie of a pore man, he shall
crye, and he shall not be gracyousely herde. There maye no manne
excuse hym from gyuynge 20 of almes, thoughe he be poore. And let
hym doo as
Mark, xii. 42;
Luke, xxi. 2.

the poore wydowe dyd, that offered a farthynge, wherfore she hadde
more thanke and rewarde of god, thanne the ryche men that offered
golde. And if thou mayste not 24 gyue a farthynge, gyue lesse, or
gyue fayre wordes, or good information, ensaumple, and token: and
god shall rewarde the bothe for thy dede and for thy good wyll. And
that thou dooste, do it with a good wyll. For saynte 28

2 Cor. ix. 7.

Paule saythe, Hilarem datorem diligit deus. God loueth
[Fol. 86b.]

a glad gyuer, and that if it be of true begotten goodes. For Salomon
saythe, De tuis iustis laboribus ministra pauperibus. Of thy trewe
labours mynystre and gyue to 32
Isidore.

the poore folkes. For Isodorus saythe, Qui iniuste tollit, iuste
nunquam tribuit. He that taketh wrongfully, cannot gyue trewelye.
For it is wrytten Ecclesiastici xxxv.
Eccles. xxxiv. 24.

Qui de rapinis, aut vsuris, aut de furto immolat: e[s]t quasi 36 qui
coram patre victimat filium. He that offereth of the goodes, that he
getteth by extortyon, vsurye, or thefte, he is lyke as a man slewe the
sonne in the presence of the father. Thou mayste ryghte well knowe,
the father 40 wolde not be well contente. Noo more wolde god be
pleased with the gyfte of suche begotten goodes.

170. ¶ The seconde maner of almes.

Dimittere eis, a quibus lesus fueris. To forgyue theym that haue
trespaced to the, wherin thou shalte please god moche. For it is in
the gospell of sayncte Marke
Mark, xi. 6.

.xii. Si non dimiseritis aliis, nec pater vester celestis dimittet 4 vobis
peccata vestra. If you forgyue not, your father of
[Fol. 87.]

heuen wyll not forgyue you your synnes. Also if thou doo not
forgyue other, thou shalte be founde a lyer, as ofte as thou sayeste
thy Pater noster, where thou sayste: 8
Matt. vi. 12.

Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus
nostris. And forgyue to vs our dettes, as we forgyue to our detters.
By these dettes maye be vnderstande the thynges that we oughte to
do to god, and doo not them. 12 And also the trespaces and the synne
that we haue offended to god, in that we aske mercye of. And if thou
wylte not forgyue, thou mayst not aske mercy of
Matt. vii. 2.

ryght. Eadem mensura, qua mensi fueritis, remetietur vobis. 16 The
same measure that ye meate other men by, shall be moten vnto you.
Dimittere autem rancorem et maliciam omnino necessitatis est,
dimittere vero actionem et emendam opus est consilii. To forgyue all
rancour and malyce, that 20 a manne oweth to the in his harte, thou
arte bounden of necessitie to forgyue all the hole trespace, or to
leaue thyne actyon, or a reasonable mendes. Therfore it is but a dede
of mercye if thou so do, and no synne though 24 thou sue the lawe
with charytie. But and a manne haue done to the a trespace, and that
thou arte gladde that
[Fol. 87b.]

he hathe soo done, that thou mayste haue a quarell, or a matter, or an
accyon agaynste hym, and nowe of malyce 28 or yll wyll thou wylte
sue hym, rather than for the trespace; nowe thou synnest dedely,
bycause thou doest rather of malyce than for the trespace, and than
haste
Prov. xxii. 9.

thou loste thy charitie, Prouerbiorum .xxxii. Qui pronus 32 est ad
misericordiam, benedicetur. He that is redy to forgiue, shall be
blessed.

171. ¶ The thyrde maner of almes.
Three ways of correction.

Errantem corrigere, et in viam veritatis reducere. To correcke a
misdoer, and to brynge hym into the waye of ryghte. It is to be
vnderstand, that there be thre maner of corrections. 4
First, as an enemy.

¶ The fyrste correction is of an ennemye, the seconde is of a
frynde, and the thyrde correction is of a Iustyce.
Chrysostom.

The fyrste saythe Chrisostome, Corripe non vt hostis expetens
vindictam, sed vt medicus instituens medicinam. 8 Correcke not as
an enemye doinge vengeaunce, but as
Secondly, as a friend.

a phisicyon or surgyon, mynistringe or gyuynge a medicyne. To the
seconde saythe Salomon. Plus proficit amica correctio, quam
correctio turbulenta. A frendelye 12
[Fol. 88.]

correction profyteth more than a troublous correction. For yf thou
speke courteysly to a man that hath offended, and with sweete
wordes of compassion, he shall rather be conuerted by theym, than
with hye wordes of great 16
Isidore.

punysshement. And Isodorus saythe, Qui per verba blanda
castigatus non corrigetur, acrius necesse est, vt arguatur. He that
wylle not be chastysed by fayre wordes, it is necessary that he be
more hardlyer and straytlyer reproued 20
Jerome.

or punysshed. To the thyrde saythe sayncte Ierome, Equum iudicium
est, vbi non persona sed opera considerantur.
Thirdly, as a judge.

There is an euen Iugemente, where the personne is not regarded, but
the warkes are consydered. And alsoo hit 24
Matt. xvi. 27.

is wrytten. Reddet vnicuique iuxta opera sua. He shall yelde vnto
euery manne after his workes. And sayncte
Augustine.

Augustyne saythe, Sicut meliores sunt, quos corrigit amor, ita plures
sunt quos corrigit timor. As those be better, 28 that be chastysed by
loue, soo there be many moo that be chastysed by feare. For and
they feared not the punyshement of the lawe, there wolde be but a
fewe
Gregory.

chastysed by loue. And saynte Gregory sayth, Facientis 32 procul
dubio culpam habet, qui quod potest corrigere negligit emendare, et
illicita non prohibere consensus erroris est. He
[Fol. 88b.]

that maye correcke, and dothe not, he taketh the offence to hym-
selfe of the dede; and he that dothe not forbede 36 vnlawefull
thynges, consenteth to the same, &c.

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

In myne opynyon, it is to be in despayre of the mercye of god.
And therefore what soo euer thou haue doone or offended god, in
worde, warke, thought, or dede, be
Isidore.

neuer in despayre for it; for Isodorus saythe, Qui veniam 4 de
peccato desperat, plus de desperatione peccat quam de culpa cadit.
He that despayreth to haue forgyuenes of his synnes, he synneth
more in despayrynge than he dyd in
Jerome.

the synne doynge. For saynte Iherome sayth, Magis 8 offendebat
Iudas deum in hoc quod suspendebat, quam in hoc, quod eum

tradidit: Judas offended god more in that that he hanged hym-selfe,
than he dydde whanne he
Ezek. xxxiii. 11.

betrayed god. For god sayth in his gospell, Nolo mortem 12
peccatoris, sed magis vt conuertatur et viuat. I wyll not the
[Fol. 89.]

deathe of a synner, but rather that he maye be conuerted
Luke v. 32.

and lyue. And also he saythe, Non veni vocare iustos, sed peccatores
ad penitentiam. I am not comen to call 16 ryghtwyse men, but to call
synners to do penaunce. For thou canste not so soone crye god
mercy with thy harte, but he is as redye to chaunge his sentence, and
to graunte the mercy and forgyuenes of all thy synnes. For 20
Augustine.

saynte Austyne saythe, Sicut scintilia [sic] ignis in medio maris, sic
omnis impietas viri ad misericordiam dei. As a sparke of fyer is in
comparison able to drye vppe all the water in the se, noo more is all
the wyckednes of man 24 vnto the me[r]cyfulnes of god. And
therfore it is conuenyent that a manne shulde be penytent, contryte,
and aske god mercye and forgyuenesse of his synnes and offences,
Chrysostom.

that he hath done; wherof speketh Chrysost[o]me, Nemo 28 ad deum
aliquando flens accessit quod non postulauerit accepit. No man
hath gone any tyme wepynge to god, but he hath taken or had that
thynge that he hath asked. And
Bernard.

sayncte Bernarde saythe, Plus cruciant lacrime peccatoris 32

diabolum quam omne genus tormentorum. The teares of a synner
tourmenteth the deuyll more, than all other kyndes
Augustine.
[Fol. 89b.]

of turmentes. And sayncte Austyne saythe, Acriores dolores
demonibus non inferrimus, quam cum peccata nostra 36 penitendo et
confitendo plangimus. We canne not doo more sharper sorowes to
the dyuell, than whan we wayle or wepe in confessyon, and doynge
of penaunce. And
Mary Magdalen.

that maye be well proued by Mary Magdaleyn, 40 whanne she
kneled downe and cryed god mercye, and kyste his fete, and
wasshed theym with the teares of her eyen, and wyped them with
the heare of her heed, to whom our lorde sayde, as in his gospell, 44
Luke vii. 48.

Dimittuntur tibi peccata tua. Thy synnes are forgyuen
Luke vii. 50.

to the; and also he sayde to her: Fides te saluam fecit, vade in pace.
Thy faythe hath saued the, goo thou in peace. To the whiche mercy
and peace I besech 48 almyghty Iesu brynge all chrysten soules.
Amen.

The author’s protestation.

e it knowen to all men bothe spirytuall and temporall, that I
B make protestacion before god and man, that I entende not to
wryte any-thynge that is or 52 maye be contrary to the faythe of
Chryste and al holy churche. But I am redye to reuoke my sayenge,
if any-thynge have passed my mouthe for wante of lernynge, and to
submytte my-selfe to correction, and my boke 56 to reformatyon.
And as touchynge the poyntes of
[Fol. 90.]

husbandry, and of other artycles conteyned in this present boke, I
wyll not saye that it is the beste waye and wyll serue beste in all
places, but I saye it is the 60 best way that euer I coude proue by
experyence, the

The author’s experience of forty years as a householder.

whiche haue ben an householder this .xl. yeres and more. And haue
assaied many and dyuers wayes, and done my dyligence to proue by
experyence which shuld 64 be the beste waye.

¶ The Auctour.
The author’s address to his book.

¶ Go, lyttell quere, and recommende me
To all that this treatyse shall se, here, or rede;
Prayenge them therwith content to be
And to amende it in places, where as is nede:4
Of eloquence, they may perceyue I want the sede,
And rethoryke, in me doth not abounde,
Wherfore I have sowen, such sedes as I found.
Finis.

[Fol. 90b.]
This book was compiled by Master Fitzherbert.

¶ Thus endeth this ryghte profytable boke
of husbandry, compyled sometyme by mayster
Fitz-herbarde, of charytie and good zele
that he bare to the weale of this mooste
noble realme, whiche he dydde not
in his youthe, but after he had
exercysed husbandry, with
greate experyence,
xl. yeres.

¶ Imprinted at London in fletestrete,
in the house of Thomas Ber-
-thelet, nere to the condite
at the sygne of Lu-
-crece. Cum pri-
-uilegio.

FOOTNOTES:
[19] The references are to the folios of the original edition. That the reader may
find his place more readily, I have numbered each section. The numbers in thick
type are, accordingly, not in the original.
[20] Read Dewbolne.
[21] Misprinted ‘blough-mal.’
[22] Sic; ed. 1598 has ‘worme’.
[23] ‘slotes’?
[24] Misprinted ‘flote.’
[25] Misprinted fyrst.
[26] Note that the symbol “C.” here does not mean 100, but the great hundred,
i.e. 120.
[27] Printed ewe, which gives no sense.
[28] Misprinted Dewbolue, dewbolue.
[29] Misprinted or horse; but the catchwords are a horse.
[30] Misprinted shorte.
[31] Printed abherebit.
[32] Printed secle.
[33] Misprinted suker.
[34] Misprinted diabolis.
[35] Printed dominus; but the right reading is Fæneratur domino.

NOTES.

These Notes are principally concerned with the numerous variations exhibited in the edition
printed by I. R. in 1598. See the Preface.
The references are to the Sections and lines, as numbered.

Prologue; lines 2, 6. See Job, v. 7; 2 Thess. iii. 10.
15. The allusion is to Caxton’s Book of the Chess; see the description of it in Ames’ Typographical
Antiquities, ed. Dibdin, i. 36, where woodcuts will be found representing the several pieces.
20. iudges. Caxton calls them rooks, as at present, but he describes them as being vicars and
legates of the king, i.e. as occupying the position of judges.
yomenne, pawns. In Caxton, we find the division of pawns into eight classes (answering to the
eight pawns on each side), in which the king’s rook’s pawn represents the husbandman. The next in
order, the king’s knight’s pawn, is the smith; after which, in due order, we find the notary, merchant,
physician, taverner, guard (or watchman), and the ribald or dice-player, whose character is not well
spoken of. This eight-fold division seems to me to have suggested the well-known formula which
divides men into the eight classes of ‘soldier, sailor, tinker, tailor, gentleman, apothecary, ploughboy,
thief;’ which is sometimes otherwise varied. The German formula is. ‘Edelmann, Bettelman,
Amtmann, Pastor, Kaufmann, Laufmann, Maler, Major;’ also, be it observed, eight-fold. Our soldier,
tinker, tailor, apothecary, ploughboy, and thief, may be imagined to correspond, with sufficient
exactitude, to Caxton’s guard, smith, merchant, physician, husbandman, and ribald.
27. Remytte, leave. A word is evidently omitted; we must supply to after as, or else substitute to for
as. In the Book of Surveying, ch. ix, we find, “I remytte that to menne of lawe;” and again, in ch. xii,
“I remytte all those poyntes to menne of lawe.” See also sect. 7, l. 14.

1. 1. For the manner in which I. R. rewrites this section, see the Preface.
2. 5. Chylturne. As to the sense, we find, in the Book of Surveying, c. 37, the following.
“Chylturne grounde and flyntye grounde be light groundes and drye, and full of small stones, and
chalke grounde is moche of the same nature, and they wyll weare and washe awaye with water.”
6. Meane erthe, earth of ordinary character. Mean is moderate, ordinary. I. R. alters it to ‘maine
earth,’ which was probably not intended. After marle, he inserts—“some neither Sand nor Clay, but
like a mixture of both, yet neither, which is called a Hassell ground.”

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

Zelcester. The old character Ʒ, which had the force of y at the beginning of a word,[36] was often
printed as Z, by confusion. Bishop Percy used to print such ludicrous forms as zow, zour, instead of
yow, your. I conclude that Zelcester = Yelcester, i.e. Ilchester. The form occurs again in sect. 27, l. 17.
16. many other places. J. R. says—“in some parte of Hartford-shiere, Sussex, and Cornwall.”
24. aslope] I. R. has a flote, gyue out, i.e. spread out, are too obtuse.
26. I. R. says—“In Cambridge-shiere, Huntington-shiere, Bedford-shiere, and for the most part of
Northamton-shiere, theyr Ploughes haue but one hale. In Leister-shiere, Lankishiere, Yorkshiere,
Lincolnshiere, and Notingham-shiere, they haue two; for all other Countries [counties] vnnamed,
there is none of them but plow with some of these Ploughes before-mentioned.”

3. 1. The parts of a plough are enumerated in Gervase Markham’s Complete Husbandman (1614),
which is quoted at length in Rogers’s Hist. of Agriculture and Prices, vol. i. p. 534. It is probable that
the plough, as described by Fitzherbert, did not materially differ from that in use in 1614.
The principal parts, according to Markham, are as follows.
(1). ‘The ploughbeam, a large and long piece of timber, which forms an arch for the other parts of
the plough.’ It is, says Fitzherbert, the long beam above, which is slightly bent. The plough-sheath,
the coulter, and the plough-foot, are all mortised into it, pointing downwards.
(2). ‘The skeath (i.e. sheath), a piece of wood two and a half feet long, eight inches broad, and two
inches thick, which is mortised into the beam, and sloping forwards below it.’ Fitzherbert says it is a
thin piece of dry oak, fixed both in the plough-beam and the share-beam, and is the chief ‘band,’ i.e.
strengthening piece or support, of the whole plough. By ‘thin,’ he must mean that it is thin (2 inches)
in proportion to its breadth (8 inches); it is necessary that it should be very strong, as it holds the
implement together.
(3). ‘The plough’s principal hale on the left hand, a long bent piece of wood, somewhat strong in
the midst, and so slender at the upper end that a man may easily gripe it.’ This is Fitzherbert’s
plough-tail (l. 16), which he says is mortised into the sharebeam behind, and pinned to the
ploughbeam behind also. The ploughman holds it in his left hand. It is also called the ploughstart;
where start means tail, as in red-start.
(4). ‘The plough-head, which is fixed with the skeath and the hale, all at one instant, into two
several mortise-holes; a flat piece of timber, about three feet in length, seven inches in breadth, and
two and a half in thickness, and having two nicks towards the head of the plough.’ This is the same as
what Fitzherbert calls the sharebeam; see the explanation in sect. 2, l. 10.
(5). ‘The plough-spindles, two round pieces of wood which couple the hales [handles] together.’
These are what Fitzherbert calls the rough staves; see l. 35.
(6). ‘The right-hand hale, through which the other end of the spindles run, much more slender than
the left-hand hale, because no force is put on it.’ This is Fitzherbert’s plough-stilt; see l. 21.
(7). The plough-rest, a small piece of wood, fixed at one end in the further nick of the plough-head,
and on the other end to the right-hand hale.’ ‘In the Middle Ages,’ says Prof. Rogers, ‘it appears that
this part was made of iron, and that it was occasionally double.’ We must remember that plough-head
means the sharebeam.
(8). ‘The shelboard [i.e. shield-board], a board of more than an inch thick, covering the right side
of the plough, and fastened with two strong wooden pins to the skeath and right-hand hale.’

(9). ‘The coulter, a long piece of iron made sharp at one end, passing on one side by a mortise-hole
through the beam, and held in place by an iron ring which winds round the beam and strengthens it.’
Fitzherbert’s description is slightly different; see l. 48. The use of the coulter is to make the first
incision into the earth; it precedes the share, which follows it and completes its work.
(10). ‘The share. If this be needed for a mixed earth, it is made without a wing, or with a small one
only: if, however, it be needed for a deep or stiff clay, it should be made with a large wing or an outer
point.’
(11). ‘The plough-foot. This is an iron implement, passed through a mortise-hole, and fastened at
the farther end of the beam by a wedge or two, so that the husbandman may at his discretion set it
higher or lower; the use being to give the plough earth or to put it from the earth, for the more it is
driven downward the more it raises the beam from the ground and makes the irons forsake the earth,
and the more it is driven upward, the more it lets down the beam and makes the irons bite the
ground.’ Fitzherbert well describes it as ‘a stay to order of what deepness the plough shall go.’ The
word ploughfote occurs in Piers Plowman, B. vi. 105; see my notes to that poem, vol. iv. p. 161. This
part of the plough was also called a plough-shoe (in Latin, ferripedalis); see Rogers (as above), p.
538. In a modern plough, the plough-foot is generally replaced by small wheels. I may remark that it
was placed in front, before the coulter.
If we compare the preceding account with that given by Fitzherbert, we shall see that the two
nearly agree. Fitzherbert’s plough-beam, plough-sheath, and plough-tail are Nos. 1, 2, and 3 above;
his stilt, rest, and shieldboard are Nos. 6, 7, and 8; his rough staves, plough-foot, share, and coulter,
are Nos. 5, 11, 10, and 9. But he has three additional terms, viz. the sharebeam, which is the wooden
frame for the share, and is called by Markham the plough-head (No. 4). Secondly, the fen-board, i.e.
mud-board, covering the left side of the plough, and fastened to the left of the sheath and the left hale,
much as the shield-board is fastened to the right of the sheath and the right hale. Lastly, the plough-
ear, defined as ‘three pieces of iron, nailed fast to the right side of the plough-beam,’ for which poor
men substituted ‘a crooked piece of wood pinned fast to the plough-beam.’ What was the use of this
appendage we are not expressly told; but it seems to have been used for fastening the trace to, for
draught; see 4. 34.
Fitzherbert also notices the plough-mal, i.e. plough-mall or plough-mallet (l. 55), which seems to
have consisted of a head of hard wood and a ‘pynne,’ or handle, and to have been loosely stuck into
the plough-beam by passing the handle through ‘an augurs bore,’ i.e. through a hole bored in the
beam by an augur for this especial purpose. This was no real part of the plough, but only a tool
conveniently kept at hand. He does not, however, mention the plough-staff (or akerstaff), which was
‘a pole shod with a flat iron, the purpose of which was to clear the mould-board from any stiff earth
which might cling to it while the plough was at work’; Rogers, as above, p. 539. This was originally
held in the right hand (see my notes to P. Plowman); but I think it likely that, when a second handle,
or stilt, came into use, the plough-staff was given up. Wright’s Prov. Glossary gives “mell, mellet, a
square piece of wood fitted with a handle, a mallet.”
10. I. R. says of the sharbeame, that “in some Countries it is called the plough-head.” Fitzherbert
has already said this, see 2. 10.
12. Oke] Oake or Ashe; I.R.
15. I. R. says of the plough-tayle, that “in many Countries [it is] called the Plough-hale, of which
they haue two, but the other is fastened to the rough staues and the shelboard.” The other hale is the
plough-stilt.
25. sheldbrede] Shelboard; I. R.

27. fenbrede] Senbred; I. R. This is wrong.
32. to come past] compasse; I. R.
34. roughe] long; I. R.
49. bende, i.e. bent] broad; I. R. This is inappropriate, for it is somewhat narrow, viz. of the breadth
of three inches; see line 52.
55. plough-mal] Plough Maule; I. R. As to the parts of a plough, cf. Tusser’s Husbandry, 17. 10,
11; and see above, note to 3. 1.

4. 14. slot-wedges] flote wedges; I. R. I. R. does not seem to have understood it, as he alters slote
to flatte in the two lines following.
19. After erthe, I. R. has—“so that it may, as the best experienced Plow-men say, kill a worme, or
els it goeth not truly.” Worme is clearly right. He further inserts—“The poynt of your Culture, and the
poynt of your Share, must runne both in one leuell, so that they may cutte both in one instant,
chiefely if the ground be stiffe and tough; but if it be in a light land, then if the point of your Culture
be a little longer it shall be so much the better, and in such light groundes, let your Culture be
somwhat sickell-wise bowed, for the finer cutting, but in tough Clay ground it ought to be as straight
as may be.”
26. payreth] hurteth; I. R. This is a gloss.

29. practyue] practise; I. R.[37]
33. bende] band. But bende probably means ‘bent piece.’
35. he] you (throughout). This shews that this idiomatic use of he was obsolescent in 1598.
46. coke] Cocke.
58. I. R. adds—“In diuers Countries, as namely in Cambridgshiere, Huntington, Hartford, Bedford,
and Northamton, the share is alwayes nayled with certaine nayles vnto the shelboard, to which I am
not so well affected, because by that meanes the shelboard can neuer be turnd, or after he is once
worne be [sic] for other purpose, whereas in the Northerne partes of this Land, the share being only
fastned in his socket to the Plough-head, which may at ease be done with a crooked horne of a
Ramme, which being put ouer the poynt of the share, may be knocked fast at ones pleasure, the
shelboard being worne at the one end may be taken off, and the other end set forward, which will as
sufficiently serue as euer it did before, yeelding to the Plough-man a double profit.”

5. 1. But or he] Before we.
2. geare] implements. A genteel improvement! So again in l. 45.
4. stylkynges, wrethyng-temes] stilting wrethen teames.
6. sleues] cleuisse. pykforke] Pitchforke.
9. fellyes] follies (!). 10. fettred] fettered or tyed.
17. soule] sole.
19. lyn-pinnes] limpins.
23. pikstaues] pickstaues, all which are best of Ashe.
24. hombers] humbers. holmes whyted, tresses] holmes, withed traces.
29. or kyddes, or suche other] faggots, or Kids.

6. 5. I. R. adds—“yet in all Virgils writing the Oxe-plough is most preferred.” There are other
unimportant variations here.
17. teddered] teathered.
18. hades] hadds.
24. gere that they shal] harnes and tyer they.
27. hey] hay mingled, which Plough-men call bendfoder.
28. and they haue, &c.] and for shooes for the most part that cost in them is saued, except it be for
some long iourney, or in stony wayes for feare of surbayting.
30. lyttell worthe] worth nothing, except for a kennell of noyse-begetting Hounds.
32. ii. s.] tenne shillings.

7. I. R. omits this section altogether.
8. I. R. greatly expands this section, after the following manner.
Chapter 8. ¶ How a man should plough all manner of Lands all times of the yeare.
Now that I haue prescribed the manner to make and temper the most or all the sorts of Ploughs, it
shall next seeme expedient for me to show the manner and time of the yeare in which a man ought to
Plough, and for the better vnderstanding of the ignorant, I will begin at the beginning of the yeare,
and so succeede downe-ward: After the feast of Epiphanie it is time for a Husbandman to goe to
Plough, to wit, if your ground be a stiffe and a tough clay, then shall you begin and Plough your
Pease-earth, which is, where you had your Wheate, Rye, and Barley, the yeere before: this ground
being ploughed, you shall let it so lye, which is called bayting some fiue or sixe dayes, that it may
receaue a frost or two, which frost will so lighten and deuide the earth, that when you shall come to
harrow it, it will runne to a very good mold, that otherwise it would neuer doe. If your ground be
naturally light and sandy, then may you immediatly vpon your ploughing sowe without giuing your
ground any bayte at all. When your Pease earth is sowne, and the Spring is creeping on: then if you
will follow Virgils famous principles, begin to fallow your ground which must rest that yeare. In the
beginning of Lent sow your Barley upon clay grounds, but in hote sandy grounds, if you stay a
moneth or more longer it will be much the better. At mid-sommer stirre vp a-new, that is, Plow
againe your fallow ground: & before the rising of the North-starre, which is eleuen dayes before the
Æquinoctial Autumnal, or the thirteenth of September, then sow your Wheate and Rye, and these be
the seasons and the graynes to sow, except Oates, which is alwayes to be vsed in like manner as
Barley is. If you haue any ley ground to fallow or breake vp for to sowe Oates vpon, then let that be
the first thing you take in hand, that the grasse and the mosse may be rot in it, and let your Plough
runne a deepe square furrow, and in all manner of ploughing, see that your eye, your hand, and your
foote agree, and be alwaies ready one to serue another, and to turne vp so much mold and to lay it
flatte that it reare not an edge: for if it stand vp vpon an edge, the grasse and mosse can neuer kindly
rotte, which being vsed as it should, is an excellent manuring.
If you sowe Winter-corne, as eyther Wheate or Rye vpon swarth ground, looke how much Corne
toucheth the mosse, so much will be drowned and cannot spring, the mosse in his owne nature dooth
keepe so much wette in it selfe. In some Countries, if a man plow deepe, hee shal plough past the
good ground, and so haue little Corne, but that Country in my iudgement is not fitte for tyllage, but
rather thereto to reare and breede Cattell, as Oxen, Kine, or Sheepe, or els they must goe beate their
lands with Mattocks, as they doo in many places of Cornwall, and in some places of Deuonshiere.
The manner of plowing land is in three formes: eyther they be great Lands, as with high ridges and

deepe furrowes, as in all the North parts of this Land, and in some sotherne parts also, or els flatte
and plaine, without ridge or furrow, as in most parts of Cambridge-shiere: or els in little Lands, no
Land containing aboue two or three furrowes, as in Midlesex, Essex, and Hartfordshiere.
For the first, it is needfull, where the grounde is stife, tough, and binding, beeing alwaies capable
of much wette, that if the Lands did not lie hie, not onely would the fatnesse choake the Corne ere it
could come foorth, but also the colde soaking wette, would confound the vigor and strengthe of the
seede. For the second, that is good where the ground is somewhat light, and giuen to barrennesse: so
that what forcst [read forct] vertue soeuer you thrust into the ground, either by manure or otherwise,
the Land lying flatte and plaine, shall still retaine it, not suffering it as els it would to wash away with
euery shower. For the last, that is, where the grounde is both barren, cold, and stiffe: if there you
plough in large Lands, the wether and season will so binde it together, that the seede shall burst, but
not finde any passage to sproute. Againe, such ground is subiect to much weede, besides, if your
lands should be any greater, you should neuer possibly come to weede them, eyther as they would or
they should be done.

9. I. R. alters this section, noting—“Neuer sowe Pease or Beanes on a light, hote sand ground, for
that will neuer beare them, but for the Beane, the extreamest and the stiffest ground is the best. If it
bee lesse stiffe, then the mingled ware[38] is best, as Pease and Beanes well sorted. If it bee neither
stiffe nor light, then cleane Pease is the best, for they wil prosper most kindliest.”
13. I. R. adds—“Pease are an excellent seede, and inrich ground as much as the light manuring:
which is the reason, that in many places of Lincoln-shiere, and els where, sowing their inam Wheate
where theyr Pease grew, they haue the finest Corne.”

10. 1–9. Varied by I. R.
13. kedlokes] Kellocks (but elsewhere Kedlocks).
41. I. R. adds—“because the freshnes of the molde is to the seede very comfortable.”

11. 11. wonders] wonderous (which is the later form). The whole of this section is re-written,
merely to alter the language. Fitzherbert speaks again of ‘the seed of discretion’ in the Book of
Surveying, c. 39.

12. 8. strykes in other places] two Northerne strikes. And as the measure Northward is greater, so
are their Akers larger.
13. quarter] quarter, or halfe a seame.
31. Christmasse] Christmas, as for the most part Northward, or generally vpon fat clay grounds.

13. 7. landes] land and the balke.
18. sprot-barleye] sport-Barley. So also in l. 19.
28. lyke pecke-whete] like to an eare of Wheate.
40. I. R. adds—“but how so euer the season of the yeare is, that Barley naturally of it selfe is a
withered, deepe, yellow Corne, that yeldeth much bran, & but litle flower. Barley for the most part
chiefly in clay grounds would be sown vnder furrow, that is, a cast or two about the Land, then
ploughed, then sowne agayne, and so harrowed.”

14. 15. I. R. adds—“These are for the most barranest Heath or forrest ground that may be, as in
Darbishiere, where they call them Skeyggs, and not Oates.”

After section 14, I. R. introduces section 34, to bring all the kinds of sowing together.

15. This is section 17 in the edition of 1598.
7. moche] bigge (which is a gloss). So also in l. 24.
8. shotes] flores. But this can hardly be right. See below.
11. slote] slope. But this can hardly be right. It is clear that the right word is slote, with the sense of
‘cross-bar,’ the bulls being the thicker bars of the harrow.
13. withe] withy.
24. sloted and tinded] floted and tyned.
27. about Ryppon] in Notinghamshire and more Northward.
28. bulder-stones] bolder-stones. Also spelt bulder-stones in the Book on Surveying, c. 40.
41. hombers] humbers. withed] writhed.
42. tresses] traces (in both places).
50. after a shoure, &c.] with great roles of wood, which Virgill much commends, and doubtless is
very good after a shower of raine, to make the ground euen to mow. And note that the dryer your
Lands be when you clot them, the sooner wil your clots break, and the more mold you shall haue.

16. 3. for whete, &c.] on which fallowes the next yeare following, you shall sow your Rye,
Wheat and Barly.
24. stere] stirre (which is a later form).
35. I. R. adds—“To fallow withall, sixe Oxen, or sixe Horses are no more then sufficient.”

17. 29. I. R. adds—“Also let not your heapes stand too long ere they be spread, for if they doo,
the goodnesse of your manure, chiefely if it take a shower of raine, will runne into the ground where
the heape stands, and the rest when it is spread will little profit.”
29–35. I. R. makes a new section of this, headed “Chapter 20. Of the diuers kindes of Manure, and
which is the best.” It is as follows.
There be diuers sorts of Manures, and first of those that bee worst, as Swines dunge, which
Manure breedeth and bringeth vp thistles; the scourings of Hay-barnes or Corne barnes, which
bringeth vp sundry weedes and quirks [quicks?]; and rotten Chaffe, which diuers vse, but brings little
good. The shoueling of highwayes and streetes is very good, chiefely for Barley. Horse-dunge is
reasonable. The dunge of all maner of Cattel that chew the cudde is most excellent. Doues dunge for
colde ground is best of all, but it must be spred very thinne. For grounds that are giuen to riue and
chap, ashes is excellent, for they will binde and knit together. Also for such grounds it is most
singular to burne the stubble on the ground, which is worth tenne manurings: for it fatneth (saith
Virgill) the soyle, and yeeldeth a secrete force of nourishment vnto the seede. Also, euery euill is
tryed out by the fire, and the vnprofitable moisture is forced to sweat out, it giueth a vent and passage
for the iuyce that quickeneth the Corne, and it closeth the gaping vaines and holes of the earth,
through which, eyther extreame moysture, extreame heate, or wind, would blast the Corne. Also in
Cheshiere, Lankishiere, and other Countreys, they vse for manure a kinde of blewe Marble-like earth,
which they call Marle. This is for those Countries an excellent manure, and though it be exceeding
chargeable, yet through good neighbour-hood it quiteth the cost: for if you manure your groundes
once in seauen or twelue yeares, it is sufficient, and look how many yeares he beareth Corne, so
many yeares he will beare grasse, and that plenty. Straw layd to rot in the Winter, is good dung.

30. sholynges; i.e. shovellings. Note “the shoueling of highwayes” in the extract given just above.

18. 3. flyte] shift (which is a gloss). So also in l. 28.
10. kelles begonne] kells be gone. This shews that the reading begonne in the original is a misprint
for be gone.
17. appeyreth them sore] abateth them much.
23. goynge vppon] treading or going upon with their feete.
31. appeyre] abate or diminish.
33. for] from. This shews that the old idiomatic use of for (= against) was obsolescent in 1598.

19. 5. charte] Cart. And perhaps we should read carte in the text; the meaning of charte is, of
course, cart.
8. Here I. R. inserts—“And for this purpose of carrying, I take the Horse-Cart to be best, because
they be most nimble, and goe with best speede; & if the Horses be good, they will not at any time
loose company with his neighbours.”

20. 3. cocledrake] Cockell, Drake. And such should be the reading; for see ll. 13, 17.
4. darnolde] Darnell. gouldes] Golds. haudoddes] Hadods.
6. roughe] tough.
23. sterte] stalke (a gloss).
32. is] are. Fitzherbert makes is agree with one.
47. dee-nettles] Dee, Nettels (wrongly).

21. 15. in the reane] away. I. R. omits the rest, down to wyddre.
22. 10. at-after none] in the after-noone. But at-after is an old form, signifying much the same as
after. See Glossary.
12. beytynge] resting. At the end of the section, I. R. adds—“For this stirring foure horses are
sufficient.”

23. 8. wyddrynge] withering (the later form).
11. chowe] chewe.
16. swathe] swaithe.
17. mane] man (!). The sense is, I suppose, a ridge of grass, which is likened to a horse’s mane.
20. moldywarpe-hilles] Mole-hills. styckes] sticks and stones.
In the Book on Surveying, c. 25, we are told that the best way to spread mouldy-warpe hilles] is by
bush-harrowing.

24. 3. beyked] keyked (which I suspect to be nonsense). In line 12, beykyng is altered to baking.
15. hasell and withee] Hassell or Withy.
19. and let his warke] wherby he shall hinder his worke.

21. and] if (a gloss of an obsolescent conjunction). So again in sect 25, 1. 16.

25. 7. ouer] vpper. See the Glossary.
22. crofote] Crow-foote.
27. After wyll, I. R. inserts “as they say.”
32. twon] twined (the weak form).

26. 5. I. R. alters this so as to give a different sense—“when it is mowne, it will be so fast bound
that no man can gather it so cleane but there wil be great losse.” This is contradictory, and probably
he missed the word not.

27. 17. I. R. omits the phrase—“about Zelcestre and Martok.”
28. 13. And whan the barley, &c.] and when the Barley is lead away, the Land must be raked
with a great Rake with yron teeth, made fast about a mans necke with a string, and so drawne vp and
downe the Lande, or els much Barley wil be lost. If Barley or Oates be layd through winde or ill
weather, then it must needes be shorne, els not. The binding of barley in sheaues is very profitable,
yet many that haue great crops will not attend so great trouble, but as soone as it is mowne make it in
cocks like hay, and so carry it home: yet must they haue good respect vnto it, for if it bee full of
weede and greeues (sic, for greenes), then must it lye till they be withered, or els it will burne in the
mow.

29. 2. sickles] steeles. After staffe-hokes, I. R. adds—“and some mow downe with Sythes.”
4. on repes] in reaps.
11. codde] codds. This is a better reading.

30. 7. to pervse] peruse. This early use of peruse in the sense of go through, lit. use up
thoroughly, should be noted. It occurs again in the Book of Surveying, capp. 19, 24; see note to 33. 7.
18. As to the fall of the tenth part of the angels, see my notes to P. Plowman.
21. After truely, I. R. adds—“but how eyther of the sayings hold with vnconscionable
impropriations, adiudge the learned, let me imagine.”

31. 3. halfe-throne] halfe-theame (sic).
32. 5. reke] Reeke, stack, or houell.
6. scaffolde] houell; and in 11. 9, 11.
7. hedged for] hedged or paled from.
11. shepe or catel] Sheep, Cattel, Horse, Carts, Wains, or Ploughs.

33. 3. meane] reasonable.
4. ebbe] shallow.
6. reane] raine of balke.

33. 7. So also in the Book of Surveying, c. 24. “And if it so be, than take thy ploughe, and begyn
to plowe a forowe in the myddes of the syde of the land, and cast it downe as yf thou shulde falowe

it, and so pervse both sydes tyl the rygge be cast down, and than take thy plough agayn, and begyn to
plowe where thou dyddest plowe fyrste, and rygge all the remeynant upwarde, and so shalt thou
bothe cast thy landes, and rigge them, and all at one plowyng. And this wyl make the lande to lye
rounde, the whyche is good bothe for corne and grasse.”

34. This is Chapter 15 in I. R.’s edition. After rye (l. 2), I. R. adds—“chiefely, if your ground be
rich, clayie, and cold, but if it be dry and hote, then may you stay the latter season, as till the latter
end of October.”
6. After falowe, I. R. adds—“and plow it vnder without harrowing.”
8. After yere, I. R. adds—“as in other places euery third yeere, for the one haue four fieldes, the
other three.”
23. whyte wheate] Oygrane Wheate. So in l. 31 below, he has “Oygrane or white Wheate.”
25. anis] anns; so also in l. 29, and again in ll. 33, 36, 40, 42; we should rather have expected the
spelling auns.
33. and wyll make white breed] it yeeldeth the finest flower of all. These three sorts of Wheat must
euer bee sowne eyther on the Pease stubble, or on a fallow ground that is not very proud or rich, for
too rich ground for these Wheats wil make them mildewe and not prosper.
35. After whyte wheate, I. R. adds—“but they are deceaued.”
38. rudeste] ruddiest. This is clearly the right sense.
43. flyntered] flintred. At the end of the section I. R. adds a long piece, as follows.
Lastly, there is another Wheat, which is called hole-straw Wheat; it hath the largest eare of al
Wheats, the boldest Corne, and yeeldeth the most, the finest, though not the whitest floure; it is
foure-square, and hath short anns; the straw is not hollow, but hath a strong pith throughout, by
reason wherof in his growth no weather whatsoeuer can beare him downe, but still he will stand and
prosper; his straw yeeldeth as good thatch as Reeds, a singular profit for a Husbandman: and it is an
excellent fewell to bake or brew with, euen as good as Gorsse or Whins: Onely Cattell will not eate
it, nor is it good for litter; this of all Wheats is the best: these last named are to be sowne on the
fallow ground, and the better the ground is, the better they will prosper.
When you sowe your Rye choose a dry season, for small wet killeth Rye. Rie, as the old husbands
say, will drowne in the Hopper, that is, if in the Hopper hee catch a shower, his vigor is slaine.
Wherfore the drier his mold, is the better, which is the cause that the hote, dry, and light sand is onely
for Rye most excellent: his mold must harrow small like a Garden-bed, for the smallest clot hindereth
his comming vp; his sprout is so small and tender.
Here I. R. inserts a whole chapter, as follows.

Chapter 16.
¶ How to make barraine ground bring foorth good Corne.
If thy ground be barraine and hard, yeelding nothing but ill Hay of insuing profit, then shal it be
necessary for thee to vse these secrets in Art which is most auaileable. And first for thy Pease,
Beanes, Barley, and Oates, if thou sowest any of them: sowe them vpon the eight day of April, which
is the Equinoctiall vernall,[39] when Libra[40] draweth the houres of the day and night to an euen
and iust proportion, and what Corne is so sowne prospereth greatly: but if thou wilt be assured that
no Corne thou sowest shall faile, then take Salt-peeter and mingle with thy Corne, and sow it, and thy
labor shall neuer be frustrate. For want of it, take the black dreggs of Oyle, and wette thy seede ere
thou sow it, and it shall vndoubtedly spring vp. If thou hast none of these, then take Pigions dunge,

and mingle it with thy seede in thy hopper, and sow it: though it be not so good as the other, yet is the
profitable vertue wonderfull.

35. 7. Kente] Kent, and Hartfordshiere.
8. gise] vse. Gise = guise, way, manner, plan. I. R. has “great safety for sheding the Corne,”
retaining here the old use of for.
12. I. R. adds—For your seede, if you will be aduised by me, you shall change it alway once in
two or three yeare. For to sow continually one seede bred in one soyle it will decay & grow ill: and in
your exchange draw it alwayes from the harder soyle, and being brought into a better, it must the
rather prosper.

36. 3. reed] reeded. This form is wrong, like our use of wonted for wont (= won-ed).
At the end of this section, I. R. closes his First Booke.

37. 6. Here I. R. inserts—Of Sheepe there be two sorts, that is, blacke and white, but the white is
the best, for the Wooll they beare there bee of diuers Staples: some long and hairie, as those bredde in
barren cold Countries, and that is the worst; some hard, short, and curld, as those bred in woody
grounds, and that is better: some long, thicke, soft, and curled, and that is the best of all: and they be
bredde vpon fine heathes, where they haue short, dry, and sweet foode. The profit of wooll the world
can witnesse, and yeerely your Ewes will bring forth Lambes, which is an other commoditie; and
lastly, in some Countries, as in Suffolke, Essex, and Kent, with many other, they milke their Ewes, a
gaine equall to the rest. Therfore when you chuse sheepe, elect them big-boand and well-woolld,
their colours beeing white. For Virgill faines, that Cynthia, the Goddess of Chastitie, in whose
thoughts could neuer enter impuritie, was enamored of Endimion onely through hys flocke of white
sheepe. When therfore you haue got a flock of white sheepe, then you must chuse Rams to equall
them, for preseruing the breede: your Ram would bee white also, and ouer and beside you must looke
in his mouth, and if the roofe thereof be blacke, then is hee not good: for either hee will then get
blacke Lambes, or at least staine theyr fleeces with a duskie colour. The greater the homes of your
Ram is, the worse; for the pollard is the chiefest Ram.
14. blyssomme or ryde] blossome and arride.
16. at the Exaltation of the holye crosse] in September.
32. I. R. adds—Wherfore be carefull to keepe thy sheepe well, both with hay in Winter as well as
with grasse in Sommer. Also in the Winter such Sheepe as thou intendest to fatte and sell, let them
either haue straw or fleakes to lie vpon, for the cold earth will both disease them and hinder their
feeding.

38. 3. trouse] brouse. See these words in the glossary.
6, 7. The sense is—and if she (the ewe) will not stand sideways beside the lamb; i.e. in such a
position that the lamb can approach her side. There is an evident misprint in l. 7, where the original
has ewe for lambe. I. R. tries to make sense by turning all into call; thus—“and if she wil not stand
side-long, call the Ewe and giue her a little hay.” This is an evident attempt at making sense by
falsifying the grammar of the text; for Fitzherbert does not say “and give her,” but “than gyue her,”
i.e. then give her. Consequently all that precedes the word than belongs to the clause containing the
supposition.

39. 9. After theym, I. R. inserts—Yet Virgill aduiseth you in such a case to haue a leather full of
sharp poynted nayles, which being put about the musell of the Lambe, if it offer to sucke, it will so

pricke the dugges of the Ewe that she will not suffer it, but by that meanes weane it perforce: and by
the same deuise you may weane all maner of Cattell whatsoeuer. See Virg. Georg. iii. 399.

40. 14. steke] shutt (which is a gloss).
24. go belte, grese, i.e. go and belt them, and grease them. As to belting, see the next section. I. R.
very stupidly alters the phrase to goe melt grease, though he has to retain the word belt below.

41. 18. It is hard to make an old dog stoop; i.e. it is hard to make him submit to being taught.
This occurs in Heywood’s Proverbs, 1562 (Hazlitt). In the most insipid way, I. R. alters to stoupe into
for Sheepe, spoiling the whole saying.

43. To medle terre is to mix tar. I. R. alters medle in the rubric to melt, and then substitutes
mingled for medled in l. 1. This is very clumsy.

44. In the rubric, I. R. alters brome to browne, which is certainly wrong; see the context.
7. gelly] Ielly. Yet the spelling with g is well enough.
8. pysse] pisse or lye. See lye in the glossary.
14. or of faldynge, &c.] or a folding of some such soft cloth or wooll. It is clear that I. R. did not
know the word faldynge, or he would not thus have altered the text.
17. sheydes] sheeds; i.e. partings; see sect. 42, l. 4.
24. for] from (as in other places). For = against, to prevent.

45. 4. fyled] filled. This is wrong; fyled means fouled, defiled.
46. 3. rather] sooner. I. R. adds—There be diuers waters for this purpose, as water made of
Sandiuer and burnt Allom, or the iuyce of Housleeke strained and mingled with Rose-water; or the
braines of an hatched, as thus: Take a linnen cloth, and burne it vpon the head of a hatchet, then blow
away the ashes, and there wilbe on the hatchets head a kind of oyle, that taken and put in a sheepes
eye, is most excellent.

47. 3. clese] clawes.
9. clese] clea. Clea is claw; clese = cleas, claws.
15. pece of fleshe] peece of fleame (i.e. phlegm).

48. 12. I. R. adds—to the great hinderance of the sale.
49. 1. pockes] Pox (the modern spelling).
9. I. R. adds—but if you cannot wash them, then let them blood in the roofes of the mouth, and
after they haue left bleeding, giue them a supping of milke and Saffron mingled together.

51. 6. murtheryng or ouer-pressyng] smoothering or oppressing. And certainly smothering seems
the right word.
10. I. R. adds—Wash your sheepe in running Riuers, for standing Ponds are ill.

52. 4. tarboxe] Tarbox, or bronne salue. Here bronne is a misprint for broune; and broune is a
mistake for brome. See note to sect. 44 above.

54. 14. After shepe, I. R. inserts—salt marshes onely excepted.
22. kelles vppon the grasse] kels vpon the grasse like to Spinners webs. (A spinner is a spider.)
31. white snailes] white finells (not clearly printed).

55. 2. stryndes] strings (badly). So also in l. 4.
16. lyttel quikens] a little quicknes (absurdly). flokes] flocks. But flukes are meant.
Here I. R. inserts a chapter on goats, as follows.

Chapter 20.
¶ Of Goates and their profit or vse.
Thus hauing sufficiently debated touching the choosing, cherishing, and curing of sheep, I thinke it
good a little to speake of Goates and their vse: a kinde of Cattell which albe heere in England we
estimate not to his worth, yet in other places they be of highest valuation: and the excellent poet
Virgill in his Countrey muse, draweth them and sheepe to march in one euen equipage. Thus
comparing them, the Goate (saith he) yeeldeth in milke three times the quantity a sheepe doth, theyr
young ones are more plentifull, for they will haue two or three, and sometimes more, and their beards
yearely being shorne and spunne, haue made an excellent during stuffe, which for the continuance,
hath made Marriners desirous onely to weare it in their garments, so that though their beards cannot
in quantity and fineness be equall with the fleece of the sheepe, yet ioyning their milke and their
young ones to their beards, there is no wonderfull difference.
Their manner of keeping, both wintering and sommering, is in the Poets rules the same that the
Sheepe hath, onely theyr foulding and feed excepted: for the foulding they are not needfull, and for
their feede, Woods are the best, or the toppes of Mountaines: bushie and thorny grounds vnprofitable
for any other vse, for the feede of Goates is most excellent. They will obserue custome much better
than Sheepe, for beeing but once or twice vsed there-vnto, they will duely euery morning and
euening come home, to pay theyr due debt or tribute to the milke-paile. Theyr milk is excellent, and a
great restoratiue, principally for a consumption, of what nature soeuer. The fourth howre after the
Sun rise, is the best time for Goates to drinke in. For the weaning of young Kidds from their Dams,
vse the meanes that you doo with Ewes and Lambes.
Of all Goates that are, Virgil most commends the Cinyphian Goates, bred by the Towne Cinyps, as
Cattell of wondrous great commoditie: their disprofit is onely amongst young springs or plants, for
they wil crop any young thing that groweth, and hinder the springing thereof, also they wil pill away
the barke of Trees, to the spoyle of the trees: yet no more then fallow Deare, or redde Deare will,
wherfore where the one is suffered, the other may be tollerated. Cf. Virg. Georg. iii. 306–317.

56. 4. and fools] foales, and pigs.
7. kye] Kine. And so in l. 2 above.
9. After wel I. R. inserts—let thy Cowe be beetle-browed, and sterne of looke, her head and necke
big, and from her throate hanging downe to her shanks a large and long dew-lappe; let her sides be
proportionlesse and great, and euery part of her, euen her very foote, so bigge as bigge may be. Let
her eares be large and hairie, and her taile long, euen to the grounde, and bushie: if she be spotted
with white, or shrewd or wicked with her horne, it is an error, but no fault, for it shewes mettle and
goodnes; in generall, the more bull-like a Cow is, the better she is. Let thy Cowe be foure yeeres old
ere she take the Bull, and at tenne yeeres sell her off, for then is her best caluing-time past. And thus
much for thy Kine whose profit must goe to thy paile.

17. I. R. adds—because he is hyde-bound, which is a foule infirmitie.

57. 1. kye] fatte Kine.
2. fore-croppe] fore-crops.
4. hucbone] huckle-bone. nache] natch.
5. I. R. inserts a after cowe; this is an improvement.

58. 20. husbandes] antient Husbandmen. That is, I. R. repudiates the notion as erroneous.
32. I. R. adds—then giue him in a horne to drinke, olde Ale, Saffron, Treakle, and Diascordion,
boyled together.
34. by goddes leue] as writeth Chyron, Phillyrides, and Melampus. A singular variation.

59. 11. feitergrasse] Fetter-grasse.
60. 1. dewbolne] dew-boulne. Bolne = bollen, swollen.
14. I. R. adds—and then with a little Tarre and fresh Butter to cure the wound.

61. 4. ronne on water] runne and water. The substitution is needless; to run on water means to
run with water.
15. and this, &c.] to chafe him [i.e. to warm him]: and this cure is failelesse, so God be pleased.

62. Rubric. The turne] Of the turne, otherwise called the sturdy.
3. for] of (this use of for being obsolescent).
18. for perysshynge, i.e. to avoid piercing. Perish for pierce occurs in the various readings to P.
Plowman, B. xvii. 189, and Wycliffe, Job xl. 19.
24. I. R. inserts—and anoynt it eyther with fresh butter or clarified Hoggs greace.

65. 3. Starkely] stakely (a misprint). Starkly is stiffly.
5. I. R. adds—yet if a poore man shall haue such a beast & cannot spare his worke: if he will euery
morning or euening bathe his legs with Lynseede Oyle: it shall make him indure his worke, and
keepe the beast from any great paine or swelling.
Here I. R. inserts two chapters, as follows.

Chapter 31.
¶ A soueraigne vnguent to cure the scabbe, itch, botches, or any surfeite whatsoeuer that
commeth of heat or pouerty: or by mischance: taken from a most authentique Authour.
Take a good quantitie of the blacke dregges of Oyle, foure penny-worth of Quicksiluer wel killed,
[41] as much Brimstone, Pitch, Wax, and Hoggs-grease as will make it thicke like an oyntment: boyle
these together, and with it annoynt the beast that is vnsound, and this will vndoubtedly cure him, and
that in very short season, if he be diligently tended.

Chapter 32.
¶ Another most excellent receite, to cure all manner of wounds, impostumes, vlcers, or
Fistulaes.

Take the iuyce of the Onion called Scilla, take Hellybor, and Bitumen Iudaicum, mingle these
together, and incorporate them in manner of a plaister. The Macedonians and Gelonians to this receit
adde the opening of a vaine in the sole of the foote of a beast, and then to giue him to drinke milke
and horses blood mingled together, which cureth all inward impostumes, surfeits or poysons, and to
the outward griefe to apply the plaister, which was neuer knowne to be frustrate.

66. 27. I. R. has—and it is better to weane thy Calues at grasse then at hard meate, if they went to
grasse before.

68. Here I. R. introduces a long flourish about the nobleness of horses, instancing the fabulous
brood born to Neptune and Ceres (who transformed herself into a mare), the transformation of Saturn
into a horse, and the like.
22. I. R. has—and that shall yee knowe by diuers signes, as by her riding of other Horses, by her
flinging about the fieldes, or lastly by her priuie part, for that will twirle open, and shut againe, many
times in an houre.
37. lx.] fortie (by misreading lx. as xl.).
63–79. I. R. varies this, and has—put to your white Mares a daple-gray Horse, so shall he gette all
daples; to your bright bay mares a blacke bay horse, and so shall you gette all broune bayes; and to
your blacke Mares, a blacke Horse, so he haue white feet, white ratch, and white feather; so shall he
gette well-marked blacke Colts. But for the Carte it much matters not for colours, but for knowledge
sake know that the broune bay, the daple-gray, the bright bay, and the white lyard, are the best
colours; all other colours haue defects and are imperfect: of markes one white foote, a white starre, a
white snyp, or a white rache is good: and an Ostrige feather in any place where the horse cannot see
it, is the best of all the markes that can be for a horse. And thus much for horses or mares to be
chosen or vsed.

70. 3. and hygh grasse] and much fogge.
8. flasshes] and flagges.
9. bunnes] bands (wrongly).
32. aftermath] after-croppe.
33. gyrre, &c.] gyre, and to scoure so much that hee wil hardly endure to labour.
39. horse] horses. But horse is the true old plural form, the sb. being neuter; A.S. hors, pl. hors.
Nevertheless, Fitzherbert himself has horses in the line following.
42. put] strike and hurte.

73. 1. rase or a ball] starre. A ball is a streak; hence the mod. E. bald, M.E. ball-ed. See bald in
my Etym. Dict.

74. 2. to be styffe-docked] a stiffe docke or stearne of his taile.
77. 3. syde-tailed; syde means ‘long.’
78. 2. cressed] crested. And probably cressed is a mere misprint.
5. holowe-foted] hollow-hooued.

79. 7. chowynge] chewing.

80. I. R. expands this chapter and the succeeding chapters so much that it would take up too
much space to print all his additions. He gives recipes for the cure of the various diseases, and inserts
chapters ‘Of the head-ach or meagrum,’ ‘Of the staggers,’ and ‘Of the Vines.’[42] I can only
undertake to give here a few notes to illustrate Fitzherbert’s text.

83. I. R. has—The mourning of the tongue most commonly called the Canker.
86, 87. I. R. considers these two diseases together, and discourses of them at length, saying that
he has ‘cured many very sore spent.’

88. I. R. explains ‘Strangulion’ as appearing ‘in a swelling impostume as bigge as a mans fist,
iust betweene a horses chaules.’

89–113. I. R. omits nearly all these sections, excepting 91 (which agrees with his ‘Chapter 42.
Of the Vines’) and sect. 109 (which is his Chapter 54).

109. I. R. has the rubric—‘Of enterfayring’; and says—‘Enterfairing is a griefe that commeth
sometimes by ill shooing, and sometimes naturally, when a Horse trots so narrow that he hewes
[knocks] one legge vpon another.’ It is what we now call ‘over-stepping.’ The derivation is from the
French form of Lat. inter-ferire; and it is from this term in farriery that we have taken the mod. E.
interfere.

116. I. R. omits this section.
118. I. R. introduces here ‘Chapter 55. How to make the pouder of honey and lime.’
119. 2, 6. The French lines are in doggerel rime, and the English translations seem also to be
meant for verse, such as it is. The omission of the words or iourneye (in l. 8) would improve the
scansion.
8. or nyght, i.e. ere night. Altered by I. R. to out-right.

120. 4. tame] lame (!); an ominous mistake, for which the compositor should have the credit.
121. 4. We may feel sure that this sayinge was originally in verse. Perhaps it ran thus:
“He that hath sheep, and swyne, and hyue,
Slepe he, wake he, he maye thryue.”
Or we might write been (Chaucer’s plural of bee), riming with theen, the usual M. E. word for
‘thrive.’
9. Hogges. As to the exact sense of this word, see the note on it in the ‘Corrections and Additions’
to the larger edition of my Etymological Dictionary.

122. 38. sclatte] slate.
124. Here I. R. begins his third book, relating to timber and distillations.
12. Midsummer-moon is an old phrase; it occurs in the second line of the prologue to the
Plowman’s Tale, which is inserted in some editions of Chaucer, though really written by the
anonymous author of the Plowman’s Crede.

33. muldes a spade-graffe depe] mould with a spade a foot deepe.
35. peruse] doo still.
39. I. R. adds—or els beeing drowned, not to prosper.

125. 4. fyue fote brod, &c.] fiue foote broad, then it would be set with three chesses or rowes one
aboue another, but of what depth or breadth soeuer, it would be double sette, &c.
5. hedge] dead hedge.

126. 2. ellore] Elder (the later form).
6. edderynge] wood; see the glossary. So, in l. 7, I. R. translates eddered by bounde; and again in l.
16, he alters edderinges to byndings.
9. trouse] brouse (as above); see 38. 3.

127. 4. the more halue] more then halfe. But the more halfe, i.e. the greater part, is right enough,
and the older phrase. In l. 23, it is left unaltered.
8. in processe] vnwares.
15. slaue] stand (clearly not the right word). In l. 32, I. R. has the spelling sleaue. So also in sect.
133, I. 6.

128. 21. I. R. omits and bolneth; in l. 29, he alters bolne to rise.
129. 10. to leuse] so looseneth.
11. gete] got. But gete is the old form of the pp.; A.S. geten.

130. 4. casses] Kasses. I. R. omits or wydes.
5. slauynges] sleanings (sic). The form popeler reminds me that I have heard the large poplar-tree
at ‘Hyde-park Corner’ in Cambridge called ‘the popular tree.’ See l. 23.
12, 16. osyerde wethy] Asiere Withy.

131. 7. kydde] kid or faggot.
9, 16. brenne] burne.
14. to peruse them] persist.

132. 4. I. R. omits ‘and also the yues.’
5. bowe] hewe. But bowe refers to the bending of it before it is cut; the bent piece is called the
byghte in the next line. I. R. alters byghte to bough.
18. brede] breadth (which is the later form).
21. xvi.] one and twenty (by misreading xvi. as xxi.).

133. 1. gyse] vse of men.
6. slaue] sleaue; and in l. 16.
10. hym] the seller.

11. an] one (which is the meaning intended).
14. ouer] vpper.

134. 7. garches] garthes. In ed. 1534, it is plainly garches; but confusion between c and t is
extremely common, as they were written nearly alike.
18. a greatte] by great. The two phrases have different senses; a greate means ‘in the lump,’
without cutting or dressing the trees, as appears from the next line. But by great means ‘by
wholesale’; which contradicts l. 1.

136. 6. graffe] graft (throughout; which is the later form).
10. I. R. omits the narower kyrfe, and; to avoid the word kyrfe.

137. 10. pyrre-stocke] Peare-tree stocke.
14. I. R. says—a Crab-tree stocke is good, but the Apple-tree stocke it-selfe is much better.

138. 1. lanses] branches.
10. nothynge] any thing.
26. marley] marle.
29. cleauynge] place clouen.
30. for chynynge of the claye] for feare the clay through drines should cleaue or riue.
33. clayenge] cleauing (which is clearly wrong).
36. I. R. adds—And three grafts are enough for any stock whatsoeuer, and sooner they will couer
the head then foure, fiue, or sixe.

139. 6. tenaunte] tennant.
9. ponch] punch.
10. stop] scope. one syde] other side.
19. clyppe] slip.
20. After growe, I. R. adds—and to fence it close about with some thick-set hedge.
After this section I. R. inserts ‘Chapter 17. Howe to graft by leafe, causing all manner of fruit to
grow vpon one tree.’ His method is to insert what we should now call a slip, with a stalk and leaf
growing from it.

140. 2. scyences] syens. In fact, scyences (= scions-es) is a double plural, and was probably a
provincial term, like nesteses or nesses for nests. So also fairies-es is a country name for fairies,
which some lexicographers, not understanding, actually write and print as Pharisees!
6. he wyll] you will. This alteration is made wherever the phrase occurs.
8. lyke] like or prosper in any wise.
Here I. R. inserts a large portion of his own (or perhaps copied from other sources) without
any hint that it is not in his original. The insertion extends from p. 103 to p. 143, and contains the
following chapters.
Chapter 19. Of gardening or planting.

Chapter 20. Of distillation, what it is.
Chapter 21. Of Beanes and the distillation thereof.
Chapter 22. Of Cherries and their distillation.
Chapter 23. Of Walnuts and their distillation.
Chapter 24. Of small Nuts and their distillation.
Chapter 25. Of Honny and the distillation thereof.
Chapter 26. Of Apples and their distillation.
Chapter 27. Of Peaches and their distillation.
Chapter 28. Of Mallowes and their distillation.
Chapter 29. Of Grapes and their distillation.
Chapter 30. Of Quinces and their distillation.
Chapter 31. The distillation of Cardus [sic] benedictus, or the blessed thistle.
Chapter 32. The distillation of Angellica.
Chapter 33. The distillation of Cammomile.
Chapter 34. The distillation of Germander.
Chapters 35–40. The distillation of Eyebright, Hopps, wood Lilly, Balme, Strawberries, and
Cinamon.
Chapter 41. Of Nutmegs and their vse.
Chapters 42–44. Of Mace, Pepper, and Cloues.
Chapter 45. An excellent Balme to take away any blemish vppon the skinne.
Chapter 46. A receite to cure any wound or hurt.
Chapter 47. An approved receite for the gowte.
With this Chapter he closes ‘the third booke of Husbandry.’
The fourth book has an introductory chapter, not in Fitzherbert, subdivided into sections with the
following headings. The office of a Steward of a houshold. For prouiding of victuals. The Steward
and Garniter.[43] The Steward and Miller. The Steward and Baker. The Pantry. The Butler. The
Seller.[44] The Ewrie.[45] Of the Cooke. Of the Scullery. Of the Vsher of the Hall. Of the Yeoman of
the Wardrop [Wardrobe]. The Slaughter-man. The Cater [caterer]. The Clarke of the Kitchin.
After this, I. R. condescends to return to his original.

141. 36. sherde] breach (which is a gloss).
49. tyne] shut (a gloss). traile] tale (probably a misprint).
59. put it] blot them.
72. loked uppon] attended vnto.

142. This is a most singular section, since it presupposes that a gentleman’s servant would be
able to recognise the rhythm of an English hexameter. As an early experiment in hexameters, it is
very curious. In the original, it is printed as prose, but each line ends with a full stop, and the next

begins with a capital letter. I have therefore printed it as verse. It is, however, of a rather rude
character; horne boget hardly comes up to our idea of a dactyl, nor and shoes to that of a spondee.
For the reader’s assistance, I may remark that the dactyls are as follows: Purse dagger, -chef shoyng-,
horne boget, -ter sadel-, hatte with thy, Bowe arrowes, stringe and thy, Penne paper, -waxe pommes,
bokes thou re-, -ble nedle, leste that thy, -gel gyue thy, se he be, Make mery, synge and thou, hede to
thy, gere that thou. The rest are spondees.
I. R., not perceiving the law of rhythm, makes wild work of it. He calls it “An excellent rude
Lesson in rude ryme.” He divides the lines rightly, and leaves the first three verses untouched. But
the rest assume the following fearful forms.
Penne, paper, incke, parchment, redde waxe, punisse (sic),
and bookes doe thou remember,
Penknife, combe, thymble, needle, thred, and poynt,
least that by chaunce thy garth breake.
Bodkin, knyfe, rubber, giue thy horse meate,
See he be shodde well, make merry, sing if thou can,
And take heede to thy needments, that thou loose none.
I think we may fairly put these down as being the worst verses extant in the English language;
though this is saying a good deal.

143. 7. The saying doubtless represents a rude couplet in verse. The dative case wyfe (governed
by of) was formerly spelt wyue, and rimed with thryue.

144. Salomon, Solomon. But where to find, in his writings, this remarkable sentence, I do not
know.
After this section I. R. inserts a quantity of additional matter, which he tells us (at p. 174) is
drawn from his ‘owne experience in byrds and foules.’ The additional chapters treat of choice of
cocks, hens for brood, number of eggs to each hen, chickens, diseases of poultry (especially of the
pip), choice of poultry, how to fat poultry, how to make capons, where to keep poultry, how to
choose, keep, and fatten geese, how to keep ducks, peacocks, ‘ginny or turkie-cocks,’ pigeons,
pheasants, turtles, partridges, and swans; after which digression he returns to his text. I may remark
that he considers it essential that a hen should sit upon an odd number of eggs, say 19, and that
matters should be so arranged as to provide for the hatching of chickens ‘in the increase of the
Moone.’ The leaves of a bay-tree, ‘or els some Bents or Grasse,’ will preserve eggs ‘from the hurt of
thunder.’ Chickens ought not ‘to be breathed vpon by any Snake, Toade, or other venomous thing’; if
they are, you must quickly burn amongst them some ‘Galbanum, or womans hayre.’ Those that have
the pip should be dieted on Hearbgrace [rue] or garlic. Geese ‘are more watchfull then Doggs.’ ‘You
must vse in the time of brooding, to lay vnder your egges [of geese] the rootes of Nettles, to the end
the Gosling may escape stinging of Nettles, which otherwise many times killeth them.’ If geese are to
have fat livers, feed them on dry figs mingled with water. Ducks chiefly delight in acorns. If you
praise a peacock, ‘he will presently sette vp his taile.’ A turkey-cock ‘is very highly esteemed of, both
for his rarenesse and greatnes of body;’ and we are told that he changes the colour of the wrinkled
skin about his head at pleasure, either to white, red, blue, yellow, ‘or what other colour els hee list;
which thing maketh him seeme wonderfull st[r]ange to them that behold it.’ ... ‘Their greatest
diseases is the Pip and the Squecke.’ As to pigeons, ‘I haue knowne some that haue builded their
Doue-houses vpon high pillars ouer the midst of some Pond or great water, both because they delight
much in water, and also to keepe them the safer from vermine.’ Swans ‘will, when they waxe olde,
declare the time of their own death to be neere approching, by a sweete and lamentable note which
they then sing.’

145. 15. I. R. has—‘Wherefore it is conuenient (I say) that they loue each other as effectually as
loue can in the best sence comprehend: and this worke especiallie, a woman is bound both by law
and nature to performe.’ Why so?

146. I. R. omits ll. 2–7; he was certainly a Protestant.
8. redy. This is the old word for dressed, as might be shewn by many examples. It may suffice to
say that I. R. explains araye theym in l. 11 by make them ready.
10. socle] suckle. I. R. omits sye vp thy mylke, which he probably did not understand.
13. I. R. omits and take thy parte with theym; and, for serue thy swyne (l. 20) he puts looke to the
seruing of thy Swine. Customs were probably changing.
31. the gleyd] Kites. And fullymartes is omitted.
35. After eate, I. R. adds—in Sallets, or otherwise.
42. hecheled] heckled.
43. wrapped] warped.
51. ripeled, i.e. rippled; I. R. has repled. In l. 41 above, I. R. has repealed; yet this is, I suppose, the
same word.
53. loken] Locken. It means locked or tightly closed up; for lock was once a strong verb.
57. pulled] culled (which is an ingenious alteration and perhaps right).
104. The Knight of the Tour-Landry is the book here referred to, and was one of the books printed
by Caxton. The edition printed by the Early English Text Society, and edited by T. Wright, is so
easily accessible that it is needless to say more here than that Fitzherbert’s description of it is
perfectly correct.

147. 12. rendit] tendit. This correction may be right, but I am not sure of it. The Leonine (or
riming) verses quoted cannot be of any great antiquity, and it is quite possible that rendit is intended
as a Low-Latin translation of the French rend, pr. s. of rendre. The true Latin word is, of course
reddit; which, however, gives no rime. Fitzherbert’s translation is intended to be in verse.

148. 3. brynke] brim. “Better spare at brim than at bottom”; Hazlitt’s Proverbs. And see note to
Tusser, 10. 35.
12. tedure] teathure (not a good spelling.)
15. lees] ground. flytte] shift.
17. tyed] stakt.
26. putteth hym in the pynfolde] impoundes him.
38. ren ryot] runne.
43. it is meruayle] gracious were the stars of thy natiuitie (a fine phrase!).

150, 151, 152, 153. I. R. omits these four sections.
153. 3. This quotation, from Dionysii Catonis Disticha, iii. 7, appears also in P. Plowman, B. xii.
23.
28. I do not know where to find this quotation.

155. 10. behouable] behoouefull (which is a better form).
156. In the rubric, I. R. has—‘what riches are’; but in l. 1, he has—‘It is now requisite to know
what riches is.’ Already riches was becoming a plural substantive. It may be remarked that I. R. omits
the Latin forms of all the quotations.

157. 19. duetie] debt (which is what is meant). So also in ll. 22, 24.
160. 2. After declare, I. R. inserts—and euery booke of Common prayer dooth containe them. A
pertinent remark.

161. 3. I. R. omits the reference to the Athanasian Creed, and says we must ‘beleeue stedfastly
the Catholick fayth.’
25. I. R. omits from The fulfyllynge to the end of the section. For a description of the seven works
of mercy, see Spenser, F. Q. 1. 10. 36.

163. 3. I. R. has—and hast a stedfast fayth in Christ. He has almost wholly rewritten this section,
and says we are bound ‘to come to common prayer;’ and omits the quotation from St. Ambrose.

164. 7. It is remarkable that the author should refer us to the 3rd chapter of Proverbs instead of
the 15th. Our forefathers seem to have had no idea either of giving a correct reference or of verifying
one.
10. Qui a is printed, in Fitzherbert, as Quia, in one word. The correction being obvious, I have
made it.
18. Isodorus] Osorius. Why this alteration is made, I cannot tell. In l. 29 of the next section, I. R.
has Isidore, and in l. 37, Isidorus.

165. 39. Hampole] Hanapole (wrongly). Richard Rolle, of Hampole, was the author of the
Pricke of Conscience, edited by Dr. Morris for the Philological Society, and of numerous other
works, including some Religious Treatises edited by Mr. Perry for the Early English Text Society.
47. I. R. omits this line; he probably did not like the word oratory.
52. The first book of Samuel was formerly called the first book of Kings.

166. I. R. rewrites this section, and avoids any reference to Latin or to the Ave Maria.
167. 19, 20. I. R. gives the Latin lines, and his own translation, as follows.
The ghostly enemy doth not stay
Till tempted persons doe obey:
For yeelding, hee a Lyon is,
Gainestood, a flie: his pray doth misse.
His syntax is as bad as his translation.
34. steke] shutte.
35. styfly] manfully. We have here an idea which is frequently met with in our literature. It may
suffice to refer to Grosseteste’s Chastel d’Amour, the sermon called Soules Warde printed in Dr.
Morris’s Specimens of English, part i., the extract from the Ayenbite of Inwyt printed in Morris and

Skeat’s Specimens, part ii., the Tower of Truth and Castle of Caro described in Piers the Plowman,
&c. We are also reminded of Bunyan’s Holy War.

168. 31. Here again Fitzherbert gives us the wrong reference to the Proverbs, viz. to Chap. xiv.
instead of Chap. xix. His reading Veneratur dominus] is extraordinary.

169. 11. vnable to be foughten agaynst] inuinsible.
13, 14. slecketh] slacketh. slake] quench.
35. I. R. copies Fitzherbert’s reference to Chap. 35; but read 34.

172. 14. conuerted] conuarted (a peculiar pronunciation).
21. This quotation from St. Augustine appears also in Piers Plowman, B. v. 291.
50. This last paragraph is called by I. R. ‘Fitzherberts protestation;’ yet he actually alters his
author’s words, substituting ‘the holy scriptures’ for ‘al holy churche,’ with various other smaller
‘corrections.’
To crown his effrontery, he gives the address of ‘The Authour to his Booke’ in the following
extraordinary (amended) form!
Goe grosse fram’d image of a holy saint,
present my loue, though rude my pensill paint;
If any blame thee for deformitie,
say Nature calld thee, and not Oratorie;
If on thy browes be starres of ignorance,
say Fortunes pype did neuer teach thee dance.
Wish them amend which best can iudge thine ill,
so shall both thou and I bee happy still.

FOOTNOTES:
[36] Such is the general rule; but in Lowland Scotch, we have Dalziel, Menzies,
pronounced as Dalyell, Menyies, i.e. with z for y in the middle of a word, where
it usually has the force of gh.
[37] I shall in future drop the initials “I. R.” in these collations. It will be
understood that these various readings are all from the same source.
[38] Cf. the name pod-ware, as applied to beans and peas. See Halliwell.
[39] Printed—“Vernall. When.” This cuts the sentence in half, and makes
nonsense.
[40] A singular mistake; he means Aries.
[41] I.e. mortified. “Mortify, to change the outward form of a mixt body, as when
quicksilver ... is dissolved in an acid menstruum”; Phillips.
[42] Sic; but we commonly find viues or vives. And in fact, Fitzherbert treats of
it below, in section 91.

[43] I.e. the servant who had charge of the garners or granaries, and whose
business it was to send corn to the mill, the stable, and the poultry-yard.
[44] Cellar.
[45] Ewery; where were kept ‘Napery, Basons, Ewers, sweete waters, Perfumes,
Torches, Supper-lights, Prickets, sises of Waxe, and such like;’ also ‘tallow
Candles, Candle-sticks, Snuffers, and such other.’

GLOSSARIAL INDEX.
The references are to the sections and lines, as numbered. Besides the usual contractions, note that v.
= verb in the infinitive mood, pr. s. = present tense, third person singular, unless 1 p. or 2 p. is
added. Proper names are included in this index.

Able, adj. fit, suitable, 121/16.

Abrode, adv. abroad, 10/30.

Abused, pp. ill-suited, 151/13.

Accompte, s. account, inventory, 151/1; A-compte, account, 146/92.

A-cloyde, s. accloyed; a hurt caused by running a nail into a horse’s foot, 115/1. From O. F. cloyer,
same as clouer, to nail.

Acre, s. acre, 12/4.

A-crosse, adv. on the cross, crosswise, 61/8.

Affreyd, s. a disease in horses caused by hard riding, 104/1. Cf. E. fray; and see frayer in Cotgrave.

After, prep. according to, 15/22, 121/12; close to, 25/22.

Aftermath, s. a second crop of grass, 70/32.

All-onely, adv. only, 37/23, 65/4. Cf. Lowl. Sc. al-anerly, only.

Almes, s. alms, 168/3.

Almes-dedes, s. alms-deeds, 168/1.

Al-onely, adv. alone, 141/9. See All-onely.

Ambrose, St., 156/23, 163/9, 167/11.

Amended, pp. mended, 141/32.

Amerced, pp. fined, 148/22.

An, num. adj. one, 133/11.

Anastasius, 164/14.

And, conj. if, 6/12, 24/21, 25/16, 68/62, 70/34, 142/7.

Anis, s. pl. awns, 34/25, 29.

Anna, Hannah, 165/53.

Apparell, s. apparel, 151/3.

Appeyre, v. injure, 18/31; appeyreth, pr. s. impairs, injures, 18/17.

Aray, s. array, 151/13.

Araye, imp. s. dress, 146/11.

A-slope, adv. slanting, 2/24.

Assaut, s. assault, 167/37.

At-after, prep. after, 22/10. (Not uncommon.) It occurs in Chaucer, C.T. 11531.

Athanasii, gen. s. of Athanasius, 161/4.

Attempte, v. to tempt, 167/4.

Atteynt, s. attaint, a disease caused by overstepping, 113/1. “Of an upper attaint, or nether attaint,
or any hurt by over-reaching.”—G. Markham, Husbandry, b. i. c. 54.

Auctorytie, s. authority, 141/19; auctorytes, pl. powers, prol. 21.

Aue, Ave Maria, 166/12.

Augur, s. auger, tool for boring holes, 41/8; gen. augurs, i.e. made by an auger, 3/57.

Auoyde, v. depart, 167/36.

Austyn, St. Augustine, 156/19, 157/3, 158/1, 164/26, 168/25.

Auyse, pr. s. advise, 141/1.

Awry, adv. awry, 50/5.

Axil-pynnes, s. pl. axle-pins, 5/20.

Axiltre, s. axle-tree, 5/18.

Backe-syde, s. back side, back, 127/9.

Badger, s. badger, 71/7.

Bagges, s. pl. bags, 141/69.

Bakbandes, s. pl. back-bands for a horse in a cart, 5/28.

Baken, s. bacon, 121/18.

Balkes, s. pl. divisions of land (covered with grass) in an open field, 6/17.

Ball, s. a white streak, 73/1. See Bald in my Etym. Dict.

Band, s. band for barley, 28/8. See below.

Bandes, s. pl. bands, the bands that tie bundles of faggots together, 131/8.

Bargeins, s. pl. transactions, 36/20.

Barbes, s. pl. the barbles, small excrescences of flesh in a horse’s mouth, 82/1. See Lampas.

Baste, s. piece of bast, 138/30; bastes, pl. 136/22.

Bate, v. to lower, abate, 153/16.

Bauson, s. badger, 71/7.

Bayly, or Baylye, s. bailiff, 134/3, 141/57, 148/40.

Bayting. See note to sect. 8 (ch. 8, ll. 9 and 13); p. 131.

Beate, v. improve [not beat], 8/20. Lowl. Sc. beet, A. S. bétan, to better. “Beet-axe, the instrument
used in beeting ground in denshering.”—Wright.

Beetle-browed, having projecting brows, note to 56/9; p. 139.

Begonne, prob. an error for be gone, i.e. are dropped, 18/10. See the note.

Begotten, pp. obtained, 169/30, 42.

Behouable, adj. fitting, 155/10.

Belte, v. to shear the buttocks and tails of sheep, 40/24. Burl is used in the same sense; see belt and
burl in Old Country Words, ed. Britten, pp. 134, 136.

Belybandes, s. pl. belly-bands for a horse in a cart, 5/28.

Bende, adj. bent, 3/49; as s. bent piece, 4/33.

Bendfoder, s. fodder of straw and hay mingled, note to 6/27; p. 131.

Be-pysse hym-selfe, give out moisture, 25/27.

Bere-barleye, s. a kind of barley, 13/26. A reduplicated word. Bere is the same as bar- in bar-ley.
A.S. bere, barley.

Bernard, St., 156/25, 164/10.

Best lykinge, adj. superl. goodliest, best in appearance, 48/13.

Besyde, prep. on the one side, sideways out of, 139/17.

Better, adj. compar. 5/12.

Beyked, pp. warmed, dried, 24/23. M.E. beken, answering to an A.S. form bécan* (not found),
formed as a secondary verb, by vowel-change, from A.S. bóc, pt. t. of bacan, to bake. So also lay

from lie, set from sit, etc. See beken in Stratmann, who refers to Le Bone Florence, l. 99, Iwain and
Gawain, l. 1459, O.E. Homilies, i. 269, and Test. of Creseyde, 26.

Beykyng, s. warming, drying, 24/12. See above.

Beytynge, pres. pt. feeding, lit. baiting, 22/12.

Bier, s. buyer, 134/30.

Bigge, adj. big, large (with reference to clods), 10/4.

Blacke-thorne, s. blackthorn, 124/14.

Blankettes, s. pl. blankets, 146/79.

Blend-corn, s. wheat mixed with rye, 34/19. (Blend = blended.)

Blesse, v. to bless, 146/2.

Blome, pr. pl. bloom, 24/16.

Bloude, s. blood, 145/8; also the name of a sickness among sheep, 48/2.

Bloud-yren, s. bleeding-iron, lancet, 58/29.

Blyssomme, v. to copulate, said of sheep, 37/14. A ewe is said to be blissom, i.e. blithe-some, eager.
Cf. lissom = lithe-some.

Bobbed, pt. pl., struck, 166/29.

Bodkyn, s. bodkin, 142/6.

Boget, s. a budget, wallet, 142/1.

Boke, book, 3/2, etc.; bokes, pl. 142/4.

Bolles, s. pl. pods, 146/50. Lit. “swellings;” see below. Cf. Du. bol, swollen.

Bolne, v. to swell, 128/29; bolneth, pr. s. swells, 128/21. Cf. Swed. bulna, Dan. bulne, to swell.